ARC REVIEW - MILD SPOILERS

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Firstly, I want to say thank you to the author and to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this ARC !! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this, and it was a pleasure :)) Also, the author is just the most wonderful and kindest person ever. They were so sweet whenever I spoke to them.

I'm a massive fan of Greek mythology, and this book ticked all the right boxes. It was very plot heavy and I did find myself getting a little confused between some characters (like Dargon and Gadnor, but that's probably because their names are anagrams), but I really liked it nonetheless and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series !!

Epic of Helinthia was a whole journey, and I think it's a perfect setup for the rest of the series. It does well in introducing the characters and their different backstories. I did find Dargon to be a little plain in the first half of a book, though. Even Kelric seemed to be more interesting and had more layers.

My interest in Dargon did increase a little towards the end of the book, though, but he still felt a little one-dimensional. But I guess that was bound to happen with so many POVs / characters. Nevertheless, I thought the writing was done incredibly well. The different povs tied together really well, and it was seamless.

My favourite character was Loric, and I don't want to spoil anything, but he deserves everything. Out of all the people tied to Gonivein, I feel like he was the only one who truly cared about her and her wellbeing and not for some ulterior motive. I was rooting for him throughout the entire book.

I also loved Gadnor. His development throughout the book was steady, and it made me really proud of him. He really proved himself, and I'm so excited to see what happens with him in the sequel. A brilliant character honestly, on par with Loric, if not better.

All in all, this is a great addition to the Greek Mythology genre, and I can't wait to see what the author continues to do with it :)) Would 100% recommend it.

I absolutely love retellings and MJ Pankey did not disappoint with Epic of Helinthia! It was such a thrilling read that kept me hooked page after page with action and twists! I devoured this book in a sitting and for fans of mythology retellings, this is my new obsession! 100% recommend and I can’t wait to see more from MJ Pankey!

I should admit first off, I am terrible with Greek mythology unless you're asking me to recap and sing everything from Hercules. Even then, I'm pretty sure that was Roman...
Anyway, you don't need to be a Greek myth scholar, or even know much about them, to enjoy this. It's, in general, a well written read.

First and foremost, the content warnings are accurate and sensitive readers should 100% heed them, because Pankey is evidently a good writter and they are fierce descriptions.

The book dives in straight away with a prologue of everything on fire. This isn't a spoiler, it's literally the first thing in the book. Because there's a mysterious baby mentioned at our fab nymph Forluna is fleeing to safety with, I spent a fair chunk of the novel going 'Oooooh! I bet HE was the baby!' whenever a new male character was introduced. The Aha!, sound of things clicking into place and the final puzzle piece making the picture didn't reveal itself until the end and oh my, that was satisfying. I think I whispered 'Oh, she's good' when the penny drop moment happened.

The book is told through a number of focal characters - is it POV if it's still third person? Whatever, let's say yes. We end up with a larger cast through the story but the main focuses are Dargon (which I kept misreading as Dragon at first), Kelric and Gadnor, Forluna (obviously) and Gonivein. Despite Dargon's presence and importance in the book, his character felt like the equivalent of a large houseplant. He was there and necessary to tie the story together in some places, like Pallas and Kelric wouldn't have gotten to Forluna without him, but I wouldn't have said he was central to things. He is the one spearheading the rebellion the book alludes to so maybe my opinion will change in the next book???

Gonivein, Dargon's sister, I have to say was the character I had the most change towards. I definitely thought she'd be the rich, spoiled and pampered character. Just strutting about doing whatever Dargon asked for while he's away and then marry Kelric. I was very wrong. Obviously she didn't suddenly become this insane, strong and wild warrior but she grows so much and stops being the coddled character very fast. Consequently, this makes her differences with Kelric more pronounced and that man is petty and pushy. There is going to be something dramatic between them I'm sure when he realises all the things she's capable of and wants going foward.

Gadnor was genuinely trying to be the houseplant you only briefly notice but his sense of right and wrong, justice and good heart comes through. He also gets poked in the head by a god which doesn't sound fun given my understanding of Greek god strength. I'm looking forward to him and his growing character as the story goes.

