Hero For Hire

Eno the Thracian #1

by C.B. Pratt

#1 Bestseller on Amazon, Historical Fantasy, Greek/Roman

Villainy in your village? Basilisks in your barnyard? Summon Eno the Thracian. Swift sword; reasonable rates.

With all the famous heroes fighting the Trojan War, there's freelance work enough in an Ancient Greece where the monsters are as real as the Gods. Armed with his wits and a mysterious sword, Eno must stop the Witch-Goddess Hekate from opening the seventeen doors of Hades to release her zombie army...and find his own way out before becoming her immortal general or, even worse, her lover.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Mythology, Ebooks, Historical Fiction, Historical, Amazon

241 pages, Nook

First published June 4, 2013

About the author

HERO FOR HIRE, the 1st book in the series, is .99 cents on most sites. http://amzn.to/1fbRck1 Please notice the cover has changed.

I'm a multi-published author under several different names, including Cynthia Bailey-Pratt (Regency) and Lynn Bailey (Paranormal).

I've also added a complete bundle of all five books, ENO'S WAY, available only on Kindle and Kindle Unlimited.

Reviews

[Gavin · Rating 2 out of 5]

The premise of this book made it sound like it would be a lot of fun. Eno the Thracian is a hero for hire in the Ancient Greece of Greek Mythology. He is the guy to call when you are being plagued by monsters or have caught the eye of a God!

Eno's adventures really should have been a great mix of exciting and hilarious but sadly they turned out to be dull and boring. The attempts at humour failed and I never managed to form an attachment to any of the characters.

Dnf'ed at the 25% mark. Life is to short to stick with the dull ones!

Rating: 2 stars.

Audio Note: The monotone Randal Schaffer definitely did this book no favours.

[Assaph Mehr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Following the prequel novella Eno and the Pirates, I got the Eno's Way: The Complete Eno the Thracian Adventures: A Historical Fantasy of Myths and Monsters boxed-set. This is the first book I've read from it (first in the series), and the review reflects that. A review of the full series will be published later.

Half-way between Sword-&-Sorcery and Historical-Detectives, CB Pratt weaves a compelling historical-fantasy-detective blend.

Expect a romp around mythical Greece, with it's associated gods, heroes, and monsters. What starts as a monster hunt (Eno is a Hero for Hire, after all - and everyone else has left for Troy), develops to a clash between gods. Eno travels around the islands, meets kings and tracks down a harpy - and even gets to meet a couple of larger-than-life Olympian gods.

Be aware that the story is a bit darker than the prequel novella. While Eno's wry humour is still there, the overall story is not as lighthearted.

Summary: For fans of the history/mystery/fantasy blend like myself, Eno is a must-have addition to the book shelves. If you have an interest in ancient Greek mythology and general Swords-&-Sorcery goodness, you should definitely give this book a go.

[Jim · Rating 2 out of 5]

This never grabbed me. I got 1/4 of the way through before giving up, because I just didn't care about the main character. He could have been a good character, but didn't really seem like a real guy - not enough ego or moxie in too many places. The supporting characters actually felt more real. The world was pretty interesting. I like Greek mythology & there were interesting asides, but they lacked the hook of an interesting character to root for or sneer at. This sort of tale demands it, but this guy was too vanilla.

After I wrote this, I looked up the author & believe I found the problem. I've never cared much for female authors trying to write swordsmen. My wife & I have often found that we're split on otherwise decent novels because the author is the wrong sex for writing the lead. I don't catch anything wrong with or am not bothered by guys writing girls, while she isn't as bothered by women writing male characters as much. I didn't realize Pratt was female until I looked her up, so she wasn't that bad - not like one book I read years ago where a barbarian noticed & discussed some dress at length. I'll recommend this to my wife. She'll probably like it.

[March McCarron · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

I should begin by saying that I’ve always had a weakness for Greek Mythology. I mean, what’s not to love? It’s full of twisted, epic, morbid, fist-pumpy (occasionally eye-gaugey) awesomeness—magical beasts, petty gods and the poor, poor mortals they trample, people turning into animals, animals turning into people, gods turning into animals to get with people, acts of brawny, pectoraly heroism coupled with (sometimes, at least) shrewd, unbending female characters, bath-tub murders, cannibal approved pie recipes, and a whole lot of bloody cautionary tales. Basically, heaps of goodness (or very entertaining badness). Despite this, it never once occurred to me to read a modern work of fiction set in this world. The whole time I was reading Hero for Hire, I just kept thinking “damn it, this is a good idea. I should have thought of this!” It’s brilliant, because it’s an amazing fantasy world that requires very little tedious world building, as most of us are already familiar with the places, creatures, and gods it entails. Genius.

The Story:

Hero for Hire follows Eno the Thracian, a for-hire hero whose gotten a lot more work since the Trojan war broke out, distracting the more well-known heroes and creating a lot job opportunities for our lead. As far as heroes go, Eno is an especially lovable one. In addition to being a witty, buff, capable lead, he is guided by an unwavering altruism that I was not expecting. For some reason, I anticipated more of a hard-boiled protagonist with primarily mercenary goals (perhaps because most action stars are pretty hard-boiled), but Eno is a highly empathetic, kind, respectful man. I’m generally all for gray characters with iffy morals, but being in Eno’s head was so darn refreshing, I really can’t complain about how white his hat is (not that he wears a hat). The adventure Eno goes on is consistently interesting and never predictable. It all comes together in a truly spectacular finale—seriously, all through the last few chapters, I was grinning down at my Kindle like a goon.

What I loved:

The story itself is just a good, fun, action-packed read. It’s funny and brisk; I tore right through it. If it were a movie, I imagine it starring some hunky actors with questionable acting abilities, having some spectacular special effects and lots of one-liners. I imagine myself watching it in the theater with my eyes so glued to the screen that I blindly stuff handfuls of popcorn in the general direction of my face-hole, ending in a lap full of grease-stains.
Eno’s voice is consistently engaging and very often humorous. Pratt managed to make me enjoy even an opening that is rather heavy on internal -monologue / exposition—something that normally annoys me—because Eno’s narration is so entertaining. As an action / adventure story, there are a lot of fight scenes in this book, and they are all handled expertly—just the right amount of detail (which is no easy feat).

What I didn’t love:

Ok, these are going to be nigglings, because I honestly was having too much fun reading this story to be much derailed by any shortcomings, however there were a few minor things I noticed. The book had a spattering of errors—much less so than many self-published books I’ve read, but still enough that I noticed and occasionally had to reread a sentence for clarity (though, I’m the kind of person to take note of such things). One thing that consistently had me starching my head was whether this story was meant to be told in real-time or if Eno is relating it from some future point. At times, he refers to what will happen, as if these events are all in the past and he’s recounting the,. However, at other points he uses time-placers like ‘now,’ making the story seem like it’s unfolding as I’m reading it. Occasional blunders in tense compound this confusion.
The only other thing that (mildly) bugged me was one instance of the story halting for the sake of backstory. I’ll be honest and say I never like this, but I’m more willing to forgive it in the beginning or middle of a book. When I’m entering the climax—when the proverbial shit has just hit the fan—I definitely do NOT want a pause in the story for some history. Aside from it being unrealistic that a character would mentally review the backstory of an opponent in a life-or-death situation, it totally pulls the reader out of the moment at just the wrong time (especially frustrating in this instance, as I was already familiar with the backstory in question). I understand the need for this kind of information to be present in the book, but finding a place earlier in the story would really help with the pacing as well as the pay-out, creating a sense of recognition even for those readers unfamiliar with classic mythology.

All in all, however, this book is a lot of fun and I would highly recommend it for anyone who enjoys Greek mythology or just a good action-packed fantasy read. I’m looking forward to reading the sequel to find out what’s in store next for Eno!

[Netanella · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book because it has a building on the cover, which would meet a current reading challenge, and it's set in ancient Greece, always a favorite of mine. What I got was a swashbuckling hero for hire, running around the islands of the wine-dark Aegean, slaying monsters, bandits, rescuing maidens and harpies, and solving the mysteries of gods, goddesses, and evil death cults.

And, on the plus side, Eno has a sense of humor and muscles on muscles. (That's his phrase, not mine.)

Very, very recommended.

[Mark Tilbury · Rating 5 out of 5]

After having read a number of thrillers and horrors, I was looking for something completely different to read and found Eno. Eno is a hero for hire who faces a mission filled with danger, obstacles to overcome and some humour.

It was the humour that really stood out for me. I like dry humour, which is what we have here. It appears naturally with the author managing to make me laugh at events and situations throughout the entire length of the book.

Eno is a very likable character. He shows determination in the face of danger, when his ultimate goal is to have enough money to marry. Yes, he's a Greek hero, but he's still fallible and has to use all his strength in a series of battles. His sidekick, Phandros, is also a good character and their personalities work well together.

I was looking for something different and found a tale full of monsters, Gods, Goddesses and journeys across the sea and to the Underworld. It was pure escapism and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was incredible fun! Eno narrates his story in first person and is very casual and offhanded about his amazing feats. He will mention whiling away time by bending iron bars into unusual shapes while he is waiting for the blacksmith to finish working on hammering out a sword. The humor is sly like that. He will mention things almost in passing that we might think of as boasting or astounding but, because they are everyday things to him and no big deal, he just states them without embellishment. He is of course a huge, strong specimen of a man but he is also clever and crafty. There is a mystery in the story and it takes our Eno to work it through. There are also many interesting and funny side characters, some just entertaining us for a scene or two. None of this is slapstick or bawdy, just Eno's shrewd observations and excellent judgement of character. There is a huge amount of information on the Greek gods and cultural traditions without having any kind of infodump. Many of the creatures that Eno finds himself up against are supernatural and he takes this all in stride--it is a big part of his job and a good source of revenue. I have just fallen in love with Eno and can't wait to read about his further adventures in the next book!

[Chameleon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a book I can't predict the ending to by the end of the first chapter! There were more twists and turns in this book than I could have ever guessed, and many actually took me by surprise. No mean feat, I assure you. The author did a great job of storytelling, here, and I loved Eno. He was a down to earth hero. Not overly confident, but he certainly got the job done in every case.
I didn't care for Phandros when he first came on the scene, and was fairly suspicious of him, but sure enough, I ended up really liking him as well, and thought he was a great companion to Eno. The author did a great job of bringing mythology alive, and in a rather fresh way, I think. I've certainly never seen a story yet that presented the creatures, gods, and the hero as C.B. Pratt has here, and I really enjoyed the tale she wove.
The book did not end the way I thought it would- again, a pleasant surprise, but since it is the first book of the series, I didn't mind, and I do look forward to seeing what else this Hero will be tasked with in her next book!
The last 20% of the book got a little disjointed for me in a few spots, and I did have to look twice at a few of the passages, but it certainly didn't detract from the enjoyment of the story. It could stand with a little more cleaning up, but if you love mythology, and great storytelling, you will really like this one. It's fresh, and the characters are memorable. A good read!

[Lex Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was never much of a fan for "sword and sandal" tales; the few I'd read prior to Hero for Hire were... to be blunt, abysmal. I'm also not a fan of stories written in the first person narrative. So why did I read it, much less write a four-star review? I read on because the writing was so much better than my previous reads in this genre and the story itself was better, too. And, thanks to C.B. Pratt's ability to establish a lead character (and narrator) that was not only funny, Eno the Thracian was also believable, and a worthy protagonist that quickly overruled my dislike for first person narrators.

A Hero for Hire, Eno accepts a job that evolves into a wholly different situation that not only creates a more dangerous environment for him and his newly acquired side-kick, Phandros; he also has to confront some of Greek mythology's most evil gods and goddesses. Obviously, Eno succeeds and survives (Hero for Hire is clearly labeled the first of a series), but how he does so provides the entertaining and educating(regards Greek mythology)ride to an obvious ending. I definitely recommend Hero for Hire to fans of this genre, and I will probably read the next book in the series.

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hero for Hire is Rick Riordan's Olympians -- but for grown-ups. Witty, chock-full of pithy, wise sayings and observations, and inventive in both plot and subplots, Hero for Hire is an extremely well-written novel of Greek-hero style adventure. Woven in and around one another are lyrical passages reminiscent in their lyricism of Guy Gavriel Kay's writing. These are threaded with plucky, fresh dialog that easily holds the reader's attention and makes him appreciate the character development that is unfolding page by page. The novel has enough typographical errors that it would benefit from the attention of a skilled proofreader (I volunteer), but is not at all rife with errors, and they did not -- for this reader -- notably detract from the enjoyment of the read. Cynthia Pratt is talented, folks, make no mistake. And this engrossing first book in the Eno the Thracian series makes me want to read the next book in the series. And at $0.99 cents? A complete steal! Cynthia could charge $4.99 without any pangs of conscious. The novel is worth that, and more. I can't imagine what this author's works will look like five years from now, but I sure intend to find out!

[Lisa Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hero for Hire. All monsters dispatched from carnivorous geese to Minotaurs. Special rates for multiples. Eno the Thracian, at the sign of the Ram's Head, one flight up.

Right from the beginning this book knows exactly what it is and lets you know. It's a fun, tongue-in-cheek ride through the ancient civilizations. The author knows the mythology, knows the history and then bends both skillfully to her will, delivering a highly enjoyable, imaginative story that doesn't take itself too seriously.

Story structure is clear, logical and well crafted. The characters are consistent within the context of the story. Eno the Thracian hero got a bit of a modern makeover, but that's part of what I like about it. It reminded me a lot of Hercules, the tv show. The book does need another round of proofreading - one typo, three wrong words/wrong tense and one paragraph that repeats. I almost cried when I found them. This story is too well written to contain distractions. This was a great way to spend a rainy day.

[Jada Ryker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Go on a Quest with Eno the Thracian

Hero for Hire, by C. B. Pratt, reminded of the times years ago when I played Dungeons and Dragons. With real dice. With maps. And hardcover books. (Once upon a time, D&D was not played on the computer. It’s not a myth.)

Eno posted his advertisement in the marketplace:

“Hero for Hire. All monsters dispatched from carnivorous geese to Minotaurs. Special rates for multiples. Eno the Thracian at the sign of the Ram’s Head, one flight up.”

Reading Eno’s story is like sitting with him in a tavern, drinking ale and boasting of past adventures.

Eno is struck by Cupid’s arrow when he glimpses the third daughter of an oil merchant. As Eno knows, “nice girls like that never talked to their future husbands. Or saw them. Or even knew there was such a man until her father told her otherwise.”

Needing a large infusion of cash to win his ladylove, Eno decides to bring back a harpy in return for a large sum of money.

I loved this book and highly recommend it.

[Demelza Carlton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eno the Thracian is one hell of a fun hero to follow around. He doesn't sleep around - though he's given more than one opportunity - and he has his own sense of honour, duty and piety. He's very down-to-earth and realistic, yet seems perfectly at ease in the company of his gods.

He wasn't my favourite character, though. That was Hades, hands down. Now, the ruler of the underworld only had a cameo appearance, but it was brilliant. No, I don't do spoilers - so you'll need to read for yourself to see why.

There are historical inconsistencies - Pratt mentions the currency in the beginning; Eno mentions how he "freaked out" a couple of times and Ares' war chariot had some modern touches that I don't remember hearing about in any Greek history...but I'm sure these were all deliberate on Pratt's part and don't detract from the story in the slightest.

Nevertheless, a very cool adventure that I thoroughly enjoyed.

[Jennifer Malin · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you liked Clash of the Titans or The Odyssey, you'll also love traveling with Eno as he hires himself out to help a young king whose kingdom is plagued by misfortunes of mythical proportion. Eno has the strength of the heroes we know from Greek myths but something of a modern sensibility that makes him wonder, for example, whether a harpy that figures in the plot might have a soft side that no one else sees. This book is first of a series but has a satisfying ending that made me want to find out what Eno's future holds as well as follow up on hints that he may have an intriguing past.

[Sandi Layne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had SO much fun reading this book. I was reading quotes from it to my family all during the holiday weekend and telling my guys they needed to read this too.

Eno the Thracian is a FUN character. This adventure is written from his first person perspective and I enjoyed his droll, Film Noir Detective approach to Being a Hero in the ancient world. In pursuit of The Perfect Girl, he's taken on a job to earn enough to impress her family and that's where it all begins.

Snark, solid (dry) wisdom, busy battles, surprises, pretty women, EVIL villains, and a whole bunch of Ancient Grecian Supernatural Happenings pack this story of a man on a mission. I highly recommend it.

[Nicolas Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A unique mix of urban fantasy and classical mythology, set in ancient Greece. There's a few bumpy spots in the imagery/worldbuilding as a result of the clash of the urban fantasy tone and culture of the setting... But on the whole, it's tightly written, funny, and entertaining. The tone moves fast, and there's hardly an editing miss to slow the reader up. It's been a while since I delved deeply into the Greek pantheon, and this book was a fun reintroduction to it.

[Christina Keats · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eno is a fabulous character!! You admire him and want to know him, and his personality is huge! I love the action, humor (insinuated and otherwise) and the story detail. I also loved names like "Dark Lady". This story had it all. The mixing of modern day times and attitude into this story’s world was genius. The whole story involved the reader every step of the way, the characters were perfect. I fully recommend this book for a great ride!

[Christopher Castoro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! What a hero... or is he a god? That's the question you'll be asking, along with how the author knows so much about Greek mythology and how C.B. Pratt is able to humorously keep harpies, giant crabs and wise-cracking heroes in the mix without missing a beat! You'll never meet another hero like Eno the Thracian, I guarantee it!

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

One big drawback

The one big drawback to this tale is that it stops. I haven't enjoyed a book more in a very long time. Looking forward to seeing what Eno the Thracian gets up to next.

[Colleen Bratley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes delving into a book can be slow and confusing as you get into the story and the characters. This was no exception, but only because you are in a totally different world from your own, which you need to learn and understand.
Pratt is a colorful writer, rendering your senses alive and vibrant while you quickly turn the page for more information. It was a good story, with interesting characters that you either decisively liked and wanted to spend time with, knew there was something you didn't know yet about them, or just didn't like them at all. It was written to elicit a reaction rather quickly.
The story is entertaining, and at the end, you want to know what happens to that character next. You know the next book will be an interesting read from the created lead character and all the other characters he encountered in this one.
The story was well done and enjoyable. I look forward to reading the next one.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

The overall vibe is like reading the old Hercules/Xena Warrior Princess shows. There are adventures and danger, good and monsters, but it doesn't take itself too seriously, and you know going on that the hero will come through alright. An entertaining read, and I might follow up on the series.

I closer this book because it was already downloaded on my Kindle, but I no longer remember how I got it. Free somewhere, probably through an Amazon promotion. I couldn't even say how long it's been on there.

[Paulette M · Rating 5 out of 5]

HERO FOR HIRE

I enjoyed this book so very much. It was great to get away from elections, social distancing and disease. This was a quick and fun read that brought to life more then a few of the old gods and goddesses that we call Greek Mythology. I will read everything Pratt has written!!!

[Lucinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hero for hire indeed!

It's not your regular Greek mythology! It's more like the author is poking fun. Eno is funny, wise-cracking, and just can't help himself - he's got a soft heart. An ancient story with LOTS of modern twists. I totally enjoyed this book and reading the next!

[Tracy Chandler · Rating 4 out of 5]

A take on Greek mythology

The Hero, Eno is more than just brawn. He does use his brain to get out of some tricky situations and bring down his foes. Conversations and interactions with gods and goddesses abound.

[Roger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book quite a bit, I have always been a fan of greek mythology and this plays on it a lot. I'm interested in seeing where the series goes.

[J.C. Brennan · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the realm of Swords, conquering heroes, and the nasty pieces of work an author can bring to life, C.B Pratt has done her diligence in the creation of this piece.
Written in first person narrative, this book takes you into a world of warriors, scoundrel, gods, and goddesses. Each turn of the page will take you on a fanatical journey. You’ll experience every emotion of the character, and you’re following in their footstep. Steady pass, well written with witty humor.

[bex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good. 3.5 stars. Had some attempts at humor that I am sure will be more effective on other people.

[shugharz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the Olympian Gods references in this amusing little ditty.

[Miss Linda C Shanks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Humour and a good storyline

Well written with humour, action, and characters. One of those books that you can't put down and want for more.

[Margo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Took me a while to decide if I liked this series but it grew on me and I’ve just completed it. A fun read.