Although Jason and his crew have managed to steal not one but two Golden Fleece from Colchis, they still have to get home. The crew of the Argo is beset by problems, the angry people chasing them, the hostility at each landing place, violent tribesmen, a witch and sirens leading them to their doom. Not all of them will make it home and those that do will be changed forever.
I hadn't read the first book in this series and that made it difficult to get into the ongoing story as there are several strands that are followed. Obviously the set pieces are well set up and written with that visceral urgency that brings life to fights. What I found more interesting was the approach to aspects of myths or culture that is taken, for example, the sirens do lure men to their death but not in the way of myth. I also loved the sly references to Harryhausen's fantasy film including the bronze warrior.

Packed with action, adventure, and intrigue, Jason is perfect for fans of Christian Cameron and Madeline Miller.
They may have won the prize, but will any of them make it home alive?

Jason has fulfilled the mission set him by his uncle, the scheming King Pelias of Iolkos: he and the Argonauts have won the fabled Golden Fleece of Colchis. Jason dreams of glory – of taking his uncle's throne, rightfully his – and, like his warrior shipmates, of home.

But it is not only Pelias who wishes Jason ill. Before the Argonauts can make it back to Iolkos, they must contend with a legion of foes who would see them dead – and a web of allies who are not quite what they seem.

Jason and his warriors must outwit the recondite Circe and the spies of mighty Troy, overcome hostile tribes beyond the Danube, and sail the troubled waters of the Archipelagos, where the Sirens wait to snare unwary seafarers.

Yet Jason's perils are only beginning, for he will soon discover that a truer evil lies closer to home...

'A bold and thrilling voyage that plunges you deep into the world of ancient myth with every stroke of Jason's oar. Knowles's storytelling captured my imagination from the very first page. It is wonderfully atmospheric' Daisy Dunn, editor of ARGO: A Hellenic Review, and author of Of Gods and Men: 100 Stories from Ancient Greece & Rome

This book just doesn't work for me. The author appears to be trying to capitalize on the trend of feminist myth retellings. Instead, this reads as cold, typical, glorifying of ancient Greek hero stories. I'm a PhD student of ancient Greece, so I am a little more sensitive to inaccuracies and unoriginal retellings. This just didn't seem to have anything new to offer. I did not enjoy it.

A sequel to a story I did not read. The story was an interesting take on mythology with a fun reimagining. Some of the pacing felt off, but this was clearly a passion driven project.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own

Preliminary 5-star review. Will post a full review and adjust the rating accordingly after I finish the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC copy of this book, in exchange for this honest review.

This book presumes a knowledge of the greek gods that i do not possess. I was confused about who was who by the end of the first chapter. The retelling of these stories has been done much more successfully by PatBarker, David Vann, and, of course, Madeline Miller.

i didn’t even know this was the second book of a series but i was already familiar with the story so it wasn’t hard to pick up on. good retelling overall.

I did not realize this is the second book in a series when I originally requested this title. However, I had no trouble jumping in with the second book, possibly because I do love mythology and was pretty familiar with the characters here. I think other mythology buffs could also read this as a standalone title.
The author did an incredible amount of research for this story, and ties in other myths as well, making this an interesting read for someone who maybe feels like they already know the story of Jason. It also focuses mainly on events after his famous search for the Golden Fleece.
There were sections that were so much fun to read, but also a few (mostly those sections set out at sea) that seemed to drag a little bit.
I will definitely be recommending this to readers who enjoy retellings of mythology!

They may have won the prize, but will any of them make it home alive?
Jason has fulfilled the mission set him by his uncle, the scheming King Pelias of Iolkos: he and the Argonauts have won the fabled Golden Fleece of Colchis. Jason dreams of glory – of taking his uncle's throne, rightfully his – and, like his warrior shipmates, of home.

But it is not only Pelias who wishes Jason ill. Before the Argonauts can make it back to Iolkos, they must contend with a legion of foes who would see them dead – and a web of allies who are not quite what they seem.

Really enjoying this series and I assume there is one more to come. I am lucky enough to own a classical atlas so was able to track the Argonauts' journey. Its fun trying to work out where all these places are now and what they are called. Hope the physical book has a map included. Can't say I like Medea much and she hasn't even murdered her children yet. Apologies if that is a plot spoiler but these stories are pretty old now. Thanks to Netgalley.

This is the after Jason, after conquering the Golden fleece and his very long road he and his crew has to endure to return home with it.

This felt like a large story, like the epic of Jason. It features a lot of characters, a big number of crew member with divergent opinions and agendas, a lot of encounters and a lot of different scenes to keep up with. I read this as a standalone and it probably makes more sense to be read after the first book in the series.

The authors knowledge and passion for the Greek myths and stories is obvious and should be celebrated. However, the book was not really easy to read and I didn't feel close to it or any of the characters. Fans of classical retellings would love this, but other than being the after story, I didn't feel it was a fresh, different perspective on the tale. On this note, I would have loved to read more about Medeea or maybe a more focused approach on a small number of characters.

