Title: Mythologically Torqued Anthology Volume 1
Author Name: Alisha Monroe, Alyx Shaw, Angelique Voisen, Carol Tierney, Delilah Storm, Eva Lefoy, Jacey Mills, L.J. Hamlin, Leigh Ellwood, Logan Zachary, Max Wilde, Salome Wilde, Shiloh Saddler, T. Strange, V.L. Locey
Length: 106, 000 Words
Torquere’s largest anthology to date features a total of 15 authors pleased to bring you 15 unique tales from when gods and goddesses ruled the world. This collection features both m/m and f/f content for your reading pleasure. Dare you enter this realm of Mythologically Torqued fantasy? Be on the lookout for Volume 2 summer 2015.
Mythologies from around the globe receive a happy little twist in this first volume of Mythologically Torqued. A Scottish kelpie, Greek gods and goddesses, a Japanese princess, and demons delight and intrigue in these stories, each containing LGBT elements.
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Whether it’s Greco-Roman gods and goddesses or heroes from tales around the globe, Mythologically Torqued, volume 1 brings together not-so-classic lovers with a Torquere twist.
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Eros finds his soul mate in the arms of a demigod friend in L.J. Hamlin’s In Love with Zeus’ Son. In Shiloh Sadler’s Clipped Wings, two men on a plantation find love under the most unusual circumstances in 1842 Missouri. V.L. Locey’s Back to the Garden, Pan hits up Woodstock with the sun god Apollo—sex, drugs, and rock and roll take on a whole new meaning. In Brísingamen, Carol Tierney offers us the story of a magical necklace, and the payment goddess Freyja delivered to four dwarven sisters for it’s creation. Delphinos, by T. Strange, is a modern-age retelling of Dionysus’ creation of dolphins. In Angelique Voison’s version of the Japanese Moon Princess myth, Reiko is tasked with bringing the Emperor’s future bride, the fabled Moon Princess to court, and complications arise when Reiko falls head over heels for Kaguya. Charged with ensuring Sisyphus fails, Hercules is conflicted by his feelings for the former ruler in Angelique Voison’s How Hercules Got His Bruise. In Leah Ellwood’s Styx and Stone, Ferrying souls across the Styx is a lonely business, but Charon doesn’t mind—newly arrived Stone is more than willing to keep him company. No one believes in the Greek gods anymore, and Apollo is in a rut, Ganymede—cupbearer to the gods— tries to get Apollo to see what’s in front of him in Jacey Mills’ Another Night at the End of the World. Salome Wilde’s Eternal Grind offers a corporate take on Christian Hell, populated with horned and hoofed demons inspired by medieval monks’ fertile imaginations, which follows a pair of lesbian demon baristas, determined to find their own happily-ever-after. In the distant past, Ero was the god of desire, but in present day, he looks for love with Psy—a peerlessly gorgeous mortal man—and needs to keep a secret, in Alisha Monroe’s The Myth of Ero and Psy. Bound by chains and defenseless, Thor is being held captive by Garrick, a young man also forced to service until demands are met in Logan Zachary’s Bound by Desire. Together, attraction ignites between Thor and Garrick—can love grow if it is bound by desire? In Delilah Storm’s The Golden Balls, true love’s kiss is powerful, and Jasper’s sexuality awakens—will Anur be able to keep Jasper in this sleepy little kingdom? A spurned lover, mythical horse, and a public official walk into a pub—murder, mayhem, and everlasting love result in Alyx Shaw’s The Kelpie.
5 stars for the whole anthology
This is a terrific collection of retold myths and fairy tales. Many are based on Greek mythology, though there are a few from other traditions. The stories are erotic and sensual, ranging from romantic to scorching. It’s one of the best collections I’ve ever had the pleasure to read.
Styx and Stone (Leigh Ellwood)
A funny, sweet story about the ferryman of the dead. I enjoyed the light fun and the cute happy-ever-after. A well-written and unusual take on the Underworld.
How Hercules Got His Bruise (Eva Lefoy)
This one is hot as Hades. I’m not usually a fan of muscly studs getting it on, but this one was done just right. Hercules and Sisyphus make one gorgeous pair, and the writing is fantastic.
