***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

This book was very fast paced and full of adventure. Still, according to my personal preference, it was initially difficult to connect with the characters. Many characters, many names, little context. I think the book could benefit more if at least at the beginning it was slower so that we could get used to the world, the characters and the conflict. From the middle of the book it started to be easier to follow the story. It was a pleasant read and full of mythology, just the way I like it. My favorite quote was without a doubt: “If there is one thing I’ve learned about men it’s that they require very little to justify unbridled violence.” I will definitely be paying attention to the release of the remaining books in the series.

Thank you to Netgalley, M.J. Pankey, and Muse and Quill for sending me this arc to review.
The author writes in a style that makes it really easy to visualize the story playing out. It is fast-paced and I got through this story fairly fast. It is evident that the author has a deep knowledge of greek myths. I loved how the story starts off full of action. There were jaw dropping twists that really changed the narrative, which I really appreciated.
I found the change of perspectives plus all the new terminology difficult to follow. This book would be best for someone who frequently reads high-fantasy as there are a lot of new names/words to remember. I don't read high fantasy so it was a struggle for me. To the authors credit, they do include maps, and diagrams of the hierarchy and family trees at the front of the book. This would have been easier to reference if I was reading a physical book.

3.5 stars

“Epic of Helinthia” takes place on a fantastical island kingdom which has been overtaken by a tyrannical king, causing the island’s patron goddess, Helinthia, to abandon the land resulting in shortages of food and water. The resulting wars and political games are the backdrop of the story. We follow five different protagonists, each with their own agendas - some in direct opposition to one another, and some distinctly unlikeable, forcing the reader to pick sides even among the five POV characters as their conflicts come to a head.
I found the worldbuilding to be delightful: the rich political landscape as well as the incorporation of Greek mythological figures was very creative, allowing the author to borrow from antiquity as well as creating her own constraints on the landscape. The characters were all well-developed with unique points of view; I particularly enjoyed Gonivein’s inner world, as well as her connection with Logic, and I found Forluna, Dargos, and Gadnor to be fascinating and complex figures that I was fiercely rooting for. Kelric I could have done without, but I see why he was necessary to the story. Clearly a lot of thought a planning went into this novel and I found it to be a lovely addition to my shelf!

This book was an absolute pleasure from beginning to end. The prologue sucks the reader into the narrative with immediate action and there is no looking back as the world that Pankey presents unfolds. I was delighted by the multiple POVs employed in the telling of <b>Epic of Helinthia</b> and thought that Pankey managed to deliver something truly unique while also allowing the reader to enjoy the Gods and Goddesses of Mythology that lure us to these types of stories.

The novel is fast-paced, well plotted and full of memorable characters. The plot doesn't lull and the surprises do not disappoint. From the writing it is evident the author pays great attention to detail and does thorough research. The glossaries in the beginning of the novel were super helpful!

The first half of the book felt less narrative and more background education to me. Once I got to the halfway mark, the story really took off and I’m quite looking forward to the next book.

I received an ARC from the publisher and Netgalley.

Thanks to NetGalley and Muse and Quill for this review copy of Epic of Helinthia!

While I really enjoyed MJ Pankey’s writing style and obvious passion for this subject, the story fell a bit flat to me. I had a hard time connecting and sympathizing with any of the characters, which is not a must for me in the books I read — I can very much enjoy books with unlikable characters if I can still connect to them in some way. But I just wasn’t able to do so with the characters in Helinthia. However, I will say that Pankey did an excellent job of writing an absolutely despicable character with Kelric. I don’t think I’ve had such a visceral reaction to a character since Umbridge.

Additionally, the two main female characters in the story, Forluna and Gonivein felt like damsels in distress throughout the whole story. They had to be saved by the male characters throughout the whole book and it didn’t feel like they had their own agency.

The story did pick up in the last third of the book and I enjoyed the ending. From what I understand this is supposed to be a 3-4 book series. I’m not sure if the future books will continue following the same characters, but if they do,<spoiler> I hope to see more agency from Gonivein now that we know she is Apollo’s oracle </spoiler> and I hope to see character growth from the other characters (and maybe also to see Kelric get the axe ;).

So I might be a bit of a cliche high fantasy fan but give me a huge cast list & a map & I’m a happy girl. Using the background of Ancient Greece, this book follows a large (but not overwhelming) cast of characters, as they battle Gods, fate, familial expectations & each other to better their world. The characters are well rounded & developed, the female characters are strong & 3 dimensional. A tiny little bit of spice, battle scenes (but no SA thank goodness), & animal harm are a few of the triggers to be aware of.

For fans of high fantasy looking for a change from the standard “Medieval Europe called something else” setting, & fans of Greek myths who want to dip their toe into high fantasy with the comfort of some familiar elements as support.

This is my first ARC and I must say... what a great book to start the year.

It's a whole new original story.
The central problem stems from violent political disputes on the island of Helinthia. A rebellion is ongoing led by Basileus Dargos, along with his allies, which aims to end the reign of Anax Charixes and restore order in the land.

Overall, I liked the storyline. The narration got my attention from beginning to end.
There were lots of interesting twists and turns along the way (those in the last chapters tho *party poppers* :DDD).
I liked how the characters were fleshed out as I progressed throughout the story. Although, it took me a while to familiarize myself with them in the first few chapters. The same goes for the other terms, especially with the names of the different places on the island (I felt confused, and having to flip back to the glossary over and over was a bit tiring).

