God of Fire

Aphrodite & Hephaestus #1

by Helen Steadman

🎧Listening Length = 9 hours and 2 minutes

The Greek god of fire is brought to life in this vivid retelling! Hephaestus, outcast by his mother as a baby and taken in by an underwater witch, comes of age away from his family. Mocked by the other Olympians, he finds his life changed when his inventions begin to draw attention. Perfect for fans of The Song of Achilles.

In Greek mythology, love is the greatest punishment of all. Repulsed by her ugly newborn, Hera throws him into the sea, where he shatters his ankle. As darkness looms, Thetis saves the wounded child and raises him in her underwater grotto.

Hephaestus is the only Olympian whose injuries never heal, and Zeus adds to his burden by sentencing him to life with Aphrodite. Unhappily married to the adulterous goddess of love, he is fated to repeat his childhood pattern of rejection. To subdue his emotional and physical pain, he harnesses fire to make magical inventions. Of course, the other gods take advantage of his good nature and demand all manner of trinkets. A silver mouse for Apollo. A girdle for Aphrodite. Armour for Athena. A bow and arrow for Eros.

Winged sandals for Hermes. A throne for Hera. A golden mastiff for Zeus. A shield for Achilles. But the god of fire is nobody’s fool. His magic has a shadow side, as gods and mortals learn to their cost when Zeus orders him to create Pandora’s jar…

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

326 pages, Paperback

First published September 13, 2022

About the author

Helen Steadman mostly writes biographical historical fiction (think herbs, healing, witch trials, swords, shipwrecks and lighthouses) set in the north east of England.

So far, she’s written the Newcastle Witch Trials trilogy (Widdershins, Sunwise and Solstice), The Running Wolf (about the Shotley Bridge swordmakers) and Grace (about Grace Darling, the Northumbrian lighthouse keeper’s daughter).

And then — because why not — there’s God of Fire set on Mount Olympus, which is absolutely nowhere near the north east of England. (A sequel featuring Aphrodite is in hand.)

Reviews

[Miriam Smith (A Mother’s Musings) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read books by Helen Steadman before and knowing the amount of research she puts into her books before writing them, I knew that “God of Fire” would be packed with historical facts (or myths) together with her brilliant writing skills and vivid imagination.

I’ve always had a secret love of Greek Mythology and this book covered everything I like about it; the many unique Gods, their intricacies and their powers, all tied into an entertaining and frolicking story.

The premise is based on the little-known ‘God of Fire’ - Hephaestus, who after being cast away from his mother Hera, constantly yearns for parental love. He often finds himself embroiled in numerous adventures, some humorous, some dangerous and some emotional but it was an absolute pleasure to read about his story in such an enthusiastic manner.

All the familiar Gods are embroiled in Hephaestus' life story; Aphrodite, Athena, Zeus, Achilles and Poseidon to name a few and it was very interesting to see how the knowledge I already knew about these deities, played out in the story.

I was held captive like a slave from start to finish, utterly engrossed in the immortal and mortal worlds (there's a tale included about the origin of the mortal world too) and having finished it, I wish I was still a fly on the wall of these fascinating characters and their lives. So entertaining and full of fun, if you even have a passing interest in Greek Mythology, you should thoroughly enjoy “God of Fire” and is a book I will definitely read again for pleasure.

#GodOfFire - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Suanne Laqueur · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a sucker for good myth retellings and I loved this one!

[Ангелина]

Позволявам си да я маркирам "прочетена", защото много държах да оставя ревю, което да ми напомня защо съм я изоставила (на 40 стр между другото)
Не може да претендираш за автентичност и да наричаш Хефест и Прометей - "Хеф" и "Пром" все едно са най-добри авери от квартала. Разбирам свободата на retellings и затова ги чета, обаче тук авторката мощно е пресолила манджата.

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this book, but the narrative style didn't really capture me. It seemed like it was moving very quickly from one story to another, and I didn't really feel a connection to any of the characters (especially Hephaestus, unfortunately). It definitely is more relaxed than some of the other retellings that are well-known right now, which was a nice breath of fresh air, but I felt like it was lacking something that made me want to keep reading, and I think that was due to the story jumping around.

[Monika Armet · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book tells the story of Hephaestus, perhaps the least known Greek god.

He was born fatherless, abandoned by his mother Hera, who despised his looks and threw him from the Mount Olympus. He was found by Thetis, a seawitch, who looked after him. The god had a disability, something unusual among the gods as they were immortal, in a form of a misshapen leg which caused him a lot of pain.

However, Hephaestus wishes to discover his parentage, so he returns to the Mount Olympus. He is a skilled blacksmith, a god of fire, and soon he begins to create inventions for everyone.

Forced to marry Aphrodite, he endures an unhappy marriage, where his wife has an affair with Ares, his half-brother. Against his better judgement, he gets entangled in the scheming and politics of the Mount...

I really enjoyed this book.

I love Greek mythology, but I wasn't familiar with Hephaestus's story. He was someone who achieved a lot despite his disability. He was the most human of all the gods, as he could feel pain, it was something he experienced on a daily basis.

He was a fantastic inventor, I had no idea he created Pandora, and then her wretched box. He also made a bow and arrow (a cupid's bow) for his son, Eros.

His mother, Hera, treated him appallingly (and so did Aphrodite). He wanted a quiet life making his inventions, and instead, he had to put up with his wife and his mother.

Overall, it is a greatly researched story. I definitely recommend it.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just a real solid 3 - it’s not the strongest book (to me) in the mix of Greek mythology retellings but i love this genre so it was still enjoyable.

I wanted a little more of “Heph” but i think i went into this thinking it would be focused on him and his origin story, whereas the book is actually just having him narrate various myths. We get a bit of everything from Eros (cupid) and his shenanigans to the Trojan War to Medusa and Zeus’ love of cows!

And! Sometimes books in this genre try hard to be funny and it isn’t actually funny, but this book did a good job. The various events of early mortals and how the Greek gods viewed them had me caaaaackling.

But also -1 for this portrayal of Achilles. I feel personally affronted at how awful he was here. Madeline Miller’s version of Achilles forever 🫶🏻 you simply cannot tell me otherwise.

[Aimée Challenger · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not enjoy this book at all. It's unnecessarily crude in parts, skips from one story to the next without a sense of coherence, and the gods are called by nicknames (Heph and Aph). This one was, unfortunately, not for me.

[Andrew · Rating 1 out of 5]

Skip this one

If you are reading this because of any interest in the content, please skip. In a book size that would normally take me two days to read, I dragged this out for two weeks. The author attempts to put every Greek hero’s story in one book which can only cause each to be glazed over un-heroically.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hephaestus was born and thrown away by his mother Hera. Raised by the sea witch, Hephaestus, the God of Fire, did his best to stay under the radar but his poor leg he found himself lacking but a gift becomes a power. He meets his brother and sister who he barely tolerates. Everything changes though when he meets his mother again and she demands he stay with her. Not because she feels any love, but because she wants the gifts he can make with fire and iron. All is not appears though Hephaestus is mindful in everything he does.

The story takes you on a tale filled with mythological gods and goddesses that you have heard stories of. I had not read of Hephaestus though. I listened to this on audiobook and the narration is fantastic. All the emotions with the different characters are read so well, you are swooped up in the story.

[Bookshortie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of Hephaestus (Heph), the God of Fire, who as a newborn baby was cast from the heavens by his mother Hera. Heph was saved and raised by the sea witch Thetis. Once he is older he returns to Olympus to claim his rightful place amongst the gods and discover who his father is.

