"A Search For True Love Can Take You Many Places..."

To say only that "MYSTIC VISIONS details the journey of a magical necklace across space and time as it brings lovers together" is to do the publication a great disservice. I tend to be a straight contemporary romance fan, no fantasy, no time travel...none of that stuff. MYSTIC VISIONS slowly and completely seduced me; I'm a total convert and ready to spread the word!

Dragon Fire by Myra Nour

While astrally projecting himself far and wide through the universe in an effort to further his education and deepen his understanding of its inhabitants, Xandor, a 4th-level wizard, touches the mind of a most unusual female. Her mind and body are open to him, as if she had been waiting for him to come to her. And come to her he does. Confused about her effect on him, Xandor consults his master teacher, who reveals exactly what is holding back his progress to 5th-level wizard: his lack of a soul mate. Perhaps this mysterious woman plays a part in the completion of his journey to exalted wizard status. With his teacher's instruction to fashion a soul kin to draw her to him, Xandor fashions a necklace symbolic of the search for one's true love, using the most powerful source in the universe to wizards and sorcerers: the Dragon Fire...

Formed in the shape of an eye (of the goddess who watches over all lovers) with a tear in the corner, the tear will disappear in the presence of two hearts destined for each other.

Xandor's search leads him to the planet of this true love, he finally appears in physical form to Zira. She has, indeed, been waiting for him. The sexual chemistry between them is amazing, and on her planet, in order for a union to be binding, the male must bring his mate to orgasm for 3 days in a row. Xandor can hardly believe his luck.

His mission to mate with Zira is part of a bigger picture, too, closely related to his need to reach 5th wizard level. In the back of his mind is the thought that he must return to his home, and he doesn't know if Zira will be willing to leave the only home she has ever known. One on which she is more than happy, and is also essential for her physical well being. Though the necklace indicates a sure thing, it takes a lot more than just a disappearing tear to resolve the uncertainty of new love as well as their interplanetary conflict.

The two lovers are enchanting, perfect for initiating a "fantasy novice" like me. He's hot, sweet and sincere; she is clear-headed, guileless and his sexual equal. The sex scenes are lengthy, intense and REALLY creative! I think I could really get behind this alien sex thing in a big way!

Visions by Sahara Kelly

When next we encounter the necklace, it is in ancient Sumer, in the hands of an unconscious naked woman with the brand of a slave on her ankle. She is discovered by Nerin of Kushuk, respected landowner and favorite of all the local females. His sexual prowess is legendary, but it is sexual only; he is emotionally unavailable to all. While recovering her from the river where he finds her, Nerin notices the gleaming object in her hand, and taking note of the brand on her ankle, immediately accuses her of theft. She, once conscious, is about to set him straight. Her name is Karinna, she is of the royal house of Akkad, he has her property and she wants it back. She claims to have been branded as a slave and imprisoned by her mother. She claims that her mother has killed her father and brother, hijacked the throne, and now wants to be rid of her. Her lack of slave-like demeanor infuriates Nerin, who isn't used to disobedience; her stunning beauty infuriates him as well. Surely she lies, because Nerin, who lives in a peaceful country and came from a loving family, can't possibly imagine anything so farfetched.

Nerin can't for the life of him understand why this particular woman reaches places he'd rather keep hidden. The fact that the necklace seems to have a life of its own, and that Karinna seems to infiltrate his dreams don't exactly sit well with him either. And how did she come by the necklace? That is, of course, for the reader to find out.

Visions is a veritable feast of great storytelling and raging sensuality. The attraction between Nerin and Karinna is blazing hot; there are moments where you wonder what it's going to take to get him to see the truth, but the journey to the truth is one you don't want to miss. Nerin is very physical, very controlling, and can be a little bit scary, and I loved that Karinna can give as good as she gets, she is a perfect match for Nerin. Together they just about go up in flames. Run...do not walk, to experience the story of Karinna and Nerin, and to find out where the necklace ends up.

