Amanda is at it again with another beautifully written and well researched tale that she has woven. She does a fantastic job focusing on the history, the culture and traditions of the ancient world as well the the myths and her retelling was fantastic.

Im a huge fan of greek mythology and was so curious and excited to read The Rise of Haduwas as not only a Hade’s origin story but with Mesopotamian roots and its safe to say, i loved it!

I cant wait to see what comes next in the Hades Chronicals!

4.5 || adventurous emotional hopeful fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes

May the reader enter as I once entered the sealed chamber: with dust in the lungs, torch in hand, and the weight of the forgotten pressing close.


An epic reimagining of a Greek myth but set in the Bronze Era, The Rise of Haduwas was a captivating read from start to finish. The author was brilliant in establishing the world and its cultures, the pacing well structured enough that it came as a shock to me that it wasn't even 300 pages long. I appreciated that the myth retold was well embedded in the Bronze Era setting - it took a while for me to realize what and who the myth was talking about, and while it did speed things up for my brain to connect what I know from the Greek myth to the new tale the book was weaving, it created a world so different yet as enticing (and sometimes even more so) that it was such a different experience all around.

I also enjoyed how the myth was subverted, tackling issues that I had from previous retellings in a unique way. I do think it would have been more enjoyable had there been a little more breathing room between the plots, to let each of the scenes take a pause and have the dust settle before moving to the next. Clearly, the book can spare the space, so let the story breathe and fill it.

Overall, a fantastic read that I definitely recommend.

Big thanks to the publisher for providing me this ARC via NetGalley. All quotes are taken from the uncorrected proof. This does not in any shape or form influence my review on this book.

Left behind in a great migration, a prince is condemned by false omens and sent into the Underworld by priests who are shaping the kingdom's future through a second, favoured bloodline.

In a remote bronze age village at the edge of his father's kingdom, Haduwas has spent years cut off from court, orders, and certainty of his father's rule. The King has remarried into the house of priests, binding the future of the kingdom to their chosen line. For the priests, Haduwas is not a forgotten son but the one remaining obstacle to that future. When Haduwas returns to the city of his father, the priests offer him only one path forward: descend into the Underworld, return with a relic of divine favour, or disappear into obscurity.

But the Underworld does not test strength. It judges the soul. And no man who enters the Underworld is meant to return.

Tropes: Left Behind, Migration, Prince, Condemned, False Omens, Sent into the Underworld, Priests, Shaping the Kingdom’s Future, Second/Favoured Bloodline, Remote Bronze Age Kingdom, Prince has been Cut off From the Court/Orders/Father’s Rules, King’s Remarried into the Priest’s Chosen Line, Prince Suddenly Returns to King’s City, Priest’s Offer the Prince 1 Path Forward, Descent into The Underworld, Return with A Relic, Divine Favour, Disappear into Obscurity, Underworld Doesn’t test Strength, Judges the Soul, No Man entering the Underworld is Meant to Ever Return, Epic Historical Fantasy x Mythological Retelling, Bronze Age-Inspired Political Fantasy, Succession, Politics, Divine Law, Mythic Bronze Age Fantasy, Traditions, Gods and Goddess’s.

The Rise of Haduwas is the 1st book in The Hades Chronicles by Amanda L. Rautio. This is an Epic Historical Fantasy meets Mythological Retelling in Bronze Age-inspired political fantasy about a principled heir confronting succession politics, divine law, and a system designed to replace him. Perfect for readers of Circe and mythic Bronze Age fantasy traditions with echoes of Elric of Melnibone.

When I was offered the chance to read this book, I will admit that I jumped at the opportunity as I love mythology, customs, traditions, and history. And Rise of Haduwas is the perfect blend of all of these.

Amanda did such a phenomenal job in her world-building. This is such a stunning, unique, and rich world. The flow of the story is so breathtaking and Amanda manages to keep the pacing steady and fast.

The storyline absolutely enthralls you and Amanda invites you to immerse yourself in not only this world but also in the story, the history, the mythology, customs, and traditions. And the characters, the characters themselves are so perfectly developed, they are well rounded, they feel real and authentic and through the story they have the room to grow and develop. And as you walk the story with Haduwas and all the other characters you feel all their emotions as they feel them. You laugh and cry right along with them. The primary and secondary characters are so well written and have such an amazing depth and you know there is so much more for them to come.

This was the first book of Amanda’s that I have ever read, and I have to say that I just feel in love with it. Amanda’s writing is so captivating, enthralling, enjoyable, emotional, exciting, shocking, direct, rich, lyrical, cinematic and it’s so easy to understand and you never feel lost or unable to follow what’s happening in the story. Amanda has perfectly created the perfect storyline, the plot and sub-plot.

The brutal and fatal journey that Haduwas and those who follow him to his father’s city is one I thought couldn’t be beaten. And you can tell through this journey that Haduwas doesn’t see himself as a hero, he doesn’t see himself as anything other than a prince who is just trying to do what’s best for his people.

Then after arriving at his father’s city, his story just continues to get more and more twisty but it remains so very relatable. Even as the priests that Haduwas’s father has surrounded himself with tell Haduwas that he has one of two choices. He can either descend into the underworld and retrive a relic or he can leave and disappear.

Honestly, I found it rather refreshing to read a book where the God’s and Goddess’s actually stepped in and became an intricate part and a direct player in Haduwas’s journey, rather than just staying these invisible beings that we as readers should just pretend are there. (That’s something that I am so tired of.)

Then there’s the language that Amanda uses. Now normally it is so easy for an author to fall into this heavy, hard to follow voice, and often we as readers have to re-read portions of the book several times in order to understand it. What Amanda’s done here is beautiful, she’s written something so perfectly easy to understand, it’s refined and accessible and that alone helps to make this book such a delightful read and I can’t wait to move into the next book.

If you love detailed lore, historical-style storytelling, deep world histories, stunning historical fantasy, bronze age Mesopotamia, myths, Gods, Goddess’s, Hades x Persephone and a mix of Hercules then you’ve been searching for The Rise of Haduwas and I highly recommend this book. You’re going to find it hard to put it down.

My favorite quote from this book was:

May the reader enter as I once entered the sealed chamber: with dust in the lungs, torch in hand, and the weight of the forgotten pressing close.

This was such a good historical fantasy! I loved the way that Amanda combined several well known myths to create a unique story. It really felt like an ancient epic.

I am very much looking forward to finding out what happens in the next book for Haduwas and Lelwani.

I would definitely recommend this for fans of classical mythology.

Thanks to Amanda for the ARC!