While reading this, my mind kept going and thinking this would be what the Capitol Hunger Games would have looked like if Katniss didn't kill a certain someone. Also, the reality show parts were Keeping Up With The Kardashians and Pretty Wild inspired. The Greek mythology and pimping out the young goddesses was very disturbing and sickening throughout. The relationship between Ariadne and the minotaur was extremely sad and made me cry. I would definitely love a sequel.

I couldn't really get into this one. I didn't find a connect to the characters or the story. I think this was a bad case of its not you but me.

This book was great fun. I was really drawn in by the unique concept of reality TV combined with ancient Greek mythology. It was really funny and really nicely combined the modern world with ancient Greeks. I'd definitely recommend to others.

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, and RockStar Book Tours for this free copy.

Wasn’t I just talking about how I needed some contemporary novels mixed in with some gods and goddesses involved? This is literally what this book gave me, and I’m all for it.


I usually don’t really pay much attention to Ariadne and her story, but I liked this little twist on the usual mythology surrounding her. She actually became someone that I may end up liking more than their source material. And Theseus, although I do kind of wish that it could have been another person that wasn’t in the original myth that was involved more. But it’s okay, really. I still enjoyed the story.

Something about having the gods involved in a reality show type of thing… is super intriguing because I usually don’t get into reality shows! So reading it in a book was one that I didn’t think I’d actually be able to enjoy, but this proved me wrong. Although, I really think that having them be mythical gods made it cool enough? It’s kind of hard to explain but, seeing them in such a human type of concept makes them seem so much more approachable.

Although I don’t know how I would feel if I had to watch kids try to kill a monster but are the ones that end up getting killed or whatever. It’s almost like Battle Royale and The Hunger Games but with deities, you know?

Of course, we know that Ariadne and Theseus are supposed to be endgame, because if we follow the actual story that’s kind of what happens – but then again I don’t really remember the story – so I wasn’t really expecting anything else, but I thought the whole falling for Theseus thing was kind of cute!

But yeah! I know this review was all over the place but I liked it! I think you should definitely give it a try. Have fun with it, be wary of some people acting very… demanding so yeah. Just be on the lookout for that.

I hadn’t really heard much about this book before seeing the blog tour announcement, but I was instantly intrigued by the cover and the description. I love the idea of taking very old mythology stories and transplanting them into today’s world, and Ms. Roberson did a great job of this. It was actually believable to me that something like this story could happen today; it almost makes you wonder what contemporary real-life events may be told millenia from now as “ancient mythology”!

Ms. Roberson had fun with the story, and there were a number of light moments and times I laughed when reading about folks like Theseus and the Paradoxes and Icarus using modern technology. However, at the same time there is some pretty incisive and biting social commentary on reality television culture and the possible pernicious effects of social media (e.g., “influencer” culture). It also makes you wonder what really goes on behind the scenes on these “reality” shows. I guess we intuitively know that much of what we see is scripted and heavily edited, but reading about cameras following the characters everywhere and plotlines for supposedly real-life shows being storyboarded just kind of bought it home. I don’t watch or follow or know anything about the Kardashians, but they were all I could think about when reading, especially with respect to Ariadne’s sisters, Xenodice and Acalle, known as the Paradoxes.

The characters were definitely larger than life, which I suppose is to be expected when dealing with figures from mythology! But I had some serious, deep-seated reactions to them, for sure. Ariadne’s mother and father, Pasiphae and King Minos, in particular...man, they were really quite despicable. My favorite character was probably the Minotaur, not so much because he plays a heavy role in the story, but because I swear my heart cracked a little each time he was on the page. I also really liked the portrayal of Icarus, and I would be *very* interested in a book from Acalle’s perspective, because hoo-boy do I think she has a story to tell!

Basically, if you love mythology and/or reality/influencer culture, you should pick up LIFESTYLES OF GODS AND MONSTERS by Emily Roberson. There’s a lot to like here, and a lot to ponder, as well. This is a solid debut!

RATING: 3.5 stars!

**Disclosure: I received an e-ARC of this book for purposes of this blog tour. This review is voluntary on my part and reflects my honest rating and review of the book.

