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The Hidden Academy #3
Pantheon of the Dead
When a visit to an old friend ends with a dead body and the appearance of a monstrous creature, Ash finds himself in more trouble than he could ever have imagined. An ever escalating crisis unfolds, as one after another his friends, colleagues and allies are maimed, murdered and kidnapped. While dodging Harpies and combating a Hydra, Ash comes to realise that a dangerous plot has formed; one which threatens the lives and minds of everyone he knows. Time is running out for him to uncover which god, goddess or primordial power is behind this sinister attempt to remake the world and the only place he can go to look for answers is hardly inviting.
Life is pure hell when you take a trip to the Underworld.
Life is pure hell when you take a trip to the Underworld.
363 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 12, 2012
7 people are currently reading
44 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
April 20, 2012
By Zeus this is good;yes, this time it's the Greek pantheon causing a rumpus(or is it a fracas?).
This novel follows on from The Unicorn Crisis and The Digital Wolf;the continuing adventures of David Ash-Summoner.
It's More...in every way!.more personal to Ash,darker,more detailed and more polished.
This novel follows on from The Unicorn Crisis and The Digital Wolf;the continuing adventures of David Ash-Summoner.
It's More...in every way!.more personal to Ash,darker,more detailed and more polished.
May 25, 2012
Now that I've finished...this is my favourite of the Hidden Academy books so far. It's darker and heavier but fast-paced and written with fabulous skill. Jon Rosenberg has a magical way with words that weaves worlds I can utterly believe. I love the personalities of the gods - they're so self-centred and petty. I need to go back to my Larousse Encyclopedia of Mythology in preparation for the next installment - Welsh gods, is it? I can't wait!
November 24, 2014
Book reviews for goodreads 2013 also
=============================
Pantheon of the Dead by Jon Rosenberg, Alex Buck and Alison Buck
Now here comes the details of the Greek myths as I found that without looking them up I missed a great deal of this story - which was a pity. I suspect that if I don’t know these stories in detail then the average reader will not either, so here is what I have gleaned. I don’t propose that this is complete by any means but I can suggest some books to look at if you want to find out more….
Firstly you can look at the site: www.theoi.com which has a lot of charts and covers the main gods - this is a great site to look at.
I also bought myself some cheap books to explore the myths that I had either forgotten or didn’t know as I didn’t study Ancient Greek at school. Here are some more obscure gods/goddesses and their stories:
Mnemosyne is the Titan goddess of memory and remembrance, inventiveness of languages and words
She is the daughter of Ouranos (Heaven) and thus also a goddess of Time. She represented rote memorisation which was required of course before the invention of writing. She was the mother of the Muses who were the patron goddesses of poets and the oral tradition. She presided over the underground oracle of Trophonios.
Chaos is the parent of Nix. Chaos also gave birth to Erebus, Gaia, Tartarus and Eros.
Nix was the goddess of the Night and stood near the beginning of creation and was the mother of Hypnos (Sleep) and Thanatos (Death). She is found in the shadows and one can only catch glimpses of her. Her consort is Erebus (the primeval darkness). Note that there was a lot of marrying of siblings and even parents to children (and then they wondered why some of the children were a bit peculiar…)
Uranus asked Tartarus to take the Giants (his children with Gaia but..) as he didn’t like them.
Gaia was very unhappy about this and thus asked the Titans to kill Uranus. Cronus agreed. Cronus then castrated Uranus and threw his penis into the sea. Uranus’ blood created more Giants on the earth but in the sea his penis created Aphrodite the first deity within the 12 Olympians.
Cronus then sent all his siblings into Tartarus except Rhea who he married.
The children of Cronus and Rhea are: Hades; Poseidon; Hestia; Demeter; Hera; and Zeus
Cronus then ate all his children except Zeus who, when he was born, Rhea substituted a rock for. Cronus swallowed the rock instead without noticing.
Zeus was smuggled away by Gaia and grew up safely.
Gaia gave Zeus a potion that would make Cronus expel all the previously swallowed siblings, who would now be fully grown. Having been expelled from Cronus the 5 fled to Mount Olympus and Aphrodite. Zeus also released everyone from Tartarus.
