Review: Hera, Queen of Gods

Title: Hera, Queen of Gods

Author: T.D. Thomas

Series: Goddess Unbound # 1

Publisher: Self Published

Published: October 3, 2012

Format: Kindle

Pages: 536

Dates Read: June 26-July 5

Source: Received from the author

in exchange for an honest review

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My Rating: 3 Stars

Synopsis: 

Hera couldn't care less what the other gods think, even when it's about her. And it often is. Frankly, Hera couldn't care less about anything, except doing her duty as queen - protecting order and defending the mortal world against any threats. But when the Fates go missing, Hera and a handful of other gods must temporarily become mortal to search the human world for the missing goddesses.

Hera finds that mortality begins to change her. It's not just the loss of her divine powers. She expected that. It's deeper somehow. It's affecting how she thinks, how she feels, what's important to her. And it gets much worse after she meets Justin, who defies every prejudice she once had

about mortals. At the worst possible time, and despite all her efforts, Hera's black-and-white world starts to unravel.

Torn between who she's becoming and who she needs to be in order to fulfill her duty, Hera must survive a horde of murderous creatures sent to exploit her new weakness. In the end, only Hera can stop a traitorous plot conceived by a secret alliance of ancient and new enemies, a plot that threatens to destroy not only the order Hera is sworn to protect, but all of existence itself

Melissa's Musings

I have to admit, my knowledge of Greek Mythology is a little sparse, given that the only time I remember learning about it was in 6th grade, and that was now several years ago. At first, I was tempted to Google and fact check the powers and roles of all the different gods that were mentioned, but I decided to let myself get carried away into the story instead.

I do have to say though that I've never read a story that put such a modern twist on the subject before. I really liked the fact that Thomas set the story with these gods and goddesses inhabiting the bodies of teenagers. Definitely not something you would expect.

The story progresses quickly and is quite action packed. A little too much so, if I'm being honest. Once the story got going it seemed like the characters were constantly battling/running from something. First it's half man half bear. Then, it's snakes. And then a giant. And harpies, among other things.

While all this action definitely makes you want to keep turning the pages, it really takes away from the character development. I felt like the story was more about the action and less about the characters themselves.

If I had to pick a favorite though, it would be Hera. She's strong, somewhat closed off, but also has a softer side. Her spark with Justin is an interesting twist too, given that she despises the fact that Zeus falls for mortals all the time. But, since Justin becomes a Dreamer throughout the course of the story maybe it's just a little different for her?

Justin's ability to move to and from the Dreamlands was also an unexpected twist. It felt like a reward for all the stuff he was quickly expected to believe and go along with when he started helping the gods on their mission to find the Fates.

There's also an element of magic in the story which was an interesting touch as well.

This was a unique story, and, despite a little too much action I'm curious to see what else happens to these characters.

Has anyone else read this? Or would you recommend any other stories that feature Greek mythology?

Review: Strike: Dawn Of The Daybreaker

Title: Strike: Dawn of the Daybreaker

Series: The STRIKE Trilogy Book 2

Author: Charlie Wood

Publisher: Createspace

Published: October 9, 2012

Genre: Young Adult

Format: Paperback

Pages: 211

Source: Received from author

Read: March 13-23 2013

My Rating: 3 Stars

Goodreads: Add To Your TBR Shelf

Goodreads Synopsis:

It has been seven months since Tobin Lloyd became the superhero known as “Strike,” and the city of Boston, Massachusetts has never been safer. Yes, it turns out Tobin is pretty good at this superhero-stuff…even if he has to balance it with hanging out with friends, doing homework, and trying to graduate from high school.

However, a threat is looming that Tobin is unaware of: the red giant named Rigel—the last follower of the super-villain Vincent Harris—is still alive, and he is plotting to continue Vincent’s invasion and enslavement of the planet Earth. To do so, he is searching for a bizarre creature known as “The Daybreaker,” a super-villain so powerful that no one on Earth (or Capricious) will be able to stop it.

Will Tobin and his friends—Orion, Keplar, and Scatterbolt—discover Rigel’s plan before it is too late? Exactly who is this Daybreaker, and where did he come from? And even if the heroes succeed, will anything ever be the same again?

Featuring new characters, new locations, and new revelations, STRIKE: DAWN OF THE DAYBREAKER is the thrilling sequel to the young adult fantasy novel STRIKE: THE HERO FROM THE SKY.

Tobin Lloyd’s adventures are about to continue…whether he is ready for them or not

Melissa's Musings:

Tobin's adventures pick up 7 months from where he left off. He's still trying to find a balance between normal life and that of a superhero, and it's definitely a challenge for him.

This book is full of action and cool stunts, and quip filled dialogue. While the action is full, as are the twists and turns to keep things interesting, I have to say that for me, this book suffered a bit of the sophomore slump. 

Yes, there's action, yes there are twists and turns, but it feels like the author was struggling a bit in this middle book of the trilogy, leaving the really juicy dialogue and descriptions for the last book in the series. Some of the descriptions are repetitive in spots, and some of the sequences just seem a little too formal, they don't mesh with the flow you might expect.

In other spots, some of the action sequences in particular, I could really imagine the scenes as they were happening. At a few points I found myself thinking that this set of books with some polishing would make a really neat superhero franchise.

There are a few elements that I really liked. For instance, the introduction of Adrianna as a love interest for Tobin. She's supposed to be on the opposing team, but then she ends up helping Tobin out a few times as well. The love interest element is simple, and not overdone, which is great.

I also like the attention to some of the smaller details such as the Chrono Key. I really like the fact that this super hero gadget allows the user to travel through time, but only into the past, because the future hasn't happpened yet and is constantly changing with every decision that's made. Often times, stories with elements of time travel can account for suspected futures, but it makes a person wonder what they're really based on and what shaped these futures. The past has already happened, so you have a solid base to go back to, and as a reader you (usually) know what has happened so it's easier to navigate through than imagined futures might be.

That's not to say that I don't like stories with future time travel, I just think that the author made a wise choice in making it so that the Chrono Key can only take someone into the past.

The copy that I have has a different cover than the one posted here, and  I have to say I like the cover on my copy better. The cover pictured above is just cold and a bit stiff. The one I've got is more vibrant and colorful which is why I enjoy it more.

The story is solid and sets up well with an enticing cliffhanger that makes you wonder just how it's all going to turn out in the end. I'd recommend this for anyone who likes stories about superheroes.