I'm buying what Natasha Pulley's selling, but I don't know if I'm getting an especially good deal anymore. The Hymn to Dionysus is a worthwhile read by a lot of standards, including those of contemporary literary-romance, but in comparison to this writer's other offerings it's fairly middle-of-the-road. I'm one of the few who actually liked The Mars House, a novel I enjoyed more than this one, in part because that central romance felt compelling and solidly built to me -- there was chemistry, tension, attraction of a very muted kind. Those who objected politically to that novel are probably not going to have a much better time with this one -- cute and disposable slave side characters! They/them Tiresias! Revisionist ducking of power dynamics in ancient Greek pederasty and same-sex erotics! -- and, for my money, the central romance here is flimsier too. The whole structure of this novel felt a little slapdash, and I often had the sensation that I was seeing through what was going on on the scenic level to the skeleton of Pulley's outline underneath, which rarely varies from novel to novel. I'm disappointed! Maybe Pulley's style is just too cute to take on the serious imaginative and scholarly lift that true historical fiction requires -- and maybe she doesn't mind that, but I think I do.

The Hymn to Dionysus focuses on Phaidros, a Greek knight who recently returned to his homeland, Thebes, after years away fighting. A lot is going on with Dionysus as he struggles with the effects of war, including the loss of his beloved commander, Helios. When the crown prince disappears, Queen Agave, Helios's sister, requests Phaidros to head the secret search. Phaidros must find him fast since the queen has made a deal to trade the prince as a hostage for much-needed grain as Thebes is in a serious drought. As Phaidros begins his search, he must contend with an unexplained madness that has taken over Thebes as well as strange interactions with a witch, Dionysus, who reminds Phaidros of a young boy he once knew.

I read The Bacchae, the original/inspiration myth, long enough ago that those details were blurry to me as I was reading this book. However, I'm not too worried about an author sticking to the original text while reading a myth retelling, so I can't speak to the 'accuracy' of this retelling.

Dionysus is the god of many, very different things and I love how this book grouped those things and explained them. As I'm not super familiar with the Greek myth and Dionysus' origin, I can't say for sure that this interpretation is original to this book, but I did love it. It made Dionysus seem more genuine to me. I never really understood his role as a god other than chaos, but this book pulled it together in an interesting way that made a lot of sense. Even more, the role that Dionysus has in the world, according to this book, made me reflect on my own life through a different lens which surprised me.

This newest Natasha Pulley book accomplished all that I've come to expect from her:
1) I loved it
2) It had her unique style and voice for her characters
3) There were large sections were I felt completely lost (but soon enough understood)
4) There's a romance between two men that follows the exact same patterns as all her other books

Overall, much like all her books, I thoroughly enjoyed it, would recommend it to others, and struggled to put it down!

This is such a rebound from The Mars House, honestly. So emotional and witty, with a light voice that isn’t often seen in these mythological retellings. Beautiful book. I would love if Pulley just… continued to do this, without trying to ham-fistedly write in various societal issues that she is not educated enough to comment on or portray properly.

I found this book a little had to get into. The names were confusing as some of the characters were named after Greek gods but were not the gods themselves. I also felt as if the book skipped large portions o time without proper signaling that time had been skipped. Overall, an okay read.

This book is an absolute gem! Natasha Pulley nails the mix of Greek mythology, complex characters, and a beautiful love story. Phaidros' journey is emotional and gripping, and the whole vibe of the book had me hooked from start to finish. If you're into mythology with heart, this is a must-read. Big thanks to Netgalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for the ARC!

I really tried to get into this book. I was hooked at first and the it started dragging... and dragging. I just couldn't finish it, too much going on at once, and I really lost interest in everything. I thought the writing was good though, and I liked the characters up until I got bored.

"A timely reimagining of the story of Dionysus - Greek god of ecstasy, revelry, and ruin - and a captivating queer love story for readers of The Song of Achilles and Elektra.

Raised in a Greek legion, Phaidros has been taught to follow his commander's orders at all costs. But when Phaidros rescues a baby from a fire at Thebes's palace, his commander's orders cease to make sense: Phaidros is forced to abandon the blue-eyed boy at a temple, and to keep the baby's existence a total secret.

Years later, struggling with panic attacks and flashbacks, Phaidros is enlisted by the Queen to find her son, Thebes' young crown prince, who has vanished to escape an arranged marriage. The search leads him to a blue-eyed witch named Dionysus, whose guidance is as wise as the events that surround him are strange. In Dionysus's company, Phaidros witnesses sudden outbursts of riots and unrest, and everywhere Dionysus goes, rumors follow about a new god, one sired by Zeus but lost in a fire.

In The Hymn to Dionysus, bestselling author Natasha Pulley transports us to an ancient empire on the edge of ruin to tell an utterly captivating queer love story about a man needing a god to remind him how to be a human."

I'm always here for whatever Natasha Pulley writes, but this, damn. And look at that amazing cover.

Unfortunately, this book was not for me. The prose seems immature. It seemed lacking of basic Greek myth story details.

While the premise was nice, the writing was... not what I expected. I wanted more from the characters because I felt that what was on the front cover and the front flap was not what we were given.

This was a DNF for me. The writing was too dry which was upsetting since I was so interested in the premise and Dionysus is my favorite Greek god. But I couldn't bring myself to finished and got bored way to quickly.
The bit I did get throught was a bit confusing and clunky.

I don't think this was the book for me. Parts of the books dragged on and some of the more contemporary language took me out of the moment. The characters were well-written, but I think the plot fell apart. Maybe one day I'll have to give it another try.

Unfortunately this eARC is a DNF for me, but not for any reason related to the book itself, or Pulley's style. Much like the way I felt about The Kingdoms, Hymn to Dionysus makes me feel like I need to have it in-hand, so I can re-read and backtrack to trace what's going on and actually immerse, lol.

