This dark exploration of what makes one a man or a monster takes Greek mythology and transplants it to a 19th century Dickensian London of orphaned mudlarks, Fagin-esque Murdstone ruling the river, and a bewildered Minos fighting with his perception as a monster, by others and by himself.

The pacing of the story was somewhat uneven, with long, slow contemplative musings interspersed with sudden bursts of action or violence. The main plotline of Minos’s friendship with Nell and their mutual efforts to escape their prescribed paths is absolutely riveting, but some of the subplot elements felt a little under-explored – I would have loved to see Dr Bantam’s or Sophie Chretien’s stories in more detail, instead of keep returning to Murdstone and his nefarious dealings with fate.

There is a clever balance here between the mythology and realism, leaving it to the reader to decide whether Minos is a man struggling with deformity and difference in an unsympathetic world or the actual minotaur of legend, changed over time and experience but still a monster beneath the mud. And even cleverer is the author’s created mythology around how the latter could be possible and the solution to whether we are ruled by fate or by choice.

After a rousing and satisfying climax to the story, the ending felt flat to me – a John Hughes style montage of ‘where are the characters now’, which felt less powerful than allowing them to disappear into the mists of story and legend on leaving London’s bounds.

Still, fans of historical magic realism will find plenty to love here, as will those looking for an Oliver Twist tale with a twist (and a tail) all its own!

Unfortunately I did not enjoy this book, not my usual genre. I did like the overall tale but it felt long and drawn out.

A wonderful fairytale like retelling of the story of mine at all is explores the difference between man and vast in a wonderfully woven tail mowing the story of the Labyrinth. I read this book on holiday in a day.

This was a unique twist on a Greek myth, combined with a Dickensian feel (think Oliver Twist but with a Minotaur)!

Minos is a wonderfully reimagined character, a misunderstood Jekyll and Hyde character - when he is showing the positive side of human nature, he becomes more of a man. However, when he allows the dark side to overtake him, he becomes more bull.

Nell is an orphan, left in the care of Mr Murdstone, who runs a team of ‘mudlarkers’, children like Nell who have to comb the Thames for ‘treasure’ to sell, with Murdstone taking all of the profits. However, Nell still dreams of being a ballerina, just like the dancers her mother used to sew for.

Nell and Minos find each other at a time in their lives when they need support and direction, and this friendship allows them to follow their dreams and find their true identities.

This is a refreshing take on a classic story and I recommend it.

Loved the premise of this book which is what drew me in but unfortunately it failed to hold my attention and I dnf’d at 50%

A Dickensian retelling of the Greek myth of the Minotaur. While I thought the premise of this was creative and interesting - I've always enjoyed Greek and other mythology and many of the recent retellings, reimaginings and modernised versions of these old tales. This one has somer creative elements to draw in the reader - the slow reveal of the minotaur and how he finds himself in Victorian London, the orphaned girl who becomes his connection to humanity, and of course the quasi villain who just wants to get back his youth, his fortune, his dreams. Where it lost some of the spark for me was in the length and pacing. There were moments I felt that we were finally picking up speed and then it would become slow and measured again. Overall, I enjoyed the read.

A beautiful retelling for fans of Greek mythology. The characters are fully formed and beautiful. I cannot wait to read more by this author

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

Couldn’t get along with this. Very slow. Gave up less than a quarter of the way through. A shame as it had such promise.

I love retellings of myths so this was right up my street. Love the cover and it definitely would have caught my eye on a shelf.
A retelling of the Minotaur myth set in Victorian London, the story follows Nell and Minos through friendship and hope. A great story which kept me intrigued the whole way through.

Stunning, evocative and captivating are just a few words to describe this remarkable book.
I fell in love with it from the very beginning simply because the writing is style is exquisite with beautiful, almost lyrical, prose that’s filled with mesmerising descriptions pulling you into Victorian London.

I adored Nell (Nella Hart). She is courageous, spirited, kind and compassionate. And it’s these characteristics that lead her to save the life of Minos where a heartwarming bond is formed.

And, of course, I adored Minos. He is broken, troubled by memories of the past and just tying to live a normal life. He’s appearance is that of a brute, (or a monster), but he is just a beautiful soul lost in a world not made for the likes of him. Wonderfully shown when Minos sacrifices himself so Nell can have a better life.

When it’s discovered who, (or what), Minos is, unscrupulous men plan to use Minos for their own monetary gain regardless of the consequences. (Pain, suffering and heartbreak).
The question asks “Man or Minotaur?” and all I can say is man maketh the Minotaur!

