For the second Smut Vault appearance in a row, I’ll be reviewing a new entry from an author in which I’ve had the pleasure of a previous encounter. The lovely and talented Aimée Maroux has been kind enough to supply to us, once again, a copy of one of her recently released stories. This time, we get Apollon and Dionysos: Opposites Attract. Quick disclaimer: when we received this book, we were warned by the author that this story contains incest. Later in this piece I’m going to argue why I do not view it as such, and therefore why you shouldn’t see it that way either. However, if that is a deal-breaker for you, you’re more than welcome to close this tab right now. Thank you for the click, and I truly hope you have a great day. That being said, let’s get some backstory before we dive loins-first into this potentially controversial piece of literature.
As you may or may not know, Apollon (Apollo to non-Ancient Greeks) is the son of Zeus, King of the Olympians, and Leto, a titaness. This means that he has a 100% divine, immortal bloodline. Dionysos, alternately “Dionysus” in English, was also a son of Zeus but his mother was a human: Semele. This makes Dionysos a demigod, similar to Heracles (Latin version: Hercules) or Perseus. Furthermore, this technically makes him and Apollon half-brothers. After Dionysos invents wine, he is made into a god by Zeus who, not unlike most 20-40 year old women, also loooooves wine (way before it was enjoyed from a cardboard box). Also making an appearance in this one: the Muse named Ourania, who is another godly child of Zeus, making her a half-sister to both of our leading male characters. Now that all of this Game-of-Thrones-style explanation of the family tree is out of the way, let’s get on to the actual story.
Every winter, Apollo retires to his northern home in Hyperborea, presumably to ski down a few black diamonds with Thor and Loki (I am aware neither of these two are the Norse god of skiing, but these two are more popular with the hip, young Marvel kids we’re trying to appeal to). ANYWAY, when this happens, Dionysus looks after the Oracle of Delphi for Apollo. He usually arrives, stays a few days, and parties a bit with his half-brother before he leaves. This time though, Dionysus lays down the charm just a little too thick, and Apollo can’t help but notice how good the God of Wine looks in his toga. An argument, followed by a heavenly titty-fuck scene, eventually leads to a climax of godly proportions. Just as the summer sun helps ripen the grapes on the vine, everyone involved is happy in the end..
As I alluded to before, let me explain why this story should not be viewed the same way as “normal” incest. Simply put: the characters in this book are bound by divinity, and they do not operate by the same genetic rules as us mortals. Furthermore, when it comes to sexual partners, they’re much more limited than humans in terms of selection. Zeus, depending on sources, is a 4th generation deity. Imagine a small town of less than 100 people (we’re focusing on the “major” players here), where there have been multiple generations of children, and all 100 people in this town are descended from one dude. Therefore, all relationships between gods and goddesses are technically familial; they have no other choice. Plus, unlike humans, gods don’t have to worry about birth defects brought out through inbreeding. Well, with the exception of Hephaestus who was a son of Zeus and Hera, who are also brother and sister. The point is, there’s no use inserting mortal morality to the affairs of the gods. Finally, all of these characters are (probably) not even real in the first place, so getting upset over fictitious figures is as silly as thinking Harry Potter will lead to devil worship or widespread toilet ghosts.
In conclusion, the story itself is in a word: terrific. It is a longer book than most I’ve read so far, but that length proves to be both necessary and critical. The sex is well-written, and decidedly tasteful, if such a description could apply to erotica. As a reader, it is quite evident how much time and effort was put into writing this piece. But what makes Opposites Attract exceptional is its plot, character building, and development. Apollo initially comes across as a chauvinistic jerk, which is to be expected. He’s literally (and I’m using the proper version of “literally” here) a god, and the god of a ton of things. Khaleesi can’t hold a candle to how many titles Apollo has. Dionysus, perhaps due to his upbringing as a mortal or possibly his love of debauchery and revelry in general, is much more sex-positive and sexually generous. By the end of the story, he seems to have made an impression on Apollo. Being an immortal god makes it hard to change your character too much, but it seems that through the lessons of Dionysus, it seems that Apollo is beginning to see the light. And on that pun, I take my leave.
Thanks to Aimee Maroux for providing a review copy of Apollon and Dionysys to TehBen.com. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Author’s Twitter: @aimeemaroux
Author’s Website: Erotic Mythology
Purchase Link: Amazon
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