Wednesday, June 3, 2015

*Review* The Trials of Hercules by Tammie Painter


Genre: Fantasy
Published: October 11, 2014
Pages: 386
Ages: 14+

Synopsis

After waking to a heinous crime he doesn't remember committing, Herc Dion is sentenced to death by live burial. At the last moment, Eury, leader of the city-state of Portaceae, offers Herc the chance to atone for his crime through a series of trials. Trials that will force him to face monstrous creatures, test his loyalty, and send him to face death itself. Filled with an unshakable sense of duty to Portaceae, Herc readily accepts the risks.

Adding to these challenges, Herc endures perpetual cruelty at the hands of Hera, the goddess who is meant to protect Portaceae. Her blinding hatred of Herc has led to the near ruin of her realm and to her ignorance of Eury's true plans that could spell the end of her existence.
With the knowledge that Hera has done everything to destroy his life, will Herc risk his own life to protect her and to save Portaceae?

BOOK ONE OF THE OSTERIA CHRONICLES
The Osteria Chronicles are a multi-part fantasy series. Set in a future world that resembles the city-states of Ancient Greece, you’ll see myths come to life as the heroes of Osteria contend with the whims of the gods.

Review

This book brings Greek Mythology to life, well at least the part about Hercules. I was totally captivated, and dreaded the inevitable interruptions of my children. I already had a basic understanding on the legend of Hercules (there is a kids movie about it after all), but after reading this, I really want to do more reading about Hercules and Greek mythology in general. 

I thought the characterizations were great. Hercules was ever the strong, honorable hero, even when we weren't sure he was all that honorable. Hera's petty jealousy was abundantly clear. And Eury was just all around vile. I also really liked how it was told in alternating first person, rotating through characters. That allowed us to see things through different eyes, but it still all felt very personal. It also helped give us a little more insight into some of the characters personalities. 

Overall I give this book 5 out of 5 stars and I am really looking forward to reading more about the world of Osteria, and would definitely recommend this book to anyone that enjoys a good action packed mythical story. - Katie 

Copy received in exchange for an honest review.

Buy the Book


About the Author

Tammie Painter has always had a fascination for myths, history, and how they interweave. Although many manuscripts sit on her shelves, The Trials of Hercules is her first published novel and the first in her six-part series The Osteria Chronicles in which gods and myths come to life.

Tammie also enjoys converting her love of plants, bees and gardening into helpful garden guides including Going Native and the My Garden Journal. 

Tammie is also the author of three other non-fiction books and the short story collection 13th Hour.  

For full details about Tammie’s books and upcoming projects, please visit http://TammiePainter.com

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