Unfortunately I had to DNF 'Epic of Helinthia' by MJ Pankey. This is my first DNF since reviewing for Netgalley.

I really wanted to love this book - the premise and cover drew me in and I have followed MJ Pankey on social media for a while.

However, this book doesn't lend itself well to a digital format. The first few chapters rely very heavily on the maps, glossary, cast of characters, etc all listed at the front of the book, making it difficult to constantly refer to it on an e-reader.

The prologue was jarring and bizarre - I found it off-putting to read about a non-pregnant woman drinking a magic potion to make her be able to breastfeed someone else's child. I wasn't expecting that in this genre and it threw me a little.

After that, the heavy info-dumping in the first few chapters made me really struggle to continue with the book.

Readers of high fantasy who enjoy a deluge of detail right off the bat will enjoy this, but unfortunately it wasn't for me.

Review not shared on social media due to DNF - did not feel it would be fair on a debut author who's worked hard to write a book other readers will enjoy.

A very interesting story, a combination of magic and mythology that I didn't expect.

I didn't give a high rating because I found it very heavy, from my point of view, I prefer more flowing books.

I really appreciated the multi-pov, and I hope to have even more descriptions on worldbuilding because in this book there was very little.

the romance subplot really struck me in a positive way <3

Okay, this book was an interesting read. I will say that. I liked the pacing, I liked the story and I liked some of the characters. I just thought it was long.

It's a me thing!

What an original and complex fantasy written by MJ Pankey. It is a fast-paced and adventurous first instalment in a series set on the unique, ancient Greek-inspired island of Helinthia. If I'm honest, it took me a little while before I could tell the difference between the vast cast of characters, but as the story developed and I got to know them, I feel in love with the way Pankey writes her characters with all their flaws and vices. The ending really made the rest of the book.

There’s a lot of exposition and world building, which takes a while to get used to, 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 (on my Kindle) makes it difficult to flip back and forth and keep track. So, I do recommend that you either get a physical copy of the book OR keep in mind that it might be a bit cumbersome to keep all the ancient terminology and geography straight (and it doesn't make it any less brilliant).

Overall, this was such a fun read! If you're a lover of Greek Mythology, retellings, and a meticulously crafted fantasy world - this is for you.

Thank you to MJ Pankey, Muse and Quill Press, and NetGalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review-- all opinions are my own.

🌟🌟🌟🌟Epic of Helinthia - @mjpankey

Epic of Helinthia follows a group of characters in multiple POVs as they rebel against the current ruler of their island to try and appease the gods to make their land prosperous again.

If you’re into historical fiction that is like not toooooooo heavy on the facts but still well researched and very gritty and bloody and engages with all the mythology that we know and love - this could be a great one for you to pick up.

The character development throughout this book is honestly delicious. There were characters I hated to begin with and loved by the end and honestly vice versa.

I loved the romantic subplot in this one - it’s subtle enough that if you’re not into romance, you’d probably still really love the book as it’s more steeped in politics and betrayal.

✨Thanks to the author and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC copy for review ✨

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When a madman seized the throne, the gods on Olympus fell silent, and the island of Helinthia withered into decay...

Wonderfully well-written with great prose, characters, and atmosphere. If you love mythology retellings, you'll love this book.

Dnf'ed at 36 pages. I already hate all of these people. They are all of them stupid, naive, entitled and annoying or a mix of all of these together. I've already cringed so often in these few pages I don't think this is for me or is going to become for me.

I normally don't rate dnf'ed books but I have to give a rating

In this fantasy mixing the magic and mythology of ancient Greece you will feel and live with the characters. All of them are fantastic. You feel their love, anger, sadness, betrayals, fear.
You won't be able to put this book down. It's addictive.

“She ached to go back and do it over. Why did a moment’s best decision always age poorly?”

This was such an interesting Greek mythology story. I really liked how it followed the story of a group of mortals instead of the actual gods.

The storyline was so interesting because there were 5 POV’s and all of them kind of had their own quest. They also all had their own character development where they had to change their worldview and it was just a really wel executed multi-POV story.

One thing that made this story extra special were all the different terms the author used for different ranks. It brought out that extra feeling of reading about an actual different world.

In the beginning it did make it a bit more difficult to read and it made me get into the story a lot slower. But once I got the hang of all the new words I flew through the rest and could see that it was actually a really cool extra.

I would recommend this book to all Greek mythology readers and people who like fantasy quest type of stories!

This book follows five characters who are trying to start a rebellion and gain back the favor of the gods to save their land, hoping for a war that will restore prosperity.

When I started reading this book, I had no clue where it was going for a good while, but then at some point I got hooked. The characters, some more likeable than others (as you do), all have a depth to them that allows for development in each and everyone, which was so enjoyable to me. None of these characters ever felt like they were standing still, and it really got the story in motion.

I personally wasn't as surprised by the "big reveal" in the end, if you can call it that, but I still liked how we as readers were guided to the realisations the characters were making. It felt like I was right there with them!

The only thing that subjectively wasn't for me was the constant switch in perspectives. We get five different ones overall, and obviously I had preferences, but generally I think I'm just a one perspective, two at most, kind of girl. Though I knew this going in, of course!

In the next book, I hope for a bit more world building because I'm still clueless if I'm being honest - couldn't picture it in my head to save my life. The story, to me, was certainly character driven, and I'm looking forward to how it's going to continue.

Thank you to netgalley, the publisher and the author for the free arc!

A fabulous tale.
I was initially put off by some of the titles given to characters and some of the words used but this swiftly fell away and I was swept along on this epic journey.

Looking forward to the next instalment.

Unfortunately I am DNF this book at 28% at this time. I think this book had a lot of great parts, it was just really difficult for me personally to get through. I enjoyed the characters and the setting was very easy and cool to visualize, however, I felt like there was a lot of different moving parts that made me confused. However, I do hope in the future to attempt to re-read it.

What an incredible book, I absolutely loved all the mentions of the Greek gods/goddesses! I did think it was going to be a retelling before I started but I really enjoyed the mix of fantasy and Greek mythology!

I’m so excited for the next book so we get to read more of Forluna’s pov, she’s my absolute favourite!!

Thank you NetGallery and the publishers for the arc!!

Dive into the Greek mythology-inspired island of Helinthia with MJ Pankey's "Epic of Helinthia," where a madman's reign sends gods into silence and the island into decay. Enter Dargos, Kelric, and Gadnor, the rebellious trio aiming to topple the throne and restore prosperity, all while dodging the king's spies and the meddling Olympian divinities.

Pros:
🌟 Four stars for this mythic rollercoaster! "Epic of Helinthia" is a Greek mythology-inspired gem that unfolds with the drama of a divine soap opera.

😲 Wow, wow, wow! In the immortal words of Lady Gaga, this book is "Talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, showstopping, spectacular, never the same, totally unique, completely not ever been done before." Move over, Mount Olympus; we've got a new spectacle in town.

🏛️ The storyline is an Olympian feat of excellence, weaving a story of rebellion, divine wrath, and the consequences of playing god.

✍️ Great prose! Pankey's writing is like ambrosia for the soul, capturing the essence of epic storytelling with a modern flair.

👍 Some characters, like the lovable Gadnor, become stars of the show, while others, like the enigmatic Dargon, elicit feelings of dislike. It's a character buffet with flavors to suit every reader's palate.

Cons:
🤔 It's not quite Mount Olympus, but some characters, like Dargon, didn't quite ascend to divine heights in my affection. Maybe they need a bit more nectar in their character development.


📚 In conclusion, "Epic of Helinthia" is a grand adventure that deserves a place on the bookshelf next to the classics. Fans of Greek mythology, prepare for a tale that's as epic as Zeus's thunderbolts and as captivating as Aphrodite's charm. Bravo, MJ Pankey!

Disclaimer: A god-sized thank you to NetGalley and MJ Pankey for this ARC copy. All opinions are as uniquely mine as a minotaur in a maze. 🐉📚

MJ Pankey’s new novel is a welcome addition to the genre of Greek mythological retellings.

First let’s start off with what I liked, I really enjoyed the concept - this is not focused on a god/goddess or mythological figure (although they are present) which made it feel fresh and original for the genre.

There are lots of characters and the chapters switch between POVS regularly. Some characters I definitely enjoyed more than others (Forluna was my fav, and Gadnor a close second), while others (I’m looking at you Dragos and Kelric) felt a bit tiresome and I wasn’t as invested in their stories.

I appreciated the authors attempt to include Greek vocab, with a helpful glossary at the beginning. At first I had trouble remembering everything but as the novel went on it became easier to keep track of.

The writing and pace kept me engaged and I thought the twist and reveals were well executed. Somehow I didn’t realize until the end that this was going to be a series - so when it ended I was like “wait that’s it” but then it hit me and I had an “ah ha” moment and it set up well for another book.

“Epic of Helinthia,” by MJ Pankey

When a ruthless man took the throne and the Gods didn’t involve themselves, Dargos with Kelric and Gargos go to rebel against the king. They want to get into the Gods good graces again to have their lands prosper like they once had. Gonivein, Dargos sister, is left to protect Shallinath but the king wages war on the city. With danger for all those involved can they protect all of Helinthia?

I thought this book was good but way too many POV’s that I felt weren’t super necessary. The characters got confusing, and I ended up only liking a few of the characters. The story was confusing at some parts because I was thrown into the story so fast and the POV’s moved to quickly to get a great feel for the world or the story. I love Greek myth retellings and I liked the story concept; I just wish there was only like 2 or 3 POV’s. I gave it a 3 out of 5 stars.

-Greek Mythology
-Political Intrigue
-Multi POV
-Gods

Thank you for the ARC but unfortunately, the book was not for me.

I think the book (or well series since it will be one) would work better as a full fantasy series instead of being mixed with Greek mythology. When I read the summary at NetGalley, I thought it would be more steeped into Ancient Greece/Greek mythology but aside from a handful of gods and the titles/some name items, there's not much Ancient Greece/Greek mythology in it. Even the characters have very typical fantasy names or have their origin in other languages (e.g., Gandor, Gonivein, Kelric, ...), so they don't really fit into the Greek setting. Plus, the nymph is pretty much an elf/fae/fairy who can move her ears to express her feelings (which is something that several fandoms have as headcanon for elves/fae/fairies), so a true fantasy setting would have worked better.

The book has multiple POVs (I think, four or five?) and I don't think that all of them would have been necessary because they didn't always add something to the story and felt partly very similar to the other POVs. The different POVs are separated by the character names, so you know whose POV is it (which is something because I read books where you wouldn't know whose POV is it until a certain point lol).

I have three big issues with the book:
1) The inner dialogues. They were very long, felt often very similar to each other, and just dragged everything out instead of giving the reader something of substance. I would have preferred more actual dialogue and action scenes.

2) The characters. The majority of them feel very similar because they are not super present (even if they are in one group) but I hate Gonivein so much. She's not the brightest candle on the cake, I'm sorry. I hate stupid characters who get even help from other characters and the divine to survive, and they still act like they are little children. Plus, her rather sudden change in perspective, feelings and behaviour felt forced.

3) The plot became rather predictable early on. I think part of it is just because of the plot itself as the reader learns early on that a rebellion is planned. But I found the "hidden" details very predictable. I don't need a book to outsmart me but I would like to have a bit of a mental challenge and a surprise when it comes to plot twists etc.

I'm a huge fan of greek mythology and have to say MJ Pankey did do her research amazingly! The idea of the book was great and the characters fit so good into the story. Sometimes I just struggled with the pacing and had a hard time keeping up with the characters since they tend to be quite complicated.

On a fictional island set in Ancient Greece, a queen lays dead and a city burns. Smoke writhes and twists into the air, choking and consuming. An heir, and all hope, utterly lost. A tyrant rises, and a people suffers and mourns. Do their gods forsake them? Is there a way to gain back their favor?

These are the questions Dargos, the leader, or basileus, of the polis of Shallinath seeks to answer as he lays the foundations for a rebellion against the usurper Charixes.

His closest allies - his sister Gonivein; the sturdy and loyal Pallas; the brash but talented Tendior; the lively and mysterious Forluna; vain and entitled Kelric, Gonivein’s betrothed; and Kelric’s shy and unassuming brother Gadnor - rally around him.

But does the Greek pantheon desire Helinthia’s restoration? Some, perhaps, but not all. And, in true Olympian fashion, the root of Helinthia’s issues lies with pantheonic machinations. Helinthia’s future lies in tatters…or does it? Is it possible Helinthia's heir survived?

Pankey’s "Epic of Helinthia" left an indelible mark on me as a reader. She effortlessly and intricately weaves threads through each chapter, dangling threads to tantalize the reader into continuing. Each unique perspective (Dargos, Gonivein, Forluna, Kelric, and Gadnor) slowly untangles, tightens, and forwards the story until its astonishing conclusion.

"Epic" fits seamlessly into the corpus of Greek mythology with conniving gods and goddesses, hubris a-plenty, and heroes whose courageous appearances belie secrets galore. But Greek stories also include some darker tendencies, especially in the treatment of women and their lack of agency.

Generally, however, "Epic of Helinthia" represents a masterful debut that incorporates elements of Homeric epics, Joseph Campbell’s monomyth trope, and Pankey’s own unique narrative gifts to present readers with a powerful story that brings the best of ancient Greek mythology reverberating well into the present.

***Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of “The Epic of Helinthia” by MJ Pankey, in exchange for an honest review!


I really wanted to love this historical fiction more than I did. The plot was good and the story itself was very interesting and immersive. I will say that Pankey did a TON of research for this book, which I thoroughly appreciate in any author, and I learned a lot of new Greek words that I had never heard of before.

However, the characters were extremely difficult to keep up with, visually imagine what they look like, and sometimes the story was hard to keep up with what was happening. To be fair, there is a lot of info about the characters before you even read the book, but this was just my personal experience.

Overall it was a fun, interesting historical fiction, and rate it 3 stars.

*Online review will be posted to my Goodreads account (link below)
*Review posted to Goodreads on 1/18/2024