Phillip W SimpsonRecensioni

The story of the Minotaur is well-known from classical mythology: a creature half-bull and half-man was thrown into the center of a labyrinth beneath the palace of Knossos, and for years devoured young Athenian men and women sent as tributes until the hero Theseus arrived and vanquished the Minotaur for good. But what if the Minotaur were able to tell his side of the story, and what if chroniclers and storytellers had gotten it all wrong?

I quite enjoyed this retelling, and it was fun to "follow along," referencing using online mapping software the places mentioned, though there were a few I was unable to locate. At times the narrator appears to forget he's relating the story to Ovid and provides unnecessary explanations (for example, I'm certain Ovid need not be told who Poseidon is), and the writing is occasionally lacking in polish — I steeled myself to look past punctuation errors and typos. Overall, the concept and plot are well done, and I would recommend it to fans of classic retellings.

This was a nice idea - to tell the story from the viewpoint of the dog - but it didn't work for me. The story is aimed at children/YA, so not me!
I don't (on the whole) like stories told in the present tense, as much of this one was, and the format - pdf, rather than ebook - made reading it on my ereader less pleasant.

Greek myths aren’t just for scholars, and Phillip Simpson’s Minotaur isn’t just for kids. But this is a cool reimagining and vivid retelling of a young man’s coming of age in the time of legend. Heroes are human (but strong), and monsters… well, this monster at least is mostly human as well. Gods might make better fathers than some men. And relationships, like friendship, carry the bad as well as the good, because they’re real.

Most readers will know the legend where Greeks youths are given in tribute each year, to be devoured in the labyrinth where the Minotaur lives. Perhaps they’ll recognize other names too in this novel. But readers who’ve never heard the myths will pick up the story quickly as elderly poet Ovid listens and interjects what he thinks he knows into the tale. (Ah, how nicely plotted—the old man who doesn’t know it all!) But Ast has a story to tell that’s not quite the same as the one we’ve heard, and the reader is gripped from beginning to end, eager to know more and totally absorbed in fascinating detail and delight.

In our modern world, where “Truth often suffers for the sake of entertainment,” this truly entertaining novel might be wisely thought-provoking too. It’s highly recommended.

Disclosure: I was given a copy and I offer my honest review.

RGG: Written in the style of The Odyssey. Since the story is narrated by the Minotaur descriptions of his birth and his romance with Phaedra are described but minimally and relatively respectfully, examples: "to spread his seed, the act of love with a bull, the bull to mount her." A higher level read. Reading Interest: 14-YA

aka A Dog's Life. Except the dog belongs to a legendary hero. And the dog is bestowed with godly Wonderdog powers.

This story is largely a tale told by Argos to the great hell-hound Cerberus, guardian of Hades. Argos was different than other puppies of his litter in that he was born with complete understanding of conversational ancient Greek. So the tale beings almost from his very beginning.

Argos proves to be a loyal companion to Odysseus, and each time he does something disruptive that might be chalked up to an over-excited pup, it turns out he was saving his master or family from grave consequences. Consequences in this time usually were at the behest of meddlesome gods, but Argos made himself some mortal, moral enemies as well. When Odysseus leaves for the Trojan War, Argos is left to watch over his family, which he does, again with the help of super powers bestowed by the goddess Athena.

The story takes several implausible turns, which are always explained by "godly powers." That's a danger embarking on this kind of story -- it's easy to not be overly creative when this crutch is readily available. I groaned at the end when, upon his death bed, Argos became the first dog to be welcomed into Elysium, the afterlife of heroes. Considering most of his heroics were god-augmented in the first place, this seemed to be a specious conclusion.

As a tale taking place in the world of Homer though, it's entertaining enough if you like the subject matter (which I do). You're just not going to get great literature out of the mouth of a dog, no matter how enchanted he might be.

