Epic of Helinthia

To begin this review I should share that I absolutely love mythology. I was overjoyed to be able to read an arc of this book. It is very clear the author did substantial research in order to masterfully weave history into this work of fiction. Plus, did you look at that cover?

This is a story about what happens after the island of Helinthia’s queen is killed and … let’s just say the person that takes over the throne is neither a good nor compassionate ruler. After 18 years of Anax Charixes rule, the island is barely holding on. There is an unimaginable drought which has led to starvation and death for a sizable percentage of the islands population. Do they go to war to try to place the right person on the throne? Who even is the right person? Will the gods help? Do they even care?

I loved this book. Solid five stars. It started slow, needing a lot of world building and character introductions, but really hit its stride about a quarter of the way through. Once you get to the halfway mark you won’t be able to put it down.

There are several POV’s, which let the reader follow the plot not only from different characters perspectives, but also different locations and times (in the form of flashbacks/memories). Usually, with several characters there is always someone whose POV comes up and I groan…not in this case. Now, there were characters I loved to hate, but there were no POV’s I wanted to skim.

As for the characters, I really liked Loric and Gadnor. It took me a bit to appreciate Gonivien because she started out as the quintessential “princess” who lacks awareness of those less fortunate, but she won me over in the end. Forluna was probably the character I most wanted to get to know better. She sure is good at keeping her secrets. The fact that I, as a character driven reader, can’t pick a favorite is really surprising to me and speaks to the strength of this book. And, looking back on it, the hints for the big reveal(s) were there … but wow, they were subtle. Very well done.

I was appreciative of the glossary and maps, they were incredibly helpful. I think they will be crucial for someone less knowledgeable about Greek mythology. (Don’t worry, they are comprehensive and any reader will be able to follow the story). I do wish we had a pronunciation guide, but that will be solved by an audio version (I hope!)

I cannot recommend this book enough. If you like Greek mythology, well-developed characters, and/or an intricate (but very followable) plot, then go out and grab this book as soon as you can. You won’t be disappointed. And…it looks like it is just the first in a three or four book series! I cannot wait to see where the story goes.

Thanks to NetGalley, MJ Pankey, and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for an arc of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, MJ Pankey, and Victory Editing for an arc of this book.

Oh where to start… first things first… what an absolutely amazing story for a debut… honestly I was blown away by the authors knowledge and research that must have gone into this book.

It did start slow, but that was necessary to build the characters and give an overview of the world. Some of the character names I struggled with and ended up shortening them. (Sorry) Once you’re past the intros you won’t be able to put it down, trust me I know!

I cannot recommend this book highly enough, especially if like me you love Greek mythology. This is a very solid 5/5 from me. And I will be on the lookout for more from this author who is a very clear talent.

Lastly, just look at how gorgeous the cover is! That is a 5/5 too

Thank you NetGalley, MJ Pankey, and the publishers for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If you’re a fan of Madeline Millers Circe, you’re going to want to add this one to your tbr!

While Epic of Helinthia strives to be historically accurate, this is not a boring read. The author gives us multiple point of views, engaging dialogue, beautifully written character development, and an incredibly helpful glossary + world map.

We start this story with an action packed prologue that immediately grabs the readers attention. The prologue is followed by an equally intriguing first chapter, and truthfully my interest never faltered. I think that’s what I liked most about it. Many books take a few chapters to really grab my attention, but not this one.

There is conspiracy, betrayal, gods, oracles, rebellion, royals, politics, and even a sprinkle of romance. All of which is packed into 386 pages of pure fantasy. Truly there is something in this book for everyone and I have no doubt this will go viral on booktok as well as all other platforms.

I’m giving Epic of Helinthia 4/5 stars simply because the overall reading experience was negatively impacted by having to refer to the glossary heavily in the beginning. This was made difficult by reading on a Kindle. I think having a physical copy of this book to annotate and easily flip back and forth between pages would make a huge difference.

I received this ARC from the publisher and author via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I almost regret reading this right away because now I’m going to have to wait for the rest of the books to be written. This is one of those books that I have a feeling will be better read as a whole since there’s a lot of moving parts.

It took me awhile to settle into this novel, since I chose to for go flipping back and forth to see who was who in the beginning of the book. However, once I got all that figured out, the story read like a dream.

I loved how the author chose to incorporate the gods since it added an element of mystery. The storyline was very quick paced, action packed, and I love how the storylines came together. The characters were fantastic as well. Gonevein, Kelric and Gadnor were the ones spotlighted in this novel and there was so much growth here. MJ Pankey succeeded in making the heroes more heroic and the villain more dislike le. There’s definitely lots of room for more development to be done but I have a feeling we’ll see that over the course of the other books.

I can’t wait to see where this goes next. Please write quickly.

