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The Godhead Epoch #1
King of the Storm
"The Godhead Book One "
No one can outrun destiny or the gods.
In Epiro, a kingdom in Greece, Perseus is prophesied to be a great demigod hero and king, with a legacy that will shape the world of Gaia. When he was born, his grandfather exiled him, and his mother brought them to Seriphos, where she created an academy for demigod youth. Perseus trains there and waits for the day when he will be able to take the throne of Argos.
Despite potential future glory, Perseus's fellow students think he is weak. By the time he reaches manhood, he has given up the hope of having any real friends, until Antolios, a son of Apollo, takes an unexpected interest in him. Perseus and Antolios fall in love, but Antolios knows it cannot last and leaves Seriphos.
Perseus, grief-stricken and lonely, rebels against the Fates, thinking he can avoid the prophecy and live his own life. But when the gods find him, he is thrust into an epic adventure. With his divine powers, he fights gorgons and sea serpents, and battles against his darker nature. Perseus strives to be his own man... but the gods have other plans.
No one can outrun destiny or the gods.
In Epiro, a kingdom in Greece, Perseus is prophesied to be a great demigod hero and king, with a legacy that will shape the world of Gaia. When he was born, his grandfather exiled him, and his mother brought them to Seriphos, where she created an academy for demigod youth. Perseus trains there and waits for the day when he will be able to take the throne of Argos.
Despite potential future glory, Perseus's fellow students think he is weak. By the time he reaches manhood, he has given up the hope of having any real friends, until Antolios, a son of Apollo, takes an unexpected interest in him. Perseus and Antolios fall in love, but Antolios knows it cannot last and leaves Seriphos.
Perseus, grief-stricken and lonely, rebels against the Fates, thinking he can avoid the prophecy and live his own life. But when the gods find him, he is thrust into an epic adventure. With his divine powers, he fights gorgons and sea serpents, and battles against his darker nature. Perseus strives to be his own man... but the gods have other plans.
320 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 24, 2015
2 people are currently reading
128 people want to read
About the author
B.A. Brock
1 book55 followersB. A. Brock has lived most of his life in the Pacific Northwest, with a couple years in Oklahoma. He graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science in 2007 at Portland State University--which he mostly uses to contemplate how we can achieve a civilization more closely aligned with Star Trek.
During a round of Dungeons and Dragons, he discovered a desire to write out some scenes from his character’s story. Those scenes became an obsession, that obsession led to writing classes, and an author was born.
When not writing, Brock spends his time reading/reviewing novels, training for marathons, hanging out with his dog, and bemoaning the fact that the world has yet to make a decent gluten free donut.
During a round of Dungeons and Dragons, he discovered a desire to write out some scenes from his character’s story. Those scenes became an obsession, that obsession led to writing classes, and an author was born.
When not writing, Brock spends his time reading/reviewing novels, training for marathons, hanging out with his dog, and bemoaning the fact that the world has yet to make a decent gluten free donut.
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May 3, 2017My debut novel. :)
November 27, 2015
I just finished reading an Advance Reading Copy of King of the Storm, the first novel from author BA Brock, which came out on Tuesday.
Let me say first that I have known BA for about two years now – he is the reviewer for the Queer Sci Fi site, and I was privileged to read a bit of the novel in beta, when it was posted to our critique group.
But reading pieces and reading the whole thing are two entirely different experiences. I now know how everything fits together!
The book takes place in Greece, but just to avoid confusion, this is NOT the Greece of our world. It’s another country (or world) based on Greek Mythology, but not bound by it.
And there’s a romance here, of sorts, but this is not a Romance with a capital “R”, per se. Instead, it’s an epic novel about one man’s fight with his own destiny.
The story follows Perseus in the first person, giving the story an immediacy that I really enjoyed as he grows from youth to man. At first he runs from his destiny, leaving behind everything he knows… but this is NOT going to be one of those reviews that gives away the whole story. Suffice it to say it’s rather amazing to watch Brock deftly handle the jumps forward in time. And I thought that her choice to put the other character point of views in third person added appropriate distance to those roles, which serve as story bridges.
One of my favorite things about KOTS is how Perseus’s sexuality and sexual orientation is just a given. Yes, there’s a sexual conflict, but it doesn’t revolve around whether or not he should be gay, or should have sex with men. It’s refreshing to see a gay hero so at ease with that aspect of his personality. There’s sex in the story, but it’s not overdone, it’s presented matter of factly, and advances the plot.
And though this is not the Greece of Earth, lovers of Greek mythology will find lots here to like.
Brock builds a beautiful, convincing world here, and populates it with real people who also happen to be heroes (and in some cases, monsters).
I’ve heard rumor that he may be working on a sequel. I hope it’s true.
Five Stars.