All the happenings are occurring on Helinthia, where we're told the gods fell silent. Dargon is devout and there are temples about but throughout each pivotal character development, the gods really aren't all that far. Now without too much of a spoiler, we do find out how things came to be the way they are and I am keeping my fingers crossed that while everything kicks off going forward we get a glimpse of what's happening in the God's domain. Since there's three, maybe four books, I'll stay hoping for a peek into Olympus while the mortals are doing their things.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me an early copy in return for a review:

As a reader, you can tell a lot of time, love, and research was done in creating this story. Personally, I had not known about Helinthia before stumbling upon this. I absolutely would recommend this to anyone who love Greek mythology or historical fiction.

Thanks to Netgalley and the author of this book MJ Pankey, for providing this book in advance. And I really like this story. First, I really like Greek mythology, and then I saw the title and cover, which I thought was very interesting and very beautiful. Honestly, I'm a visual creature, and I really like the cover of this book. From the beginning, I was sure this book would be interesting, even though at first I tried to memorize the glossary, but then I gave up. But not with the story; how the author conveys the pacing, plot, and dialogue between the characters is really enjoyable and easy to understand. Oh yes, this writing style is easy for me to understand, as I'm still very beginner in English, and I'm very grateful for that. In this book, you will be presented with an adventure that will not disappoint you if you read it. Greek mythology lovers are a must-read, and I'm looking forward to another MJ Pankey book. And I think I'll buy the physical book later, when it's published, for my collection.

It’s taken me long enough, but I figured since Ms. MJ Pankey was nice enough to keep up with my reading of her book, then I ought to return the favor and give an in-depth review.
Although it took me forever and a day to read (to no fault of the author, I just get illiterate every once in a while. C’est la vie, I guess) and even longer to review (I WANTED TO MAKE SURE I WROTE A GOOD ONE, OKAY??) I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Anyone who knows me knows I’m a big fat slut for Greek mythology and I’m an absolute FIEND for a retelling. And, let’s face it, that’s what 99% of the fiction set during ancient Greece is - a bunch of reinterpretations of the myths. There’s nothing wrong with that - like I said, I’m a fiend for it - but sometimes it feels like the market has become oversaturated. And so, what did MJ Pankey do? She said, “Hold my amphora,” and wrote her own mythology. Unless I have a deep and profound misunderstanding of this book, Epic of Helinthia is an entirely unique tale set amongst the muck and mire of the Grecian political landscape. Although a few familiar names and faces appear, the majority of characters are the brainchildren of the author. It was an incredibly fun read (well, if you don’t count all the violence and gore and chaos) and a great starting point for what is sure to be a captivating series (also LOVE how Pankey ((or, MJ? Are we on a first name basis if we’re Goodreads friends?)) says the series will be three OR POSSIBLY FOUR books. Thinking you might be done but then realizing you have more to say is so me coded).
Since there’s a good likelihood the author will actually see this review, I’m gonna give real feedback and not just be silly like I usually am (though I will still be silly).

- Epic very much feels like the first in a series, which is completely fair because that’s exactly what it is. There’s a lot of exposition and world building, which takes a while to get used to (and I’m still not sure I understand the geography of the setting but that might be a me problem), but is far from impossible. Going off of that is just a recommendation for future readers: the map and list of terms at the beginning of the book WILL BE VERY HELPFUL. Reading this digitally (especially on NetGalley, whose app is absolute ass) makes it difficult to flip back and forth and keep track. So, I do recommend that you either wait to read until it’s physically published OR you keep in mind that it might be a bit cumbersome to keep all the ancient terminology and geography straight.

- Although I suspect it will feature more heavily in subsequent books, I wouldn’t necessarily rush to consider this book “mythology.” Aside from the obvious fantasy/mythology elements (i.e., one of the central characters being a nymph), the brunt of the drama stems from the region’s violent political conflicts. But, if anything, this is a testament to the storytelling. The gods always feel present, even when they’re not physically manifested within the action. They feel completely real and alive because that’s how the characters perceive them. However, I do feel like some of the narrative involving the gods was a bit rushed at the end and the rationale for their decisions could have been fleshed out a bit more. I’m also not entirely sure who Helinthia is exactly (she’s the patron goddess of the region, but given that she’s an original character — or at least obscure enough that I can’t find anything about her online — I would have liked to know more about her specific mythology). Like I said, though: I suspect these characters will feature more heavily in the rest of the series, so take this critique with a grain of salt.

- Despite each of the POVs feeling distinct, at times, I felt like there were a few two many narrators and not all of them felt 100% necessary. No offense to Dargon, but his perspective didn’t really add anything unique to the story. I thought of him like the Jerry Seinfeld of the book; the straight-man (not straight as in heterosexual, although that would also apply, wink wink) who is theoretically the most important but is the least interesting in practice. Every time I got to one of his chapters, I said to myself “UGH. GREAT. Another MAN coming in to pull focus from the women and the twink (also not confirmed that said character is a twink, but it feels heavily implied and my gaydar is extremely good). TYPICAL!!” But I didn’t feel the same way about Kelric, even though he’s objectively more of an dick (but I was definitely picturing him as a Big Old Hairy Hottie which probably helped my feelings about him), so maybe I just thought Dargon was a drip. Probably another me problem.

- I saw another reviewer note that some of the language seemed a skosh too modern for the time period and, although I’m not a fan of old-timey-speak, I have to admit I agree. Occasionally, the word choice was a little too current to feel completely authentic (I could be wrong, but I can’t imagine an ancient Greek saying “Have I plowed her before?” about having sex with someone). It took me out of the moment a little bit, but didn’t detract from the overall story.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I’m excited to see where the rest of the series goes. It’s a really interesting glimpse into the messiness of ancient politics and we all know I’m absolutely FERAL for some good tea, which this book provides in surplus. A great start to what I’m sure will be an epic *buh dum tss* story…er, I guess the word “epic” also applies here. An epic epic.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC, but more than that, thank you to MJ Pankey for giving me the opportunity to read her book and for liking my silly little status updates about it. I hope you find this review to be, at the very least, mildly entertaining.

MJ Pankey’s spin on Greek mythology is one that is very interesting and that kept me on the hook throughout.

As someone who enjoys Greek epics I feel as if this book showed a new perspective that I enjoyed a lot. I feel as if the strongest part was the characters as they were very complex and flawed, and I especially liked that I could see them develop throughout the novel. I would say my favorite characters were Loric and Gadnor.

Though the beginning felt a bit slow and I was still coming up to speed to some of the foreign terms, this book was a thrilling read and the Greek Myth background was easy to understand eventually.

Due to the shocking plot twist and cliffhanger I am very eager to read the next installment of the series, and to learn more the world of the Epic of Helinthia and its diverse characters.

Thanks to MJ Pankey and NetGalley for the ARC copy.

This review will be published on Goodreads on June 3rd.

While the premise is interesting and the story starts off strong, Epic of Helinthia lacks the proper world-building needed to truly help the reader immerse themselves into the story. Seeing as how it was advertised for fans of Jennifer Saint's Ariadne, which I had finished reading just a month before starting this one, I was actually really disappointed to see that the world-building was lackluster and surface-level.

The characters are also a bit flat, and it takes a long time for the plot to actually pick up. The plot is definitely epic, but the execution just didn't have intrigue or suspense to keep the reader turning pages.

Thank you so much to MJ Pankey and Netgalley for allowing me to read an ARC of Epic of Helinthia in exchange for an honest review.

Epic of Helinthia is ambitious. It is a sprawling, dense legend seeking to evoke Homeric poetry in its grandiosity, but with a more contemporary sense of scene-based narrative and character. It’s complex, and it communicates that to its audience right off the bat-- the book includes a dictionary of terms and a tree of relationships as reference material, and necessarily so. The novel is committed to its scope and detail from the beginning through the end.

Despite that, though, I really struggled to connect with Epic of Helinthia. My biggest issue was the setting, which unfortunately I found to be more disconcerting than immersive. I applaud Pankey for her drive to tell a new story rather than retell an existing myth, but for me, the expansion of the Greek mythological world in this novel was jarring. Epic of Helinthia takes place in what I understand to be a fictional Greek land called Helinthia, named after the goddess Helinthia; for those familiar with the Greek pantheon, this name is a new one. Helinthia, the goddess and the land, are contemporary additions to Greek mythology created for Pankey’s world. In theory, this is a creative, interesting thing to see in a novel like this. In practice, at least for me, it’s mostly confusing and disconnective.

