When Solaris asked what I wanted to do next for them after The Age Of Ra, I straight away said two more Age Of (Fill In Name Of Heathen God Here) books. Zeus is a flat-out action-adventure effort. There’s power armour, monsters galore, violence, intrigue, deception, betrayal, violence, Australian swearing, punning porn movie titles … did I mention violence?
Click here to read an extract, the prologue of the novel.
Reviews:
- “This mix of mythology and science fiction isn’t a natural one at first glance, but Lovegrove pulls it off with aplomb. A good, enjoyable romp with plenty of bang for its buck. The prose is solid … and there is a smattering of humour to keep things bubbling along. A fun read that doesn’t get bogged down with technology or lengthy paragraphs of exposition” Total Sci-Fi
- “A barking mad fusion of Andy McNab and Ray Harryhausen … a rollicking page-turner, crammed with violence, lurid plot twists and mythic monster-battling adventure. The plot moves like a bullet … energetic and entertaining stuff” SFX
- “What kept me reading was the characters. I cared what happened to them and some surprising people got killed, especially early on. I even felt sorry for the Minotaur. It is this characterisation that is the book’s strength … One of those books that I have no regrets about reading … A fine book, a thumping good read and well worth the money.” The Hub
- “The second book of the Pantheon trilogy sees the Greek gods imposing their hegemony on contemporary Earth, bringing stability and peace but also wreaking terrible revenge on those who oppose their rule. Samantha Akehurst, an ex-cop with a tragic past, and 10 others with their own reasons to hate the regime of the gods, are brought together by billionaire weapons tycoon Regis Landesman to kill the gods and their monsters. Nothing, however, is quite as it seems, and this huge novel, almost 700 pages long, expertly unpicks the motivations of both Landesman and the gods. It’s a compulsive, breakneck read by a master of the craft, with stunning action sequences and acute character observations. This is the kind of complex, action-oriented SF Dan Brown would write if Dan Brown could write.” The Guardian
- “The technology of the armored suits, weapons and related paraphernalia is extremely well done too and counterpoints very well with the Olympians’ powers and their creatures’ abilities which all are described in a scientific way despite the seeming supernatural involved in them. And the action is just unbelievably good, keeping the reader on his/her edge of the seat so to speak; the monster hunts and later the direct fights with the Gods are the highlights of the book, while the humor and the jibes balance the tension well – though the explicit titles of mythporn movies that are used as cover against the all-seeing Argus who is now the “global moderator” of the world are not for the easily offended.” Fantasy Book Critic
- “The Age of Zeus is fun, entertaining and endlessly explosive. It is a fantasy in the sense that it is a daydream let loose on paper. Very readable and very enjoyable.” Pornokitsch
- “FIVE STARS! A brilliant combination of modern warfare and Greek mythology. Though the synopsis has the sound of Fantasy, believe me when I say this is Science Fiction. One must read the entire story to fully understand my meaning. Author James Lovegrove’s writing style is intense. His plot is creative, impressive, and could almost be called noble – no matter which side of the battle line the reader may mentally stand on. Lovegrove is on his way to greatness.” Huntress Reviews
29 Responses to “The Age Of Zeus”
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• Filed under Books • 28/01/2010 •
I loved this book. I came about it when my brother (a preteen) began reading the Percy Jackson Series. Though I am just a few years older than him, I found them not to my liking. Your book is the best I’ve seen that combines mythology and science fiction, two of my favorite intrests. I can’t wait for Odin.
Glad you liked it, Austin, and thanks for saying so.
I haven’t read the Percy Jackson books myself. I took my sons to see the movie, which was OK but not my sort of thing.
I wanted to approach the whole gods concept from a sideways angle with these books. They’re as much about our relationship with the idea of gods as they are about the gods themselves.
