krisis86's review against another edition
3.0
This wasn't my favorite of this type of book but it wasn't my least favorite, so a solid 3 stars. There are only 6 viewpoints in this one so it's got a different feel but it's still enjoyable and worth reading.
bookfever's review against another edition
5.0
First of all I want to say that I'm a huge fan of these books. A Day of Fire: A Novel of Pompeii, A Year of Ravens: A Novel of Boudica's Rebellion and A Song of War: A Novel of Troy. They were all really great and I simply adore them! Second, I want to say that usually I review each story individually but I'm not doing that this time around. I'm doing things a little differently with A Sea of Sorrow, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, I think.The primary reason for this is that I didn't actually slow down enough to sit down and write decent reviews for each and every story. But this shows how much I enjoyed reading the book—whenever I finished one story I couldn't wait to dive into the next one. I just couldn't help myself. I was hooked!
Half of the authors of the book were unfamiliar to me, which is another thing I love about these books. I always get to know new authors that I want to read more books from. In this case David Blixt, Amalia Carosella and Scott Oden were new to me. Libbie Hawker, Vicky Alvear Shecter and Russell Whitfield I was already familiar with. I always really enjoy their writing. I was probably more excited to read the stories of the unfamiliar authors because I didn't know what to expect from them but they certainly didn't disappoint me.
I enjoyed each and every story but of course I had some favorites that left me feeling very impressed. These favorites were Hekate's Daughter by Libbie Hawker, The Siren's Song by Amalia Carosella and Calypso's Vow by David Blixt. They were all pretty tragic but also beautiful in a way, I thought. Especially the story of Calypso was brilliant to me. I loved it so much. But to be clear, I enjoyed each and every story. Not one was disappointing but these particular three left an impression with me.
Overall, A Sea of Sorrow: A Novel of Odysseus was one amazing read. Like the synopsis says, "six authors bring to life the epic tale of The Odyssey seen through the eyes of its shattered victims..." which I think is such a unique and clever concept. I also love how the stories and authors don't fully focus on the mythology and supernatural but give it a realistic twist that made the stories all the more stunning.
Half of the authors of the book were unfamiliar to me, which is another thing I love about these books. I always get to know new authors that I want to read more books from. In this case David Blixt, Amalia Carosella and Scott Oden were new to me. Libbie Hawker, Vicky Alvear Shecter and Russell Whitfield I was already familiar with. I always really enjoy their writing. I was probably more excited to read the stories of the unfamiliar authors because I didn't know what to expect from them but they certainly didn't disappoint me.
I enjoyed each and every story but of course I had some favorites that left me feeling very impressed. These favorites were Hekate's Daughter by Libbie Hawker, The Siren's Song by Amalia Carosella and Calypso's Vow by David Blixt. They were all pretty tragic but also beautiful in a way, I thought. Especially the story of Calypso was brilliant to me. I loved it so much. But to be clear, I enjoyed each and every story. Not one was disappointing but these particular three left an impression with me.
Overall, A Sea of Sorrow: A Novel of Odysseus was one amazing read. Like the synopsis says, "six authors bring to life the epic tale of The Odyssey seen through the eyes of its shattered victims..." which I think is such a unique and clever concept. I also love how the stories and authors don't fully focus on the mythology and supernatural but give it a realistic twist that made the stories all the more stunning.
abookishaffair's review
4.0
"A Sea of Sorrow" is the story of Odysseus. It is an anthology and the latest offering from the H team, a bunch of powerhouse historical fiction writers. Like their previous offerings, this anthology packs a punch and I am so happy to see anthologies cross over to the historical fiction realm where they don't seem to be found often. After reading this book and the other H team books, it is very perplexing to me as to why this is.
It is no wonder that Odysseus makes for a great retelling. His story has everything: adventure, mystical beings, and a great journey. This book covers many of the monsters and men that Odysseus meets while he makes his way home. Oden covers the KyKlops (who is given much more depth and motive than the original). Carosella explains what sirens really might have been, which is fascinating. And then of course, there is Blixt's story of the infamous Calypso.
While Odysseus acts as a shadow over much of the book, he doesn't actually appear all that much. Shecter's first story covers Ithaca while Odysseus is away and what it does to his wife and son. She follows his return in the Epilogue, when he comes to terms with what he left and the effects it had. We finally get to see Odysseus in Whitfield's story as he returns home and what he is met with.
My favorite story in the book was Libbie Hawker's story of Circe, Odysseus's sorceress. Hawker seeks to explain that Circe doesn't truly see herself as someone with supernatural powers of the kind Odysseus gives her in the Odyssey. As with many people of the day, Circe believes in the higher powers of the gods and goddesses but with more of a grain of salt than the stories of Odysseus would previously have us believe. Hawker hits on something that has seemed to hit women throughout time: don't do something a man wants? You must be cold. You must be a bitch. Circe definitely doesn't do what Odysseus and his men want so was she really a witch or did Odysseus just make that up because he didn't get what he wanted? I think this story hit me hardest because its something that has very much been on my mind in the political realm that we are currently living through. Oh, it's so good!
And do yourself a favor: read the author's notes. It was fascinating to see what the authors were thinking about when they were writing each of their sections. If you're looking for adventure and a way to see an old myth in new light, this is the book for you.
It is no wonder that Odysseus makes for a great retelling. His story has everything: adventure, mystical beings, and a great journey. This book covers many of the monsters and men that Odysseus meets while he makes his way home. Oden covers the KyKlops (who is given much more depth and motive than the original). Carosella explains what sirens really might have been, which is fascinating. And then of course, there is Blixt's story of the infamous Calypso.
While Odysseus acts as a shadow over much of the book, he doesn't actually appear all that much. Shecter's first story covers Ithaca while Odysseus is away and what it does to his wife and son. She follows his return in the Epilogue, when he comes to terms with what he left and the effects it had. We finally get to see Odysseus in Whitfield's story as he returns home and what he is met with.
My favorite story in the book was Libbie Hawker's story of Circe, Odysseus's sorceress. Hawker seeks to explain that Circe doesn't truly see herself as someone with supernatural powers of the kind Odysseus gives her in the Odyssey. As with many people of the day, Circe believes in the higher powers of the gods and goddesses but with more of a grain of salt than the stories of Odysseus would previously have us believe. Hawker hits on something that has seemed to hit women throughout time: don't do something a man wants? You must be cold. You must be a bitch. Circe definitely doesn't do what Odysseus and his men want so was she really a witch or did Odysseus just make that up because he didn't get what he wanted? I think this story hit me hardest because its something that has very much been on my mind in the political realm that we are currently living through. Oh, it's so good!
And do yourself a favor: read the author's notes. It was fascinating to see what the authors were thinking about when they were writing each of their sections. If you're looking for adventure and a way to see an old myth in new light, this is the book for you.
elysianfield's review
4.0
I haven’t read anything by Homer and while I know the basics of Odyssey and his journey, there is much to learn. Mostly I know Circe, Calypso etc by name but that’s about it. In a way, it’s a good thing since I don’t have anything to compare these characters to.
My favorite chapters were with Penelope. I loved seeing how she manages to keep the throne during all those years her husband was away. She had to be clever to do that since the majority of Ithaca’s men were gone to war or died on the journey. And she was realistic enough to wonder how he would explain his absence during all those years away.
Another awesome collaboration from the authors. David Blixt, Scott Oden, and Amalia Carosella were new authors for me. Another great book by The H Team and I’ve really come to look forward to these books.
My favorite chapters were with Penelope. I loved seeing how she manages to keep the throne during all those years her husband was away. She had to be clever to do that since the majority of Ithaca’s men were gone to war or died on the journey. And she was realistic enough to wonder how he would explain his absence during all those years away.
Another awesome collaboration from the authors. David Blixt, Scott Oden, and Amalia Carosella were new authors for me. Another great book by The H Team and I’ve really come to look forward to these books.
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