I won Minotaur in a giveaway on a book blog. All opinions are my own. The Minotaur by Phillip W. Simpson is a retelling of the tale of the Minotaur in Greek mythology, which has always been one of my favorite subjects. I went into this book not sure what to expect, but I surely didn't expect such a superbly written tale. Phillip's writing is exceptional, and the main character, Asterion, the Minotaur, was so full of emotions and life that I grew to care for this character in a way that I had never cared for a character in a book before. I felt as if I could feel his presence, as if I was in the story that Phillip swept me into. The writing, character development, and the way the story wrapped up makes this one of the best books that I have read in an extremely long time.

This seems like a great way to introduce pre-teen readers to Greek mythology, but a no-frills plot and unexciting prose combined with cardboard characters makes it fairly unnoticeable for adults.

Argos tells the story of Odysseus' extremely loyal dog. Starting from his very earliest days, we are given an emotional, easy-to-read tale about one dog's love for his family.

While I did truly enjoy the story, I found that Argos's perspective felt a little too much like he was a person who happened to be in the body of a dog. Argos views the world in human terms, placing too much value on logic and analysis instead of relying on the instincts that a dog would have. On top of this, Argos seems to have a near-encyclopedic knowledge of Greek mythology, even going so far as too know about Aeneas, a Trojan figure that, while known by Homer, I do not think would have been known in Ithaca prior to the Trojan war.

That aside, I think that Argos is a great read if you enjoy stories about dogs, loyalty, and action, and adventure. It expands on an interesting character who is met all too briefly in the Odyssey in an interesting way.

As a huge lover of mythology in general, especially Greek mythology having studied it at university, I was extremely excited about reading Argos by Phillip W Simpson. It definitely did not disappoint! It was so refreshing to read a book that actually seems to care about keeping mythology “right,” especially when it comes to Hades.

Simpson manages to take a well known myth and enhance it by giving us a different side of what we all know. Using the loyal dog, the only one to recognize his master, Argos, to tell the story of those left behind. Through Argos, we also get a better glimpse into Odysseus, the man, instead of just Odysseus, the rogue. The loyalty of a dog is such an admirable, universal truth, that it allows Argos to connect with Cerberus in a way that no other character has been able to do. Once Argos reaches his inevitable end, you can’t help but tear up.

It’s such a lovely little companion piece and so incredibly easy to understand, a fantastic introduction. I would definitely recommend Argos by Phillip W Simpson to middle-graders and young adults who are just starting to get into mythology in general, or the Odyssey or the Iliad at school.

Argos, Odysseus ever-faithful dog, tells the story of his life with Odysseus and his family. Significant events from the lives of Odysseus, Penelope, and Telemachus are readily identifiable as Argos describes his experience. The story is warm and engaging from the start. Just has his human, Odysseus, Argos leads an heroic life full of challenges. Dog-lovers will especially enjoy the tale and I expect will be petting their puppies throughout.

I received a copy of this book through the Library Thing Early Reviewers program. The book is the life story of a dog named Argos who is raised by Odysseus (of Greek mythology). Argos is tasked by Athena with the protection of Odysseus and his family and is granted magical powers throughout the book to help him with this task. The book is wee-written and has a good story. I was a little disappointed by the limited amount of Greek mythology that appeared in the book. Based on the title, I expected it to be heavy on Odysseus' life and the gods, but the story was focused on Argos' life and mythology only entered the story occasionally. The book could easily have had a near identical plot without any mention of Greek mythology, gods, and goddesses. Also, it seemed like every time Argos faced a challenge, he was given a new magical power to help him defeat it. A lot of the story could be summed up as "Argos faced a challenge, he discovered a new special ability that he has, and he determinedly used it to save himself and others from certain death". All in all, it was a good book, but now what I was expecting from the title and description.

This book was provided by the publisher as an Early Review on Library Thing.

I finished this book some days ago, but was so filled up with emotions, that it didn't feel right to write the review right away. But even now, the emotions bubble up, when thinking about the book. Always a good sign.

"Argos" by Phillip W. Simpson, is a book about a loyal dog. Probably the most loyal dog ever, since he waited 20 years for his master, Odysseus, to return.
The book is written from Argos' point of view, which gives it a special quality. I've read many animal fantasy, so I think I have the right to say, that this book belongs to the best that is written in this genre. Simpson has a wonderful way of describing the world from Argos point, he seems to know exactly, what the dog sees and feels.

Although Argos knows, that he is special (he can see the gods and understands human language), he also is a normal dog, who can't resist a good treat, although he might have guessed it a trap, when it comes from his greatest enemy. But that only makes Argos more real, because it shows him as a living animal, even when he can reflect on himself and his situations.

Everyone knows about the Odyssey, but here you get a view of what happened at home, while Odysseus was gone.
Argos protected his son and wife from the gods who wanted to harm them. He was kidnapped, poisened and nearly dies. But his strong will and determination always let him survive. His wish is to see his master one more time before he dies.

I really liked the story within a story style of the book. It starts with dying Argos on the dung heap, but takes a great twist then (I'm not telling more to avoid spoilers), and in the end comes back to the begining.
The epilogue had me crying, since it is the very thing every dog lover on this earth hopes for.

I can only highly recommend this wonderful book about Argos, the faithful one. It is wonderfully amusing, but also full of action and heartbreak. I will definately get myself a printed version.

This book was really hard for me to read, mainly because I'm overly sensitive when it comes to books about dogs and The Odyssey. My BA is in Ancient Greek Language and Literature, so I studied The Odyssey quite thoroughly. I liked Simpson's writing style; it reminded me of some of the prose translations of The Odyssey that I've read. All in all, I really enjoyed the experience of reading from Argos' POV. That definitely made the book a slow read for me because I got pretty choked up at some points. There were heartbreaking parts and happy parts; pretty moving all around. I would recommend it.

***This book was reviewed for Readers' Favourite.***

Legends and myths contain nuggets of truth, oft buried beneath the detritus of time, layer upon layer added until sometimes what is has become distorted reflection of what was. With Minotaur, Simpson has given us just such a story of what might have been.

Not the chimeric creature of legend, half human and half bull, he who would become known as ‘Minotaur’ is simply a young man who had the misfortune of being born with an unfortunate birth oddity. Long after the events surrounding the labyrinth, and long after Knossos has crumbled to ruin and faded to tattered memory, the demi-deity Asterion tells the true story of his life, and those events, to the poet Ovid.

Asterion, though big and strong, is an undeniably gentle soul. Despite a childhood of abuse and neglect, he manages to preserve that nature, instead of growing bitter or vicious. He is easy to identify with, especially if you've had the displeasure of being singled out and mocked for being ‘different’.

Simpson has woven a captivating tale that presents a different take on not one, but several Greek myths and legends, and the players within. Demi-deity status notwithstanding, it is easy to believe this is the nugget of truth behind the myth of the minotaur. If you enjoy Greek mythology or alternate histories, or you just want an enjoyable read, you’ll definitely want to check this nifty novel out.

Be forewarned though- this story is more narrative oriented than many stories today, which only makes sense being that Asterion is recounting his history to Ovid. It takes its time to unfold, allowing you to savour it. If you need immediate and fast-paced action, this is not the book for you.

Once you get past the irreverent style then this book becomes great fun. More sex than nearly any Sci-Fi book I've ever read (and I've read a lot!).

Nice to see the NZ market publishing decent hard Sci-Fi (actually nice to see anyone doing it these days) - think of it as a cross between the Fifth Element, Babylon Five and Die Hard.

Of all the end-of-the-world novels I’ve read recently, this one is clearly the best. The author’s not trying to convince me of any particular scriptural interpretation. He’s not trying to convert me and change my life. And he’s not just jumping on a popular bandwagon either. Instead he offers a well-plotted, intriguingly different tale, with a fascinating teen protagonist, left behind in a desperate world.

If timing is everything, this author has more than everything, setting up the present and revealing the past with nicely intersecting storylines. Yes, the Rapture has happened. But this is no tale of everyone vanishing and clothes left in heaps, nor yet of those who thought they had it made rallying to a new cause. This novel creates a mythology all its own, with a demon child born to fight on the side on mankind while denied the chance of heaven. In one beautifully memorable scene, set on the forbidden and agonizing ground of a church, young demon Sam learns he is loved. And that, despite all condemnation heaped on him by others and himself, is enough to bring him through.

Guarded and guided by a wise warrior as he grew, cared for and loved by the girl the world calls his sister, Sam grows up into a scary destiny, told through intriguing details that weave into the tale. Moving seamlessly between past and present, with clear dates and directions, the story takes readers from Utah to Vegas, from cathedral to hell, and from fear and loss to hope. It’s a beautifully complete story in itself, one that’s truly hard to put down, filled with great detail and powerful imagination. And it’s a great start to a longer story told in the next two books. I’m eager to read them!

Disclosure: I was given a free ecopy by the author and I offer my honest review.

This is a fascinating tale between heaven and hell, good and evil. Phillip takes us on a journey through an apocalyptic landscape of a shuddered earth after the Rapture.

Sam, who is the main character, has been given the task of taking on the Antichrist. He has spent his whole life training for this event. His adoptive father Hikari was well aware of his purpose and trained him both in his fighting skills and his Biblical knowledge so that he may be prepared for the day of the rapture.

Unfortunately for Sam his half human, half demon heritage will prevent him from going in the rapture with Hikari and his daughter Aimi, which Sam has grown to love dearly over the years. Very Early in the story Sam finds himself left behind and must travel across America to fulfill his destiny. Along the way he meets and protects several others who are left behind and must fight to protect the innocents. I soon found myself routing for Sam and wishing that I could be there to both help and comfort him. The battle scenes are intense and his loneliness is heartbreaking.

There is much to love about this book, I found myself engrossed in the pages and could visualize the locations and scenes as though it were in pictures. Sure it is a Christian based fiction book, but it goes well beyond the genre. I think most readers who enjoy post-apocalyptic, thrillers, action adventure and fantasy will feel right at home here.

Claretta Maynard, The Kindle Book Review
“The Kindle Book Review received a free copy of this book for an independent, fair, and honest review. We are not associated with the author or Amazon.”

I've always been fascinated by retellings of Biblical stories and I'm a big fan of post-apocalyptic fiction so I jumped at the chance to read Rapture. Sam is a half-demon who is left behind when the faithful are all called to heaven during the Rapture. Left with him on earth are the unbelievers and the wicked who now have to endure seven years of Tribulation before Jesus comes back to reign on earth.

This Tribulation involves demons. Lots and lots of really creepy, scary and evil demons. Sam and the rest of those left behind must fight for their lives each night against hordes of demons who want to drag them off to hell. This makes for some really great action sequences. Sam uses a Katana and a Wakizashi to fight which is an interesting change from the usual guns and bullets we see in most modern fight sequences. I enjoyed learning a little bit about them and the bits of Japanese culture woven in through Sam's training.

My biggest problem with this book is the style of writing. There was a lot of telling instead of showing and the writing was somewhat stilted so I didn't really connect with the story or any of the characters. Sam should be a sympathetic character. We know of his history through flashbacks that should make us feel for Sam - how he is always in-between humans and demons. How is is forever lonely. How he has to shoulder this immense responsibility even though he can never reap the rewards from it. I understand Sam but I didn't really empathize with him. The other characters in the book were never really developed enough that I cared what happened to them, either.

As for the plot, it was generally exciting and moved along well but I found that it was a little bit predictable. Nothing really surprising happened and even the "twist" was predicted. Despite that, I enjoyed Sam's journey for the most part.

One of my favorite things about this book is the world-building. Post-rapture Earth is a very different place from the one we know today. There is no sun, everything is covered in ash, plants and animals are dying. It's a very bleak and very hot place. I really felt like I could see and feel everything in the environment.

