Teodora’s Book Reviews: “Gormless Gods and Hapless Heroes – Tim Baker and the Ancient Curse” by Stella Tarakson (Sweet Cherry Publishing, Leicester, 2017)

The first book in the brand new series written by Stella Tarakson, Gormless Gods and Hapless Heroes, features an intriguing mix-up of Greek mythology and modern life. Tim Baker, the protagonist of the story, who happens to be a caring and hard-working boy, meets Hercules, the mighty but slow-witted demigod. Who would have thought that a Greek character would want to blend in with modern people? As shown in the book, the whole accommodation process turns out to be very challenging. But that’s the beauty of the entire story, after all.

At first, the plot is quite predictable and standard. Tim Baker lives only with his mother (as his father is dead) and they both work hard in order to keep themselves afloat and hopefully build up a much easier life. Tim’s mother has two jobs and works long hours every single day. She is also a writer who unfortunately has been rejected by many publishers. As for the boy, he struggles with doing housework, going to school and facing his bullies who call him Cinderella. We can all agree on the fact that we’ve heard of similar situations before. What is unique about the story is Hercules’ sudden appearance in Tim’s life. It all starts when the boy breaks an ancient Greek vase in his house and sets the demigod free. While Hercules narrates important events of his life (battles against Queen Hera and all sorts of vicious creatures) and shows off his unusual power and abilities, he tries to help Tim with his chores. As mentioned in the beginning, the demigod is not as bright as the little boy has expected. Of course, Hercules is friendly and only means well, but his effort in helping out ends up having disastrous consequences. While reading the book, I felt so nervous and easily got frustrated with his constant failed attempts. But in the end, I realized that the meeting with Hercules was (and will always be) an important part of Tim’s life. These specific little disasters and messed up situations are actually necessary for the boy. He learns to take quick decisions, come up with beneficial solutions and deal with stressful people or events.

Another fact I liked about Hercules’ unexpected appearance is that it provides the perfect source of inspiration for Mrs. Baker’s story. As Tim is the only one who can see the demigod, no one believes his explanations for the causes of disaster, not even his mother. However, she listens carefully to Tim’s “little stories”, keeps them in mind and then, the whole fascinating process of writing begins:

“He told Mum everything. Right from the beginning. He told her about Hercules being trapped in the vase, and how he escaped when it broke. Tim told her about the weeding. About the tiger-skin rug. About the pancakes and the creek water.
Mum didn’t interrupt. She sat quietly with her hands folded in her lap. Her eyes grew bigger and brighter. When Tim finished, he looked at her nervously. Did she believe him?
‘Brilliant,’ she said. ‘What a great idea!’
Beaming, she jumped to her feet. She grabbed a notebook and pen, scribbled and muttered, ‘He thought the dog was Cerberus!’ She chuckled. ‘Right. I’ve got to write this now, before I forget it.’ Mum bustled off to her bedroom, where she kept her computer. She looked excited, the way she always did when she started a new story.” (pages 78-79)

Therefore, the plot of Tim Baker and the Ancient Curse is actually Mrs. Baker’s new story (which, predictably, has instant success with the publisher). Characters writing the story they’re part of as if it’s their own creation… It’s quite ingenious when you think of it.

As soon as Hercules is released from captivity, the magic is unleashed. Children will probably ask themselves many questions as they are reading the story. Are Hercules’ actions shattering Tim’s life into pieces? Or is the demigod actually willing to stick everything back together? Hercules and Tim’s different perspectives upon the world and their countless contradictory discussions, plus the cliffhanger ending made me look forward to further books in this new series. It might be the same for fellow readers who are interested in Greek mythology or who are just searching for page-turning stories.