Cronus and his sibling Titans then went to war with the gods on Mt Olympus. Zeus et al won and imprisoned Cronus in Tartarus. The other Titans were put to work. Eg Atlas to hold the skies, and Prometheus - rock . Zeus was now on Mt Olympus with Poseidon, Artemis, Apollo, Hades and Perseus.
Hades is the god of the Underworld, the Dead and Riches. He is the brother of Zeus and Poseidon and fought the Titans with them. His children are Macaria, Melinoe and Zagreus. There were several sections to the Underworld, including Elysium (Islands of the Blessed), the Asphodel Meadows (for the ‘shades’ of heroes) and Tartarus where they kept imprisoning people they didn’t like.
The dead entered the world through the river Acheron, being ferried by Charon who charged the one coin that you placed in the mouth of the newly dead.
There were five rivers in the Underworld: Acheron (sorrow or woe); Cocytus (lamentation); Phlegethon (fire); Styx (hate) and Lethe (oblivion) although some traditions also call Lethe the sea of tears
Before the palace of Hades sit the three judges of the Underworld: Minos ,Rhadamanthus, and Aeacus. There souls are judged, returned to Asphodel if they are neither virtuous nor evil, sent to Tartarus if they are impious or evil, or sent to Elysium with the "blameless" heroes.
Some more marriages and births:
Zeus M Hera (women and marriage) = Ares; Hephaestus (Blacksmiths)
Poseidon M Amphitrite (sea goddess)
Zeus M Demeter = Persephone
Persephone: well we all know the story of her and Hades – She is also called Kore. Kore meaning the ‘maiden’.
That said, tradition also has her having relations with her father Zeus and this being the mother of Dionysius. This tradition predates that of the Olympians.
Demeter M Poseidon
Zeus M Leto (daughter of Titans) = Apollo, Artemis
Zeus M Maia (daughter of Atlas) = Hermes
Prometheus then created the first men out of clay and taught them a civilised life style. Zeus refused to give them fire, but Prometheus gave it to them anyway. Zeus created the first woman in retribution!!!! = Pandora. Epimetheseus persuaded Pandora to open her jar. Out flew a collection of ailments that Zeus had sent to torment mankind. These included: old age, jealousy, anger, laziness, fear of death, uncontrolled passion, the dangers of childbirth etc.
So now you know all of the above, you can read the book The Pantheon of the Dead!.
I liked the book but did find that my lack of knowledge of the above details – I was never taught classical Greek or the classical history at school – left me somewhat stranded at times. So whilst I would recommend the book to all readers with the above knowledge, if you don’t, you need to be sure you know your Greek myths or study them alongside!
I do hope that it wasn’t his education showing and being shown off… and that the next book on the series is easier to follow. According to his bio it isn’t but still.. I await the next book in the Hidden Academy series with interest especially as he says it is set in Wales and I do like that country.
Sorry that this review is so late but it took me a while (nearly a year) to complete reading the about the Greek myths and writing them up when I had the time...
=============================
Pantheon of the Dead by Jon Rosenberg, Alex Buck and Alison Buck
Now here comes the details of the Greek myths as I found that without looking them up I missed a great deal of this story - which was a pity. I suspect that if I don’t know these stories in detail then the average reader will not either, so here is what I have gleaned. I don’t propose that this is complete by any means but I can suggest some books to look at if you want to find out more….
Firstly you can look at the site: www.theoi.com which has a lot of charts and covers the main gods - this is a great site to look at.
I also bought myself some cheap books to explore the myths that I had either forgotten or didn’t know as I didn’t study Ancient Greek at school. Here are some more obscure gods/goddesses and their stories:
Mnemosyne is the Titan goddess of memory and remembrance, inventiveness of languages and words
She is the daughter of Ouranos (Heaven) and thus also a goddess of Time. She represented rote memorisation which was required of course before the invention of writing. She was the mother of the Muses who were the patron goddesses of poets and the oral tradition. She presided over the underground oracle of Trophonios.
Chaos is the parent of Nix. Chaos also gave birth to Erebus, Gaia, Tartarus and Eros.
