I’ve partnered up with fellow Kiwi author Cath Mayo, and Canelo Publishing (UK), to produce THE OLYMPUS SERIES. The first book, ATHENA’S CHAMPION, will be released 8TH NOVEMBER 2018. We’re contracted for three books, but we’ve several more planned.

So what’s the series about? Basically, it’s our take on those Greek myths that form a PREQUEL TO THE TROJAN WAR.

But it’s much more than that. I believe we’ve come up with a unique approach to this mythos. To date, Trojan War books have largely fallen into two camps – (1) the gods are majestic super-beings with human personas, squabbling petulantly and behaving with what seems to be bewildering inconsistency, one moment benevolent, the next cruel, and with humankind utterly dependent on their goodwill; or (2) the supernatural and religious is sidelined and we get the gritty human war story.

Our series takes a third approach, one we’re not aware of anyone using in this mythos before. Firmly rooted in history and mythology, THE OLYMPUS SERIES will bring you gods, heroes and magic, all within the context of a War of the Gods that will shape the future of mankind. No spoilers, but we’re presenting a whole new take on this timeless, classic story. If you want to know more… read the books!

We can reveal, though, that our chief protagonist is ODYSSEUS, a hero who fights for Reason in an Age of Superstition. He is a man ahead of his time, a rationalist applying logic and cunning to further his cause: the preservation of his homeland and the freeing of the human spirit.

These three books encompass some of the great tales of Greek mythology, all seamlessly delivered as a continual story – myths like the First Abduction of Helen (by the Minotaur-slayer Theseus – look it up!); the Judgement of Paris; the wars of the Seven and the Epigoni against Thebes; the Wedding of Helen and the oath of Tyndareus, all vital stages in the fermenting of the Trojan War.

They also gives us a chance to portray some of the great heroes of the pre-Trojan War period – Odysseus, Diomedes, Theseus, Ajax, Hector and Paris; some of the powerful rulers of the period such as Agamemnon and Priam; potent figures of prophecy and magic like Cassandra, Tiresias, Helen and the mysterious Pythia of Delphi; gods and goddesses like Athena, Zeus and Aphrodite; and cameos by other deities and heroes of the past.

With reader support, our hope is that we will then go on to give you our unique interpretation of the Iliad (The Trojan War) and the Odyssey (Odysseus’s journey home). It’s going to be fast-moving, full of incident, adventure and magic; but also true to the mythology and the known historical context of the Aegean Bronze Age. It will be a series to satisfy both fantasy fans seeking adventure, and classical and ancient Greece enthusiasts seeking a new take on the familiar.

I’m very excited by this series – working with another writer has been a blast (I’ll blog on that next). Telling the tale through Odysseus’s eyes (it’s a first-person narration) has been hugely refreshing, and fitting together the jigsaw puzzle of the interlocking myths into a linear storyline has been a creative explosion.

So I really hope you’ll get behind this series – I’ll post links when ATHENA’S CHAMPION becomes available.

Best regards, David