Have a Hot Time, Hades!

Myth-O-Mania #1

by Kate McMullan, Denis Zilber (Illustrator)

Think you know the real story behind the Greek myths? Think again. Most people only know what Zeus wants them to. But the truth is, Zeus is a total myth-o-maniac. Hades, King of the Underworld, is here to set the record straight on how he ended up as Ruler of the Underworld and Zeus became King of the Gods.

Genres: Mythology, Fantasy, Middle Grade, Childrens, Fiction, Greek Mythology, Humor

177 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 1, 2002

About the author

Kate McMullan is an American children's book author.
She is the author of the Dragon Slayers' Academy series. She is married to author and illustrator James McMullan.

She also has books published under the name: Katy Hall.

Reviews

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun book! It is told from Hades' point of view, and there are lots of puns and tongue-in-cheek humor. This is a much easier introduction to the gods than what you will find in the Lightning Thief series. There's even a "Quick-and-Easy Guide to the Myths" at the end to help newbies with pronunciations and with keeping all of the key players straight! The series is currently out of print but will be rereleased this fall. I can't wait! They will be on my classroom shelves for sure!

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review #3 - December 2022

The stories were wrong. Not a single one was told the way it really happened. My little brother Zeus had been messing with the myths. He'd scratched out all the parts that didn't fit with his own overblown idea of himself...There was only one thing for me to do. I had to write a book of my own to set the record straight.

So move over, Zeus. Make way for me, Hades!

Hades and his younger siblings grow up in the pit of Cronus's stomach. One day, instead of another baby coming down, a rock is thrown down instead. The rock is used for many diverting amusements until the day that Zeus and their mother figure out a way to release them.

Things are not smooth sailing yet, though. First they have to defeat the Titans and take control of Mount Olympus. They come up with the "Olym-pic Games" and compete for the rights to rule on high. The little godlings win by springing some distant relatives from the Underworld and asking for their help. (Hydra and Cyclops)

As usual, I really enjoyed this book. I think it's more amusing when you are already familiar with the Greek myths.


Review #4 - December 2023
We read this for the 6-8 book club at school and it was a blast! The students loved it and wanted to continue on with the series. We were able to learn a lot about Greek mythology. Definitely glad I chose this one.


Review #2 - November 7, 2015
I really never tire of this series. It's so silly and fun. I read it when I want something light and fast.


Review #1 - February 8, 2014
I love, love, love, love this series. I never tire of reading about the antics of the Greek Gods and Goddesses.

Zeus is a myth-o-maniac, Greek speak of "liar". He has royally messed up all the myths and it is up to Hades to set the record straight.

McMullan has done an excellent job of writing amusing books that will appeal to young (and old) readers. She keeps the basic idea of all the myths, while tweeking the details. They succeed at being humorous while being informative.

The fourth-graders loved it. It was an easy read-aloud and went by quickly.

[Hao huang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have a hot time, Hades! Is the beginning of the series Myth-O-Mania(for the ancient Greek word for liar!) by Kate McMullan. This story is about how the gods were born to be immortal by the two Titans from the start of the World, and finally the gods start rule every part of the mortal World. It was the eldest god, Hades' point of view to telling this story.

One day the father, Cronus wants to know his future so he went to visit a seer. Then the seer told him he shall have six children, one of them shall be mightier than him and one day shall overthrow him. He does not want his children to be mightier and overthrow him, so he thought of a very clever plan. When the children was born he all swallowed them into his huge stomach, so they can not be mightier than him. But he's WRONG, the last children he swallowed in wasn't the baby, that was a stone. The mother hide her last baby in a cave without Cronus' notice and the baby was called Zeus. When Zeus grow up the mother decided it's time to save the rest of her children, she gave Cronus to drink in an herbal nectar tea that will make him unconquerable, then the children can get out from his stomach and free themselves. And the real exciting stories begin. Like how the Olympics game was start, what is Olympian means, etc.

I enjoy this book because when the gods are having trouble, the eldest god Hades always try to think out the best solution to helps out his family or the younger god. Now I'm currently reading the second book of the series Myth-O-Mania.