Ariadne has spent the last ten years as the mysterious keeper of the labyrinth, the one that cares for the beastly Minotaur inside and leads the 14 contestants every year inside for the reality show, The Labyrinth Contest. But nobody knows that she is really a sad teen girl who wants nothing more but to have the show/game end and for her baby brother to get some peace. This year is different though, and it might just be the arrival of Prince Theseus that causes the change. </p>

I love all things Greek mythology so I was super excited to get my hands on this story. The best way to describe this book would be Greek mythology meets pop culture reality television. It was the traditional story lines (with creepy bull infatuations and all!) found in the mythology but set in a modern-ish setting with every single technological update and the world's love of racy reality TV and ratings. Everything most of the characters did was to get ratings and it was so over the top at times I could not help but to cringe. As someone who does not like watching reality TV, I always eat up the books about it, but this was a little too shock value to me. The side characters were one dimensional for the most part, basically just playing a role expected fro the show, the only one who was fully fleshed out was Ariadne and she was almost a stereotype of the perfect wholesome, big-hearted girl that I could not connect to.</p>

To be fair, it could very easily be me just not feeling the story since I see tons of other people raving about the book. I personally could not get into the story or connect to it, reading the book was more of a chore, and overall the story was pretty sad. Overall, Lifestyles of Gods and Monsters was an incredibly original idea, one I have never seen before that mixed two very different topics to create something cohesive

This contemporary retelling of the Minotaur myth remains true to the spirit of the story while adroitly parodying current reality TV culture. Ariadne's wealth and family celebrity may not be one that the everyday teen faces, her struggles to find her place in her family, understand the will of the gods, and deal with family loyalty, grief and revenge are universal. The portrayals of Theseus and Asterion/Minotaur are equally well done. I don't believe the cover is nearly as enticing as this highly engaging read.

A very fun and original take on the Minotaur myth by way of Keeping Up With the Kardashians and The Hunger Games. While an enjoyable, fast read, this book is ultimately a disappointing execution of an intriguing conceit, and I found myself at times wishing that the book were either 1) told instead as a graphic narrative, because the stories strengths are more in ideas and set-pieces than in its prose or 2) longer and more developed with more attention paid to world-building and the inner lives of the secondary characters. This is such a strange twist on mythology, but the plot (with few changes from the original myth) ploughs on ahead so quickly we're not given enough time to dwell in this world or given enough insight into Ariadne's supporting cast for the critiques of a reality TV-obsessed culture to pack any real punch. The exception to this is the development of Ariadne and Asterion's relationship, which was touching and well-handled, and added something new and humane to the original myth.

That said, wanting to spend MORE time in an author's world is not such a bad thing, and so I would still recommend this as a fun and original reimagining that refreshingly doesn't bowdlerize Greek mythology for a YA audience (that wooden bull... that wooden bull...).

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an digital advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

Lifestyles of Gods and Monsters is a retelling of the myth of the Minotaur. The main elements of the myth appear here-- a halfbull/halfman is born to the wife of King Minos, the creature is imprisoned in a maze created by Daedalus, and youths are sent to their doom in the maze. The twist is that this entire business has been moved to reality TV. Young men and women compete for the privilege of a chance to defeat the bull. Ariande, a princess of Crete, is the only one who can tame the bull and navigate the maze, so she is an unwilling participant in the event. The house always wins…until Theseus arrives.

I think the switch to reality TV functions as a pretty biting critique of the genre. We see how manipulative editing can be, how major plotlines are orchestrated, and how cruelly people can be treated when they're viewed as rating boosts. It's also an amusing pairing because I always wondered why characters in myths did boneheaded things, and reality stars do a lot of boneheaded things too. Of course, implicit in all this is that these things happen because someone's pulling the strings-- editors and producers in the case of reality TV, and the gods in Greek mythology. Because of this, I was a little dismayed that Ariande primarily rebels against her father rather than the gods that originally orchestrated much of this (and perhaps implicitly endorse this abuse and patriarchy?).

Without spoilers, I rather liked the ending-- while staying within the outline of the myth, the book ends on a rather lovely note.