Anything to do with Ancient Greece or Greek mythology and I run right for it! I was pleasantly surprised that this was not a retelling but an original story. I loved the world building and the clear research that was put into making this book happen. It was slow at times but still engaging and enjoyable. I liked that I was surprised by the ending and it wasn’t what I predicted at all. Looking forward to a second book!

Thank you to NetGalley, M.J. Pankey and the publishers for letting me read an arc of this book before its release.

What a stunning book! I honestly loved everything about it.
What first attracted me to this book when I saw it was its title and cover. I'm a sucker for Greek mythology and I immediately wanted to know more. I expected a retelling and honestly didn't think I'd be that impressed because, let's be real, it's almost impossible to write something new when it comes to men and gods. But oh boy, was I wrong!

Although a fantasy book, it is so well researched that it feels very real and authentic. There is a lot of attention to detail and historical accuracy woven together with the classic legends and supernatural, creating a very raw and palpable world set in ancient Greece.
The characters are very well developed and fit right into the story. I loved how the point of view changed from character to character with every chapter and how we get to see the world through everyone's eyes. No one is inherently good or bad, something which I have come to dislike in recent years after reading dozens of books about 'perfect' main characters who are all-powerful and never wrong. Just like in real life, everyone has their own unique personality and view of the world, which was beautifully crafted into the story progression.

The writing was beautiful too; the right amount of everything, in my opinion - description, action, world and character development, even a bit of romance. The story felt new to me and it sucked me right in; I didn't want to put this book down for a minute!
About three-quarters in, I thought I had figured out everything that was happening, but I was not prepared for that ending! I can't wait to see what's next for these characters and how the story will unfold further.

If I have to find a flaw about it, it would be that it relies a lot on the glossary at the beginning of the book. Although very nice to have and definitely a plus to the reading experience as you don't need pages-long descriptions and introductions, it was a bit difficult to remember every single thing listed. I had to switch back and forth to it to read again some definition of some object or person to make the story make sense. However, after reading about a third of the book, I felt I was familiar enough with everything and everyone and there was no need to go back to the glossary so often. I am sure this will be a non-issue with a hardcopy or with the final e-book version.

First of all, wow. This started out slow but like all good fiction you have to roll with it. These characters are complex and simply human. I went back and forth on who I hated or loved and it resonated all the more deeply for that. Not to mention the mystery? The suspense? Murder?? This was a brilliant start to the series.

Thank you to M.J. Pankey, Victory Editing and NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

"If there’s one thing I’ve learned about men, it’s that they require very little to justify unbridled violence."

It was epic ! So many plot twists. I thought I had found the key plot early on but in the end the author managed to surprise me, mouth open, several times.

The universe building is, although a bit long in the first chapters, necessary and well written. Thank you for including the lexicon, hierarchy and map on the first few pages.
The only "negative" point I found : the characters. None of them are particularly lovable, except for Gadnor and Tor, who arrive late in the story. The character development is well done and thank goodness it happens because I would have been rolling my eyes with each pov change. All of the characters are unsympathetic at one point or another and whenever I thought a character had matured well enough, he would do or say something that made me want to strangle him.

Despite this, I thoroughly enjoyed my reading and would recommend this book to any mythology fan looking for a fresh story with new gods and goddesses, such as Helinthia.
I'm happy to say that I will read the next books (maybe ARCs ?), with pleasure !

Thank you MJ Pankey, Muse & Quill, and NetGalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My honest rating of the Epic of Helinthia would be 4.5 of 5 stars, rounded up to 5 on Goodreads (they don't do halvsies). The Epic of Helinthia is the first of what promises to be an adventurous romp through an original historical fantasy series (it better be a series with that cliffhanger!)

By the end I was hooked, I knew I was running out of pages, and everything was going to Hades in a hand basket. I actually said the words out loud: "why did I do this to myself? This is obviously the first in a potential series, and the first book isn't even out yet in print, so I'm going to have a very long wait to figure out how this ends up going."

Overall, the good things were what counted about this book, and how it left me feeling after I was done with it. It was quite the adventure.

I liked:
- the characterization was excellent, most of the characters were very flawed and very human (sometimes annoyingly so to where you wanted to yell at some of them). Characters visibly grew as people.
-the attention to detail that really brought this ancient world alive - it wasn't overdone, but it was enough to keep it interesting and keep me in the moment and not wondering what the characters' surroundings looked like.
-the beginning (not including the action-packed prologue) seemed a bit slow, but then I found out it was going to be a series and appreciated the set-up in later parts
- it had a very clear arc and once it got going it was a ride!

The only things I didn't like are quite nitpicky from a reader/writer stance.
- the Dragon/Gadnor foil situation - the fact that their names contain the exact same letters just in a different order was a bit confusing at the beginning before their personalities came out more, and kind of seemed a little heavy on the subtext as I got more into the story.
-the kyrios/Kyria thing, while it may have served a good point to bring the theme of social status and inequality into play, was a little overused in my opinion.

