(Disclaimer - Veronica Scott is one of my sister's dearest friends, and a local RWA sister, so I wanted to like her work.) Scott's debut novella gives us the forbidden love story between Merys, descendant of the priestesses of Sobek, Crocodile God of the Nile, and Sobek himself, though he doesn't initially reveal his identity to her as he courts her.

I've never thought of crocodiles as sexy, but Scott manages to give Bek/Sobek a handsome human form, even an intriguing mixed human/crocodile form, as well an an imposing all crocodile form.

Despite Merys being a mortal, and Bek being a god, they fall in love. I enjoyed this story very much, though I was left wanting more. I think this is a bigger story squeezed down to only 63 or so pages. Much is told, rather than shown - Merys's life in the village as the Cinderella stepdaughter to her weak-feigning stepmother.

The rules of the Egyptian universe weren't clear to me. There might be more tension if they were revealed more clearly at the beginning, so we knew what the lovers were going up against. I did wonder how Scott would weave in the whole theme of the afterlife, so large a part of what we picture when we imagine ancient Eqypt, and there she does a beautiful job. I loved the way Scott brought in Isis, Anubis, and some of the other gods of ancient Egypt.

The sex scenes were... sexy, but compared to the other erotica I read over the same weekend, almost tame. They were fine, they fit the material, but they didn't leave me squirming in my chair, if you KWIM.

If you are looking for blow-your-socks-off short erotica, this ain't it. If you are looking for a sweet erotic romance with unusual characters in a very different setting, this is a great read. I look forward to more of Scott's work. ( )

Egypt 1500 BC. Sobek, the Crocodile God, is drawn to one of his old, now a ruin, temple, where he hears one of his old song sung by a beautiful young woman. Unable to stop himself he introduces himself as a mere man asking to spend an hour in conversation.

Merys, the ill-fated daughter from a the village scribe's earlier marriage, spends an evening exchanging stories with a man dressed like a wealthy merchant, a man like she's never known before, handsome, kind and intriguing.

Their meetings become frequent, and Sobek begins to fight the attraction he feels for her because it is forbidden for a God to love a Human, a law so enforced that it would be the death of the human. But the near death of Merys makes him throw away his charade and let her see just who he is... and just how much he lusts after her.

A simple, entertaining story of love of insurmountable obstacles in the ancient Egypt, with its vast amount of gods and goddesses, pharaohs and mere men and women of its land. Priestess of the Nile is short story of love that either one of the destined couple doesn't hope to dream of, coming to fruition. It's beyond forbidden for a God to come to love a human woman and have a life with her. It's a sweet love story, filled with egyptian mythology, to have any girl hooked to see what will happen between Sobek and Merys, because surely there has to be a way for this to end happily, doesn't there?

Despite this Bek can't be away from Merys once he'd come to hear her enchanting songs and hear her stories of her village and of her unjust life with her new stepmother and her children. Bek has never loved before, and it takes a while to realize what it is he feels for her, having lived forever he has an air of languid crocodile like patience and strength and he waits too long to truly let her know how he feels. Put once his heart knows pain there is nothing to stop the horrible power he can wield against those who have taken from him.

Merys, a young woman dedicating herself to singing and honoring the Crocodile God even though his temple is in ruins, is the descendant of the High Priestess of Sobek. She's solemn and has been through a lot with her new stepmother and her new children with her father, despite the way she's treated she hasn't lost the playfulness and her happiness when she's free of them and alone by the banks of the Nile, caring for the temple.

In all this book was very good, it had just the right amount of despair, hope, love and mythology to make the story truly entertaining. At 88 pages it's a quick read, just few hours, but time well spent! Once you start the story you don't want to set it down, I sure didn't. This is my favorite Egyptian Novella so far! Makes me want to go and read Mika Waltari's, The Egyptian again. ;) ( )

received from NetGalley for review

(synopsis)
Egypt, 1500 BC

Drawn to his abandoned temple on the banks of the Nile by an enchanting song, Sobek the Crocodile God is even more captivated by the sight of the singer herself. Appearing to her as a man, he learns she is Merys, a descendant of his last priestess. Though filled with lust, Sobek believes Merys deserves to be more than just his mistress. But the rules that govern the Egyptian pantheon forbid anything beyond a physical joining of a Great One and a human.

Merys is attracted to the handsome stranger, who arouses passions in her that no man ever has. But with no dowry and no hope of ever leaving her village, she dares not dream of the future—or love.

Sobek takes every opportunity to visit Merys, taxing his resolve to leave her pure. When he saves her life, their mutual desire must be sated. But can a love between a human and an immortal survive the ultimate test of the gods?

21,000 words

review:
I enjoyed reading this book. It is a very short, very quick read. I love anything relating to Ancient Egypt. This is listed as an adult book. I think the author could have avoided the graphic descriptions of the horizontal activities and made this book available for a younger audience. It is a classic love story, one that transcends life and death. The characters are strong and independent, especially Merys, the Priestess of Sobek. She has a delightful persoanlity, she is a calming influence to all around her. She shrugs off being mistreated by her good for nothing family. Her only close relation is a much younger sister who is also mistreated by the family.

The end was not a surprise. ( )