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
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
Living in Chicago with his wife and two children, he describes himself as "actor, author, father, husband. In reverse order."
She lives in the San Juan Islands of Washington State.
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.
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.
Blog Tour Schedule
Tuesday, October 17Review 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
What a fabulous review! Thank you so much for reviewing & for hosting the H Team's Blog Tour!
ReplyDeleteAmy
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