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Herc

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Herc

By: Phoenicia Rogerson
Narrated by: Full Cast
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Winner of the Somerset Maugham Award

Waterstones best book of the year 2023

'A remarkable feat of storytelling' Rosie Hewlett

This should be the story of Hercules: his twelve labours, his endless adventures…everyone’s favourite hero, right?

Wrong.

This is the story of everyone else:

Alcmene: Herc’s mother (She has knives everywhere)

Hylas: Herc’s first friend (They were more than friends)

Megara: Herc’s wife (She’ll tell you about their marriage)

Eurystheus: Oversaw Herc’s labours (He never asked for the job)

His friends, his enemies, his wives, his children, his lovers, his rivals, his gods, his victims.

It’s time to hear their stories.

Herc gives voice to the silenced characters, in this feminist, queer (and sometimes shocking) retelling of classic Hercules myth.

Perfect for fans of Madeline Miller and Joanne M. Harris

'It. Is. Fantastic' NetGalley reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'An absolute delight' NetGalley reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Classics Fantasy Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Humorous Literature & Fiction Magic Science Fiction & Fantasy Marriage Mythology Ancient Greece Greek Mythology Heartfelt
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Critic reviews

'A remarkable feat of storytelling… Told through a cast of vibrant characters, Herc is a refreshingly unique and brilliantly funny exploration of Ancient Greece’s legendary "hero".' Rosie Hewlett, author of Medea
‘Alternately hilarious and shocking, this is an astonishingly vivid retelling of the story of Hercules, and these are not the Greek myths I learned in school.’ Jodi Taylor, author of Just One Damned Thing After Another
‘A brilliant debut! Rogerson has produced a fresh and totally original retelling of the Hercules myth. For the first time, long-silent characters from the hero’s story are given a voice. They provide a sparkling new perspective on the club-wielding, all-daring son of Zeus.’ Alex Rowson, author of The Young Alexander
‘Hercules had his story, now it's time for everyone else to get their say. Wickedly fun and devilishly dark – the tell-all for our times.’ Cari Thomas, author of Threadneedle
‘A captivating retelling with a very definite, personal voice, and a sharp, fresh perspective on the lives surrounding the hero.’ Genevieve Cogman, author of Scarlet
‘A rollicking ride through Greek mythology.’ Luna McNamara, author of Psyche and Eros
‘A brilliant, witty and unique retelling of the myths that at times had me laughing out loud. Rogerson's impressive talent leaps from the pages.’ Carly Reagon, author of The Toll House
‘A wonderfully layered piece of storytelling which manages to be earthy, haunting and beautiful all at once.’ Stacey Thomas, author of The Revels
‘Funny, action-packed, violent, tragic … this is the story of Hercules as you’ve never experienced it before! An eye-opening treat.’ A.J. Elwood, author of The Cottingley Cuckoo
All stars
Most relevant
An interesting perspective — colorful and often quite amusing — the way everyone tells their own version of what kind of person Hercules really was. I especially appreciated that it didn’t only show his heroic side, but also how petty, self centered and painfully inconsiderate jerk he could be. I’ll probably read more from this author. 😊

A quite amusing pespective of the well known story

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Loved that characters and the different voice actors. Truly amazing. I loved the story and how it went back to previous characters. If you love Greek mythology then listen to this

Amazing

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I wasn't sure this would be for me (a different vibe from favourites like Circe, Clytemnestra, Stone Blind etc), but I have adored it and am sad to have finished it. It has so many wonderful characters (with some amazing narration) bought to life in a colourful and sympathetic and clever way, I cried, I gasped and I laughed so many times. I hope the author writes another book ♡

So charming!

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This is a new and modern retelling of Heracles/Hercules’ stories from the perspective of those he met, loved, hated, killed. The detail and range of myths included in this book are outstanding and rewritten for a modern audience, giving a fresh angle to old favourites. The range of cast reading the different characters adds another level of excellence. The voice acting is as brilliant as the storytelling. I cannot rate this book and audible production high enough.

Excellent

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Writing feels forced and childlike - I can see it’s an attempt to differentiate between the narrators but it’s not done well enough. The younger characters made me cringe. The modern language use was not for me either

DNF

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