Let me say first that I have known BA for about two years now – he is the reviewer for the Queer Sci Fi site, and I was privileged to read a bit of the novel in beta, when it was posted to our critique group.
But reading pieces and reading the whole thing are two entirely different experiences. I now know how everything fits together!
The book takes place in Greece, but just to avoid confusion, this is NOT the Greece of our world. It’s another country (or world) based on Greek Mythology, but not bound by it.
And there’s a romance here, of sorts, but this is not a Romance with a capital “R”, per se. Instead, it’s an epic novel about one man’s fight with his own destiny.
The story follows Perseus in the first person, giving the story an immediacy that I really enjoyed as he grows from youth to man. At first he runs from his destiny, leaving behind everything he knows… but this is NOT going to be one of those reviews that gives away the whole story. Suffice it to say it’s rather amazing to watch Brock deftly handle the jumps forward in time. And I thought that her choice to put the other character point of views in third person added appropriate distance to those roles, which serve as story bridges.
One of my favorite things about KOTS is how Perseus’s sexuality and sexual orientation is just a given. Yes, there’s a sexual conflict, but it doesn’t revolve around whether or not he should be gay, or should have sex with men. It’s refreshing to see a gay hero so at ease with that aspect of his personality. There’s sex in the story, but it’s not overdone, it’s presented matter of factly, and advances the plot.
And though this is not the Greece of Earth, lovers of Greek mythology will find lots here to like.
Brock builds a beautiful, convincing world here, and populates it with real people who also happen to be heroes (and in some cases, monsters).
I’ve heard rumor that he may be working on a sequel. I hope it’s true.
Five Stars.
February 6, 2016
A+ things about this book:
1) Brock writes with clear language that almost "rolls film" in front of your eyes.
2) Accomplishes a lot of plot and action in a satisfying length book.
3) Excellent at battle scenes and descriptions of fights.
4) Pansexual/polyamorous character.
5) Purposeful perversion, rather than perversion with no purpose. And I do mean perversion, not kink, because there were layers of social/personal perversion in the book, not just sexual.
6) Sex on page.
7) Portraying the more traditional Greek view of sex as not being in these boxes we've created these days. It's sex, and sex, and sex. The only point of interest was who was penetrating whom. Otherwise, it was just sex.
B+ things about this book:
1) Perseus, the main character, has compelling motivations and a different sort of personality than most men in books I read.
2) Antolios, the anchor for Perseus, was interesting, but I had little patience for his quick acquiescence to fate and his later punitive tantrums.
3) The message of the book: you can't outrun the thing you're running from. I liked it, but I didn't, but I did. I got where Brock was going with this but it didn't fit the typical hero's arc, which is good, but also uncomfortable. I guess it kind of went with the layers of social and personal perversion presented within the book. I appreciated that Perseus fought his fate, but I found his choices in fighting it to be exhausting, and he did, too. Ha! I also didn't know that life would have been any better for him if he'd just given in to his fate from the get-go. I feel like he would have lost himself. So what's the lesson: fight with all you have, but YOU CAN'T WIN, but fight anyway, and it all turns out the way it is meant to be. Or maybe there is no lesson. Life is life, and we get beaten to hell for it.
4) Perseus as basically everyone's favorite. Aside from his demigod status, I didn't get why everyone, including Zeus, loved him so much. I mean, I liked him a lot. He was an B+ to A character for me for sure, but...that brings us to the next section.
C+ things about this book:
1) There is only one and it's the main reason I'm only giving 4 stars. I couldn't get emotionally connected to basically anyone in the book. There was a wide cast of characters and a lot of fascinating plot points and character beats, but the emotional beats...somehow fell flat. For example, there was a part where That is only one small example of BIG events that should have torn my heart to pieces and I felt only a curious interest. I should have cried when Perseus cried, I should have burned for Antolios or Andromeda the way he did, and I should have felt his guilt and remorse and anguish. I never did. I always felt like I was viewing the scenes from somewhere safe and cozy, instead of being there in the deep with him. Perhaps this was a me issue and not a writing issue, because the skills are there. But I couldn't connect.
ETA: I do wonder if some of my emotional disconnect was Perseus' emotional disconnect from himself. He wasn't exactly...self-aware in his attempts to run, and his "curse" pushed self-awareness even further away. I did spend some time trying to decide if my lack of emotional connection was a purposeful thing, designed to show Perseus' own numbness. Because I did feel more connected to him when he was with Antolios or Andromeda. But only this-much more. And I did feel connected to him in the beginning before his heart was broken. So maybe he's just a numbed out kind of guy, or burned out. He felt burned out and hollow at times, and maybe he was. His life was pretty shit, so...hmm. Maybe that was done on purpose.
