Dioscuri

by Chrystalla Thoma

When you are Zeus’ immortal son, you know you can get away with mostly anything. Bringing back the dead is not one of those things. Yet this is what Polydeukes does when his mortal twin, Kastor, dies. According to the dark deal he strikes with one of the gods, the brothers must alternate days in the land of the living, and Kastor cannot be told, or the deal is off. On top of that, If Hades were to find out, all hell would break loose. Literally.
But Kastor begins to put two and two together, and keeping the secret becomes difficult for Polydeukes. Will Kastor break his brother’s deal and save Polydeukes from an eternity of punishment in Tartarus, or will Polydeukes find a way to save them both?

59 pages, ebook

First published March 1, 2011

About the author

Author with a penchant for dark myths and good food. I have proven my tendency to settle down anywhere but at home.
I like to write about fantastical creatures, crazy adventures, and family bonds. I write fantasy and science fiction.

Reviews

[Matt Posner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being familiar with the original Greek mythology, I introduced myself to Chrystalla Thoma and asked her to let me read and review Dioscuri, her re-imagining of the tale of Kastor and Polydeukes, two sons of Zeus one of whom is immortal, and one of whom is not. (In the original myth, they are the brothers of the immortal Helen and the mortal Klytemnestra, who were key figures in the Trojan War.) Chrystalla warned me that she had changed a lot -- and she has. Now sharing a body after Kastor's death, the two brothers are engaged in an ongoing war between the Greek gods and mortal men, with beasts from Greek mythology (harpies, lamiae, chimeras) taking the field for the gods, and some lesser immortals (nymphs, dryads, a goat-man called Satyr) on the human side. They have rifles and tanks and are living in essentially a modern world that has Greek gods and monsters in it. But Polydeukes, the immortal one, has made a deal with a mysterious partner to let Kastor continue to live in his own body, alternating days in that body with Polydeukes, whose immortal body lies on the slab. How long can they keep this up before father Zeus takes note and gets really angry?

The story is about 60 pages long and is a very quick read -- essentially half a novella, it can be read in a single sitting. Chrystalla writes very smoothly. Proofreading is excellent, and sentence writing is skillful and efficient. The characters are very well-drawn and distinctive, and the plot moves at a fast clip and has a fully satisfying resolution of the conflict. It is not in any way similar to the Percy Jackson books, which are set in our world -- this is about adults and written for adults, and it is a dark and dangerous world that stimulates the reader with the possibility of other unexplored corners.

I came out of this story feeling that it could have been about five times as long and still held my interest. There was vast potential in this world and in the characters. I would recommend that Chrystalla expand Dioscuri to a full-length novel if she is ever so motivated.

I will definitely read more books by Chrystalla Thoma.

[Lin Holmes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zeus has children everywhere, and this book gives us two, male twins, one immortal, the other with no idea who his godly daddy is.

Modern man is always changing the landscape, but there are creatures locked beneath the surface that are best left undisturbed. Once disturbed they rise and they are not exactly loving creature with the best of intentions.

Twin sons, band with lesser immortals to fight the creatures rising from their reopened prisons; one is immprtal, one is not.

Gods have loads of powers, but Zeus and his brother Hades, Lord of the Underworld frown on bringing mortals back to life.

Twin sons, one immortal, the other not. A war between the dark forces rising from the reopened portals and the lesser immortals, with Zeus's twin sons.

One is immortal, but watching his twin brother die in battle brings him to his godly knees. He cannot be without his brother, so makes a bargain with yet another god...he and his brother will share his brother's body on alternate days only living on the days that brother lives inside the body.

Never make a bargain with the gods. There are strings. The mortal brother must not catch on, the immortal brother must find a way to permanently return his brother to life and do so before Dad and Uncle Hades discover the truth.

Powerful, well written and a dynamite story.

[Michael Offutt · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Greek mythology, Castor and Polydeuces are twin brothers (one is mortal and one immortal) known as the Dioscuri. They are the sons of Zeus and their sister is Helen of Troy. They are also referred to as the Gemini (from astrology). Basically, in the myth Castor gets killed and his brother asks Zeus to share his own immortality with his twin to keep them together.

Well this is the story that Chrystalla Thoma has rebooted with some modern flare but nothing that really makes this tale her own. That's why I decided on four stars instead of five because basically, that synopsis I just gave you in the first paragraph, is the entire story in Dioscuri.

Fans of Greek mythology will probably like this. I know I did. But I think it might have been better served given its relative length as a book with illustrations. There are many colorful moments and characters: satyrs, some mythological monsters like lamia, and a descent into the underworld to speak with Zeus and Hermes. Those would all make great full panel pictures (but I know the cost of that would probably prevent the publishing of this book in the first place).

Overall, I think this book is a worthy read and recommend it for anyone who likes reboots of mythology. I just wish that Thoma had decided to extend the story or tell us what happens after Zeus made both of the Dioscuri immortal and what they did with their lives. It seems there's a potential story there that is being ignored.

[Arlene Webb · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a lovely read from a very imaginative author. From opening page on, I was caught up in the world of Greek myths at war with humans, and a pair of brothers with an unique twist to defy their fate. Between wonderfully paced battle scenes, to the show of intense love between Pol and Kast, the story reached its perfect ending all too soon.

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's like "Memento" meets "Clash of the Titans." But what a deux ex machina ending.