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.

Stunning writing - this is storytelling at its absolute best. DIinsdale creatses a compelling and emotionally charged narrative, relayed sensitively about Minos, a Greek mythical figure; half man and half beast. He is discovered, presumed dead, in the muddy rivers of the Thames by young orphan Nell, a mudlarker, bound to the inexorable Murdstone,. Nell cares for Minos, nursing him back to health, and the pair form a bond. Nell shares her dreams of becoming a dancer, passed on from her mother, who was a seamstress, who made her a delicate and exquisite pair of ballet slippers before she died. They are Nell's prized and hidden possession. Murdstone discovers Nell's secret monster Minos and uses their bond to exploit them bothfor his own gain. This rich story keeps pace throughout and shows us Nell in pursuit of her dreams, whilst Minos works to discover who he really is. The Dickensian setting lends easily to the age old battle between good and evil with Murdstone and his cronies acting as the menacing bullies on the streets, exploiting all for their own gain and entertainment, and the evils of poverty dragging vulnerable and unprotected women and girls into the hands of crooks like Murdstone. In contrast, figures like Minos, who are mistaken for monsters, demonstrate true love and compassion. This book is perfect if you love a retelling of a Greek myth, if you love books set in Dickensian London, or indeed if you appreciate storytelling at its best. #onceamonster #robertdinsdale #macmillanpublishers #netgalley #ebook #greekmyths #minos #monster #man

When the Greek Myths collide with Dickensian London and produce a Fairy Tale.

An absolutely engaging retelling of the legend of the Minotaur What would happen if the beast had merely been stunned by Perseus and managed to escape the Labyrinth? Robert Dinsdale has woven an intricate story about Minos (the minotaur) who is currently in London and working on the great sewer project of Bazalgette.

The year is 1861 and he has been set upon by footpads, stabbed and assaulted and dumped in the Thames. At the time just ending up in this most polluted of rivers would have been enough to end the life of the hardiest of humans, but not our “hero”. He is washed up to be found by Nell, one of a group of mudlarks, children who forage on the Thames shoreline for anything they can sell. Nell takes pity on this giant stranger and together the children pull him into a cave, out of the worst of the weather. Minos is a giant of a man, but is not the half-man, half-bull of legend. However, there are calluses on his head where the “horns” might have been; an important detail as it turns out.

Like the novels of Dickens you get a look into the world of the truly destitute, the exploitation of children, and the random chances by which some manage to pull themselves out. The depictions here are similar to those in Oliver Twist, somewhat sanitised, which is not a criticism as the reality for many was so awful as to put you off reading a story; if you wish to know more about the conditions in Ratcliffe and other rookeries of the period then pick up a history book.

The story is told primarily from the perspectives of Nell and Minos, from their first meeting there is a connection between them. As Nell sits by Minos in the cave she talks to him, encouraging to come back to life. What Nell doesn’t know but we come to understand through following Minos is that he is still trapped in the Labyrinth, although it is now in his mind. He is lost in a tangle of half remembered memories, where he doesn’t know who he is or what has happened to him. Nell’s voice manages to penetrate the maze and he follows it to find his way out and return to consciousness.

At this stage of the story it all appears to be going rather well, and one might be tempted to think you can settle back for a gentle story between mudlark and monster. This is no saccharine fairy tale, this is London 1861 and charity is a commodity for the innocent or affluent. Mr Murdstone who runs this little tribe of mudlarks finds out about the monster and see’s in it a chance to recover his lost fortune, for he once found treasure by the Thames and rose to be a gentleman only to lose it all. He has a doctor tend to Minos’s wounds, only as a ploy to try to create an obligation he can exploit, not that Minos is so easily captured.

The brief amount of time little Nell and Minos were together created a bond between them, one that looks to be beneficial to both. Nell has dreams of being a dancer and Minos wants to know who he is. Between them they have to make their way through traps, blackguards, temptations and the maze that is London (above and below). It's a very compelling read, the pace is sufficient to keep you wanting to find out what happens next but slow enough to allow a delightful amount of colour and detail.