[Md. Al Fidah · Rating 4 out of 5]

মিথলজী একটা মজার জিনিস, আর এদের মধ্যেও সবচেয়ে ইন্টারেস্টিং মনে হয় গ্রীক মিথলজী। বিশাল কন্টেন্ট, প্রচুর স্টোরি সাইড স্টোরি নিয়ে গ্রীক মিথলজী। জানা কথা - প্রধান চরিত্রগুলো হচ্ছে অলিম্পিয়ান গড। আর তাদের মধ্যে প্রধান এবং সবচেয়ে শক্তিশালী এবং সবচেয়ে সাহসী যে একা টাইটানদের, টাইফুন কে এবং জায়ান্টদের হারাইছে হল - হেডিস।
আচ্ছা ঠিকই আছে, নাহয় একা হারায়নি, কিন্তু সবচেয়ে বেশি অবদানতত রাখছে, নাকি? কি বললেন? জিউস? আরে সে ত ক্রাই বেবী। ওর কি কিছু করার ক্ষমতা আছে নাকি? সে একটা কাজই ভাল পারে পলায়ন।
বইএর কথা জিজ্ঞাসা করছেন? আরে বাবা, যে লোকটা (অথবা গডটা) মাটির নীচের আন্ডারওয়ার্ল্ড এ চলে গেছে, সে প্রচার বিমুখ হবে সেটাই ত স্বাভাবিক, নাকি?
এতদিন যা পড়ে এসেছেন তা হল জিউসের বানানো বাজে কথা। যে কিনা হেরার সাথে বিয়ে হবার পরও এত আকাম-কুকাম করে বেড়ায়, তার কথায় বিশ্বাস করবেন? আচ্ছা হেডিসের নামে শুনছেন কখনো যে সে পার্সিফনির সাথে ঝামেলা করছে?
আসলে পোকার খেলায় হেরে হেডিস যখন আন্ডারওয়ার্ল্ড এ চলে যায়, তখন জিউস একগাদা উল্টাপাল্টা কথা সবাইকে গিলাইছে।
পোকার খেলা কোথথেকে আসল? কেন জিউস, পো (পোসাইডন কে আসলে ওর ভাই বোন এই নামেই ডাকত), আর হেডিস কিভাবে ক্ষমতা ভাগ করছে বলে আপনার ধারণা? লটারি? হায়রে জিউস বেটায় ইতিহাসের কি বিকৃতিই না করছে।
তাহলে নিশ্চয় বলবেন অলিম্পিয়ান আর টাইটান যুদ্ধ করছে মাউন্ট অলিম্পাসের জন্য, নাকি? আরে সত্যি হল যে, এরা ফুটবল খেলে ঠিক করেছে কে ক্ষমতায় আসবে আর কে না।
ক্যামপে এর মত এত সুইট একটা মহিলাকে কি বিষাক্ত দানব হিসেবেই না আপনাদের সামনে উপস্থাপন করছে। আর সেরেবাস? ওর মত এত কিউট একটা কে....... না, না। আমি আর লিখতে পারছি না। হাতে তুলে নিন বইটা আর শুনে নিন মিথের আসল ঘটনা গুলো, এমন একজনের কাছ থেকে যে ঐসব ঘটনা ঘটার সময় উপস্থিত ছিল - হেডিস।
বি.দ্র. বেশ মজার একটা বই, মিথ ফ্যান হলে পড়া উচিত।

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun take on Greek Mythology that is told through Hades point of view. He claims that his little brother Zeus is a giant liar. When he read the myths based on what Zeus had written he wanted to set things straight and let people know what truly happened. There are great origin stories like how the Olympics were created and how the Olympians defeated the Titans.

Anyone who likes mythology and retellings will eat this up. The books are fun and have a glossary at the back of the book so that young readers (and adults alike) can understand who the gods are and how to pronounce their names. Also the books include the version of the myths that we all know so you can compare what happens in both perspectives.

Fans of series like Goddess Girls or Percy Jackson will appreciate these quick stories that will have you contemplating the myths as we know them.

Check out http://bibliophilesisters.wordpress.com/ for more reviews.

[Ashley W · Rating 4 out of 5]

Except, ya know, he wasn't.

This poor god is just going through it. I'd have killed Zeus, just saying.

This would be a wonderful intro to Greek mythology for any child (an adult) seeking to learn more. While the the main focus was on Hades and his siblings escaping, then defeating their father, there are some other little tidbits thrown in. For example, Here possibly being Hathor in Egypt and how the gods got their weapons.
Obviously this story was watered down for children, but if someone wanted the full versions, this would be a good way to dip in.

Notes in highlights

[Maya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have a hot time Hades is the first in the Myth-o-mania series. It was very funny and interesting. When Cronus swallows five of his children they grow up in his stomach. When Rhea puts special herbs in Cronus's tea, he throws his children up. Later they meet Zeus, his children, fight dragons, and play a ten year stone ball game. Very, very good book.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book and most of the others in the series aloud to my daughter who was about 6 or 7 at the time. We both enjoyed the humor and action of the storyline.

