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Timelessness
Asterius: Timelessness
My Name is Asterius, yet I have never seen the stars.
You all know me as the Minotaur.
This is my story.
The Minotaur himself relates to a mysterious listener the events that led to his death in the Labyrinth as he reflects upon the meaning of good versus evil, right versus wrong and monsters versus heroes.
You all know me as the Minotaur.
This is my story.
The Minotaur himself relates to a mysterious listener the events that led to his death in the Labyrinth as he reflects upon the meaning of good versus evil, right versus wrong and monsters versus heroes.
- GenresFantasy
Audible Audio
Published December 27, 2024
17 people want to read
About the author
Susana Imaginário
15 books101 followersWriter and reader of unusual books.
Susana Imaginário is a misfit from Portugal. She now lives in Ireland with her husband and their extremely spoiled pups.
Her hobbies include reading (a lot), playing board games, hanging upside down, poking around ancient ruins, talking to trees and being tired.
Timelessness combines mythology and slipstream fiction with a generous dose of dark humour and psychology.
Susana Imaginário is a misfit from Portugal. She now lives in Ireland with her husband and their extremely spoiled pups.
Her hobbies include reading (a lot), playing board games, hanging upside down, poking around ancient ruins, talking to trees and being tired.
Timelessness combines mythology and slipstream fiction with a generous dose of dark humour and psychology.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
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December 5, 2024Asterius is a grim & dark retelling of the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur set in the Timelessness universe.
This is a standalone novella. You don't need to have read any of the previous books in the series. There are no spoilers, only a few teasers to give you a taste of the Wyrd.
Beware, this is not your typicall retellling and it's not suited for the easily offended.
Out Dec 21st. Available for pre-order now.
Happy reading.
This is a standalone novella. You don't need to have read any of the previous books in the series. There are no spoilers, only a few teasers to give you a taste of the Wyrd.
Beware, this is not your typicall retellling and it's not suited for the easily offended.
Out Dec 21st. Available for pre-order now.
Happy reading.
December 21, 2024
This retelling of Theseus and the Minotaur by the minotaur himself is an excellent novella! Great writing makes it an even faster read. And to top it off...it has a connection to her other books in the Timelessness series!
A must-read novella for anyone who loves mythology/wants a palate cleanser/is interested in the Timelessness series/loves short stories...
A must-read novella for anyone who loves mythology/wants a palate cleanser/is interested in the Timelessness series/loves short stories...
February 21, 2025
When I was six or seven someone gave me a book on Greek Myths. I suppose it had the most famous stories, but I remember being obsessed with one in particular, about the Minotaur and his labyrinth. The reason is that the Minotaur terrified me beyond words, to the point of having repeated nightmares of being trapped in the labyrinth, chased by the monster. It got so bad that my mother threw the book away, as I couldn’t help myself from opening the book to that specific page every day.
I am relating this because this book is a retelling of that story, and while all these years it was the terror and fright, even if only as memories, that I associated with the Minotaur and his labyrinth, now that I have read this book, my perception of it all is forever changed, and this alone is a testament to how good the book is.
The book is what I took to calling ‘revisionist mythology’, which is born from the same impulse as revisionist history: the idea, or suspicion, that something doesn’t quite add up in the conventional narrative, that the basic facts may be correct, but they are presented in a frame that conceals more than it reveals, and that deceives more than it enlightens (I confess Greek Myth always seemed to me to be among the stories most in need of revision). The writer then, using both imagination and reason, pursues the story and tries to make sense of it. In this case, it meant presenting the story from the perspective of the Minotaur, and it is not only expertly written, but it makes much more sense.
There are plenty of books presenting a story from the perspective of the villain, but more often than not, and even if they are well written, once we finish the book we can reason back to sanity and realize that it was a trick, that the villain is still the villain, and that we were being led by the hand towards a wrong (and usually evil) conclusion. But this is not the case here. One comes to have sympathy for the monster, but not as monster: in fact, one understands, in the end, that he is probably the least monstruous being involved in the story. And this is not a trick, it is a logical and well thought out conclusion.
On the technical aspects of the book, I will mention the great pacing of the story, the sophisticated wit of the dialogue (though I did not care for the cursing, as I felt it out of character, but thankfully it was very sparse), the little philosophical musings and the beautifully rendered sense of tragedy and even bittersweetness to the character of the Minotaur, which as the author points out, no one even remembers the name of - I certainly didn’t, but I will now!
But while all this is true, and makes for great reading, I think the most remarkable achievement is that Susana has taken a well known story, told a thousand times and known by everyone, and not only made it more interesting, but also more true, and that is a very rare feat. I finished the book with the sense that, finally, I knew the real story.
One of the best books I have ever read, truly.
I am relating this because this book is a retelling of that story, and while all these years it was the terror and fright, even if only as memories, that I associated with the Minotaur and his labyrinth, now that I have read this book, my perception of it all is forever changed, and this alone is a testament to how good the book is.
The book is what I took to calling ‘revisionist mythology’, which is born from the same impulse as revisionist history: the idea, or suspicion, that something doesn’t quite add up in the conventional narrative, that the basic facts may be correct, but they are presented in a frame that conceals more than it reveals, and that deceives more than it enlightens (I confess Greek Myth always seemed to me to be among the stories most in need of revision). The writer then, using both imagination and reason, pursues the story and tries to make sense of it. In this case, it meant presenting the story from the perspective of the Minotaur, and it is not only expertly written, but it makes much more sense.
There are plenty of books presenting a story from the perspective of the villain, but more often than not, and even if they are well written, once we finish the book we can reason back to sanity and realize that it was a trick, that the villain is still the villain, and that we were being led by the hand towards a wrong (and usually evil) conclusion. But this is not the case here. One comes to have sympathy for the monster, but not as monster: in fact, one understands, in the end, that he is probably the least monstruous being involved in the story. And this is not a trick, it is a logical and well thought out conclusion.
On the technical aspects of the book, I will mention the great pacing of the story, the sophisticated wit of the dialogue (though I did not care for the cursing, as I felt it out of character, but thankfully it was very sparse), the little philosophical musings and the beautifully rendered sense of tragedy and even bittersweetness to the character of the Minotaur, which as the author points out, no one even remembers the name of - I certainly didn’t, but I will now!
But while all this is true, and makes for great reading, I think the most remarkable achievement is that Susana has taken a well known story, told a thousand times and known by everyone, and not only made it more interesting, but also more true, and that is a very rare feat. I finished the book with the sense that, finally, I knew the real story.
One of the best books I have ever read, truly.
April 25, 2025
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I might describe it as a mythological mystery but it was so much more. This was an inspired telling from the forgotten perspective of the Minotaur. If you are familiar with Greek mythology you may find this illuminating in unexpected ways.
But you need only a beating heart and a healthy curiosity to connect with this book. There was a gradually unfolding mystery that drew me in and cut to the heart of some deep metaphysical and personal issues. Masterfully told, this book contained great depth, and not just for its size. I am delighted to have found this. Well worth it.
But you need only a beating heart and a healthy curiosity to connect with this book. There was a gradually unfolding mystery that drew me in and cut to the heart of some deep metaphysical and personal issues. Masterfully told, this book contained great depth, and not just for its size. I am delighted to have found this. Well worth it.
February 17, 2025
Fantastic!
I loved this book! It reads well, and the “monster” is just so…human. Seeing the events of Ancient Greece through his eyes definitely challenges my perception of “heros” and the roles they play in the old stories. My Greek mythology is a little rusty but I really enjoyed all the name-dropping and the way the author intertwined their story with the Minotaur’s. All in all a terrific read and now I may need to go and read the whole Timeless series…
I loved this book! It reads well, and the “monster” is just so…human. Seeing the events of Ancient Greece through his eyes definitely challenges my perception of “heros” and the roles they play in the old stories. My Greek mythology is a little rusty but I really enjoyed all the name-dropping and the way the author intertwined their story with the Minotaur’s. All in all a terrific read and now I may need to go and read the whole Timeless series…
December 20, 2024
There are those times in my reading life where I get genuinely excited and one of those times is when Susana Imaginario pings me and says ‘I’ve got a new book out, do you want to read it?’ And then I virtually bite her hand off in my fervour.
I make no bones in saying that The Timelessness series is one of my favourite series of all time and is very dear to my reading heart, so whenever a new one comes out, I like to read it a couple of times before it comes out.
Asterius retells the story of the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur. Now I am sure that you know the story of Theseus and the Minotaur. Asterius, the half bull, half human lives in the maze designed by master architect Daedalus on the island of Crete, and is given a sacrifice of seven men and seven women every seven years (yes, I know that there is a proliferation of the number seven in the story) until Theseus comes along with a ball of string and a pretty specific sword given to him by King Minos of Crete’s daughter, Ariadne. He manages to kill the Minotaur and then find his way out of the labyrinth. (I am sorry for the spoilers if you didn’t know this, but I thought I was on safe ground due to the fact that the story has been in the public domain for a couple of thousand years)
So, getting back from that little aside, Asterius tells the story of the Minotaur who is chronicling the events leading up to his death and how he died. Except this is Susana Imaginario telling the story, and things (as usual!) are not what they seem. For one, we get to see Asterius’s humanity rather than the monstrous alter ego that is portrayed in the myths and legends.
In Asterius, the minotaur has a distinct humanity. More so than some of the supporting characters in the story.
As expected, Asterius is a brilliant addition to the Timelessness series. Asterius is a sympathetic character and much like other fictional monsters, you can’t help but feel sorry for the creature, and even though you know the inevitable ending (again – a couple of thousand years people) how this ending comes about is cleverly upended by Susana Imaginario.
One of the highlights of the tale is the interactions between Theseus and Asterius as they talk over a number of different subjects and how he came to be in the labyrinth.
The book i9s full of the sly wit and snarky humour that I have come to expect with these books, although there are portions of the book that are a little dark, but this is to be expected with the subject matter.
Asterius is a really good addition to the Timelessness series and leads to some interesting questions as to how this will fit into the wider arc of the series.
I make no bones in saying that The Timelessness series is one of my favourite series of all time and is very dear to my reading heart, so whenever a new one comes out, I like to read it a couple of times before it comes out.
Asterius retells the story of the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur. Now I am sure that you know the story of Theseus and the Minotaur. Asterius, the half bull, half human lives in the maze designed by master architect Daedalus on the island of Crete, and is given a sacrifice of seven men and seven women every seven years (yes, I know that there is a proliferation of the number seven in the story) until Theseus comes along with a ball of string and a pretty specific sword given to him by King Minos of Crete’s daughter, Ariadne. He manages to kill the Minotaur and then find his way out of the labyrinth. (I am sorry for the spoilers if you didn’t know this, but I thought I was on safe ground due to the fact that the story has been in the public domain for a couple of thousand years)
So, getting back from that little aside, Asterius tells the story of the Minotaur who is chronicling the events leading up to his death and how he died. Except this is Susana Imaginario telling the story, and things (as usual!) are not what they seem. For one, we get to see Asterius’s humanity rather than the monstrous alter ego that is portrayed in the myths and legends.
In Asterius, the minotaur has a distinct humanity. More so than some of the supporting characters in the story.
As expected, Asterius is a brilliant addition to the Timelessness series. Asterius is a sympathetic character and much like other fictional monsters, you can’t help but feel sorry for the creature, and even though you know the inevitable ending (again – a couple of thousand years people) how this ending comes about is cleverly upended by Susana Imaginario.
One of the highlights of the tale is the interactions between Theseus and Asterius as they talk over a number of different subjects and how he came to be in the labyrinth.
The book i9s full of the sly wit and snarky humour that I have come to expect with these books, although there are portions of the book that are a little dark, but this is to be expected with the subject matter.
Asterius is a really good addition to the Timelessness series and leads to some interesting questions as to how this will fit into the wider arc of the series.
September 3, 2025
The minotaur Asterius has spent his entire life a prisoner of a labyrinth created by the great inventor Daedalus. His days are spent reading great works and hunting down the "tribute" that King Minos tosses in. One day, a hero comes to visit.
Pros:
The story of Asterius is told entirely through a mix of inner monologue and conversation, and it was a rare pleasure to listen to. The prose flows smoothly, the characters are distinct, and the pacing is excellent. The author does a flawless job of portraying the ruminations and introspections of Asterius as he goes about his various tasks. I was particularly impressed with the authenticity of the banter between various characters—nothing ever felt contrived.
Cons:
Nothing comes to mind. This story is a rare gem.
Rating: I gave this novel 5 stars, which means I will likely read it again and I'll probably buy a paperback copy to accidentally leave with friends.
Pros:
The story of Asterius is told entirely through a mix of inner monologue and conversation, and it was a rare pleasure to listen to. The prose flows smoothly, the characters are distinct, and the pacing is excellent. The author does a flawless job of portraying the ruminations and introspections of Asterius as he goes about his various tasks. I was particularly impressed with the authenticity of the banter between various characters—nothing ever felt contrived.
Cons:
Nothing comes to mind. This story is a rare gem.
Rating: I gave this novel 5 stars, which means I will likely read it again and I'll probably buy a paperback copy to accidentally leave with friends.
March 5, 2025
Left me wanting more
This is the beginning of a great story. I can't wait to read this series, now. Gods of different pantheons, the intriguing perspective of Asterius, and all the familiar names given different emphasis. Loved it!
This is the beginning of a great story. I can't wait to read this series, now. Gods of different pantheons, the intriguing perspective of Asterius, and all the familiar names given different emphasis. Loved it!
January 23, 2026
Amazing
A very well written and engaging story by Susanna Imaginario. I always enjoy revisiting "The Timelessness Universe," and this is a continuation of that storyline.
It's definitely a worthy addition to it, and I'm never disappointed by this author.
A very well written and engaging story by Susanna Imaginario. I always enjoy revisiting "The Timelessness Universe," and this is a continuation of that storyline.
It's definitely a worthy addition to it, and I'm never disappointed by this author.
December 10, 2024
Review to come.
February 19, 2025
Meh
This was a DNF for me. I appreciate the lore and to read the narrative from a supposed villain by which the author humanizes him in a good way, but the plot was sluggish. If you are looking for a short read and love Greek mythology, you might enjoy this book.
This was a DNF for me. I appreciate the lore and to read the narrative from a supposed villain by which the author humanizes him in a good way, but the plot was sluggish. If you are looking for a short read and love Greek mythology, you might enjoy this book.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews