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Asexual Myths & Tales
Once upon a time, our ancestors told tales of asexuality, symbolic stories that hint at other identities: a princess who grows a beard to escape marriage, a knight who forsakes his wife's bed to become a werewolf, a goddess with detachable parts, a planet where everyone is asexual.
Drawn from many times and places, retold and reimagined for the 21st century, Elizabeth Hopkinson's second book of myths and tales brings asexuality out of the closet and gives it the history it has been denied.
"Asexual Myths & Tales is a fairy tale connoisseur's delight. The stories are both fresh and familiar, delicately told, and filled with magic, romance, heartache and wonder."
—Leife Shallcross, author of The Beast's Heart
Drawn from many times and places, retold and reimagined for the 21st century, Elizabeth Hopkinson's second book of myths and tales brings asexuality out of the closet and gives it the history it has been denied.
"Asexual Myths & Tales is a fairy tale connoisseur's delight. The stories are both fresh and familiar, delicately told, and filled with magic, romance, heartache and wonder."
—Leife Shallcross, author of The Beast's Heart
154 pages, Paperback
First published October 28, 2020
2 people are currently reading
149 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Hopkinson
24 books36 followersElizabeth Hopkinson is best known for Asexual Fairy Tales, Silver Hands, and a range of short fantasy stories and original fairy tales.
Elizabeth describes her writing as, "seeing the magical in the ordinary". She has loved fairy tale and history since studying English Literature at Leeds University;.
She has lived all her life in Bradford, West Yorkshire, UK (home of the Bronte sisters and the Cottingley Fairies) and couldn't imagine living anywhere else.
Elizabeth has been writing ever since she used to make books out of scrap paper in wet playtimes at school. She has had around 100 short stories and articles published, and has won prizes in the James White Award, the Jane Austen Short Story Award, the Historic House contest and the Liars' League National Gallery Inspiration contest.
She has spoken at Swanwick Writers' Summer School, Ilkley Literature Festival Fringe and University of Leeds Careers Expo. Among her loves are coffee shops, the piano, and the Yorkshire arts scene.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
July 6, 2021
I am so dissapointed. Saw this book and got so excited that I bought it without even doing some reasearch on it, and I should have.
I hate to say it, but this book feels like it was written by an allosexual author who has only one idea of how asexuality looks like. Honestly, the stories in themselves were written badly. So short so unimaginitive, if you’re writing a retelling be creative with it, especially if you want to make them about asexuality and ace characters and now, the stories were so short and dry with a sentence claiming the characters were asexual wedged in between. The rep was vague at best. Show don’t tell. I want to see how the characters are feeling, what their thinking, how it impacts their being and not just a sentence saying ‘yep they don’t feel about others that way’.
Also what’s with the portrayal with ace characters in this book, all of them are pure, chaste and swear off marriage, sex or children completely. Aces are so diverse, why show only one side of it when you have 17 tales in this book, 17 ways to show how different aces are. And it’s so heteroromantic. What about aros ? Or homo/bi/pan romantic folk? The author could’ve reimagined and retold the stories however she wanted and yet we didn’t get a single tale were two princesses end up happily ever after or were aro character chooses to live for themselves.
I’m so very sad to give it a low rating but for what it was it’s not worth more. Especially when I see the potential of how great this anthology could’ve been and how it got wasted, it makes me sad and lowkey mad.
I hate to say it, but this book feels like it was written by an allosexual author who has only one idea of how asexuality looks like. Honestly, the stories in themselves were written badly. So short so unimaginitive, if you’re writing a retelling be creative with it, especially if you want to make them about asexuality and ace characters and now, the stories were so short and dry with a sentence claiming the characters were asexual wedged in between. The rep was vague at best. Show don’t tell. I want to see how the characters are feeling, what their thinking, how it impacts their being and not just a sentence saying ‘yep they don’t feel about others that way’.
Also what’s with the portrayal with ace characters in this book, all of them are pure, chaste and swear off marriage, sex or children completely. Aces are so diverse, why show only one side of it when you have 17 tales in this book, 17 ways to show how different aces are. And it’s so heteroromantic. What about aros ? Or homo/bi/pan romantic folk? The author could’ve reimagined and retold the stories however she wanted and yet we didn’t get a single tale were two princesses end up happily ever after or were aro character chooses to live for themselves.
I’m so very sad to give it a low rating but for what it was it’s not worth more. Especially when I see the potential of how great this anthology could’ve been and how it got wasted, it makes me sad and lowkey mad.
December 14, 2020
As someone who is ace, I was SO excited to find this, but... I wish i'd read the reviews for ace fairytales first... I'm disappointed, and so very sad about it :(
June 19, 2021
While these stories aren't necessarily badly written or unenjoyable, they're just really, really short and mostly left me wanting for more - more world building, more character insight, just basically more everything.
Also, considering the title of the book, I was expecting asexuality to play a much more prominent part than it actually did. At best it was (sometimes somewhat strongly) alluded to, at worst I wouldn't have made the connection without the book's title at all.
Also, considering the title of the book, I was expecting asexuality to play a much more prominent part than it actually did. At best it was (sometimes somewhat strongly) alluded to, at worst I wouldn't have made the connection without the book's title at all.
September 24, 2021
Most of the stories ended with the main character dying which was a bit annoying. There were a few that ended happily ever after though but I found they all had subtle themes of needing to be "fixed" this is just my opinion though
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 26, 2022
A nice variety of stories but also a bit hit and miss. Overall fun but the stories that said relationships btw people can only be "wholesome" and "pure" if they don't include sex and/or implied that sex inherently corrupts icked me out a bit.
November 13, 2025
Asexual Myths & Tales is such a refreshing and enchanting read. Elizabeth Hopkinson takes old legends and gives them new life through the lens of asexuality something rarely seen in storytelling, yet it feels like it’s been there all along, just waiting to be recognized.
Each tale has this magical, timeless quality, but what really struck me was how deeply human and emotional they felt. There’s beauty, heartache, and a quiet strength that runs through every story. The writing is graceful and imaginative, and the illustrations by Anna Hopkinson add the perfect touch of whimsy.
It’s a book that feels both ancient and revolutionary one that celebrates identity, difference, and the kind of love and connection that often goes untold.
Each tale has this magical, timeless quality, but what really struck me was how deeply human and emotional they felt. There’s beauty, heartache, and a quiet strength that runs through every story. The writing is graceful and imaginative, and the illustrations by Anna Hopkinson add the perfect touch of whimsy.
It’s a book that feels both ancient and revolutionary one that celebrates identity, difference, and the kind of love and connection that often goes untold.
September 2, 2022
A refreshing take on fairy tales old, new, familiar and unfamiliar from a variety of different cultures. I particularly liked the introduction to each of the tales which described the background and where they originated. The accompanying illustrations are perfect.
December 8, 2022
Really painful. Bad writing, like a collection of school essays. Tenuous links to asexuality.
February 15, 2024
I love what Elizabeth has done with both her Asexual Fairytales books as well as her Asexual Myths book! These are lovely stories & offer a really great non-sexual perspective on some classic, some obscure myths - I found them a refreshing change from the norm. I think there’s something there for everyone and the illustrations (done by her sister) are a really good addition.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews