Chasing Odysseus

Hero Trilogy #1

by S.D. Gentill

BOOK ONE OF THE HERO TRILOGY!

TAKE 1 GIRL, 3 BROTHERS – ADD DARING, TREACHERY, A TRAITOR AND A DEADLY QUEST – A THRILLING ADVENTURE OF ANCIENT MYTH, MONSTERS, GODS, SORCERERS, SIRENS, MAGIC AND MANY EVILS

“…Set within the stories of Homer’s Illiad and Odyssey, Chasing Odysseus lends a witty, young adult voice to these classic stories. There were several moments during the story when I laughed out loud—the teenage herdsmen’s take on the Greek soldiers’ melodrama is particularly funny.”
- Bookseller + Publisher

“…literature’s most famous journey is transformed into a gripping fantasy-adventure series for teenagers… Four loyal children begin their own journey at sea in pursuit of truth, honour, revenge and the one man who can clear their name… easy-reading style, conventional narrative pacing, running ironic commentary and strong female protagonist… Gentill succeeds in bringing Homer’s ancient tale to life for a modern audience… Either a witty postmodern revamp or a page-turning introduction to Greek mythology, it works exceptionally well… Chasing Odysseus will surely flame the fires of interest in the classics and remind us all of why, after many thousands of years down the track, they’re still completely and utterly enthralling.”
- Meredith Tate, The Sun Herald

"... allowing minor characters and monsters a voice, Gentill provides a contemporary, sometimes humorous, and not altogether flattering critique of Odysseus’s actions and motivations, as well as a poignant reminder that, in the ancient world, you didn’t have to be a nice person to be a hero; you just had to be the last man left holding a sword."
- Ben Chandler, Australian Book Review

A thrilling adventure of ancient myth, monsters, gods, sorcerers, sirens, magic and many evils...the fall of Troy and a desperate chase across the seas in a magical Phaeacian ship...

Hero and her three brothers - Mac, Cad and Lycon go on this exciting and dangerous quest to prove their murdered father's honour, the betrayal by King Odysseus and the loyalty of their own people to the conquered city of Troy.

The Adventure and Excitement of the Hero Trilogy Begins!

Weak-eyed Hero is the beloved daughter of Agelaus, a Herdsman of Mount Ida, which looms over the fortified citadel of Troy. Hero, raised under the gentle hand of her father, in the protective company of her three wild, but noble, brothers, is ruled by a fierce piety, and tormented by her Amazon heritage.

The Herdsmen of Ida hold a sacred trust. Throughout a 10-year Greek siege, they have been feeding the citizens of Troy using the secret tunnels that run beneath the fortress walls. Faithful and fearless, they traverse the ancient passages that only they know. Now Troy has fallen, and despite having led the survivors out of the carnage, the Herdsmen are falsely accused of betrayal.

Agelaus is murdered by the anguished Trojans. The Herdsmen find themselves hated and hunted by both the Greeks and their friends, the people of Troy. They are forced into hiding, labelled cowards and traitors. Desperate to free their people from the stigma of treachery, young Hero and her brothers accept a magical ship from Pan, their beloved woodland god. They chase after Odysseus, the strategist of those who laid siege to Troy. Only he can explain how the Greeks entered the city, and in doing so cleanse the Herdsmen of the stain of treachery.

Genres: Mythology, Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Fiction, Historical, Retellings

370 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 2011

Reviews

[Krystal · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not mad, I'm just disappointed.

No, wait.

I'm kinda mad, too.

I LOVE myths and legends. I love epic sagas with quests and heroes and mythical creatures and gods. So, obviously, I'm a big fan of Homer's The Odyssey. Odysseus himself is one of my favourite characters to read about repeatedly because he was so cunning, clever, diplomatic, patriotic, and ultimately a pretty decent guy.

So, yeah, it kinda sucked to read this re-telling, where he was reduced to seeming no more than a petulant child and arrogant tyrant.

If you're looking for an easy-to-read overview of The Odyssey, this is decent because it pretty much recounts everything that befell Odysseus after the fall of Troy. But it flips the script and turns O into the Big Bad, and throws us a bunch of kids as accidental heroes instead.

The story seemed pretty weak to me. The kids made a lot of questionable decisions, and the reasoning was terrible. Their entire quest to follow O in order to restore their good name was a bit far-fetched, and because it was trying so hard to re-tell O's story, the story of the herdsmen's adventure felt quite forced. Also kinda ridiculous that these three insignificant kids have friends in all the right places, while the legendary warrior Odysseus cops eye rolls and ire everywhere he goes. Also, WTF was with the whole, 'O is old so no one will want to sleep with him, whereas these teenage boys are looking FINE' crap???! UMMMMMM. I mean aside from that seeming entirely inaccurate, and inappropriate even, why the emphasis on how terrible and ugly he is just because he's older??? I don't get it? All the references to the boys having romantic relations just seemed so forced and uncomfortable.

It irked me immensely that everyone fawned over these dumb kids when O was copping sh*t from all directions. Like, basically O is the bad guy and EVERY SINGLE OTHER PERSON OR THING he encounters is just misunderstood. There was also a really strange contrast between the YA format and the bloody, brutal, vulgar and downright indecent happenings of the original story seeping in. It really just felt like a messy splice of two stories that never really fit but kinda just got shoved together haphazardly.

The actual writing didn't really help, either, because it was a bit too much 'tell' and not enough 'show' or 'feel', so I never really appreciated our heroes. They were very two-dimensional, and even the humour fell flat because there was no sense of spirit to go with it. I didn't really FEEL anything, except mad that O was being exploited for this terrible story.

Also. Just quietly. My money is on the author being vegan. I'm just saying. No problem with it, but this book is very preachy with the whole, 'we are herdsman, we sacrifice fruit and vegetables instead of animals'. I mean how did they not actually p*ss off the gods when everyone else was sacrificing the good sh*t?