A beautifully written Greek mythology which, in a twist, is totally unique. I found this to be a really immersive story and I was totally absorbed into each characters POV's, especially as you get to see a lot of character development which makes most of them a lot more likeable. There's also loads of twists and suspense which are really hooking after a bit of a slow start. I do have to say I wish Gods and Goddesses had a heavier role to play in this, but this is a personal opinion as I like that in the Greek mythology I read. However apart from that I have nothing bad to say everything was amazing and I would recommend.

My review is written based on an Advanced Copy with NetGalley. The spic of Helinthia is a unique story rich with Greek mythology. Unlike most of the Greek novels I have read, this epic only lightly focuses on the Gods and Goddesses, though their presence is felt throughout the story. Pankey does a lovely job of bringing to live a true epic tale full of love, battle, and renown for the various heroes and heroine. The main focus jumps between multiple characters, developing each along the way, gaining the investment of the reader. While the novel had a slower start, once it hit the main action it became an absolute page-turner. I felt fully immersed in the islands Pankey has created and the war of the meddling Greek Gods. The ending leaves an opening for more tales with these characters, which is exciting to know we might see more! I eagerly await for this beautiful book to release in print to add to my collection.

Thank you to NetGalley and M.J. Pankey for providing me with an advanced copy of this book.
At first all the names were a little overwhelming but after a few chapters, I got the hang of everything and it was essential for world building purposes.
I loved everything about this. I am a lover of Greek mythology and I just could not put this down once I was about a third of the way through. I'm so excited to hear it's part of a series to be released. Every character was wonderful and so well thought out; there was no person who bored me, except maybe Dargon who seemed more like glue to link everyone else together.
In conclusion:
Cover = beautiful
Plot = incredible and fast paced
Characters = immaculate
I am one of those people who try to guess the ending and this book really took me by surprise on multiple occasions.
One of my top reads of the year so far.

Combining Greek mythology with a varied cast of characters, M. J. Pankey brings a fresh take on the mythological-retelling genre, creating a fictional tale worthy of its epic namesake.

Epic of Helinthia presents a multitude of characters whose motivations vary widely - some, shy and humble, others, boastful or infuriating - but all benefit from an expertly crafted world wherein humans are, once more, at the whim of the gods. It is truly the characters that make this book what it is, and it is a credit to the author that they invoke such strong, and varied, emotional responses.

I say this because there is one character who just won't die and, whilst they're quite critical to the plot, their continued existence pains me (you know exactly who I mean if you've read it). But, again, this is to Pankey's credit, because I love to loathe this character.

Not only that, but the plot itself is excellent; slightly twisty in places, with the backdrop of ancient Greek life, it seems to line up the plotlines nicely for what is to come - I am excited to read on!

My profound thanks to the author and to NetGalley for providing an electronic advanced reading copy in return for my honest feedback. I will be aggressively plugging this on my socials at the time of publication!

“there's one thing I've learned about men, it's that they require very little to justify unbridled violence."

You know by now how much I love mythology and Greek history in general so I couldn't pass up this read! "The Epic of Elinthia" is precisely epic. The author has built an entire world set in ancient Greece by mixing historical realism with the Mythological part: In fact, from the very beginning you can see the effort the author has put into the details by inserting terms used in ancient Greece and customs and rituals derived from the beliefs of the time, managing to create a decidedly real setting.

🏛️Come every respecting Greek Epic there are several characters with each their own role to play: all of them are well characterized and thanks to the different points of view, we can see the plot continue as we witness the growth of each character. The thing I liked ti all the main characters is that they are all flawed,human with each their own personality and thinking that until the end will continue to evolve.

🏛️The writing is the well-balanced combination of action,adventure,mythology,descriptions and character development. Also, one thing I really appreciated was the presence of the glossary,map and hierarchies at the beginning of the book that immediately proved to be very useful!

✨ If you are a fan of retellings then I can't help but recommend this epic first chapter full of adventure, gods,oracles, friendship,political intrigue and a touch of romance! I personally loved it which is why I thank to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read the arc!

Thank you to NetGalley, MJ Pankey, and victory Editing for the arc of this book!

Now this book was so beautifully written. I love Greek Mythology and I was transfixed with this book that I was in this book watching everything unfold. I loved the way MJ wrote everything. The world building , action scenes, and the way she places each character and where they go to their situation was breath taking. Gonivein and Forluna were my favorite Characters because of who they are to what they possess in themselves. My coworkers and my husband was asking me what was wrong with me because I laughed and cried in this book. I do want more stories like this and if there is a second book to this story , I’d be buying it so fast.