Looking forward to the next installment as I'm curious how the story will go. Thank you to M.J. Pankey, Muse and Quill Press, and NetGalley for the copy <3.

Unfortunately this was a dnf for me. I found it really flat and boring and had no desire to read anymore

Thank you to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Now let’s get into it, shall we?

The plot is one of rebellion and war, of restoring the rightful order to the island of Helinthia in hopes that it will cure the island, of gods watching and playing with mortals. It is a story with an array of characters. I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about almost all of them.

Forluna had my heart from the first page. I was delighted to see her reappearance in the story and what an interesting story she comes with. Dargos, I am quite fond of the stoic types and he definitely falls into that category however it is refreshing that the author allowed us to see moments where he wasn't so stoic. Gonivein's development was a delight, I started off not particularly caring for her story and as it went on, as she faced hardships and grief, I found myself really caring about her. I would have most definitely liked to see chapters in Loric's perspective, from what we got to know about him he seems interesting. Gadnor is my baby boy, there's something about quiet reserved characters that make me want to protect them but seeing him go from a quiet reserved boy to a confident brave man was one of my favourite parts of the novel. I didn't really care for Kelric and whenever his chapters came around, I only read them for the sake of gleaning more information about Gadnor. I don't see the importance of him, the other characters bring more to the table than he does. I grew bored of him very quickly.

Of course I'm going to mention romance, I don't like heavy romance and this novel gave me the correct amount of romance. I found myself enjoying the romance, it was more like moments of romance instead of totally in your face kind of romance and I'm here for all of it. It is tragic when I find myself enjoying romance and the romance dies… That's all I'm gonna say because I'm trying to stay spoiler free as possible.

As a fan of Greek mythology, I liked this novel a lot and I will be (im)patiently waiting on the release of the next one. The story is only going to become more exciting and epic, I look forward to reading it.

This was such a great Greek mythology retelling. I loved it so much. I would highly recommend this book. The setting was beautiful!

The island of Helinthia is in dire straits, suffering at the hands of a crazed ruler, when some of its warriors take the decision to liberate their land from his depredations.

Their hope is that the gods of Olympus will support their endeavour. But although they are not aware of it, the gods have their own motives for the choices that they make. And the wellbeing of mortals does not always feature in their calculations...

Inspired by Greek mythology, this story features multiple POV. And there is a whole host of supporting characters that are sometimes hard to keep track of. It takes a while for the story to hit its stride, but once it does, things move along nicely.

Generally speaking, character development is also handled well, and of the five key protagonists, although Kelric is not very likeable, the reader will root for most of Helinthia's champions amidst all the challenges they encounter. Some of the characters, like Gonivein, are particularly relatable.

Overall, an enjoyable read that gets 3.5 stars.

Epic of Helinthia offers a captivating adventure with a rich and immersive world. The storyline is engaging, filled with twists and turns that keep you hooked. The character development is commendable, making you truly care about the fate of Helinthia and her companions. The world-building is vivid, painting a detailed picture of the fantastical realm. While the pacing is generally strong, there were moments where a bit more depth could enhance the narrative. Overall, a fantastic journey worth taking for any fantasy enthusiast."

I liked this book! The Greek mythology was very interesting and it had a very unique feel. I haven’t ever read anything like it so that is a big plus. It lost me a little with all the different side characters and I would get a bit overwhelmed but still enjoyed the overall plot and especially Gonivein. I would recommend this book to people for sure.

I really enjoyed this book! I am a sucker for anything Greek Mythology so I was for sure a target audience for this. I really loved the characters. It is a little bit of a darker fantasy and brutal at times if that isn’t your cup of tea but I enjoyed. Multiple POVs kept me really engaged as well. The only reason I wouldn’t give it 5 stars is the beginning was quite slow but if I pushed forward and you will get an epic story. Will for sure be purchasing to add to our library collection.

Epic of Helinthia is a story inspired by ancient Greece and its mythology. It follows five characters as they fight to free their withering country from a tyrant and get back the blessings of the gods. However, unbeknownst to them, the gods are not all in accord regarding the country's fate.

I must say I struggled a bit in the beginning. While I found the book interesting, I was also getting kind of bored reading it. I just couldn't find that something that would make me care. But over time, the story and its characters grew on me and then I got sold by one scene close to the end. It also sold to me the inspiration by Greek mythology, because while we get actual Greek gods in the story, for a long time, I wasn't really feeling it. But this scene came straight out of Greek drama and, together with the ending, made me look forward to the sequel.

I enjoyed all the 5 characters as they all had their unique personality. We have Dargos who reminded me strongly of Ned Stark from Game of Thrones, seemingly perfect and honorable, but hiding secrets and weaknesses. Gonivein and Gadnor are both very sheltered and are suddenly confronted with the outside world. Kelric is a very unlikable character, but he does have some strong qualities. And then we have Forluna, a very motherly type of character who doesn't hesitate to make sacrifices to protect the ones she loves.

I enjoyed the mystery too. There is a certain search going on through the book as well as the questions regarding the gods.

This book might have been a bit of a struggle to push through, but it was well worth my time in the end.

I received an ARC for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.