I have thought about this book a lot and I think I will continue to think about it for a long time to come. That's another A+ thing about it. I dreamed about it, but, again, with that weird emotional distance I describe above. I feel like expectations will be a problem with this book. I went into it with almost no expectations but still constantly found myself being challenged. The polyamory, the pansexuality, etc, were not what I was expecting to find in a book about a "gay Perseus" which is, I guess, what was explained to me several years ago when I first heard of this book. I didn't expect a romance as anything other than a side story since I knew it was published by the arm of Dreamspinner that is doing non-romances, so that wasn't a problem.
I left comments earlier saying that a teenage me would've found this book to be da bomb for all the sex and perversion and challenging-ness of it. I still really appreciated this book, and am glad I read it, but I think teenage-me would've had a much, much stronger reaction to all of those things. Though, hm, I'm still stumped on how I didn't connect emotionally to anyone the way I wish I had. But teenage-me would've been so compelled by the sex, I'm not sure I would've noticed. :P
I will check out the next book in this series when it comes available. I'm curious where Brock plans to go with it. :) I recommend this book to people who are curious about pansexual characters, Greek myths, adventures, battles, sex, and a well-crafted and laid out reading experience.
1) Brock writes with clear language that almost "rolls film" in front of your eyes.
2) Accomplishes a lot of plot and action in a satisfying length book.
3) Excellent at battle scenes and descriptions of fights.
4) Pansexual/polyamorous character.
5) Purposeful perversion, rather than perversion with no purpose. And I do mean perversion, not kink, because there were layers of social/personal perversion in the book, not just sexual.
6) Sex on page.
7) Portraying the more traditional Greek view of sex as not being in these boxes we've created these days. It's sex, and sex, and sex. The only point of interest was who was penetrating whom. Otherwise, it was just sex.
B+ things about this book:
1) Perseus, the main character, has compelling motivations and a different sort of personality than most men in books I read.
2) Antolios, the anchor for Perseus, was interesting, but I had little patience for his quick acquiescence to fate and his later punitive tantrums.
3) The message of the book: you can't outrun the thing you're running from. I liked it, but I didn't, but I did. I got where Brock was going with this but it didn't fit the typical hero's arc, which is good, but also uncomfortable. I guess it kind of went with the layers of social and personal perversion presented within the book. I appreciated that Perseus fought his fate, but I found his choices in fighting it to be exhausting, and he did, too. Ha! I also didn't know that life would have been any better for him if he'd just given in to his fate from the get-go. I feel like he would have lost himself. So what's the lesson: fight with all you have, but YOU CAN'T WIN, but fight anyway, and it all turns out the way it is meant to be. Or maybe there is no lesson. Life is life, and we get beaten to hell for it.
4) Perseus as basically everyone's favorite. Aside from his demigod status, I didn't get why everyone, including Zeus, loved him so much. I mean, I liked him a lot. He was an B+ to A character for me for sure, but...that brings us to the next section.
C+ things about this book:
1) There is only one and it's the main reason I'm only giving 4 stars. I couldn't get emotionally connected to basically anyone in the book. There was a wide cast of characters and a lot of fascinating plot points and character beats, but the emotional beats...somehow fell flat. For example, there was a part where That is only one small example of BIG events that should have torn my heart to pieces and I felt only a curious interest. I should have cried when Perseus cried, I should have burned for Antolios or Andromeda the way he did, and I should have felt his guilt and remorse and anguish. I never did. I always felt like I was viewing the scenes from somewhere safe and cozy, instead of being there in the deep with him. Perhaps this was a me issue and not a writing issue, because the skills are there. But I couldn't connect.
ETA: I do wonder if some of my emotional disconnect was Perseus' emotional disconnect from himself. He wasn't exactly...self-aware in his attempts to run, and his "curse" pushed self-awareness even further away. I did spend some time trying to decide if my lack of emotional connection was a purposeful thing, designed to show Perseus' own numbness. Because I did feel more connected to him when he was with Antolios or Andromeda. But only this-much more. And I did feel connected to him in the beginning before his heart was broken. So maybe he's just a numbed out kind of guy, or burned out. He felt burned out and hollow at times, and maybe he was. His life was pretty shit, so...hmm. Maybe that was done on purpose.
I have thought about this book a lot and I think I will continue to think about it for a long time to come. That's another A+ thing about it. I dreamed about it, but, again, with that weird emotional distance I describe above. I feel like expectations will be a problem with this book. I went into it with almost no expectations but still constantly found myself being challenged. The polyamory, the pansexuality, etc, were not what I was expecting to find in a book about a "gay Perseus" which is, I guess, what was explained to me several years ago when I first heard of this book. I didn't expect a romance as anything other than a side story since I knew it was published by the arm of Dreamspinner that is doing non-romances, so that wasn't a problem.
