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Tag: Mythology

Book Review: House of Odysseus (The Songs of Penelope, #2) by Claire North

Book Review: House of Odysseus (The Songs of Penelope, #2) by Claire North


House of Odysseus by Claire North
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher, Orbit Books, in exchange for an honest review.

Ithaca was one of my favorite books of 2022. However, I was thrown at the end of the book when I discovered that, unlike most Greek myth retellings, it was not a standalone novel but the first of a trilogy. I have been eagerly awaiting House of Odysseus since finishing those final pages of Ithaca, and am thrilled to announce that it lived up to its predecessor in every single way. This series follows the story of Penelope during the 20 year absence of her husband, King Odysseus of Ithaca. Ithaca presents this story from the perspective of Hera, Queen of Queens, as she observes what’s going on in Penelope’s life and how those happens overlap with the last days of Clytemnestra, Hera’s darling. House of Odysseus picks up where Ithaca left off, but now from the perspective of Aphrodite as her favorite, Helen, weaves her way back into Penelope’s story.

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Book Review: Ithaca (Penelope, #1) by Claire North

Book Review: Ithaca (Penelope, #1) by Claire North


Ithaca by Claire North
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received an advance copy of this novel from the publisher, Redhook via Orbit Books, in exchange for an honest review.

I have such a weakness for Greek myth. Mythology of any kind fascinates me, but I’ve been obsessed with Greek mythology almost since I learned to read. Because of this love, I often find myself divided on retellings. On the one hand, I love any chance to revisit these stories I love, especially if told in a way that gives me a new perspective. On the other, I tend to judge these a bit harshly because of my love for the source material. But when I find a book that not only retells one of these timeless stories, it breathes new life into it, it becomes an instant favorite.

Ithaca? Definitely an instant favorite.

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Book Review: Krampus: The Yule Lord, by Brom

Book Review: Krampus: The Yule Lord, by Brom


Krampus: The Yule Lord by Brom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Picking up Krampus: The Yule Lord started out as a bit of a joke. I was reading A Christmas Carol, which has been my Christmas tradition for about a decade now, and decided to balance it out with something completely different. I went into Krampus fully expecting a horror novel that ripped Christmas apart. What I got was wildly different and infinitely more powerful. This book was profound and though-provoking and so much more emotional than I anticipated. Strangely enough, Krampus ended up being one of my favorite books of the year, providing a depth and nuance to famous and infamous figures that surprised me, as well as giving me a cast of new characters to root for. I have never been more pleasantly surprised by a book with such a disturbing cover. Which was also done by Brom. The man is an incredible artist.

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Book Review: Paternus: War of Gods (The Paternus Trilogy, #3) by Dyrk Ashton

Book Review: Paternus: War of Gods (The Paternus Trilogy, #3) by Dyrk Ashton

Paternus: War of Gods by Dyrk Ashton

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: The Paternus Trilogy (Book #3 of 3)

Genre: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Mythology

Published: 23rd June 2020 by Paternus Books Media (Indie)


A truly stunning and magnificent conclusion to an incredibly unique and fun urban fantasy adventure, Paternus: War of Gods cemented The Paternus Trilogy as one of my all-time favourites.

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Book Review: Paternus: Wrath of Gods (The Paternus Trilogy, #2) by Dyrk Ashton

Book Review: Paternus: Wrath of Gods (The Paternus Trilogy, #2) by Dyrk Ashton

Paternus: Wrath of Gods by Dyrk Ashton

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: The Paternus Trilogy (Book #2 of 3)

Genre: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Mythology

Published: July 2018 by Paternus Books Media (Indie)


If I’m limited to just two words to describe The Paternus Trilogy so far, I would say that it’s fun-tastically spectacular.

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Book Review: Paternus: Rise of Gods (The Paternus Trilogy, #1) by Dyrk Ashton

Book Review: Paternus: Rise of Gods (The Paternus Trilogy, #1) by Dyrk Ashton

Paternus: Rise of Gods by Dyrk Ashton

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: The Paternus Trilogy (Book #1 of 3)

Genre: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Mythology

Published: July 2017 by Paternus Books Media (Indie)


An excellent new take on urban fantasy, Paternus: Rise of Gods was fascinating, fun and simply fantastic.

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Book Review: Paternus: War of Gods (The Paternus Trilogy, #3) by Dyrk Ashton

Book Review: Paternus: War of Gods (The Paternus Trilogy, #3) by Dyrk Ashton

ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Paternus: War of Gods by Dyrk Ashton

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: The Paternus Trilogy (Book #3 of 3)

Genre: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Mythologies

Pages: 746 pages

Published: 23rd June 2020 by Paternus Books Media (Indie)


Bloody magnificent. Urban fantasy novel just doesn’t get more epic than Paternus: War of Gods.

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Book Review: The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

Book Review: The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: Standalone

Genre: Historical fiction, Mythology, Retelling

Pages: 389 pages (UK Kindle edition)

Published: 5th September 2011 by Bloomsbury (UK) & 6th March 2012 by Ecco (US)


Beautifully heartbreaking and tragic, Madelline Miller’s first novel burst with palpable emotions.

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Book Review: Mythos: The Greek Myths Retold (Stephen Fry’s Great Mythology, #1)

Book Review: Mythos: The Greek Myths Retold (Stephen Fry’s Great Mythology, #1)


Mythos: The Greek Myths Retold by Stephen Fry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Mythos is practically perfect in every way.

I’ve adored Greek mythology since I was a child. I’ve also always been utterly charmed by Stephen Fry. The combination of these two things was an absolute delight. Fry’s writing is a perfect marriage of class and sass, and he gives the original source material tremendous respect while never taking those sources or himself too seriously. Take this line, for instance:

“Gaia visited her daughter Mnemosyne, who was busy being unpronounceable.”

Isn’t that just the right mix of informative and snarky? And the amount of word origin Fry included in this book was absolutely perfect. I learned tons of fun facts to share with friends and family but was never inundated to the point of boredom.

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