I was so looking forward to this but it rubbed me the wrong way, taking an epic story with characters I love and making a farce of it. Poor form, in my opinion.

Not particularly enticed to read the follow-up, unfortunately.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chasing Odysseus by Sulari Gentill (the first book of the Hero trilogy) is an action and adventure packed retelling of Homer's The Odyssey, told from a new perspective.

This book begins at the end of the Trojan war. After ten years, the Trojans find their beach below seemingly vacated by the Greeks, but in their place they notice a huge wooden horse. Assuming the horse was a parting gift of sorts, the Trojans work together to bring it inside their walls, unknowingly falling into the Greeks' trap.

While the Trojans celebrated what they thought was their good fortune, King Odysseus and his men sneak out of the hollow wooden horse to open the gates and let in the rest of their army. With the element of surprise on their side, the Greek king and his army ruthlessly sack Troy, destroying the once beautiful city and leaving death and ruin in its wake. Odysseus then spreads a rumor to the remaining Trojan survivers, claiming that their herdsmen aided his army in their scheme to invade and conquer Troy.

Distraught and desperate for answers, the Trojans turn to Agelaus, the head of the herdsman and punish him and two of his sons as traitors, resulting in his death. When his other two children realize what happened, they rescue their siblings from the people who have turned on them and after burying their beloved father they begin planning out their next steps.

Told from a third person perspective, we follow the children of Agelaus on their quest to prove their murdered father's honor and discover the truth of how the Greeks breached their walls to clear the names of the innocent. With the help of Pan, the god of Herdsmen, Hero and her three brothers, Machaon, Cadmus and Lychon set out on a desperate chase across the seas in pursuit of King Odysseus.

Along the way these four daring young siblings encounter tons of danger and get into all sorts of hard to escape situations. Between being poisoned by lotus fruit, cursed by witches, having to travel past sirens and other mythical sea creatures, being injured, and even being captured by the Greek's a couple of times, they don't have an easy time getting Odysseus to admit the truth. Thankfully though, their magical ship and the gods are on their side and they manage to befriend all sorts of creatures like cyclopes and the Phaeacian princess, Nausicaa.

Chasing Odysseus is a great book for teens/ young adults and adults alike, who have a love for Greek mythology. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys Homer's The Odyssey and even to fans of Rick Riordan (especially ones who enjoy his Percy Jackson series). This book will take you on an action packed adventure full of war, monsters, danger, magic, humor and four great heroic protagonists. This book sucked me in from the first chapter and I'm excited to see how the Hero Trilogy continues!


**** I received an eBook copy of this title via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. ***

[Sheila G · Rating 4 out of 5]

See this FULL review on my blog along with others at: shesgoingbookcrazy.com

I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

"Troy has fallen, Cadmus. There are not enough Trojans left to do anything but flee." He put his hand on Cadmus' shoulder. "The Herdsmen have been denounced. Troy and her allies will never accept your help again. They will not let you live."

Chasing Odysseus is an eventful retelling of Homer's The Odyssey. While I've never actually read The Odyssey before (I know, I'm getting to it,) I was familiar enough with the mythology in Chasing Odysseus to catch some (but certainly not everything) that took place. It's probably best to read this after one is familiar with the book it is retelling.



However, since I have read this book, I will review it as is, without it's ties to The Odyssey.

The tale follows Hero, a young Amazonian girl and her three brothers, Machaon, Cadmus, and Lycon. All of the Amazonian children were orphaned and given to Agelaus, a herdsman, to care for. While Hero and Machaon were Agelaus' biological children, he treated all four as though they were his own. The Herdsmen had close ties to Troy, and were seen as their allies until Troy was sacked by the Greeks, and the Herdsmen were blamed. Unrightfully wronged, the four trail Odysseus, the leader of the Greek army, to get him to admit that he had spread lies about their people.

They are then led across vast spaces, on a wild goose chase. Along the way, they encounter all sorts of creatures, races, and beings. Needless to say, there is so much going on that the reader doesn't have a chance to get bored! The pacing is non-stop, and very fast. I found myself having to reread a few passages to make sure I didn't miss anything because it flew by so quickly. Let's not forget the elements of mythology throughout this entire book, making it very engaging for the reader to see these stories told from different perspectives.

A point that I struggled with throughout this book was feeling any sort of attachment to the characters. While they do go through several trials and tribulations, Hero and her brothers never surpass a generalized state of being. I felt that their characters didn't have much individuality, and blended into one another.

Overall, it was a fun, fast read, that any mythology lover would like!

Vulgarity: None!
Sexual Content: Minimal. While sexual encounters occur between two characters, no details are given.
Violence: Moderate. Considering there is a war, some brutal beat-up scenes, and a few more, it's a bit gory.

My Rating: ★★★½

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chasing Odysseus is the first book in the Hero Trilogy by award-winning Australian author, S D Gentill. Her Amazon mother considers her flawed and hands short-sighted Hero over to Trojan Herdsman, Agelaus to be raised. The man has already proved a worthy and loving father to the sons of three Amazons, and to Paris, son of King Priam. Hero grows up on Mount Ida in his care and under the protection of her adopted brothers, Machaon, Cadmus and Lycon, even as the Greeks lay siege to Troy.

When Odysseus comes up with a clever plan to breach the Trojan walls, and the city falls, it is the Herdsmen, knowing the secret underground passages into Troy, who are blamed by Prince Scamandrios, heir to the throne. Agelaus dies in the confrontation that sees Machaon flogged by Trojan soldiers. The label of traitor doesn’t sit well, so they decide they need to find out how the Greeks got into the city.