This story infuses Mythology with a Dickensian era London & it works perfectly. It truly is a stunning and unique retelling.

A tale of friendship & hope with love at its very core.

Thank you so much, NetGalley & Pan Macmilian, for the arc of this phenomenal book.

An intriguing and original retelling that mixes the Greek myth of the Minotaur and Victorian London urchins. It's a story about the sense of identity, dreams and good vs evil.
The author did an excellent job in developing well rounded and vivid characters and a tightly knitted plot that flows and kept me reading.
The storytelling is excellent, the historical background vivid.
Some less page would have make this book even better
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

The Toymakers by Robert Dinsdale is one of my favourite books so I couldn’t wait to pick up his latest novel, especially once I heard it had a Greek mythology twist.

What was a pleasant surprise was the blend of Greek mythology within Dickens’ London. The mudlarks, working under Murdstone, are the gang of pickpockets working under Fagin and I loved the book all the more for that. It’s a kind of retelling that worked perfectly.

Nell is such a sweet character and her relationship with Minos is what makes this book so wonderful. Dinsdale is brilliant at writing engaging characters and I was hooked from start until finish. I can’t wait to read what he writes next and will be encouraging everyone to pick up a copy of Once a Monster.

London, 1861 and 10 year old Nell belongs to a crew of mudlarks who work a stretch of the Thames.
One day Nell discovers a strange body on the shore - it’s seven foot tall, matted hair covers it’s body and the suggestion of horns on it’s head.
As she ventures closer the creature draws breath and Nell is forced to make a decision that will change her life forever.
A Victorian London retelling of the Greek Minotaur legend.
Very atmospheric - loved the way it’s written, as though being narrated by the storyteller, giving the impression of being read aloud.
Perfect reading for a cosy autumn evening.
Thanks #robertdinsdale @panmacmillan & @netgalley for the eARC

A myth retelling from the view of the often overlooked. This won’t be to everyone’s tastes, but it captured a time and told a story that it was hard not to get caught up in.
An unusual story, but one that beautifully captured what it is to form a bond with another. Examining what makes us human, and how easily we judge someone to be a monster when these monsters often walk amongst us and appear like honourable men.
Once a Monster tells the story of Minos, the Minotaur who is part-human, telling us how he walks amongst men and interacts with them. Through his interactions with young mudlarker Nell we learn about his past and how he has come to be in London.
Both the characters of Nell and Minos were beautifully captured. The villainous Murdstone was not quite the caricature I feared he might be, but he definitely was not a character you wanted things to end well for.
There was something Dickensian in the style of writing, and the story telling Nell’s story of her quest to become a dancer. Well-paced and engaging. Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the chance to read and review this before publication.

I love this retelling of the Minotaur story, bringing the ‘monster’ to Victorian London, amid the mudlarks along the Thames.

The two central characters, Minos himself, and Nell his little mudlark friend, are enchanting and you will care for them deeply. The choice of the Victorian era to re-invigorate this mythical tale is a great one – the poverty, gloom (and mud!) of the environment are lifelike and bring atmosphere to the story.

This is a tale of humanity, of care, and a tale that will never grow old.

Little bit of a refreshing change to have a mythological retelling that wasn't a feminist twist book I must say.

The myth of the minotaur but in 19th century filthy and industrious docklands London. It worked great.
Nell, a young orphan who searches the mud of the Thames for trinkets for her Fagin-esk leader Benjamin, comes across the beated and injured body of an enormous man.
Minos has a hazy memory, strange bumps upon his head, and almost superhuman healing and strength, as well as a lizard labyrinthian tattoo on his back.
The story is tragic and dreary as we see the horrible down-trodden lives of the children of this time, but the hope and joy that blossoms from Nell and Minos' friendship just shines through this darkness.

Honestly this book was well rounded with even cruel, villain-esk characters left pitied and cared by the reader, and for anyone looking for a slow, excellent read, this is it.

Dinsdale guides you through the labyrinth of the story as twists pull the gasps from your throat, and the gentler moments give you some respite from the harshness of life that these characters endure.

Novels inspired by Greek mythology seem to have become very popular in recent years, but Robert Dinsdale’s new book, Once a Monster, is something slightly different. More reimagining than retelling, it’s set in Victorian London and owes as much to Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist as it does to Greek myth.

