Name: Chasing Odysseus
ISBN: 9780980741865

S. D. Gentill

Historical crime fiction which brings together art, money, crime, politics and treason in an extraordinary tale set in Australia's Great Depression of the 1930s.

Chasing Odysseus

Sheila Goicea

See this FULL review on my blog along with others at: shesgoingbookcrazy.com

I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
"Troy has fallen, Cadmus. There are not enough Trojans left to do anything but flee." He put his hand on Cadmus' shoulder. "The Herdsmen have been denounced. Troy and her allies will never accept your help again. They will not let you live."
Chasing Odysseus is an eventful retelling of Homer's The Odyssey. While I've never actually read The Odyssey before (I know, I'm getting to it,) I was familiar enough with the mythology in Chasing Odysseus to catch some (but certainly not everything) that took place. It's probably best to read this after one is familiar with the book it is retelling. 



However, since I have read this book, I will review it as is, without it's ties to The Odyssey.

The tale follows Hero, a young Amazonian girl and her three brothers, Machaon, Cadmus, and Lycon. All of the Amazonian children were orphaned and given to Agelaus, a herdsman, to care for. While Hero and Machaon were Agelaus' biological children, he treated all four as though they were his own. The Herdsmen had close ties to Troy, and were seen as their allies until Troy was sacked by the Greeks, and the Herdsmen were blamed. Unrightfully wronged, the four trail Odysseus, the leader of the Greek army, to get him to admit that he had spread lies about their people. 

They are then led across vast spaces, on a wild goose chase. Along the way, they encounter all sorts of creatures, races, and beings. Needless to say, there is so much going on that the reader doesn't have a chance to get bored! The pacing is non-stop, and very fast. I found myself having to reread a few passages to make sure I didn't miss anything because it flew by so quickly. Let's not forget the elements of mythology throughout this entire book, making it very engaging for the reader to see these stories told from different perspectives.

A point that I struggled with throughout this book was feeling any sort of attachment to the characters. While they do go through several trials and tribulations, Hero and her brothers never surpass a generalized state of being. I felt that their characters didn't have much individuality, and blended into one another.

Overall, it was a fun, fast read, that any mythology lover would like!

Vulgarity: None!
Sexual Content: Minimal. While sexual encounters occur between two characters, no details are given. 
Violence: Moderate. Considering there is a war, some brutal beat-up scenes, and a few more, it's a bit gory.

My Rating: ★★★½

Chasing Odysseus

Reviews

Highlights