Odysseus and his army are on their way back to Ithaca, so that seems impossible until Pan, the god of Herdsmen, offers his Phaeacian ship: small, but very fast, and self-navigating. (Only twelve to fourteen hundred years later has the human race come up with something like Pan’s nifty Phaeacian ship: a self-drive craft with GPS navigation that responds to voice commands).

The Herdsmen can’t convince the brothers to abandon this crazy plan or leave Hero behind, so there are some quick lessons in seacraft, fishing and healing. And then their adventure really begins: setting out to clear the name of Herdsmen, the four young Trojans are chasing Odysseus.

Pan’s ship functions as promised: they follow the Ithacan fleet and are witness to the less-than-admirable behaviour of the Greeks as the winds blow them all over the Mediterranean Sea. At Ismarus, the brothers manage to save the Cicone women from Greek assault; in the land of the lotus eaters, a quick-thinking Lycos takes advantage of Hero’s drug-affected aggression to evade capture by the Ithacans.

When Odysseus is blown to the land of the Cyclopes, the four witness the theft of sheep and the cruel maiming of Polyphemus; they follow the Ithacans to Aeolia where the Warden of the Gales seems to prefer Odysseus’s version of the sacking of Troy, holding the sons and daughter of Agelaus captive; they later have a narrow escape from the Laestyrgonian cannibals to whom many Greeks fall victim.

Odysseus and the remaining Greeks escape to Circe’s Island, where quite a bit of bewitching occurs, but, with some suggestions from the four, he is sent on his way with some advice and predictions from Circe; a visit to Hades where Odysseus is reminded of his duty, while Hero’s sacrifice to the Pantheon allows contact with some beloved souls.

Yet another attempt to get Odysseus to reveal the truth fails miserably, and Hero, left alone on Pan’s ship, stubbornly ignores her brother’s instruction and follows, managing to safely pass the sirens; her encounter with the Scylla and the Charybdis is much less bloodthirsty than that of Odysseus, his crew and captive Trojans; Hero eventually surprises her brothers, and earns a bit of respect, by saving their lives.

When they meet her, Calypso’s perspective of her encounter with Odysseus varies markedly from his own; finally, at the home port of Pan’s ship, some clever psychology by the respected blind Phaeacian storyteller, Demodocus sees the truth revealed. Now can they go home to Troy?

It is often said that history is written by the victors but, refreshingly, Gentill gives us the perspective of the vanquished, the young and, occasionally, the female. There’s plenty of humour in the dialogue, and the characters are appealing. This is a retelling of Greek mythology that can be enjoyed by readers of seventeen or seventy, and more of this cast in Trying War and The Blood Of Wolves is eagerly anticipated. Interesting and enjoyable

[Amy (Lost in a Good Book) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Note: I received a copy from Netgalley.

I have wanted to read this book for ages but whatI found when I did start reading it, was that it was quite underwhelming. I had been so intrigued by this book for ages and heard good things that I genuinely thought I would enjoy this more than I actually did. I like Greek mythology and I like The Odyssey but while this had familiar characters and references, it did not hold my interest. I found myself skimming just to get through faster.

The premise of the story seems intriguing enough, but it is the characters that I feel let it down. I didn’t like Hero as a character. I kept waiting for her Amazonian heritage to come into play and have her be some mighty force, even with her poor eyesight. Instead she is subdued and focuses more on praying to the gods than doing much in terms of helping. Her brothers constantly mock her for her devotion to the gods, and I will say I did like the reminder that just like the present day, not everyone believed in the gods. Her brothers aren’t that interesting either. They all kind of mixed into one another and I didn’t feel connected to them at all.

As for the story, I was intrigued by the premise but it just seemed so strange and mediocre. Gentill does well to reference the original story of The Odyssey, following Odysseus after he ransacks Troy and all the places he visits, but aside from that familiarity I wasn’t that interested. Nothing seems to happen, following after Odysseus isn’t very captivating and even though Gentill tries to add danger and suspense, my lack of interest in the characters didn’t make me concerned for their safety or success and following an already established story didn’t add any real mystery as to what might happen next, probably not in the way Gentill expected it to.

There are heartfelt moments and sad moments which tries to give depth to the narrative, but not executed well enough to feel substantial in my opinion. This is only the first book in a trilogy so it is highly possible all the characters will get some kind of development and growth as the story progresses. The only problem with that though is my interest hasn’t been piqued enough in this book to want to keep going with the series.

A longer version of this review was published on my blog Lost in a Good Book

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Chasing Odysseus' is essentially a retelling of Homer's 'Odyssey' from a new perspective. The protagonists of the story are a young girl called Hero and her three brothers, raised by the herdsman Agelau .When their kinsmen are falsely accused of betraying the city to the Greeks, Hero and her brothers set out to reveal the truth of the matter. In order to do so they must seek out Odysseus and find a way to make him admit the herdsmen's innocence. This task turns out to be easier said than done and has them chasing the Ithacan king literally to Hades and back, with many adventures in between.

Despite having read 'The Odyssey' and having often been disappointed in modern authors attempts to rework old classics I found this book extremely refreshing and addictive. Although I had some idea of the lands or events that were likely to appear in the next chapters I was nearly always surprised and often delighted at the twists Gentill added to the tale. The character of Odysseus, and his actions throughout the story paint the Ithacan king in a decidedly less favourable, but possibly more believable light, than the mighty hero depicted in 'The Odyssey'. On the other hand, Hero and her brothers Machaon, Cadmus and Lycon are very human and endearing characters and it is easy to sympathise with their plight.

There are also some genuinely witty and humorous parts in the books (some great one liners) where I found myself actually laughing out loud. By necessity the book touches upon some more serious content such as the bloodshed and gritty realities of war. For instance, she doesn't try to gloss over the treatment of women taken as prisoners and we are fully aware that the reason Hero's brothers are worried about her being captured by the Greeks is not because they fear they will teach her unladylike turns of phrase. Gentill somehow manages this without becoming explicit or alternatively insulting the readers intelligence.

Overall I found this book to be a extremely enjoyable read and will be eagerly awaiting the next book in the trilogy. I would recommend it to anyone whether they have read 'The Odyssey or not.

[Oanh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a sucker for re-telling of the Fall of Troy, and this is not only masterful but also full of wry wit, lots of humour and banter, and evinced a deep understanding of what the story of Troy is actually about: not the war, but the battle of the old world of legend and the gods, and the new world of man, of the feminine and the masculine (in their archetypal rendering) and the nature of storytelling. Also S D Gentill knows and understands Homer's works well, she cleverly replicates some of the tropes of Greek epic poetry, while rendering them refreshing, rather than tiresome (I refer to Homer always talking about rosy-fingered Dawn; Gentill uses this but makes it new and evocative each time, rather than mindlessly issuing it as a verbal tic). A great perspective on Odysseus himself, too; always did think he was pompous and self-serving.

I look forward to the rest of the Trilogy!

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating: 4.5 stars out of 5. As a big fan of Greek mythology and legend, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The referencing to the Trojan War and names found in Greek Mythology was accurate and that would be what I loved most about the story. I found the children of Agelaus (who are the characters we follow in this story) to be very interesting, unique from one another and their dialogue to be very easy to follow and was humourous. The beginning was captivating as the story begins at the end of the Trojan War, when Troy believed they were delivered a gift from the gods that came in the form of a horse and once inside its walls, the Trojan horse unleashed an army of Greek soldiers that tore down the city of Troy. This story follows a mystery – who was in fact responsible for Troy’s destruction? Agelaus’ children make it their mission to find out and embark on a dangerous mission to.. chasing King Odysseus. A fast paced book full of adventure, action, humour and fantastic referencing to Greek Mythology, particularly ‘The Odyssey’ (by Homer) where extracts are included as references upon each chapter. I really enjoyed this and recommend this to readers of YA fantasy who enjoy the elements of mythology. Special thanks to Pantera Press for sending me a review copy – I am really invested in this trilogy and look forward to the second and third instalment.

[Courtney Johnston · Rating 3 out of 5]

The final day of the Trojan War (not that anyone knows that yet). Agelaus, the leader of the Herdsmen of Mt Ida, who are loyal to King Priam and the Trojans and supply the city through secret tunnels, and his four foster children watch in wonder as the dawn rises and the beach below them is empty, except for a huge wooden horse. The Trojans cautiously emerge, and - interpreting the horse as a sign from the gods (despite the weeping of Cassandra and the messy end of Laocoon and his two boys) - drag the horse back inside the impregnable city walls.

That night, the Trojans celebrate. The Herdsmen prepare to take supplies into the city for the feasting. But when they emerge from the tunnels, they face a scene of utter carnage as Greek soldiers rampage through the city. Moving carefully and fighting where they must, the Herdsmen make their way through the city, gathering the remnants of Troy, including Aeneas and his young son, and Scamandrious, the last of Priam's fifty sons. The Herdsmen spirit this small group to safety through their tunnels and back to Mount Ida.

As they rest however, Scamandrios steps forward and accuses the Herdsmen of treachery - how else did the Greeks make it into Troy if not through the secret tunnels. Aeneas speaks for the Herdsmen, but Scamandrios continues his accusations, and in an attempt to force a confession from Agelaus, flogs his eldest son until he collapses. Agelaus does not confess - so Scamandrios kills him and denounces the Herdsmen as traitors and cast-outs.

Taking counsel from Pan, the goat-footed god with special care for the Herdsmen, Agelaus's four foster children determine that the only way to clear the name of the Herdsmen and reclaim their place as trusted friends of Troy is to chase down Odysseus, the Greek's chief strategist and surely the mind behind whatever ruse gained them entry to the city, and force him to tell the true story of the fall of Troy. Pan gives them an enchanted Phaeacian ship, and the four set sail, tailing Odysseus through his many adventures and travails as he tries to reach the shores of his far-off kingdom, Ithaca.

S.D. Gentill does a marvelous job of retelling the tale of Odysseus's journeys through the skeptical eyes of four teenagers. The Odysseus we see as a braggart and a coward, if a bright man, unloved by his rapidly dwindling force of Ithacan's and unable to keep his nose out of anything. Gentill seamlessly laces the children into the action - they too visit the island of the Cyclops, but where Odysseus's greed and braggadocio leads to his men being trapped and the maiming of Polyphemus (and thus the wrath of Polyphemus's father, Poseidon, just the god you don't want to piss off if you're on a small boat on a long sea voyage) the children befriend and are helped by the community of Cyclops. The nymph Calypso does not entrap Odysseus with her feminine wiles and belay him for years: instead, she invites Odysseus into her bed when he is thrown up on her shores (what else is a good hostess to do? Goddesses, as one of the boys sagely observes, are a bit free with their favours) - and then he refuses to leave, and she is to hospitable to kick him out. At one point a drunken Odysseus mistakes one of the children for Hermes, and the kid then has a chance to influence the story their way.

Much as I dislike seeing one of my personal heroes disparaged in this way, I'm filled with admiration for Gentill's daring here, and she really pulls it off. The four children form a kind of Greek chorus, a counterpoint to the traditional story, a dose of (occasionally anachronistic) insight. Where she falls down is with the woodenness of her characters. Odysseus is the only character with more than one face, and he came to her that way. But our four heroes are another story.

It all starts off very promisingly. The four children are the cast-offs of the Amazons. The eldest three - Machaon,Cadmus and Lycon - are given to the Herdsmen to raise because they are boys, and no males are allowed in Amazonian society. Machaon is actually the son of Agelaus and Penthesileia, the champion and leader of the Amazons. Hero, the youngest and only girl, is given to Agelaus to raise when she is four - she is extremely shortsighted, and will never be a warrior or able to defend herself.

Machaon,Cadmus and Lycon are cookie-cutter older brothers: fast, strong, hot, reckless, loyal, funny, a bit blasphemous. One - I can't remember which - is the official mischief-maker, and the eldest is the responsible one, who also gets the glad-eye from minor goddesses throughout the story.

Hero is slight, helpless, pretty, sweet, and aggressively pious. This is pointed out over and over and over again - to what end, I'm still not sure. Possibly that will be explained in the two remaining books of the trilogy. Her full-blooded Amazonian nature breaks through every so often in episodes of rather improbable Hulk-like rage. Hero fits the will-come-into-her-own, little-sister-who-gets-looked-after-but-will-one-day-rescue-everyone mold far too neatly, and I got sick to death of scenes like this:

Hero smiled as she basked in her brothers' approval. She wondered if she'd forgotten to mention how terrified she'd been.

and

"Just say if you've changed your mind," Lycon whispered into her ear. "I'll say that it is me who won't abide by your plan."

Hero shook her head and smiled, for both Machaon and Cadmus had whispered similar words. She liked that they thought her brave, almost as much as they did not require her to be.

Those two passages are about three pages apart. It got a bit stomach-turning.

Which is a real shame. Maybe for kids the 'tell, don't show' rule doesn't apply so strongly, and I'm demanding too much of a book admittedly written for someone (actually a bit less than) half my age. But I guess I hold all these books against 'The Sword in the Stone' and 'The Knife of Never Letting Go' and 'I Capture the Castle' and 'How I Live Now' in terms of characterisation - I wanted rounded, flawed, untidy people in my books, not paper dolls only coloured in on one side.

[Daisy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quality Rating: Three Stars
Enjoyment Rating: Three Stars

I can see Chasing Odysseus as being a nice introduction for children to get them interested in classical mythology, but disappointing for anyone who loves the original epic. Though it captures some of the exciting qualities of The Odyssey, I did feel the retelling of the story could have been a lot more creative and unique.

Though the writing was sometimes reminiscent of the original, the prose and imagination just wasn't quite there for me. While there's still perfectly good description and dialogue to interest younger readers, it was just missing the wonder and beauty of classical mythology that would've helped me get along with the book more.

For me, Chasing Odysseus was a bit like watching a sidekick that just follows the protagonist. But a sidekick that doesn't really have a place in the actual story. I personally think that Gentill could've been a lot more creative with how she incorporated these new characters. The thing with classics is you can't really rewrite them, but you can interpret the world and smaller parts of the story: Chasing Odysseus tries so hard to keep close to the original story that it loses so much potential for its own story. I would've loved to see the protagonists get sidetracked while following Odysseus and maybe discover some new lands and gods that help them back on their quest - just something new that could have been accredited to Gentill.
Following on from that, I'm not sure how much you'd understand without reading the original. While there is a bit of explanation for immortals and cultures, there are still quite a few things that I noticed I had to think back to reading The Odyssey to remember. But at the same time, there were so many little inaccuracies to the original that I couldn't stop getting to me. Some alterations are understandable to help the story on or perhaps because it would just be too hard to explain briefly, but some portrayals just infuriated me (Calypso was just downright wrong whatever why you look or reinterpret it).
The ending was also off: where was the climax? The story just ends after the protagonists find the answer they're looking for. Though the basic goal of their quest is achieved, there isn't actually any attempt at a realisation to the wider story. It just made me wonder what was the point of their entire journey if it just ends like that? I don't care if it's a series, it literally feels like the novel was cut in half between chapters, and any book should be able to stand on its own two feet without needing the audience to go and read something else.

I have nothing against adding new characters to a classic story, but you need to try and make them go together. An issue in Chasing Odysseus was the fact the new protagonists spoke in a more modern way compared to everyone else, and when they had conversations with an original character they stuck out as not quite right.
Hero is introduced like she's going to be the main protagonist of the story - she isn't. Throughout the whole book I was hoping she'd grow from the terrified little girl at the start and match her brothers in courage, skill etc. But just giving her a few opportunities to follow them in the nick of time to save their lives wasn't enough for me: she was still always portrayed as terrified and crying while her brothers were tough and brave. It was a negative portrayal of not being physically strong, and even when Hero decides to put her bravery in her praying and quieter acts she's still made to be irritating and her efforts essentially useless. (I had a couple of different issues with how women were portrayed in this book, but Hero was the biggest problem.)
Her brothers themselves also came across as a little two dimensional: while each had their token characteristic (Mac the protective and responsible older brother, Cadmus the reckless and playful middle child, and Lycon the youngest still trying to live up to his siblings) they didn't have much beyond that. The fact that there were three of them also meant that at least one of them was neglected at each island (mostly Lycon to be honest).

This book had a really strong start both with the exposition side and the introduction of the characters themselves, and things go pretty well for a while - but it soon becomes quite repetitive. Admittedly, since I knew where the characters were headed all the time it was quite easy for me to become slightly bored, but even so it did feel like wherever they went the same things happened: they'd follow Odysseus to an island, interfere a little bit and get into trouble, but then make it out alive and follow him off again. I've already talked about how I feel Gentill could've been a little more creative with the adaptation, especially to help the pacing.

Chasing Odysseus is an entertaining story for younger readers interested in greek mythology and the classical world, but it didn't quite work for me and I have a feeling the little inaccuracies would also irritate fans of the original epic.

[Tracey Allen at Carpe Librum · Rating 3 out of 5]

* From publisher for review *

Chasing Odysseus by S.D. Gentill is essentially a modern reader's introduction to Greek mythology in an adventure and action packed plot beginning with the siege of Troy and soon after the famed Trojan war.

We follow the tale through the eyes of strong young female protagonist Hero and her brothers, as they chase Odysseus (Greek King of Ithaca) over sea and land, seeking answers for how their beloved city of Troy was breached and subsequently destroyed by the Greeks.

Chasing Odysseus introduced me to Greek myths and legends in a gentle and extremely accessible way and is suitable for adult or YA readers alike.

If you're interested in Greek mythology but are too afraid to read Homer's Iliad or the Odyssey, then this is a fabulous contemporary place to start. Chasing Odysseus is the first in a three part series referred to as the Hero Trilogy published by Pantera Press and written by Sulari Gentill, otherwise known as S.D. Gentill in this series.

[TheMadHatter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went into this book with some pretty low expectations as I have only read one book by Ms Gentill before (A Few Right Thinking Men) and while it was okay, it didn't really grab my attention to make me want to read further into the series. Add in that this book has an average overall rating on Goodreads and that this book is over 10 years old and I wasn't expecting much.

So imagine my surprise when I started reading this and just thought it was a great re-telling of Homer's The Odyssey. This book is not told from the perspective of Odysseus, but instead from herders from the hills of Troy who are chasing Odysseus to try and find out how the Greeks managed to get through the walls of Troy. They chase Odysseus from Troy through all his trials and tribulations (Circe, Underworld, Calypso, Cyclops etc...) and covers the original events quite closely but for one big difference - the portrayal of Odysseus.

I think from reading other reviews, that if you are a fan of Odysseus then you may not like this re-telling as the book doesn't shine him in the light of the all-conquering hero. For me, it has been so long since I have read the Odyssey that it is such a distance memory (although one I will revisit hopefully this year), that the change didn't bother me.

A surprising read (and surprising is such a delight as it doesn't happen very often these days). I have already found book #2 in a second hand book shop so I am thrilled to be able to continue with the series.

Reading Challenge
Aussie Readers 2022 April "Sulari Gentill" Challenge: Read a book by Sulari Gentill

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chasing Odysseus, by SD Gentill


I’m not much of a review writer to be honest. I tend to read without thinking about what I’m going to write in a public place afterward. I read to enjoy and be absorbed by the story, not to make notes and construct a review, and in fact, I have a deeply ingrained dislike of the concept and “profession” of reviewing works of art, which will always be subjective and will change from individual to individual.

I am drawn into a book by the cover and blurb, the subject matter and questions these raise in my mind. If I am intrigued I will get the book and read it. Quite often, I must admit, the blurb and cover turn out to be far better than the story. Maybe I’m getting more picky as I age? Or maybe it’s because as I continue to live, there are fewer and fewer things in life that offer a true twist on what I’ve already seen many, many times. I find that my mind tends to leap ahead of where I am in a story and work it all out. The best stories, for me, are those in which I cannot imagine how it will end or what is going to happen. I’ve heard there are really only thirteen plots in existence, and that every book and movie are simply various takes on these thirteen themes. That theory does seem to have merit, but every now and then, a book comes along that truly catches my imagination and sparks a real relationship between my mind and emotions, and the story and its characters.

Chasing Odysseus is one of these rare finds.

I was fortunate to stumble across this book shortly after it was published and being “Greek-mad,” as in obsessively interested in ancient Greek stories, I wanted to see what it was about. The title itself, “Chasing Odysseus,” immediately intrigued me and created mental images of high adventure and intense emotion.

I began to read, not knowing what to expect. My imagination was captured irretrievably at the point where I learned the Herdsmen had been providing Troy with food for ten years, through secret tunnels. It was at that point I knew I was in the hands of a gifted author, one who had worked out an imaginative yet LOGICAL set up. I am thrilled to report that I was completely engaged: never once did my mind say, “that doesn’t make sense,” “No, I can’t see that,” or any of the other thoughts that creep into a reader’s mind when there is a plot hole, anachronism, or faulty logic that tears one out of the story and ruins it.

The four protagonists were perfectly drawn, completely realistic, true to their times, and likeable. Their personalities run the gamut. I could see them in my mind’s eye so clearly. I loved Hero, the lone girl in this adventure. She lives a sheltered life, protected by devoted brothers and a loving father and she has a rather serious physical disability. She could have been whiny and spoiled but she wasn’t. She was, very believably, in awe and trepidation of the gods, of their vindictiveness, of their swift anger and power. Look at what she’d seen in her short life. The relentless attack on Troy by the Greeks, for one. And she was abandoned by her own mother, but in this she was not alone. Hero, always watched over by her family and wanting to return some of their devotion, did her best to give them the only protections she could: a softening of the gods’ fickle feelings. She conducted sacrifices and offered prayers, all designed to build a bulwark of safety around those she loved.

Because this is a young adult novel, I didn’t expect there to be a realistic rendering of the sack of Troy. In this I was wrong. It was quite realistic, horrifying, and I was grateful for that. The few Trojan survivors are brought to safety and almost immediately turn their suspicion on their rescuers. As much as I hated the loyal Herdsmen being thrown under the bus this way, convenient scapegoats, it made perfect sense. How else could the Greeks have gotten in? The truth was not yet known. The horse was still just a wooden statue. The connection had not been made. So of course the Herdsmen would fall under suspicion. They were the long time guardians of the secret tunnels. The death of Hero’s father broke my heart, and I cried. I don’t do that often when reading, but by this point, I was attached to these people. I add again that I’m very picky about logic in stories. I would not have become attached to these characters had there been a lack of logic in the progression: it’s because it was so believable—the assumption that the Herdsmen must have revealed the way into Troy to the Greeks, the denial of this by Agelaus, his suffering and that of his children, and their resolve to clear their names—that I became so engrossed and emotionally attached.

As to my feelings about the famous characters from Homer’s Odyssey? Well, I’ve read a lot over the years about ancient Greek heroes and I’ve discovered, as anyone can who cares to dig deep enough, that these larger-than-life men have come down through history with auras of almost divinity surrounding them while the less than heroic actions they took have been largely forgotten. Hercules, Theseus, Achilles, (Achilles especially) have darker sides and I have come to look upon these shallow accounts, which depict them as perfect men, with suspicion. So I appreciated this more realistic (and very rare) depiction of Odysseus. When it comes to Greek myths, one can have all childhood notions shattered by reading a little deeper.

We follow the young people, Hero and her brothers, as they set out to prove the truth of their innocence. They know only Odysseus can exonerate them. Many adventures are experienced on their quest, for the wily Odysseus manages to keep one step ahead.

I won’t offer any spoilers, I will only say that I never knew what would happen next, so my intrigue never flagged.

To be completely happy with a story, I need a little romance. I am happy to report that this requirement, too, was fulfilled and we are left knowing there is more to come on that score.

Yes, I dislike writing reviews and I don’t do it very often. In this case, I wanted to. I would like to share my enjoyment of this truly original book with as many people as I can.

[Jill Jemmett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Greek mythology! I’m always looking for retellings or adaptations.

This story is a great continuation of The Odyssey. It has a logical place in the storyline. It tells the perspective of the herders and the effects the Trojan War had on them.

The theme of an odyssey is very present in the story. The four siblings go on their own odyssey by chasing Odysseus to find out why the Trojans are mad at them. The gods are also important to the story, because Hero is very pious and always praying.

One problem with this story is that since it relies so heavily on The Odyssey, I think readers would struggle if they hadn’t read it. This could be problematic since it’s aimed at a young adult audience and they may not have been exposed to Homer’s epic poems yet. I did not read them until university, so I wouldn’t have understood the story when I was a teen.

Otherwise, I enjoyed this story. Fans of The Odyssey should definitely check it out.

[Natasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finally managed to finish this and I am so glad I did. I was considering putting it on hold, but then I saw it and I was like "Nope, I'm gonna finish this." So I did. I loved the old-school humour in this novel, as well as the neverending action and the interesting perspective this novel puts on the Odyssey--after all, it's told in the perspective of four siblings who were raised near Troy and view the Greeks as enemies. I am really, really glad Nina got me this as a birthday present, because it is wonderful.

Massive Pros: I loved the characterizations of the four main characters--Machaon, Lycon, Cadmus and Hero. They were all very distinct personalities, and I loved that by the end of the book, none of them were completely reliant on each other. I loved the subtle references to how the Greeks treated their prisoners in a way that was realistic. I loved Hero's personality growth. I loved the freaking ship. I loved the way I was forced to question what I'd read before: was Odysseus truly a hero?

Massive Cons: Sometimes it felt like a bit too much was going on, and it was hard to catch up. Some of the mythology felt a little skew-y to me at times, but that might be because I'm not really well-read. Oh, and I didn't like the ending because /reasons/ Because HELLO Nausicaa and Machaon were so cute, omg.. Still, not many cons here, though.

[Tori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Greek mythology never ceases to captivate my imagination! Despite a slow start, on my behalf, I loved this story of the herdsman and Odysseus. Relatable, heroic and chivalrous characters Machaon, Cadmus and Lycan with their fiercesome, loving and deeply religious sister, Hero, really take you on a journey. Placed against their adversary the quite ridiculous at times, Odysseus king of Ithaca, the four travel the seas and find the truth of how Troy was raided.

The young herdsman's humour made for many a laugh and quotable-quote! Looking forward to reading the next instalment.

[Nola-lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful tale!Full of marvellous adventures, one sister and her three brothers head out on a quest to restore the Herdsmens good name. Magic, mayhem, humour and faith in what is right. Along with Ben Okris "Famished Road" and Neil Gaimans "American Gods", "Chasing Odysseus" has joined my list of books that I want to grace my bookshelves for I believe these are legends in the making.
If you love reading, you will love this! Happy happy joy joy <3

[Lynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful recounting of the sack of Troy and journey of Odysseus as seen through the adventures of a family of herdsmen who are determined to clear their name of treachery. In this version, the Greeks, and Odysseus, appear much less heroic than in the original and the narrative is full of subtle humour.

[Rebecca Fung · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love retellings of Greek myths, well I love retellings of myths and legends and folklore and fairytales, and I particularly love Greek and Roman mythology so ... anyway the subject matter was already a winner for me.

I had been introduced to Sulari Gentill through her crime fiction and I really enjoy her writing. She's different. I like that she's daring and non-conformist.

So, what did I think of Chasing Odysseus which brings together some winner material and a writer I really admire?

Unfortunately I think this is not one of Gentill's greater works and I prefer her crime fiction. I've rated it fairly highly for several reasons:

1. I love the subject matter.
2. I think Gentill has been daring enough to cast Odysseus in an unusual, antagonistic light and while this will rub people up the wrong way - I'll admit that I didn't always like it - I admire her for taking a different approach.
3. She tackled some great scenes and there were some good bits I really liked. I liked to see the twist on these scenes. I still felt I wanted to read more of the series to see where it was going.
4. Overall I felt the story was engaging and carried the spirit of a myth retelling pretty well.

However I did feel at times that the choice of seeing the Odyssey through the eyes of some minor characters chasing Odysseus didn't always work. We needed to be engaged with these characters and their perspective and they fell a bit flat to me. It's a hard call because everyone really feels interested in Odysseus, knowing him as they do. I also felt that while this was sold as a story of "thrilling adventures" it wasn't told so that you always felt thrilled. When Gentill uses her more detached telling style I felt this worked in some of her more interesting crime analysis type stories but if the idea was to capture the thrill of the adventures of the Odyssey, it's lacking. It is something else instead, a look at Odysseus almost from a distance often rather than feeling like you're in the thick of things and in the moment.

[Aimee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liked: telling of The Odyssey from a different perspective. The siblings as a collective unit. Hero's piety, the other characters scepticism, and the neutral stance on whether the gods are listening. The description of Hero as full of "fear and fury". The depictions of good men.

Disliked: it felt quite long, with one obstacle after another (maybe the point? see the source material). None of the characters are very deeply developed. The stakes don't seem very high.

[Radwa Mousa · Rating 3 out of 5]

if it has mythology in it, I am probably gonna like it and this was actually an entertaining take on the Odyssey. The magic ship got to be a bit much for me at a certain point but other than that, it was a fun read

[Jem · Rating 3 out of 5]

weird but good

[Lisa · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was reminded of this book today and found a review I'd written but never posted back in 2011 in my Google Docs so I figured - may as well post it.

Chasing Odysseus takes place in the aftermath of the Trojan War. The Herdsman, who are a gentle, cattle herding people whose main purpose in life is to feed the Trojans, are blamed for letting the Greeks into Troy. Naturally, this upsets them so they decide that the only man who can possibly know the truth and restore justice is Odysseus. So they end up following Odysseus around and through their eyes, we see the "real" story of the Odyssey.

I'd give kudos to Gentill for doing one of those "the villain is the real hero" stories that I adore, except it's really more of a "the hero is the real villain" stories that I find smug and annoying. It's like the author is going "everyone is wrong but I, and I alone have the truth and that beloved, iconic character? They're EVIL."

It seems the book was written by making a list of all major events in The Odyssey, and then designating them as ‘mostly wrong’ or ‘half right’. The real stories go along the lines of "those nasty Greeks got what they were deserved", "delusional Odysseus is delusional" and "those poor, innocent women having to put up with Odysseus". Case in point: Circe, who holds Odysseus ransom for years? Is actually sick of him within a week and he's the one that's fallen in obsessively love with her.

The main characters are pretty basic, broadly defined characters. You have three brothers - the wisecracking one, the handsome one, and the serious one - and you have their one sister. The sister's characterisation is a quiet, frightened girl who occasionally does great and brave things. Her name is Hero, and as her brothers constantly say, she is aptly named.

Why not just name all the characters by their role in the story? Who needs names when we can just call Odysseus Antagonist and the brothers Funny, Hot, Serious? I mean, that’s basically all the characterisation we get.

Anyway, Hero’s heroic moments remind me more of Lisa Simpson in "I am the lizard queen!" mode than anything else. It comes out of nowhere and it largely consists of her throwing up her hands and shouting.

It gets tiring fairly quickly. I guess it's fun if you hate Odysseus and this feeds your hate but I'd like to see more than just "haha you thought you knew the story - WRONG!" all the time.

[K.B. Hoyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book directly from the author, and I really enjoyed it. It's a very clever way to tell the classic Odyssey story - through the eyes of some herdsmen of Ida who "chase" Odysseus to clear their people's reputation. It was refreshing for me to read a YA tale that focusses on strong male characters side-by-side with a strong female character. These days it seems as though all YA stories are written solely for girls, so this book struck a nice balance there. The only reason I gave this book four instead of five stars is because it was a little slow for my taste. This could just be because I know the classic tale so well that there weren't any "surprises" for me to keep driving me forward, but the author writes in beautiful, poetic language, and it's really a very nice read.

[kim hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gotta love Greek Mythology!!! I loved it. Now I have to wait for their next adventure. I hope my order comes in soon!!!

I kind of fell in love with Machaon...hehe.

And I love the sibling love in this book. That's why I've always wanted brothers. Because they'll be there to protect you. They'll also tease you and just muck around.

I also love Hero's character development. From a girl who needed her brothers' guidance and protection to her protecting them and saving them.

There was just enough love, friendship, action, family and religious things to make it amazing without being so overbearing.

So so so good :)

[mary do · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first mythology book I've read. The range of genre I read is not very wide... But this book was amazing. I'm surprised I could keep reading, I don't really cope well in heavily hearted books, I am the type of personn who just loves light-hearted books. I love the boat and how Hero develops throughout the book. It's nicely written and I didn't mix up any names! Wow, astonishing. I was devastated when their "father" was killed but the afterlife, well - I forgot what they called it, gave me some closure of such and let me see what their brother, Paris, was like. Overall, it was a book that really engaged me.

[Arielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful fun read.
It combined many of my favourite elements - adventure, fantasy, Greek mythology, history - along with a simple (but intriguing) plot and such likeable characters.
I just absolutely loved the main character, Hero, and her brothers, the sons of Agelaus: Machan, Cadmus and Lycon. You can't help but fall in love with these 3 brothers a little more each time they show their care and regard for their little sister.

I'm really looking forward to the rest of this trilogy.

Full review coming soon.

[Sprinkled Pages · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved, loved, loved this book! I love Ancient Greek and Roman stories and I love how this book carefully intertwined all these legends making it non fiction and fiction at the same time. It was a very exciting read with characters I absolutely loved.

The only reason I cannot give it a full 5 stars is because towards the end, I felt like it became slightly rushed as well as dragging the story on a little. Otherwise, I highly recommend this for people who love mythology because it is amazingly well written!

[Kirstyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good idea. Just lacking in quite a few areas. Nothing you could connect to, though I guess thats not the sort of story it was attempting to be. Would've been more suited to a short story, it dragged on quite a bit, and needed more thorough editing. So many badly structured sentences. Can be improved in so many ways. Will not reread or continue the series.

[Margarita Norment · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the Odyssey and I like Odysseus too. I had him pictured in my head so perfectly, but this book shook everything up! It is an awesome take on the story. I have fallen deeply for these characters way more then i did for Odysseus. It is a great read. The only complaint I have is the sometimes slow past of the book but otherwise great!