Zeus Is Dead: A Monstrously Inconvenient Adventure

Written by Michael G. Munz

Narrated by Travis Baldree

THE GODS ARE BACK. DID YOU MYTH THEM?

You probably saw the press conference. Nine months ago, Zeus's murder catapulted the Greek gods back into public life. Now the whole pantheon revels in new temples, casinos, and media empires-except Apollo. An overachiever with a bursting portfolio of godly duties, the amount of email alone he receives from rapacious mortals turns each day into a living hell.

Yet there may be hope, if only he can return Zeus to life! With the aid of Thalia, the muse of comedy and science fiction, Apollo will risk his very godhood to help sarcastic TV producer Tracy Wallace and a gamer-geek named Leif-two mortals who hold the key to Zeus's resurrection. (Well, probably. Prophecies are tricky buggers.)

Yet whoever murdered Zeus will certainly kill again to prevent his return. Can Apollo escape the murderer when he doesn't even know who they are? Can he do it before the muse gets cranky? Do the venomous bat-winged kittens terrorizing Nevada have anything to do with anything?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Aug 28, 2018
• ISBN: 9781541443754

Reviews for Zeus Is Dead

[bug_girl · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I received a copy of this book as part of the LT Early Reviewer program.I am really conflicted about this book; it is cleverly written and entertaining. I *want* to like it. It's a supernatural mystery story featuring the Murder of Zeus (duh) and attempts to return his godhood by a long-lost daughter and really annoying schlub cursed to be in love with her.The author took an interesting approach to the 1st/3rd person narrator that just didn't work for me. At various times, he broke through the 4th wall (and 5th wall as well) to speak directly to the reader, and it was always in a really smartass-y tone. These parentheticals often contained disparaging remarks about editorial suggestions that probably came from either the book's publisher or early readers.Note to Author Dude: Editors are your friend. Even if you disagree with them, respect the editor. They are giving you information about things in your story that aren't working.I mean, it's to be expected that you have a deus ex machina in a book about gods; so you don't have to leave us a note saying "Hey! Here comes the deus ex machina! Neener!" (paraphrasing)Without that author snarkage, I would have rated this book a 4 or a 4.5, even. It made me laugh out loud in a couple of spots.

[kittycunningh-815148 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Zeus is murdered and the gods come out of hiding. But, he might not really be dead.

I just couldn't stick with it.

[pmtracy · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a fun book! Greek mythology mixed with modern urban fantasy. Nearing the end, after his return from (partial) death, Zeus creates a new god from a sundae to help him win a war against the other Olympians and the Titans.

"I am shock and awe with a cherry on top! I am your frigorific doom!” said Baskin. This pretty much says it all about the story...

[montzaleew · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Zeus Is DeadA Monstrously Inconvenient AdventureBy: Michael G. MunzNarrated by: Travis BaldreeThis is an Audible book I requested and the review is voluntary. What a hoot! My cheeks are sore from smiling for hours! This was such a clever, snarky but not annoying, funny look at what life would be like if the Greek gods lived with us today. It is well thought out and so unique! It is so crazy, you don't know what will happen next.I am convinced that the author is the brain spawn of Mel Brooks and Monty Python! This book is creative chaos in a genius fashion...lol! It kept me interested from the very beginning to end! It was a wild and crazy ride but I loved every bit!Travis Baldree performed all the fabulous voices and made the story even better! He kept all the strange characters and their bizarre ways straight, I don't know how, there were a lot of characters. Comedy is not easy to do and make it come out funny but he was spot on! There were laugh out loud scenes and giggle scenes but most of the book I was truly smiling! Loved this book!