[Julio · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a good book people that are reading this should read it

[Kamons · Rating 3 out of 5]

เป็นเรื่องที่เคยอ่านตอนเด็ก ๆ แล้วสนุก แล้วก็หาซื้อเล่มต่อ ๆ ไปไม่ได้ โชคดีที่หาซื้อมาได้อีกครั้งแบบ(เกือบ)ครบชุด ความรู้สึกตอนนั้นที่อ่านยังจำได้เลยว่าเป็นเล่มที่ทำให้มองภาพเทพซุสผู้ยิ่งใหญ่เปลี่ยนไป เป็นเรื่องที่ทำให้มองว่าอิเทพโอลิมเปียนี่ชอบสร้างแต่เรื่องราวจริง ๆ ตอนนี้มาอ่านอีกรอบก็รู้สึกว่าเป็นเรื่องที่กาวจัดๆ อิหยังวะมาก แต่ก็โอเคอยู่

[Hazel West · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved this series as a kid. Still a really fun and quirky re-write of Greek Mythology. Particularly love that it's told from Hades POV since everyone always wants to make him the villain just because he's god of the Underworld.

[Fiona Wren · Rating 4 out of 5]

We found this book deep in a box of books from my husband’s class library and thought we’d give it a shot. My 8 year old loved it. He thought the jokes were funny and it sparked an interest in Greek mythology. We’re three books in now! Recommend.

[Alexandria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remembered reading this book as a kid and adoring it--I still do. I love the characterization of the gods. It's a nice way to teach children Greek mythology, which has always been something I was fascinated with.

[Kasi · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75. It had a good start but it went on too long and got a little boring. It could also benefit from some illustrations. Not terrible, pretty funny, and a fun take on Greek mythology.

[Dolls ♥︎ · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s funny, kind of hilarious a hole book series about Greek Mythology retellings all from Hades’ perspective.

I realize that part at the very end.

[Harita · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was a Greek mythology kid growing up. Of course this slapped.

[Michael S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Personal Response
This book was an easy book to follow. I liked that it was longer and that I actually could understand what was going on. In my opinion I thought it was really funny. It was a good book even if you don't like or know much about the greek gods. It is just a all around funny book.
Plot Summary
This book started out with Hades being born then eating by his dad. The dad, or Cronus, ate Hades and his sisters and brother Poseidon. There mom screamed in horror every time he ate one of her babies. The only reason he was eating them was because he heard that one of his kids would defeat him and take over his throne. So he ate them to make sure that never happened. Then one day his wife tricked him into swallowing a stone instead of his child. The one child that did not get eating was Zeus. Zeus and his mom gave Cronus something to throw up. When he did out came Hades and his brother and sisters. Zeus was much bigger than his brothers and sisters because he was eating the right foods. Once they got out they met Zeus and there mom. She gave them a big feast with all the ambrosia they needed to make them normal god size. While Cronus wasn't feeling good the gods took advantage and pushed him into the ocean. The gods decided to move up to mount olympus and make it there home. When everyone started to ignore Zeus because of all his story's Zeus went down to Earth and had sex with a lot of mortals to have a lot of kids. Then the titans came back with Cronus and kicked the Gods of mount olympus and took it over again. The gods came up with a good plan to challenge the titans to the first olympic games. The game kickstone went on for ages and then the titans started to cheat. Then Hades and his brothers went down and rescued there mutated uncles who gave them special weapons. You'll have to read the book to find out what happens next.
Recommendation
This is a book for people who like big lettered books. I really like it because I could read it really easily. If your a kid that don't really like to read I would recommend this book because it's easy to read and the words are big.

[Dujuan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have a hot time hades is a book written by Kate Mcullan. It is the first book of the series Myth-O-Mania. Just like Get to work herculeis it has all of our famous gods.


Have a hot time Hades is about all of our famous gods are swallowed by there dad because, The dad went to a fourten teller the fourten teller told the gods father he was going to be over ruled by one of his childes. So after each and every god was born he would swallo them. The only one who did not get swallod and was protected by the mom was the famous Zuse.

Oneday Zuse came back and he saved all of his brothers and sisters but what erveryone did not know is Zues put some kind of knock out gas in the dads drink. evryone was free and, the mom made a picnic lunch. The dad started to wake up and, had a major headack. So then the gods made a lot of noise and the dad ran of.

Now the gods lived on Mt. Olympus. After a while Zues went back down to live with the mortals, because he was not getting enough attention. When Zues went back down he married a mortal. Little by little he kept on sending his children up to live on mt. Olympus.

Zues finally went back up to live on mt.Olympus. When Zues moved back to mt.Olympus a while later there dad was back and this time with titans. They all got scared and ran down the hill, and then they found a cave and lived there for a while.

All of the gods started to make up games even Zueses children. they all wanted to try to beat the titans and there dad at all of the games they made. Soon they all met up at mt.Olympus and played there games.

It was tied, but they had more game left. The game went on for years, and years. Then one day a Hades found a really nice titan, and they both did not like hades dad. The titan had brothers and sisters [Cyclopes brothers, and hundred headed dragon sisters,] but they were in jail in the underworld

So Hades,Posidon, and Zues went down to the underworld and saved them all. It took a while but they did it. after a couple of days they finaly made it back up and played the titans, and there father.

[Adil · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Greek mythology and saw this book in the library. It had just come in and it was looking awesome.To be honest i think that this book can actually attract anyone. This is one of the reasons why i decided to read this book.

A male main character. This category was interesting to read because it was in a point of view of the god "Hades." We all know that he is a male so this book comfortably fit into this category.

"Ah, mightier!"said Dad. "That is- wait a minute, I am the father. What are you saying? This is my favourite quote because it shows how Cronus reacts to this comment when he finds out that he is soon going to be trampled over by his own blood. This funny because when the seer is telling him at the start about his future he is so positive and is so glad that nothing is going to happen to his throne. This is to me and all of you greediness.

I learnt how it is very hard to take care of your own siblings especially when they are out of control. Leader is one of the most hardest thing to become if you don't know how to control a group of people.

Zeus was the most funniest shown in this book and it shows his perception which is way different to what the factual info has been given to us. I think Zeus must have been like this in his time. What i don't get is they sound like humans and act like humans so how do they become gods. I ALSO THINK HE IS VERY MISCHIEVOUS AND VERY NOT GOD LIKE. Overall, it was fun to read this book.

Review by Adil Imran

[Linda Jaejoong · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ich war ja schon immer ein Fan von Hades. Alle machen ihn immer so schlecht, nur weil er der Totengott und Herrscher über die Unterwelt ist. Ich finde ihn sehr faszinierend und war schon gespannt wir er in der "Myth-O-Mania" Reihe dargestellt wird. Hades erzählt die Geschichte aus der Ich-Perspektive und stellt die Lügen die Zeus verbreitet hat richtig.

Ich fand das Buch super lustig und unterhaltsam. Die Erzählweise von Hades macht richtig süchtig nach mehr. Ich fand ihn sehr unterhaltsam und habe förmlich an seinen Lippen gehangen. Hades ist einfach mein liebster Gott. Wenn ich überhaupt nicht mag ist Zeus, er ist so eingebildet und ein richtiges Weichei.

Das Buch ist von der Aufmachung her sehr schön gestaltet. Das Cover ist sehr hübsch und glänzt auch noch. Hades sieht einfach Hammer auf dem Cover aus und Cerberus ist so niedlich. Am Ende gibt es noch ein kleines Glossar, indem nochmal erklärt wird wer wer ist. Ich bin schon sehr auf die nächsten Bücher in der Reihe gespannt.

Fazit: Das Buch war sehr unterhaltsam und sehr spannend. Es hat sich super flüssig lesen lassen und das Englisch war leicht verständlich. Hades ist einfach super und ich finde es gut das er in jedem Buch der Erzähler ist. Das Buch eignet sich perfekt zum Vorlesen für kleine Kinder, aber auch ältere werden ihren Gefallen daran finden!!

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our girls are really getting into Greek mythology, especially our oldest. Between this book and the Goddess Girls series by Joan Holub, they are being drawn into the stories and are getting excited about the characters. Now granted, these stories are somewhat fractured versions of the myths, but they still hold true to the basic truths.

Of the two series, I think the Myth-o-Mania series is more faithful to the original stories and I like this one better. Still, I love that our girls love these stories and I hope that it instills a life-long affinity for Greek mythology and a desire to pursue more advanced versions of these stories. They discuss the various proclivities and special talents of each of the gods and goddesses and compare their favorites. So cool! We will certainly look for more of the books in this series at our local library...and soon!

[Julian P · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have finished reading Have a Hot Time Hades by Kate McMullen. The book is about how the gods were born from the titans in Hades point of view. At first Zeus Hades and Poseidon were born. Their father, Kronos didn't want to have any little troublemakers that weren't titans so he gobbled them up all but Zeus which Kronos's wife hid in a cave with a nymph. In his cave Zeus planned to get his brothers out so he made a potion and poured it into Kronos's tea. Kronos barfed all of the little gods up and they escaped far away. When Kronos came to his senses he was furious. He searched all over the land for the little gods and finally found them in his old palace on mount Olympus. The gods and titans had a very long war but finally the gods won and they played cards to see who became the ruler which is how Zeus became ruler. Hades got the underworld because he wanted some peace and quiet from the others. My favorite character was Hades because he was the most mature and had the most to do with the war. The theme of this book is peace and war.