While this may sound like Christian fiction, it's really not. Granted, the premise is taken from Christian dogma, but it's used more as the setting of the story than a lesson in Christianity. Non-Christian readers should not be scared to give this one a try. There is no Bible thumping and nothing will be shoved down your throat.

Overall, I enjoyed this one and will probably check out the other two books in the trilogy, Tribulation and Apocalypse. I would recommend this book to all fans of post-apocalyptic fiction and the action sequences and male POV make this a good choice for boys who may be reluctant to read.

There is one simple fact about this cover: it is eye-candy. The second thing I wanted to say was this: I am happy that I got the opportunity to read it.

Rapture by Phillip W. Simpson is the story of Sam, a boy he always knew he was different and was aware that he would never be accepted because of it. Choices made long before he was born led to the terrible truth about his existence: he was not simply a human boy but rather a half-demon, conceived to bring about the apocalypse. What Satan had not considered was that the humanity in him would be stronger than any demonic urges that would be thrown at him. It was not planned for him to be raised up as a sort of savior to the people left behind after the Rapture. Yet here he was, doing exactly that. Now, a new Antichrist has risen up in the midst of all this horror and Sam's destiny seemed to be entwined with this unknown figure. His charge from heaven is to save the innocent and to finish off the Antichrist. Even I can say that it is a lot of pressure to be putting on some teenage kid. But he is no ordinary teenager and by the time the book is over, it's pretty clear.


The plot is actually very beautiful. Is that weird? I found the subject intriguing because the way it entangled both religion and a dystopian world was something that I had not considered. I've found that it is easier to separate the two completely from each other than to combine them. It's hard to make an appealing story when the book is basically saying, 'Those who are left behind are screwed because they sinned in life,' but there is a certain amount of humanity to the story. Of course, if Sam hadn't been there to act as some sort of savior to those left behind and protect them from going to Hell, I would've had a hard time with the story. It showed that even in the darkest of hours there is hope. No one is perfect so why condemn them straight away?


Sam, the main character, showed from the beginning that he was a strong character both physically, mentally, and emotionally. I suppose you would have to be in order to survive the things that he had to endure as the protector for this fallen world. In a matter of moments, he lost everyone that he had ever held dear to him and was left behind in a world that was ruled by demons. He could have easily lost hope in his destiny and lost touch with who he truly was but he held true to himself. It would have been hard to suddenly find himself surrounded by the people who once judged him -- who once hated him because he was so different. Why should he play savior for people who had always hated him or were most likely going to by the time everything was over? He knew that they would never be grateful for his efforts, because who would ever admit to feeling gratitude toward some half-demon creature? Even if he looked human, he knew he wasn't and so did they. I have a lot of respect for him in the sense that he protects everyone, even his enemies. I doubt I would have been willing to do what he must to fulfill his destiny. He earned a lot of props for giving away food to people who would never care for him.

Even if he was half-demon, I think he is more human, more caring, more sacrificing than anyone else in this world. He is prepared to give up it all for the sake of a cause that made him an outcast.


I was curious about Hikari when he was first introduced to the story. I'll admit that I'm not used to having the term 'master' be used in the oriental context, which threw me off for a bit. I am taking history as one of my courses this semester so that's probably why. But for someone who I could've easily hated, there was something that just begged to be loved about him. He saw Sam as his son despite the fact that he was not and he accepted Sam for who he was because he knew that somewhere instead this boy, there was a strong will growing. It was hard to see how much certain things that happened to Sam affected him. I could literally feel the strong bond between the two of them and I crave to have that with my own father. It's funny how that works out. There is almost an undeniable ache left behind once he is gone, which is hard to read. Aimi is the daughter of Hikari and a couple years younger than Sam. She is mature for her age, something I can understand since she probably had to grow up faster than anyone else ever has. For knowing Sam's true nature, she never seemed to doubt that he was a good person and she rushed to his aid when he needed someone to be on his side. I liked that. She is Sam's best friend, she has seen him at his worst, and knows that he will do his best to fulfill his destiny.