I guess I expected this book to feel more like a Greek myth than it did, given its advertisement as similar to the work of Madeline Miller and Jennifer Saint. It isn’t, or I didn’t think it was. A lot of the worldbuilding is original and interesting, but decidedly not very ancient Greek-- the names of the characters, for one, seem to be more Arthurian in influence than anything else, which is fascinating, but that detail loses a lot of its interest when it’s presented as if it should fit unquestionably into the ancient Greek world. It feels to me like the novel wants to root itself wholly in a new fantasy world and establish itself as Greek myth at the same time, but since it isn’t cohesively written that way, neither ancient Greece as we know it or Helinthia feels completely natural. I wish this book had picked one and stuck with it rather than continually try to reconcile its settings-- it oscillates unsuccessfully between exploring Helinthian lore and slipping in established facets of ancient Greek myth. I just wonder whether this story could’ve been better told as a new Greek myth without any additional worldbuilding, or as a totally original Helinthian story inspired aesthetically by ancient Greece but without literally placing itself within it.

Earlier I wrote that Epic of Helinthia is ambitious. That ambition carries through to its cast as well as its setting, to varying degrees of success. There are a number of main characters in different geographical locations throughout the novel, all of whom have point of view chapters interspersed with each other, and all of whom have their own insights, opinions, and secrets regarding the events driving the plot. I liked the distinct voices each character had-- I think where Pankey really shines in this book is in her characterization. Every point of view felt different, and each character’s perspective was complex, allowing the reader a view of every conflict from all sides. Kelric and Gadnor and Dargon were solidly distinct characters; I would’ve known whose point of view I was reading even without the help of the chapter title. I found Gadnor in particular to be really well-written and fleshed-out. Kelric was kind of annoying and brash, but that was intentional, and it made his chapters fun to read. I think the multiple point of view structure gave the conflicts and plot of the story, which sometimes seemed unnecessarily convoluted, a lot of much appreciated depth and richness. The relationships between characters carried Epic of Helinthia for me.

But I do have some problems with the characters in this novel. Sometimes it felt like background characters were introduced only to create the illusion of depth, a world bigger than this one really is. Further, so much of the plot beats surrounding Gonivein and Forluna in particular were, to me, contrived and even reductive. The female characters in this book felt somewhat passive even when their narratives directly opposed that passivity-- Gonivein’s plotline is, I think, meant to give her depth and show that she’s more than just a woman waiting to marry Kelric, but men still defined her story, and her agency was backseat to following the actions of the men around her (especially Loric, who I liked a lot, but who essentially functioned as a knight in shining armor to replace Kelric.) Gonivein is so interesting! She deserves better than that!

Forluna is hailed as the ultimate keeper of the big secret about the heir and a mysterious, powerful, independent nymph… but the secret she keeps is kept only to serve the men in the narrative, her plotline is overshadowed by romance just like Gonivein, and her magical power is used almost exclusively to heal the men around her. She’s dragged along on the quest of the main cast passively; it doesn’t feel like she chooses to do anything, rather the plot happens to her. This is especially clear in the opening scene when she takes in the heir.

All this is not to say that there’s no merit in female characters having romances or occupying domestic roles, and I do think Pankey writes the male characters with an eye for romance in such a way that it kind of balances out the gender disparity with those subplots, but I just wish Forluna and Gonivein had been afforded a bit more depth considering the novel’s themes about the disruption of traditional power structures and imbalances in relationships. One example of a book that does well what Pankey seems to try to do here is Tehanu by Ursula K. Le Guin, which communicates feminism’s versatility even in domestic pockets of a fantastical world; Tehanu proves it’s possible to tell a story like this with characters like this in a way that empowers them, and on that front I just think Epic of Helinthia falls a little short. Forluna and Gonivein, Pankey tries to say, are more than what the men in their lives make of them, and powerful in their femininity. I wish they would have acted on those maxims more often!

