As far as Greek mythology retellings go, this was an absolute standout for me. I can’t say a lot of them has made me chuckle quite as much as this one has been able to.

Wearing the Lion is so easy to follow and fall into, and while normally I might find it easy to be annoyed when reading reimaginings, the way Wiswell put the plot together was too entertaining to leave me with any serious complaints. Yes, the word ‘dipshit’ might be used frequently when Hera references her husband, but I’ve read books where a lead always refers to their significant other in ways like “my darling husband” or “my beloved wife” and those are never received as a problem, so I have no issue with Zeus being a dipshit.

One thing that I was surprised by, and not in a negative way, was how it differed from the way most Greek mythology retellings tend to be really dark. Wiswell’s prose made it funny and light paced, and I wasn’t bored from the first to last page.

The retelling of tales from Greek mythology is not new – Shakespeare did it among others. But it feels like there are a lot of retellings, reimaginings and reworkings of Greek mythology doing the rounds at the moment. From Pat Barker’s Women of Troy series, to Madeline Miller’s Circe and Song of Achilles, to various works by authors like Stephen Fry, Jennifer Saint and Natlie Haynes. And not only in literature but also on the screen. Recently we had Charlie Covell’s very modern take in Kaos, Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche playing Odysseus and Penelope in The Return and next year we will have Christopher Nolan’s star studded voyage of Odysseus. So to say this is a crowded market in which to pitch a Greek retelling is an understatement.
And yet, if anyone can bring their own, unique spin on this material it is John Wiswell. His debut Someone You Can Build a Nest In was a sweetly twisted fractured fairy tale told from the perspective of the monster. And he brings much of this sensibility to his retelling of the tale of the labours of Heracles (itself done many times including as a Disney animated musical) in Wearing the Lion.
When Wearing the Lion opens it feels very much in the vein of Kaos – a very modern rendering of the Greek pantheon, to the point where readers could almost imagine Geoff Goldblum and Janet McTeer reprising their roles as Zeus and Hera. This section (and half of the book) is narrated by Hera, who is not happy. They are on high in Olympos, witnessing the conception and birth of Zeus’s latest child, conceived with a human. Hera is prevented from killing Zeus as she wants to but does manage to change the prophecy so that the child, Alcides, while blessed with godlike strength, does not become king.
Hera takes against the child.But it turns out that Alcides worships his “aunty” Hera and almost from the beginning - taking the name Heracles in her honour. Heracles unwittingly turns Hera’s plans against her in the other strand of the novel which is mainly written as prayers from Heracles to Hera.
This opening sets a particular tone – heightened, satirical, comic. Those who are already familiar with the story will know that it gets dark fairly quickly as Hera drives Heracles mad to the point where he kills his own children. In the original story Heracles then undertakes 12 labours (seemingly impossible tasks) for King Eurystheus. But it is at this point that Wiswell goes well off script, using those 12 tasks as a kind of scaffold for a very different tale.
Heracles is trying to find out who forced him to kill his children. Hera, concerned that he will discover her involvement, contrives to send him on impossible quests to prevent him from learning the truth. And while in the original story Heracles kills a series of undefeatable monsters (including the invincible lion of Nemea, the many-headed hydra and the man eating Erymanthian boar), in this version Heracles, scarred by the death of his children befriends them instead and they join him on his quest.
Meanwhile on Olympos, Hera, wracked with guilt over the death of Heracles’ children, is finding she has her own family issues to deal with as her children start interfering in the quest and jockeying to take over the throne in Zeus’s unexplained absence.
In Wisell’s hands, the twelve labours of Heracles are completely refashioned to become a delightful found family narrative in the mortal realm with Heracles as a man sick of violence who just wants to be befriend those who are outcast and for people to be kind to each other. And on Olympos it becomes a godly family drama (with hints of Succession) with Hera desperately trying to right her own wrongs while dealing with a range of ambitious, greedy, powerful but also loyal children.
Overall Wearing the Lion does not work quite as well as Wiswell’s debut, and this could be because he is refashioning existing material rather than creating something new. While Wiswell is in many ways reverential to the text, his approach, which reimagines many well-defined characters of Greek mythology, sometimes strains against the constraints of the original story and characters that he is drawing from.
As with his debut, Wiswell’s characters, including many of the side characters, are delightful and engaging even when they are doing bad things. The narrative is full of humour, sly winks to the source material and more than a little quirkiness. Treated as a piece of interpretation that brings an ancient story to life and gives it a new relevance, rather than a strict retelling, Wearing the Lion is a success.

This was such an interesting take on Heracles' story. I loved the dual perspective from Heracles and Hera. The sympathy for Hera was also brilliant.

DNF at 25%. This is disappointing as I am a huge Greek mythology fan, and love seeing stories reinvisioned and retold in a modern spin. When I saw this being compared to the works of Jennifer Saint, I was so excited, but this book just disappointed me. This mainly comes down to the writing; the premise of the book holds so much promise, but the execution needs work, a lot of work. I'm sure this would appeal to a specific audience who enjoys more of a specific type of humor, because that is what this reads as: a comedic take on the story of Hercules, not a retelling from a different perspective. I'm not one to be offended by cursing, but there is an absurd amount of cursing, and it adds no value to the story; it's just there for the sake of being there. If I never have to read the words "dipshit husband" again, it will be too soon. The tone in which Hera is written also rubs me the wrong way; it feels as if Wiswell is pushing the 'crazy ex-wife' narrative a bit too hard, like shoving it in your face and suffocating hard. The entire time I was reading it just felt like a watered-down version of Greek mythology told by a stand-up comedian who did not do his research.

I really enjoyed this! It's similar to Herc by Phoenicia Rogerson in the way it's filled with humour and heartbreak. Yet while they're two books with a similar tone and the same subject, they tell very different stories and I think it's worth reading both. Wearing the Lion involves Heracles's labours but the why and how are very different from the original myths. Where Herc is actually very faithful to them, Wearing the Lion takes A LOT of liberties. Purists, you've been warned!

Alternating POVs between Heracles and Hera worked great. Heracles is a very compelling character and I loved this new take on him. He's far from the idiotic, violent muscle man we often see. Here he's thoughtful, compassionate, generous, desperate to ease his own pain and that of the people around him. As for Hera, she's infuriating and majestic, vengeful then moving. Her POVs right after she makes Heracles do you-know-what were very emotional and she has amazing character development.

You have to enjoy humour in your myth retellings to enjoy this. Here's a test: Heracles names the Nemean Lion Purrseus. If that makes you smile, you're good to pick this up. If not, then this book probably won't be for you.

I have only two criticisms. One is that there are two subplots I didn't think brought anything to the story: one involving Zeus and another, Heracles impersonators. They're barely there so it didn't bother me but I just didn't see the purpose of them. The other thing is that two characters who die at Heracles's hands in the myth don't here. I'm torn on that change. It tones down the horror of what Heracles does and makes it a lot easier to root for him. Which I understand in the context of this particular tale but I think it could have worked without removing this integral part of his story.

Also, I hope I never have to read the words 'my dipshit husband' ever again.

I did miss a few characters from the myths a little. I'd have loved to see more of Iphicles and their parents, as well as Iolaus. Heracles only marries once, to Megara. Sadly, there's also no Hylas, but we do get bi Heracles. And that brings me to the greatest strength of this novel in my opinion: the beautiful found family vibe and complete acceptance of everyone's identity. Heracles is bi. Athena is ace. The hydra uses they/them pronouns. Although they're unnamed, trans characters are mentioned. There's even a guy who doesn't identify as a human for a while. None of it is judged negatively or even explained; it just is and everyone accepts it. Despite the tragedies and pain that Heracles and Hera go through, it made for a beautiful, heartwarming story and one I'll be happy to reread in the future.

dnf at 23%

I’m not one to dnf a book easily. If I begin, I need the conclusion. but wow, there’s nothing keeping me attached to this story.

I’ve never been a huge fan of mythology, but I’ve started enjoying a couple stories here and there as I get older, but this one is so poorly done. The whole book seems like a bad movie that was intentionally made as a joke. And this books isn’t a comedy.

I can’t figure out what’s going on with the characters; some are barely present just to “be included” and others are off doing gods know what that has no importance to the plot…and I’m not even really sure what the plot is at this rate.

I wanted to get farther in the book, but it is just such a task to read at this point that I know I won’t get anything out of it.

My review: WEARING THE LION is a triumph, an excellent addition to John Wiswell’s growing oeuvre. I loved SOMEONE YOU CAN BUILD A NEST IN, so I went in with high expectations, and it did not disappoint. The tone evolves from a punchy comedy to something deeply affecting as the characters grow, and the choice to focus on Hera, a historically underdeveloped character, makes this an important entry in the tradition of retellings of myths. The diverse, queer ensemble feels simultaneously ancient and very modern, both accurate and respectful, and, in keeping with Wiswell’s style, the monsters come off the as the best people. The pivotal change to the traditional version is Heracles depicted as a non-traditional hero, not a gleaming mass of muscle and ego succeeding at every turn, but a person trying to do what’s right in impossible circumstances. In a world of often overwhelming injustice, it was a comfort to spend time with a humble person plodding through and trying to avoid doing more harm. He felt timely and eternal. I’ll be telling all my friends about this novel. It’s funny, delightful, and, ultimately, deeply moving.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy

Wearing the Lion by John Wiswell is a first person dual-POV retelling of the Twelve Trials of Heracles from Heracles and Hera’s POV. When Zeus has yet another child with a mortal, Hera is done. She’s out to destroy Heracles no matter what, but when she accidentally has him kill his own family and he sets out to find the god responsible, Hera has a reckoning of her own coming.