Nix was the goddess of the Night and stood near the beginning of creation and was the mother of Hypnos (Sleep) and Thanatos (Death). She is found in the shadows and one can only catch glimpses of her. Her consort is Erebus (the primeval darkness). Note that there was a lot of marrying of siblings and even parents to children (and then they wondered why some of the children were a bit peculiar…)
Uranus asked Tartarus to take the Giants (his children with Gaia but..) as he didn’t like them.
Gaia was very unhappy about this and thus asked the Titans to kill Uranus. Cronus agreed. Cronus then castrated Uranus and threw his penis into the sea. Uranus’ blood created more Giants on the earth but in the sea his penis created Aphrodite the first deity within the 12 Olympians.
Cronus then sent all his siblings into Tartarus except Rhea who he married.
The children of Cronus and Rhea are: Hades; Poseidon; Hestia; Demeter; Hera; and Zeus
Cronus then ate all his children except Zeus who, when he was born, Rhea substituted a rock for. Cronus swallowed the rock instead without noticing.
Zeus was smuggled away by Gaia and grew up safely.
Gaia gave Zeus a potion that would make Cronus expel all the previously swallowed siblings, who would now be fully grown. Having been expelled from Cronus the 5 fled to Mount Olympus and Aphrodite. Zeus also released everyone from Tartarus.
Cronus and his sibling Titans then went to war with the gods on Mt Olympus. Zeus et al won and imprisoned Cronus in Tartarus. The other Titans were put to work. Eg Atlas to hold the skies, and Prometheus - rock . Zeus was now on Mt Olympus with Poseidon, Artemis, Apollo, Hades and Perseus.
Hades is the god of the Underworld, the Dead and Riches. He is the brother of Zeus and Poseidon and fought the Titans with them. His children are Macaria, Melinoe and Zagreus. There were several sections to the Underworld, including Elysium (Islands of the Blessed), the Asphodel Meadows (for the ‘shades’ of heroes) and Tartarus where they kept imprisoning people they didn’t like.
The dead entered the world through the river Acheron, being ferried by Charon who charged the one coin that you placed in the mouth of the newly dead.
There were five rivers in the Underworld: Acheron (sorrow or woe); Cocytus (lamentation); Phlegethon (fire); Styx (hate) and Lethe (oblivion) although some traditions also call Lethe the sea of tears
Before the palace of Hades sit the three judges of the Underworld: Minos ,Rhadamanthus, and Aeacus. There souls are judged, returned to Asphodel if they are neither virtuous nor evil, sent to Tartarus if they are impious or evil, or sent to Elysium with the "blameless" heroes.
Some more marriages and births:
Zeus M Hera (women and marriage) = Ares; Hephaestus (Blacksmiths)
Poseidon M Amphitrite (sea goddess)
Zeus M Demeter = Persephone
Persephone: well we all know the story of her and Hades – She is also called Kore. Kore meaning the ‘maiden’.
That said, tradition also has her having relations with her father Zeus and this being the mother of Dionysius. This tradition predates that of the Olympians.
Demeter M Poseidon
Zeus M Leto (daughter of Titans) = Apollo, Artemis
Zeus M Maia (daughter of Atlas) = Hermes
Prometheus then created the first men out of clay and taught them a civilised life style. Zeus refused to give them fire, but Prometheus gave it to them anyway. Zeus created the first woman in retribution!!!! = Pandora. Epimetheseus persuaded Pandora to open her jar. Out flew a collection of ailments that Zeus had sent to torment mankind. These included: old age, jealousy, anger, laziness, fear of death, uncontrolled passion, the dangers of childbirth etc.
So now you know all of the above, you can read the book The Pantheon of the Dead!.
I liked the book but did find that my lack of knowledge of the above details – I was never taught classical Greek or the classical history at school – left me somewhat stranded at times. So whilst I would recommend the book to all readers with the above knowledge, if you don’t, you need to be sure you know your Greek myths or study them alongside!
I do hope that it wasn’t his education showing and being shown off… and that the next book on the series is easier to follow. According to his bio it isn’t but still.. I await the next book in the Hidden Academy series with interest especially as he says it is set in Wales and I do like that country.
Sorry that this review is so late but it took me a while (nearly a year) to complete reading the about the Greek myths and writing them up when I had the time...
