Phoenicia Rogerson

Trigger Warnings: violence, death, murder, (ya know, Greek Gods’ stuff)

Herc is a retelling of Hercules told by the people around him and how he impacted their lives - for better or worse.

So, upon reading this, I realized that I only knew the Disney version of Hercules - totally and absolutely so much different. It was the children’s killing that made my jaw hit the floor

I mostly listened to this in an audiobook and it had a whole ensemble of characters and voices, which was great because it helped with keeping everyone straight. It also gave Hercules a layered and complicated life (again, one I did NOT know about because I knew only of the Disney version). The different voices also gave way to some humor with it too because everyone obviously had different experiences with him through his life.

Overall, I’m going to be recommending this to quite a few people, especially those who like mythology and retellings. Also, this is such a nice twist of the telling of Hercules because it’s not really about him, but more about the people he had interactions with throughout his life.

*Thank you Hanover Square Press and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review… (altro)

He's not my favorite character, and I'm kind of over the Greek myths in general and despite/because of all of that, this worked for me. It has the sheer absurdity of trying to take the myths seriously, with a generous amount of snark, and a clear love of the subject matter. That combined gives the reader an unforgettable experience with these tales, and leaves the tragedy of heroism center stage. I was surprised at the pathos and also the ambivalence. Rather beautifully done.

Advanced Reader's Copy provided by Edelweiss.… (altro)