Larry asks a question near to the end of the book that captures the book's central theme perfectly, "Does that one sin of mine wipe away all the good things? All the stories detailed here, from Heracles’ labor to how Theseus defeated the Minotaur could have been fleshed out more generously. I loved the first installment, Mythos (which tells the story of the Gods and their interactions with early mankind), and this did not disappoint. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941, the United States entered World War II, a war in which Americans like Francis fought from 1941-45. They take front and center stage and while Fry cleverly interweaves background and information it never feels like anything other than being told an engaging story.

Fry says, “Heracles wasn’t the brightest pixel on the screen”, but you can not help but love this bundle of rippling muscle as he steadily works his way through his “12 labours”. Stephen Fry’s characteristic humor and wit render this an informative, entertaining and engaging read. So long as dragons, giants, centaurs and mutant beasts infested the air, earth and seas we could never spread out with confidence and transform the wild world into a place of safety for humanity. We can't let the Japs get away with this," he said, anger that we had never seen before flashing in his eyes.Nicole his childhood sweetheart moved away from the town and he longs to find her again but it is hinted upon that something unsavoury happened between them. My favourite has always been Jason and his Argonauts ever since watching Don Chaffey's 1963 film as a boy. Edwards Award, Phoenix Award from the the Children’s Literature Association, and many more, which captures the attention of more and more young adults. As Heroes is essentially a group of loosely linked short stories, the emotional attachment is not as great as many may want.

Thank you to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I remember what I said to Nicole about not knowing who the real heroes are and I think of my old platoon…I think of Enrico, minus his legs, his arm. I absolutely recommend this book to young adults because it “will” really help them understand the true reason of life. I read the US Hardcover version and I have to say it is a beautiful edition featuring stunning classical artwork inspired by these stories.

While I don't exactly have a favourite hero, preferring the gods, goddesses and various monsters and creatures that our heroes encounter, I have always had a soft spot for Heracles. On 7 December 1941, the Japanese Empire carried out through the attack on Pearl Harbor, a Hawaiian island. In the alley that day I encountered the German soldiers, all right, but my bursts of gunfire killed the soldiers quickly, no exploding head no body cut in two, although one of them did cry Mama as he fell. When I was a child my favourite movie was Clash of the Titans - the 1981 film with Maggie Smith as Athena and Laurence Olivier as Zeus. The book is essentially a short story collection with some connections showing up between the stories.