I left comments earlier saying that a teenage me would've found this book to be da bomb for all the sex and perversion and challenging-ness of it. I still really appreciated this book, and am glad I read it, but I think teenage-me would've had a much, much stronger reaction to all of those things. Though, hm, I'm still stumped on how I didn't connect emotionally to anyone the way I wish I had. But teenage-me would've been so compelled by the sex, I'm not sure I would've noticed. :P
I will check out the next book in this series when it comes available. I'm curious where Brock plans to go with it. :) I recommend this book to people who are curious about pansexual characters, Greek myths, adventures, battles, sex, and a well-crafted and laid out reading experience.
December 26, 2015
A Joyfully Jay review.
1.5 stars
As a survivor of four years of high school Latin, the Greek myths (and their Roman cousins) have a special place in my heart. Once you’ve slogged through dozens of translations, it’s hard not to develop an affinity for the ludicrous exploits of the randy gods on Mount Olympus. As a result, I was really looking forward to King of the Storm and found myself incredibly disappointed. The author indicates this is meant to be something of an alternate history or a fantastical adaptation of the classic myth. It does contain many aspects of the Greek myth, but never feels particularly original or new and instead it read as a weakly constructed rendering that failed on most levels. The writing is technically fine, but lacks much depth and never really grabbed my attention. Perhaps my biggest problem is how lifeless much of the book felt. Perseus was the first and perhaps the greatest of the heroes from Greek myth and his battle again Medusa is quite literally the stuff of legends. But in King of The Storm, the entire incident plays out as a rushed, almost slapdash affair and many of his heroic adventures end up getting the same treatment. The result is a rather boring interpretation that failed to either elevate Perseus as a character or to engage the reader. This happened on multiple occasions as seemingly crucial plot moments weren’t fully developed, barely addressed, or written without intensity or energy.
Read Sue’s review in its entirety here.
1.5 stars
As a survivor of four years of high school Latin, the Greek myths (and their Roman cousins) have a special place in my heart. Once you’ve slogged through dozens of translations, it’s hard not to develop an affinity for the ludicrous exploits of the randy gods on Mount Olympus. As a result, I was really looking forward to King of the Storm and found myself incredibly disappointed. The author indicates this is meant to be something of an alternate history or a fantastical adaptation of the classic myth. It does contain many aspects of the Greek myth, but never feels particularly original or new and instead it read as a weakly constructed rendering that failed on most levels. The writing is technically fine, but lacks much depth and never really grabbed my attention. Perhaps my biggest problem is how lifeless much of the book felt. Perseus was the first and perhaps the greatest of the heroes from Greek myth and his battle again Medusa is quite literally the stuff of legends. But in King of The Storm, the entire incident plays out as a rushed, almost slapdash affair and many of his heroic adventures end up getting the same treatment. The result is a rather boring interpretation that failed to either elevate Perseus as a character or to engage the reader. This happened on multiple occasions as seemingly crucial plot moments weren’t fully developed, barely addressed, or written without intensity or energy.
Read Sue’s review in its entirety here.
January 12, 2016
So I am not really sure what to say about this story...
While this starts of as a m/m it quickly turns to m/f about halfway through with some m/m mixed in. So I wanted to give a little warning for those who mainly read m/m like me. I did kind of get disappointed after that because I rarely read m/f books anymore so it did kind of bring this book down for me mainly because I went into this book and after reading the first part thinking one thing then everything changed up and honestly I was really not a fan of her character.
Now the first part of this book had me gripped on the edge of my seat and I could not put it down. But unfortunately I had a hard time finishing the last half of this book.
I get what this author did with this story and I loved parts of it but for me personally there are things I am not a fan of in a book and without saying what he does, it happens a lot in this book.
So while I loved the premise of this story and parts of this book..
I am sad to say this book was just not for me...
I received this book free in exchange for an honest review from Inked Rainbow Reads.
While this starts of as a m/m it quickly turns to m/f about halfway through with some m/m mixed in. So I wanted to give a little warning for those who mainly read m/m like me. I did kind of get disappointed after that because I rarely read m/f books anymore so it did kind of bring this book down for me mainly because I went into this book and after reading the first part thinking one thing then everything changed up and honestly I was really not a fan of her character.
Now the first part of this book had me gripped on the edge of my seat and I could not put it down. But unfortunately I had a hard time finishing the last half of this book.
I get what this author did with this story and I loved parts of it but for me personally there are things I am not a fan of in a book and without saying what he does, it happens a lot in this book.
So while I loved the premise of this story and parts of this book..
I am sad to say this book was just not for me...
I received this book free in exchange for an honest review from Inked Rainbow Reads.
January 20, 2016
This is the debut novel for author B.A. Brock and I know that always makes people nervous. You think, “Oh no, a new author. I want to wait and see what everyone says before I spend my money.” Okay, I get it. So, here’s my take on this book. It’s quite entertaining. It takes place in Greece, but Greece of what seems like an alternate universe. Different realm maybe. I thought that was very clever. Does it follow Greek Mythology? Hmm. Not completely, no but by shifting the reality of things Brock is able to take that creative license and work it in his favor.
Perseus is the MC in this novel and really is the lone main character really. This is his tale. His self-discovery and journey. So while there is a romance, it’s more of a book about growth and chasing what you’ve actually been running from.
There were some lagging parts of this story but it does pick up quite nicely and keep you engaged with the character (s) and thrust you back into the plot.
I’m interested in reading more of this series and what characters we will cross in upcoming books.
This is a good debut novel for sure.
Perseus is the MC in this novel and really is the lone main character really. This is his tale. His self-discovery and journey. So while there is a romance, it’s more of a book about growth and chasing what you’ve actually been running from.
There were some lagging parts of this story but it does pick up quite nicely and keep you engaged with the character (s) and thrust you back into the plot.
I’m interested in reading more of this series and what characters we will cross in upcoming books.
This is a good debut novel for sure.
December 17, 2015
I like it ok, but I started to feel bogged down around the 50% mark. The story lost some of its appeal and I had to push myself through to the other side, but I was glad I did. It started to pick back up around 65% or so, and I loved the ending. This was a different take on the whole Greek mythology thing, which was exciting. Hopefully the author will give us more in this world.
July 13, 2025
****Reviewed for Prism Book Alliance®****
As King of the Storm comes from Dreamspinners’ DSP imprint, you may guess that it is not a romance per se. There is a love story in there, in fact on some levels, there are many. That in itself is why it doesn’t fit the traditional definition. King of the Storm is an epic journey of a man spanning many years and adventures.
I had to suspend some of my personal foibles to truly appreciate this story. As this is set in a fictional world patterned off of Ancient Greece and follows, loosely, some of Greek Mythology’s legends, you have to remember the morals of the times. The gods were not faithful; sex was seen in a totally different light. Perseus is bi-sexual and polyamorous. While I have nothing against either of these, there was cheating in that his love partners did not all know about the others. I, personally, do not like cheating, but in this case, I couldn’t see the characters realistically doing otherwise and still have the same story.
There are two main pairings, one MM and explicit, one MF and all sex off page. In fact all the copious amount of sex in the book is MM pairings. The sex gets a little wild at times!
I loved the adventure. The action and the setting were great and reading it felt like watching a movie at times. I was immersed in the story.
I loved seeing Perseus grow as a person and as a man. I felt like I understood his motivations and his innate goodness. I didn’t like Antolios as much and couldn’t quite see the connection there but I like how things worked out in the end.
All in all, a great fantasy epic!
As King of the Storm comes from Dreamspinners’ DSP imprint, you may guess that it is not a romance per se. There is a love story in there, in fact on some levels, there are many. That in itself is why it doesn’t fit the traditional definition. King of the Storm is an epic journey of a man spanning many years and adventures.
I had to suspend some of my personal foibles to truly appreciate this story. As this is set in a fictional world patterned off of Ancient Greece and follows, loosely, some of Greek Mythology’s legends, you have to remember the morals of the times. The gods were not faithful; sex was seen in a totally different light. Perseus is bi-sexual and polyamorous. While I have nothing against either of these, there was cheating in that his love partners did not all know about the others. I, personally, do not like cheating, but in this case, I couldn’t see the characters realistically doing otherwise and still have the same story.
There are two main pairings, one MM and explicit, one MF and all sex off page. In fact all the copious amount of sex in the book is MM pairings. The sex gets a little wild at times!
I loved the adventure. The action and the setting were great and reading it felt like watching a movie at times. I was immersed in the story.
I loved seeing Perseus grow as a person and as a man. I felt like I understood his motivations and his innate goodness. I didn’t like Antolios as much and couldn’t quite see the connection there but I like how things worked out in the end.
All in all, a great fantasy epic!
April 23, 2016
3.5 STARS
Good story and fantasy based off Greek mythology. There is a lot of MM switching to M/F and back again, what some would call cheating but due to what problems certain Demi-Gods suffer from thats not the case within this stories confines.
I liked this story and will read the sequel when it's released, I need to see where it goes before I can get a better grasp on it. I think fantasy fan might enjoy this, it's a good read and well written.
Good story and fantasy based off Greek mythology. There is a lot of MM switching to M/F and back again, what some would call cheating but due to what problems certain Demi-Gods suffer from thats not the case within this stories confines.
I liked this story and will read the sequel when it's released, I need to see where it goes before I can get a better grasp on it. I think fantasy fan might enjoy this, it's a good read and well written.
September 4, 2017
Don't be put off by the "Book One," subtitle. This is a standalone story, told in the first person by Perseus himself.
Oh Perseus! You are a total fox, with an innate ability to stumble into trouble. The Perils of Perseus, perhaps? Lightning bolts from his talented fingers don't save this young man from getting trashed at various points throughout this great re-imagining of a familiar tale. Yes, it has the obligatory recounting of Perseus fighting Medusa, and conquering the Kraken whilst rescuing Andromeda from the waves. Those tales are essential to the story of Perseus. But here it is expanded, as we follow our favourite demi-god from callow youth to warrior hero and devoted father.
Then the fantasy part kicks in, and this is where the real fun starts. Perseus is also a hard-lovin', hard-drinkin' guy, who falls in love with fellow student Antolios, and their love story weaves throughout this well-researched and lovingly-crafted novel. There is a LOT of meaty, succulent M/M sex, great well-rounded characters, and a a faithful adherence to familiar legends, as well as giving Perseus his own demons as he struggles with the responsibilities of being a demi-god.
The LGBT stance is solid throughout, even though Perseus does love Andromeda, and even (gasp!) enjoys sex with her. (FYI, MM romance fascists, this is plausible fantasy, so untie your knickers) but his heart and mind belong to Antolio. Perseus steadfastly refuses to accept his destiny for the sake of love, only to find that Destiny has a habit of rearranging things the way they ought to be.
This book had the ability to catch my breath, break my heart and make me laugh. There was an almost gleeful meddling with the normal romance tropes. This is no ordinary love story. The hero swashbuckles, screws and drinks his way through the pain of continually having to part with his true love, but he is also determined to be a good father and decent husband to Andromeda. It is when the human world and godly world collide, there are bound to be storms overhead. It is a complex story, handled with intelligence, and entertaining as hell.
The modern language ("no shit!" "Seriously?") sits surprisingly well in the Ancient Greek setting, rendering this novel devoid of the pomposity that is sometimes found in stories of the Ancient Greeks.No doubt some scholars of the Ancient Greek myths will have a conniption at this.
And I say, good, because they are just myths, and we are at liberty to play with them as we please. I would hazard to guess that Zeus himself would be highly amused at the way his son is portrayed; as a sometimes drunken, lecherous, fiery and obstinate Demi-god with just as many problems as humans have, and an equal propensity for trouble. Rather like his father, I'd imagine.
Oh Perseus! You are a total fox, with an innate ability to stumble into trouble. The Perils of Perseus, perhaps? Lightning bolts from his talented fingers don't save this young man from getting trashed at various points throughout this great re-imagining of a familiar tale. Yes, it has the obligatory recounting of Perseus fighting Medusa, and conquering the Kraken whilst rescuing Andromeda from the waves. Those tales are essential to the story of Perseus. But here it is expanded, as we follow our favourite demi-god from callow youth to warrior hero and devoted father.
Then the fantasy part kicks in, and this is where the real fun starts. Perseus is also a hard-lovin', hard-drinkin' guy, who falls in love with fellow student Antolios, and their love story weaves throughout this well-researched and lovingly-crafted novel. There is a LOT of meaty, succulent M/M sex, great well-rounded characters, and a a faithful adherence to familiar legends, as well as giving Perseus his own demons as he struggles with the responsibilities of being a demi-god.
The LGBT stance is solid throughout, even though Perseus does love Andromeda, and even (gasp!) enjoys sex with her. (FYI, MM romance fascists, this is plausible fantasy, so untie your knickers) but his heart and mind belong to Antolio. Perseus steadfastly refuses to accept his destiny for the sake of love, only to find that Destiny has a habit of rearranging things the way they ought to be.
This book had the ability to catch my breath, break my heart and make me laugh. There was an almost gleeful meddling with the normal romance tropes. This is no ordinary love story. The hero swashbuckles, screws and drinks his way through the pain of continually having to part with his true love, but he is also determined to be a good father and decent husband to Andromeda. It is when the human world and godly world collide, there are bound to be storms overhead. It is a complex story, handled with intelligence, and entertaining as hell.
The modern language ("no shit!" "Seriously?") sits surprisingly well in the Ancient Greek setting, rendering this novel devoid of the pomposity that is sometimes found in stories of the Ancient Greeks.No doubt some scholars of the Ancient Greek myths will have a conniption at this.
And I say, good, because they are just myths, and we are at liberty to play with them as we please. I would hazard to guess that Zeus himself would be highly amused at the way his son is portrayed; as a sometimes drunken, lecherous, fiery and obstinate Demi-god with just as many problems as humans have, and an equal propensity for trouble. Rather like his father, I'd imagine.
February 23, 2022
I really don't think this is for everyone— and quite frankly I'm surprised I liked this as much as did. I would have hated aspects of this book if it had happened in any other novel besides this. But it mostly worked here.
There was a shitload of characters, and I definitely stumbled over who was who a couple of times. Perseus pissed me off more than a couple of times, and I felt like bashing him over the head to get him to stopping being so stupid. I'm not 100% sure I feel about the relationships in this , and the fact this had not one, but more two romances in this— and one was a straight one no less.
But I really enjoyed this. And all it's faults are pretty overshadowed with how much I liked this. I know we can pretty much call off any hope for a sequel, but I'm gonna continue to hope anyways
There was a shitload of characters, and I definitely stumbled over who was who a couple of times. Perseus pissed me off more than a couple of times, and I felt like bashing him over the head to get him to stopping being so stupid. I'm not 100% sure I feel about the relationships in this , and the fact this had not one, but more two romances in this— and one was a straight one no less.
But I really enjoyed this. And all it's faults are pretty overshadowed with how much I liked this. I know we can pretty much call off any hope for a sequel, but I'm gonna continue to hope anyways
June 2, 2018
I bought a hard copy of this book from the author at a Pride festival last year but who has time to read actual books anymore? Anyway, I found myself book-less and decided to just buy the kindle version and be done with it.
I finished it in about 12 hours.
I bought it blind, not realizing it was a queer romance but I quickly figured that out!
I felt like the story sort of rambled between plot points and read more like a series of short stories with the same characters. Like Mercedes Lackey’s Vows and Honor book but, you know, more sex. But the mini-plots were good, of the format a little confusing.
The story is written mostly from the POV of Perseus and I understood why the few chapters written in other characters’ points of view were there, but I thought those characters’ motives/voices were a little underdeveloped and at times confusing, especially toward the end.
But all in all, a very good, fun, sexy read.
I finished it in about 12 hours.
I bought it blind, not realizing it was a queer romance but I quickly figured that out!
I felt like the story sort of rambled between plot points and read more like a series of short stories with the same characters. Like Mercedes Lackey’s Vows and Honor book but, you know, more sex. But the mini-plots were good, of the format a little confusing.
The story is written mostly from the POV of Perseus and I understood why the few chapters written in other characters’ points of view were there, but I thought those characters’ motives/voices were a little underdeveloped and at times confusing, especially toward the end.
But all in all, a very good, fun, sexy read.
July 20, 2021
Wow, what a first rate read.
November 27, 2016
2016 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: King of the Storm by B. A. Brock
Very different take on Greek mythology where the gods and demi-gods are flawed, selfish and sometimes devious characters without a lot of moral fiber. Nevertheless, often humorous, poignant and thoroughly entertaining.
Very different take on Greek mythology where the gods and demi-gods are flawed, selfish and sometimes devious characters without a lot of moral fiber. Nevertheless, often humorous, poignant and thoroughly entertaining.
June 27, 2016
A Scattered Thoughts And Rogue Words Review
First and foremost, I should probably address reader expectations. “King of the Storm” is not a M/M Romance with Fantasy. This is primarily a retelling of the Ancient Greek legend about Perseus, who happens to be pansexual in this book. So he has sex with both men and women, though the m/f sex scenes are not explicit. He also has relationships with both genders. I liked the variety of that, but it’s probably not to everybody’s tastes.
Fantasy about gods and demigods set in Ancient Greece is not something I’ve read before, so I was thrilled to discover “King of the Storm”. I’m not all that familiar with the original legend, so I can’t make comparisons. I did definitely enjoy this version.
The setting was well developed and felt realistic. There was no info-dump and yet it was easy to get a feel for the world.
A whole host of legendary creatures and people show up over the course of the book. The author came up with lots and lots of minor characters and gave each of them their own bit of personality.
The plot was full of blood and fighting, but also love and friendship. It was a great mix. Occasionally, the time jumps were a bit confusing, though. We meet Percy as an 18-year-old young man and part ways with him as a grandfather, so the time jumps did make sense. But sometimes I just felt that the years that had passed needed more of a recap.
I had a bit of a hard time forming an emotional connection that went beyond mere suspense. Percy is a bit hard to like and everything felt a bit impersonal.
Long story short, “King of the Storm” is great fantasy with lots of sex and a bit of romance. Ancient Greece is a nice change to the normal medieval fantasy settings.
If you like the legends of Ancient and don’t mind a very promiscuous MC, then you should give this book a try. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.
This is part one of a new series by a new author and I’m excited about it. Definitely going to read part 2.
Cover: The cover by Paul Richmond shows a naked Percy in waist-high water, with a thunderstorm brewing all around him. While the cover model doesn’t really fit my imagination of Percy, it does fit the story.
First and foremost, I should probably address reader expectations. “King of the Storm” is not a M/M Romance with Fantasy. This is primarily a retelling of the Ancient Greek legend about Perseus, who happens to be pansexual in this book. So he has sex with both men and women, though the m/f sex scenes are not explicit. He also has relationships with both genders. I liked the variety of that, but it’s probably not to everybody’s tastes.
Fantasy about gods and demigods set in Ancient Greece is not something I’ve read before, so I was thrilled to discover “King of the Storm”. I’m not all that familiar with the original legend, so I can’t make comparisons. I did definitely enjoy this version.
The setting was well developed and felt realistic. There was no info-dump and yet it was easy to get a feel for the world.
A whole host of legendary creatures and people show up over the course of the book. The author came up with lots and lots of minor characters and gave each of them their own bit of personality.
The plot was full of blood and fighting, but also love and friendship. It was a great mix. Occasionally, the time jumps were a bit confusing, though. We meet Percy as an 18-year-old young man and part ways with him as a grandfather, so the time jumps did make sense. But sometimes I just felt that the years that had passed needed more of a recap.
I had a bit of a hard time forming an emotional connection that went beyond mere suspense. Percy is a bit hard to like and everything felt a bit impersonal.
Long story short, “King of the Storm” is great fantasy with lots of sex and a bit of romance. Ancient Greece is a nice change to the normal medieval fantasy settings.
If you like the legends of Ancient and don’t mind a very promiscuous MC, then you should give this book a try. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.
This is part one of a new series by a new author and I’m excited about it. Definitely going to read part 2.
Cover: The cover by Paul Richmond shows a naked Percy in waist-high water, with a thunderstorm brewing all around him. While the cover model doesn’t really fit my imagination of Percy, it does fit the story.
May 24, 2016
This book. Wow. This book is hard to review for me. The writing is vastly engaging, but the format is hard for me to grab and stay invested in. That said, I feel like the structure of this book is well-suited to it's subject.
I'm not versed in Greek history, culture, or mythology. I know there's Zeus and Apollo but I'm just as likely to confuse them with their Roman names and couldn't tell you who is god or goddess of what to save my life. So I'm not exactly the ideal fan for this book going into it. There's a lot of connection between characters that I had to read into and infer since I lacked that background.
King of the Storm doesn't demand you know all the ins and outs of Greek mythology, but I feel like if one has that background, one is going to enjoy this story a lot more.
SO. This book. The structure of this book has several narrative scenes followed by a gap in time, then several scenes, a gap, etc from early young adulthood all the way to 4o or 50 years old. This feels to me a lot more like a collection of events, like a telling of important points in history, rather than a common arcing narrative with a protagonist and an antagonist and a hero's journey. And while any given scene is action or emotionally packed, I really prefer a single arcing narrative. This is definitly a personal concern because everything about this book is otherwise amazing.
The characters are all fascinating, the voice is appropriate, pacing is great-- I really want to endorse this book without reservation, but the structure just got to me so much. It took me forever to finish this book even though I was enjoying it!
I'm not versed in Greek history, culture, or mythology. I know there's Zeus and Apollo but I'm just as likely to confuse them with their Roman names and couldn't tell you who is god or goddess of what to save my life. So I'm not exactly the ideal fan for this book going into it. There's a lot of connection between characters that I had to read into and infer since I lacked that background.
King of the Storm doesn't demand you know all the ins and outs of Greek mythology, but I feel like if one has that background, one is going to enjoy this story a lot more.
SO. This book. The structure of this book has several narrative scenes followed by a gap in time, then several scenes, a gap, etc from early young adulthood all the way to 4o or 50 years old. This feels to me a lot more like a collection of events, like a telling of important points in history, rather than a common arcing narrative with a protagonist and an antagonist and a hero's journey. And while any given scene is action or emotionally packed, I really prefer a single arcing narrative. This is definitly a personal concern because everything about this book is otherwise amazing.
The characters are all fascinating, the voice is appropriate, pacing is great-- I really want to endorse this book without reservation, but the structure just got to me so much. It took me forever to finish this book even though I was enjoying it!
January 31, 2016
Debut author BA Brock has written a heroic tale, bending and twisting Greek mythology in a way that kept me fascinated by what would happen next. Perseus comes aliveon the page as a fully human demigod who survives the whims of the gods, all the while having the same wants for love and family as any mortal human. Great first book. I am looking forward to more by this author.
January 2, 2017
An interesting concept. An alternate Greek mythology interacting with an alternative earth. I love mythology. This was unique. Very well written. Not for everyone, but I loved it.
though the fabric was soft, I winced, feeling raw and vulnerable. With a sigh, he cuddled around me as though it were the most natural thing in the world to touch me, but no one had ever touched me this way.
though the fabric was soft, I winced, feeling raw and vulnerable. With a sigh, he cuddled around me as though it were the most natural thing in the world to touch me, but no one had ever touched me this way.
July 3, 2016
A decent retelling of Greek mythology, but the writing was somewhat bland/flat, and I didn't find an emotional connection to any of the characters. The pacing was rough as well, with the story completely falling off in the second half.
May 29, 2016
I really really wanted to like this book, but there was no life to the writing, I never was invested in or cared about any of the characters, and the story itself felt lather, rinse, repeat in a dissatisfying way.
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