Book Review: A Compassionate Hero

 Wearing the Lion, by John Wiswell (DAW)

I requested an ARC of Wearing the Lion, by John Wiswell from NetGalley because I loved his novel, Someone You Can Build a Nest In, a tour-de-force queer heart-story told by a murderous but ultimately sympathetic monster. Wearing the Lion is Wiswell’s retelling of the Hercules mythos, the title being a reference to the ferocious Nemean Lion, one of the “labors of Hercules.” It’s told in alternating points of view, primarily the goddess Hera and Hercules himself. The opening is awesome, every bit as captivating as Someone You Can Build a Nest In. Hera is anything but divine; she’s petty, spiteful, and thoughtless in how she uses her powers, so fuming mad at her “dipshit husband” (the ever-absent, ever-promiscuous Zeus) that she never gives a thought who might be hurt in the process of lashing out at him. Hercules is just the opposite—compassionate, sensitive, earnest, and devoted to his goddess and his family. By the time he encounters the Lion, I was thoroughly enchanted with him. What does he do, when tasked with conquering (aka, slaying) the beast? He cuddles the Lion until it purrs contentedly and falls asleep in his arms. (Yes, I know that lions can’t purr, but it’s superb storytelling.) What he does with the creatures from the subsequent tasks is equally unexpected and delightful. I love the message that heroism does not mean brutality; it can also be kindness and the ability to see into the heart and spirit of even a hideous creature.

As the story progressed, however, my sympathy for Hera plummeted as much as my admiration for Hercules increased. Her spitefulness and resentment of Hercules’s devotion lead to a horrible tragedy, one that all but breaks Hercules as all his trials could not. In a dawning moment of responsibility, Hera first tries to hide her part and then attempts to destroy Hercules before he can discover the truth. By this time, however, I disliked her so much, I did not care what happened to her and I absolutely did not want to spent another moment in her point of view. Ultimately, Wiswell weaves the two stories together into a tale of the families we create, a lofty goal. For me, however, the resolution came too little, too late. All I wanted was a time machine for Hercules to go back before his devastating losses or, failing that, for him to find true comfort, self-forgiveness, and healing.

I applaud Wiswell for tackling this story in such an ambitious and creative way, even if Hera’s part did not work for me. He’s a marvelous, wildly talented author worth reading. I look forward to his next.

Recommended, with trigger warning for violence against children

Short Book Reviews: Greek Gods Teach the Classics

By Jove, by Marissa Doyle (Entangled Pub. and Book View Café)

I picked up this romance set in a university Classics (Greek, Latin) department, hoping for a light-hearted love story, probably involving one or more Greek gods in disguise, and found much more. At first, it read like standard fare, romantic, occasionally humorous with a game of figuring out which professor was which god (and wondering why our heroine, Theodora Fairchild, who is supposedly well versed in the Classics, didn’t have a clue). But the story took a turn into satisfying depths as Theo and Grant Proctor begin courting, and she steps into the role of teacher – not just about romance but about the rich panoply of emotions that make up being human. He grows, but so does she, in the very process of verbalizing and practicing the dance of relationships. I won’t tell you which mythological character he is, since half the fun was figuring it out. Suffice it to say that he is very far from the all-powerful, perfect lover one might expect.

All is not sweetness and light at Waldrop University, for the charismatic, autocratic chair of the Classics Languages department, Julian d’Amboise, has his own agenda, and his own aeons-long grudge against Grant. When he sets his manipulative, coercive sights on Theo, it’s as much to cause Grant anguish as to win Theo herself.

I loved how Theo battles her way out of Julian’s clutches, rescuing not only herself but Grant. She makes mistakes, but she owns up to them and takes responsibility for making things right. The emphasis on the importance of mutual, respectful consent added to the emotional depth and maturity to the story. Julian uses magical potions to strip Theo of her will, while both Theo and Grant check in with one another. Too often, romance tropes involve force overcoming resistance, and we need better role models. Verdict: A fast, enjoyable read that rises about clichés about damsels in distress.

A New Anthology: Beyond Grimm: Tales Newly Twisted

First of all, a Happy Editor dance... [dance, dance, dance]

This is the first anthology I've edited (actually, co-edited with Phyllis Irene Radford) for Book View Cafe. It began, lo these many many months ago, with an in-house discussion along the lines of "Hey, wouldn't it be fun to..." Book View Cafe has already published several anthologies (Rocket Boy and the Geek Girls, Dragon Lords and Warrior Women -- which has a story of mine! -- The Shadow Conspiracy I and  II), so there was some precedent. We knew to ask things like, Will this be reprint, original stories, or both? Will it be a benefit for BVC or will the authors receive shares of the proceeds? How will we define the theme? At a certain point, we'd reached a sufficient level of enthusiasm and clarity so that someone had to put on an organizational (aka editor's) hat.

Thinking this would be marvelous fun, I volunteered, and the way it worked out, Phyl co-edited it with me. I supplied time and my own editorial experience, and she had the expertise of working with the BVC anthology publication procedures. Because there were two of us, we could submit our own stories to one another, thereby avoiding the editing-your-own-work scenario.

One of the things I love about editing anthologies is watching the process, the landscape of that adventure, unfold, discovering moments of truth and hilarity and heart-wrenching sadness and sheer beauty and poetry in prose. Beyond Grimm was no exception. Although we started with "let's retell classic fairy tales," our imaginations took us in other directions as well - the sun-drenched islands of Greek mythology, legends from the frozen north, Arthurian tales, nursery rhymes, even my own riff on the plots of classical ballets. Fairy-tale lands, contemporary urban settings, magical and not-so-magical steeds, spells and epistles of the people's revolution, mysterious locked chambers and shape-shifters...moonlight and storms.