This is an expansive, very descriptive book, that feels of epic proportion. In this aspect it's a valuable presentation of the myth that would probably be more appreciated by fans of historical facts and classical stories.

I received this book in order to offer my personal view on it.

Mark Knowles’ “Jason” begins after the protagonist successfully retrieves the Golden Fleece from the island of Colchis, with help of Medea, daughter of Aeetes, King of Colchis. Jason and the Argonauts, with Medea joining them are in the process of fleeing from Colchis, on the Argo. The story chalks the return journey of Jason and the Argonauts from Colchis to Iolkos and details the different challenges and dangers the group has to face on their return journey- from turbulence on the Inhospitable Sea, hunger and starvation, and the dangers they face on the different islands they moor their ship on- unsure of whether it would be friend or foe they would confront. The novel ends with a fierce confrontation between Jason and his scheming uncle King Pelias in Iolkos when Jason returns to claim the throne.

The author also incorporates segments from the story of Persephone and her mother’s search for her kidnapped daughter as well as that of King Celeos of Eleusis and his three daughters within the narrative. The different threads of the story progress in parallel , with Celeos’ daughters' and the Argonauts' stories converging in a brief segment towards the end of the book. Persephone’s segment is very brief with a blink-and-miss appearance of Persephone and two short, but impactful scenes featuring her mother. The narrative shifts (often abruptly) between these three threads.

First and foremost, Mark Knowles’ Jason is the second book in his Blades of Bronze series- a fact I was unaware of when I chose this book. Luckily, I did not have trouble jumping in mid-series as I am familiar with the story of Jason and the Argonauts. Though this book can be read as a standalone novel, I do feel that those with a general idea of these stories from the Greek myths would enjoy this book more. This is a meticulously researched retelling of a part of Jason’s story. The author, in his notes at the end of the book, details the multiple sources he has taken from in chalking the mythology, geography and archaeology that feature in this story. While I enjoyed parts of this story, especially the segments covering the Argonauts’ encounter with Circe and the battle with the Colchian Army , their experiences on the Cretan island of Megalonisi, and the segment about the daughters of Celeos, much of the journey segments on the seas though vividly descriptive, feel repetitive and a tad tedious. Medea, though an important character in Jason’s story, is more of a supporting character in this novel. The narrative felt clunky in parts and the abruptly shifting narrative was confusing. This is a lengthy book, very descriptive and slow in parts. Overall, while I did not dislike Mark Knowles’ Jason, I wasn’t as enthralled with it as I have been with other retellings!

Many thanks to Head of Zeus, Mark Knowles and NetGalley for the digital review copy! All opinions expressed in this review are my own. This book is scheduled to be released on August 4, 2022.

Jason

When I requested it from NetGalley I didn’t know it was the second book of a series. It wasn’t until I looked it up on good reads 25% through the book.

I’m only loosely familiar with Jason so I was pretty caught off guard. But the feeling that I was missing information is what led me yo look at it.

The book has a large cast and it wasn’t until I physically mapped out the characters and how they are related did it start to make sense. The first 10% was painful for me to get through.

Even at that while the story is interesting and you can tell a lot of detail was put into it. The storyline is really very flat to me. Especially considering the first part with Jason obtaining the fleece is the more exciting part of the story itself.

The shift to Pelius as well as Elesius in various chapters proved to be confusing in and of itself as well. I understand the storyline of Elesius but didn’t feel I could strongly connect that to Jason’s story.

Greek retellings are very interesting to me. And I like being able to see how different retellings and different authors tie together. But this one did not jump out and just suck me in. I didn’t get through it with the same intrigue that I’ve gotten with other books previously.

You will want to read this in one sitting because you are on the edge of your seat the entire time… I was mad at life getting in the way!

DNF - Unfortunately, I did not realize this was the second book in a series (since the blurb didn't mention that tidbit at all). If I were more familiar with the original story, this may not have been as much of an issue, but as it stands, I found the reading confusing and lacked the background to pick up in the middle of the story.

I received an advance copy of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
It was only when I began reading it that I realised that it wasn't the first book in the series - there was nothing explicitly said to this effect, but it just felt when I started reading about Jason's voyage that I had picked up half way through the voyage and that there were bits of the story missing - this became more evident as I read through the book and saw references to x months earlier and to Jason having obtained the Golden Fleece. I can't help but wonder whether I would have liked this book better if I'd read the first instalment 'Argo' first. As it was I never really got into this book. I enjoyed reading the Greek myths when I was younger and found them fascinating, but this story of Jason's voyage in the Argo just seemed to go on. The other stories which suddenly appeared part way through Jason's story, ie about Persephone, I just couldn't see why they had been interspersed with the story of Jason's voyage as they had. I was looking for a tale of adventure but unfortunately I didn't find it here. It wasn't that there was anything wrong with the writing per se - it was just that there was nothing here that really gripped me

*I received an advance copy of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

“Jason” is the second book in the “Blades of Bronze” trilogy by Mark Knowles. “Jason” picks up after Jason and the Argonauts (and Medea) have taken off with the golden fleece. This book covers their journey back to Iolcus. “Jason” is more of a historical fiction retelling than one that emphasizes the mythological parts of the story. Knowles is obviously passionate about Ancient Greece. The sheer amount of research that went into this book is evident from the detailed descriptions of sailing the Argo to the close attention to the geography. I learned quite a bit, and there were several times I googled a character or a place to learn more. This book attempted, more than any other mythology retelling I’ve read so far, to be historically accurate. I really commend Knowles for that. If that’s your jam, you’ll probably love this book.

