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3.36 AVERAGE
3.36 AVERAGE
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I am more than aware that this series (and others like it) are not intended to be one to one with the original Greek mythos. And I want it to be known that I have not read the rest of this series yet, but this admittedly is making me question whether it would be worth it for me to read this series. So I am looking at this as a standalone/beginning, rather than a supplemental work. Some of this may have been resolved in future books in the series, I do not personally know.
As someone who enjoys the Odyssey, especially after EPIC: the Musical, I... have a lot of problems with the portrayal of Calypso and Odysseus' relationship in this. In the Odyssey,their relationship was not consensual, and Odysseus is described as crying by the sea for seven years, missing his wife. While other versions of the tale differ, such as the Theogeny, I view the Homer's work as, essentially, the canon when it comes to the tale of Odysseus.
I think that exploring this through the lens of the Homeric tale would have been, honestly, refreshing to see as well as allow for a greater moral dilemma. It would have resulted in a longer work, but I think that not only acknowledging the predatory nature of that relationship but showing Calypso twisting the narrative to further her own gain would have been extremely interesting and fit within the darker themes that this seems to present with.
All that being said, I think that this needed to be longer regardless. Maybe I'm just not a fan of insta-love tropes, but I genuinely think that I would have enjoyed their relationship more if it had had more time. Additionally, Medusa in particular is a character that I would have liked to see explored more, and I think that making this a novel rather than a novella would have allowed for time to see her properly develop into herself. I also feel like the nature of this being a novella leads to this ultimately feeling unresolved by the end. The ending feels rushed, and with the ending essentially beingHades going "I'll handle it for you" with no indication of if the pair is truly safe by the end , it feels unsatisfying and like the efforts the leads displayed were for nothing. I do also wish that Medusa actually had the chance to do more. She ends up feeling like she is just... there, and of the characters involved, she seems to be the least proactive.
Like I said, I have not read the other books. I chose to read this first as it is the prequel and I thought it would be a good starting point. But between the fact that the length of this works to its detriment as well as the inaccuracy to the myth involving Calypso, it is hard for me to say that I want to continue this series.
And I will say right now: if you enjoy this, that is perfectly fine! The issues I have are purely my own. I am someone who has a heavy interest in Greek mythology and hadn't really touched the realm of erotica based on the mythos before, so I got curious. It is well within Robert's rights to adjust the mythos as seen fit in order to fit the story they want to tell. With that said, I personally think that I am probably just not the right audience for this series as I would end up being too critical of certain changes to properly enjoy it.
I do want to touch on what I did like before I conclude:
I think that, regardless of how rushed I found this, I think that the relationship between Medusa and Calypso was cute. The way that they seemed to truly care for each other and support each other over their pasts was admittedly really cute. While I do wish that the inner conflict both parties faced had more substance, I do think that the inner conflicts they both faced was interesting to see as well as how it was navigated. I think that the focus on them both making the other feel more human was really well done, and I think that the main conflict was fascinating (even if I do have more negative thought on how it was resolved, as seen above).
I do also want to note that this is not the first book I have read from Katee Robert, it is just the first book I have read in this series. I have enjoyed the other books I have read from them. Like I said, I think I am just not the right audience for this because I think that there are aspects from the original myths that could have made this so much more interesting and more compelling, but that's because I'm a nerd for Greek mythology.
As someone who enjoys the Odyssey, especially after EPIC: the Musical, I... have a lot of problems with the portrayal of Calypso and Odysseus' relationship in this. In the Odyssey,
I think that exploring this through the lens of the Homeric tale would have been, honestly, refreshing to see as well as allow for a greater moral dilemma. It would have resulted in a longer work, but I think that not only acknowledging the predatory nature of that relationship but showing Calypso twisting the narrative to further her own gain would have been extremely interesting and fit within the darker themes that this seems to present with.
All that being said, I think that this needed to be longer regardless. Maybe I'm just not a fan of insta-love tropes, but I genuinely think that I would have enjoyed their relationship more if it had had more time. Additionally, Medusa in particular is a character that I would have liked to see explored more, and I think that making this a novel rather than a novella would have allowed for time to see her properly develop into herself. I also feel like the nature of this being a novella leads to this ultimately feeling unresolved by the end. The ending feels rushed, and with the ending essentially being
Like I said, I have not read the other books. I chose to read this first as it is the prequel and I thought it would be a good starting point. But between the fact that the length of this works to its detriment as well as the inaccuracy to the myth involving Calypso, it is hard for me to say that I want to continue this series.
And I will say right now: if you enjoy this, that is perfectly fine! The issues I have are purely my own. I am someone who has a heavy interest in Greek mythology and hadn't really touched the realm of erotica based on the mythos before, so I got curious. It is well within Robert's rights to adjust the mythos as seen fit in order to fit the story they want to tell. With that said, I personally think that I am probably just not the right audience for this series as I would end up being too critical of certain changes to properly enjoy it.
I do want to touch on what I did like before I conclude:
I think that, regardless of how rushed I found this, I think that the relationship between Medusa and Calypso was cute. The way that they seemed to truly care for each other and support each other over their pasts was admittedly really cute. While I do wish that the inner conflict both parties faced had more substance, I do think that the inner conflicts they both faced was interesting to see as well as how it was navigated. I think that the focus on them both making the other feel more human was really well done, and I think that the main conflict was fascinating (even if I do have more negative thought on how it was resolved, as seen above).
I do also want to note that this is not the first book I have read from Katee Robert, it is just the first book I have read in this series. I have enjoyed the other books I have read from them. Like I said, I think I am just not the right audience for this because I think that there are aspects from the original myths that could have made this so much more interesting and more compelling, but that's because I'm a nerd for Greek mythology.
Solid 4 ⭐️! Loved it, but wish there was just a smidge more of the story.
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I feel like all her books read the same and I enjoyed the first few but it’s starting to feel repetitive to me.
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
fast-paced
I fricken love these two and I NEED more of them!
dark
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Novella. Considering how short this was, I enjoyed exploring the characters. It was rushed due to the short length, but I loved Medusa and Calypso. Interesting exploration of the idea of “beauty”. I would recommend reading Neon Gods before this prequel. Having more information about the world made it easier to read.