This is a good myth retelling. There is plenty of action throughout. The writing is very good and engaging. Looking forward to more from this author

I adore Greek Mythology retellings! And though I am not a huge fan of Jason, this story has a lot of great writing, interesting world building, and definitely hit the spot.

The pacing is a bit off its rhythm, something that I thought the first book didn't have an issue with, but overall the story was good, the battles were fun, and the characters interesting. A fun story for anyone looking for Greek Mythology retellings.

I'm in my Ancient Greek Mythology Retelling era. This is the second novel in the Blades of Bronze series that tells the less idealistic tale of the famed Jason and his Argonauts. Taking place after the tale of the Golden Fleece, this book takes Jason and the Argonauts on adventures to Troy, outwitting Circe, and taking on a group of sirens. Faced paced and adventurous, this book (and series) is for all the mythology lovers and historical fiction lovers out there.

The tempo and rhythm of this story started in and stayed at full throttle - battle after battle, going forth to fight, interrupted by gods, goddesses or their lesser immortal relations. Questing apace. Characters blended into other characters, and it was work to keep them apart. As the book progressed, I was better able to keep track of who was who. And I actually know the story of Jason pretty well, but the fleshing out of the story more often confused me than educated me on new findings, new research done. I was very drawn to the Jason and Medea connection more than in past reads.

So, mixed feelings. I wanted to walk away with more than I have. . .most likely a me problem. I was a little dismayed to discover I'd started in the middle of a series, rather than at the beginning. Ah well. I will continue to find reads that tell, retell and reimagine Jason's adventures.

All that said, for me the Epilogue's last paragraph was a solemn, profound statement, right down to the last word of it.

*A sincere thank you to Mark Knowles, Head of Zeus, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and independently review.* #Jason #NetGalley

Jason by Mark Knowles. So Jason and the Argonauts has got the Golden Fleece, well done them and now they have to get home. I didn’t know if I would get into the craze of mythology retelling, I do like this but it’s also just a bit meh (very descriptive from me). My big problem with this is the pacing. I understand they need to be on boats and there are a lot of people on said boats but it’s just a lot of people on boats for a lot of time. It’s obviously very well researched and Mark is very passionate about the story but it’s just a little bit repetitive. I think reading the first book first might have changed my mind, maybe you get to know Jason better in that.y take away from this is wait for planes to be invented and fly home.

Prepare to be swept away by a captivating and audacious retelling of one of the most legendary heroic tales in history. Mark Knowles skillfully weaves a tapestry of intricate details, immersing readers in the mesmerizing realm of ancient Greece. His profound understanding and fervor for this ancient world shine brilliantly throughout every single page.

In the Blades of Bronze series, Knowles's writing possesses an undeniable allure, akin to the dazzling radiance of the Golden Fleece. The prose resonates with power, drawing readers into a world of vivid action and thrilling encounters that leave them yearning for more.

This series stands as a testament to Knowles's exceptional storytelling abilities, as he fearlessly breathes new life into an age-old myth. Prepare to be enthralled as the Blades of Bronze series shines as brightly as the most coveted treasure, delivering a truly unforgettable reading experience.

I have read Argo and so was familiar with this series and indeed the author, so I had high expectation. I really wasn’t disappointed. Mark Knowles is a wonderful storyteller, and the book (and the series) really does have something for everyone,. Darker than Argo, but thoroughly enjoyable. I cannot wait to read the third book and would highly recommend this.

3.5 stars

This is the second book in a series which I did not realise, but you don't have to read the first book to get this one. I think people who know a lot more about greek mythology than me would really enjoy this one. This book was super detailed and was a fun mythology retelling. I have to say, Jason wasn't the most interesting character but I think that was the point.

TW// mentions sexual assault and attempted rape.

After winning the Golden Fleece, Jason is on his way home, dreaming of glory, and taking the throne from the scheming and ruthless King Pelias of Iolkos. But on their journey back to Iolkos, Jason and the Argonauts are swiftly pushed into conflicts with a legion of foes, and will have to outwit and fight their way home, if not for the foes, then through the treacherous Archipelagos seas. Jason is slowly realising that winning the Golden Fleece was only the start of his adventure. This is a tale about bravery, family, survival and love with Greek mythology peppered throughout.

I actually wasn't aware this was the second book in the series before I applied for it on NetGalley so I was a little confused at the star, but that wasn't the reason I felt like the story itself didn't flow. It flits back and forth in time and the narrative changes between characters quickly, and I found it hard to stay engaged and invested in them and the plot itself. It felt like a lot to keep up to date with all at once.

It also spends the majority of the time on the sea but I didn't feel like a lot was happening so it felt really slow moving . I did really like Ida though, he was the highlight for me, and definitely pulled back my feelings for the book. He's full of wit, sarcasm and humour at the worst of times, but a really fun character. Anceus was another character that stole my heart, he's just so forthright and straight to the point, and doesn't put up with anything he doesn't agree with. However I did find Jason's character bland, it felt like the rest of the Argonauts basically carried him through everything, and were the sole reason they survived difficult circumstances. He seemed primarily blinded by his lust and infatuation with Medea, rather than commanding and ensuring the protection and safety of his crew.

I would say it's probably best to read the first book in the series, because all of the Argonauts were kind of blurred together for me. It was hard to picture the different characters and could only really separate them out based on personality alone. It's also a long book, and I can't lie, I did find it difficult to stay engaged with it within the first ten chapters or so, the bits that really kept me hooked were around the Greek gods and the parts about Celeos, apart from that, it just felt kind of like a slog.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me a copy of this book.

