AUTHOR: T.D. Thomas
PUBLISHER: Self-Published
APPROXIMATE LENGTH: 536 pages
Recommended for fans of urban fantasy and Greek myths
GENRE
Fantasy—Urban/Young Adult
PACE
Hera, Queen of Gods
is written in a style that’s conducive to page turning. Between Hera’s snappy
voice, the ongoing mystery, and the action scenes, it seems like it should be a
fairly quick read. However, the length slows down the pacing, and I started
getting impatient toward the second half.
PERSPECTIVE
Hera, Queen of Gods
is written from the first person past perspective of its titular character.
Hera’s voice is very stream-of-consciousness and could almost be first person
present.
CONTENT REVIEW
The Fates, who hold the universe’s
order in their hands, have been kidnapped. An enchanted cloud covering one town
prevents divine interference, forcing Hera, queen of the Greek gods, to inhabit
the body of a mortal girl in order to search for them. Along with five of her
fellow Olympians, she explores the mortal world searching for answers. Because
of their mortal bodies’ limitations, each god and goddess can only bring one
divine power. Hera chooses the power to enter peoples’ minds and command them
to do her will.
Hera is joined on her quest by a teenage
boy, Justin. Although Hera tries to hide her true nature, Justin soon realizes
that she and the others aren’t his high school classmates. He boldly volunteers
to join the quest, and the Olympians agree because whoever took the Fates has
the power to block them, but not mortals. As mysteries unravel and danger
approaches, Hera finds herself growing unexpectedly close to Justin.
Hera, Queen of Gods
is a fantastically imaginative urban fantasy with elements of paranormal
romance. Thomas writes under the assumption that the audience is familiar with
the basics of Greek mythology—the twelve gods, Hera’s reputation as an
unforgiving queen, Zeus’ fondness for mortal women, etc. He adds his own twists
to the mythology, such as a dream dimension and a universal set of laws called
the Necessity, which binds even the gods.
To those familiar with Greek mythology,
Hera is a coldhearted shrew with a nasty temper. Many stories tell of her
wrath, especially against the mortal women Zeus beds. Thomas tells, for the
first time I know of, Hera’s point of view. In Hera, Queen of Gods, Hera is a strong, independent woman who has
been forced to maintain order while her faithless husband enjoys himself. Her
ruthless determination earned her the unfavorable reputation, since she cares
more about getting things done than making people like her. She is very much
the modern career woman. She sacrifices her own happiness and remains loyal to
a philandering husband to keep her house in order. Seen in this light, it’s
easy to sympathize with her.
The relationship between Hera and
Justin adds forbidden romance to the novel. It soon becomes clear that Justin
is completely taken by the goddess. Hera is quick to dismiss his affections,
for she must remain married to Zeus in order to co-rule the heavens. Although
she repeatedly denies her feelings, it’s impossible to miss her attachment to
Justin. Her dilemma is one that will be familiar to anyone who has read of
divorce dramas or arranged marriages.
Perhaps Thomas’ greatest strength as a writer
is his ability to blend Hera’s personal struggles with the danger surrounding
her. The stakes are high—so high that if Hera fails, the universe could
shatter. She and the Olympians face dastardly monsters, powerful villains, and
puzzling riddles. Much of Hera, Queen of
Gods is devoted to action scenes. Giants, harpies, pythons, witchcraft,
dreamlands—there’s plenty of excitement in this novel. Thomas has a relentless
imagination, and the plot takes many twists and turns.
My one criticism of the novel is its
length. Much of what happens could be significantly condensed, especially since
Hera has a tendency to repeat herself in her narration. She does it for
emphasis and as a rhetorical device, but it loses its bite after being used so
many times.
Hera, Queen of Gods
easily falls into the Young Adult category. The bodies the gods inhabit are
teenagers, and the Olympians behave accordingly. Many of their attitudes and
ways of thinking feel very adolescent, which could be explained in the novel by
the fact that mortal bodies have an effect over the immortals’ minds. Several
scenes take place inside a high school, and much of the supporting cast
consists of teenagers.
All in all, Hera, Queen of Gods is an entertaining and exciting read with a
clever plot and an original premise. Hera is a powerful protagonist, who is far
more human than she’ll admit to herself. I’m glad I took a chance on this
novel, for it was, to me, a fantastic adventure that never loses sight of the
characters at its core.
THE NITPICKY STUFF
I didn’t notice any significant typos
or errors.
This book contains some violence
(mostly monster fights), but nothing gruesome or graphic.
AUTHOR INFO
[From the author's Amazon page]
When not battling to save Azeroth from its latest calamity, T.D. Thomas
lives and works in the frosty north known as Canada. He lives with six
of his closest friends, all of whom are ruled over by a little white dog
named Teo, who firmly believes he's a reincarnated Egyptian pharaoh and
demands to be treated as such. Favourite things include temperatures
above 0 degrees Celsius and cats who don't take guff from pretentious
little white dogs.
RELATED: An Interview with T.D. Thomas
RELATED: An Interview with T.D. Thomas
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