I am a big fan of Greek mythology and retellings so as soon as I saw this book I knew it was one I wanted to read. Heph is one of the gods that I don’t know much about so this was a brilliant introduction to his origin story and how he fits in with the other gods. I really enjoyed the storyline because it was fascinating and captured my attention from the first page. It was hard not to feel sad for Heph especially when he is discarded by Hera because he is unwanted and then later the way he is treated by Zeus and his wife Aphrodite. Although the book follows Heph’s story we are also introduced to a number of the other Greek gods and their storylines such as Prometheus, Persephone and Achilles. The story illustrates how the gods treated Heph but also how they treated each other. Themes of love, lust, jealously and fear featured in the storyline and were displayed by many of the gods. In Heph’s case he shows signs of jealously and fears of being replaced when Achilles is born.

What I liked about this book in particular was the writing style. The way the story was written captured my attention from the first page and it was such an easy read. Although there is a lot happening in the book with the main plot about Heph and sub plots relating to other figures the story was easy to digest. There were a lot of characters but the author has done a brilliant job in introducing them and explaining how they are linked to Heph so I knew at all times what was happening and who everyone was connected to.

If you like Greek mythology and retellings then this is a book I would highly recommend.

[Melinda · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read a lot of Greek mythology, and whilst it's clear that the author has done an awful lot of research for this book, it felt like I was reading a text book and studying for a classics exam.
In my view, the Greek gods is a subject bursting with magical, wild, wonderful (and terrible) events, and they should feel that way when you read about them. This book felt like a quick pass through everything that happened in the god if fire's immortal life, just back to back events whith basic description. Yes, I can now probably win a pub quiz on the topic, but where was the imagery and the depth?

[Harriet Springbett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adored this retelling of the familiar Greek myths, featuring Hephaestus (Heph, as he's referred to in this book), the God of Fire. Usually, when I read Greek myths, I spend my time trying to remember who is who, mixing up their names and relationships with each other. This is not the case with Steadman's book. It's accessible, full of humour and easy to read. The author spends time on settings and develops the personalities of the gods in such a way that they become memorable in their own right as characters. I liked Stephen Fry's 'Mythos', but 'God of Fire' is a lot more satisfying. Another great novel from this author.

[Cassie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Missing the continuity of a normal novel and feels more like a compilation of various myths that are mostly unconnected, the author haphazardly works Hephaestus into each of these myths. This does not detail the life of the god of fire but the events happening around him. Simple easy read that is unfortunately forgettable.

[Lindsey · Rating 1 out of 5]

This one should’ve stayed in the drafts…

[Gordon Mcghie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes I hit a point in my reading when I think I have gone too heavy on the back to back crime stories. When that happens I remind myself that I wanted to try to find books I may not normally have sought out, particularly if it takes in themes or concepts I know I haven't had much previous exposure to. This was where my head was at when I received an invitation to join the blog tour for God of Fire - a retelling of Greek myths with a focus on Hephaestus. Perfect!

And the good news is that it was the right book at the right time for me. It took more concentration than a crime thriller, more on that in a second, and I realised that I knew less about the Greek Gods than I had initially realised (though that really should not have been a surprise). But this was a fun read which challenged me too, mainly because of how I read.

The book first. Hephaetus is the God of Fire, son of Hera but it seems he has no father. Hera discarded her son after his birth and he fell to earth where he was rescued by Sea Witches who kept him alive and raised him as if he was their own. Hephaetus was, to a degree, shunned by other Gods as he had a badly damaged leg. Any weakness in a God is fodder for ridicule and dismissive attitudes from their peers and it was fascinating to have the focus of our introduction to Hephaetus all about his perceived weakness, his abandonment by his mother and the sheer force of will he set himself to build his standing among the other Gods.

As he grew his adoptive mothers took Hephaetus to the three cyclops who helped him by giving him the ability to forge anything he set his mind to. Hephaetus's ability to make any item for the other Gods soon gave him the ideal vehicle to win favour amongst the Gods and to prove himself a valuable ally. Though he was not adverse to using these gifts to get his own way as Hera would find out when presented with her first gift.

I had a passing awareness of the Gods that feature in the story. Many names were familiar to me and I possibly could have told you one single thing I knew about these Gods. However, there were many more characters who were new to me and that I knew nothing about before reading God of Fire and it was here my concentration had to be at its max. I skim read and normally I can quickly zoom through stories and keep track of events without too much effort. But the detail covered in God of Fire was such that I had to slow my pace right down, unfamiliar names, my lack of prior knowledge of relationships and status of the characters also meant I had to be giving my full focus to events as they unfolded.

While that may sound like a critisism it really isn't (unless it is me self-critisising my reading). I wanted a book to take me out my comfort zone, one which would give me exposure to a very different read and, in the case of God of Fire, one to help me understand more about Greek Mythology - something I love the idea of knowing but have never actually made time to learn about. God of Fire opened my eyes to the alliances, the players and the plotting which many, many readers before me have enjoyed.

As I struggled keeping track of the character names and their roles in the story I did find it slightly frustrating when characters used nicknames when in conversation. Prometheus becomes Prom, Heph for Hephaetus. Again it keeps within the story narrative and the conversational tone that Helen Steadman has used when the Gods are chatting. From my personal (skim reader) experience I use character recognition to help form the words so when I am looking for Prometheus but see Prom it forces me to slow down as I miss the crux of a paragraph as I don't see the name I had expected to see. These seemingly small issues impact upon how I read a book but it meant I spent more time in this book than I do with many others and when I finished reading I always felt I had enjoyed the time I spent with Hephaetus. There was a lot more to discover than I had anticipated and I really had my eyes opened to an entirely new (to me) history of amazing stories/myths...I wish there was time to roll back the clock and get my younger self reading about these fantastical stories far sooner.

Rewarding, challenging and most definately informative. I wasn't sure how God of Fire and I would get on but it is safe to say Hephaetus won in the end, I made all the adjustments and concessions so I could enjoy his story. So glad I read this.

[The Book Elf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Firstly let me just say , that for all my life so far, I have not been a fan of Greek Mythology books, possibly due to the ones we were expected to read at school and also , to me , the high brow way in which they are generally written. Consequently I did not know a lot about the different Greek Gods.

God of Fire changed my perception with the first paragraph when Hephaestus( Heph as he is generally known throughout the book) is thrown out of Heaven by his mother, Hera, and is raised by Thetis and Eurynome under the sea. I feel that I need to give you the first paragraph here as this is what hooked me straight away.

" Less than an hour old, fatherless and despised by his Mother, this squalling infant fell from the heavens. Fell all day and fell all night through vast starry skies, on through the firmament, down to the humble blue and green orb below, until he landed on the sea with a sickly crack of breaking baby bones. The fallen God let out a scream that shook the world. Yet no one came "

God of Fire follows on with the fast pace of writing from start to finish and after the initial thirty pages ot so when I was trying to get my head around who is who etc I became deeply engrossed in the antics of the Gods, most of whom I never knew existed, along with who is Mother or Father to whom, if indeed there is one! and are their offspring mortal or immortal ? I consequently now have a stronger understanding and grounding of Greek Mythology to possibly pursue it further.

The atrocities the Gods commit and the goriness of their actions, most of which they find entertaining, is not for the squeamish or faint hearted through it does add to the allure of the story along with the varying characteristics of these immortal beings. however, the ending is incredibly emotive and definitely brings you down to earth and back to a reality of mortal life. I cannot say much more without giving part of the ending away and I would not want to spoil the readers enjoyment of the book.

The narrative that Helen uses i brilliant for a reader, like myself, as once I started the book I could not put in down as I was so engrossed as to what was happening in Heph's life. I also like the fact that Helen has told the story from Heph, the God of Fire's perspective, rather than one of the more well known Gods, as this allows the reader to develop their knowledge of the relationships to other Gods though his life, emotions and skills.

An absolute 5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 read

[Georgina Power · Rating 5 out of 5]

“How many must die when Gods collide?”