I am having a super difficult time reviewing this book. Because if I am being honest... I hated it. However, there are so few reviews and I hate to leave such a negative one and lower ratings when there aren't many to begin with.

I am a sucker for mythology and retellings. You tell me about a book I haven't heard of coming out with mythology I am GOING to read it. Within the last two years, this genre has really become something that I find myself drawn to more and more. Unfortunately, there was just something about this book that did not work for me.

For starters, it isn't the first book in a series. Which I was not aware of. Next, this book is kind of long and it FEELS long when reading it. There were so many parts that just dragged on and were so bogged down with information and details that I just wanted to skim and get it over with or DNF to put myself out of my misery. Also, there are A LOT of characters which is something I usually enjoy, but none of these characters felt fleshed out enough to differentiate them from one another or to make them stand out in any way (but again, that could be my fault for not reading the first book in this series). I also think that maybe the two perspectives were a bit unnecessary. It just made the story feel disjointed and like we spent too much time bouncing back and forth and never really connecting with what was going on.

Jason & the Argonauts have stolen the Golden Fleece and are on the run back home to depose Jason’s uncle Pelias who has stole his fathers crown. First though, they have to make it there, adventures abound on their journey involving stories and figures from the Greek myths. Theseus, Ariadne, Herakles, Persephone, Demeter, Hera & Zeus included!

I didn’t realise this was a sequel until I’d read it all and looked it up. I can’t wait to read the first book, Argo, and the upcoming Hades. As a lifelong fan of the Harryhausen movies and books by Mary Renault, I am so glad to have discovered this series.

This book grabbed me and wouldn’t let go! Highly recommended.

Unfortunately I had to temporarily DNF as I did not realise this was a sequel.
What I have read it seems to be quite a dark retelling while trying to capilise on the recent surge of retellings while not quite reinventing this story.

2⭐️⭐️

Thank you so much to Head of Zeus and NetGalley for an e-arc of this book.

This was quite a disappointing read.

Firstly, nothing on netgalley indicated this was a sequel. I thought at first it was a stylistic choice, but part way through I looked on goodreads and saw there was a first book.

Having a sound knowledge of Greek myth I didn’t think this would pose much of an issue, so continued with reading.

The characterisation was basically non-existent. I don’t feel like I know any of the main players, let alone side characters. This was further compounded by the confusing and choppy way different povs were used from chapter to chapter.

The prose left a lot to be desired as well, it was written in a very banal, amateurish way, no world building or effective text to get the reader into the novel.

There are so many Greek myth retellings coming out at the minute, some excellent, some just ok but this is the first one I couldn’t recommend.

While overall well written, I found the pacing slightly off for this novel. The author's knowledge of the Jason and the Argonauts myth and Greek mythology in general shines through, but it does not make up for the pacing, as mentioned before, and the slightly clunky descriptions. I do not personally love books that are extremely descriptive, though I know others do not feel this way.

Again, this was overall a good story and a entertaining retelling of Jason, but I have found others more interesting.

this is an interesting take on the story of jason which doesnt seemed to have been covered much despite the recent rise in mythology retellings it is good to medea gets fleshed out a lot during this story when shes usually skipped over or villainised although the book seems designed to fit between the others of the series rather than standing as its own story so much i feel that if you didnt read the first book or are not otherwise familiar with the story jason you may confused by the narrative i think i wouldve got more out of it had read the first one

I'm unfortunately not able to provide a fair review for this book at the moment, since I started reading (and enjoying!) it with the feeling of something missing (the 15+ named Argonauts alone made it hard to follow), and only when I was about 10% in did I realize - it's the second part of a duology (trilogy?). Never fear, I *am* going to read the first installment of this retelling because so far I've absolutely enjoyed the dark fantasy vibes it gives off, but I sadly have to criticize that the blurb provided by the publisher did not make it clear that this book could not be read as a standalone about the events that followed Jason's quest for the golden fleece. Still, at this point, worth a total 4 stars at least!

I unfortunately could not finish this book. When reading the premise on NetGalley it seemed very promising to me. Medea's myth is one of my favourites and I was interested to see how this adaptation of the Argonautica would play out, and how far into the Jason and Medea mythos it would go. However, nothing alluded to this being a sequel. Even with my knowledge of the original text the book was adapting, I found it hard to follow along and become invested. Perhaps if I had read the first instalment, the sequel would have appealed to me more, or at least I could have followed along.

I really appreciate the opportunity to read this ARC, but unfortunately it was not for me. After a ton of incredible Greek mythology retellings lately, the last two arc's I've read have been really disappointing, and I'm not sure if it's me or the genre.

I also didn't realize this was a sequel (no indication given on Netgalley) and did not have time to read book 1 - I assumed that knowing the myth I would be able to understand.

I just found myself a little bored, this might be better for an actual classicist but it just wasn't for me.

Thanks Netgalley for a copy of this!

Overall I found Jason to be kind of lackluster, with the author resting a lot on his use of big words but little to no emotional depth for our characters. The story hopped around and just generally felt... boring. I struggled to read a single chapter without taking a break

This book was a let-down for me. I was very excited for the concept and the story, but it was a very confusing read for me that did not deliver content-wise; the structure made it really hard to decipher who everyone was and how the characters related to each other. It seemed like Knowles was trying to do too much and did not end up actually delivering on anything. I did like how the characters were developed, but since all the other elements were so distracting, it detracted from this. Overall, this book had a lot of potential but unfortunately did not live up to this in my opinion.