Overall, I really liked the way the story flowed and how the characters developed over the course of the book. I liked the way that it shifted from present to past, giving me insight into the characters who were no longer around since the Rapture.

Thoroughly enjoyed this story! Very different kind of tribulation story. This is definitely not one from the "left behind" series! I liked the idea of a half-demon fighting Satan and the Antichrist. Very intriguing way to play with Christian themes from a YA fantasy perspective. I would recommend this story for anyone wanting a fun, action-driven story using Christian elements.

I have always read books about raptures..but never before I encountered one, where the story was set after the rapture.. and my verdict is it’s really great!

The cover is oh –so eye-catching… if ever I’ll pass in the bookstore, I’ll definitely grab this book.. what with the flames, the hooded boy with scorching eyes looking back at you, plus swords…lol… Probably the best cover concerning the theme I’ve ever laid my eyes into.

For me, this is another light regarding heroes.. a hero who is not perfect at all, someone who has the tendency of making big mistakes, giving in to temptations, but still has a strong will power.

Mr. Simpson made a wonderful job in giving us glimpses of both Sam’s past and present.. It’s good that we not only know what it is he’s facing now, but how he grow up and about the past before he was even born. It made us see who Sam really is…

It’s a good mix of Japanese principles and culture, and of course Christian beliefs… Fast-paced and engrossing, I find myself facing demons all around and learning to trust other people just like Sam did..

The battle for me, is more like an inner turmoil for Sam, it should have been really hard to be thrust in a fate, you didn’t do anything to deserve..and even if there are things it would seem easier to give in to his true nature, but remembering his master’s word, he continues to do anything for the greater good. Sam is a very likable character… I feel in love with him instantly, even with his horns and inhuman eyes.:D

Although this book, is based on the prophecies of New Testament, basically Revelations, it has nothing to do that would drive non-believers away.. It’s a book for all readers out there who enjoyed a bunch of actions and demons..:)

Mr. Simpson presented a lot of twist and turns in the story, that even if you think where you’re going, you’re suddenly surprised by the exciting happenings. He wrote the book, with so much details that it’s easy to picture Sam with his swords, fighting all those demons and saving the innocent people left on earth.

I also loved the verses in every beginning of the chapter, it’s enlightening and a mirror of what lies ahead… actually, it’s in the end part of the book that I begin to realize it’s a trilogy, with all the climax happening, it just couldn’t fit into a one-chapter end.. So, here I am, left wanting for more!.. I’m overly excited about the next book, and how Sam’s life would go…

Overall, Rapture, is a good-starting book, filled with actions and vivid descriptions of the post-apocalyptic world… Good job Mr. Simpson..:D

'The Rapture has occurred, just as the Bible predicted. The faithful have risen up to Heaven. Those left behind are in a living hell. Earth burns, hell-like in its oppressive heat. Every volcano in the world has erupted, and tsunamis and earthquakes continue to devastate the planet.
Eighteen year old, Sam (short for Samael) was raised in the town of Jacob's Ladder, Utah. It is - appropriately enough - near to a place of natural scenic beauty called Devil's garden. He finds himself alone, unable to rise up with his family because he is half demon. His mother, a devout Christian, was seduced by Satan and conceived his child. She smuggled the boy to an old friend - Hikari - a Japanese sword master and demon expert. Since then, Hikari and his daughter, Aimi, have been all the family Sam has known. Now they're gone, and Sam must set out on the mission Hikari charged him with long ago: to help all the humans left behind.'.
(taken from Wheelers Books description).

I just loved this novel by New Zealand author Philip Simpson. It hooked me in from the first page, with it's absorbing and powerful plot, it's breakneck pace and a protagonist that is compelling and dramatic.
I can not wait to read more from this author.½