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erikariehigano22's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I also cannot believe this was my first exposure into Heracles' death LOL. Like I didn't think his death would be so.... anti-climatic? For all his glory and ambitious feats of victory, as well as the wrath and violence he had displayed, it was a curse no less casted by a centaur and administered by his own wife that finally cut the threads of his mortal life.
I had not expected for his twin brother Iphicles to pass away in battle. But I think that was the foreshadowing in Laonome's last chapter. Anyhow, I liked how this became the catalyst of their conclusion, the beginning of the end.
I highly recommend this book. Thank you to my friend Nathan for giving this to me on my birthday earlier this year. Although the language had some modern slang that took me off sometimes in the immersion, it was not worse and Rogerson's prose still captivated me and brought me back to the ancient world where Heracles was the centre of everyone's stories throughout ancient Greece.
Graphic: Addiction, Cannibalism, Death, Gore, Animal death, Blood, Sexism, Slavery, Alcoholism, Grief, Infidelity, Alcohol, Abandonment, Cursing, Misogyny, Child death, and War
aseel_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Violence, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Infidelity, Sexual assault, War, Sexism, Child death, Alcohol, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Medical content, Animal death, Slavery, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Rape, Grief, and Alcoholism
Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic
hawkes's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Murder, Alcoholism, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Gore, Infidelity, and Alcohol
nmf16's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
It was only because I wanted to learn more about the story of Hercules that I actually kept reading, and it genuinely felt like a slog!
Jumping from one chapter to the next, each chapter a different character, and every character felt like it had the same voice and spoke in the same way. They didn’t feel like individuals and I genuinely felt like I was reading this book the entire time, as opposed to being immersed in the story and the world that was created.
Was also NOT a fan of the way the author tried to modernise it with the language used…. Slang like “Hey cuz” or “‘sup bro” just didn’t work for me in a Greek Mythological retelling!
This one really disappointed me…. and I hate that!
The only reason it gets two stars is because of the fact I did actually learn more about Hercules than I originally knew
Moderate: Alcohol, Incest, Abandonment, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Death, and Grief
mzlac134's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Infidelity, Alcohol, Child death, Death of parent, Grief, Mental illness, Sexual content, Murder, Death, Abandonment, and Blood
hzcyr's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Child death and Murder
Moderate: Sexual assault, Alcohol, Death, Sexual content, and Grief
Minor: Vomit, Misogyny, Infidelity, and Pregnancy
danny_fox's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
It was crazy funny at times when you would have characters talk in more modern ways than they are supposed to.
It would be absolutely shocking when you would have some dark scenes be described in such a way that left me actually, properly speechless.
And Herc or Herakles/Hercules as a character is just... a rollercoaster. And yet he is so amazingly written, and the fact that you never see his perspective makes the book all the more better.
Instead, you get to see how all other characters saw him, and how their perspectives are different from one another, where some see him in a more positive light and some see him as a monster. And hence there are times when you hate him, and yet when you also feel bad for him.
This book is a perfect mix of depression and happiness and joy and sadness and characters who you will love one moment and then hate (in a good way) next.
It's one of the most unique books I read about Greek mythology, and definitely one of my favorites. I had way too much reading it.
And goddamn it, it almost actually made me cry on a couple of occasions.
I'm looking forward to reading more stuff from the author, as their writing style is so unique and genuinely so nice.
I highly recommend it, but do be aware of trigger warnings, as there are some rather uncomfortable scenes.
Also, I wished there was more Hylas content (especially at the end) cause he was my favorite character, but that's just personal opinion. :(
Graphic: Death, Gore, Misogyny, Murder, Violence, Alcohol, Grief, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Child death, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Sexual harassment, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Cursing and War
llyrian's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
What a wild ride.
I have a lot of feelings after reading this, and although it's in a very unique form for a greek mythology retelling it was one of the best ones I've read so far!
The main way of storytelling in this book, which is the shades of Herc's family, friends and lovers remembering him in a wild mix of ancient and modern language, was fascinating, and after about the halfway point the subtitle on the title page kept running in my mind because it's the entire point of the book:
Hero.
Husband.
Father.
Villain.
Monster.
Highly recommend this book!
Can't wait for Phoenicia's future work, too!
Graphic: Child death, Murder, Alcoholism, Violence, Grief, Child abuse, Cursing, Mental illness, and Death
Moderate: Addiction, Abandonment, Bullying, and Death of parent
queerloras's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Child death, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Death of parent, Grief, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Animal cruelty, Murder, Animal death, Body horror, Blood, Medical trauma, Self harm, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Sexual violence, War, Domestic abuse, Gore, and Slavery
itisnatal's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Blood, Grief, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Gore, Child death, and Death