Review: Daedalus Is Dead by Seamus Sullivan

Daedalus Is Dead by Seamus Sullivan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided both an ARC and an ALC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

I love Greek mythology, and I'm a huge fan of the retellings that have been coming out recently.  This follows Daedalus, who is often mentioned as a side character in other tales.  This novella focuses on Daedalus' relationship with Icarus, but it also weaves in the tales that Daedalus supports.  We get to experience the creation of the Labyrinth and the Minotaur, the invention of his famous wings and loss of Icarus, and his journey through the underworld in a new light.  The author takes some liberties with this retelling when it comes to Daedalus and his choices, some where creative and supported the darker narrative and other's were questionable.  I enjoyed the portrayal of the Minotaur in this retelling.

I found parts of the story confusing as the timeline shifts back and forth in time and between 1st and 2nd person POV.  The present time is during Daedalus' time in the underworld with the past being during his time in Crete under Minos' rule.  The story is told by Daedalus to Icarus after Icarus flies too close to the sun.  Daedalus is an unreliable narrator as he tells the story of Icarus' life from birth through childhood, his death at this hands of his father's invention, and then Daedalus explains his slow descent into madness due to his grief.  Icarus was a beloved child and his loss drives his father to make some questionable decisions especially after his own death.  Daedalus ultimately wants to know "why" Icarus flew too close to the sun, which drives him to reflect if he was a good man and a good father?  I enjoyed the dreamlike way the author develops Daedalus' version of his history to Icarus, in which he defends his actions as a way to deal with his grief.

Overall I enjoyed this.  The cover is stunning and the audio narrator was excellent.

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