Taking Medusa

Dark Gods Rising, Book 1

By: S.M. McCoy, Sky Robert

Narrated by: Stevie Marie

Length: 10 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's summary

A Greek Myth Monster Retelling

My blood can cure death, but it can also be the deadliest poison on Earth, and the gods will try to kill me just for existing. Hades wants me to join him. Zeus is still bitter about an age-old prophecy that the dark gods, the monsters of Tartarus, will rule Olympus. And Poseidon is the key to everything, maybe even my heart, but his son, Triton, rules Atlantis, and I accidentally killed his daughter, Coraline.

All I know for certain is the gods have mistreated us "monsters" long enough, and I’m yanking through the ribbons of fate to change my history before I’m beheaded all over again.

My name is Alessandra, most call me Aless, and I had no idea my family was more than just superstitious, they were hiding me from the gods, and lying about who I was.

I was Medusa.

And now that the gods have found me… I’m destined to die.

Using current known Greek myths as we know them and retelling them from Medusa’s perspective. After all, history is written by the victors, and the bards got the story all wrong. Poets were influenced by the reigning Olympians, and Medusa still lives in Florida after convincing her over protective mom to let her go to college. Her previous life was erased from memory so the gods wouldn’t find her, but fate has a way of repeating itself, and the sea is calling for her return.

A paranormal myth and legends adventure romance that will have you flipping pages well past your bedtime to know what happens next as the dark gods rise up and prove being a hero is a matter of perspective.

©2023 Stevie McCoy (P)2023 Stevie McCoy

LOVED IT!

i loved the story. The actors were good! They made the characters come alive. I'd love to hear about the series!

Dark Gods Rising

This first book of a new two-book series opens up a new world with different interpretations of the myths of the Greek gods.

Medusa is not the ugly Gorgon we have all been told about but a beautiful blonde-haired young woman called Alessandra although everyone calls her Aless. She is openhearted, generous to a fault and is studying hard to become a doctor.

She is tricked into trying to save a drowning girl and finds herself a prisoner in the city of Atlantis. A city beneath the sea guarded by the Craig and ruled by Triton the son of Poseidon.

But all is not what it seems in Atlantis, where spies abound and no one is who they seem to be.

The story is well-written, smooth flowing and very entertaining. I found myself easily immersed in this enchanting tale and the beautiful narration by Stevie Marie.

The characters are very well drawn and are for the most part, easy to empathise with, I couldn’t help but be drawn into their lives.

I don’t want to give any more spoilers, but what I will say is that nothing that happens within the story was as expected and with each surprising twist S M McCoy wove into the story I was pulled deeper into the world of myths, monsters, magic, gods and demigods.

A lot is happening and a lot to take in, I found myself unable to stop listening. There is a slow-burn romance. But who will win her heart? Or is her heart already given? Will the prophecies prove true, and will she end up dying again?

When I did finish the story, I was left knowing that I would have to listen to the second book Breaking Fate as soon as it becomes available in audio format.

Excellent retelling of the Story of Medusa

*non spoiler review

I loved this retelling of the Greek Gorgon Medusa! It was excellently thought out. the Narration was top notch! I would listen to any story done by this narrator, Stevie Marie.

The plot constructed an excellent laid out story. If you like Greek Mythology, you will love this! It’s a romance, action, adventure and bit of mystery! It has some history with it, and I loved the concept of dark Gods and those who were considered of the light! , this book shows that what one sees as dark or light may have many shades of Grey within both as nothing in life is ever pure, especially in Pantheons constructed in any Mythology! I highly recommend this book, and am excited to start the second in the series!

**this book was an ARC book given to me by the author to write an honest review of what I thought!

***non spoiler note from reader. This book was so excellent i normally would have finished this audiobook within 24-48 hours of starting it, but i had some massive migraines and it slowed listening to a great story bc i was resting & sleeping a lot.

Interesting twist on Greek mythology

Medusa has long been villianized by misogynists, and this story is one of many trying to show her in a different, more “true” light. From my recollections of mythology (as told by Liv of “Let’s talk about myths, baby”), the story seems mostly true to legend, with a lot of added flair to create an interesting narrative and spice things up. I was at times annoyed by the mc because of her actions, but needed to remember that I view the story through a different lens than someone in their 20s may. My biggest complaint is the audio and pronunciations. Hades does not rhyme with maids… simple Greek words that could have easily been researched, but instead were mispronounced many times throughout the book, causing me to grind my teeth. There were also a few issues with cutting and editing that should have been found at final proof. Overall, a good book, and recommended.

Ver Cool Story

I liked this story honestly more than I thought I might. I’m so not a fan of Greek mythology so I thought ehh I don’t know. I’m glad I tried it because it did keep my attention and I enjoyed it. I liked the characters a lot. Their chemistry was obvious from the get go. I’d be interested to read the second one.

Narration was great. I love Stevie so much I asked her to narrate my audiobook as well. She has such feeling and passion in her voice it’s awesome. Only slight criticism I have on this one is that Triton & Dion’s voices sounded pretty similar. I wish Tritons was deeper. But that’s ok. They were different enough that you could tell who was who.

Looking forward to the next one.

5++ stars

Story Impressions –

Her mother kept her hidden from the gods…good thing because they want her dead. Her name won’t mean much to you, but her former name is none other than Medusa. Taking Medusa is an all-consuming fantasy romance listen. The author is narrating which takes this audiobook to the next level. S.M. McCoy adds inflection and nuances to the story which makes for an intoxicating listen. If you’re a Greek mythology lover like me, you’ll be astounded by Taking Medusa.


Narrator’s overall voice –Stevie has a vibrant voice with great personality to it. She takes each character and brings them to light using inflection.


Does the narrator fit the characters?Yes, she does. Stevie uses her voice as an instrument, so each character has their own voice. From Aless to the rest of the characters, it’s a full cast of characters Stevie recreates with ease.


Narrator’s reading style –Stevie’s reading style is effortless, and I found it easy to get caught up in the story. The pronunciation is clear, no matter which character is speaking.


Narrator’s impact on reading experience –Stevie adds a new level of enjoyment for me. Her characterizations are brilliant, and I would listen to it again and again.


Narrator’s pacing –The pacing is well done with plenty of dramatic pauses so the reader can follow along without getting lost.


Audiobook flow –The audiobook flowed from start to finish with the right balance of wit, romance, and intrigue. I didn’t want to stop reading.


What makes this audiobook unique –What makes this unique is the storyline and the way Stevie brings it to life. I just finished reading it and I want to read it again.


Would I recommend this audiobook –YES! I would recommend this to any reader looking for a fantasy romance or monster romance or even Greek mythology retelling. There are a full cast of characters and Stevie brings each one to life. Highly recommend!

Great Book

This book was beautifully narrated by Stevie Marie. She has a wonderful singing voice. I liked the storyline, characters, the flow, and the entertaining history of mythology.

Interesting Plot

Interesting plot! I think this book was good overall, but I don’t think I’ll read book 2.

I thought the concept of the book was interesting and well thought out. As a Greek mythology buff, I appreciated the new take on Medusa and the use of tropes from well known myths.

For me, it was hard to get invested in the characters. I felt like I needed more time getting to know the protagonists and seeing their relationships develop. In my opinion, it felt like we were dropped into the middle of the interpersonal dynamics immediately after characters were introduced.

I thought the narrator did a good job conveying emotion and tone. Probably not something that would bother everyone, but the mispronunciation of certain every day words/well known names from myth really took me out of the story.

Again, overall I thought the book and the narrator were good, but I don’t think this is for me.

Meh

It wasn’t really my cup of tea. It didn’t hook me like I hoped it would.