Otherwise, I really do love Pulley's style (and the cover designs!) Excited to get my hands on a physical copy.

Its a bit of a messy go in terms of pacing but overall a decent story. I would not compare against Circe due to the non-poetic writing. Also the names of the characters were used messily and not tied to the Gods they reflected

I really don't know how to rate this one, because the vibes were GREAT, the story idea was WONDERFUL (we don't get enough Dionysus representation!!), but the execution was just not it for me.

One of the first things that bothered me IMMEDIATELY was the use of the names of the Gods for just random people--Helios was the most immediate and confusing example. It was totally unnecessary and weird, and it took awhile to figure out that it wasn't *THE* Helios. Then we have the random time jumps with no real notice. We start the story with the MMC at 4 years old for a chapter or two, then we blink and he's aged up a few years, blink again and repeat. The problem? You don't realize there's been an aging up (or how many years) until the middle or end of the chapter it happens in. What's the purpose of that? No one knows. Especially since the entire 4yo POV could honestly have been cut and I don't think it really would have changed anything.

The vibes were vibing, but I also wish there had been more of a commitment to the vibes--it felt like the author didn't want to fully commit to a world with true magic and rules she needed to stick to, but also didn't want it to be set in a world with NO magic, so it comes and goes when it's convenient in a way that just felt....off to me.

Overall the story was good once you figured out what was going on and adjusted to the writing style, but I think that this author just isn't for me if this is representative of her writing style. I understand the comparisons to Circe and Achilles, but if you LOVED those and think this is going to be similar--stylistically, you're going to be disappointed.

This was a wild ride from start to finish. It was a bit confusing, but I did enjoy myself. I think that all queer stories are meant to be told and I do not regret getting an ARC copy of this book.

This is my first book by Natasha Pulley and I can guarantee it will not be my last. I did not want for this story to end. I was fully immersed into the story and the world, Thebes and Phaidros' life. The characters were the best part of this entire book. There were certain times I was utterly confused by the sentence structure and chaos, but I pulled through just to be able to experience this story with Phaidros and Dionysus. All the characters were so well fleshed out that it felt like I knew them intimately. Retellings are often difficult to depict and to make original when they have been done so frequently, but I do not think Pulley struggled with this at all. It felt like you were reading a Greek tragedy with the beautifully written prose. This book felt human and real. Definitely think anyone that who loves Greek mythology and retellings will love this!

Thank you to Bloomsbury and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of this book.

Classic Natasha Pulley, but this time in ancient Thebes! While I would describe this a slow building story, it's one that I read very quickly because I became deeply invested in Phaidros. Like Pulley's other novels, Thebes is not the Thebes we know from history and legends, but is far stranger and more magical. There, ancient and wondrous marvels - giant bronze, clockwork-powered statues of the gods - keep watch over the city. It's a city beset by drought and famine, and ruled by a queen who is determined to stay in power no matter the costs. Phaidros, a lifelong knight in the Theban legion, is at the heart of the novel. He is fully committed to his duty and serving with honor, not matter what it costs for him and his withering soul. He's charged with training the teen knights and leading them on violent missions, but he also does what he can to keep them safe and from veering into madness, a formidable challenge as the city is plagued by madness from an unknown origin, but one that Phaidros fears he's invited in.

The character work in this book is amazing! Phaidros is a mess of a man, struggling to live with the heavy weight of loss, trauma, and grief. He's also haunted by the memory of the blue eyed boy he saved. He's caught between the cherished memory of the commander he loved, and the newly arrived, mysterious and beautiful witch who offers comfort and companionship. As the story progresses, Phaidros finds his allegiance to his queen sorely tested, even as the mysteries surrounding him become more dangerous. Deeply moving, full of intrigue, and bittersweet, The Hymn to Dionysus is a fantastic story, and one I know I'll come back to again and again!

This was my first Natasha Pulley book, and I had a great time. This book had a slower start, but a really strong finish. I wouldn't necessarily say that this is for fans of Greek retellings. Though I think people who like those stories could enjoy this, I would more say that this story is for fans of Natasha Pulley and of books that examine the human condition.
The slower start in the first 3rd of the book is the only reason I didn't give this 5 stars. The last 2/3's of the book were great, especially once Dionysus really came in to the story. I loved the relationship between Phaidros and Dionysus.

Thank you Bloomsbury Publishing and NetGalley for giving access to an advanced reader copy of this book. At first, it was a rough start for me to get through the beginning of The Hymn of Dionysus, but once I got through the first of the story I was sucked into the chaos that was beginning to unfold in Thebes and Phaidros' life. I found myself being just as confused as Phaidros at times and others not only questioning Phaidros' choices but question his sanity just as he was. The story was dark and dove into the not-so-pretty times in Greece that can sometimes be glossed over. That being said, it read like a Greek Tragedy but had you on your toes as the events unfolded. There were plenty of times while reading this book that I thought I knew what was going on, got proven completely wrong and flipped upside down just as Phaidros was and then flipped right side up, my earlier suspensions coming true but not in the way that I had thought. I ended up really enjoying this story and there were times when I had to step away because of some of the heavy content but I still came back.
Favorite quote:
"What you say will matter. Negotiate. Be Persephone. If you see Death coming, say, fantastic, you're coming with me, and I'm Queen.".

Just wanted to say thank you for the early read. I did like this book and the characters were well done. I as very happy to keep turning the page. I did feel at times that it was difficult to read and I am not sure why. I don't know if it was the writing or just my brain at times. I did feel like there were some scenes that didn't make sense and that did not need to be included. I feel like this book was longer than it needed to be. Overall the characters and the story were human and relatable and overall this was well done.