Disclaimer: I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for a review
Slated for a January 2016 release, Apollo: the Brilliant One marks the 8th release in O'Connor's graphic novel Olympians series. Within this volume, O'Connor continues to blend thoughtful illustrations with an approachable history for each major Olympian.
What I enjoyed most was that each story is told by at least one of the nine muses. As in other volumes, the stories include the background of Apollo's birth and other notable stories including the slaying of Python, which illustrates the significance of the Pythian oracle at Delphi. Also included are Apollo's ill-fated infatuations with both Daphne and Hyacinth.
The last two stories round out Apollo as a multi-faceted and often vengeful deity. The tragedies of Marsya and Asklepios exhibit for readers that the god of the sun, inspiration, music, and medicine is not without the dark side present within the other Olympians. Readers learn of Apollo's cruel vengeance against the satyr, Marsya, for daring to best the god is a musical competition.
Likewise, the story of Apollo's son, Asklepios, his rise, and tragic death at the hands of Zeus, illustrates Apollo's brash reactions (killing Zeus' beloved cyclops') while demonstrating his distress over losing his son.
Perhaps the following quote per the Muses best sums up Apollo and this particular volume:
"He is the best of what Olympus has to offer, and the worst...The most divine god is the most human."
I highly recommend this novel for upper juvenile, middle school, high school and readers of any age who are interested in Greek mythology and graphic novels. If you have not read the previous titles, please do so. They are very well done and would be a great purchase for any public, school, or personal library.
Final rating: 5 out of 5
#olympians #apollo #greekmythology #graphic novel #YAlit #netgalley
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