Blurb: The curse of King Midas is real.
In the ancient kingdom of Phrygia, tribal boy Karem Savas thirsts for revenge against King Sargon II, the man who killed his mother and kidnapped his sister. A deal with the dark goddess of the underworld propels him to a powerful position of leadership with a mighty army and thousands of loyal subjects. Crowned as King Midas, he rules from the prosperous capital city of Gordium, where the future shines bright for his two royal children, Prince Anchurus and Princess Zoe.
But Midas is unable to shake his traumatic past. As his deal with the dark goddess turns sour, he seeks help from another, never realizing it will be his undoing. Burdened with a cursed power and floundering against the savvy King Sargon II, Midas must right his wrongs and save his children before it is too late.
Review: A tribal boy witnesses the brutal murder of his mother and kidnapping of his sister and prays for revenge. The dark goddess Katiah answers his call and the boy becomes the powerful King Midas. All his life, he has sought to destroy King Sargon's kingdom and rescue his sister. Yet Midas does not stay true to his deal with the goddess, and she doesn't take the betrayal lightly. Midas is cursed and must fight not only for his kingdom, but to save his children as well.
This is an excellently written historical fantasy, and I'm excited that it's the first in the Midas Legacy series. The setting is immensely detailed and realistic. It's exactly how I imagine life might be in Midas' time, except with deities and magic. This is one of those books you can tell the author did a ton of research. There are no info dumps, but the little details make all the difference.
Midas is sympathetic, but consumed with his desire for revenge. King Sargon II, too, can only think of taking Midas down, and I love the way the dark goddess plays them against one another. She's pulling strings everywhere, and it's wonderful how deeply layered the plot is. Katiah has her own reasons for things, and like a true goddess, none of us are privy to them. The other goddess, Denisia was raised as a human, and she has a much more human heart. The cast of characters is large. There are so many pieces in this tangle web. I particularly adored Princess Zoe and her scientific mind. The spin on how Midas gets his curse is unique, but I'll say no more on that so readers will be surprised.
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