I requested this for consideration for Book Riot's All the Books podcast for its release date. After sampling several books out this week, I decided to go with a different book for my review.

This was really good at the beginning, and then it made a very interesting narrative choice that may work for some people but really lost me. Every few chapters you switch to a new perspective on Hercules and then seemingly never go back to those people. It felt choppy and more like I was reading a collection of short stories.

3.5/5

Received as an eARC from NetGalley

Positives: I love the concept of this book. I'm a big fan of Greek Mythology and have always had some issues with Hercules, so to see him from so many different perspectives was interesting. The individual characterization of each character was so much fun. I different ways in which each character relays information were interesting.

Negatives: I think it dragged on too long. There were some perspectives that I don't feel added anything to the story and the writing itself was meh. There were some characters that I was powering through simply to get to the next person.

Overall, pretty good. If you're a fan of mythology retellings told from a different perspective, you'll like this.

WOW! This book is a really interesting take on the Hercules’ mythology. Most people are familiar with the story of Hercules and his 12 trials, but this is the story of all the other people in the story we don’t usually hear about. It’s also feminist and queer and I am totally here for that.

Herc by Phoenicia Rogerson was pitched to me as a modern-day retelling of the Hercules myth. As someone who has always liked mythology, I was excited to read the novel. However, this retelling did not meet my expectations.

That's probably because I was assuming how the story would be arranged, and I was not expecting it to essentially be interviews with the other characters from the Hercules story, giving their version of events.

That was fine, but there were a lot of characters, and with all those Greek names, I just couldn't keep track of who was who. The book does have a character glossary in the back, however, I was reading an e-book version, and I didn't get to the glossary until after I had already finished the book. Even if I had known it was there, I don't find moving back and forth through an e-book to be easy. (Another reason I much prefer to hold a physical book in my hands.) So if you're going to read this book, I suggest getting a physical copy of the book to easily toggle back and forth between the character glossary and the chapters.

Overall, the story was interesting and fast-paced. It's certainly not the Disney version of Hercules if that's all you're familiar with.

Herc is published by Hanover Square Press and is available to purchase now. I received a free e-ARC.

This book was a little confusing at times but really fun. I loved how it wasn't just the story of Hercules but a lot of the surrounding myths as well. The humor was great and there were so really good one liners. With book being told by a lot of different people the timeline and keeping track of all the characters can get little wonky. That being said it was totally worth it.



Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Herc is a wonderful exploration of all the stories that include Heracles in them. It is told from all the perspectives of people he interacted with while avoiding giving you a narrative from his perspective. In doing so, the author does a wonderful job of showing how one man can be a hero, a villain, a monster, and so much more. It shows all the individuals he did and did not love, and how he was haunted by tragedy in all his stories (as a greek tale should have). It was a marvelous perspective and definitely perfect for fans of Madeline Miller.

This book was certainly different from the typical stories of Hercules and his 12 labors. It was witty, sarcastic, and full of dark humor despite the serious nature of some of the events.

This book is not from the perspective of Hercules. Rather it's a collection of stories from various characters, both well known and not, from classical mythology. They paint Hercules in a very different light leaving you to question whether this hero was a hero after all? Was he truly both brains and brawns... Or just brawns?

The tone this book was written in was refreshing and amusing. Unlike a typical thriller or romance where there's a goal the story is leading towards, this one (to me) was more of a collection of narratives about this one subject: Hercules. Sometimes it was a bit slow, but nonetheless I enjoyed this new take on a classic character.

Such a great twist on traditional mythology; I typically have an harder time staying engaged with this “genre” but I loved every page. Also, it’s incredibly funny. Highly recommend!

I usually really like myth retellings, but this one didn't really hook me right away. I don't think I was compelled by a male-centered POV, which I honestly should have expected in a Hercules retelling.

I really liked this book. I liked the way that the story was told. You hear from all the characters that surround Heracles but you never actually hear from him. I thought this was really cool. Every person had a different view of him. Parts of this book are heartbreaking. Hearing from his wives, lovers, and many other family members was very interesting. The reader gets to know Heracles through the stories of all those who lived by and with him. You get the story of Heracles and all of the things he did but you see that some people were hurt and/or killed because of him and nothing was done. You hear from the family member of the people that he has hurt and it really adds to the whole picture of who Heracles is.
This is a solid 4 STAR book!

Hercales but make it queer and told by those who surround our hero? Yes, yes please. The differing perspectives of this novel absolutely shook me to my core. With a focus on the women surrounding Hercales- his mother, wife, family, and friends, each brings something unique and passionate to the table.

The complexities of Herc are detailed and incredible. Readers are able to get to know him on such a deeper level through the eyes of those around him. The ability to discuss and shed light on his lovers, both male and female, added depth I didn't know I craved in the original tales of Hercales.

I laughed, I cried, and there's not much more I can ask of a book. Phoenicia Rogerson brings something desirable and full of feminist rage to this classic in a retelling spin that holds it to a new level than most retellings. Highly recommend for lovers of retellings though I do think those who are familiar with the characters and original will be able to keep up with the pace and various points of views easier.

I think I started this at a wrong time when I wasn't in the mood for a Greek Mythology related book. I got about 30% in before I just didn't pick it up again and it's been almost a month and a half since then. I do have the audiobook on scribd (when it gets put back up later this month) so I think I might try that to finish it because I want to know how the story ends, but I will reread what I've read so I remember it all.

After reading other reviews, I feel like we were supposed to hate Hercules, but I really loved him. I thought this book was extremely well written and in a sea of Greek myth retellings, Herc was really different and stood out. I have no complaints about this book and I wish I could read it again for the first time! I highly recommend.

I'm a slut for queer retellings of Greek mythology and this was no exception.
Absolutely perfect from beginning to end, everything I wanted from Hercules.

I only read the first quarter of this one. I could tell it was well written but it wasn't for me. I was enjoying the storyline but some of the scenes were too gruesome for me, such as when Herc brutally murders his small children. I can tell it is a good book, it's just not a good fit for me.

I’m not usually a fan of Greek mythology, but this was such a unique way to do a retelling (a queer revisionist retelling*)

It was all about Hercules’/Heracles’ life and twelve labors from everyone else’s perspective—but with a modern voice. The best way I could describe it to you is: Drunk History Greek mythology… or VH1 Behind the Music: Hercules.

It was laugh out loud hilarious AND heartbreaking. I think if you enjoy Greek mythology, you’ll love this one!

HERC was the story of Hercules' life, told through the eyes of several people who knew him. I am torn on how I felt about the book, so here's what I liked and disliked:

Liked:
I loved seeing this hero through the eyes of other people Some accounts are favorable, and other are not. Some of the stories themselves are very interesting and even eyebrow-raising.

Disliked:
I really disliked the tone! The modern-day slang just didn't fit the tone I was expecting of ancient Greeks.

Overall, this was an interesting take on one of the most prolific demigods of Greek mythology.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hanover Square Press for the early copy. This book is out now.

Herc focuses on the women of the Hercules myth, showing his good side and his bad side. He is shown as complex and misunderstood: a hero, husband, father, villain, and a monster as the cover says. I would say this is a must read for any Greek Mythology fan.

This is a retelling of the stories of the labors of Hercules, from the viewpoints of multiple other characters. While the change in characters is announced at the beginning of each chapter, it can get a bit confusing - especially when characters repeat; there’s a reasonable attempt to give each character a unique style and voice, with some attempts being more successful than others. As a retelling, this version also provides alternative interpretations from the various viewpoints; certainly, Hercules is shown in a much different light in this volume than he is in the original. Overall, this was an entertaining variation, while still being true to the events in the original mythology; still, it strays rather far in some of the interpretations. Appropriate for high school and adults.

I was provided with an advance copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.