Zayed's Gift by Ann Jacobs

I love multi-generational stories, and was so pleased to see Brian Shearer resurface. When last we saw Brian, he was escaping from 11 years as a prisoner in an Iraqi jail, along with Jamil al Hassan and an elderly Marsh Arab named Zayed. Zayed had sworn that he would rather die in the desert than at the hands of sadistic Iraqi soldiers, and Brian had done his best to make sure that Zayed got to his family. Unfortunately that was not to be; with Brian at his side when he crossed over to the next world, Zayed's gift to Brian was a beautiful piece of Middle Eastern jewelry.

A lot had happened in 11 years. Brian's parents had passed away and his wife had remarried after his being officially declared dead by the Air Force. The way he saw it, there wasn't much, if anything, to live for. Brian's faith dictated that suicide wasn't an option, and watching from a distance was Zayed. Seeing his friend so unhappy, he decided that action on his part was necessary before he made the journey to meet his wife in paradise. It was the least he could do for the young man who had been so kind to him. As Brian sinks deeper into despair, Zayed appears to him to remind him of a few things, specifically the purpose of the necklace that he always carries.

Alina, sister to Sheikh Dahoud el Rashid -- owner of GreenTex Oil in Kuwait -- was the problem child. Quite Westernized and a bit too comfortable with her sexuality for Middle-Eastern standards, Alina was a walking scandal waiting to happen. Educated in the United States, Alina had a bit of difficulty accepting the traditional men of her culture, and passing her off as a respectable marriage prospect was getting harder and harder.

Brian comes to Kuwait to work in the oil fields, to forget about a past that he can't change, and to rebuild what's left of himself. His encounter with Alina was earth- shattering, orchestrated no doubt with a little help from Zayed and the necklace. The gentle sexuality that he had shared with his ex-wife is blown out of the water, and his religious and moral values are called into serious question. Add in the fact that he's convinced himself that he's through with love, and as a result of his long absence while imprisoned, he has limited financial resources, and you have a guy in a serious quandary. Alina is more than aware of the pain Brian has gone through, and she knows that she's just the woman to help him. She believes that they can overcome the differences between them and sets out to show him the possibilities. With the help of the ghostly Zayed anything is possible.

Zayed's Gift was a terrific read on so many levels -- Brian is very well written as a man at a crossroads in life, and Alina is terrific; you can just feel the sparks fly from her! Her seduction of Brian (imagined and real) is smoking hot, and he proves himself to be a mighty apt pupil. Also, if you've read any of Ms. Jacobs other publications (CAPTURED, FIRESTORM, and LOVE SLAVE) you'll be pleased to find yourself reacquainted with her characters.

Rated NC-17 by the publisher, MYSTIC VISIONS has a little something for everyone: oral sex, masturbation, light and not so light BD, explicit descriptions...yummy all the way.

Reviewed by Maggie Ryan
Courtesy sensual romance
Posted July 13, 2003

Summary

Three stories, three eras, one necklace. A sensual journey through time with one guide - a magical necklace, which unites lovers and ignites their passions. Endless in existence, timeless in appeal, this pendant transcends time itself. Just like love.

Myra Nour, Dragon Fire
Xandor needs a soulmate to achieve the coveted status of fifth-level wizard. With the aid of some very powerful magic, he finds her. But Zira's people have some intriguing notions about courtship and bonding. Xandor needs to bring his lovely blue elfin-maid to three consecutive full-body orgasms...and to win her heart.

Sahara Kelly, Visions
A woman running from her past collides with a man hiding from his future. Nerin of Kushuk has no idea that the naked woman he saves from the river will bring her passions into his life and his bed. She may be a runaway slave, and the necklace she clutches may be stolen, but something about her captures Nerin as surely as the thin golden chain that holds a single painted eye. An eye that can see into their hearts and reveal their deepest desires...

Ann Jacobs, Zayed's Gift
Lots of hot sex with a sultry and willing Arab princess: that's Alina's prescription to shock American former POW Brian Shearer out of grief for the marriage that didn't outlast his imprisonment, and out of some of the conservative notions he's held since childhood. But neither anticipates the blazing passion between them. Can a magic necklace and the ghost of the old Marsh Arab who gave it to Brian overcome their differences and lead the way to lasting love?