Book Review: Jason by Mark Knowles (Blades of Bronze#2)

My Rating :

⭐⭐⭐

Mark Knowles’ “Jason” begins after the protagonist successfully retrieves the Golden Fleece from the island of Colchis, with help of Medea, daughter of Aeetes, King of Colchis. Jason and the Argonauts, with Medea joining them are in the process of fleeing from Colchis, on the Argo. The story chalks the return journey of Jason and the Argonauts from Colchis to Iolkos and details the different challenges and dangers the group has to face on their return journey- from turbulence on the Inhospitable Sea, hunger and starvation, and the dangers they face on the different islands they moor their ship on- unsure of whether it would be friend or foe they would confront. The novel ends with a fierce confrontation between Jason and his scheming uncle King Pelias in Iolkos when Jason returns to claim the throne.

The author also incorporates segments from the story of Persephone and her mother’s search for her kidnapped daughter as well as that of King Celeos of Eleusis and his three daughters within the narrative.  The different threads of the story progress in parallel , with Celeos’ daughters' and the Argonauts' stories converging in a brief segment towards the end of the book. Persephone’s segment is very brief with a blink-and-miss appearance of Persephone and two short, but impactful scenes featuring her mother. The narrative shifts (often abruptly) between these three threads.

First and foremost, Mark Knowles’ "Jason" is the second book in his "Blades of Bronze" series- a fact I was unaware of when I chose this book. Luckily, I did not have trouble jumping in mid-series  as I am familiar with the story of Jason and the Argonauts.  Though this book can be read as a standalone novel, I do feel that those  with a general idea of these stories from the Greek myths would enjoy this book more. This is a meticulously researched retelling of a part of Jason’s story. The author, in his notes at the end of the book, details the multiple sources he has taken from in chalking the mythology, geography and archaeology that feature in this story. While I enjoyed parts of this story, especially the segments covering the Argonauts’ encounter with Circe and the battle with the Colchian Army , their experiences on the Cretan island of Megalonisi, and the segment about the daughters of Celeos, much of the journey segments on the seas though vividly descriptive, feel repetitive and a tad tedious. Medea, though an important character in Jason’s story, is more of a supporting character in this novel. The narrative felt clunky in parts and the abruptly shifting narrative was confusing. This is a lengthy book, very descriptive and slow in parts. Overall, while I did not dislike Mark Knowles’ Jason, I wasn’t as enthralled with it as I have been with other retellings!

Many thanks to Head of Zeus, Mark Knowles and NetGalley for the digital review copy! All opinions expressed in this review are my own. This book is scheduled to be released on August 4, 2022.