Herc – Phoenicia Rogerson

This should be the story of Hercules — his twelve labours, his endless adventures, everyone's favourite hero, right? Well, it's not. Herc is the story of everyone else.

Alcmene, his mother (she has knives everywhere). Hylas, his first friend (they were more than friends). Megara, his wife (she'll tell you about their marriage). Eurystheus, who oversaw the labours (he never asked for the job). His friends, his enemies, his wives, his children, his lovers, his rivals, his gods, his victims. It's time to hear their stories.

Told with razor-sharp wit and genuine heart, Phoenicia Rogerson's debut strips away the heroic shine to reveal the messy, complicated truth of the Hercules myth — a "deliciously witty, multi-POV retelling" that's as funny as it is devastating. Trending across BookTok's Greek mythology and anti-hero spaces for its sarcastic narration, queer subplots, morally grey divine drama, and the irresistible "everyone hates the golden boy" trope.

Perfect for fans of Madeline Miller's The Song of Achilles, Natalie Haynes's Stone Blind, Jennifer Saint's Ariadne, and Vaishnavi Patel's Kaikeyi.

A trade paperback (2023) in Very Good condition — light shelf wear, tight binding, clean pages.