Hephaistos: God of Fire (Olympians #11)

Description: Thrown from Mount Olympus as a newborn and caught by Thetis and Eurynome, who raised him on the island of Lemnos, Hephaistos had an aptitude for creating beautiful objects from a very young age. Despite his rejection from Olympus, he swallowed his anger and spent his days perfecting his craft. His exquisitely forged gifts and weapons earned him back his seat in the heavens, but he was not treated as an equal—his brothers and sisters looked down at him for his lame leg, and even his own wife, Aphrodite, was disloyal. In this installment of George O'Connor's bestselling Olympians graphic novel series, witness Hephaistos’ wrath in God of Fire as he creates a plan that’ll win him the respect he deserves.

Review: I have been a fan of the Olympians graphic novel series and have enjoyed watching the Greek gods and goddesses and their myths come alive. Unfortunately, Hephaistos is my least favorite volume so far. The dialogue which started as polished orators who recounted the rise of the Olympians and followed the stories of Prometheus soon derailed into modern colloquialism, which was really jarring and took me out of the story. While Hephaistos is the headliner of this graphic novel, the focus was much more on Prometheus' betrayal and the gift of fire to humanity. Unlike the narration, the illustrations of the panels remain consistently vibrant and full of action, humor, and subtlety especially where innuendos are involved with Aphrodite's affairs. Overall a disappointing volume in an otherwise great series.   

Rating: 3 stars

Words of Caution: There are several allusions to Aphrodite's infidelity with Ares including a scene where both gods are chained to the bed. Recommended for Grades 6 and up.

If you like this book try: Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan, Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan, Gods of Manhattan by Scott Mebus