A review by thebooknerdscorner
The Curse of King Midas by Colleen M. Story

4.0

The classic story of King Midas is brought to life in a whole new way in this tale of revenge that draws inspiration from Greek myths as well as the real King Midas. 

Everyone knows the basics of the story of King Midas, but "The Curse of King Midas" brings it to life in a unique and refreshing way. King Midas was a real king who ruled the kingdom of Phrygia (now a part of Turkey) at the height of its power in the eighth century B.C. I knew next to nothing about this man besides the fact that he is randomly brought up in Greek mythology and that his story is a warning to young children not to be greedy. Story's novel follows him from his childhood as a small boy whose mother was killed by the brutal King Sargon II all the way up to Midas acquiring the golden touch and wreaking revenge on his nemesis. So long story short, I learned a bunch about what King Midas' life might have been like. 

This book has a wide cast of characters and most of them caught my interest when I was in their perspectives. We follow King Midas, King Sargon II, two morally gray goddesses (Katiah and Denisia), Midas' children Princess Zoe and Prince Anchurus, Midas' advisors (also known as FAX), Elanur (Midas' sister), Prince Emir (King Sargon's runaway son), and a mysterious young boy called Little Bird. I must admit, it was often difficult to keep track of so many characters at once, but once I got the hang of who everyone was, it became a much easier read. I found Emir's and Anchurus' perspectives to be the most engaging, but all of the characters played an important role and I eventually came to understand why all of the perspectives were kept in play. 

I think my favorite thing beyond the characters was the complicated allegiances in this book. It is so hard to figure out who is on Midas' team and who allies themselves with Sargon. The shifting loyalties are real in this one, and I found myself often changing my opinions on characters and whether I viewed them as "good," "bad," or "other." 

I'm not sure how necessary it is to keep the series rolling, but I suppose us readers will get to learn more about the real King Midas as the books progress. The fact that he no longer possesses the golden touch by the end of this one will make him less interesting as a character, but I am interested to see if he can keep the peace in his kingdom and if he will be reunited with the rest of his family. Also, the morally gray goddesses are looking extra suspicious at the end of this one, so I'm sure they will be a major source of conflict in the following books. 

Overall, "The Curse of King Midas" was an interesting book that played with both history and mythology to string together a harrowing tale of revenge and heartbreak. I found it a bit slow at times, but beyond that it was well structured and really engaging to read. I enjoyed my time with Story's tale, and I am interested to see what the rest of the series will entail. If you are a fan of Greek mythology, historical novels, or revenge stories, I would highly recommend this book!