Bull God

Roberta Gellis' mythological novels are some of my favorite readings. I have never seen any other writer who uses the Greeks gods and goddesses as settings and characters of their plots and she does such A GREAT JOB. "Bull God" is focused ont he minotaur of Crete and the reason he came into being and how he was gotten rid of. Totally engrossing and left me wanting more. Thanks to Ms Gellis for creating such imaginative plots and characters. I'm looking forward to the next one.

This is Roberta Gellis's fourth novel in a series of reinterpretations of Greek myths. It's the best of four very good books. What makes these books so good is that Gellis is able to get inside the myths and look at them with fresh eyes. The story she then tells is what could have happened, what the story was (or might have been) before it was condenced into a myth. As usual, the characters are fully realized, the plot cleverly constructed, and the relationships both intriguing and satisfying. Bull God is a great read. No Gellis fan will be surprised that the Minataur is the character you will remember longest and most fondly.

Having just taught the story of the minotaur this month, I was fascinated by Ms Gellis's twist on the story. Ariadne is the daughter of King Minos of Crete in the age of heros (almost 4000 years ago). She is picked to be the acolyte of Dionysus after her grandmother Europa dies. Much to the amazement of everyone and the jealousy of her mother, Dionysus actually answers her call. But King Minos has angered Poseidon, resulting in the birth of a monster -- the Minotaur. Gellis goes beyond the myths we studied in high school and ferrets out the details of the original stories, spinning them into a rich tapestry. All of the legend plays out for her readers: the labyrinth, Theseus (as a smooth-spoken jerk), the arrogant King Minos and the tormented Dionysus. Great fun, but don't expect a typical romance.

Gellis weaves the lives of Dionysus, Ariadne and the Minotaur together and creates her magic once more. We meet Ariadne, daughter of the King of Crete, as a young girl who is being consecrated priestess to Dionysus. The God has not responded to any of their priestesses for generations to bless the vineyards. On the day of consecration Dionysus does appear and thus begins the story of Ariadne's love for him. He is a tormented God due to the fact that his emotions are transmitted to others and he is often enraged which leads to one disaster after another. Over the years Ariadne and Dionysus develop a deep and loving relationship of God/priestess and due to their blessing of the vineyards Crete flourishs once more. The Minotaur, a result of the coupling of Queen Pasiphae of Crete and the God Poseidon, is born and Ariadne is the only one who sees the Bull God as anything but her little brother. All in all this is a marvelous read. Ms. Gellis is renowned for her ability to give depth to her characters and her touch remains true. While reading this book I experienced the entire gauntlet of emotions. From tears of laughter over Dionysus' grumblings when Ariadne calls him too early and wakes him up after a bout of carousing to disgust and contempt at the machinations Queen Pasiphae is willing to do to get her own way. From gentle enjoyment watching Dionysus, first acknowledge his growing love for Ariadne and his resulting confusion as to how to deal with it to sorrow, despair and heartbreaking pathos over the poor Minotaur who is truly the most innocent and pathetic character in this tale. This book will join A Dazzling Brightness, A Shimmering Splendor, Enchanted Fire and The Roselynde Chronicals forever on my keeper shelf. As always Ms. Gellis' characters won't leave you alone; you get to know them and they affect you as would any other person you meet in life. Some of my best friends come from Ms. Gellis' books and this holds true for this one....I will visit Ariadne and Dionysus again. Thank you Ms. Gellis for once more giving me pleasure.

Bull God is a wonderful retelling of the legend of the Minotaur. In this spell-binding version, Ariadne, daughter of the King of Crete and priestess of the "God" Dionysus, takes center stage. The resourceful and brave Ariadne is torn between loyalty to her family and people, love for the God she serves, and pity for Asterion, her half-bull, half-human brother, who depends upon her. Dionysus is torn as well - between his prophetic conviction that the Minotaur brings disaster, his desire to remain close to his priestess Ariadne who can contain the raging emotions that drive others away from him, and his jealous determination that Ariadne will love and serve only him. The author also cleverly manages to weave this story with events and characters from a previous book, Shimmering Splendor. Gellis' mythological books are a must-read for fantasy fans, especially those who enjoyed Greek and Roman mythology.