The Hymn to Dionysus

Natasha Pulley

$34.99

Paperback

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English

Gollancz
25 March 2025

'Witty, bittersweet, surprising, and compellingly readable' Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

'A completely original and bewitching adventure' A. D. Rhine, author of Daughters of Bronze and Horses of Fire

'A dazzling labyrinth of a book that pulls you in with both hands' Luna McNamara, author of PSYCHE AND EROS

'This is more than a story of love and escape and broken chains. This is more than an exquisitely crafted tale. This book is a candle in a dark hour' Maya Deane, author of Wrath Goddess Sing

Raised in a Greek legion, Phaidros has been taught to follow his commander's orders at all costs. But when he rescues a baby from a fire at Thebes' palace, he defies those orders and keeps the blue-eyed boy's existence a secret.

Years later, after a strange encounter that led to the death of his battalion, Phaidros has become a training master for young soldiers. He struggles with panic attacks and flashbacks, and he is not alone: all around him, his fellow veterans are losing their minds.

Madness is not his only problem: Phaidros has become entangled with the search for Thebes' lost young crown prince-a search that leads him to a blue-eyed witch named Dionysus, whose guidance is as wise as the events that surround him are strange. In Dionysus's company, Phaidros witnesses sudden outbursts of riots and unrest, and everywhere Dionysus goes, rumors follow about a new god, one sired by Zeus but lost in a fire . . .

In The Hymn to Dionysus, bestselling author Natasha Pulley transports us to an ancient empire on the edge of ruin to tell an utterly captivating story about a man needing a god to remind him how to be a human.

Praise for The Hymn to Dionysus

'[Pulley] makes the ancient world feel close-by. I was enthralled from the first page to the last'

Elyse John, author of Orphia and Eurydicius

'[A] fresh and stylish reimagining . . . Fans of Greek myth retellings won't want to miss this' Publishers Weekly, Starred review

'This novel twists the ideas of duty and honour, exploring the depths of humanity and the power of connection in a world consumed by chaos. An absolute must-read' Crystal King, bestselling author of In the Garden of Monsters and Feast of Sorrow

By: Natasha Pulley
Imprint: Gollancz
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 230mm, Width: 154mm, Spine: 34mm
Weight: 500g
ISBN: 9781399618663
ISBN 10: 1399618660
Pages: 416
Publication Date: 25 March 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

NATASHA PULLEY is the internationally bestselling author of The Watchmaker of Filigree Street. She has won a Betty Trask Award, been shortlisted for the Authors' Club Best First Novel Award, the Royal Society of Literature's Encore Award, and the Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize, and been longlisted for the Walter Scott Prize.

Reviews for The Hymn to Dionysus

'[A] fresh and stylish reimagining . . . in her singular voice, Pulley crafts a nuanced story that enthrals the reader until the very last page. Fans of Greek myth retellings won't want to miss this' * Publishers Weekly, Starred review * 'Pulley brings out her favourite elements-palace intrigue, gallant lovers, masks, transformations, ambiguity, automata-and twists them into mesmerizing patterns . . . This love story is witty, bittersweet, surprising, and compellingly readable' * Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review * 'A completely original and bewitching adventure . . . these pages are brimming with life, and the chemistry between the career soldier and Dionysus crackles off the page. In trademark style, Pulley will make you laugh, think and fall in love' * A. D. Rhine, author of Daughters of Bronze and Horses of Fire * 'A dazzling labyrinth of a book that pulls you in with both hands. Pulley's wild, charismatic Dionysus is sure to win your heart, and Phaidros's indefatigable spirit and wry humour will keep readers glued to the page. A fitting tribute to the god of divine madness' * Luna McNamara, author of PSYCHE AND EROS * 'This is more than a story of love and escape and broken chains. This is more than an exquisitely crafted tale. This book is a candle in a dark hour' * Maya Deane, author of Wrath Goddess Sing * A rich psychological drama and a triumph of a queer narrative . . . Weaves together the desires of two very different men: soldier and witch; loyalist and iconoclast. With mastery of voice, Pulley gives her narrator dry wit and complex desires, creating a character so recognizably human that she makes the ancient world feel close-by. I was enthralled from the first page to the last * Elyse John, author of Orphia and Eurydicius * A brilliant reimagining . . . With a tormented hero, a captivating love story, and worldbuilding that will leave you breathless, this novel twists the ideas of duty and honour, exploring the depths of humanity and the power of connection in a world consumed by chaos. An absolute must-read * Crystal King, bestselling author of In the Garden of Monsters and Feast of Sorrow *