In The Festival of the Snake, a virginal priestess is indoctrinated into earthly pleasures and body piercing. This tale was imaginative and descriptive. The short format was beneficial as it piqued the reader's interest without repetition.

Meeting a Goddess was a strange tale of a mortal lying with the goddess Freya who could make her conquests a man or woman at her own whim. It delivers an ironic POV as the mortal prefers to stay a woman after finding being a man is not as pleasurable. I confess to not understanding the ending, though.

Oh My God tells the tale of a woman who prays to Hera, wife of Zeus to send her a lover. What she gets is more than she bargains for. This is a quirky tale; told with humor and skill that has a surprise ending.

Water Baby is a haunting story of a man who finds love in the most unorthodox place. I found the story fascinating, poignant and romantic for its unusual story line and flow.

Cathy's Dream is a romantic Valentine's Day singles story with a ghostly twist. You suspect how it will end but still are teased to keep reading just in case. Not as erotic as some of the other Mythic Fantasies selections but appealing for the hopeless romantic reader.

For Fire There is Water is the timeless tale of a man meeting an old woman who is not what she seems and the bargain struck between them. Using folklore as a backdrop this is an intriguing read with a foreseeable ending that nonetheless entertains like a naughty Grimm's Fairy Tale.

Full Moon Rising reveals a werewolf in human form trying to find his next sexual conquest to keep his shape shifting under control. He finds his mark at a nightclub and a hot sexual encounter is a treat to be had by all. This is a contemporary plot that works perfectly in this modern day and age.

Gone Fishing probes the relationship between a merman and a human and the complexities of a physical relationship. Fanciful and told in the first person, I did not always figure out the choreography of the sensual scenes, as they were a bit confusing, however, the author penned an admirable piece that lent an unusual spin to the normal mermaid/human encounter.

The River Feast delves into the mission of a water nymph to divert the fall of Troy by seducing Paris and keeping his mind off Helen. Told as a mild tongue and cheek this very short tale packs a lot of eroticism in its telling. Not as in-depth as the other Myths, it lacks the thought-provoking scenarios so far presented but it is entertaining in context.

Jackie's New Life is the strange short saga of an abused wife who leaves her husband and winds up with a furry alien. It left me a bit uneasy for the alien's cat description where the sexual encounter was concerned and using his tail as a sexual appendage, but for bizarre and different, this tale deserves recognition.

Pastoral is a winner in premise and telling as a storm-bedraggled woman has a case of mistaken identity that neither she nor the reader will soon forget.

The Princess and the Outlaw brings Princess Irene under the control of the outlaw Yora. Pampered and spoiled the Princess learns lessons in love, while Yora finds out not all royalty are snobbish and standoffish. This mismatched pair finds they do have something in common.

The Fire Feeder uses folklore and tribal beliefs to deliver a stunning tale of love and obsession dealing with taming fire through seduction and fanning the flames of desire.

Aqua Dream deals with a stranger who washes up on the beach and her ties to the ocean. Her savior shares a similar longing for the water as fantasy and reality blend together until neither the main character or the reader knows which is which.

Silk brings to life two silk scarves that are sinuous and sleek as well as sensually alive. Skillfully woven this story delivers eroticism at its best as the mysterious material comes with an equally phantom-like lover who practices seduction and light bondage.

Flesh and Stone reads as a tale of a slave bought by a woman warrior whose own stormy love has turned to stone. This story had portions that engaged the reader but it seemed like integral parts were missing that would have better explained the fine points. Case in point it was not clear to me exactly why the human statue had turned himself to stone. Taken as written, it was a colorful tale whose brevity did not do it justice.

I would highly recommend Mythic Fantasies for its variations on a theme that packs an erotic punch. This collection of short stories teases the reader's imagination and though some of the stories will appeal more than others, it is a worthwhile recipe for a hot, sexy read that engages the senses.

Overall rating:
Sensuality rating: Explicit

Reviewer: Torie West
August 24, 2003