Reviews

God of Fire by Helen Steadman

meingee's review against another edition

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.0

Audiobook review 

This is an interesting tale of the Greek god Hephaestus. I am an avid fan of Greek mythology and was excited to see a retelling of the life of Hephaestus.  This story is told from the viewpoint of the god himself. The author takes liberties and reimagines the stories as their own. This tale is about many of the high and low points in his life. The author gives the listener more of a personal take on the gods and goddesses and not the exact stories from Greek Mythology. I was not a fan of all the shortening of the gods’ names as they spoke to and about each other. If you enjoy Greek mythology, you will recognize many of the things that happen and the characters in this book.  Narrator Christopher Swift speaks clearly and keeps the narrative flowing. 

 

amothersmusings1's review against another edition

5.0

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 - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

crtsjffrsn's review against another edition

2.0

As a retelling of Greek myths, this is a book I was really excited to read. But I found myself struggling to start it, get into it, and finish it. The overall writing style is a bit stilted and awkward, especially during dialogue scenes. I pushed through it, since I rarely ever put a book down once I start, but this was absolutely not a book for me.

(Note: I received a copy of this book through the Early Reviewers program in exchange for an honest review.)

thepennotthesword's review against another edition

4.0

I have loved Greek mythology ever since I first watched and read the Percy Jackson series, so I jumped at the chance to be on this blog tour and learn about a God I hadn’t really heard of before! Hephaestus is not a God that is usually focused on in Greek mythology, but his story is one that was so fascinating to explore. 

The setting and the characters are so well-developed and integrate so beautifully with the stories we have all heard about the Greek Gods and Goddesses. You can definitely tell that this book has been thoroughly researched! Even if you are not so well-versed with Greek mythology, it is relatively easy to follow along with the different myths and tales that are brought into the story along the way. 

I was so engrossed in this book, that each time I had to put it down, I spent too much time thinking about when I could pick it up again! This could easily be a one-sitting book. I desperately need a sequel and the only reason this is 4 stars and not 5 stars is because I found the ending too abrupt- I needed more! It felt like the book had a bit more ending to give. 

This book includes all of the Gods you know and live to read about, as well as some familiar DEMI-Gods (Achilles and Patroclus👀👀) and even looks into the mythology surrounding the creation of mankind! This book really does try to cover it all! Do yourself a favour and go and read this book!

historic_chronicles's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective tense medium-paced

4.0

Hephaestus is born frail and disappointing, only to be brutally rejected by his mother the great Goddess Hera of Mount Olympus. Banished from birth he is tossed to the unforgiven seas thankfully to be rescued by Thetis, the Sea Witch, who raises him as her own. 

This is Hephaestus's story.

Humorous, witty, with a laid back approach that makes this retelling stand aside from the dozens of others, Helen Steadman has managed to turn the unpredictable nature of the gods into a balance between their positive and negative actions.

While many authors focus on the tragedy and horror associated with those who reside in Mount Olympus, Steadman's tale of Hephaestus explores this lesser known god as a character study of humanity and kindness.

I found the narrative surrounding his disability and how he faces, at times, some truly horrific behaviour on account of this mirrored the way in which society can be cruel to those who suffer due to their health and well-being. 

As I expected with having read Steadman's work before, the characters were magnificently developed with depth and interests - I particularly found the immature behaviour of the Olympians to be highly entertaining.

Helen Steadman's latest novel is no doubt a success and I cannot wait to read what she creates next.

My sincere thanks to Helen and @randomthingstours for allowing me to take part in this tour!

whatyoutolkienabout's review against another edition

5.0

As always I want to start by saying that I was given a copy of this to review as part of a @lovebooktours book tour. My review is honest and left voluntarily. #LBTCrew #Ad #Gifted #LoveBooksTours #GodofFire #HelenSteadman

I have to say I absolutely adored this audio book. I was definitely one of those children who loved ancient history, particularly myths and legends about Ancient Greece and Egypt which are my favourites. Helen Steadman manages to retell myths surrounding Hephaestus and bring the god to life in such a brilliant way. The narrator, Christopher Swift, is fantastic. Swift's reading really brings the world and gods alive, and I found their tone and narration just wonderful.

I was swept into the land of myths and legends by the wonderful narration. It was so smooth and flowing and the perfect pick to read this novel. The story itself is well developed and really shows Steadman’s skill at retelling old tales to make them their own. You cannot help but feel for Hephaestus who has been cast out of Olympus by his mother Hera and is raised beneath the sea. With Steadman’s skill and Swift’s narration we follow the God of Fire as he comes into his own, dealing with his half siblings and all the pettiness that the gods and goddesses offer.

This is not just a retelling of the myths of the God of Fire but the story of a underdog learning to claim their legacy and show just what they are truly made of. If you adore Greek myths and legends and are looking for a new retelling in the vein of Circe or The Song of Achilles this is definitely for you.

georginap92's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative lighthearted mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

 

“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.