Ужасният капан на Хера

Hopeless Heroes #2

by Stella Tarakson, Стела Тараксън

Ужасният капан на Хера! Тим Бейкър мисли, че е преодолял всички перипетии, но неочаквано тръгва на пътешествие до Древна Гърция, вкопчен в открадната ваза. Скоро Тим се оказва в капан с армия пауни и герой, който непрекъснато се възхищава на себе си. Оставѝ това огледало, Тезей! Благодарение на боговете Зои, новата приятелка на Тим, му се притичва на помощ. Само не казвайте на татко ѝ…

Genres: Middle Grade, Childrens, Audiobook

Paperback

Published January 1, 2020

Reviews

[Jasmine from How Useful It Is · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started reading Hera’s Terrible Trap as a bedtime story for my 6 years old son on 5/4/18 and we finished it on 5/16/18. My son enjoys Tim Baker’s adventures a lot. He likes that this time Tim stands up to defend himself against the bully, Leo. We both enjoy the humor Thesus provides. He likes to boast about his heroism and his good looks. My son memorizes Theseus’ line by the end of the book, “Hey, we may be trapped, but at least my good looks can cheer us all up.” I like that line too. I like the time travel portion. I like the peacocks.

This book is told in the third person point of view following Timothy (Tim) Baker as he continues to protect the broken ancient vase. A few days ago, (book 1) Tim caught the goddess Hera and her servant Hermes’ attempted to steal the vase. Tim overheard that Hera wanted to bring the vase back to Greece to trap Hercules in it again. These days Tim doesn’t leave the vase out of his sight much. Once again, he removes the cloth covering the vase to check if it’s still there, but Hermes appear out of nowhere and grab onto it. Tim grabs onto the vase to prevent Hermes from stealing but finds himself “swirling through the air at a great speed.” Tim ended up in ancient Greece, at the hometown of Hercules and Hera. Hera then take possession of the vase and Tim barely escapes her wrath. On his run away from Hera, Tim bumps into Hercules and got to meet his family. Zoe, Hercules’ daughter wants to steal the vase back before Hera use it to trap her dad again. Zoe and Tim then sneaks into Hera’s castle’s antechamber to look for the vase but was caught by Hera and without warning, they were sent to a labyrinth. Somewhere along, a hero, the Minotaur Slayer, Theseus came to their rescue. Then they run into Stheno, Medusa’s sister, a monster with snakes on her head with the power to turn whoever looking at her into stone. Tim and Zoe are trapped!

This book is very well written and entertaining to read. A great book for introducing kids Greek mythology, heroes, and Ancient Greece. I like how Theseus seems to be hopeless at rescuing the kids because he couldn’t stop admiring himself and seems to lack the abilities to think up strategies, but then surprise readers in the end. I like the hopeless heroes because they are less intimidating and are fun to be around. I like that Tim is smart to think up strategies. I like reading the adventures with the snake hair monster. This book’s hero is Theseus, but my son likes that Hercules and the bully Leo are brought back, especially Leo because it teaches him to deal with bullies. This story is an excellent read and I highly recommend everyone to read the series.

Pro: fast paced, page turner, time travel, ancient Greece, mythology, humor, actions & adventures

(Side Note: I actually learned from this book that the publishers called Minotaur and Pegasus have both taken their name from Greek mythology! haha.. Definitely read more to learn more, and don’t need to read a non-fiction book to learn new knowledge haha..)

Con: none

I rate it 5 stars!

***Disclaimer: Many thanks to the author Stella Tarakson, publisher Sweet Cherry Publishing, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review. Please be assured that my opinions are honest.

xoxo,
Jasmine at www.howusefulitis.wordpress.com for more details

[Schizanthus Nerd · Rating 4 out of 5]

We first met Tim Baker when he accidentally broke an antique Greek vase while dusting to help his mother, who struggled to work two jobs to support herself and her son, in Here Comes Hercules!, the first book in the Hopeless Heroes series.

Hercules had been trapped inside the vase by his evil stepmother Hera, and upon his release Hercules decides to ‘help’ Tim complete his chores. Hercules’ brand of help tends to end in disaster and ruins the garden in the process.

With Hercules safely returned to Ancient Greece, Hera’s Terrible Trap! begins at the outdoor garden centre with Tim and his mother shopping for plants to replace those Hercules destroyed while ‘helping’ in the first book.

Tim has taken it upon himself to protect the newly mended vase. Evil Hera and her servant Hermes have already attempted to steal the vase to recapture Hercules so Tim is on guard. Despite Tim’s best efforts Hermes manages to steal the vase, along with a stowaway. Tim grabbed hold of the vase as Hermes made his escape and is now stuck in Ancient Greece.

In this book Tim reunites with Hercules and meets his wife Agatha and daughter Zoe. Against overprotective Dad’s wishes Zoe decides to steal the vase from Hera so she can’t use it to recapture Hercules. Unable to talk this determined little miss out of her plan Tim follows Zoe and the kids wind up on an adventure.

Together they come across other mythological figures including vain Theseus (who Zoe, despite how smart she is, hero worships), one of Medusa’s sisters Stheno and Zoe’s Grandpa Perseus. Along the way they encounter a labyrinth, weaponised fruit and guard dogs peacocks! Yet even if they make it out of their adventure alive Tim has no idea if he will ever find a way to return home to present day England, where his Mum is no doubt frantic that her son is missing.

In this book we get a glimpse at one of Leo the bully’s family members and it becomes clearer why Leo is a bully in the first place, which I liked and look forward to getting to know him better in future books. I wasn’t, however, a fan of Tim getting back at Leo for tripping him by then tripping Leo. During this scene I heard my dreaded adult voice chiding Tim for his actions. Thankfully my adult voice shut up for the rest of the book.

Whereas the first book obviously needed time to set up the story and mythology, there was more action and adventure in the sequel. I did find the first book funnier although that’s probably more a reflection of how much fun I found Hercules’ bumbling attempts to help Tim to be. I thought that Zoe, being a strong and independent girl, would have been somewhat immune to Theseus’ alleged charms. It turns out that even smart girls can become groupies to doofus types.

Overall I enjoyed the sequel more than the first book and plan to continue reading this series. If you haven’t read the first book you could get away with starting the series with this one as it begins with a recap of the first, but to get the most out of it I’d recommend you read them in order.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Sweet Cherry Publishing for the opportunity to read this book. I’ll be looking out for Tim’s next adventure in Arachne’s Golden Gloves!

[Lana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was excited to read the second book in the Hopeless Heroes series, Hera’s Terrible Trap. In the first book Tim meets Hercules when he breaks his mother’s antique Greek Vase, which breaks a curse that had Hercules trapped.
After repairing the vase, Tim is guarding it as best he can, but Hermès still manages to steal it and pulls Tim with it back to Ancient Greece. Tim makes friends with Hercules’ daughter Zoe and together they are off to recover the vase if they can, and hopefully find a way for Tim to get back home.
Along the way they encounter many mythological characters, Stheno, Perseus and Theseus.
This book is just as fun as the first one! I highly recommend it for young readers! Thank you to Sweet Cherry Publishing and NetGalley for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
This will be featured on my blog on Sunday February 10, 2019.
colecampfireblog.com

[Rosemary Standeven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tim is having another bad day. This time he is dragged to the garden centre by his mother, in order to buy some plants to replace those burned by Hercules. The ghastly Leo is there, and Tim feels that life is unlikely to improve, now that Hercules has left, and he is once again pretty much friendless, and definitely defenceless.
Back at home, he is just in time to catch Hermes trying to fly off with the ancient vase that had kept Hercules imprisoned. Quick thinking on Tim’s part, enables him to grab hold of the vase – but instead of keeping it in his bedroom, both Tim and the vase are transported to Ancient Greece. The upside of this, is that he gets to see Hercules again – and to meet Hercules intelligent and adventurous daughter, Zoe. The downside is, that Ancient Greece also contains the terrible Hera and her vicious peacocks.
Tim and Zoe have to get back the vase before Hera can use it to trap Hercules again. They are (sort of) helped out by two great Greek heroes – Theseus and Perseus – and discover that the vase is much more important than anyone had previously thought.
As with “Here comes Hercules”, this book is a great introduction to Greek myths and legends. The illustrations of all the Greeks, as they strike their poses, could have been copied directly from ancient Greek vases. Only Tim, and the people of modern times are drawn ‘normally’.
I loved the way in which ancient myths and heroes were woven into this story. And particularly liked the portrayal of the hero Theseus as a vain pop-star type, followed by myriads of adoring female fans.
I can recommend this book to children of all ages, and am really looking forward to the next ancient Greek instalment.
I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

[Judith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
In this second book of the Hopeless Heroes series Tim Baker finds himself whisked back in time to ancient Greece where he meets Zoe, the daughter of his friend Hercules, and encounters more mythical characters such as Hera, Perseus, Theseus and Hermes. How will the children manage to escape the labyrinth and avoid being turned to stone in the gorgon's garden? And how can Tim get back home to his mum?
A humorous look at more Greek mythology which is sure to delight middle grade children.

[❃ Julka ❃ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 🌟

Bardzo fajna kontynuacja. Ponownie spotykamy Herkulesa, ale jest epizodycznie. Głowa rolę grają Tim i Zoe, a także inni mityczni bohaterowie, na których wpadają. Przyjemnie poprowadzony cykl, z chęcią będę słuchać dalej.

[Maya Yankulova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Книгата много ми хареса, защото съм много заинтригувана от гръцката митология.Давам и четири “звезди”,защото очаквах по големи приключения от историята.

[booksofallkinds · Rating 4 out of 5]

There was a lot of excitement in our house when HERE COMES HERCULES and HERA'S TERRIBLE TRAP by Stella Tarakson popped through our letterbox. My eldest loves to read and was delighted to have a new book to dive into, and my youngest loves to listen to stories at bedtime, curled up in bed. So it was no surprise that we got started with the first story that evening.

Tim Baker is a good kid who helps out with the housework as his mum works two jobs to make ends meet. So when he breaks her favourite vase, the one that his mum treasures more than anything, Tim is worried. But that is the least of his worries as the vase held a secret and that secret is out in the shape of Hercules, a Greek hero who tries to help Tim but always seems to make things a little bit worse with hilarious consequences.
As soon as we finished with Hercules we jumped straight into HERA'S TERRIBLE TRAP for more madcap adventures when Tim finds himself in Ancient Greece with only Theseus to help him out. That is if Theseus can ever stop looking at himself long enough to be of any help!

We all really enjoyed both stories and the layout of the books really worked well as there are lovely illustrations throughout which help to paint a picture of the trouble the characters are getting into. The stories move along at a good pace, and my children always wanted one more page. While there are plenty of laughs throughout, there are also more sensitive topics mentioned like the bully who targets Tim or the fact that Tim's mum has to work two jobs to pay the bills, and this was expertly handled by the author, and it provided me with an opportunity to chat about these things with my kids in a light way.

My children found both books adventurous and funny, and it opened their eyes to mythology as they were eager to discover more about Hercules, Hera, and Theseus at different points of the stories. It is always great when you find a series to enjoy and the Hopeless Heroes series certainly gets a big thumbs up from this house. Bring on the next instalment!!

*I voluntarily reviewed this book from the Publisher

[Sweet Cherry Publishing]

“Funny, engaging and a fantastic way of learning about Greek Mythology !” – Georgina, Special Education Needs Resource Blog

“These books are awesome.” – Alex, 8

"Quirky, funny and unique. The book was entertaining and captivating with strong characters, and intriguing plot. I loved it and would recommend it to everyone" - Rubina Bashir, NetGalley

[Mindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I must admit that I really love this series. This one was no exception. I love mythology and having it combined with fiction is something that I have always enjoyed. There's a scene in the beginning that may not set the best example when it comes to bullying though. The author does say that the main character felt like it wasn't a smart move, however no repercussions seem to come of it. Other than that, I really couldn't find any faults with this book. The situations the main character finds himself in can be funny at times but they also encourage kids to think outside of the box. There is a bit of violence which follows the story of Perseus, although it's not descriptive at all and is very brief. I feel like this is appropriate for kids who are starting to transition to harder chapter books, but, as always, it depends on the child. Also you do not have to have read the first book in the series to enjoy this one, although I recommend both of them.

I would like to thank the publisher, author and Netgalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Книжни Криле · Rating 5 out of 5]

Поредицата „Безнадеждни герои” на изд. „Робертино” е всичко друго, само не и безнадеждна! Ако не вярвате, явно все още не сте чели „Херкулес пристига“ на Стела Тараксън, с илюстрации от Ник Робертс. Ако пък вече сте чели книгата, то със сигурност чакате с нетърпение продължението. Е, имаме добра новина за вас – то вече е в книжарниците. Но имате ли достатъчно кураж за да се изправите срещу „Ужасният капан на Хера”?Прочетете ревюто на "Книжни Криле": https://knijnikrile.wordpress.com/202...

[Pop Bop · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Fun Modern Adventure With Greek Myth Heroes

The first book in this series came out about a year ago titled "Tim Baker and the Ancient Curse", as part of a new series - "Gormless Gods and Hapless Heroes". It's been reissued as "Here Comes Hercules!", and the series is now to be called just "Hopeless Heroes". That's just fine by me because the first book was a fun and exciting adventure and I'm happy to see it getting a second life. And now we already have this second book, "Hera's Terrible Trap", and a third book, "Arachne's Golden Gloves" on the way.

It would probably be a good idea to start with the first book. In that one we meet Tim Baker and his Mom, set up the background to the tale, break a vase that releases Hercules from a trap that was set by Hera, and have a rousing adventure with poor dim Hercules, set in modern times. We come to know and like Tim and become rather fond of Hercules, who comes across as a well-intentioned but slightly goofy character.

This second book picks up where the first left off. Tim is bored and lonely at home and Hercules is back in ancient Athens. Tim ends up being transported to ancient Athens and his adventure involves mostly Tim and Hercules' daughter Zoe, with cameos by Hera, Theseus, a gorgon, and some other familiar figures. The plot revolves around keeping Hera from re-trapping good-natured and slightly gullible Hercules. If there's a problem with the second book, it's only that the author sort of assumes that the reader knows Tim, is familiar with the first book, and already has a grasp of the underlying premise. An effort is made to bring in new readers, but it really all works much better if you've read Book One.

In any event, Tim remains a clever, good-hearted and engaging kid. Zoe is a bit of a spark plug with some ancient Greek girrrrl power and she serves quite nicely as an appealing and fully realized second main character. Lively drawings add some extra personality and highlight the action. The adventure itself involves lurking, sneaking, escaping, finding one's way in a maze, and gorgon outsmarting, so there's plenty of action. The dialogue is fairly sharp, and there are a few sly or edgy lines to keep things a bit jazzy and pointed. This doesn't seem to be intended to teach a lot of Greek mythology; it's built more about borrowing Greek characters and introducing their stories to add color and interest to the festivities. Given that this seems aimed at a younger reader that struck me as a fine way to go.

The upshot was that this was fun and snappy, with an agreeable angle and engaging characters. I thought it to be an entertaining and nicely crafted find.

(Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in the “Hopeless Heroes” series. I would recommend you read the first book “Here Comes Hercules”, which is fun and will really help you get into the series.

I loved the first book in this series and “Hera’s Terrible Trap” picks up the story right where we left it. Hera and Hermes had recently visited Tim Baker‘s house to steal his Greek vase. They disappeared, but Hermes later returns. As Hermes steals the vase and returns to ancient Greece, Tim Baker is somehow swept along. There he escapes Hara and runs into Hercules and his family. He becomes fast friends with Hercules’ daughter Zoe and the two are punished by Hera and sent on an adventure. They work together to fight mythical creatures and Tim Baker find out how to return home.

This book was a lot of fun, filled with lots of Greek mythology, adventure, and friendships. This is a great addition to the series and I would recommend to children grades 2 and up.

Special thanks to Netgalley for my complementary copy and return for my honest review.

[Iva · Rating 3 out of 5]

Определено по-добро изпълнение от първата книга в поредицата, включително и по отношение на превода (като изключим "чух го по Лозата", което хем тотално няма нищо общо с древногръцките митове като произход, хем не е отбелязано какво е и защо има смисъл на английски, но не и на български). В допълнение към Херкулес, Хера и Хермес, тук се срещаме с Тезей и Персей (последният е абсолютно култов образ), както и със Стено, където автентичността в описанията клони към нулата.

Ако търсите автентичен прочит на древногръцките митове и легенди, не е това мястото, определено. Но поне детето се забавлява.

[Gwen - Chew & Digest Books - · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a grand, fun, and simply illustrated introduction to Greek mythology. Having gone to school in an era where the classics and the mythology around them were shoved aside, I enjoy seeing them brought back in such a delightful way for kids that gently teaches readers the mythology by using a twist of sci-fi time travel and a moral or two snuck in here and there.

Can't wait to catch up on and read the rest of the series,

[Nicole Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

The peacocks were a bit too much for the story but I enjoyed it( Isabel aged 9)

[Aj Fried · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our son gave this one 5 million ⭐️!

[tales_with_arthur · Rating 4 out of 5]

My son loved the character of Hermes in this one, as well as the Gorgon!

[Benedita · Rating 5 out of 5]

🥰

[Pedro · Rating 2 out of 5]

Clássico infância já tinha lido p primeiro, e já lá vão alguns anos, e agora decidi reviver a sensação!!

[Tomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Sweet Cherry Publishing and NetGalley for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Anything Greek Mythology and you have my attention. This is the 2nd book of the "Hopeless Heroes Series"- Hera’s Terrible Trap. In the first book Tim Baker meets Hercules when he breaks his mother’s antique Greek Vase, which breaks a curse that Hera had Hercules trapped in.

Fast forward, the the 2nd book. After repairing the vase, Tim is guarding it as best he can, but Hermès still manages to come and steal it but Tim jumps to stop him, all the while pulling him up with him back to Ancient Greece. Tim is introduced to Hera, who he makes an escape from, while running, bumps into Hercules. He becomes friends with his daughter Zoe and together they are off to recover the vase if they can, going through a series of events, from being trapped in a maze with Theseus, to hiding in a cave to stay clear of Medusa the famous Gorgon. Head full of snakes, if you look at her you turn to stone, and hopefully find a way for him to get back home. As you read more into the story, we are introduced to more famous Mythological Characters.

I highly recommend this to the younger readers, it was a lot of fun, and I'm definitely excited to read the rest of the series.

[Ravenclaw Library Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, I don't think I could ever tire of mythology featured in children's books. Sometimes they like to over-explain it, but I realize that I'm not the intended audience.

[Christina Reid]

RTC

[Colleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy.*

This is fast becoming my fave kids series. I love this second instalment in the Hopeless Heroes series as much as I loved the first one. I love the humorous tongue in cheek approach to the gods and the adventure aspects of the story.

Tim and Hercules are back, but were introduced some other gods. I love that the gods stay true to mythology but also have a cool spin on their personalities.

This was a super engaging read and I cannot wait for the next one in the series.