The Face of Apollo

Book of the Gods #1

by Fred Saberhagen

Young Jeremy Redthorn, seemingly doomed to virtual slavery as a farm laborer for his uncle, has little to lose. So he is willing to risk his life when the beautiful, wounded stranger pleads with him to complete her perilous mission. Jeremy doesn't understand at first that the strange mask - or is it a face? - that he's pledged to deliver can confer upon its wearer all the powers, and the problems, of one of the mightiest gods. But he soon realizes the awesome potential - thrilling yet dangerous - that he holds in his possession. When the soldiers who are hunting for the Mask of Apollo arrive, Jeremy has vanished, and the great prize with him. Centuries ago, it seemed that the gods had deserted humanity. But, now, suddenly they are back. Not only the sun god Apollo, but his unrelenting enemy - dark Hades, Lord of the Underworld, greedy for human bodies and souls to gather into his domain.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Mythology, Science Fiction, Action, Science Fiction Fantasy

384 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Fred Saberhagen was an American science fiction and fantasy author most famous for his ''Beserker'' and Dracula stories.

Saberhagen also wrote a series of a series of post-apocalyptic mytho-magical novels beginning with his popular ''Empire of the East'' and continuing through a long series of ''Swords'' and ''Lost Swords'' novels. Saberhagen died of cancer, in Albuquerque, New Mexico

Saberhagen was born in and grew up in the area of Chicago, Illinois. Saberhagen served in the [[U.S. Air Force]] during the Korean War while he was in his early twenties. Back in civilian life, Saberhagen worked as an It was while he was working for Motorola (after his military service) that Saberhagen started writing fiction seriously at the age of about 30. "Fortress Ship", his first "Berserker" short shory, was published in 1963. Then, in 1964, Saberhagen saw the publication of his first novel, ''The Golden People''.

From 1967 to 1973, he worked as an editor for the Chemistry articles in the ''Encyclopædia Britannica'' as well as writing its article on science fiction. He then quit and took up writing full-time. In 1975, he moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico.

He married fellow writer Joan Spicci in 1968. They had two sons and a daughter.

Reviews

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I vaguely remember reading this years ago (farther back than I dated this, which is more just when I added it to GR) but remembered very little about it.
It took awhile to get back into. Honestly, I was a bit bored at first. Sometimes the writing style is a bit drab and I wished things would move along. Parts of things mentioned seem rather pointless.
Other parts felt a bit sexist but for when it was written, a bit more common I suppose. Still, if these easily gets to you, this may not be the book for you. But it is written from a male POV as well so...*shrug.*
I liked the story and concept. I especially like the Face ideas in a lot of ways and this alone has me quite curious for the next book. While it focuses mainly on a great mythology aspect, it does not exclude others in the least which I found interesting. Especially when we get the possibility of gods being gender fluid, in a way. So be patient at times, but the adventure is good.

[Jenniffer · Rating 1 out of 5]

Puts a different twist on who the Greek Gods really were. I just couldn't get into it so really didn't care for it.

[Gilda Felt · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is an easy read, which had its up and down side. Because of the simplicity of the writing it was easy to get through, but that made for a lack of depth, especially when it came to character development. Only Jeremy, the main character, has any real depth. The rest move in and out of the book without leaving much of an impression. There was little back story to most of the characters, and what there was was pretty shallow.

The ending left me scratching my head, too. I don’t know if the story continues in the next book in the series, or if the next book is merely another story about another god, because this book ends rather abruptly, with much left unresolved. Even that resolution seemed to have been tacked on, as if the author had gotten tired of the entire thing and wanted a quick conclusion.

Given my experience with the authors’ books so far, I doubt I’ll be continuing the series which is a real shame, since the idea of reworking the gods’ stories is an intriguing one.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was nothing like what I expected. Having read other novels and stories from Fred Saberhagen, I expecting something that moved more quickly than this did. Instead, I got a book with a slow start and a pace that never picked up, with passages where two or three paragraphs in a row would reiterate the same point in different ways.

That said, the book was still enjoyable, even if I barely noticed the lengthy breaks I took from it while reading it. It was a more reflective book than I expected, focusing, in it's own way, on some of the themes visited in the Books of the Swords.

As long as you're not expecting a fast paced adventure you won't be disappointed. This is more of a leisurely stroll through the ideas presented in the story. Relaxing and enjoyable.

[Larry James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good start to Saberhagen's latest series, slow starting, but considerable world building. Recommended.

[Joseph Panno · Rating 1 out of 5]

Even though I marked it as finished, I just can't force myself to complete this book. It's really bad in ways that I'm sure other reviewers have gone over. Saberhagen seems to be a competent writer but fails to tell a fast paced interesting story with characters you care about. The concept of this story could be really engaging and interesting but endless repetitive passages that feel as if they meander along and go nowhere and barely any dialogue to round out the already weak characters ruin it.

[Harpoon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up (part of a collected "Books of the Gods") as I'd never read any Saberhagen and someone gave me this one. I liked the first half (Jeremy unexpectedly becomes an "avatar" of Apollo and struggles to understand his new powers and memories) more than the second half (sort of standard battle of good guys against bad guys). Overall it was an entertaining read, but I'm not feeling compelled to continue with the rest of the series.

[Bert Edens · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very good book by a favorite author. It is a great look at what happens when gods and humans become one and what becomes of the human / god side of each one. Saberhagen also does a fabulous job portraying the battles between different factions, in particular those of Apollo and Hades.

Can't wait to read other books in this series.

[V.L. Locey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful, suspenseful, and thrilling fantasy novel! I loved how the author took the gods of the Greek pantheon and meshed them into a new world. The action was brisk, the descriptions wonderful, and the characters warm and appealing. A great coming-of-age story that should appeal to fans of sword and sorcery as well as lovers of Greek mythology.

[Greg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great stuff but I would not recommend going after the other books in the series.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mask of the sun god...interesting idea. Not sure if I own this book or not...I'll have to look.

[Jay · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not as good as his books of Lost swords. It strated slow and never really got moving from there. I might try the next one in the series because I love his other stuff.

[Otto Naja · Rating 3 out of 5]

The beginning was good. You could feel like Jeremy. In the end it got very fast very fantastic and boring. Therefore I wouldn't read Book of Gods Part 2.

[Alastriel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very strange, new take on the ancient Greek Myths. Not an amazing book but a fairly decent one.