You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.

linas_bookish_nonsense's profile picture

linas_bookish_nonsense 's review for:

Wearing the Lion by John Wiswell
3.25
adventurous medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes

This book follows the story of Heracles paralleled with the perspective of Hera. 

After reading Someone you Can Build a Nest In and absolutely falling in love with it, I was honoured to receive an eARC of John Wiswell’s newest work. While I still had a good time reading it I sadly didn’t connect to it as much as i would have hoped. 

The first part of this book felt reminiscent of the tv show Kaos (which I love) due to the humour and levity that it brought to these iconic Greek myths, while not shying away from the darker elements. Then came a rather stark tonal shift that put a solemn blanket on the rest of the book. And for me it lost its humour and unique tone somewhat. 

I am a found family girl through and through and yet I sadly can’t say that I felt attached to these characters. While all the monsters we meet along the way are distinct and charming, I surprisingly didn’t get emotionally invested in their relationships. This is not the book’s fault but rather simply the way this one turned out for me. 
I did like the complexity of Hera and the way morality gets examined in this book. I also love Granny, a true icon. 


Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an EARC of this book. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.