Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This isn't my usual go to genre of book but I was intrigued at the retelling of Hercules as it isn't one I have come across before. I have limited knowledge on Greek Mythology but know some of the story of Hercules so enjoyed expanding my knowledge on this topic.

One of the downsides of this story is that it is told through modern language and I felt it didn't always fit the story it was trying to tell. I can see this being a reason why people love it but for me I just wasn't 100% sold. I would still recommend to readers who have an understanding of some Greek Mythology or are interested in learning more about it.

A fresh retelling of the myths of the Greek Hero Hercules, told through various perspectives of those who knew him throughout his life. This was an interesting way to examine him and the author did a great job of making each perspective feel unique, the voices of the different characters were distinct and clear. Myths are retellings of stories through different times and perspectives, therefore, having the story of Hercules retold through the varied and bias points of view of other people felt like a smart way of writing this story. It also meant that you could examine the complex and often dark, destructive side to his character. Personally, the modern tone didn’t resonate, I don’t tend to enjoy more casual pros and therefore some of the dialogue felt so contemporary that it took me out of the story. However, for fans of Greek retellings who perhaps enjoy a more modern style, this is a great read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC of this book.

A faithful yet revolutionary retelling of Greek myth that manages to embody a sense of individuality personality that didn’t detract from the bigger picture of the myths that it was based on. An immensely enjoyable and engaging read.

Herc was such a good read! i flew through this book in a matter of days and loved every second
during the course of this book we see the points of view of everyone who surrounds Hercules in his life, wives, lovers, friends, family and shows how they felt about and delt with his actions throughout his life. i loved how it showed Hercules as trying genuinely to do good and keep the people he loved safe and how destroyed he was when they all inevitably died at his side or by his hand.
wonderfully researched and put together and i loved how it didn't shy away from the violent side of the myth.
definitely one id recommend to those who love mythology and retellings!

I love historical retellings of mythology and have read many by other authors in recent months. As soon as I saw this I was eager to read it.

I found the premise of telling it from the viewpoint of others very interesting. For the most part I think this was successful. At times the characters felt inconsequential as they weren’t revisited, which was a shame. The constant switching did make it lose flow sometimes, but it was nice to see him portrayed by those who loved, hated, or were ambivalent towards, him.

My main issue was with the tone and language used. It was a bit too funny/jokey for me at times and I did not like the modern language used. It felt that there was a clash between the time period we were meant to be in - and it always made me lose the vision. I wish this had stayed true to the time rather than being current language.

Overall however, a decent read for the genre.

I did enjoy this, I love any Greek myth novel/retelling. The only thing is that I did struggle to keep track of all the different characters, POVs and how the came into play with Hercules. But overall a good book.

Hercules is my favourite Disney film and I couldn’t wait to get reading this!! I loved the story of Hercules and all the different perspectives. The humour was a lovely touch as well. I’m not normally one to lean towards this sort of fiction but I’m so glad I did!

If you are looking for your next mythological retelling fix then look no further than the sensational Herc from Phoenicia Rogerson.

We all think we know the story of Hercules and his labours, but do we really? This novel is the story of Hercules warts and all from those who knew him, the friends, the lovers, the family and enemies. It’s brilliantly told with biting humour, an injection of queer sensibilities and what you think you know of the story may not actually be the whole story. However the book cleverly lets you decide.

Fast and Fun and packed with originality this is an absolute must read for Greek mythology fans who want a slice of EXTRA. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ out of five.

The story of Hercules as told from the point of view of everybody else, his parents, his brother, his wife, his sister, his lover and indeed his cousins. In this version Hercules isn't so much the hero as a deeply frustrating individual who never really seems to consider consequences. I will say this, given out much her anger is woven throughout the story and the impact it had ("Hera made me do it") I would have actually liked to have heard more from her, I think it would have made for a fascinating addition.
Overall for YA it's a solid read, the multi-narrator stance sometimes takes from the tale. Hercules himself comes across as deeply unlikable (which is fair...this is not the Disney prince version) and hearing the other voices narrate their frustrations or to try and reconcile his actions is interesting.

The story of Hercules you didn't know you needed! Told from various different viewpoint throughout Herc's life this offers a fresh take and fill in some gaps in the tale of Hercules. Really enjoyed the writing style and humour

Excellent historical read.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my review.

I do appreciate the way this story was told but for me I was so confused that I didn't enjoy it. I felt that whilst we got a really good depiction of Herc, and we saw his evil through many eyes but it wasn't for me. The constant switching of characters was very difficult for me to track and even though some of them were unimportant and weren't revisited, I find it difficult to brush over people that way. I think the writing style is very interesting and unique but I didn't gel with it personally. I don't think this is a bad book by any means but just a clash of my personal tastes.

Interesting, funny, sometimes startling novel that takes many of the better known myths of the hero Hercules and strings them into a running narrative. Each section is narrated by a different character: Hercules's siblings, wives, nephew, lovers, rulers, princesses, etc. Reader gets a different perspective on each story and on Hercules. Clever, witty, and definitely a fresh look at the old stories.

I do love a good Greek mythology retelling, and this was no exception. It's a very tongue in cheek examination about the hero Heracles (Hercule). Tye man, the myth, the legend. Except actually Herc is a bit of a jerk, and his story is in itself a contradiction, told from the point of view of characters who either love him or hate him. There's no rose tinted glasses here.

I liked that the author tried to do something different here. Heracles is such a well known figure in Greek myth and his trials and tribulations are well versed in many a retelling, but I did find the writing often threw me out of the story. A retelling doesn't have to be told in a strictly classical way for me to enjoy it, but bringing modern language into such a well known story felt a little jarring.

Decent retelling, but I would have preferred a different writing style and tone.

I love all things myth and whilst I've largely focused on the retelling of female myths, Hercules is such a huge figure that I was intrigued to see how Rogerson would approach it.

It. Is. Fantastic.

Other myths and perspectives are beautifully interwoven into this and its fascinating to see Hercules story through the eyes of others - each with their own take on whether he's a good guy, a bad guy, or just a very complicated and damaged guy.

This is also a very easy to read book, with unexpected humour throughout which I thoroughly enjoyed. I'd highly recommend!

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you so much to HQ and NetGalley for an e-arc of this book.

I found this to be a breath of fresh air for the Greek Myth retelling genre. I love the genre and read any and all I find. But as there has been a resurgence in popularity the last few years some of these have begun to feel a bit samey.

For me this was a fresh take, and I really enjoyed how many strands of the Hercules myth were entwined. I also liked how his life was told from the perspective of others, those he affected for good or ill.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone, and especially those who like me love the genre but are maybe getting a bit fatigued by it too.

A hilarious queer feminist re-telling of Hercules.
The story is re-counted from the multiple points of view of others around him - his mother, first friend and wife.
The story demonstrates how his decisions affected individuals.
Loved this focus on the people Hercules affected rather than his fame and heroism.
He was a violent brute who inspired a range of emotions in others including fear and adoration.
If you love mythology, you’ll love this modern day re-telling.
Thanks @thatphoenicia, @hqstories & @netgalley

i'm on a greek mythology kick atm and i found this one really interesting. i liked that it was told in a modern tone and from the various perspectives. made me laugh, made me cry, made me look up various greek figures -- all the best signs of a book

This was so different from anything else I've read on Greek myth, I love that it spanned so many different characters but didn't feel surface level or disjointed. I feel like it was a part of Hercules that I haven't read about before so really enjoyed the different take.

As a literature & classics student I read a lot of mythical retelling & unfortunately Herc didn’t quite hit the spot for me. It was a fun read but I found it rather disjointed with the numerous points of view. Thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for the arc.