Other assorted thoughts I had about this book: the plot is fine, if confusing at first because of all the Greek terms surrounding the characters. I actually really enjoy the way this book commits to its terminology-- I think if I’d had a physical copy of the book, it wouldn’t have been confusing at all, because I could’ve just flipped back and forth to reference the glossary rather than trying to pick up the terms as I went. The writing is decent! I applaud the amount of showing versus telling, even though there were a few lapses into the latter and a few moments of questionable word choice in turn. I don’t think comparisons to Madeline Miller’s writing are accurate, but that’s a really, really high bar anyway. The writing is solid even though it may not be completely outstanding. I didn’t enjoy the more explicit, graphic sexual content, but I understand lots of readers do, and it doesn’t completely overwhelm the book (except for in Kelric’s chapters, where honestly I find it pretty funny.) The plot twist is pretty good; without spoiling anything, I liked the red herrings along the way and where it ended up. The conclusion of the novel is satisfying while also leaving room for a sequel, or two, since I believe this is planned to be a trilogy.

Ultimately, I thought Epic of Helinthia was decent. I’m disappointed I didn’t connect more with its setting and some of its character choices, but the parts that were good were solidly good. This book would be great for someone new to Greek mythology or interested in reading dense, transformative adaptations of historical settings. It’s an ambitious story, and I commend Pankey for taking it on, especially as a debut. I’m excited to see where the sequel and third book go and to see how Pankey’s writing has evolved by the time they’re released.

4.5⭐️

This book was just as described in the title, Epic.
I really enjoyed how detailed everything was as someone who struggles with figuring out worlds. The characters were all so unique and different and the different POVs between several of the characters was something I’ve never read before but ended up really enjoying. It allowed me to really understand each character as they are.
I really enjoyed my time reading this book and the glossary was super helpful during beginning. I can’t wait for the next one!

“Thank you NetGalley and the author MJ Pankey for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own”
This was a 4.25 stars

The first thing I have to say is that this is the first book I have ever read that as much as I loved and was interested in the story, I did not like any of the main characters and they were supposedly the good ones.

Greek Mythology is deeply integrated in Literature in General, however, we find a few books dedicated to writing in this genre. Most are either dark retelling romances or YA adventure series.
So it was exciting reading this book that focused on showing the setting and character behaviors of those who lived in the time of gods.

The story switches between five main POVs: Dargon, his sister Gonivein, his love interest Forluna and Kelric, Goni's fiance, and his younger brother Gadnor in the imaginary island of Helinthia
It opens with a brutal scene of soldiers burning a city, unaliving its citizens and a mother trying to protect her son from the ruthless conquerer.
The main characters, years later, are trying to find a way to end the reign of the tyrant Anax Charixes and bringing prosperity back to the now starving region under his rule.

Several twists, turns and tragedies follow their pathes. Dargon must find a way to work with Kelric whom he loathes. Goni and Gadnor must accept their destiny, and Foluna has to come to terms with past decisions.

The story has all the elements we see and are drawn to in a Greek mythology
betrayal
brutal killings
family lose/ family gain
racism
mysogyney
patriarchal dominion
and of course the interference of the gods, which I especially loved how we got to see them present directly and not subconciously or metaphoracly.

I also loved the use of the lingo. The writer used many words that were probably used at that time like Anax for king, Anassa for queen, douloi for slave, and so on. She included a Glossary for these terms also at the beginning.

The book is intended to be a series so of course it ends with things unresolved, but it sets the atmosphere and introduces the key characters

which takes me to the point where I have to say that non of the characters, in my opinion, are likable. and I know that probably the writer set out to make them flawed, which they are, but I could not relate to any of them. In fact, there were moment when I just wished for one or two to just die.

They are the typical personality of Greek authority. They do not care about others except themselves. and even though we see them talking about "ending the suffering of their people" you get the feeling that what they really care about is mainting their seat of power.