I found this book raised some very interesting questions, although I do not know the author intended this:
• What is the nature of a monster? Do we not all have one inside of us waiting to spring forth?
• Which is most important: our intrinsic nature or our intentions?
• Can the leopard truly change it’s spots?
• While many fear death, is an eternal life the more terrifying?
• Am I capable of recognising the beauty within no matter the external appearance and my own fears?

The end of the book, which I will not spoil, is very poignant. Perhaps a lesson that selflessness does not have to mean privation and giving up what you most love. Nell and Minos both show they have great courage, and an intrinsic morality without religion.
Highly recommended.

A fresh perspective and had the elements of historical fiction that i enjoy mixed with fantastical elements it took a while for me to get into a first but when i got into the story i was hooked by it the style would enjoy if like more classic literature and historical novels i liked that friendship and trust was the bases on a relationship

An interesting take on a classic myth which challenges the concept of who is and what defines a monster.

An enjoyable read which I would highly recommend.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

An atmospheric reimagining of the classic greek myth, Once A Monster puts a Dickensian twist on the Minotaur story, asking what it means to be a monster, and how the choices we make and the people we are surrounded by can change us, and ultimately offers a magical tale of friendship and redemption in Nell and Minos.

Greek Myth meets London sludge in this fantasy retelling of the Monster legend. I was drawn in and hooked by the premise, but the story gets a little lost in its own labyrinth and leaves the reader wandering.
While the story was interesting it lacked the characters to keep me really interested, they felt weak and insubstantial. However, the story was enough to keep me reading to the end to find out how it all wrapped up.

Grab this for a bedtime read. A few chapters a night might aid the dragging motion of the story telling.

The ToyMakers is one of my all time favourites and I recommend Robert Dinsdale’s writing to everyone. Once A Monster is another masterpiece in storytelling - full of magic, intrigue and the most wonderful characters. Nell’s story is beautifully crafted - her life so harsh at such a young age- the friendship she has with Minos is a welcome relief. Her strength and loyalty are only matched by her passion for what is right and I loved her fortitude. The history told of the Minotaur is rich and full of legends that blend perfectly with Victorian London.

5 of 5 stars
https://lynns-books.com/2023/10/05/once-a-monster-by-robert-dinsdale/
My Five Word TL:DR Review : Where to Begin? Simply Brilliant

Ohh. I am undone. I loved this book. I loved everything about it. The story is exquisite, the writing is mesmerising, the characters are amazing. It gave me the goosebumps (good goosebumps these!), it filled my eyes with tears. The ending was magical. I want to read it again. I am undone. Send help.

Seriously, when I read the description for Once a Monster I was a little unsure, I do like a good period story, especially anything Victorian, on top of that I am loving my greek mythology retellings – but, you know, the two seemed to make unlikely playmates. How wrong I was. Put simply I requested this because I’ve read and enjoyed two books already by the author and so I just thought ‘what’s the worst that can happen, really? Maybe I won’t like it, it’s not the end of the world.’ But, this author has some writing chops. Dickens meets the Minotaur. A story filled with good and evil, bravery and villainy sitting cheek by jowl with the impossible search for answers and finding oneself all whilst holding such fragile hopes alive and kicking. This is a story where actual monsters might not necessarily be the real monsters of the piece. Are you not intrigued?

Set in the early 1860s the story is brought to us by Nell. An orphan since her seamstress mother passed away she dreams of becoming a dancer since visiting the ballerinas whose slippers and costumes her mother helped to stitch. The grim reality couldn’t be further from the truth. Nell is a mudlark, one of a small gang who have almost become family to each other, although there is still jostling for favour. Each day they search the mud banks for small treasures to give to their master until one day Nell uncovers the body of a strange man, hurt and in need of help, Nell is compelled to help him and to keep him secret from the master who would exploit him.

The writing has a Dickensian feel as does the period and, I think, in recognition of this the author gives little nods here and there to Dickens works (although I haven’t read them all so can’t speak with authority). We have this grimy version of London, a collection of barely surviving orphans and their master – it’s positively Oliver Twist(ish) but with scavenging rather than pickpocketing. It brings other classics to mind such as Jekyll and Hyde and Dorian Gray and also incorporates the sad tale of Giselle.

