I thoroughly enjoyed the first book in this series by author MJ Pankey, “Epic of Helinthia,” and I looked forward to reading the next installment, “Oracle of Helinthia.” But, oh my goodness! I did not expect to rush through this sequel in just two days! And, the ending DEFINITELY has made me wanting more —IMMEDIATELY! It is a cliffhanger to rival “Who shot JR?” from the 1980’s night time soap opera “Dallas!” (I hope some of you reading this are old enough to remember that!)

This sequel to “Epic” was much easier for me to follow and understand than the first in the series, though I enjoyed reading that one very much. I’m not sure whether the sequel, “Oracle,” was easier to follow BECAUSE I read the first book and was familiar now with the characters or whether, after finishing the first and being slightly unsure of everyone’s relation to each other I took time to study the the Positions and Hierarchy list contained in the book’s glossary. Normally I don’t take time to read these things in advance of starting a book and at best only sometimes even glance at them once finished reading, but in this instance I wish I had bothered to read it before delving into the first book.

This sequel also contains as much or more intrigue than the first, which makes it a compelling read. Additionally, it contains several instances of overt, highly descriptive sexual content. At brief intervals throughout the book I felt that I was reading an explicitly torrid romance novel instead of an adventurous, epic tale of Greek mythology

Again, many thanks to MJ Pankey for providing me with an advanced copy of the second installment of the Epic of Helinthia series, “Oracle of Helinthia.” I am providing my review voluntarily.

I loved Epic of Helinthia, and Oracle of Helinthia is an amazing continuation of the story. This book explores the aftermath of the events in the first book and I loved watching the characters grow (or becoming worse in some cases).

Oracle of Helinthia builds perfectly on the previous novel, exploring the themes of rebellion, honor, and how far people will go to protect what is important to them. I found something to like in (almost) all of the main characters. Gonivein's character resonated with me the most- she's come so far since the begining of Epic of Helinthia, and although she still has a lot of growing to do, I can't wait to see how she changes in the next books! Kelric, on the other hand, can kick rocks.

MJ Pankey does an excellent job creating an immersive world that makes you feel as if you've stepped into a world where gods and goddesses interfere with the world of mortals for glory and entertainment. I can't wait to read the next book!

With how much I loved Epic of Helinthia, the sequel had a lot riding on its shoulders - and it exceeded my expectations flawlessly. I reread Epic to prepare for Oracle, and I’m so glad I did as Oracle has so many different intricacies and plot points hidden throughout that at no point was I ever certain which way the cards would end up. While I would say that Epic felt more like a story that actively took you along for the ride (literally in the case of Gonivein), Oracle is one that develops around you and forces you (and the characters) to respond. While Oracle generally occurs in one single location, at no point is there nothing going on, nor can we (the reader) rest as we watch the political tension rise around everyone.

Oracle begins with us having a new point of view - Lithaneva - and in doing so we’re able to get a much better understanding of the politics of the world outside of Dargos’ perspective. As the daughter of the Anax, having her perspective is key to understanding the fate of Helinthia under his rule - and why, exactly, she is working with the resistance to remove him from power. I loved having this extra point of view, as it humanizes those we wouldn’t find sympathetic otherwise - such as her new husband Branitus, who we meet in Epic. I was shocked by how much I loved him as a character, as before every instance we meet of him is in a public, formal setting through Dargos or Gandor’s eyes.

With both Dargos and Gonivein now being fugitives after the events in Epic, their safety is much more fragile throughout Oracle - in many ways, resting on the goodwill of Kelric. With Kelric deciding to continue to marry Gonivein, despite doing so potentially alienating the Anax against the wishes of his polis, the political landscape suddenly becomes much more treacherous for everyone living in Golpathia. I really liked the new perspective that living in a different area, without Dargos being able to be a main playing character anymore, allowed for the understanding of the world building within this book. During Epic we’re lead to believe that Dargos’ dislike of the Anax, and desire to overthrow him is a political secret held only to his closest allies - but then we find out in Oracle that this isn’t the case, and that Dargos might have been too certain of his ability to do so and had potentially told too many people of his open dislike of the Anax. This causes strife for anyone who is too openly friendly with Dargos - including Kelric - and makes it much harder for Dargos to ensure political safety for not only himself, but his sister and Forluna, as well.

I also really liked that, despite both Gonivein and Tor being confirmed as the oracles of Apollo and Artemis, this doesn’t add too much safety to Gonivein’s life. While being the Oracle of Apollo has some political benefits, being the sister of Dargos in some ways almost negates those benefits, and so she is still very much in danger. I also found it fascinating that, rather than excitement, the general feeling within the polis of there being two new confirmed oracles, when there hadn’t been any in years, to be anxiety over what the gods are planning to happen. The idea being that, in times of prosperity the gods don’t bother with the whims of mortals, but only during times of strife they do. And so, with the two new oracles added, tensions within the polis are continuously rising as everyone is on edge about potentially even worse things happening in the future.

With so much political strife and tension in the air, every decision any character makes winds up having far-reaching consequences - even those no one is aware about. With sides being chosen in the sand everywhere around, it’s only when the dust finally settles that we will find out who is truly on which side. Oracle is a fantastic second book, as despite much of the book occurring in one single location, so much is going on to help set up the worldbuilding and characterization that at no point do you hit a slow spot - or feel like a certain perspective isn’t needed to fully understand what is going on. Every character within this book is forced to make some extremely difficult decisions, and no one ends the book the same person they started it with - and especially not the same people they were in Epic. This series is absolutely one to read for anyone who is a fan of Greek retellings (despite this being an original story), political strife, and in-depth worldbuilding. I cannot wait to see how this story develops as this series continues, and I will absolutely be coming back for more the second I can.

(I also did not see that ending coming, and I'm so excited to see how that plays out in the future!)

Side note: The author is a PHENOMENAL writer when it comes to characterization. AT NO POINT could I tell if I liked or hated Kelric, as the second I felt one way he would do something that would change my mind. And at no point did anything he did not feel like a genuine response from him! I feel like I was Gonivein during the entire novel, constantly switching between forgiving and loving him, and wanting nothing to do with him. There are a few other characters who I loved watching their characterization build and change throughout this novel as they grew as people, but none were as striking to me as Kelric. Legitimately, at no point was I certain how, exactly, I felt about this man, and I loved it. At no point could I simply write him off in my head as someone I disliked, and yet, even during the times I was on his side I was still unsure about his true motives or how he would respond to whatever new issue had arisen. I ended Epic hating him and wanting him nothing the worst, and left Oracle unsure about my actual feelings about him because at no point did I not understand his actions.

A huge thank you to the author and NetGalley for providing this e-ARC.