Ten-year-old Nell Hart is a mudlark, one of a small group of children, orphaned or otherwise neglected and vulnerable, who spend their days searching through the mud of the River Thames for ‘treasures’ – pieces of coal or iron – to give to their master, Benjamin Murdstone. It’s a difficult life for a child, but Nell has a pair of satin ballet slippers hidden inside her straw mattress, a gift left to her by her seamstress mother, and she is sustained by dreams of one day becoming a ballerina.

One morning, Nell is the first down to the river to begin another day of mudlarking and so she is the first to discover a body washed up on the shore. At first she’s unmoved by the sight – it’s not the first dead body she’s seen – but on closer inspection she discovers that this is the body of no ordinary man. Unusually tall, with enormous hands and feet, there are strange growths on each side of the head, almost like the beginnings of horns. The other mudlarks have arrived and are urging Nell to steal the man’s boots, when she makes another shocking discovery – he is still alive.

His name is Minos and as he returns to consciousness, memories slowly begin to surface of a time long ago and another life as a Minotaur in a labyrinth. But is Minos really the Minotaur of Greek myth or is he just a man after all? What will Murdstone do when he sees what Nell has found for him – and will Nell ever break free of her mudlark existence and learn to dance?

This is the first book I’ve read by Robert Dinsdale so I didn’t know what to expect, but I found it beautifully written and atmospheric. As I’ve mentioned, there’s a strong Dickens influence, from the descriptions of the poorer parts of Victorian London to the portrayal of Mr Murdstone, who is obviously inspired by Fagin, the leader of the gang of pickpockets in Oliver Twist. As the villain of the novel, he’s a very human monster and it quickly becomes clear that a central theme of the story is that every one of us can have a monster inside us as well as a hero. Dinsdale uses the myth of the Minotaur to explore and develop this theory:

“The mythographers were a cowardly lot. Just storytellers, trying to make sense of a world too complex to be distilled in mere words…But when it came to chronicling these stories for the ages, the Minotaur presented them with the thorniest of problems. To look him in the eye and see him for anything other than a base beast must have been like peering into a looking glass. They would have had to acknowledge the monstrosity in all of us.”

I found the relationship between Nell and Minos slightly disturbing; it wasn’t really a romantic relationship but it felt like more than just a platonic friendship or a father/daughter relationship and I kept forgetting that while Minos was an adult (possibly many hundreds of years old), Nell was only a ten-year-old child. The interactions and conversations between the two of them felt more what I would have expected if Nell had been a teenager or young woman rather than a little girl. Apart from that, I did think both characters were interesting; I enjoyed following Nell as she took her first steps towards becoming a ballerina and although I found Minos harder to connect with, I was intrigued by his story and by his memories of his time as the Minotaur.

My main problem with this book was the length; there were too many long and repetitive sections where the pace slowed and nothing really happened to advance the plot. I read the ebook but the print version has over 500 pages and I think that could easily have been cut down to 400 without losing anything important. Still, I did find this an interesting novel overall and would consider trying one of Robert Dinsdale’s earlier books.

Having become a little jaded with the numerous Greek myth tellings that have flooded the market recently I was absolutely delighted with this unique story set in Victorian London. There is a somewhat Dickensian air to this novel and its exquisite writing. Nell is a mudlark working to find treasure on the banks of the Thames when she finds Monos washed up by the tide. As Minos pulls himself out from his labyrinthine memories a connection forms between them, and with it the most magical story. I just didn’t want to put this book down and raced through it all too quickly. A fresh new telling of a well-known myth. I would highly recommend and will be looking for more from this author, Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read the ARC of this novel in return for an honest review.

Set in Victorian London, One Upon a Monster explores the myth of the minotaur against a backdrop of mudlarking and self discovery.

I have to admit I was a little dubious about the premise of this book. The minotaur in London sounded a little far fetched even for me but I loved The Toymakers so I decided to give it a go. I am so glad I did. It explores who we are and how the decisions we make shape who we are. Labyrinths abound in this book from the new sewage system in London to the Labyrinths we construct in our minds.

The character of Minos was fascinating. I really loved the glimpses into his past, especially when he remembers the Labyrinth. Those memories are visceral. It felt like I was there with him and experiencing the rage and fear for myself.

My only negative was that at times it felt a little busy with the number of characters and plot lines sometimes resulting in a lack of focus. The ending more than made up for that though. I love the idea that is set out in the final pages,

Magical and life affirming.