In Love with Zeus’ Son (L.J. Hamlin)
This one was a little lacking for me. It was a bit cookie-cutter for my taste, and it wasn’t especially memorable. However, I think it would work well as part of a larger story, as there was some interesting world-building.
Clipped Wings (Shiloh Sadler)
This was an exceptional concept. A retelling of the Swan Princes set in 1840s Missouri is a bold undertaking. What a beautiful, happy-sad story. My only hesitation was that some of the dialog sounded too contemporary and it pulled me out of the story a bit. Otherwise, this was excellent.
The Kelpie (Alyx J. Shaw)
This one was eerie and mysterious, yet it also had a sense of playfulness. Norman, the kelpie, seems to possess my own somewhat snarky sense of humor. This was the best shivers-up-my-spine story for more than one reason. Another very well-written and unique tale.
Eternal Grind (Salome Wilde)
I loved the concept of this story, about a hellish (literally) coffee shop. However, it ended up being a bit too cynical and anti-religious for my taste. I did enjoy the payoff at the end.
Another Night at the End of the World (Jacey Mills)
Although I didn’t feel there was a whole lot that stood out to me in this story, I thought the idea of love creating new perspective was lovely. There was also quite a bit of humor and fun along the way. This was a well-written tale with a very sweet, magical ending.
The Fifth World (Max Wilde)
This was one of my favorites. Photographer Maggie discovers wolf-woman Yara in the snowy wilderness. The love that grows between them is tender and deep, and it creates a beautiful sense of longing. This is another one on the theme of love changing one’s perspective. What a treasure.
Bound by Desire (Logan Zachary)
I really enjoyed this story. Both Garrick and Thor are prisoners, and Garrick is in charge of holding Thor hostage while also being forced to serve his basic care. It does skirt the bounds of consent, but it never breaks them. Very well-written, both suspenseful and erotic.
Brisingamen (Carol Tierney)
This is another one of my favorites. It is everything from softly sensual to scorching hot. At first, I wasn’t sure about the idea of Freyja trading sex for the necklace, but it turned out to be really beautiful and passionate. The story is marvelous, and there were moments that brought me to tears.
Delphinos (T. Strange)
On the surface, this seems like a story about somewhat odd people meeting each other. Underneath, I loved the way longing and sadness were woven through the story. The end was a complete surprise, and it left me with the best kind of happy-sad feeling.
The Myth of Ero and Psy (Alisha Monroe)
I’ll be honest, this wasn’t one of my favorites. I’m not sure if it’s just my non-interest in the club scene or that I’m a bit tired of this myth being retold, but I thought it was just okay. There was plenty of passion, and I liked the characters all right, I just didn’t find it overly memorable. Still, it was well-written; it’s more personal taste than that the story was flawed in any way.
The Golden Balls (Delilah Storm)
I loved this one from the very beginning. I’ve never read an m/m telling of the Frog Prince, and this was so wonderfully done. I’m partial to pretty men and gingers, so Jasper utterly delighted me. I found it suspenseful wondering who was telling the truth and whether love would win out in the end.
Kaguya (Angelique Voisen)
I’ll admit I’m not familiar with Japanese mythology, so I’m not sure if there’s something I missed here. I didn’t quite understand the story. It mostly seemed like an excuse to have Reiko and Kaguya have sex with a little magic thrown in to fit the theme. It was passionate, but I prefer a bit more story to hold it together. Still, I liked the setting, and I was glad for a non-western myth.
Back to the Garden (V.L. Locey)
Another favorite of mine. This one had me laughing out loud. Woodstock is absolutely the perfect setting for a gods-descend-to-earth Greek myth tale. What better place for Pan to meet his lover? Witty and wonderful, sexy and sweet, this one charmed me from beginning to delightful end.
Amy
An interesting collection of novellas, covering a wide variety of situations and characters from historical settings to the contemporary. Others just relying and succeeding with the humorous approach.
Many well written, some however, relying more on unusual names to context. However a very entertaining anthology that gives the reader the choice of dipping in to what ever subject they feel compelled to read at any given time.
The short biography of each author was quite educative.
Disappointed that there were not more lesbian episodes.
This anthology is ideal for those who wish to explore a variety of genres and sexuality.
Chris
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