The Griffin or the Agate

Consider this hypothetical situation: Hitler, Mussolini, and Nero decide to race one another in a hundred meter dash. Who would win? But that's not the point, is it? No, the true question would be, 'Who the hell cares?' Such is the main problem in Hades' Daughter, the new 'romantic fantasy' by Australian author Sara Douglass. Ranging from the Greek Isles to the wild and wooly lands of ancient Britain, Hades' Daughter follows the actions of several characters as their lives are shaped and influenced by The Game. What exactly is The Game? Well, it has something to do with the Labyrinth, as in Crete and the Minotaur and so on. Creating one helps to make a city-state strong by containing evil or something along those lines - judging my the success rate of that theory they might want to scrap that plan and instead invest in a reliable sanitation system and fair taxation. I'm just offering ideas here because the ballyhooed "Game" seems to work for only a few in the know and not the home team, if you catch my drift. Kinda like storing a nuclear bomb in your basement next to the washing machine. Why do it?
Actually that question doesn't matter much either because even if you like the idea of the whole Game/Labyrinth thing Hades' Daughter is weighed down by the fact that the three protagonists, the trio of nominal heroes, are complete and utter jerks. Genvissa, the Mistress of the Labyrinth, destroys a few local gods and unleashes pain and decay on the people of her adopted land because, well, it's what she wants to do. It furthers her goals. Brutus, leader of the wandering Trojans, demonstrates his kingliness and nobility by, among other gems of humanity, slicing a prisoner's throat, raping a young girl, and slaughtering thousands with unspeakable evil - which is okay because he just blames it on someone else. Finally we are gifted with Cornelia, a bratty, spoiled princess who overcomes her initial hatred for Brutus (c'mon, how can you hate the rapist who takes your virginity?) and comes to love him. She displays this newfound affection by allowing just about any man who shows any interest in her to shove his hand inside her tunic or up her Aegean Sea - whatever. Douglass hamstrings herself by expecting the reader to give a damn about either these three clods or the Game. Heroes with flaws are understandable - Hamlet is still viable after hundreds of years, after all - but throwing grade A schmucks at the reader in a text that veers far too close to Harlequin Romance territory does not make for a good read. Hades' Daughter appears to be the first of a new series. Goody. Maybe in the next book Genvissa can eat some babies to keep color in her cheeks while Brutus firebombs a prep school - just to let them know who's boss. §

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