Review: Panacea by Alex Robins

Blurb:

At the heart of every legend lies a truth.

Twisted and reshaped by the currents of time.

For twenty years, strategos Dexios has led the phalanx of Thena against its enemies, pulled from one battleground to another in a relentless cycle of war and bloodshed. Now, finally, he has found the courage to leave that life behind. To relinquish his officer’s sword and return to the verdant slopes of his vineyard with his wife and son.

Peace, however, is fragile and capricious. When Thena’s northern allies bring word of an enormous tauran horde gathering on their borders, Dexios has no choice but to answer the call to arms one last time.

As humans and tauros collide, another evil wakes. Whispered rumours of a clawed creature that stalks the shadowy streets. Of violent murders committed in the name of deities long thought vanquished. To speak their names is heresy.

They are the Exiled. The Banished.

The Ruined Gods.

Review:

I love me some Greek mythology. I love me some Greek-inspired stories. Therefore, Panacea by Alex Robins immediately caught my attention when I first caught wind of it. With sprinklings of duty, war, betrayal, and murder mysteries, all against the backdrop of the return of the Greek gods, Panacea has a little bit of everything for everyone in what looks like a great setup for a great series.

The great strategos Dexios has longed to retire from the battlefield and leave a life of war and hardship behind to live a life of peace with his wife and son. But the battlefield will always call louder than will peace, and a horde of beastlike tauros are marching from the north to savage the city of Thena. As Dexios readies himself for one more tour on the path to war, mysterious murders have been discovered on the streets of Thena…murders that have been committed in glory of the traitorous gods who have long been stricken from the history books.

Right from the beginning, Panacea drops you right into what feels like ancient Greece. Robins’ love for Greek history is immediately apparent here, and it’s clear the amount of love and research put into this world that makes it feel authentic to the genuine article—even with the creative liberties taken as a fantasy world. The social and militaristic dynamics are excellent, and the fresh twist on the Greek myths was a welcomed development, where the male pantheon of gods, led by Zeus, have long since been exiled from Olympus by the female pantheon, led by Hera, due to betrayals committed by Zeus (okay, well Zeus being a dick isn’t a new development, but you get the point), and to so much as mention the names of the Ruined Gods is considered heresy. It’s difficult to create a story centered on Greek mythology in a way that feels unique, but Robins definitely succeeded here.

Another strength of Panacea is in its depiction of certain themes, specifically duty and fatherhood. Dexios is a wonderfully complex character, a great commander torn between the duties of the militaristic life he has always known, and the desire to be a great father to his son. How this is explored is fantastic, and we come to know Dexios as a man who would stop at absolutely nothing for the sake of his family. I was constantly thinking about Greek tragedies and how well Dexios fits into that mold, and I’m really intrigued as to where his story goes next.

Robins nailed it with the plot as well. Impending war, shocking deaths, gripping characters, and the slow build-up to the return of the Ruined Gods made for a page-turner of a story, one that grabbed me from the first chapter and refused to let go. Though Dexios was the star of the show, I was also enthralled by Elena’s story and the murder mystery plotline central to her arc. It brought some additional suspense and variety that helped keep Panacea from feeling one-note in its themes. Wars are fought on the battlefield, but they are also fought in the shadows, and seeing that through her eyes rounded out the story wonderfully.

If Greek mythology is your jam, you can do no wrong with Panacea. Alex Robins has crafted a gripping story that brings great twists to the established formula while still respecting the source material. This was a story that kept me guessing with twists and turns that constantly kept me engaged. I’m fully on board with where this series is gonna go now.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go dust off the old God of War games. I feel the urge to kick the shit out of Zeus.