TL;DR: It’s really good and very fun. Definitely worth checking out, even if you aren’t a mythology/history/heroes superfan. Promise.
Growing up, I was never really all that into mythology. I know the broad strokes of a handful of stories, but a lot of the details and nuance are unknown to me. So, going into this anthology, there were a lot of blind spots in my knowledge of these stories and I was a bit concerned when I received this ARC, that it might impact my experience. I’m happy to report, that my anxiety was unfounded.
The Heroes anthology from Lost Boy’s Press includes 14 unique, inventive retellings of classic hero tales, ranging from Gilgamesh to Perseus and Medusa, Theseus and the Minotaur to Mulan. The book presents a little something for every one and a lot to love for those who like a good retelling.
The writers in the collection all bring different, dynamic voices and styles to the mix that made for a thoroughly enjoyable read. For me, some standouts included Dragon by Douglas Jern (a retelling of the Norse story of Sigurd and Fafnir with an almost horror-like twist), The Call by R. Raeta (a fast paced, but impactful Joan of Arc retelling), and Foresta Pietrificata by Madeline Dau (a steampunk-style retelling of Perseus and Medusa with old Italian flair).
So, let the epic Morricone music set in, curl up in your coziest reading spot with your favorite beverage, and dig in to this delightful collection. I can’t imagine you’d regret it.