If you're a fan of mythology already and you like YA, this could be fun.

In this novel, the Minoan royal family hosts a hugely popular annual reality show, The Labyrinth Contest, where fourteen Athenian teenagers compete to survive the maze and battle the minotaur. The winner will get fame and fortune, oh, wait, there hasn't been a winner in ten years. Just lots of attractive young people going to their gristly and televised deaths.

All the major players are here, reinvented for reality show age. Daedalus is the eccentric,  not entirely trustworthy,  genius designer behind the labyrinth, most of the reality show, and a certain white-heifer contraption. His son, Icarus, is also caught up in the making of the reality show, although he dreams of flying away.  The queen of Minos is beautiful, polished, and camera-ready at all times, never mind how the Minotaur came to be...   Ariadne's sisters' reality show is mostly about wearing the best dresses to the best parties, with the occasional not-so-leaked sex tape.  Theseus' shot, with Ariadne's help, has a real change of defeating the Minotaur, which means a huge ratings boost for the show.

The world and concept are so great that I almost didn't notice that he central couple was a bit flat. Ariadne was occasionally annoying, constantly moaning in a realistically teenage way about being the only one who can do it, and how she's Not Like Other Girls because she wears a hoodie and doesn't dress up. (At one point, older sister Acalle hints at a much darker world than their obedient camera smiles and outre fashions, but in true teenage fashion, Ariadne is too focused on herself to pursue this much further.)

Theseus' main personality trait was Hot, which is pretty much YA romance and pretty much how he was in the myths. Heroic Theseus is handsome and ready to punch things. The two didn't seem to have much spark or relationship beyond constantly saying how they couldn't tear themselves away from each other. I guess when Eros points you at someone, you have no choice but to follow. (See previous re: Minos' queen and the bull.)

Some of the plot points are a bit pointed, but since the classic Greek plays often have convenient information falling into convenient hands at convenient times, I'm more than ok with it. The thread, the maze, and the annual Athenian contestants are all wonderfully and appropriately updated for a reality-show world. 

A mild spoiler, if it even counts as a spoiler to reveal that women don't always get good endings in the ancient myths: The end of Ariadne's tale is the most reinvented part of this novel. The closing scene is a perfect update for an escaped reality show, an ex-princess, and a maturing, evolving teen girl.

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and I literally squealed when I got my hands on it. I am a HUGE fan of Greek Mythology and the story of Ariadne and the Minotaur has always fascinated me. The myth alone is wild y’all we’ve got:

A woman in love with a bull whose “union” (hello only euphemism that doesn’t make me want to outright gag) produces the Minotaur, a terrifying half-bull, half-human creature with an insatiable blood lust
A complicated maze designed by the basically imprisoned architect Daedalus (yes, Icarus and the wings, that Daedalus)
Fourteen Athenian teens sent to their deaths every year bc why not
A whole lot of other crazy
In Lifestyles of Gods & Monsters, Emily Roberson makes it even wilder by setting the whole thing in modern times and making it into a reality tv show called The Labyrinth Contest. Originally started as a means of revenge against the Athenians for the murder of King Minos and Queen Pasiphae’s eldest son Androgeous, the Labyrinth Contest is now must-see tv. The contestants battle it out and some even specifically move to Athens to try to qualify for the show because they are convinced they’re gonna be the one to finally take down the Minotaur. We’ve got Amazons and Heroes, lining up to prove they are the best of the best. When Theseus, son of the King of Athens volunteers for the latest season they have a ratings hit on their hands – especially when he falls in love with Minos’s youngest daughter and Keeper of the Maze Ariadne.

Ariadne hates the cameras. She hates the outfits and the outlandish things her sisters and parents do to stay in the spotlight. All she wants is to play video games, lead the contestants to the maze to be slaughtered and never think about them again. I was so moved by Ariadne as a character because she cares so deeply for her brother the Minotaur, but is so blind to the world around her, especially the rest of her family. Her journey to the darker side of the business was really eye-opening for her and for me as a person who watches the trainwreck that is reality tv. She has always been protected and praised for being obedient to the will of the gods, but when she falls in love with Theseus she can’t afford to stay detached from the contest anymore. Also watching her try to find an outfit the stylists/her sisters/her mother deem hot enough for tv while trying not to show all the goods was #relatable.