Dargon is irritating and undecisive. He wants to appear strong protecting his loved ones, but he cared so much about what others think of him that he had no problem hurting Forluna, his love interest.
Forluna is a nymph and I guess immortal? or has long life? she was a key character past and present. But you'd think her experience and what she went through gave her backbone to stand up for herself! she hasn't got one. She takes Kelric's insults and Dargon's indeffence with not even one smart comeback!
Kelric is a jerk. There is no other word to describe it. He is so full of himself that he does not acknowledge others. but I think what redeems him is that he knows he's a jerk, he just doesnt give a damn.
Govivein (I don't even know how to pronounce her name. and is that a greek name at all???) is the typical spoiled princess who expects everyone to do her bidding and sacrifice themselves for her well being. She put so many people at risk and caused their death that I was "would you just die already"! and to think that she was choses by the god Apollo!!!
perhaps Gadnor is the best of them considering he is weak, timid and empathatic. But by the end he started showing some fierceness and I think we would be surprised by him in coming books.

but that this Greek mythology to you.
The gods and their representitives are so selfish that they do not care about the lesser people just how the events will go. So I guess this recipe works here

all in all, I enjoyed the book. I am waiting for the second one because I am interested in how the story will go. I hope there will be serious character development

Thank you for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book!

This book is fast paced Greek inspired adventurous historical fiction book. Whilst not based on fact the story comes to life with the world M J Pankey has created. I loved that this was so original, I love Greek mythology and the industry has alot of stories out right now but all based around the same myths. This is in a league of it's own.

Initially I did struggle with all the vast amount of characters and their names but as you get into the book and you get to know their personalities, (likable or not) it definitely starts to be less confusing. I think it will help using the glossary but of course reading this book on Netgalley means it's a bit hard to flip back and forth. But the paperback version will be so much more helpful!

I like that the story had multiple POVs as this helped the well researched story to flow more easily.
The world building was fantastic and really immersed you into the writing.

Hugely enjoyable book! Definitely will ne recommending.

A more detailed review will be up on Goodreads and my Instagram @blonde.reads.fiction soon.

Thank you to NetGalley and to M.J. Pankey for the ARC. I feel so lucky to have read such a unique story with so many interwoven elements and characters. Epic of Helinthia is a story unlike any I have read before and experiencing the journey alongside each character and their respective points of view has broadened my appreciation for the genre immensely. It did take a bit to adjust to the various storylines and differing perspectives and I felt somewhat uneasy with my understanding of all that was going on until I was about a quarter of the way into the book. I also feel that certain moments or characters could have had more emphasis placed on them in terms of the importance they held in the grand scheme of the story, such as Gonivein’s loss of Loric and how their relationship could have developed beyond a mere glimpse at her internalized feelings for him.

Additionally, I think some of the dialogue felt a bit off given the setting of the story or the background of the characters. There were several occasions I found myself thinking the internalized moments of frustration or bouts of anger some characters felt were verbalized in a way that felt somewhat immature for how noble and of high esteem certain characters were depicted to be. Perhaps some of it just did not feel cohesive with the mythological, ancient setting and strayed a bit too far into modernity at times.

That being said, once I got about halfway into the story and overcame that initial hurdle in terms of character investment and plot understanding, I was entirely invested and found myself truly emotionally immersed in many of the characters Pankey crafted within the realm of the novel. I also truly appreciate and admire the amount of research and accuracy Pankey was dedicated to achieving through the dialect and extensive background given in regard to the mythological setting and references made throughout the story. Regardless of the time it took me to feel confident in my understanding of the many moving parts, what Pankey was able to make me feel for each of the characters, whether it was love, admiration, anger, or disgust, was incredible. I would absolutely recommend this story to lovers of greek mythology as well as those who are fans of authors such as Jennifer Saint or Madeline Miller.

A wonderful opener to a series, I cannot wait to see where these characters are brought next!

4.5 ⭐️ | Let me start off by saying that I’m not the easiest person to explain politics to. Let alone fictional politics of ancient Greece.

But this? oohhhooooOOHH my god did I eat this up and enjoyed every bit!

We follow a set of characters on a journey that goes sideways in the island of Helinthia to try and overthrow their madman of a king. Greek gods and lost heirs, oracles, spies and traitors all thrown in one bag.

The world building was on point sometimes I forgot that Helinthia was fictional in the first place. Characters deeply written and uniquely flawed cuz they were human. I was on their side a minute and against them the other.
Characters I hated and grew to love because of their deep development and how they were challenged and their inner conflict even with their beliefs.

And you know, you just KNOW Pankey did the research because it shows in her writing.

I did, however, wished to see more of some characters, like, we could’ve gotten more time with them to understand them better.
But slayed nonetheless.

Thank you to Netgalley and author MJ Pankey for the digital ARC of this title!

My apologies to Ms. Pankey. This book took awhile to read, but in her defense, I don't think she knew I was planning on dropping everything to play The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom as soon as it came out. But Ms. Pankey also deserves some accolades, for being the first author I've read to write an emotionally damaged playboy that I WAS NOT attracted to by the end of the book (from reading other reviews a LOT of people hate him!).

There is a glossary included in the beginning that set the stage for just how immersive this book is. While reading it, I actually felt as though I was a part of the island of Helinthia in the ancient times (maybe my high school Latin class helped). None of the fleshed-out characters are without flaws, which makes them come alive throughout the book. The plot is a bit dark and heavy (lots of death and destruction) but when you're in the planning stages of a rebellion I can't imagine why it wouldn't be. I thought I did a good job unraveling the mystery that becomes the core of the plot, however I was proven wrong in the last few chapters, but the twist makes so much sense I'm mad I didn't see it happening! With this book's ending, I can't wait to see how this series will resolve.

Overall, I was a fool to have requested an ARC of this, as this book releases in October and I have no idea when the next book in this series will be out, and I need more Gadnor in my life.

What a fun and (no pun intended) epic fantasy debut!! 🗡️🔥

Inspired by Ancient Greece and dabbling with the Greek pantheon, it was like no fantasy novel I’ve read before. The story felt fresh while still sticking to and respecting its ancient setting. The characters were both lovable as well as vile (I’m looking at you, Kelric 👀), the world building was fantastic, and overall it was a wild ride of highs and lows.🏺

While it did take me a bit to get into the world, and Kelric was so infuriating that I wanted to literally strangle him, Pankey’s storytelling kept me glued to the page all the way to the end. I really really hope there’s a sequel coming soon; I don’t know if I can stay in this limbo state of not knowing what happens next. 🙃

Thank you again to @authormjpankey for sending me the physical copy of the book and to @netgalley for showcasing this wonderful book! 💜

Overall: 4.5/5 ⭐️

4*

I was very excited to receive a copy of this book from NetGalley. I am a HUGE fan of Greek mythology, and this book screamed at me from its blurb to its cover.

And Pankey didn't disappoint. From a cast of vivid and diverse characters to familiar stories twisted on their heads, Pankey creates a fascinating world from start to end.

It should be noted that this is a fictionalised universe created by Pankey and not a direct retelling of Greek mythology, but it is done well and is clearly well-researched. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys a rich fantasy world with a mythology baseline.

The book is a Greek story that is worthy of being read twice, thrice, four times,.. It is excellently written and is a must read fro Greek mythos fans out there. The plot is great but I wanted to see it a bit better. That is the only thing I can say against it. From the writing to the world-building, it remains exceptional throughout it all. Definitely give it a read.

Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Release date: 10/1/2023

If you’re a fan of Greek Mythology, and you feel like you know the stories of Ancient Greece, then I challenge you to dive into this new epic by @authormjpankey.

Pankey masterfully weaves together elements of Greek mythology, introducing a diverse cast of heroes who each possess unique skills and personalities. The character development is strong, allowing readers to form emotional connections and cheer for their favorite heroes as they face daunting challenges, as well as grow to hate a few as well.

While drawing inspiration from Greek mythology, Pankey offers a new epic twisted tale filled with suspense, action, and surprising plot twists that keep you wanting to read more.

Multiple points of view allow you to connect on a deeper level to a variety of characters. I was so invested in each individual’s journey, watching as they overcame challenges and grew into their respective characters (even if Kelric is a douchebag).

I can’t wait for the next installment in this epic series.

Thank you so much to @authormjpankey and Victory Editing for allowing me to review and experience this book! Well done! #netgalleyarc #read

This was absolutely lovely. The cover is sure to draw many in and is very beautiful.
I am not super well-versed in Greek mythology, and most of my 'knowledge' comes from book retellings, but this was so interesting and clearly well-researched.
The characters were well-written and I cared about their trials and tribulations. The dialogue was witty and interesting. The book flowed nicely and was easily binged.
I would definitely read more by this author, and am so happy to have received an ARC.