A timely and timeless reimagining of the story of Dionysus, Greek God of ecstasy and madness, revelry and ruin, for readers of The Song of Achilles and Elektra.
Raised in a Greek legion, Phaidros has been taught to fight for the homeland he's never seen and to follow his commander's orders at all costs. But when he rescues a baby from a fire at Thebes's palace, his commander's orders cease to make sense: Phaidros is forced to abandon the blue-eyed boy at a temple, and to keep the baby's existence a secret.
Years later, after a strange encounter that led to the death of his battalion, Phaidros has become a training master for young soldiers. He struggles with panic attacks and flashbacks, and he is not the only one: all around him, his fellow veterans are losing their minds.
Phaidros's risk of madness is not his only problem: his life has become entangled with Thebes's young crown prince, who wishes to escape the marriage his mother, the Queen, has chosen for him. When the prince vanishes, Phaidros is drawn into the search for him-a search that leads him to a blue-eyed witch named Dionysus, whose guidance is as wise as the events that surround him are strange. In Dionysus's company, Phaidros witnesses sudden outbursts of riots and unrest, and everywhere Dionysus goes, rumors follow about a new god, one sired by Zeus but lost in a fire.
In The Hymn to Dionysus, bestselling author Natasha Pulley transports us to an ancient empire on the edge of ruin to tell an utterly captivating story about a man needing a god to remind him how to be a human.
Praise for The Hymn to Dionysus
'[A] fresh and stylish reimagining . . . Fans of Greek myth retellings won't want to miss this' Publishers Weekly, Starred review
'Witty, bittersweet, surprising, and compellingly readable' Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review
'A completely original and bewitching adventure' A. D. Rhine, author of Daughters of Bronze and Horses of Fire
'A dazzling labyrinth of a book that pulls you in with both hands' Luna McNamara, author of PSYCHE AND EROS
'This is more than a story of love and escape and broken chains. This is more than an exquisitely crafted tale. This book is a candle in a dark hour' Maya Deane, author of Wrath Goddess Sing
'[Pulley] makes the ancient world feel close-by. I was enthralled from the first page to the last'
Elyse John, author of Orphia and Eurydicius
'This novel twists the ideas of duty and honour, exploring the depths of humanity and the power of connection in a world consumed by chaos. An absolute must-read' Crystal King, bestselling author of In the Garden of Monsters and Feast of Sorrow