Friday, November 17, 2017

A Sea of Sorrow Blog Tour and Review

A Sea of Sorrow: A Novel of Odysseus

by David Blixt, Amalia Carosella, Libbie Hawker, Scott Oden, Vicky Alvear Shecter, and Russell Whitfield
Publication Date: October 17, 2017
Knight Media, LLC
eBook & Paperback; 524 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction



Odysseus, infamous trickster of Troy, vaunted hero of the Greeks, left behind a wake of chaos and despair during his decade long journey home to Ithaca. Lovers and enemies, witches and monsters--no one who tangled with Odysseus emerged unscathed. Some prayed for his return, others, for his destruction. These are their stories…

A beleaguered queen’s gambit for maintaining power unravels as a son plots vengeance.

A tormented siren battles a goddess’s curse and the forces of nature to survive.

An exiled sorceress defies a lustful captain and his greedy crew.

A blinded shepherd swears revenge on the pirate-king who mutilated him.

A beautiful empress binds a shipwrecked sailor to servitude, only to wonder who is serving whom.

A young suitor dreams of love while a returned king conceives a savage retribution.

Six authors bring to life the epic tale of The Odyssey seen through the eyes of its shattered victims—the monsters, witches, lovers, and warriors whose lives were upended by the antics of the “man of many faces.” You may never look upon this timeless epic—and its iconic ancient hero—in quite the same way again.

My Take:

I have read several takes on the Odysseus saga and I have to say that A Sea of Sorrow may actually be my favorite. I really enjoyed reading the tale from the very different perspectives of those characters that bear the actual burden of Odysseus' actions. I found each tale to be absolutely unique and I was pleasantly surprised that I could find some of these so-called "monsters" so sympathetic. I think it was a great idea for the focus of this version of the tale. Instead of Odysseus being the hero, he ends up as the guy who wrecks havoc and then twists the story to make himself sound better than he ever was. And isn't that what we do? Try to make ourselves out as the good guy? The wronged one?

Each of the stories has their own strong points and it is very difficult to pick a favorite. I really enjoyed each one for various reasons. I guess my favorites were all from the female perspective. Funny how that works out. Hekate's Daughter tells Circe's story and explains how and why she ended up on that island in the first place and how she became known as a witch. This tale really turns Odysseus' version on its head and I love that. 

The Siren's Song was probably one of the most heart-wrenching tales. The story of the sirens has always seemed sad, but with this telling it is a real tearjerker. This one tells the story of a family line of women and their created mythology and religious beliefs. Its a story of survival, family, love, tragedy and myth. Beautifully written, but really sad.

I found Calypso's Vow to be the turning point in the story. It turns the tables on Odysseus again, but it also gives the rest of the book and the whole saga its twist and brings it all back around so the reader can really see the point of the voyage that Odysseus makes. This one was also nicely written and made me rethink  my ideas about the saga.

Overall, I found A Sea of Sorrows to be a very good retelling of the Odysseus tale and I actually enjoyed it more than the original, of course. This was fun and made me rethink about some angles on the tale. I would happily recommend A Sea of Sorrows to anyone, but especially those who may be intimidated by the idea of reading The Odyssey. I also think those readers familiar with The Odyssey would really enjoy these new takes on the tale - I know I did. Highly recommended.


About the Authors


Amalia Carosella graduated from the University of North Dakota with a bachelors degree in Classical Studies and English. An avid reader and former bookseller, she writes about old heroes and older gods. She lives with her husband in upstate New York and dreams of the day she will own goats (and maybe even a horse, too). Amalia's novels include Tamer of Horses, Helen of Sparta, By Helen's Hand, and Daughter of a Thousand Years.
David Blixt's work is consistently described as "intricate," "taut," and "breathtaking." A writer of Historical Fiction, his novels span the early Roman Empire (the COLOSSUS series, his play EVE OF IDES) to early Renaissance Italy (the STAR-CROSS'D series) up through the Elizabethan era (his delightful espionage comedy HER MAJESTY'S WILL, starring Will Shakespeare and Kit Marlowe as inept spies). His novels combine a love of the theatre with a deep respect for the quirks and passions of history.

Living in Chicago with his wife and two children, he describes himself as "actor, author, father, husband. In reverse order."
Libbie Hawker writes historical and literary fiction featuring complex characters and rich details of time and place. Libbie's recent novels include Daughter of Sand and Stone, Mercer Girls, A Song of War, White Lotus and Persian Rose.

 She lives in the San Juan Islands of Washington State.

Russell Whitfield was born in Shepherds Bush in 1971. An only child, he was raised in Hounslow, West London, but has since escaped to Ham in Surrey.

 Gladiatrix was Russ's first novel, published in 2008 by Myrmidon Books. The sequel, Roma Victrix, continues the adventures Lysandra, the Spartan gladiatrix, and a third book, Imperatrix, sees Lysandra stepping out of the arena and onto the field of battle.

Scott Oden was born in Indiana, but has spent most of his life shuffling between his home in rural North Alabama, a Hobbit hole in Middle-earth, and some sketchy tavern in the Hyborian Age. He is an avid reader of fantasy and ancient history, a collector of swords, and a player of tabletop role-playing games. When not writing, he can be found walking his two dogs or doting over his lovely wife, Shannon.

Oden’s previous works include the historical fantasy, The Lion of Cairo, and two historical novels, Men of Bronze and Memnon. He is currently working on his next novel.

Vicky Alvear Shecter is the author of multiple books set in the ancient world, including the YA novels, CLEOPATRA'S MOON, based on the life of Cleopatra's only daughter, and CURSES AND SMOKE: A NOVEL OF POMPEII and the adult historical collaborations, A SONG OF WAR, A YEAR OF RAVENS, and A DAY OF FIRE. She has written a mid-grade series on mythology (ANUBIS SPEAKS, HADES SPEAKS, and THOR SPEAKS) as well as two award-winning biographies for kids. She a She is a docent at the Michael C. Carlos Museum of Antiquities at Emory University in Atlanta.

Blog Tour Schedule

Tuesday, October 17
Review at A Book Drunkard

Wednesday, October 18
Feature at A Holland Reads

Thursday, October 19
Feature at View From the Birdhouse

Friday, October 20
Review at Pursuing Stacie

Monday, October 23
Review at The Maiden's Court

Tuesday, October 24
Feature at The Reading Queen

Wednesday, October 25
Review at A Bookish Affair

Thursday, October 26
Review at What Cathy Read Next

Friday, October 27
Feature at So Many Books, So Little Time

Monday, October 30
Review at Creating Herstory

Tuesday, October 31
Review at Historical Fiction Reviews

Wednesday, November 1
Review at Back Porchervations

Thursday, November 2
Feature at The Writing Desk

Friday, November 3
Review at 100 Pages a Day

Monday, November 6
Review at Broken Teepee

Tuesday, November 7
Feature at A Literary Vacation

Wednesday, November 8
Feature at Passages to the Past

Friday, November 10
Review at Locks, Hooks and Books

Monday, November 13
Review at Unabridged Chick
Feature at CelticLady's Reviews

Tuesday, November 14
Review at Bookramblings
Feature at Myths, Legends, Books & Coffee Pots

Thursday, November 16
Feature at I Heart Reading

Friday, November 17
Review at A Book Geek
Review at The True Book Addict

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour we will be giving away a paperback copy of A Sea of Sorrow: A Novel of Odysseus! To enter, please enter via the Gleam form below.

Giveaway Rules
– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on November 17th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open to residents in the US only.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen. A Sea of Sorrow





1 comment:

  1. What a fabulous review! Thank you so much for reviewing & for hosting the H Team's Blog Tour!

    Amy
    HF Virtual Book Tours

    ReplyDelete

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