God of Fire was a book that I was drawn to the minute Greek mythology was mentioned, and then to see that it was story based around Hephaestus (as not many books and retellings really focus on Heph so it was a nice change) really pulled me in. I found this book to be a fantastic read, it was great to read about more of the nicer things that some Gods had done, not just focus on the horrors, although reading about those from a different perspective was very interesting.

This is a great read that supports all I have read about Greek mythology growing up, it feels very well researched with very clever retellings in place, that I feel really helped to fill some gaps and plot holes for myself. There are so many myths and Gods there were included, even demi-gods and well-known mortals that were birthed from divinities; such as Hercules and Achilles, plus the inclusion of Prometheus’ story and the punishment he incurred was interesting to read about again

There were times that I did struggle, I cannot lie, there were mentions of rape throughout the book, it is well known about the Olympians behaviour (especially Zeus) but it was still uncomfortable to read about in places, but I really liked the fact that throughout the book he was called out on his behaviour especially by Athena, I really liked how protective she came across

I did find the ending to be a bit abrupt, but also quite lovely despite the content of the story’s ending, but I found myself completely enthralled in the book, it is such an engrossing and fast paced read that I really did not want it to end, I personally feel like there could be a sequel or more spin off retellings by this author and I would be one of the first to sign up for a read

All in all, this is an absolutely fantastic read that I was completely engrossed and intrigued by, this book is actually on par with my favourite mythological retelling “Mythos” by Stephen Fry, I would highly recommend this book and I already have been to friends and family, it is a fantastic read, I would just point out that this book should come with trigger warnings: mentions of incest, sexual assault, rape and death.

4.5

[Kristel Greer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was sent a copy of this book for review.

Hephaestus is the God of Fire. He was born frail and with a damaged leg. His mother Hera rejected her baby and banished him from Olympus to the unforgiving seas. He was saved by the Sea Witch Thetis who took care of him and raised him as her own.


With a disability that wouldn’t heal, Hephaestus grew up the most humble and humanlike of the Olympian Gods. He never knew his father but tries to impress Zeus to regain entry to Olympus. While he gathers applause and notoriety for his efforts, Zeus punishes him with further suffering by forcing him into a loveless marriage with Aphrodite. The marriage is fought with animosity, sorrow, and flaunted adultery on Aphrodite’s part. Hephaestus loved his wife and tried to make it work, but it was doomed to fail as she rebukes him at every turn.


Hephaestus's one joy is his remarkable skill of harnessing his power of fire to forge stunning magical metal objects for the gods including a throne for Hera and a gold mastiff for Zeus which earn him his place back In Olympus. However, his powers have a darker side and when Zeus charges him to create Pandora and her infamous box, it unleashes conflict, war, and famine on the earth which causes trouble for the Olympians. Will his abilities that once gifted humans the power of the flame ends up being the undoing of the human world and lose him favour with the other Gods in the Pantheon? Or will Hephaestus be doomed to live a lonely and troubled immoral life forever?



🌟🌟🌟🌟 I listened to the audiobook and I found the narration engaging and added to the story. I didn’t know much about Hephaestus going into this as he isn’t one of the most prominent Gods, but I was intrigued by his life story and what he did to overcome his setbacks and family trauma. I found the story compelling and entertaining the whole way through. The fact that he had a disability was an important aspect of his character as I have a disabled nephew which made it resonate with me more. It was interesting to see how he was treated and how he dealt with his disability with dignity.

[Kate Shotliff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bloody love a Greek mythology retelling, so I was so happy to get on this tour!

I love Helen Steadman’s writing, it makes what could be a very confusing storyline just because of the sheer number of characters and the similar names, very readable in my opinion. Hephaestus (Heph here) has always been underrated or overlooked (Greek myths came up a lot in my Ancient World Studies degree so I was aware of how Heph fits into it all but I don’t think I’ve read a book where Hephaestus is even a character let alone the main one). I think this book makes him a well-rounded and fully dimensional character, by starting so early on in his story when he is thrown out of Olympus by Hera for being disfigured (he has a club foot) you can really start to understand his motivations and how he feels he always has to prove his worth compared to the other Olympians who just come across as hilariously arrogant and petty, looking at you Hera and don’t even get me started on Aphrodite.

I appreciate that Steadman didn’t shy away from the brutality of the gods and the blatant misuse of their powers/influence for their own needs (usually sexual, there is a lot of rape and physical violence here so TW) or just to win arguments against each other.

A great, sometimes slower paced retelling of a lesser-known mythological figure. I loved it.

Thank you to RandomThingsTours and Helen Steadman for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Christina Frøkjær · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read Helen Steadman's previous works and knowing the extensive research she undertakes before writing, I was confident that “God of Fire” would be rich in historical facts (or myths), complemented by her exceptional writing and vivid imagination.

I've always had a fascination with Greek Mythology, and this book encapsulates everything I love about it: the diverse gods, their complexities, and their powers, all woven into an entertaining and lively narrative.

The story centers around the lesser-known 'God of Fire' - Hephaestus. Cast aside from his mother Hera, he constantly longs for parental love. His adventures are a mix of humor, danger, and emotion, and it was a delight to read about his journey presented with such enthusiasm.

All the familiar gods are part of Hephaestus' tale, including Aphrodite, Athena, Zeus, Achilles, and Poseidon. It was fascinating to see how the knowledge I already had about these deities was integrated into the story.

From start to finish, I was utterly captivated, and deeply engrossed in both the immortal and mortal realms (there's even a story about the origin of the mortal world). Now that I've finished it, I wish I could still be a fly on the wall of these intriguing characters and their lives. “God of Fire” is immensely entertaining and enjoyable. If you have even a passing interest in Greek Mythology, you will thoroughly enjoy this book, which I will definitely revisit for pleasure.

[Sonja Charters · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I've 'read' in this genre - even though I've been fascinated for years and had so many books like this on my wishlist.

I'm so pleased I've finally managed to start my myths journey.

First of all, can we just appreciate how gorgeous this cover is. The red with the gold really stands out and the design looks just like flames with the Godlike figure in the middle - I love it!

I absolutely loved all the characters and the personalities of each of the well-known Gods. Especially the different voices given to each which really added to the atmosphere. Just brilliant!

This book was full of humour and I found myself chuckling throughout. Most of the Gods really don't come out of this as very supreme, as they come across as very lazy and indulgent - but this absolutely fits their story perfectly.

I obviously have some prior knowledge of the events here from watching films and seeing programmes and articles - but thought they were interwoven in this book really cleverly. The events the Gods were experiencing and how they affected the Earth - and recognising those historical events - this was totally enthralling and fascinating!

This book has totally whet my appetite for this genre and I can't wait to get hold of more like this

[Heena Mohammed · Rating 4 out of 5]

I rarely read books about men (!) and certainly not from the POV of male gods in the feminist Greek mythology retelling space - but my boy Heph is my exception!

When I saw this book, I snatched it up at rapid speed, as I was so excited to read from the perspective of one of the more downtrodden and mistreated Olympians.

@helensteadmanauthor did not disappoint! This book is so rich and full of researched mythology stories, I found myself constantly putting my book down to Google more stories (this was my first time learning about Melissa and Penthesilia!!!) so for that reason alone, this was well worth a read. It’s such a rich book that reads like a long spanning epic covering centuries of tales (think Circe by Madeline Miller and Hera by Jennifer Saint) - so you get a LOT in this book, if that’s the style of retellings that you enjoy; to see all the myths through Hephaestus’ lens, as opposed to specifically a Hephaestus origin story.

The book is focused on the interactions between the Gods, and that’s my preferred style of retellings (think Percy Jackson, and ATOD by Scarlett St Clair) - the relationships between the Olympians and other gods, the jealousy, the scheming andthe betrayals. It felt fun and casual, and I genuinely enjoyed the funnier interactions between the characters, as actual family - which they are!

I particularly loved Prometheus in this book, though I wanted so much more Aphrodite - though Helen Steadman has confirmed she is working on this!!!
I also loved the Pandora section, which made me more hype for Bea Fitzgerald’s A Beautiful Evil coming out this August,

Some of the mythology was certainly changed around (I have questions about Dionysus’ mother and Achilles being terrible that I need to discuss with someone, anyone) maybe some of you purists might have stronger thoughts, but I’m quite open to a wider scope of understandings of the myths - that’s fine by me.

I defo recommend the book, and would love to see it on more TBR lists of my mutuals in this genre - if not only to discuss thoughts!

[Angela Critics · Rating 4 out of 5]

I definitely enjoyed this different take on Greek Mythology. So often Hephaestus is a god on the margins. Here he is the center of the story, with everything told from his point of view. The story is also told in a way that makes the gods seem less distant. Techniques like referring to them by nicknames give a sense of immediacy. They are bombastic, mostly self-centered, and immature, but the interactions feel real.

Told in short chapters, the story explores a wide array of Greek myths with the single, unifying thread being the involvement of the God of Fire. The book moves quickly but remains engaging.

Over the last several years, I've had a hard time focusing on "adult" books and have spent most of my time reading children's books (not unsurprising as a Children's Librarian), but this has been one of the first adult books, that was not a re-read of an old favorite, where I enjoyed coming back and working my way through it.

Thank you to the author and LibraryThing for a free, digital copy of the book in return for a review.

[Fin Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a boy, I was always fascinated by Greek myths and loved movies that gave them a fantastic reality. Helen Steadman’s retelling of many of the classic tales through the eyes of Hephaestus gives us a unique look at ancient Olympus and so gives us accessibility to the legends of old.
Her humanising of the Gods, showing their faults and failings, provides humour while shining a sharp light on the illogical nature of many of the legends. Even her use of short-form names brings us closer to the raw ‘reality’ of deity.
I greatly enjoyed this foray into faux history by this author, whose previous fact-based historical novels give us well-researched, often grim reality. God of Fire feels equally painstakingly researched. I liked being reminded of old favourite tales with the slant of this critical protagonist who has full access to the machinations of the top players of Greek mythology.
This is a thoroughly enjoyable romp into quasi-history and gives another welcome insight into this talented writer’s ability to weave an excellent tale.

[Katie Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

📖Synopsis: Hephaestus (or Heph as he is lovingly known) was cast out of heaven by his own mother and greatest godess, Hera, for being withered and ugly and is permanently tormented by the pain in his leg. So he was raised beneath the sea by sea witch Thetis. With his Foster mother's help, he discovers his ability to weld and invent using his fire (God of Fire). The other gods take full advantage of this and he is soon busy making all sorts for the God's- including the creation of the infamous Pandora for Zeus.

💭 Thoughts: Wow! You all know I'm a sucker for a Greek Myth retelling and this is another one I loved. I loved the writing style and the portrayal of the Gods in this. Their attitudes and arguments were comical and immature at times which added a real human element to them and made for good reading. I found the characters were developed really well and I enjoyed reading about Hephaestus story as he is one of the ones I knew little about!

I would highly recommend this one if you are a fan of Circe, Ariadne etc.

[Lynsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a big fan of Helen’s books and I was very excited to read this one as I am also a sucker for a good retelling of ancient mythology! Helen manages to make history or mythology easily accessible for the reader and it was certainly the case with this book. ‘God of Fire’ follows the life of Hephaestus (Hephaestus) and he was a god I didn’t really know too much about. To say I was fascinated is an understatement.

Heph, the God of Fire, was thrown out of heaven as a baby by his mother Hera. He was found and raised by the sea witch Thetis. When he is older he returns to Olympus to learn about the god and to find out what he can about his father.

I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the God of Fire and how all the others gods and their stories interjected with Heph’s. I have always been fascinated about ancient mythology and this book only further ignited that spark of interest. Helen managed to make what can be seen by some people as a dull and dry subject into something exciting, tender and it was thoroughly well written.

Let me know if you pick this one up!

[Paxton Holley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really probably more of a 2.5 star book for me. I was looking for another Greek mythology retelling similar to Madeline Miller’s books; Song of Achilles, and Circe. There are a bunch of them out there now.

For the most part I enjoyed this. I liked some of the depictions of the pantheon of Olympians. My problem is mostly the depiction of the protagonist, Hephaestus, or the God of Fire. He’s kind of sad and pathetic. I get making him sad. His origins are very sad and he’s kind of apart from the whole pantheon. But he’s also written as pathetic. He constantly wants his mother’s, Hera, acceptance. Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love, is forced to marry him and she’s constantly cheating on him. In fact, his son Eros, isn’t even his actual son. It’s Ares’. This is all fine, a lot of it is in the mythology, but making Hephaestus this wilting flower of a personality makes the entire story frustrating. He’s an emo god, and not really what I was hoping to read about. I kind of thought Hephaestus would be a stronger personality, and since he is apart from the other Olympians, he’d be able to sardonically comment on all of the other gods’ ridiculousness. But instead he longs to be one and can’t.

A lot of the story is not really even about Hephaestus. Hephaestus is there, but a big chunk is about Prometheus; creating mankind, giving them fire, giving them woman, and watching their antics. And how all of this affects Zeus.

A little disappointed, not exactly what I thought I was getting.

[Jess | dapper.reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love mythology. I find the shenanigans of the old deities to be incredibly entertaining.

This particular mythological retelling brings us relatable and personable deities sharing their struggles with us commoners. Is that what happened? Well no, but that’s what it felt like. This is not bad, it’s definitely not what I was prepared for but it wasn’t a bad thing. I can’t say I’ve felt like I’ve been “part” of the story when it comes to mythology before and it was definitely a different feeling.

My one complaint is I didn’t care for the narrator. Overall the narration was fine, the main problem I had was just not caring for the way the narrator handled the storytelling. It was hard to differentiate between storytelling and dialogue at times and that just made me crazy sometimes.

I received a copy of the audiobook from LoveBooks Tours and I really appreciate it! It was definitely a book I’m glad I listened to and will recommend to mythology lovers!

⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Angi Plant · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Stephen Fry’s retelling of Greek Myths and didn’t think ANYONE could match that expectation ever. I was ENTIRELY wrong.

Helen Steadman has given us a cast of characters that is unforgettable and totally distinguishable. Some retellings get confusing as the characters are so similar and have too many characteristics that are indistinguishable. This doesn’t happen once here. It keeps you reading and wanting more from beginning to end. Which is the best thing a good mythology book can do for me. I want more and lots of it.

I have loved all of Helen Steadman’s books and this one is no exception. It’s the type of book I’d recommend to anyone who thinks Greek Myths are inaccessible because this book makes anyone able to dive in and enjoy the gods and goddesses as beings who are relatable.

With thanks to Anne Cater, the publisher and the author for the advanced reading copy of this book.

[Valerie Carr · Rating 2 out of 5]

whenever I read any type of retelling I except depth of character and interesting twisting of the source material. Unfortunately my expectations were not met and I rather read something that felt like a bunch of vignettes of Greek myth stories that were told from a single pov.

I could maybe name two or three characters that experienced growth or change in the novel but even then that change felt very surface level. I tried to reframe my thinking and expectations a few times regarding this novel but I was never entertained or interested in the characters. simply put, I was bored

many famous Greek characters feel like archetypes in their base form and this novel doesn't really expand past this archetypes at all if ever.

the myths were pretty accurate and there were a lot of them. the author is well informed on that account. this felt like the author valued quantity of myths over quality of story