marianneiriss's reviews
181 reviews

Buried: An Alternative History of the First Millennium in Britain by Alice Roberts

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informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

Glorious Exploits by Ferdia Lennon

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

As a lover of Euripides and the classical playwrights, I thought this book was a fantastic modern tribute to them, highlighting the intersections between politics, war, ethics, and drama in the classical world.

Whilst it is true that there is a lot of “Greek mythology retellings” around at the moment, I would not put Glorious Exploits in this category! Yes, it is a historical novel, and is set in classical Greece, but there are not the magical elements which feature in many of the recent myth retellings - other than as part of the character’s religious belief systems and within the plays mentioned.

Having read other reviews of this book, this seems to be an unpopular opinion but I really loved the use of Irish dialect for the native Syracusan characters. I thought it illustrated the differences between the upper class/educated Athenian prisoners and the free but impoverished Syracusans. Additionally, since most surviving writings from the classical world are (of course) by the educated and literate, I loved that this book gave the perspective of the people that are missed out from those stories - the poor, illiterate, enslaved, and lower class, and the use of vernacular was a poignant reminder of this.

I’ve tried to only discuss the themes of this book in this review, since I don’t want to spoil it, but I will just add that I thought the plot was interesting, well written, and thought-provoking. Being from the UK and having a particular interested in Bronze Age Britain I also loved the inclusion of a character being from the ‘Tin Isles’!

Overall, 5 stars, and will be making it into my favourite books of the year - thanks so much Penguin and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this, and I can’t wait for it to be released so I can talk more about it’s plot/writing in depth.

Rats, Lice and History (Penguin Classic History) by Hans Zinsser

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funny hopeful informative reflective slow-paced

4.0

Epic of Helinthia by M.J. Pankey

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adventurous dark emotional funny lighthearted mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I really enjoyed reading Epic of Helinthia, and for me it falls in the area just between 4 and 5 stars - If I was a little less stingy with ratings, I would round it up to 5.

I can understand how this might not be the book for everyone, as it is quite long, and has a complex plot with what would be unfamiliar and potentially difficult vocabulary for those unfamiliar with the ancient world. However, as someone who is a keen reader of classics texts, enjoyer of Homer and the ancient playwrights, and loves to sink her teeth into a good long book and be absorbed for a few days - I loved this book! I will also just add that you definitely don't need to be familiar with the ancient texts to read and enjoy Epic of Helinthia as there is a helpful glossary and explanations of ancient Greek social hierarchies in the front of the book.

I think the usage of transliterated ancient Greek titles (such as basileus and anassa) and using original words for common objects (e.g. agora, amphoriskos etc) is a clever stylistic choice within the book, as it creates an absorbing and detailed world for the story to take place in. By the end of the book I was close to being convinced that Helinthia was a real ancient Greek kingdom that I had just never heard of before! Whilst I can see that using this form language might make it less accessible or enjoyable for some readers, I personally think that it adds depth and value to the book which would be sorely missed if this vocabulary was swapped for modern terms.

Now, after that little linguistic discussion - on to the plot and characters! I love historical fiction when it is well done, but I dislike reading fantasy (mostly). I was a little worried that there would be too much fantasy within this book for me to enjoy, however I was happily surprised by the skillful usage of mythical/divine themes without it overtaking the other elements of the book. I was very impressed by the way which the author has included gods/goddesses/nymphs - I really liked that the descriptions of them were limited to what served the plot best, so that they came and went from the story without it becoming overly focussed on them and their fantastical powers. This reminded me of the way in which the gods are often portrayed in ancient literature, as driving forces behind human fates, but with their own flaws and without a focus on their magical/mythical sides. I thought this was a very clever nod to the ancient epic poems and classical plays which Epic of Helinthia takes its inspiration from.

A quick note on this subject - from my understanding of it, this book is not a Greek myth retelling. Whilst it deals with similar themes to the Greek myths (as does most of the Western literary tradition..) and it is set in a fictional ancient Greek kingdom, the story and characters are original to this book. There has been a lot of (very good and enjoyable) myth retellings recently, so I found this a refreshing change.

Why not 5 stars? Basically, I am a bit too picky for my own good. There were a few nit-picking things which I felt meant I couldn't give this the full 5 stars, but these really are no big deal - just my personal rating system and literary opinions leading me to be a little harsher than I perhaps should be. For example, I felt that some of the character names didn't quite fit with the world they were placed in, as they seemed more Northwest European than classical (for example, to me, Gonivein feels more like an ancient Britannic name than ancient Greek). However, this did not detract from my overall feeling that this an excellent, generally very well-researched book, with engaging and loveable characters and a deeply enjoyable plot. I look forward to the next book in the series, and many thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and MJ Pankey for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this.

Dracula by Bram Stoker

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adventurous dark mysterious sad tense slow-paced