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Greek Myths #5
Thrice Bound
Fleeing her tyrannical father, a powerful mage, Hekate seeks refuge in the Caves of the Dead, where her father's magic is powerless but where she is threatened by madness and despair, but she is rescued by Kabeiros, who breaks the terrible spell but cannot leave the Caves without being transformed into a black dog, unless she can free him from his curse. Original.
544 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
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About the author
Roberta Gellis
56 books185 followersRoberta Gellis has been one of the most successful writers of historical fiction of the last few decades, having published about 25 meticulously researched historical novels since 1964. She was married to her husband Charles for over 50 years and they lived together in Lafayette, Indiana with a lively Lakeland terrier called Taffy. She has one child called Mark.
Her page at the Internet Speculative Fiction DataBase
Her page at the Internet Speculative Fiction DataBase
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 30, 2013
Hekate is kind of a weird goddess, and this is a weird book. It tells her story, but it is also kind a prequel to Bull God and a complement to Enchanted Fire, as well as the end to the series. It's hard to tell, since I read all those first, and you can't unring a bell, but I THINK it does work as a stand-alone even if you haven't read the others.
Hekate is from Ka'anan, far to the east of Olympus, and while she has a Gift - she's a shapeshifter, with three favorite human forms: grown woman, maiden, and crone, she can also become an animal (so she says; she never demonstrates in the book). More powerful than this, however, is her ability to understand, reshape, and modify magical spells.
Unfortunately, her evil father is even more powerful. She flees him, having befriended Dionysos along the way, and picked up Kabeiros, and shapeshifter now permanently trapped in the body of a dog, EXCEPT when he is the caves of the dead.
She wants to become an Olympian, so that she can live in a place where her abilities are accepted, not feared, but in the end, must return to Ka'anan and destroy her father, before he becomes even more powerful than he has ever been.
I enjoyed it, and it wrapped up all the loose ends cleanly, but... It was nice to get a peek at Artemis, and Zeus but I would have liked to have seen a book for each Olympic god or goddess, especially Apollo and Athena.
Hekate is from Ka'anan, far to the east of Olympus, and while she has a Gift - she's a shapeshifter, with three favorite human forms: grown woman, maiden, and crone, she can also become an animal (so she says; she never demonstrates in the book). More powerful than this, however, is her ability to understand, reshape, and modify magical spells.
Unfortunately, her evil father is even more powerful. She flees him, having befriended Dionysos along the way, and picked up Kabeiros, and shapeshifter now permanently trapped in the body of a dog, EXCEPT when he is the caves of the dead.
She wants to become an Olympian, so that she can live in a place where her abilities are accepted, not feared, but in the end, must return to Ka'anan and destroy her father, before he becomes even more powerful than he has ever been.
I enjoyed it, and it wrapped up all the loose ends cleanly, but... It was nice to get a peek at Artemis, and Zeus but I would have liked to have seen a book for each Olympic god or goddess, especially Apollo and Athena.
November 30, 2019
I think I have read this before. Parts of it seemed familiar. It was not probably very compelling that time, since I didn't quite remember it, but I liked Hekate even then.
However, on this re-read, I can say that it's a really well-written alternative-mythology. Strong characters, good purpose driving changes, and realistic conflicts.
I would strongly recommend. (I certainly haven't read the rest of the books in the series; I didn't even know that there was a series, and so I can't speak to spoilers, but this book stands alone really well.)
However, on this re-read, I can say that it's a really well-written alternative-mythology. Strong characters, good purpose driving changes, and realistic conflicts.
I would strongly recommend. (I certainly haven't read the rest of the books in the series; I didn't even know that there was a series, and so I can't speak to spoilers, but this book stands alone really well.)
April 24, 2020
Hekate, a young sorceress, must destroy the bindings her evil father has placed on her and her mother, and remove the curse on another young sorcerer, Kabeiros, who has been changed to a blind black dog.
April 19, 2023
My Favorite Myths
Roberta Gellis books are a joy to read. This author is highly educated in mythology and medieval studies. This book revolves around the Hecate myth. Outstanding!
Roberta Gellis books are a joy to read. This author is highly educated in mythology and medieval studies. This book revolves around the Hecate myth. Outstanding!
March 14, 2009
Sort of a prequel/sequel to Bull God with bits from her earlier Greek Myth books. This wasn't as delightful as the others, though, there was something I didn't quite like about it somehow. Too episodic perhaps, the surroundings and cast of extras kept changing. Though I don't mind that sometimes... Maybe just the romance with a dog factor? The way she told him flat out she loved him and would marry none but him, and he apparently didn't notice?
I think there was something about how magery and Gifts worked in this book that bothered me, inconsistent with the others. The caves of the dead? Too many magics?
And yet I enjoyed reading it. I think I analyse too much, that reading and writing reviewsmakes me look for flaws. I guess it's possible to take one's role as a reader too seriously. Or role as a reviewer? Just reiterations of "I enjoyed" wouldn't be interesting enough to keep on with. And books that really give me something to say, that change a view or perception, books I fall in love with, are too rare. Maybe they seemed less rare before because they were the ones I remembered. Writing about books can have a sort of flattening effect on experience. I mean, like the myth of Theuth, when Solon told him that writing was an aid to recollection only, and no friend to memory.
I wonder if that would make sense to anyone? Best I can do.
I think there was something about how magery and Gifts worked in this book that bothered me, inconsistent with the others. The caves of the dead? Too many magics?
And yet I enjoyed reading it. I think I analyse too much, that reading and writing reviewsmakes me look for flaws. I guess it's possible to take one's role as a reader too seriously. Or role as a reviewer? Just reiterations of "I enjoyed" wouldn't be interesting enough to keep on with. And books that really give me something to say, that change a view or perception, books I fall in love with, are too rare. Maybe they seemed less rare before because they were the ones I remembered. Writing about books can have a sort of flattening effect on experience. I mean, like the myth of Theuth, when Solon told him that writing was an aid to recollection only, and no friend to memory.
I wonder if that would make sense to anyone? Best I can do.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews