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Wearing the Lion

Pages
384
Published
2025
Language
English

Synopsis

Nebula Award-winning author of Someone You Can Build a Nest In John Wiswell brings a humanizing and humorous touch to the Hercules story, forever changing the way we understand the man behind the myth—and the goddess reluctantly bound to him Sometimes a goddess's worst enemy is her biggest fan. Heracles, hero of Greece, dedicates all his feats to the goddess Hera. If only he knew that his very face is an insult to her...as he is yet another child that Hera’s dipshit husband, Zeus, had out of wedlock. “Auntie Hera” loathes every minute of Heracles’ devotion, until she snaps and causes an unspeakably tragic accident: the death of Heracles' children. Plunged into grief and desperate for revenge, Heracles is determined to find the god that did this. Wracked with guilt and desperate to save face, Hera distracts Heracles with monster-slaying quests, only to find that he is too traumatized to enact more violence. Instead, Heracles cares for the Nemean lion, bonds with the Lernaean hydra, and heeds the Ceryneian hind. Each challenge adds a new monster to Heracles' newfound family. A family that just might lay siege to Mount Olympos.

About the author

Characters

HeraclesProtagonist

The hero of Greece, who dedicates his feats to Hera, but is unknowingly an insult to her. After a tragic accident, he is plunged into grief and seeks revenge, but eventually finds solace in caring for monsters.

HeraAntagonist

A goddess who loathes Heracles due to his parentage. She causes a tragic accident and then tries to distract Heracles with quests to save face.

ZeusSupporting

Hera's husband and the father of Heracles, whose infidelity is the root of Hera's animosity towards Heracles.

Nemean lionSupporting

One of the monsters Heracles is tasked with slaying, but instead he cares for it and adds it to his newfound family.

Lernaean hydraSupporting

Another monster Heracles is meant to defeat, but instead he bonds with it and includes it in his family.

All characters in Wearing the Lion