Helpful Score: 7
Finally a mythology-centric, paranormal romance novel that delivers an intelligent story! It is *exceedingly* difficult to find a romance novel that creates a mythological world that doesn't include campy, cardboard villains that could have been taken directly out of such tv disasters as Hercules or Xena. It is even more hard to find intelligent stories that incorporate ancient Egyptian or Greek mythology without falling into the obvious blunders that scream out the author's reliance more on layman stereotypes than good research. Yes this is a pet peeve of mine. If you're going to have Greek mythology as crucial to your story then know that it's Heracles NOT Hercules (Hercules is Roman!!!!) or please stop treating Hades like he's interchangeable with Satan. And just because something has an ancient Egyptian theme doesn't mean your plot doesn't have to make sense simply because you've made up your own pseudo-Egyptian magic. These are just some of the really common, irritating problems I keep running into everytime I pick up a paranormal romance novel that involves Greek or Egyptian mythology in the plot line. I've gotten to the point where I don't even give these stories a chance anymore.
But something about this novel made me take a chance. I think it was that the author didn't try and make a story about something common and overdone--like the pharaohs Tutankhamun or Ramses; the Egyptian gods Ra, Horus, or Osiris; nor is Zeus, a demigod, a war god or warrior brotherhood paramount to this story. The author shows an intelligent grasp of ancient world mythology and plays with it in a way that is subtle, diverse, educated, and most importantly new. Each chapter begins with a verse from the Book of the Dead, the underworld gods of all religions are treated (so far) with respect, and there are new elements that make this story the author's own without stepping haphazardly all over the mythology from which it descends. I like that the hero is the son of the unpopular god Set and there is a sense of subtle humor in the description of Set's millennia long feud with Osiris and Aset (Isis). I like that Isis is the true power behind the Osiris/Isis relationship. I like that other, usually forgotten, Egyptian gods make fun cameos.
I realize that for most people this review will have no bearing on whether they choose to read the novel or not. But for those few people who, like me, are frustrated with poor research and cardboard characters in mythology or ancient history-centric romance novels, then I hope this will assuage their fears about picking up this particular novel. I very much enjoyed the world it creates from a writer's and a classicist's point of view.
I also liked the romance which was very combustive. Normally I don't like romances that seem more erotically charged than based on true love if that makes sense. But something indefinable (for me) made me truly believe in the love between the characters despite their short time together on the pages--much of which was through steamy dreams. The world is gritty and brings to mind Larissa Ione's style in her Demonica series. It brings to mind Larissa Ione but it very much stands on its own as unique and exciting.
But something about this novel made me take a chance. I think it was that the author didn't try and make a story about something common and overdone--like the pharaohs Tutankhamun or Ramses; the Egyptian gods Ra, Horus, or Osiris; nor is Zeus, a demigod, a war god or warrior brotherhood paramount to this story. The author shows an intelligent grasp of ancient world mythology and plays with it in a way that is subtle, diverse, educated, and most importantly new. Each chapter begins with a verse from the Book of the Dead, the underworld gods of all religions are treated (so far) with respect, and there are new elements that make this story the author's own without stepping haphazardly all over the mythology from which it descends. I like that the hero is the son of the unpopular god Set and there is a sense of subtle humor in the description of Set's millennia long feud with Osiris and Aset (Isis). I like that Isis is the true power behind the Osiris/Isis relationship. I like that other, usually forgotten, Egyptian gods make fun cameos.
I realize that for most people this review will have no bearing on whether they choose to read the novel or not. But for those few people who, like me, are frustrated with poor research and cardboard characters in mythology or ancient history-centric romance novels, then I hope this will assuage their fears about picking up this particular novel. I very much enjoyed the world it creates from a writer's and a classicist's point of view.
I also liked the romance which was very combustive. Normally I don't like romances that seem more erotically charged than based on true love if that makes sense. But something indefinable (for me) made me truly believe in the love between the characters despite their short time together on the pages--much of which was through steamy dreams. The world is gritty and brings to mind Larissa Ione's style in her Demonica series. It brings to mind Larissa Ione but it very much stands on its own as unique and exciting.
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