OMG. I must say that this book is one of the best books I’ve read in a long, long time. It’s been several years since I read any book. Partly due to me not realizing I need reading glasses and partly because I hated reading. However, I came across this book at the library. Once I picked it up I could not put it down. I was quite surprised to find myself reading through all hours of the night. I am even more surprised that I was able to finish reading a book. Thank you Mr. Lovegrove for such a wonderful story. Looking forward to reading more.
Clement, thanks for dropping me a line and letting me know. I really appreciate it. Hope you enjoy Ra as much as you have Zeus. I’m sorry if I kept you awake through the night…!
It time the real god is comeing soon i’m not talking about Zeus I’m talking about the one who gave his life for u Jesus Crhist. He is comeing soon so you guys should’t worship the god Zeis u shoudl worship the God of all Gods Jesus so give your life to him hurry because tomorrow mit not come so do it before your time is over so hurry and he’ll be waiting for u to come. Let GOD LOVE GOME TO U GIVE YOUR LIFE TO. GOD BLESS YOU
Oh, okay. I’ll keep an eye out for him, then.
Does god-worshipping usually involve castration of said god?
Wow. I read Age of Ra, maybe a year ago, and I couldn’t wait for the sequel. Then Age of Zeus came out–which corresponded with my shift in interests, from Egyptian to Greek mythology–and, I thought, Zeus was even better than it’s predecessor. (That’s probably just because I’m a teenager, though, and Zeus has more action/adventure than Ra). All in all, I loved them both, and I can’t wait for Age of Odin to come out.
@Nick:
Thanks for saying so, BJTR. I’ve tried to keep the action/adventure levels similarly high in Age Of Odin. It starts with a car crash and an attack by wolves, and segues from there into what’s basically one long drawn out military campaign. Black-ops baddies equipped with high-tech hardware square off against Norse gods and goddesses armed with, erm, well, hammers and such. There are frost giants too, wielding ice weapons. And quite a lot of swearing. Hope it works for you.
To James, I loved reading your first book ‘The Age of Ra’ and loved nearly everything about Humanity ‘supposed’ uprising against the Egyptian Pantheon, though I was sorta annoyed when both Horus & Set started to become ‘closer’ :/
Anyways can’t wait to read both The Age of Zeus & The Age of Odin for Christmas
I was wondering, if you decided on making a Fourth book of the Gods, would you use either the Hindu Pantheon maybe calling it ‘The Age of Indra’ with an unbalanced relationship between humanity, The Devas and The Asuras? Or would you do it on either Aztec (The Age of Quetzalcoatl), Japanese (The Age of Izanagi) or Chinese (The Age of Sun Wukong)?
Hi, Tim. Glad you enjoyed Ra. Horus and Set… Well, not much I could do about that. Those Egyptian gods were (are?) pretty liberal fellows.
Those are great suggestions. I’ve certainly toyed with the notion of doing other pantheons. The Aztec one would be particularly fun, and the Hindu one too, as they’re essentially blue-skinned superheroes. Perhaps they could be aliens come to earth? However, for now, I’m taking a rest from gods. Having done three pantheon novels in a row, I need a break. Hence the vampires in the upcoming Redlaw, which looks like it’s going to be the first in a trilogy. After that, I may well return to deities. We’ll see. You could say — ahem — it’s in the lap of the gods.
I LOVE The Age Of Zeus! I was at Barnes & Noble and I was just browsing the mythology section when The Age Of Zeus fell on me. I mean it literally was on a top shelf and it literally wacked me in the face. I myself am a young teenage guy, and I’m a mythology freak, specifically greek mythology. I loved the twist on how the gods aren’t the “good” guys like in Percy Jackson and all of the other mythology books I’ve read. I also extremely enjoyed the Blue Eros Channel
But really? No “Trojan” war episode? Tssk. I’m an aspiring author myself and have been writing a sci-fi for a little while now. My next book is The Age of Ra!!! Thanks for being such a captivating writer!
Hope it didn’t hit you too hard when it fell on you, Evan. It’s quite a hefty little paperback.
Glad you enjoyed it so much, and here’s hoping you feel the same way about Ra. Don’t forget The Age Of Odin, too, just out this very week!
Oh, and “Trojan” war… *Groan!*
Hoy, Mr. Lovegrove. Just recently read “Zeus” and loved it. Looking forward to getting “Odin” and “Ra” and reading them. FYI, though, both Borders and Barnes and Noble’s websites show “Odin” and “Zeus” to have the same cover. Thought you needed to know, as it seems a little odd.
Cheers! Happy New Year.
Hi, Trey. Amazon had the same problem as those other websites, though not any more. I think it stems from the publisher not providing cover artwork when listing the book, because the artwork wasn’t ready yet. I’ll mention it to the relevant person and see if it can’t be fixed. Thanks for pointing it out. And thanks for getting in touch. I’m glad you liked Zeus and I hope the other two books are as enjoyable for you.
Mr. Lovegrove I am a huge fan of Age of Ra and Age of Zeus and i have Age of Odin waiting for after i finish Zeus, i have one question, Do you have any aspirations to continue the series after age of odin?
Not right now I don’t, Mr Wiacek. My next four books are nothing to do with gods; I’m taking a break from things divine for a while. However, I’m not ruling out returning to the concept in the future. There are other pantheons. The Hindu one, for example, and the Aztec, the Shinto, the Celtic… Each of them is interesting in its own way, with plenty of scope for exploration/exploitation.
Hey Mr. Lovegrove,
I just finished Odin, and I would like to tip my hat to you, sir. After reading both Odin and Zeus (and with my eyes eagerly looking for Ra), I feel confident in telling you that you are one of my favorite writers, up there next to Stephen King and Christopher Paolini.
You have surpassed Rick Riordan in tales of mythology in my mind. I am a MASSIVE mythos nerd
and whenever I read a book pertaining to it, I pass harsh judgement on most occasions, seeing Hollywood destroy the beings that I hold dear to my heart. But you told the stories like they were meant: harsh, unfair, brutal, and yet somehow just. You have earned my respect and a lifetime fan, no questions asked.
Kyle Hruska, Detroit, Michigan
That’s high praise indeed, Kyle. Thanks. Seriously, I’m not worthy. King is my all-time favourite living writer, a man who keeps knocking them out of the park when he could easily be coasting along on his reputation and resting on his laurels by now (that’s three different metaphors in once sentence — but it’s early on Sunday morning, so I think I can be forgiven).
I haven’t read anything by either of the two others, but I did see the Percy Jackson movie and felt kind of let down by it. It had the potential to be so much. Same with the new version of Clash Of The Titans, which fumbled the material. Though I didn’t much care for the original movie either, it did at least have some Ray Harryhausen model work in it. Jason And The Argonauts — now there’s a Greek mythos story done properly on the silver screen. Grandeur, humour, darkness, scares… The works.
I was browsing my local book store when I saw the binding with the big letters on the side saying THE AGE OF ZEUS. I have always been interested in Mythology and I find that almost every author that writes anything mythological based is either doing something crazy and silly, writing about children, or retelling the stories from years ago with no real awesome spin encompassing today.
I decided to read The Age Of Ra first and I have to say. I loved it. The way you tied each god together and split the world up based on their personalities and attitudes was pure genius. The ending after the climax I thought was unbelievable and very hopeful of the future. But the well over 600 page Zeus I read in under 2 weeks (which for me a slow reader is a big deal)
The way in which you utilize Science Fiction and classic myths to fully work in a modern world is outstanding. It is easily one of my favorite books and after reading these two novels you have moved up to top of my must read and recommend author list. I haven’t had the chance to read Age of Odin yet, but I purchased Redlaw on its release and plan to read it soon. My favorite part of the way you write though is to take a common subject (sci fi, mythology, vampires) and create a story that hasn’t been done before. These are many reasons I am very glad to have found your books.
