Lowly maids in Victorian England, whose lives are an endless round of unremitting toil, must surely dream of better things - yet more pitiful by far is the plight of those unfortunate souls who find themselves in the service of a strict disciplinarian. James Montague is a man who delights in watching young women writhe and squirm... seeing creamy-white buttocks turn first pink, then red, then purple... hearing gasps of dismay turn to shrill cries of anguish. And maids are not alone in feeling the hot kiss of cane and strap, for James' three wards - innocent Catherine, flirtatious Victoria and lovely, spirited Elizabeth - are obliged to bare their bottoms with distressing regularity. A visit by James' godson Frederick merely adds to their woes, for the young man wishes to study the noble art of spanking... and who better to teach him than the stern master of Bleekston Hall?

'You must hold the position until I give you permission to rise,' I said. 'That's most important, Bella, no matter who's spanking you, for if you move you'll almost certainly be given extra strokes. Neither can you rub your bottom until I say so, even if it's stinging fiercely. You understand?'

For serfs in feudal Attland, life is an endless round of toil and suffering. When Lia is taken from her family and set to work in the castle's kitchens, she finds herself subject to the whim of a stern and pitiless overseer. As she soon learns to her cost, floggings are daily occurrences and humiliations no less common, with pretty young women obliged to share the overseer's bed. A shift of fortunes sees her transferred to the royal household as bondmaiden to Princess Elfrida, but Lia fares no better here - the princess is spoilt and selfish and takes pleasure in making her new servant's life a misery. Lia's unhappy situation grows more dire still when the castle is attacked and captured by soldiers of Osburg, a rival kingdom. Knowing they can expect little mercy at the hands of the brutal invaders Lia and Elfrida flee, only to fall prey to looting soldiers. Taken as spoils of war, and subjected to unimaginable cruelties, the two young women's prospects are grim indeed. Lia will need all her resilience and courage if she is to survive.

The future is looking bleak indeed for Lieutenant Jo O'Donnell, trainee pilot in the New Worlds Alliance space fleet. Together with her friend and captain, Bel Franklin, she has fallen prey to the enemy - the hated and feared Solar League - and the two young women know they can expect little mercy at the hands of their cruel captors. Interrogation follows swiftly as sadistic League officers seek information concerning their mission. And worse is yet to come. Transferred to a troop carrier, Jo and Bel find themselves obliged to service officers and enlisted men alike. An abortive escape attempt leads to a public flogging, then incarceration on Paradise, the ironically named League prison planet. As they soon discover to their cost, brutal guards rule here with lash and boot, and degradation and suffering are daily fare. Can Jo and Bel win their freedom, or is death the only release from the dreaded Planet of Pain?