I’m not a fan of insta-love plotlines but the rest of the book made up for it with action and adventure, while pulling on your heartstrings. I want to wipe my mind clean and read it again immediately just so I get to experience it all over again!

This book combines two things that I never thought would go together: greek mythology and reality TV. I love how gimicky a lot of the story is with it's plotlines and how killing the minotaur has become competitive reality TV. This book was fast-paced and I found myself wanting more!

As a huge Greek mythology fan (who has read nearly all the Greek mythology inspired YA fic out there) I was stoked to read this one. I was curious to see how the author would incorporate celebrity and reality television and how exploitative that industry can be with such a famous story. I mean, it does make sense -- sending hot, young warriors into an impenetrable maze each year? I'm sure someone has pitched that idea before.

The story was quite compelling in the beginning. I liked Ariadne, that the author recognized Asterion (the Minotaur) as his own character, and delved into their tragic, complicated relationship somewhat. It added something that was missing from the original myth and that inclusion of humanity in the story was my favorite part. But after the first third of the book, it just went downhill. For one, none of the secondary characters are actually developed. We only see them from Ariadne's POV and her interactions with them are brief and superficial, so we get this very one dimensional look at Ariadne's world and her relationships with others. I would have considered this some kind of "commentary" on the world of celebrity/reality TV except the author doesn't examine the other characters or the setting any further; it just felt like I was reading a script of some over-the-top reality show. The author hints at some underlying unhappiness, but these moments are fleeting and underdeveloped. I think the author attempted to give Ariadne more agency in the story, but did not succeed because the book pretty much follows the standard myth--which doesn't allow Ariadne any agency! The second half of the novel doesn't even try to make any substantial changes to the original story, so it's not even worth reading. There are a couple of changes from the original myth in the final chapters, but they don't make sense or add any value to the story.

Overall, this is an average, uninspiring adaptation of a Greek myth. I would stick with the Rick Riordan Universe and Madeline Miller as my first choice recs for patrons interested in mythology adaptations.

I really enjoyed this book. The premise was so creative! It is a retelling of a myth, with a reality show and Hunger Games twist. The characters were easy to fall in love with and the plot had me sucked in on the first page. I would highly recommend!

Ancient myths meet the Kardashians with a touch of Hunger Games.

I liked the conceit better than the actual plot, which isn't a bad thing. As an avid reader of derivative works (fanfiction, retellings, all of it!) a cool new world I want to explore is one of the best things I can find in a book, and it's one that requires a lot of skill as a writer. The ancient world of myths and our world are blended so well, it is mostly our setting but the gods are as real and present as they are in myth, and prophecies and augury are taken very seriously. If someone is forgiven by the gods then humans shouldn't judge them, and if someone angers the gods, humans might be the ones to carry out the sentence. Other authors might have tried to shoehorn everything into our world and find analogs for things in myth, but this is so much stronger. Things like Ariadne and Theseus' insta-love would be frustrating as a reader except that the world is already set up that people are encouraged to follow the whims of the gods, and if you are suddenly overcome with lust or love it is the will of Eros and you should just go with it. The way the selfish characters used the gods as an excuse to indulge their bad behaviors was really interesting (and real-world realistic) and I loved exploring the characters through this lens.

The actual plot of the book didn't focus as much where I would like it. The reality show aspects weren't as present as the back copy promised. The sisters' show is roughly sketched and some plot points from the show are discussed but I would have liked the plot to back up enough that we get to see some of the action and possibly the skill of Icarus or other behind the scenes people, especially as this would contrast her sisters feeling controlled or helpless. (On that note, I did enjoy Ariadne finally realizing that maybe she had been harsh on her sisters, that she assumed they loved the sex and party lifestyle and thought she was better than them for it, but perhaps she was benefiting from their victimhood as well. That's the sort of thing we don't get as often as I would like in YA novels, the complicity of a decent character.)

The maze/competition/Hunger Games part of the plot wasn't used as much as I would like, either. It would have been pretty easy to sprinkle in more and more detail about past years, and we aren't shown much from this year either. There's the ubiquitous Hunger Games "ugh vanity you're waxing my legs" montage but specifically done on Ariadne, who isn't a competitor. I would have loved some more time with the competitors, to learn even a little bit more about them. We are only ever given the names of two of them, one to be cannon fodder and one for jealousy purposes, and it seems like a missed opportunity.

Maybe there was more of what I had hoped for, and it was edited down. As it is, the novel is a good length and it flows well, so maybe extra scenes bogged the action down and had to be removed. It's hard to tell. As much as I was a bit "whatever" about Ariadne and Theseus (I did connect a little bit, Ariadne's love for her brother was truly touching), I mostly get excited thinking about this world, how other myths fit in with it, wanting to play in the sandbox the author created, and that's really fun.

Lastly, I love that the myths are not bowdlerized for a YA crowd. High schoolers are assigned them anyway and the scandal is part of the interest. It takes some real bravery to start a novel with some human on bull action.

Cute new Kardashianesque take on stories from Greek mythology. I’m interested in seeing a second title in the series because i would like to see the characters relationship a little bit more built up.

More like 2 1/2 stars. I liked some of the concept and am usually a sucker for Greek mythology but in this more modern world with social media and reality tv I could not get down with the cow and Queen relations. A myth is one thing but when it is portrayed as something happening now I was like ewww umm no! That whole storyline was a no for me.

I did however like the other aspects of the story and the play on reality tv and people loosing the choice to be who they want. With influencers and fame being so prevalent to youth I think this subject was portrayed in a light but also enlightening way.

What a weird-ass book!! I'm not sure how to rate this!!

The concept is incredible, even if it seems a little like they went "Let's Spin the YA Concept Wheel and See What Turns Up." The story of the Minotaur in the Labyrinth (told almost beat-for-beat except in one key place, which I'll get to) meets The Hunger Games meets Keeping up with the Kardashians. And it strangely works?? For the most part. Bringing this myth into the present day with modern technology makes a sort-of sense when you think about the actual antics of today's reality stars. People will do anything for fame and power and to keep that fame and power. I bought it.

The characters themselves though... Ariadne is one of the MOST passive protagonists I've ever read, and yes while that's part of the myth, it was very frustrating to hear her pathetically whine "I can't do this" 100 times, and then do it anyway, until finally her family's monstrosities are literally staring her in the face. And her insta-love with Theseus, while also part of the myth, needed more buildup. Roberson sort of tries to explain that this may be due to Eros' arrow, but that's quickly dropped. Ariadne's most redeeming quality is her love for her little monster brother; I totally bought into her anguish about poor Asterion.

Which brings me to Theseus. SPOILERS SORRY - I love the original myths with Ariadne, one of the few Greek heroines who actually has a happy ending. But that happy ending isn't with Theseus, that abandoning fuckboi (who then goes on to do so many terrible, terrible things), but with Dionysus, god of wine, parties and passion. What a revenge!! Anyway, Roberson makes Theseus much more sympathetic here, and changes the ending a bit. It took me a bit by surprise. BUT the way she did end things gave me hope that there might be a sequel down the line...I would love to read it if it's going to ultimately follow the myth

Stay calm but know this is not a drill. Lifestyles of Gods and Monsters is a retelling of a classic Greek Mythology story told in modern day YA. Say what?!?! Oh yes, you heard me right and this book was exactly what I was hoping it would be. Have you ever seen one of those Spanish Telenovelas? I feel like this book was like that only better. Much better. Enjoy!

As a classics major and lover of all things mythology, I was into this book from the get-go. From the moment I heard about it I knew I had to have it. So I was so thrilled to get the chance to read it before it came out and now I'm thrilled to yell at everyone to read it when it does come out, because it is fun and exciting and also represents one of the more gruesome Greek myths in a surprisingly accurate way. Honestly I loved how closely this story followed the actual myth of Ariadne and Theseus and the Minotaur, even in a world that had cellphones and VR video games and reality TV. It all wove seamlessly together, even though it had no right to, and I'm just in awe. But honestly, if anyone deserved to be on reality TV, it was the ancient Greeks. In spite of the seemingly incongruous technology, these ancient myths lend themselves beautifully to the drama and chaos of reality TV and social media and competition shows. And Roberson was clever enough to capture this possibility and turn it into something truly engaging.

For those unfamiliar with the original myth, I'll give you a brief breakdown. King Minos of the island Crete received a white bull from the god Poseidon, which he was supposed to sacrifice to honor the gods. Minos liked the bull and didn't want to kill it, so he sacrificed a different bull, keeping the gifted one as a pet. Poseidon was pretty upset about that, so he made Minos' wife fall in love with the bull. Long story short, she gives birth later to a half bull/half human baby that has a taste for human flesh. Minos gets the inventor Daedalus and his son Icarus to build the Labyrinth, a giant maze, in order to contain this new creature, so dubbed Minotaur. Later some Athenians kill Minos' son, and Minos demands restitution, of the cruel and unusual variety. The lovely solution he comes up with is to have Athens send seven young men and seven young maidens to Crete to be dinner for his Minotaur (myths vary about the frequency of the sacrifices, whether they were yearly or more spread out). This goes on for a while and then Theseus, new prince of Athens, volunteers to slay the beast to save Athens' young folk. He would've been a goner like the rest of them except that Minos' daughter, Ariadne, falls in love with the Athenian Hero and decides she can't bear to let him get devoured by the beast. She gives him a ball of thread that lets him escape the maze after killing the Minotaur, and he sets sail back to Athens with the young Athenians and the Cretan princess in tow. Of course, these myths rarely have happy endings for all involved, and this one certainly doesn't. Theseus rudely abandons Ariadne on an island on the way back to Athens. But don't worry, according to most versions, the god Dionysus finds her there and they fall in love and she becomes a goddess. Theseus then makes the "mistake" of not changing his sails from the black ones to the white ones as he and his father (King of Athens, Aegeus) agreed he would, should he survive. So they show up in the harbor with black sails, Aegeus assumes Theseus did not survive his attempt to defeat the Minotaur and jumps into the sea from some cliffs. But it’s okay, they named the sea after him. So yeah, not exactly a warm and fuzzy tale. But plenty of drama, and that's precisely what Roberson capitalizes on very effectively in this book.

Now, I don't want to give away too much of what Roberson does and doesn't keep from the myth, but all the major points are there. A sixteen year old Ariadne is our main character, and pretty much all the figures from the myth are players in this story. We see the family dynamic of a powerful King Minos, ruling his kingdom through the power of celebrity. The ruling family are the it family. Ariadne's two older sisters have a Keeping Up with the Kardashians style reality show. But it's The Labyrinth Contest that is the major event of the year, every year. Think part American Ninja Warrior, part Hunger Games. The contestants, seven young men and seven young women from Athens, at least get to choose to be on the show. As you can assume from the title, it's framed like a contest, the Athenians given the opportunity to go through the labyrinth (and its many obstacles) to try and defeat the Minotaur in order to win eternal fame and glory. So more like the tributes from Districts 1 and 2, for the Hunger Games comparison. The volunteer aspect gives the show more depth and intrigue. These contestants are not wholly unwilling participants, like they were in the myth; each of them really thinks they'll be the one to defeat the Minotaur. Even though The Labyrinth Contest is in its eleventh season now, and 140 other Athenians who really thought they could do it, didn't. But these contestants are ready and willing to give it their best shot, with the whole world watching (if Minos can get his viewer numbers up)

But don't think that just because you know the myth that you know exactly how this story is going to go. Roberson added just enough twists to keep you on your toes, and your nose in this book! The characters are the real powerhouse of this book. You may know the basic plot in advance, but you won't understand how attached you'll get to each of the characters until you read it. They have so much more depth and personality than you get from the myth, and they're in a world that is uncomfortably similar to ours. They have access to modern technology, making them feel much more familiar than they would if the story took place in its ancient roots. But the monarchical structures are still in place, so it still rings true with the myth and isn't truly contemporary. The way in which these somewhat contradictory settings are woven together is so subtle you