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Children of Tantalus (Niobe Trilogy #1)

by Victoria Grossack (Goodreads Author), Alice Underwood (Goodreads Author)

4.21 of 5 stars 4.21 · rating details · 19 ratings · 8 reviews

Paperback, 358 pages

Published December 5th 2010 by Createspace (first published December 4th 2010)

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May 15, 2012 Kernos rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: mythic-legendary-fiction, favorite-books-re-read

What a pleasant surprise! Though originally published in Greek by a major publisher, this 1st book of a trilogy has been self-published in the US. Do not let that put you off. The novel is the best written, edited and produced such book I have read. I only found one possible typo in the entire book, unusual even from top publishers.

The book is a novelization of the myth of Tantalus and his children Pelops, Broteas and Niobe. Pelops and Tantalus are father and grandfather of the great House of A...more

4 likes · like · see review

Jul 21, 2011 Chrissie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: greece, history, kindle, turkey, sample-g, borrowed

NO SPOILERS!!!

I wrote this review and it didn't get saved.......................... GRRRRR!!!!!!!!

Let me summarize by saying that this is the first in a trilogy of three books. Although it does not end with a cliffhanger, there are so many threads that left unresolved that you must continue. Immediately! I have already begun the second book The Road to Thebes: Niobe and Amphion.

Besides being about the ancient Greek gods and city-states, about myths and legend, it is about love. All kinds of lov...more

4 likes · like · see review

Apr 21, 2012 Isis rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: bronze-age-5000-to-1100bce-fiction

Let me be straightforward at the very first. Children of Tantalus is a good book - competently written, interesting setting, good premise, interesting characters... It doesn't do much wrong, if anything, and it is certainly enjoyable.

I am probably Children of Tantalus’ ideal target audience. I grew up loving the tales of Greek myth and legend, and have pursued the subject of ancient history into adulthood - with a particular interest in the Bronze Age Aegean and Near East. I was familiar with th...more Let me be straightforward at the very first. Children of Tantalus is a good book - competently written, interesting setting, good premise, interesting characters... It doesn't do much wrong, if anything, and it is certainly enjoyable.

I am probably Children of Tantalus’ ideal target audience. I grew up loving the tales of Greek myth and legend, and have pursued the subject of ancient history into adulthood - with a particular interest in the Bronze Age Aegean and Near East. I was familiar with the legend of Pelops ahead of time, but not so familiar with Niobe's tale, so I didn't go into the book knowing exactly what would happen or with particularly established ideas about what I thought should happen. Indeed, I chose the book knowing I'd be interested in its setting and subject matter.

Other reviewers have mentioned their surprise that certain snippets included in the story were in fact true to history. For me it was the reverse experience. It was obvious to me that co-authors Victoria Grossack and Alice Underwood had done their research because I recognised specific artefacts I've seen, places I've been, and textbooks I've read. They don't dominate the story though - which is as it should be - they remain in the background. For me these were no surprise therefore - more of a sense of relief and pleasure that historical accuracy is adhered to.

The prose. It's well-written, competent, treading that neat middle road between flowery language and clipped functional prose. I particularly liked an analogy that Pelops makes in his mind between the way a queen moves and long mornings in bed. Once or twice I felt that a bit of dialogue had a slightly modern feel - nothing really glaring though ("till" versus "until"; "given" versus "given to").

The characters, particularly Pelops and Niobe. I liked how they have history, how their growth and development builds upon that history and their experiences - and they're not just cardboard cut-outs. They also behave in a grey manner rather than simplistic black or white - they make ambiguous decisions, take bad as well as good actions, or at least actions that can interpreted as both good and bad in the same breath. I didn't quite find myself feeling that worried for them though - but that may be because this book does evoke the sense of a building storyline and more to come (it is book one in a trilogy), and I strongly suspect that tension will be ratcheted up a notch in the next instalment. One almost has the sense of quivering on a precipice.

Looking forwards to the next book!

7 out of 10.(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Oct 05, 2011 Geralyn rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really loved this book. If you're a Greek mythology fan, be sure to pick this up (as well as the other books in the trilogy and JOCASTA). I have not yet read the other selections, but I plan on doing a whole read of these captivating characters when I can set time aside to do so.

2 likes · like · see review

Nov 21, 2011 Belles Livres rated it 5 of 5 stars

Well, I finished reading Children of Tantalus. I think the book deserves 4.5 stars but am giving it 5 because others gave it only 4 – and because I realize that I enjoyed it more than Helen of Troy and much, much more than The Firebrand. The reasons may only be personal to me, so let me share them. First, I may have overdosed on the story of Troy – I was less familiar with the myths associated with Tantalus and the young Pelops and Niobe, so the story was more unexpected. Second, I was sick of h...more Well, I finished reading Children of Tantalus. I think the book deserves 4.5 stars but am giving it 5 because others gave it only 4 – and because I realize that I enjoyed it more than Helen of Troy and much, much more than The Firebrand. The reasons may only be personal to me, so let me share them. First, I may have overdosed on the story of Troy – I was less familiar with the myths associated with Tantalus and the young Pelops and Niobe, so the story was more unexpected. Second, I was sick of heroines who were both extraordinarily athletic and amazingly beautiful/sexy – Niobe is neither (although she does learn to swim and there are a few lower-class men who are interested in her). Third, a problem with the former two books is that they try to tell everything from the point of view of either Helen or Kassandra, respectively. As the women are not often on the battlefield, the action often feels more distant. Children of Tantalus also shows the story from Niobe’s brother Pelops’s perspective, so that problem was gone.

I also liked how many of the myths are portrayed and have gone about looking them up. How the gods come to Tantalus’s banquet – the theft of the sacred food – how Pelops wins the race at the end, and the consequences of treachery. Captain Aeolius, who befriends Pelops, is almost too good to be true – but some research showed me who he’s supposed to be and so he should be too good to be true. (view spoiler)

King Tantalus is both wily and ruthless, and in the end his children realize that if they are to survive and thrive, they must be likewise. It is not a lesson we willingly admit today but it was important, especially back then. So it is a coming-of-age story for both Niobe and Pelops. I am not enthused about coming-of-age stories – and this may be because I have read so many of them – and that is why I’d like to give it 4.5. But again, that may be me and not the book.
(less)

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Jan 20, 2013 Leila rated it 2 of 5 stars

I suppose I get that this is a series. What isn't these days. I just felt like nothing happened. It was as if somebody had one scene in mind and tried to write a book around it. The other characters come and go but seem to be thrown in to affect the main character. They have absolutely no depth. I suppose the book follows the style of Greek mythology in that way, I just didn't care for it.

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Jan 10, 2013 Titus Pullo rated it 4 of 5 stars

Fast-paced and full of chariot races - great for those wanting to move on from the kids' books of Riordan into mythology based more for adults.

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Mar 11, 2011 Amelie rated it 5 of 5 stars

i originally gave this 4 stars - but now that i'm well into the next one, i'm changing it to 5

1 like · like · see review

May 08, 2013 Laura Gill rated it 5 of 5 stars

Apr 24, 2013 Katie marked it as to-read

Apr 22, 2013 Dyscover marked it as to-read

Shelves: mythology

Apr 03, 2013 Nina marked it as to-read

Mar 13, 2013 Igraine marked it as auf-gar-keinen-fall

Jan 05, 2013 Emily rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: my-books

Dec 17, 2012 Ryan marked it as to-read

Dec 20, 2012 Evonne rated it 4 of 5 stars

Dec 06, 2012 Ashley marked it as to-read

Nov 25, 2012 Magda Kossakowska marked it as to-read

Nov 21, 2012 Nicole marked it as to-read

Nov 05, 2012 Susan is currently reading it

Shelves: e-books, mysteries

Oct 20, 2012 Hannah marked it as to-read

Shelves: historical-fiction-fix, mythology

Oct 12, 2012 Thais marked it as to-read

Sep 02, 2012 Caitie marked it as to-read

Aug 30, 2012 Kate marked it as to-read

Aug 05, 2012 Matt D marked it as to-read

Jul 20, 2012 ~Brandy~ marked it as to-read

Shelves: to-read-historical-fiction

Jun 22, 2012 Caroline marked it as wish-list

May 31, 2012 Mindy marked it as to-read

May 20, 2012 Rose rated it 5 of 5 stars

May 14, 2012 Evilynn marked it as to-read

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