[natureinthecity · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I don’t think it too much of a spoiler to tell you that Zeus was dead to begin with. It goes without saying then he was REAL as well and had put himself and the rest of the also very real pantheon on what was intended to be a permanent hiatus. When he dies, all Olympus breaks loose upon the present day complete with squabbling siblings, grotesque monsters, cupid arrows, spinning fates, and sundaes.It’s what I expected.Apollo is buried in email.Muse Thalia is fed up with script writers and producers mangling literature.There are deadly bat winged, poison spitting kittens flying about.Monster hunting reality shows are a thing.Did I like it?Yup.IT WAS FUN.I really enjoyed this book. I haven’t read a fictional/fantasy comedy I’ve enjoyed this much since Douglas Adams. Usually I get a few chapters in and just fizzle. This one I read in my free time till it was done. I liked it that much.Munz continuously breaks the fourth wall down to a pile of rubble. There are many references to ancient greek and modern geek culture, but they are not necessary to know it to enjoy the book.Not only is it all you would expect from ancient gods in modern life, it’s a rather intricate story line with a fun mystery. I couldn’t in my wildest dreams imagined the ending.How does it rate from a Disability Perspective?My readers know I always look at media from a disability perspective. I have panned books that had merit because they failed miserably in this.Like much of present day culture the book contains ableist language from “wheelchair bound” to “idiot.” (People are not “bound” to wheelchairs, they are tools of independence, this is better conveyed by using the term “wheelchair user”)It also, unless I am remembering incorrectly, does not contain any disabled characters.That said, I did not find anything about it glaringly offensive. If I had it’d be in the recycle bin. Is it a book for kids?No.Just as the original uncensored myths are not for children, (I lost count of the number of disemboweling in the Iliad) so too are the modern goings on best left to the thirteen and up crowd.Before I finished the book, my teenager (a fan of myth, comedy, and a budding writer of both) began reading it.I told the boy, “Its got profanity in it. I’m sure you’ve heard those words before but just to review, You must never say these words in polite company, and don’t let me ever hear you call someone an idiot.”“Gotcha.”If the others are interested in reading it, they’ll have to wait till older.My six year found the deadly kitten creatures on the cover “adorable.” She was disappointed when I told her there were no plushie toys available.

[livebug · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

After Zeus is mysteriously murdered, the pantheon of Greek gods returns to public life and mortal worship ... with hilarious results! This was an enjoyable if somewhat predictable read, tempered by the wry commentary and narrative tropes. I particularly liked the muse Thalia's involvement and Leif the hapless hero's valiant attempts to win the heart of Tracy, daughter of Zeus. A fun, lighthearted, amusing book for fans of Greek mythology and comedy writing.I received a copy of this title from the author via the LibraryThing Early Reviewers Program.

[longdogmom · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I received a copy of this ebook through Library Thing's Early Reivewers and I found that I really enjoyed it. I have already loved reading about the Greek Gods and Goddesses and books that bring them into modern day society are always interesting. Michael G. Munz brought the Greek Gods into today's world after Zeus is mysteriously murdered. Apollo and the Muses are trying hard to find out the truth of who is responsible, while those responsible are actively trying to discern how much Apollo knows, how to keep him from learning more, and most importantly, they want to stop him from finding a way to reverse what's been done and bring Zeus back from the dead. Various prophecies abound that draw in some clueless mortals who end up having to choose sides in a war of Gods, and find themselves being used and manipulated like pawns in a massive chess game. With a lot of dry humour, creative ideas (especially those little evil flyng kittens...the Razorwings!), and lots of twists and turns, Munz has delivered a fun read that often had me laughing out loud and sharing passages with my husband. A little bit of romance, heroism, family squabbles on a scale that's almost impossible to comprehend, and lots of surprises keep the reader turning the pages to see what is going to happen next. Loved it!

[crystalsmithconnelly · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I received a copy of Zeus is Dead through Library Thing's Early Reviewer program, and I was pretty sure I'd like it since I write plays about Greek mythology. It seems like most books about Greek mythology are fairly serious, so I was very happy to read Zeus is Dead, which made me laugh out loud several times. I liked the plot and loved reading a new twist on Greek mythology. The novel grabbed me from the first page, and I was excited to see what was in store for me. I also loved the quotes at the beginning of each chapter...they were really funny. If you're a Greek mythology nerd like I am, check out Zeus is Dead...you'll probably enjoy it. : )

[nataliesw · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Michael Munz makes no myth-thtepth. I really enjoyed this funny, silly, well-constructed book!

[brucegargoyle · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I received a copy of this title from the author via the LibraryThing Early Reviewers ProgramTen Second Synopsis:Zeus is dead and the rest of the Olympian Pantheon have decided to reappear and start ordering the humans about. But who's responsible for bumping Zeus off, and why? And is there a way to stop the plague of deadly flying kittens?The first thing I have to say about this book is that it felt like a very loooooong read. This may not be a problem for you if you go into it knowing that it is a very long and involved humour/mystery/urban fantasy thing. If you do know that, then you can devote the time to it that it really deserves and enjoy the leisurely unfolding of a rollicking mystery. This reminded me very much of the YA title that is in a similar vein - Helen and Troy's Epic Road Quest by A. Lee Martinez - the humour is similar, as is the use of a familiar (to some) pantheon and the meta-commentary on the story as it unfolds by the muses and various other characters. If I hadn't read Helen and Troy very recently, I think I would have given this a higher rating, but as I had already read something very similar (although considerably shorter) in the last few months, a bit of the shine got knocked off this one.The humour in the book is very dry, which I really enjoy and there were enough twists and turns to keep the plot moving along at a reasonable clip. I appreciated the inclusion of a "Who's Who" at the end of the book (and indeed Kindle's dictionary/Wikipedia thingy) as I was reading because Munz seems to include every Ancient Greek deity and hanger-on that ever existed and if your knowledge of ancient pantheons isn't up to scratch, you might find yourself referring to this quite often in the first half of the tale. My favourite original travesty was the Razorwings - sweet little flying kitten monsters that can shred humans with a few swipes of their furry little death paws - who could resist such a horde of death-bringing cuties?If you're a fan of urban fantasy with a godly twist and you enjoy tales that are a bit cheeky, but filled with action and adventure then this would be a great choice to keep you occupied for more than a few sessions.

[irapearson · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Not bad. Pretty amusing. Light and fluffy. It's a story of what happens after the Greek Gods murder Zeus and return to the mortal world seeking worship and amusement. There is a lot of breaking of the fourth wall here, even more so than most other examples of this comedy/fantasy sub-genre that I've read. A little of that definitely goes a long way and while some of it was funny it did distract and become tedious after a while, really my biggest criticism. You will probably enjoy this if you like stories about Greek Gods or if you like comedy/fantasy like Good Omens, anything written by Christopher Moore or comedy/sci-fi like Hitchhiker's Guide. It's absolutely nowhere near the quality of any of those but it's good.

[bostonian71 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Normally fantasy humor is one of my favorite subgenres, but this take on Greek mythology was unfortunately too irritating and unfunny for me to finish. Any original and interesting bits were drowned out by the self-conscious, overly self-referential narration, which to me felt like the equivalent of someone jumping up and down saying, "Look at me! I'm so hilarious! Here comes a plot twist! Hey, see how I did that? Ha ha ha! ..." To which I say, "I'll stick to Pratchett, Gaiman and Riordan, thank you very much ..." as I hit delete on my Kindle.

[simchaboston · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Normally fantasy humor is one of my favorite subgenres, but this take on Greek mythology was unfortunately too irritating and unfunny for me to finish. Any original and interesting bits were drowned out by the self-conscious, overly self-referential narration, which to me felt like the equivalent of someone jumping up and down saying, "Look at me! I'm so hilarious! Here comes a plot twist! Hey, see how I did that? Ha ha ha! ..." To which I say, "I'll stick to Pratchett, Gaiman and Riordan, thank you very much ..." as I hit delete on my Kindle.