This is a clear-eyed, unsentimental telling of the life of Hephaestus, the god of fire, who was born on Mount Olympus to Hera, the queen of the gods. Disgusted by him from his birth, Hera cast him out from Olympus. Injured in the fall, he was adopted by the sea witch Thetis and the earth’s creatrix, Eurynome. Called Heph, he yearns to be loved by his real mother and to discover the identity of his father. Steadman skillfully weaves together the old Greek myths of Prometheus, Medusa, Hercules, Io, Pandora, and others, relating the tales through Hephaestus’ eyes and thus giving the reader a fresh perspective on the old stories. Heph is a sympathetic and appealing character, considered ungainly and ugly by the other Olympians for his lameness and unattractive features, but tolerated for his formidable talents as a smith. He’s usually caught up in his divine family’s schemes and plots through no fault of his own and often finds himself torn by their constant squabbling and infighting. Even his jokingly arranged marriage to Aphrodite, the most beautiful of the goddesses, proves no picnic, as she is vain, self-absorbed, and oftentimes downright nasty. The author, with her storytelling skill, wit, and attention to detail, brings the myriad characters of Greek mythology vividly to life. She provides alternative and imaginative takes on several of the myths, including the creation of man (and woman), how Persephone became queen of Hades, and how a golden apple started a war, first between the Olympians and then between Greece and Troy. At the same time, Steadman keeps the novel’s focus on Heph, determined to discover his true history and find his place among the pantheon of the gods.

I absolutely adored this retelling of the familiar Greek myths. It's accessible, full of humour and easy to read. The author spends time on settings and develops the personalities of the gods in such a way that they become memorable in their own right as characters. I liked Stephen Fry's Mythos, but God of Fire is a lot more satisfying.

As a boy, I was always fascinated by Greek myths and loved movies that gave them a fantastic reality. Helen Steadman’s retelling of many of the classic tales through the eyes of Hephaestus gives us a unique look at ancient Olympus and so gives us accessibility to the legends of old. Her humanising of the Gods, showing their faults and failings, provides humour while shining a sharp light on the illogical nature of many of the legends. Even her use of short-form names brings us closer to the raw ‘reality’ of deity. I greatly enjoyed this foray into faux history by this author, whose previous fact-based historical novels give us well-researched, often grim reality. God of Fire feels equally painstakingly researched. I liked being reminded of old favourite tales with the slant of this critical protagonist who has full access to the machinations of the top players of Greek mythology. This is a thoroughly enjoyable romp into quasi-history and gives another welcome insight into this talented writer’s ability to weave an excellent tale.