Hephaistos: God of Fire

This is the 11th entry in the Olympians series, and I have reviewed every single one of them. Next year will bring the series to a conclusion (with the book focused on Dionysus), but I will stave off my future sadness with this volume. It was a wonderful read, keeping up with the high quality of the entire series.

Hephaistos: God of Fire mostly focuses on the eponymous god, but his tale is mingled with that of the Titan Prometheus. The Titan was present as midwife for the god's birth and was witness to Hera's casting him out of Olympus. As he grew up, raised on the island of Lemnos, he became quite adept at craftwork, building increasingly intricate and gorgeous objects. He used these objects to gain entrance back into Olympus. There, he eventually married Aphrodite and became embroiled in the tricky politics and family dynamics of the Olympians.

Fire figures in highly in this book, in that it is what powers Hephaistos's forge, and it is also a gift that Zeus takes away from humanity. When Prometheus steals fire and gives it back to humans, he is punished in two ways. First his family is visited with a misfortune that results in Pandora releasing a multitude of evils on Earth. Second, Prometheus is chained to a rock where an eagle comes and eats his liver each day. Hephaistos forging those bounds and speaking to the Titan become the narrative frame for the entire book.

Like other books in this series, Hephaistos reflects and displays the title character's personality well within its pages. He is crafty, complex, and not simply shown to be some hideous creature. The artwork and narrative work together seamlessly (like Hephaistos's adamantine net), and I feel this book is a highly compelling tale that would appeal to fans of mythology or just those who are into good action stories.

In addition to the numerous entries in the Olympians series, artist/writer George O'Connor has created the American history journal account Journey into Mohawk Country and the dystopian future book Ball Peen Hammer, written by Adam Rapp.

Hephaistos: God of Fire was published by First Second, and they offer a preview and more here.