Nell has a heart of gold. She becomes attached to Minos, the strange man she rescued, and the two share a bond of loyalty, each helping the other to enjoy small glimpses of hope in an otherwise grim landscape. Minos is tortured. He has nightmares that speak of his past in which he is constantly running, until he hears a small voice in the dark that helps to guide him to safety.

The entire story is magical. We have Minos, of course, and the mythology surrounding his story. We eventually follow him to a labyrinth of tunnels beneath the city of London. On top of this there’s a kind of fairytale quality in Nell’s hopes and desires that eventually lead her to the theatre to pursue her dreams of becoming a dancer.

Nell and Minos are really stand out characters. We discover their stories and, in the case of Minos, I particularly loved the way his story works backwards to unravel the mystery of who he is. On top of this the two are supported by a very good cast of characters. Benjamin Murdstone, the villain of the piece and Nell’s master. He once rose above the muddy banks of the Thames but has since been brought low again and longs for another opportunity to rise above it all. We have the other mudlarks, they don’t have as much page time but still play a great role. And, we have Sophia. A celebrated dancer who has herself fallen on hard times but who becomes involved with Nell when a strange deal is struck.

Everything about this book worked for me. The pacing was good. I pretty much read this in three days which tells you how much I enjoyed it and I couldn’t put the book down at all towards the end. In fact I found myself racing a little towards the conclusion which is something of a shame because I would have liked to savour it all a little more.

Anyway, a very unique way indeed of reimagining an ancient myth and shining a new light on one of its monstrous characters. There are elements of dark and light in most people but this story takes a more direct route by bringing to the page a much more physical representation of a monster but then allowing us to take a deeper look to find the man beneath the surface.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher,for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

A combination of myth, history, and gothic in a Victorian setting. A true delight for anyone who enjoys myth retellings; with moral messages and happy endings, Dinsdale drags the Greek myth of the Minotaur in the Labyrinth along into a new Dickensian-fuelled era and all I can say is it was a pleasurable and enjoyable read!

‘Man or Minotaur? Hero or villain?’ - cover tag line.

My thanks to Pan Macmillan for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Once a Monster’ by Robert Dinsdale.

I have been intending for some time to read one of Robert Dinsdale’s novels and was excited by his retelling of the myth of the Minotaur set in mid-nineteenth century London.

London, 1861: Ten-year-old Nell has been an orphan since the death of her mother four years previously. All she has are vague memories and a pair of satin slippers. Nell now belongs to a crew of mudlarks that work a stretch of the Thames along the Ratcliffe Highway looking for treasure, all of which they are obligated to turn over to their master, Benjamin Murdstone, or face his wrath.

One day Nell discovers a body on the shore. While this isn’t the first corpse that she’s encountered, it is the strangest. He is nearly seven feet tall with matted hair covering his legs and the suggestion of horns. Nell’s fellow mudlarks are only interested in the man’s boots and the contents of his pockets, yet she feels protective towards him. Then the figure draws breath – and Nell makes a decision which will change her life forever. No further details to avoid spoilers.

What a magical tale! I was completely captivated by the story of Nell and the aptly named Minos. The premise of a mythic creature from ancient Crete walking through the world for thousands of years was quite compelling. As the bond between Nell and Minos grows, he shares details of his earlier life with her. Minos is heartbreakingly noble though there are times when the monster emerges.

Nell has dreams of becoming a dancer and Minos encourages her aspirations and shares tales of the past: “They don’t dance the ballet, not in London – not yet. But they’ve been dancing it for hundreds of years in Rome. They dance the ballet in Paris and St Petersburg.”

‘Once a Monster’ is a Dickensian novel both in its setting and style. It is rich in its descriptions of London, alive with characters that span the social classes.

Overall, I felt that ‘Once a Monster’ was an amazing novel. I loved that Robert Dinsdale had brought a figure from ancient myth into a historical setting. I found it a genuinely moving story full of hope and acceptance. Based on this positive experience I plan to read more of Robert Dinsdale’s work in the near future.

Highly recommended.

The story follows an orphan, Nell, in Victorian London when she finds the Minotaur on the shore of the Thames. Their relationship is the heart of the book, which combines Greek mythological elements with historical fiction to explores themes of redemption and how people an be treated differently due to their appearance.
The story felt a bit long and drawn out and the pacing was too slow, the writing was really nice.

