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A review by zhakoreading
A Veil of Gods and Kings by Nicole Bailey
Did not finish book. Stopped at 32%.
Not only did it have shallow characters and a very much boring premise, and zero fun moments, it also butchered the characters that we know from myths in a way that is not very beneficial for the story.
I understand that retellings don’t have to follow the myths by the book, however, the changes, in my opinion have to make sense. I also think if you’re deliberately writing a book about THE APOLLO, by changing his entire backstory and personality, you’re making the fans that you reeled into reading this book because of him DNF it like I am doing right now.
A book about the great, cocky Apollo- that is why I started reading the book in the first place and I bet most of the Greek mythology fans and enthusiasts also. I was very much surprised to find out that he wants to be mortal in this book and is hated by his father, even though, everyone knows he was one of Zeus’s favorites, just as his sister goddes Artemis, who is just a mortal sister of Apollo in this retelling.
Again- I don’t mind the changes but the entire plot falls flat because of that.
Greek mythology backdrop does quite literally nothing to help the story- you can say it’s just a love story between a responsible king and a reckless, but very empathetic person who is supposed to become more than just a person.
The characters are also very boring, and so is their love story and the whole conflict.
I also think that Nicole tried making the book sound and look better than it is- trying to add some political games, attempting a poetic writing, adding multiple POV’s which essentially makes the book seem even cheaper than it would’ve been, if Nicole wrote a simple love story between god Apollo and prince Hyacinth without pretending to be anything else.
I do have to say that it’s not terribly written and people who enjoy simple, one dimensional YA books might enjoy it.
I, unfortunately, didn’t.
I understand that retellings don’t have to follow the myths by the book, however, the changes, in my opinion have to make sense. I also think if you’re deliberately writing a book about THE APOLLO, by changing his entire backstory and personality, you’re making the fans that you reeled into reading this book because of him DNF it like I am doing right now.
A book about the great, cocky Apollo- that is why I started reading the book in the first place and I bet most of the Greek mythology fans and enthusiasts also. I was very much surprised to find out that he wants to be mortal in this book and is hated by his father, even though, everyone knows he was one of Zeus’s favorites, just as his sister goddes Artemis, who is just a mortal sister of Apollo in this retelling.
Again- I don’t mind the changes but the entire plot falls flat because of that.
Greek mythology backdrop does quite literally nothing to help the story- you can say it’s just a love story between a responsible king and a reckless, but very empathetic person who is supposed to become more than just a person.
The characters are also very boring, and so is their love story and the whole conflict.
I also think that Nicole tried making the book sound and look better than it is- trying to add some political games, attempting a poetic writing, adding multiple POV’s which essentially makes the book seem even cheaper than it would’ve been, if Nicole wrote a simple love story between god Apollo and prince Hyacinth without pretending to be anything else.
I do have to say that it’s not terribly written and people who enjoy simple, one dimensional YA books might enjoy it.
I, unfortunately, didn’t.