Andrew, thanks for saying all that. I really appreciate it. I try and do something new every time with my fiction. Otherwise, what’s the point? Recycle other people’s ideas? Rehash stuff that’s already been done a thousand times? No thanks. Admittedly, the myths I use in the Pantheon novels are ages old, but the fun comes in putting a new spin on them, resulting in something that is, I hope, different and original. The same goes with vampires, which, let’s face it, is a genre that’s been done to death (and beyond) in recent times. I sat on the idea for Redlaw for years until I was able to figure out a way of making it unlike anything else and being able to say something unique and satirical through the metaphor of vampires. You’ll be the judge of whether I succeeded or not.
Well, first if all, I love your books. Last year I went to the bookstore to pick up a copy of “House of Leaves”, which I had heard was a very good book..after looking around, I couldn’t find it. Dissapointment. But I’m glad that happened, because I stumbled into the Myth section, because I love Ancient Mythology…its my passion. Lo and behold I see “The Age of Zeus”. I read that review and thought it would be decent, Iond’t expect much because of the mixture of Sci-FI and Ancient Myth. I was pleasently surprised as I delved into the world that book created. I loved it, i’ve read a few others that have attempted to mix those two and you are the only successful one. I have since read Age of Ra, and just picked up Age of Odin. This was all typed at work. while I read Age of Odin. I applaud you Mr. Lovegrove. Great reads. I plan to pick up Redlaw once I finish up Age of Odin. *Clappity clap clap*
Glad to have you on board, sir. But are you sure you should be reading books at work? Unless your work is reading books, but I’m guessing from context it isn’t.
The mix of mili-SF and mythology seems to have taken lots of people by surprise, not least me. I had no idea I’d end up writing these sorts of stories or how much fun I’d have doing it!
House Of Leaves is a terrific piece of work, if you do get round to finding a copy. Very dense and at times almost painfully detailed and intricate, but it leaves a lasting impression.
Well, I have about 30-45 minutes at work for leisure. And most of that time is devoted to reading one of your books. Personally, out of all your protagonists, I find Gid to be the most interesting. You gave him an expansive backstory that you learn more about throughout the story, and I like that. I loved Sam, but Gid just seems more relatable. I’m without a doubt grabbing Redlaw next time I vist Barnes & Nobel!
Please do grab a copy of Redlaw. I’m really sure you’ll like it.
Wow. I just had to say wow. my friend loaned me both Zeus and Odin, and I was bowled over. With Zeus it was because I thoroughly enjoyed the characterization of the Titans, and I love the Titans in mythology and love that they’re now the good guys! With Odin, it was simply the levels that went into them. And the attention to myth. You obviously care a great deal about these myths, and want them represented accurately. With both of them, the sheer amount of thought and levels of thinking! I especially loved the quote from Oedipus from Zeus, and how it tied in to the plot so well. As it stands, I have two humble requests: One is just that I would like to make a pen-and-paper rpg based on Zeus, and would not sell it or anything. I just have a large group of friends who loved it. (That’s the lesser of the two). The other is a lot easier. I would love it if you could check out my website, as it’s really an effort to get people to enjoy creative writing. Neither are absolute, and if you would, please email me the responses.
Thank you for your time.
Glad you enjoyed the books, Josh. I’m happy for you to make a pen-and-paper rpg, and I hope you and your friends enjoy playing it. I’ll check out your website and give you some feedback on it. Anything that encourages people to enjoy creative writing is OK in my book.
Your point about Gid is a good one. He is relatable, and I liked that about him. Once I’d hit on his narrative “voice”, he was easy and fun to write. Basically, he says and does things I’d never dream of saying and doing, and he’s unapologetic about it. He has no illusions about himself. He knows what he’s good at and what he isn’t good at, and he also is aware of his flaws and tries to do something about them. Can’t not love a guy like that.