[JustJen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd pulled this out of the library as possible reading material for the boys. They are so reluctant to read, that I do like to pre-read some books, and only pass on the very best, hoping to catch their interest. While I really enjoy reading YA stuff, these elementary books are a little harder to get into for me. But this was pretty cute and I do think the boys might like it. The four star review is more based on my recommendation to kids, rather than the fact that it kept ME super enthralled. I've always enjoyed mythology though, and this was a good review (or introduction) presented in a clever, silly, but memorable way.

I think I'll buy a copy to have on hand and encourage the boys to read it, there is an entire series if they like it ... doesn't seem to be available on Kindle yet, but the boys/schools haven't converted to digital, so an actual physical book is probably the way to go anyway.

[Christopher Delzell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious. This book is really funny, have you ever wondered how zeus became ruler of the universe? Well how it’s told in this book is that their was an ancient poker game. This book is based in greek mythological times with the greek gods such as zeus, hades, poseidon and others. The events in this book are not actually what happened according to greek mythology but it is similar it just has a funny twist that Hades put on it himself. I connect with Hades most mainly because in the real greek stories he doesn't deserve enough credit and he is really funny. This is a good book and i highly suggesting reading it especially if you're interested in greek mythology like i am. This book is really funny and really makes me want to keep reading it. The only downfall it has is it’s really short i read it in about two hours on a road trip. Overall it a good book and worth reading i can’t wait to read the other 7 books in this series.

[Owen]

This book is the first book of a series. It is the "true story of greek myths. This book is about when Hadies and his brothers and sisters are swollowed by their father Cronos. Zeus turns out to be a big fat liar. This is about them growing up and decideing who becomes ruler of who and so on.

I can make a text-to-self connection. In this book Hades made a promis to look after his brother Zuse no matter what. This promis always comes around some way because Zeus is always getting in trouble and it is realy annoying. This is sort of like haveing an obnoctious little brother or sister.

I would give this book 5 stars. The book does not get boring at all. I would recomend this book to people of all ages. I asure you that you will zoom through this book.

[Alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very fun and entertaining book told from the perspective of Hades, God of the Underworld. Tells how the Olympians beat the Titans for Mount Olympus. The beginning is when the children are all stuck in Cronus's stomach, and eventually tell of their rescue by Zeus. Right off, we see a different view of all the gods and goddesses. We see Zeus as cocky and headstrong from Hades's point of view. We also see Demeter as very motivated about the rock and the things she loves most, such as agriculture. It also shows the rivalry and dislike between Zeus's children and the original Gods and Goddesses. A very fun read where we see the gods and goddesses in a different point of view. I definitely would recommend this to anyone interested in Greek mythology.

[Finnigan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Isn't it hard to imagine all the good things about Zeus when they weren't true. In Have A Hot Time, Hades, hades is introduced as a good guy. He tells the story about growing up in his dad's belly. The three elements that stand out are characters, setting, and and humor. The first element is shown when hades is introducing himself as not the most nice man but not evil and he has lots of personality. The second element in mentioned how hades lives in The underworld where he can talk to dead spirits and shop. The third element is used quite often when they are describing their life in their fathers stomach. This book is very good for people who like Greek mythology and humor.

[Maclean H · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am currenty reading Have A Hot Time, Hades By: Kate McMullan. This book is about when Hades is born his dad eats him. My favorite part is when his dad eats nectar and Hades swims in it because it is something that nobody would do. I was suprised when one day his dad ate his little sister Afriditeis and Hades had to raise Afridities in his dad's stomach. I also enjoyed the part when Hades and Afiditeis kicked their dad to make hime miserble.This book is fiction because I do not think this would really happen.

[Kendra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I might have been impatient with this book and the tone if my seven year old and i had not already read a lot of mythology together. He already likes the stories and we have great conversations (sometimes awkward questions about marital arrangements) about the Greek Myths. We have read the first two of Kate McMullen's books in this series, and will look for the rest in the library...as good and close to a 7 year old boy's beach read as it gets (and isn't a graphic novel!)

[Connor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Are all the Greek mythology stories wrong? In "Have a hot time Hades!" by Kate McMullen that is what Hades is trying to explain. This point of view is 1st person, where Hades tells the real story about how the Gods came to be. This character development is great. He starts at the very beginning of time. The setting was also good. It is in the Underworld. If people like mythology then they will like the actual story.