The Epic of Helinthia is far more than I was expecting when I picked it up, and I'm utterly in love with it. I have so much to say about this book and don't want to spoil anything, but in short: The story takes place in Helinthia, a fictional island in ancient Greece. After its throne is usurped by a power hungry and ruthless tyrant, the gods turn a blind eye to the suffering of mortals under his rule and famine ravages the land. Dargos has his sights set on rebellion, and along with Kelric and Gadnor, he sets off to find the rightful heir to the throne- their one true hope for real change. 

The story has everything: spies, oracles, gods and goddesses, and betrayal. MJ Pankey did an excellent job blending elements of fantasy with ancient Greece to create a modern take on ancient epics. 

This novel follows Fiadh on her journey to find her cousin, Muriel, who mysteriously disappeared from her internship at a law firm. To investigate, she enrolls in the same program as her cousin. Her investigation soon pushes her into the folds of a mysterious secret society: the society of solicitors. The strange circumstances of her cousin's disappearance only become stranger as Fiadh finds herself in a world of magic and power. 

I think this book has a lot of promise, but it needs a bit more polishing. I found it kind of difficult to care about Fiadh's relationship with her cousin for the first bit of the book and the dialogue was a bit confusing at times. That being said, the mystery surrounding the secret society made me want to learn what happened next, and the magic system is truly unique. I think this has the potential to be a really good book with some edits!

Thank you to netgalley for the ARC. 

This book literally ripped my heart out and stomped on it, absolutely sobbing.