The book opens written in the second person and I adored this way of enveloping me in the story. Although this only happened a handful of times in the story it added to the magic of the story.

I thought this was a well woven tale combining mythology and Victorian London. I loved the historical fiction feel to this side of the book and how this merges with the myth of the minotaur.

Nell was endearing and her relationship with Minos was well drawn and my heart was on their side. It was a slow read, which completely works for me and that fits with the Dickensian feel of the novel.

I am a fan of Robert Dinsdale's work, especially The Toy Makers and Gingerbread and this fits well alongside the storytelling Ive come to enjoy when reading his work.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher Pan Macmillan for the digital ARC, it has not affected my honest review.

TW: child abuse, violence, post-traumatic stress, injury

“Once A Monster” is a stunning combination of Greek mythology and Dickensian London, telling the tale of an orphan named Nell and the incredible man Minos (described as a monster) that she finds washed up on the river bank. Nell is only 10 years old, working as a mudlark to sit through the filth of the river looking for treasures to sell for the past four years. She works for a man named Benjamin Murdstone since her mother died, though she dreams of much more: to be a ballerina, like the ones that her mother used to sew for. However, Murdstone is cruel, made bitter by the fact that he’d once pulled himself up from the gutter to only fall back into it. He is growing older, and the London winter is starting to badly affect him, so he needs one moment of greatness. One day Nell finds a body on the shore, but he is no ordinary man; he’s seven feet tall, covered in hair and has stubs of bone on his forehead. It then turns out that he is not dead at all, and in a moment of daring Nell decides to care for him. Dragging the man into a cave, Nell discovers he is called Minos and that he needs help to be led out of the terrible nightmares of his past lives and into the light. Minos, upon waking, finds himself supported by a little girl, one who offers him her only possession as a means of holding onto the world: ballet slippers. However, when Murdstone finds out that Minos exists, and that he might be the way back to his former life, he is determined to do whatever he must to Nell and Minos, regardless of the consequences.

This book was incredible from the first page, combining the mythology of the Minotaur with the earnest belief of a child that things will get better. Minos is a fascinating lead, his narration is unreliable because he remembers so little of his past lives, partly out of protection for himself. This is a brutal story, one full of child labour and neglect and anger at the treatment of people by the rich, but it’s also incredibly beautiful because of the theme running through it. Minos has been told since birth, through every life, that he is a monster and there are moments when it seems like he might be. Likewise, Nell has been told her entire life that she will live and die by the river, even if her dying mother promised her otherwise. Even Murdstone, who started out in the same place as Nell and is terrified of going back to it, has his sympathetic moments despite being the only true monster that this book has. The writing was lyrical, the flashbacks beautifully written and I loved how the stories of legend wove into the life Minos was living now. Parts of this book were difficult to read, particularly the parts around Nell’s life as a mudlark and the experiences of Sophia, the ballerina who chopped off her own finger to avoid the control of her husband. That’s not to say that this book isn’t deeply moving, because it is; there were parts, particularly towards the end, where I felt close to tears, both from happiness and anticipation. This is the first book I’ve read by this author and the first book I’ve ever read that comes from the Minotaur’s perspective; it’s stunning in that it asks the question of whether the Minotaur is truly a monster, as he was made solely as a punishment for his step-father’s arrogance. I loved it all, I raced through it despite it being 500 pages long, and I know I’ll be wanting to go back to the world where a man who was once a mythological monster and a little girl dance on a beach, hoping for better, because the image has stuck with me ever since I finished.

I really enjoyed this book. Dinsdale is a masterful storyteller and this is another example of how well he crafts his novels.

I loved the characterisation which managed to pay homage to other Victorian literature without being clichéd. Instead, I felt Dinsdale went deeper into what forms a Fagan, or the Stevenson discussion of the choice between good and evil.

I think the blending of Victorian London and Ancient Greece worked really well and created a rich, adventurous, compelling narrative.

What others have said about the pacing and length is true and this novel could have had a hundred pages shaved off. But as it was so well written it kept me interested to the end and as a whole I really enjoyed it.

This honest review is given with thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.