Scott Graham
Cringy dialogue and dei ex machina abound. But the story is entertaining, with a unique approach to the Greek gods and classical civilization. Souls are retrieved from the afterlife by Zeus, to aid in the resumption of his control of Mount Olympus and the worship by his less than loyal human devotees. At the same time the warring Greek city-states meet in an unlikely battle with an expected outcome. Leave all expectations of competent storytelling at the title page. Like a horror film with a lot of jump scares but no suspense, or a murder mystery with clues that don’t appear until the big resolution, this story offers action with no compelling plot; much of it seems to be made up as we go along. Betrayal lurks behind every page, and character capabilities appear out of nowhere. However, the family at the center of this tale and the surrounding characters are likeable and are up against a menacing obstacle or three. Alex Robins interlaces the threads of the story very well; now if he could just make the characters speak a non-cliched sentence or two, this reader could more easily overlook the amazing coincidences of it all. Book three awaits. Wish me luck.
Cringy dialogue and dei ex machina abound. But the story is entertaining, with a unique approach to the Greek gods and classical civilization. Souls are retrieved from the afterlife by Zeus, to aid in the resumption of his control of Mount Olympus and the worship by his less than loyal human devotees. At the same time the warring Greek city-states meet in an unlikely battle with an expected outcome. Leave all expectations of competent storytelling at the title page. Like a horror film with a lot of jump scares but no suspense, or a murder mystery with clues that don’t appear until the big resolution, this story offers action with no compelling plot; much of it seems to be made up as we go along. Betrayal lurks behind every page, and character capabilities appear out of nowhere. However, the family at the center of this tale and the surrounding characters are likeable and are up against a menacing obstacle or three. Alex Robins interlaces the threads of the story very well; now if he could just make the characters speak a non-cliched sentence or two, this reader could more easily overlook the amazing coincidences of it all. Book three awaits. Wish me luck.