... [an] absolute delight of a story ... I was blown away by how Emily Roberson was able to create this hybrid world of a Kardashian-esque royal family while still observing the rules of the Gods ... I loved the exploration of sibling relationships despite fame and fortune, and the desperate lengths that one will go for the ultimate revenge. I don’t think I can recommend this story enough. If you like retellings in a *mostly* contemporary setting, I don’t think there’s a better story to pick up! ... starting this book feels like you’re stepping into an episode of reality TV. Ariadne’s voice has this acerbic wit to it that finds amusement and despair at her surroundings...Her relationships with people are the most fascinating though, and my favourite interactions are those she has with one of her sisters and the monster. The depths that you find between these conversations unearth bonds unlike any other ... funny, witty, and yet still left me thinking about things. I encourage you to add this to your shelves as soon as it’s out. I know I definitely will.
While the novel remains mostly faithful to the original Greek tale, by focusing the novel into Ariadne’s perspective, the reader is given the opportunity to see how much of her life is regimented and controlled by her family, and how much she learns about her own lack of agency once that control slips ... While the blooming love story between Theseus and Ariadne is at the forefront of the book, these moments also serve to empower Ariadne ... The novel is successful in adapting a well-known Greek story to make readers consider how much free will one really has in their lives, and how one can exercise it when they are manipulated by the forces of power beyond their control-the gods, their family, and even their entire nation ... a reimagining that could engage a new generation of readers to appreciate Greek mythology and re engage readers familiar with the stories to appreciate the story from Ariadne’s perspective.
Roberson takes her cues—more directly—from the same myth that inspired The Hunger Games (2008), and the result is a sometimes violent, highly conceptual reimagining. This myth with modern trappings will have no trouble hooking an eager audience.
Roberson expertly modernizes Greek mythology with a very Kardashian twist ... Newcomers to the myths may have to educate themselves to grasp all of the references, but those familiar with the characters will delight in this thoroughly contemporary soap opera’s reinvented and updated world.
Roberson largely sticks to the original myth, and its more twisted aspects fit neatly into the cutthroat contemporary reality TV universe, where exploitation is the name of the game and ratings are everything. Icarus is gay, and all characters assume a white default ... A fresh new twist on an enduring myth.
