Wiswell demonstrates absolute mastery of the literary smash cut a number of times, always to great effect. This is a kind, hopeful retelling of the story of Heracles, diverging from the classic myths in ways that don't change the overall arc but do impact the emotional core and give the characters more depth, complexity, and growth than mythology allows

4 stars!

John Wiswell is shaping up to be a reliably charming author! This is truly a greek myth retelling like you've never seen before.

Heracles is quite possible the bane of Hera's existence, but blind to this Heracles worships her incessantly. When Hera's rage finally pushes her to meddle in his life, Heracles attempts to rebuild his family from the ashes in his wake. Are we doing cozy greek myth retellings now? Is that a thing? Anyway, this was delightful and full of the humor I expected based on Wiswell's debut novel. I do think I preferred Someone You Can Build A Nest In by a slight margin just because generally the horror elements in that are more up my alley than greek myth retellings which definitely aren't my favorite. Still, the shifting perspectives, references to second person, and at some points experimental writing lend some artistic flair to this otherwise pretty simple premise. I think it dragged a little in the middle but there's some truly gorgeous writing at the beginning and ends of the book.

Super cute and I can't wait to see what John Wiswell writes next!

Thank you to John Wiswell and DAW for this ARC in exchange for my full, honest review!

Happy reading!

Wearing the Lion is a masterfully written and deeply introspective retelling that not only captures the essence of Greek mythology but also adds new layers of meaning to the characters we thought we knew. Wiswell’s work is a must-read for anyone who loves mythology and enjoys a beautifully crafted story with heart.