I’ve been a fan of Greek mythology for a long time and there is a part of me that is over Hera always being the villain because while she did indeed do all the things she did, she was also constantly being cheated on by her partner who was also her king and he had the power to punish her if she tried to hurt him directly. It doesn’t excuse any of her actions, but it does explain them and I feel like this book was a new take on Hera. She’s not just evil or mean, she’s exhausted, everyone around her is driving her mad. She’s over the top and unhappy and way too focused on herself to really see how she’s hurting other people and she has her assumptions constantly challenged. While it’s not quite the take on Hera I’m still waiting for, I will happily take it because it is something different.

One thing I really liked was that Aphrodite, Hephaestus, and Ares have an understanding and there are, seemingly, no secrets between them. Hera doesn’t understand their relationship, she views it as a threat to her family and her domain, but John Wiswell uses this as a way to challenge her and the audience because if everyone involved agrees to the situation, who is hurting? There’s also something of a camaraderie between Aphrodite and Hephaestus that I liked seeing; I would like to think they at least eventually became friends in most interpretations.

The tone here is quite humorous and the fact that we get one chapter in Hera’s POV followed immediately by one in Heracles’ can either amp up the humor or really sell the sadder moments. I didn’t read John Wiswell’s last book, but I have heard that it’s also funny, so this would be in a similar tone, I’d say. It’s such a hard line to depict women who are constantly depicted in a negative light in a funny way and this does a good job from the very first sentence. Something like this works best in prose because the juxtaposition and voice are the real humor because almost everything that is actually happening is kind of more serious.

Content warning for depictions of child death and mentions of pregnancy and childbirth

I would recommend this to fans of more humorous fantasy and readers who like new spins on Greek myth retellings

I have been telling everyone I know to read Someone You Can Build a Nest in since I read it, so when I saw Wiswell was doing a Heracles retelling, I jumped at the chance to read it. While it wasn't quite as weird as his other book, this one did not disappoint. I loved this interpretation of the myth and dual POVs.

4.25 stars

I do love a classic found family story! This certainly was an interesting take on Greek mythology. Told in alternating chapters between Hera and Heracles, this novel spans the course of Heracles’ birth and his labors. I haven’t read a retelling of Heracles and was really impressed by this work! I did find Hera to be a bit much at the beginning - only so many times I can read dipshit before it gets old - but found her character growth so gratifying.

Highly recommend to fans of Greek mythology with a twist.

Thank you to NetGalley and DAW for access to this eARC. All opinions are my own.

This is a fascinating Hercules mythological retelling, though it became a bit repetitive. I loved the number of 'found family' creatures that Herakles accumulated as the novel progressed, but the picaresque quality made it less fulfilling than it could have been. This is a me issue, as I never prefer picaresques, but this is one of the best.

An emotional and surprising reimagining of the myth of Hercules that very much becomes its own story. This book almost immediately showcases its great and original voice, with some genuinely incredible humor, tragedy, and plot twists which left me constantly guessing at what was going to happen next. I was a big fan of Someone You Can Build a Nest In, and I still feel like this is a much stronger showing of Wiswell's talents which I will definitely be recommending to anyone looking for a good read.

This book made me laugh and cry at various points. The writing is so strong because Wiswell develops each character, moment of humor, and a strong emotional core with such patience.

The amount of times Hera calls Zeus a dipshit was excellent. made do that little huff of laughter each time.

Naming the lion Purrseus was a 10/10 choice

As a Hellenic polytheist, I normally stay very far away from Greek myth retellings. However, this one caught my eye by being a comedy. It's a retelling of the myth of Heracles where he is an ardent devotee of Hera, who hates his guts. After Hera slaughters his family, Heracles prays for her aid in uncovering the vile villain responsible for this act and, not wanting to admit fault, she sends him off on his Labors to stall for time. She doesn't expect him to be far too distraught to fight anymore, and he winds up befriending all the monsters instead. Meanwhile, Zeus is clearly plotting something in the background, and other gods start paying attention to this conflict and interfering for their own reasons.

I found the execution to be uneven - and the fact that the plot synopsis has radically changed since I requested this ARC backs this feeling up (it's no longer being marketed as a comedy). The book starts off with a lighthearted tone and easy, modern speech (ex: Hera's epithet for Zeus is "my dipshit husband" and a different review noted she says this at least 40 times throughout the book). And then around the 20% mark, Hera follows in the steps of the original myths and makes Heracles murder his children - and the tone flips on a dime and becomes a deathly serious meditation on family, trauma, and how to take responsibility for mistakes. We literally go from Hera shitting herself because another god snuck up on her to a fairly realistic depiction of PTSD. And in the middle of this realism, we have characters slipping back into light-hearted and modern quips. Like, someone responded to Heracles in the depths of his grief with: "I heard you screaming outside with a voice like thunder, so it wasn't heard to guess [who you were]. Thanks for waking me up early. I had some laundry that needed getting to." Is the book silly or serious? It wants to eat both cakes.

I genuinely think this book would be better off dropping all trappings of comedy and being a full-on tragedy... and I think the author knew it too because while present until the very end, the book scales back on the jokes over time. There is some really good content in here (I'm surprised by how well Wiswell understood Ares), but every time I found myself invested in Heracles' search for meaning and justice, or Hera's struggle to accept responsibility for her actions, something incredibly stupid and silly would happen and I'd be back to rolling my eyes. Towards the end, the story also did something I found to be quite interesting, looking like it was turning in a new bigger direction... and then that plotline completely vanishes, never coming up again. Also wow, what did Apollo do to you Wiswell?! Finally, it doesn't help that the book indulges in an extreme irritant of mine: being a Greek myth retelling that uses a Roman name for a deity I worship. And they're an important part of the story and it was like sandpaper on my skin the entire time.

Also not sure how I feel about "oh yes Athena is asexual but she had sex with a non-anthropomorphic monster because asexual people can have sex!" like, all I can do is grimace at that.

Thank you to Netgalley and DAW for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

First, thank you to the publisher and to Netgally for allowing me to review this eARC in exchange for an honest review. This is a lukewarm 3 stars for me. I absolutely adore retellings of Greek myths, so I expected to adore this one, but there is something that really stops you from truly diving into the text. The voice of each of the characters melds together and doesn’t resonate with me as I think that other books of the same genre have. Partially this is because John Wiswell doesn’t write from the female perspective in an authentic way in my opinion. The found family aspect of the story is sweet, but lacks the emotional depth that Jennifer Saint and Natalie Haynes manage to delve into in their novels. Overall it would be a good read if in the mood, but rings a bit shallow and lacks bite.

I really enjoy greek mythology and retellings, so I was excited to received this digital review copy. I felt that this retelling was original, thought provoking and well written. However, I do believe that there was a pacing issue with this book and that made it difficult to full immerse myself in it. It also felt a little disjointed at times, and could have used a little bit more polishing for a completed story. Overall, I did find the story itself to be enjoyable and original so I would still recommend this highly to anyone interested in greek mythology retellings.

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved John Wiswell's debut novel, so I was really looking forward to reading his latest. Greek mythology is certainly a change from what I would describe as "cozy horror" but I was interested to see how he did with a new genre.

Unfortunately, this was a mixed bag for me. I loved Heracles himself, who definitely had a kind of naïve charm. He finds himself at odds with the goddess Hera, who has hated him since his birth due to her husband Zeus' infidelity. While I liked Heracles, Hera drove me batty. She was so cartoonishly angry, and her humor did not land for me at all.

I did enjoy the gentle solution to all of the tasks. Heracles was really a very endearing character. I just think I like my Greek retellings to be more poetic ala Madeline miller. Some readers will definitely adore this, but since the humor was a miss for me, it really didn't work.

Three stars for the character of Heracles, who I did really love!

John Wiswell wrecked my precarious emotional state twice in one month! It has to be a new record!

This book is equal parts fun, heartbreaking, and exciting. The 12 Labors of Hercules is one of my favorite stories period, and seeing it reframed in such a touching and human way was…fun? Devastating? Incredible? Yeah. All of the above.

If you love a found family trope, mythological retellings, and just generally trying to read through your tears, this might be for you!

I’d recommend for fans of T. Kingfisher (especially if you loved The Saint of Steel Series or Nettle and Bone), fans of TJ Klune, and/or fans of Travis Baldree.

Wearing the Lion releases on June 17th and is absolutely worth the ride.

Thank you to @dawbooks and @netgalley for an early review copy. 😊

Only giving this 5 stars because I can't give it more. This was absolutely perfect - I laughed, I cried, I contemplated the universe. I will be reading anything this author publishes, please and thank you.

Told from the alternating perspectives of Hera and Heracles as they're forced to confront the wrongs they've done and each other.

I had mixed feelings about this book. I liked the tone overall, and thought there were a number of parts that were very funny. My biggest issue with the book was the lack of clear content warning about the death of Heracles's children in the book. The summary did mention Heracles's children die, and that is part of the myth, but the way it happened was extremely upsetting, and the descriptions were more horrific than I expected. I almost put the book down at that point. I kept reading, but even though there were a lot of really great found family elements to the rest of story; it was never enough to make up for the upsetting source of Heracles's labors.