This sounded so interesting and Hercules stories has always intrigued me so I was looking forward to reading this. Unfortunately it just didn’t work for me.
The way it’s written was really interesting and we got to see Hercules from many different perspectives.
But I still found myself losing interest and thought it was really slow at times and I also wished we could have seen more of meg especially as she’s mentioned in the synopsis yet we hardly see her.
I do think others will enjoy the story though

I started this book enjoying the fresh, entertaining narrative structure and wanting to journey with Hercules as his story unfolded. I immediately warmed to the multiple POVs and the structure reminded me a lot of Stone Blind. There are some dramatic events in Hercules' early life that I felt were well told and fitted into the different perspectives well. However, eventually I found the pacing didn't work for me. There was just too much story to cover and consequently I became less and less engaged. Also whilst initially the different narrative voices wooed me in, as the book progressed I began to find them tiresome and overly trite making them less authentic and their characterisation less believable. This is an entertaining book if you like a lot of plot, but I need more meat to flesh out events for me to really feel involved and this book just tripped through too lightly.
This honest review is given with thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.

This is a fresh and original take on the Hercules myths with a focus on the people around this legendary figure. the writing was fun and enjoyable to read, and i could really feel the connections between the characters and their complicated feelings for Hercule, someone who is difficult to love because love is a human emotion and he can be very un-humanlike.

While I enjoyed the writing, it took me a while to get through this book. I think something about the pacing felt off to me - around the halfway mark it felt like the book should already be ending. That being said, I found the actual ending to be kind of lackluster. I wish we had gotten a chapter of Hercules in Hades after his death.

All in all an enjoyable read to add to the collection of ancient greek retellings that I just didn't particularly connect to. I do appreciate that it didn't shy away from queerness though - obviously it's inaccurate to apply modern labels onto classical figures but highlighting the importance of Hercules' male lovers alongside his female lovers is something that i didn't even get while doing a classics degree, so it's refreshing to have it here.

It took a little while to warm up to this one. Initially, I found the constant switching of viewpoints a tad aggravating. But when I realised that we revisited several of the supporting cast more than once and got a stronger sense of their different personalities, I was able to relax into the story and enjoy the ride. And it is a real rollercoaster. I knew sufficient details about Hercules’ life to brace myself for the first main tragedy. However, even then it made for wrenching reading. That said, there are commentaries that simply made me laugh throughout – Eurystheus, who was in charge of setting Herc’s famous labours, was hilarious. Especially the business of not hiding in a jar…

And this is a story that needed some light relief, without disrespecting the misery that inevitably follows those who come to the attention of the gods. Hera, the wife of Zeus, is Herc’s unremitting enemy throughout his life and causes more than enough grief. By contrast, Herc’s immortal father tends to only show up to mitigate his wife’s attempts to kill or otherwise harm his son.

What is impressive, is how strongly Herc’s overall character shines through this interesting retelling of his very eventful life. By the end, I was struck at how much I understood him and some of his decisions, which previously I’d merely assumed were inexplicable because he was from another time, or possessed of a vengeful goddess. Essentially kind and good-hearted, Herc nonetheless wrought havoc on those he most loved. Much of the time, it was due to divine interference – but his own personality also played a part in some of that havoc.

I’ve found myself thinking about this one a lot since I finished reading it. I’m sure it’ll be one of those special books that I’ll still be mulling over in years to come – there aren’t many that make that cut, these days. Highly recommended for fans of Greek myth retellings. While I obtained an arc of Herc from the publishers via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
9/10

I loved the premise of this one - as it’s Greek mythology but with a twist, it’s a retelling of the great hero Hercules (or Heracles), but a warts and all retelling. The uniqueness of this one, is that the voices telling you about Herc’s exploits are the family, friends and people he comes across on his travels. And their stories are not always complimentary.

At first, I loved the writing style of Herc. Rogerson has a really unique writing style for her little foray into Herc’s adventures. It’s quirky, funny and really fresh. But unfortunately I started to struggle with engaging with the characters - as there’s a lot. Really a lot. And I found it really hard to identify each of them and hear their unique voice. It just wasn’t there for me. And it was hard to work out how they knew Herc. Some of the voices and stories did stand out - the Amazons spring to mind. But most of them merged into each other. There is a glossary of characters at then end - but it would have been more helpful to know their relationship as their story is introduced. Other readers may get on better with it.

Thanks to the team at HQ and the author for the opportunity to read this review copy.