June 19, 2012
Another fantastic read. This is the third book in the Hidden Academy series. The first The Unicorn Crisis (The Hidden Academy) was poetic and fun, the second The Digital Wolf (The Hidden Academy) darker and sensual, but in this one the readers get an inkling of how powerful David Ash is destined to be.
It starts off with an event so unexpected and explosive that I actually skipped back and read it again. That pace continues within the book as the reader is imbibed into the world of mythology, which Rosenberg has managed to combine with oddities of the Fae, the power hungry Gods and the elements of magick.
One would think that the subject matter of Gods would be in danger of being to complex, but Rosenberg has written the drama and jealousy prone Godly Diva Brigade in such a way that they possess a level of humanity that endears them to the reader
To top it all off the author has inked in a tiny cliffhanger of sorts, which I know is going to drive me bananas until the next book and I can't write about it in the review, because it would reveal an important part of the plot. I highly recommend this series.
It starts off with an event so unexpected and explosive that I actually skipped back and read it again. That pace continues within the book as the reader is imbibed into the world of mythology, which Rosenberg has managed to combine with oddities of the Fae, the power hungry Gods and the elements of magick.
One would think that the subject matter of Gods would be in danger of being to complex, but Rosenberg has written the drama and jealousy prone Godly Diva Brigade in such a way that they possess a level of humanity that endears them to the reader
To top it all off the author has inked in a tiny cliffhanger of sorts, which I know is going to drive me bananas until the next book and I can't write about it in the review, because it would reveal an important part of the plot. I highly recommend this series.
April 18, 2012
The third volume of Jon Rosenberg’s Hidden Academy series will not disappoint any of his many fans. David Ash goes up against the Greek gods who are trying to regain their old powers. He needs to enable the return of his fellow Summoners who have all been spirited away and he journeys into Hades to do so. The work is darker, more thoughtful, than the earlier books which often contained a good deal of humour. Jon has moved his writing up to a new level with this story.
What impresses me greatly is the descriptive talent he displays in showing us the use of Ash’s powers. There is some wonderful writing here and to be able to explain and describe so clearly a process which doesn’t exist is an enviable skill. I read it, I saw it in my mind, I believed it. This book will enhance Jon Rosenberg’s reputation as a skilled storyteller. His writing is developing both in style and in power. I loved it!
What impresses me greatly is the descriptive talent he displays in showing us the use of Ash’s powers. There is some wonderful writing here and to be able to explain and describe so clearly a process which doesn’t exist is an enviable skill. I read it, I saw it in my mind, I believed it. This book will enhance Jon Rosenberg’s reputation as a skilled storyteller. His writing is developing both in style and in power. I loved it!
July 4, 2013
There was quite a bit more substance to this book than the previous two, and it had an overall darker tone. I really like Greek mythology, so it had me hooked from the start. Felt that Rosenberg had some interesting themes and ideas that didn't get explored quite enough, lots of ideas but little follow through in the long run - but in a fantsy book about magic & mythology, is it really to be expected?
David Ash clearly the main character, the others had only brief moments in this tale. Overall, very enjoyable.
David Ash clearly the main character, the others had only brief moments in this tale. Overall, very enjoyable.
April 16, 2012
This is book #3 in the Hidden Academy series, and this time it's the classical Greek pantheon causing trouble. There's plenty of action, plenty of humour and all the characters we've come to know in the previous two books, plus some new ones. I really enjoyed it; in fact I read it in pretty much one sitting. I want another one now!
November 5, 2012
Ash travels to the underworld.
Rosenberg writes very graphic text. You can feel you are in the places he describes. The underworld is a strange and perplexing place and he gets that over very well.
Rosenberg writes very graphic text. You can feel you are in the places he describes. The underworld is a strange and perplexing place and he gets that over very well.
May 20, 2012
Each book in the series just gets better and better.
October 11, 2018
Somewhere in the middle of this book I realized that I did not care about any of the characters.
That made reading the rest of the book surprisingly entertaining, because my expectations dropped. Add to that a more concentrated theme and this manages to jump over the very low hurdle the second book set and be almost as good as the first one.
But there is also a structural problem I cannot ignore any more: there is no development in any of the stories. In fact, there is no real reason for these three books to be set up in the order they are. I never have the impression that these characters have worked together, nevertheless having a relationship.
This book is the same story as the ones before, with changed elements. Focussing makes it better than the second book but I would still like to have actual characters.
That made reading the rest of the book surprisingly entertaining, because my expectations dropped. Add to that a more concentrated theme and this manages to jump over the very low hurdle the second book set and be almost as good as the first one.
But there is also a structural problem I cannot ignore any more: there is no development in any of the stories. In fact, there is no real reason for these three books to be set up in the order they are. I never have the impression that these characters have worked together, nevertheless having a relationship.
This book is the same story as the ones before, with changed elements. Focussing makes it better than the second book but I would still like to have actual characters.
July 14, 2023
Best yet in excellent series
Love this author's imagination and range. A great fantasy thriller written with insight and intelligence. His descriptive powers are amazing: his description of Hades is so bleak, I found I didn't want to read it. His discussion of poetry and philosophy is intellectual thallus impressive.
The only gripe I have is that no-one, it would seem, bothered to proof read this Kindle edition, so there are silly errors e.g. "principal" where "principle" was meant, and some missing words.
But heartily recommended!
Love this author's imagination and range. A great fantasy thriller written with insight and intelligence. His descriptive powers are amazing: his description of Hades is so bleak, I found I didn't want to read it. His discussion of poetry and philosophy is intellectual thallus impressive.
The only gripe I have is that no-one, it would seem, bothered to proof read this Kindle edition, so there are silly errors e.g. "principal" where "principle" was meant, and some missing words.
But heartily recommended!
September 16, 2017
David Ash and his team, The Welsh Dwarf, the American Looker, the Svartalfar and Alf sorry Alpha off on a new adventure that nearly ends in Hell for our hero.
Getting a little samey and introspective. Tricky if your mythology is a little rusty.
Getting a little samey and introspective. Tricky if your mythology is a little rusty.
June 30, 2014
It seems reviewers tended to like this third book of the series the best. I didn't: here the balance between great and problematic stuff tipped for me. While it does showcase Rosenberg's maturation - primarily of theme and heft - it comes at the price of the manic storytelling joy of the previous books.
Problematic: Ash is more than a bit of a Mary Sue. As is often the case in series books with a Sue-ish lead, the supporting cast is more fun, vivid, and down-to-earth, and serves as an important check on the excesses of the main character. Here Ash is stripped of his support - a solid plot device - but at the price of losing that counterbalance.
"Resisting seduction" continues as a theme, and while the temptations of power are a critical element of the series construction, the extent to which that's repeatedly presented through female sexuality is a bit troubling.
Great: This volume fleshes out the world and magic systems significantly, and it's well done. As usual, the mystery is well-crafted, convoluted without being messy or unsolveable. Ash's sympathy and empathy are a nice change from the more thuggish kick-ass heroes of urban fantasy.
In all, Pantheon is well worth reading, and a solid take on the Persephone story, and I'm eager for more in Rosenberg's series. I just hope the author learns to balance heft and maturity with the fun of the earlier volumes.
Problematic: Ash is more than a bit of a Mary Sue. As is often the case in series books with a Sue-ish lead, the supporting cast is more fun, vivid, and down-to-earth, and serves as an important check on the excesses of the main character. Here Ash is stripped of his support - a solid plot device - but at the price of losing that counterbalance.
"Resisting seduction" continues as a theme, and while the temptations of power are a critical element of the series construction, the extent to which that's repeatedly presented through female sexuality is a bit troubling.
Great: This volume fleshes out the world and magic systems significantly, and it's well done. As usual, the mystery is well-crafted, convoluted without being messy or unsolveable. Ash's sympathy and empathy are a nice change from the more thuggish kick-ass heroes of urban fantasy.
In all, Pantheon is well worth reading, and a solid take on the Persephone story, and I'm eager for more in Rosenberg's series. I just hope the author learns to balance heft and maturity with the fun of the earlier volumes.
May 7, 2012
Well now , I have to say I am not really sure ! This book is so very full, I felt it was a little "noisy" and I am certain I missed things in it. There is a passage in the book which actually reflects how I feel.
- " I sat in the dark room empty of all emotion, empty of thought really. I had fought and killed, manipulated and had been manipulated. Met gods and monsters, poets and creatures beyond description. I didn't know what I thought or what I felt. Maybe I was just tired." -
I think I feel as though I have been galloped through Greek mythology without a chance to stop and smell the roses. The writing is imaginative and holds the attention,but I would have liked to see Ash's character being a bit more developed, poor chap never has any time to live a little between battles! I did enjoy it and will probably have to read it again to digest all the references and of course the intriguing tease of an adventure based on Welsh legends is tantalising.......
- " I sat in the dark room empty of all emotion, empty of thought really. I had fought and killed, manipulated and had been manipulated. Met gods and monsters, poets and creatures beyond description. I didn't know what I thought or what I felt. Maybe I was just tired." -
I think I feel as though I have been galloped through Greek mythology without a chance to stop and smell the roses. The writing is imaginative and holds the attention,but I would have liked to see Ash's character being a bit more developed, poor chap never has any time to live a little between battles! I did enjoy it and will probably have to read it again to digest all the references and of course the intriguing tease of an adventure based on Welsh legends is tantalising.......
May 17, 2017
Another worthy addition to the series, Rosenberg obviously puts a lot of work into researching the background to his stories before writing them. From where the book starts, it is a long and winding journey to the ending with many turns and twists. My only slight complaint about this story is that the hero is just a little bit TOO good. Yes he carries emotional baggage and is quick at thinking on his feet, but he seems to defeat gods and faerie kings with ease!!
Definitely worth a read if you like his other stories.
Merged review:
Another in the Hidden Academy series, perhaps the best of the 3 for characterisation and plot. I did get somewhat confused at times and the plot meanders quite a lot but it's still a good book. I think the series could be improved though if the "assistants" were developed further, as only the Welsh fella really has any depth and use in this story.
Definitely worth a read if you like his other stories.
Merged review:
Another in the Hidden Academy series, perhaps the best of the 3 for characterisation and plot. I did get somewhat confused at times and the plot meanders quite a lot but it's still a good book. I think the series could be improved though if the "assistants" were developed further, as only the Welsh fella really has any depth and use in this story.
June 19, 2012
Just when you think the series can't top itself, along comes Pantheon of the Dead and blows the previous (admittedly great) novels out of the water, in a fantasy series like this one it can become easy for them to fall into a "monster of the week" mindset and it is good to see that Jon has a great way to turn your expectations of where the novel is going on its head when you least expect it, and keep focused on the great characters he has created and keep laying the ground work for what I hope will be a long running series. I look forward to David Ash's return in the near future!
September 5, 2012
Another, yet more polished offering (You have a proof reader now!) of Ash and the Academy. Nicely studied Norse gods background, it fills in the characters well. The themes of forgetting, memory and facing your past have depth and you can't help considering what your own choices would be if you faced the same.
The only thing is at the end of this novel , which leaves me to wonder where Jon will go with his next novel.
The only thing is at the end of this novel , which leaves me to wonder where Jon will go with his next novel.
October 30, 2015
The stories don't get boring. Although there's a pattern to the stories, they're not boring or excessively repetitive because of the varied characters, eras and cultures. Again, the Kindle version's atrocious, so those who cannot appreciate a book because of the typos and grammatical mistakes, go for the paperback (hopefully that's been proofread!).
March 16, 2014
Still fun. Found the snippets of what looked like copy paste text from the other books in this series a bit irritating...I mean, we get it that Titania's freckles look like they've been dusted on by some artist.
Will look out for more in the series.
Will look out for more in the series.
August 16, 2013
Just finished this book. Hoping there will be more to come. The Digital Wolf was probably my favourite of the 3 but I really enjoyed them all. Very interesting characters and plots
March 6, 2014
strong characters, good story line
September 4, 2018
I do wish he'd pay a proofreader!!
May 17, 2017
Excellent book, The series is really flying along.
The characters are all fleshing out well and the action is non-stop.
Looking forward to the next one.
The characters are all fleshing out well and the action is non-stop.
Looking forward to the next one.
September 10, 2016
I absolutely like the mix of mythology and modern technology. Pretty confusing plot but slowly detangling in the course of constant reading. Started part 4 instantly.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews