Review/Giveaway ~ Deep End of the Sea by Heather Lyons

Title: The Deep End of the Sea

Author: Heather Lyons

Genre: Fantasy/Mythology

Published: February 4th 2014

What if all the legends you’ve learned were wrong?

Brutally attacked by one god and unfairly cursed by another she faithfully served, Medusa has spent the last two thousand years living out her punishment on an enchanted isle in the Aegean Sea. A far cry from the monster legends depict, she’s spent her time educating herself, gardening, and desperately trying to frighten away adventure seekers who occasionally end up, much to her dismay, as statues when they manage to catch her off guard. As time marches on without her, Medusa wishes for nothing more than to be given a second chance at a life stolen away at far too young an age.

But then comes a day when Hermes, one of the few friends she still has and the only deity she trusts, petitions the rest of the gods and goddesses to reverse the curse. Thus begins a journey toward healing and redemption, of reclaiming a life after tragedy, and of just how powerful friendship and love can be—because sometimes, you have to sink in the deep end of the sea before you can rise back up again.

Deep End of the Sea is a touching story that deals with a serious issue that occurs far more often that we all would like. The author has taken it and woven it into a beautiful story, which features a lot of the gods and characters from Ancient Greece. Medusa is the main character and we soon meet Hermes, Hades, Persephone and many other Gods.

The first section of the book is slightly slow, as we learn about Medusa and what she has been through for the thousands of years that she has been cursed. I think it was great to see the depth of her emotion about her situation and how having limited connection with the outside world can make you independent and reluctant to change. I quickly grew a connection to Medusa and sympathised with her as she struggled with her feelings. When she finally gets to Olympus, the story picks up and soon her life improves as she learns how to live all over again. She is lucky to be with her cat, her best friend and some other very supportive people. But she still seems cut off and is unsure how her new life is better than her old one. She still lives in fear and finds it hard to accept what has happened to her.

Medusa is such a beautiful person. She never truly understood why she was cursed and has lived a very quiet life in solitude. The people that she did meet turned to stone and she has had only two real friends in her life: Hermes and a blind sailor named Mikkos. I cannot imagine being this secluded, but she managed to get by with the new technology that we now have and she lives in a reasonable home. I was often torn up about her because she finds it hard to interact with so many people at one time, but is reluctant to leave the house. Her growing bond with Hermes is amusing as she cannot see what everyone else around her can blatantly see. However, she does grow a lot as a person and wants to take charge of her life. It is not always smooth sailing and is sometimes terrifying, but she really is a strong person deep down. This change in her was fabulous and it made me fist pump the air, I tell you!

Heather Lyons has done a magnificent job telling this story. It is not always easy for the characters but they are willing to fight for what they want. Using the God’s from Greek Mythology and spinning her own unique twist had me glued to the pages. It was an emotional read and a few times I could feel tears welling up, but it was also sweet and courageous. If you enjoy a twist in Greek Mythology, I’m sure you will enjoy this one!

I received a copy of this book from the Author in exchange for an honest review.

Heather Lyons has always had a thing for words—She’s been writing stories since she was a kid. In addition to writing, she’s also been an archaeologist and a teacher. Heather is a rabid music fan, as evidenced by her (mostly) music-centric blog, and she’s married to an even larger music snob. They’re happily raising three kids who are mini music fiends who love to read and be read to.

Links:

Website: http://www.heatherlyons.net
Author Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/heatherlyons
Twitter: https://twitter.com/hymheather
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heatherlyonsbooks?fref=ts
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/hymheather/

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Other posts featuring Heather Lyons

Review ~ A Matter of Fate (Fate Series #1)