Many thanks for NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this quirky, humorous retelling of Heracles' story. The characters use very modern language which takes some getting used to considering they are in ancient Greece. The story is told from the point of view of many different characters throughout his life and the are each have their own voice as well as portraying the story.

Really interesting retelling but too many pov’s for me personally! The mythological element got a bit lost I felt but overall a fun read!

This is the story of Hercules… sort of. Actually, it’s the story of the people around him. The people he loved, the people he killed, and everyone in between.

I’m a massive fan of Greek mythology and re-tellings, and I thoroughly enjoyed Herc. The story follows Hercules over his entire life, from birth to his labours and afterwards, to his death, but is told in alternating chapters from the point of view of other significant characters he came into contact with: his family, his lovers, and others whose lives were affected by their association with him. This is a fantastic way to tell the story and keep a somewhat impartial viewpoint, because Hercules is a troubling character – a hero of course, but followed by death and pain wherever he goes.

Rogerson did a brilliant job with giving each narrator their own unique voice. My favourite had to be Eurystheus, who was in charge of overseeing Herc’s labours and suffered much more from it than Hercules did. I enjoyed the modern tone and humour throughout.

I absolutely loved this book and its unique take on telling the story of Heracles. His story is told by the people in his life, the silenced characters and I honestly think it was the perfect way to tell it. We get to see another side of Heracles and we get to see how much of a complex character who is surrounded by the death of those he loves.

I also really liked how queer and feminist this book was! It didn't shy away from the romantic relationships Herc had with other men and I loved that we got to hear about them! I will admit this book did bring me to tears on numerous occasions, especially when it came to Meg's final chapters. They were so heartbreaking!

Honestly Herc is such an addictive, gripping and amazing read that I found myself not wanting to put down. I really recommend picking this one up if you love Greek Mythology!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately I will not be posting a review for Herc. This retelling didn't really work well for me although I did read about 50%. I think the language was perhaps a little bit too modern for my taste. I enjoyed finding out more about Hercules but the story felt more like a series of short stories all connected by Hercules and short stories don't usually work well for me.

I'm so sorry to be unable to complete this one and thank you for the opportunity to review it.

I find it entertaining and well written. It's sort of biography of Hercules told by the women in his life.
The voices are very moment and I found it interesting even if the mythological aura was lost
The women in Hercules' life were quite strong and I think it would be great if their voice could be heard.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

A huge thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for granting me an arc.

I love reading mythology fiction, and thus I loved reading Herc.

As you're probably aware, Herc follows the story of Hercules, also known as Heracles. Phoenicia weaves a brilliant narrative into who Herc really was, and not the hero he's made out to be. Death and misfortune follow him everywhere.

We are treated to many monologues from Iphicles, his twin brother, to Hylas, his lost love, to Megara, who suffered a horrible fate, along with their children. Along the way you come to see that Herc isn't the hero he claims to be, but rather a petulant child, and then a petulant adult who can't handle the word 'no'.

A must-read for any mythology lover.

Herc is the latest in our current spike of Greek mythology retellings, but instead of avenging mythological misogyny or justifying ancient war crimes, this story takes on a whole different tone and angle - plus a whole new Hercules.

This, like some other mythological retellings, is the chronological tale of a character from birth to death. The big difference begins with tone, for though we start with Hercules’ birth and the characters surrounding it, the reader will instantly realise that these insightful snippets are written an almost interview-like style. This creates a rich tapestry of voices and characters, all whilst running the risk of sounding too colloquial – e.g. how can I take a mythological character seriously, when they keep saying ‘holy cow’? The second tonal quirk is the humour and wit. Parts of this book, for all intents and portents, could be read as comedy – a fact that I did not accept until I finally turned the last page.

Yet, for all of my uncertainty, it made the reading experience feel original and current, something that it continued via the scrutiny of so-called ‘heroic feats’ and the madness of Hercules, alongside its impact on countless innocent young men, women, and children. This is further enriched by fragments: letters, documents, announcements, which almost make it feel like a court case: was Hercules just damned by the Gods or was he to blame for his own fate?
It is ultimately the reader who decides.

There is also a clever blending of mythological stories and characters, including Apollo, Theseus, and Jason. However, I did feel like the author was trying to catch a galaxy in a jar and fling in extra myth knowledge, for the sake of it.

It is this, amidst its other strengths, that caused this book to have a few Herculean letdowns. Due to cramming so many mythological references and plotlines into one place, the book had an episodic and over-written feel. Within these episodes, serious topics would also jostle for place and often be undermined by humorous quips - especially the ‘Fifty’ chapter – because a combination of the blasé interview-style and modern language made it seem like this book was incapable of being serious, even when it needed to be.

Overall, despite being let down by tools meant to elevate it, Herc is a book that shall appease both lovers of Hercules and haters of Hercules, all whilst painting a picture of a man inflated by greatness and usurped by his own wrongs.

A very different and unique retelling of the life of Hercules. A documentary style narrative with many POV’s building a rounded and robust portrait.

The writing style is ultra modern, making it fast paced and very accessible to everyone. Ultimately though the style of storytelling, using such contemporary language didn’t work for me. But I can see an audience for this type of retelling.

Thanks to both Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of Herc in exchange for an independent, honest review.

I'm a huge fan of Greek mythology retellings, and was really excited about reading and reviewing this book. From the start, Hercules was instantly dislikeable, as were a number of the characters! It was quite refreshing to see the hero as the ultimate anti-hero: bully, psychopath, bumbling idiot and, actually, a bit of a wally. My favourite character had to be Meghara, and Herc's treatment of her and their children was horrific.

The book weaves through Herc's trials, which were intended as punishments but, at no time, did he ever appear to be sorry for his actions. There weren't any saving graces within this character, which is probably the reason I gave up before I got to the end.

I've given 3 stars due to the amazing female characters and the sympathy and empathy evoked through them. I was hoping for an Achilles-style character in the style of Madeline Miller, but I just could not stick with him!

An interesting take on a Greek myth retelling, from multiple POV from those around Hercules / Heracles. This is not in the least stuffy or academic, it's super accessible and with a full list of characters to refer to its great to see how all the stories relate to each other. Solid 3 stars from me.

Herc is an astonishing book. This is an incredible, often darkly humorous and impeccably crafted work of art.

This is one of my favourite Greek mythology retellings I have read for a while. It paints such a complex picture of an idolised figure, showing him as hero and destroyer. You are taken through every aspect of his life, but through the voices of those often found at the margins of his story. There are those he loved, killed, destroyed. They are often just incremental mentions in his story, but his actions had huge ramifications for theirs. It is the original edition of the whole superhero destroys the city but from the perspective of a civilian trying to live their life narrative. Rogerson’s endlessly fascinating narrative choices allow all voices to be heard and imbues them with heart, soul and character. I was not expecting the elements of humour to be woven in here, but they really landed for me. Though some of them are bleak and dark humour, I loved them.

Rogerson keeps the ethics murky, not shying away from the years of blood staining his hands, but also shows glimmers of love and humanity beneath the heroic veneer. This book tears apart putting anyone on a pedestal and romanticised narrative of heroism. It is just people, and those more powerful than people, and they are messy, flawed and often heinous. There are few purely good things here. Part of that is the incredibly polarised environment of survival at all costs, but part of that is an innate greediness and a definite element of toxic masculinity. Within this narrative, there is a huge pushback against that toxic masculinity, with elements of feminism and queer pride woven into the story. That kind of undermining traditional expectations of a heroic narrative is sublime.

Herc is everything you would not expect from your traditional heroic narrative. It flips the script in all the best ways, as I always love to see from my favourite mythological retellings.

This moving and mythical retelling of Heracles was one that I did not know what to expect. I wasn’t wholly familiar with the entirety of his myth and therefore really enjoyed the way that Rogerson wrote his origins and development. The characters was rich and full of life and I really liked how the medium of the narrative changed as well as the perspectives, it was so engaging to see Heracles through the eyes of others and the mixture of narrative techniques to tell parts of the story keeps the reader engaged with the story. I truly enjoyed this retelling of his story and learning about his myth in this rich and evocative book.

I loved the LGBTQ+ representation in this book. it was just beautiful. The story was very well written, and had a solidly gripping plot. However, if you don't have much prior knowledge of Greek Mythology, I'd definitely recommend brushing up on it before reading this book.

Although I usually adore mythological retellings, this is not one that I found myself loving.

I expected a thirlling saga, detailing all of Herarcles exploits - the brave, the violent and the interesting - but instead I got a confusing and not particularly engaging collection of short stories about Heracles told from a number of different perspectives. Whilst I do prefer to read stories from one singular perspective, I've never been put off a book if it's multi pov, but I felt as though the story suffered from being told from multiple different angles.

I'm not sure this is a book that I'll ever recommend to others, but I would be open to reading more by Rogerson.