One problem for me is inherent to this story: as a character, Jason is just not very interesting. But to be fair, I believe that, traditionally, Jason was more of an everyman—in contrast to the obvious greatness of other heroes. However, because the crew of the Argo was absolutely stacked with celebrities, it means that Jason is often the least interesting character around. And of course, there’s Medea. In this version, she’s mainly floating around the margins of the action, doing or saying something uncanny. Her character was just not quite scary enough in this version. (Perhaps I’d like the next book more, as this book ends right when they get back to Iolcus.)

A few other thoughts. First, there are two other stories that are interwoven with the main story: the story of Eleusis and the story of Persephone (which are, in a loose sense, one story, but the novel does not focus on Persephone). Though it was interesting, I did not see what Persephone’s story had to do with Jason. The story of Eleusis was better developed though, again, only tenuously connected to the Argonauts. However, I actually quite liked it and thought it made a nice narrative break from the Argonauts’ slog home.

Second, the novel changes viewpoint frequently, sometimes without warning and often without real purpose. Every single Argonaut is famous in some way, but I don’t think it helped the story to jump around so much within the same group. Using fewer characters' viewpoints, but giving more time and background to each, would be more compelling. I’d like to know what Peleus thought of sailing on the Argo, for instance. But I’m not sure I need to get into the head of every crewmate.

Third, the novel is long, and a lot of it follows the same beats: the Argonauts land somewhere; the locals are not very friendly; they all fight; and then the Argonauts escape, sometimes losing a crewmate in the process. Some of these episodes are much more interesting than others.

Overall, it was obvious that this novel was a true labor of love for the author. I recommend this book if you’re a big fan of Ancient Greek mythology or history. It was a solid story, and some editorial changes could make it shine.

Safe to say this book took me a while to get into. I struggled with the writing style and having not read the 1st book, was on the back foot from the start. As the book progressed and the story started to unfold, I liked the story line and the different characters started to come to life.

For me the book never really took off. The pace was slow throughout, with the story leading to a big finale at the end. The ending however, was again drawn out and anti climatic.

A good enough read but certainly could be made in to a more thrilling read

I really wanted to like this. As a fan of Greek Mythology and an ex-student of the subject, I chose to read this book because the topic appealed. Jason and the Argonauts, the mythical Golden Fleece, all the adventure.

This isn’t what I felt I got from the book. I am not denying that Knowles can write, however, what he is writing is not what I really want to read.

All book reviews are personal opinions, and what I feel about something is not going to be the same as the next person, so go into reading this book with fresh eyes.

I am a huge fan of Madeline Miller and the fact that this was recommended feels a bit deceptive, especially when you look further into the book and discover that it’s actually the second book in a series, and you really need to have read the first one to get any sense of this one.

This is not a standalone, but that wasn’t the thing that I struggled with. It was, for me, the tense changes halfway through chapters, the move from past tense to present and back again.

I can tell that a lot of research and hard work went into this book, but I struggled with it, because I felt that I was missing a lot and when I did discover it was the sequel to an existing novel that made a lot of sense.
Not for me, but if you’ve read the first one you’re sure to love this.

I really enjoyed Argo but was disappointed by this tale of Jason's return journey from Colchis having stolen the Golden Fleeces. (Yes he took two). The book begins with the wedding of Persephone on Eleusis and the subsequent revenge of her mother Demeter forms a separate thread which continues throughout the book and seems to have little to do with Jason. Together with catching up with the action in Colchis and back in Iolkos this makes for a bit of a disjointed start. The Argonauts meanwhile begin the journey home, revisiting people and places that they had met earlier. There seems a lack of purpose to their efforts, the incentive has gone which was the driving force of the outward journey. Having read Argo I was familiar with the crew, the relationships, rivalries and tensions between them which are complicated by the presence of Medea but I imagine this would be difficult to absorb for a new reader. I was excited at the prospect of meeting Circe but the encounter was disappointing leading only to a prolonged battle with the pursuing Colchian army. This began a repetitive series of rowing, landing, battle that became a bit tedious, together with catching up with what was happening on Iolkos and was all a bit run of the mill. I haven't finished the book yet. I see that Jason is due to arrive on Crete in due course so I might rejoin him there at a later date but sadly this lacks the storytelling and inventiveness of the earlier book.