Review – Destiny Entwined by Nadia Lee

I will never look at the word lubricous the same way again.

February seems to bring out the lover in us all and after reading Destiny Entwined I have found that Nadia Lee gives us much to love. Reboots of the classics are everywhere nowadays and it takes a gift with the written word to be able to paint a well know story in a new light. If after reading this you aren't hoping for more stories with the NL treatment, then reread and languish in the written word. There is no Disneyfied retelling, just an erotic undertaking that revels in the lush setting of the Greek gods.

Ariadne has been cast ashore by Theseus and as she ponders flinging herself into the ocean she is met by Dionysus. He offers to take away her pain of betrayal and she is willing to let him try. Now, it's been a minute since I've read my myths, but I've got Percy Jackson and the Museum of Love to remind me that it has something to do with a golden thread, a ship, being abandoned on a island…and "Dionysus's admiration and loving embrace."

When an author is able to take something that could be mundane (even myths can be dry) and enrich it through language, they get much more of my respect. Considering that this is a scant fourteen pages I wondered how it would pan out, but Nadia Lee, takes imagery from the text and brings it to life. Everything from her description of Dionysus and Ariadne, to the poor expanding grape (want to know where it expands…read the story), to the use of foliage (foliage smut FTW!), I'm really kind of hoping there's going to be another story for the first of spring.

Destiny Entwined is an excellent example of how story reboots can be handled. When properly executed with respect to the premise of the story as well as what liberties the writer can take, you can be presented with a carnal undertaking that will have you eyeing your nearest Classic text with glee.