If there was one thing I wasn’t expecting this book to do, it was make me sob.

An imagining of what could happen after the journeys of Jason and the Argonauts, when all the heroes are on the far side of 60 or gone, this was an amazing story.

It was very slow paced, I felt that it could have been picked up a little bit and still had the same effect, but the intense build up of all the characters’ stories really comes to an incredible payoff.

Hades took me by surprise with the style of writing which felt very fitting for the setting. I prefer these style over the very casual, modern sounding ones so much, because it helps immerse the reader in the historical setting.
It may be a little on the slower paced side, but I did not mind at all, as it works perfectly to introduce the characters and the troubles they are facing.
In general, I would recommend this book to people who enjoy reading greek myths but also want to have a well written prose to read, instead of the massively fast paced books flooding the market.

This was an alright read. Didn't think it was anything special and definitely did not bring anything exciting or novel to the greek-mythology fantasy genre.

I wasn’t aware this was book three in the series but I don’t feel it detracted from the book itself not having read the first two. This was a bit of a slow burn with a lot of detailed descriptions at times which I found interiors the overall flow of the story. It’s very obvious how much research the author has dove as it shines through. I really enjoyed the characters, I thought they were well done. Highly recommend to people interested in Greek mythology!

Didn't realise this was part of a trilogy. Maybe because of the way it's written, you don't have to read the first two.

Major fan of Greek Mythology I thought this would be right up my street. It was OK but kind of miss leading I thought it would be about the God himself but is more based on Greek hero's. Not that there is anything wrong with that.

More of a bookbased on fighting and epic journeys this is the kind of book if you want battled. Fully of research and details of the Greek era I would just prefer more god involvement. May go back to the other two.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the early read.

Honestly anything that has to do with Greek mythology I’ll pick up and read. So this was an auto grab for me. This is definitely a fantastic book for people wanting to get into Greek mythology.

Mark does a great job in this thriller book in the Blades of Bronze trilogy.

I unfortunately ended up not being able to finish this book. I couldn’t connect with the writing style, and I found it kind of boring.

I’m sure there is an audience for this book and I hope the author finds it, but it just wasn’t for me.

Didn't realize that this was the third in a season, but really enjoyed none the less. Will be going back to read the others now - a fantastic book!

I love Greek mythology retellings. This was such a fun take. The story was captivating and the characters were wonderful. The pacing of this book was spot on. Definitely recommend it.

At its heart, "Hades" is a story about redemption, sacrifice, and the eternal struggle between light and darkness. Knowles deftly explores themes of fate, mortality, and the human condition, creating a narrative that is both thought-provoking and thrilling. It is a spellbinding and unforgettable read that left me eagerly anticipating the next installment in the series. Mark Knowles has crafted a masterpiece that will appeal to fans of mythology, fantasy, and epic storytelling alike. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Aria & Aries through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you so much!

As a Greek Myth student and lover, I was so excited for this book but unfortunately the writing is just not for me.

I started the book months ago and haven't been able to finish it. It's such a shame because I love anything to do with Hades and i have been reading a lot more about the Argonauts and I wanted to love and enjoy this book so much.

Thank you to the publishers for the e-arc, I'm sorry I unfortunately wasn't the right audience.

Hades was a mythology story I really want to love. The premises sound so promising and mixed between history with myth. So why this not work for me?
I am struggles to connected into the stories. The writing style is difficult to follow. The character, the banter and how they I interact feel like they read scripts from stage performance. I am genuine wish this book will found readers who appreciate the beauty. But it is truly not my cup of tea.

Thank you Netgalley and Aria and Aries Books for providing copy of this ebook. I have voluntarily read and reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Expecting Publication : 5 March 2024

DNFed at 23%

I'll say it's me this time. I am not intrigued at all by the plot of this book up until now. I think it's slow and nothing has captured my interest.

I got an e-arc of this book on NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Bringing myths together into an enchanting tale, Hades is a familiar yet utterly new tale, told with skill. As a lover of the Greek myths I was overjoyed to find something with new aspects rather than the endless retellings we have nowadays

DNF at 15%

When I requested this book I didn’t realize it was part of a series nor about Hades. That being said, I love Greek mythology and am familiar with the story of Jason, so along with Google, I was able to fill in the blanks for myself for what I had missed.

This book is definitely intriguing, and I will hopefully return to it at a later date. I actually intend to buy the whole series. I just could not get into the abrupt shifts in the story or the narration by Orpheus. Now that I know what I’m in for, I think there will be a time and place for this book in the future.

This was a fascinating continuation of the Argonauts after they came back with the Golden Fleece. I will admit that I mistakenly thought this book was 1). Focused on Orpheus (in a way, it was), 2). Was focused on Hades the god, and/or 3). Wasn’t part of a trilogy. That’s my bad, but in the end, I still had a rather good time reading it. 🤷🏻‍♀️

The book focuses on numerous POVs, but the most prominent of the bunch are Xandos (the grandson of Jason) and Orpheus. Xandos is a prince who desperately wants to impress his father, but finds that nothing works. When raiders threaten his island home of Lemnos, he goes out on a Telemachus-like journey to track down the Argonauts to help defend the island. He was an interesting character to pick for a coming-of-age tale in the time when heroes are gone and Greece on the brink of its Dark Age. I felt like his relationship with his father reflects what Odysseus and Telemachus could’ve had if the former hadn’t gone to Troy. But his rather sheltered life really did provide a good setup for a coming-of-age tale that thrusts this poor boy into adulthood. All the while, Orpheus, I thought, was a good narrator for the tale, but I do wish we had gotten a bit more of him in the first place. 🎶

Despite its wonderful homage to the classic epics with its writing and narrative style, I did feel like the amount of extra POVs and the switching of them in the middle of paragraphs at times felt a bit odd and abrupt, leaving me confused as to who the reader was following in the moment. 😕

All in all though, I did have a good time reading it and will definitely be interested in picking up the first two in the trilogy in the future (also because my favorite sorceress, Medea, shows up). ❤️

Big thank you goes to Head of Zeus and NetGalley do accepting my request in exchange for an honest review, and the author for crafting a fascinating epic-like tale! 🏹

Publication date: UK is already out! US, April 16!

Overall: 3.75/5 ⭐️

Mark Knowles’ Jason series has been seriously underrated. Spanning the entire legend of before, during and after the Argonauts’ adventures (and everything in between), the richness and depth to the trilogy is a feat in itself. Knowles’ knowledge of the ancient world is unparalleled, and there is no doubt that the series firmly, unbelievably grounds you in c.1230BC.

The trilogy has divided opinion. There is no ‘mythology’ as we know it - no mythical creatures, no gods or goddesses in dialogue. Knowles has instead presented us with the legend’s ‘origin story,’ if you will; the story that inspired the myths, the adventure as it might have been to the real, ancient people who lived it.

If you’re a fan of fantasy, and you love mythology for that element, then perhaps this might not be for you.* But if you love ancient history, ancient culture, Ancient Greece, if you want to be completely and impossibly immersed in one of the most authentic narratives of what it could have been to live through Bronze Age Greece - then this is for you.


*I want to note a TW for page 44 of Hades, the final instalment.

(Review reposted from my Instagram account)

Wonderful addition to Mark's catalog. This is a beautifully written story of Hades that gives the readers a perspective of Hades himself. Very much enjoyed and hope he writes more of greek lore and myth

Hades (ARC)
Mark Knowles
2⭐️

Pub Date: 3/5/2024

I so love Greek myth books that it pains me to rate one this low. This is the 3rd one in the series and although I didn't read the first 2, it's completely okay to read this if you know (or google) the tale of the hero Jason. And basically there's a summary of this sung by Orpheus at the last part of the book itself. But this particular book is the continuation of his line, with focus of telling the story of his grandson.

There are too many characters. I appreciate how the intermingling of myths/stories are in here. But some people are, in my opinion, not very relevant and I can do without. There's a character list but having to go back and forth was not enjoyable. If the characters were whittled down to the essentials, and the focus of the book is not very wide, I might have enjoyed this better.

I will say, the amount of research and details in this book is outstanding. So if you're into details, I think this is a good book for you. And it's realistic. There's not a lot of interference from the gods. But the plot was mundane and scattered. Basically just the day to day lives of these people with a little bit of action here and there. It's very easy to get mixed up and be confused while reading this intermittently. I advice reading this in ONE sitting as to not get lost. And maybe not in tandem with other books. If you're going to read this, give it your full attention.

There are definitely good points in this book. If you like realistic and detailed Greek myths, pick this one up. But I unfortunately did not resonate/connect with this at all. I basically skimmed the whole book and even then, it took me a whole week to read it.

I absolutely love this book!
If u are a fan of the Greek mithology you definitely should this book. The characters were amazing and I highly suggest to read this book.