This is part fairy tale, part horror story and part myth; a sweeping narrative I thoroughly enjoyed.
The history of Minos is a heartbreaking one and when his life collides with that of an orphan girl, hope and despair vie for supremacy. Beautifully written,I can see this being a gripping movie also. Highly recommend.

The story of Theseus and the Minotaur has long been one of my favourite Greek myths, so I was intrigued by this reimagined version of events. And for me it didn’t disappoint. I found myself totally captivated by the lyrical storytelling, which in itself was almost labyrinthine as it wove its way between the tales of the various characters. I thought Nell was a perfect protagonist with the innocence of her young age and her belief in the goodness that can be found within. Minos was such a wonderful complex character who showed us how so many people live with monsters hidden within them. Indeed there were several such characters in the book.
A fantastic new take on such a well known myth, a real page turner that sparked many emotions throughout (yes I shed a few tears), and superbly written, I highly recommend this one.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for a review.

Thank you to Chloe at @panmacmillan for my beautiful #gifted copy and my spot on the tour!

I was so excited when I saw the cover of this book - I knew before I read the blurb that it would be a book for me! And how right I was 😍

I was drawn to the fact that this is a retelling of the Greek myth of the Minotaur. As some of you know I do love Greek Mythology 🏺

This tale is beautifully written and is almost poetic in some places 🥰

Set in 1861 London, the descriptions of the surroundings of Nell & Minos are so vivid you feel as though you are walking alongside them!

I absolutely loved the relationship between Nell & Minos - it felt like two lost souls came together. As for Murdstone, the villain in this tale is one you live to hate.

Overall this is such an enchanting read that captures your imagination and submerges you in the world from the outset and takes you on such a beautiful ride.

The perfect combination of Greek Mythology and Historical Fiction. A unique read that has made me question why I have never read anything by Robert Dinsdale before!

What an astonishing book. The labyrinthine twists and turns certainly hold the attention.

The combination of a Dickensian tale of mudlarks (featuring Little Nell) in the long gone area of Ratcliffe on the Thames and a reworking of the Greek myth of the Minotaur works surprisingly well. The characterisation is wonderful - I had no problem accepting Minos as there needed almost no suspension of disbelief. Murdstone was also believably corrupt yet compassionate (when it served him) - the type of man who gives with one hand and punches with the other. He's an aging Victorian Theseus seeking to trap the Minotaur in his own labyrinth, though he lacks the heroic nature.

Nell, with her dreams of being a ballet dancer is old for her years but believable never the less. There are tears and anger, hope and despair, dreams and nightmares - and I found myself wishing things would turn out well for them all.

Though at times I felt it was perhaps a little long this is a brilliant book.

I really enjoyed this book, which beautifully explores the challenges of life, choice, connections and dreams.
The author transports you into the gritty 19th century London. Greek mythology in this different context is refreshing and interesting. The friendship between Nell and Minos is unlikely and works so well to explore so many themes. This book is for anyone who likes historic fiction, greek myth, magical realism and philosophy. The pacing of the story is slow and steady, personally I savoured the reading.
Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for an E-ARC. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.

Fascinating and charming exploration of identity through the eyes of a young Victorian mudlark, Nell, and the infinitely longer memory of the Minotaur, Greek myth and monster that Theseus claimed to have killed back in the day.

Nell is left to the mercies of a Dickensian type villain, Mr Murdstone, who takes her in when her mother dies to work for him dredging treasures from the river; but when Nell makes a discovery of a broken man, everyone gets more than they bargained for.

There is a lovely subtle storytelling and the characters are many, complex, and appealing. The mix of Greek myth with Dickensian London is explosive, and the story is set with great care and gentle revelations as each person examines their past in order to reinvent their future.

In 1861, ten year-old orphan Nell makes her living mudlarking - dredging up anything saleable from the muddy banks of the river Thames, part of a gang controlled by Benjamin Murdstone. Once a mudlark himself, he rose to wealth and then fell again, but is still looking for that one find which will restore his fortunes. Or rather, his gang of children are looking for it.

Elsewhere in London, a mysterious man named Minos works in the labyrinthine tunnels of the sewers then being constructed. Enormous, misshapen (and are those signs of horns on his head?) but very strong, he's an object of curiosity and even dread, but his origins are obscure. Lost in his dreams of other lives, other ages, he will develop a close connection with Nell. Both of their lives will be wrapped up with that of Sophia, formerly a dancer at the Paris Opera Ballet, but now hiding herself away in the slum of Seven Dials.

To get the obvious out of the way first, yes, Once a Monster does have echoes of Dickens. You could see Murdstone (itself a Dickensian name) as a sort of Fagin, with his ragged gang of kids. The theme of fortunes made and lost on a twist of fate in the teeming city of trade is also familiar, as is the passion and the anger at those ground down, at the lives wasted. But this isn't a Dickens pastiche. Once a Monster is actually much stranger than that. The author of The Toymakers and Paris by Starlight doesn't hide his sympathies - and, as I have said, his anger - but Once a Monster is much more than a novel of Victorian inequality and oppression.

At its centre is Minos, whose name - and the hints of his physique, as well perhaps as his preferred refuge in tunnels and caves - give us a pretty strong indication of who or what he may be, or have been. Minos's story is a moral story, a story of growth and struggle, his history echoed by and indialgue with a whole gallery of characters. Dinsdale gives us a fascinating characters study of who Minos is and who he may become. In a city that, like a monster, devours the innocent, there is plenty of darkness to go around and it may enfold Minos yet: but it's not - or not all - coming from him and the same central dilemma is posed to all the characters here: to rise - trampling and consuming others - or to sink into the mudflats of Ratcliffe or the rookeries of Seven Dials. Minos's deeds - good or bad - are written on his frame, the result of hundreds and hundreds of years wrestling with this paradox, but the same truth captures Murdstone, his only friend Dr Bantam, Sophia and indeed Nell herself.

In this book, trades are offered, lives bought and sold. Revenge is a theme, but it's always second to trade, trade, trade, the network of deals and promises that forms the very fabric of London. Just as Minos loses himself in dreams and nightmares of the Labyrinth, the narrow streets of the city, the claustrophobic passages in the Alhambra Circus theatre, and the new, branching swedes, confine and direct the passage of those caught up in them. All are lost, whether they know it or not, in need of a thread to guide them out.

In a masterpiece of fantasy, Dinsdale illustrates the tunnels and chambers that we all wander - showing how the only way out is found through that thread of kindness, caring, and trust (and perhaps a bit of luck). There are no real villains here, I think, apart from the dark systems and constraints that oppress us all. No real monsters, except the monsters that we turn ourselves - and each other - into. Of those, Minos may be the strangest, but he is not unique, simply the most visible of his type, showing something common to all.

This is an extraordinary book, and it's one I'd strongly recommend.

It’s no secret that I ADORE Dinsdale’s earlier book The Toymakers, so when I saw his new release was going to be a Minotaur retelling I leapt at the chance to read an early copy.

As always, I was blown away by the beauty of the prose, the delicate descriptions that paint the most vivid pictures but without being overly flowery or drawn out. I felt every step of the cobbled streets, every path of the labyrinth.

This is a mythology retelling, but not in a way I’ve seen done before. This takes ancient myth and supplants it firmly in Dickensian London, and oh my is it a glorious mix!

Even if you’re not a mythology fan I would urge you to give this one a try; you absolutely don’t need to know any of the Minotaur myth before you dive in, as it guides you gently as you go. I’m not normally a fan of retellings myself (they more often don’t work for me than do) so this was a refreshing change that brought something new to the story, using the myth to give the character a history rather than as a direct retelling, and I adored it for that.

For me what makes this such a beautiful and impactful novel is the friendship between our two main characters, little mudlark orphan Nell and the giant uncertain yet powerful Minos. They are such an unlikely pair, but I swear they will warm your heart.

My only slight complaint is pacing (isn’t it always, I think I’m just picky). It’s a little slow in patches, and longer than it needed to be, but honestly, with writing this glorious I didn’t really mind. I’d happily read page after page of such perfect prose. Still one I’d absolutely recommend, and I’ll be eagerly awaiting more from Dinsdale. Whatever he has up his sleeve next, I can’t wait!

𝙾𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚊 𝙼𝚘𝚗𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝙰𝚁𝙲 𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠

𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: ★★★★.5☆
𝚜𝚙𝚒𝚌𝚎: ☆☆☆☆☆

𝙾𝚗𝚎 𝚖𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚊 𝚖𝚊𝚗, 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚖𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚊 𝚖𝚘𝚗𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛. 𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚒𝚜 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚘𝚛𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚊𝚛𝚢 𝚝𝚛𝚞𝚝𝚑 𝚘𝚏 𝚎𝚡𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎.

💌 Myth Reimagining
📍Set in 1861 London, flashbacks to Ancient History
❤️‍🩹 Unlikely friends, Found family, What makes us human?

📖 A beautiful reimagining of Theseus and the Minotaur, with elements of mythology, philosophy and academia. We follow Nell, a young orphan mudlarking on the banks of the Thames who dreams of escaping, and Minos, a disfigured man who she discovers washed up on the banks. Despite his injuries, it is his memories where he has suffered the greatest loss.

✨ With deeply built character descriptions, endless twists and turns (like your very own labyrinth to navigate), heart wrenching found family connections, rich ancient history, and Dickens-esque villains, a truly unforgettable and unique retelling that makes you question what really makes someone a monster? 



Thank you NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for sending me this book for review!

I really wanted to love this as Robert Dinsdale is a favourite of mine, but it felt overlong and repetitive.
The concept was fantastic and I loved the characters, it was almost magical but it just didn’t quite work for me. I think it felt more literary and less fantastical than the others I’ve read, it was definitely harder to get lost in the narrative. I’m sure there are clever and deep meanings behind this but I just found it frustrating.
I shall still be recommending it as I’m sure it’s just me.

This story is a wonderful twist on the Greek tale of the Minotaur!
A little girl called Nell, scowers the river Themes for hidden treasures every day, to make money to line the pocket of her ward Benjamin Munstone. Nell finds Mino washed up on the shore after being attacked by a group of men. She takes him to a hidden cave to care for him, even though he's an ugly, strong and massive fellow, she just sees someone who needs help. Munstone finds out and tries to imprison him but Mino escapes. A beautiful friendship is born and Nell and Mino's lives are linked forever. This friendship is tested throughout the story.
..The period of this tale is based in the late 1800's and I loved the era, the characters good and bad and the conclusion was excellent. It was very well thought out, you had elements of the Greek mythology but it showed a possibility of what might occur if this happened in that time period. We see how different relationships panned out. True friendships and traitorous ones. It was a gripping read.

I received this free arc book for an honest review.
#Netgalley, #Panmacmillan, #robertdinsdale.

I will be purchasing a copy of this book and reviewing fully on bookstagram,

I did enjoy reading this, but I feel I will get more from it once I read a print copy.

This is not based on the authors writing style, it’s due tom my processing ,

Robert Dinsdale is a master story teller. This book took me back to my childhood and reminded me of everything I love about reading. This story has the charm and warmth of those early books. This story is very grown up though and has the perfect combination of ancient myth alongside the gothicness of Victorian London, All the characters in this book would be worthy of a Dickensian novel especially the larger than life villains but I especially loved Nell and Minos, This book would make a perfect book club read as there is so much about this book that deserves to be kept alive, shared and discussed. Brilliant read.

London 1861: 10-year-old Nell has been an orphan since her mother died 4 years ago leaving her only with a pair of satin slippers. She is one of the mudlarks working for Benjamin Murdstone looking for 'treasures' along the Thames. One day she discovers a body on the shore. A giant of a man, oddly beast-looking, with a suggestion of horns on his head. When she tries to steal his belongings she discovers he, Minos, is alive. Minos who doesn't remember where he came from originally. Her decision to help him changes her life forever.

A twist on the Minotaur tale, the narrative is as if a quirky someone is telling us this story. It jumps back and forth between different characters' perspectives. A story that's different, simultaneously more intricate and simple than expected, resulting in it being even more interesting. Nell will tug at your heartstrings and Minos will not be what you expect. You will really enjoy them both.

Dickensian vibes set the tone and long descriptions teleporting us to London of the past. The story feels like reading the classics though with a breezier tone, its general scope still having the gravitas. Prose of a philosophizing nature and an air of melancholy tinting it. Figurative speech that breathes lyrical, painting quite original images.

Sometimes the musings run away with themselves and the story lags because of it. Also the jumps from one POV to another can sometimes be quite jarring. It can certainly be attention-grabbing, I just wish the narrative was a bit tighter.

Being a monster has nothing to do with appearance. Are we our past and does redemption really exist? It deals with the power of dreams. The positive effect of kindness. It is about identity, and balance, and choice. This poignant story teaches us that humanity can have a heart.

I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher in return for an honest review. This review is based entirely on my own thoughts and feelings.

Overall rating : 3*
Writing skill : 3*
Plot: 3*
Pace: 4*
Characters: 5*

I really really wanted to love this, but I found the story a bit convoluted. It switched between perspectives, and locations, often and within chapters. It was just a bit hard to follow. I also found you needed to know a lot about the mythological story of Minos, which I didn't. I have recently discovered the mythology genre and what I've read so far explained things so well it was easy to follow what was happening having no prior knowledge of the original story.
The winning factor of this book was the imagery and the relationship between Minos and Nell, I was invested and championing them. If you're a massive mythology fan, i think you may get on with this story much better than I did.

I received both the eBook and the audio version of this book, and would also rate the audio 3*.

DNFed at 20%. I found it very slow, unengaging, and difficult to follow. Therefore I won't be sharing a review.

A fantastic read! I love myth retellings and ths is up there with the best of them. The setting of 1860s London gave the plot such an interesting and mysterious backdrop. Really recommend to fans of historical fiction!

I did not expect this book to be as good as it was (sorry). I have read a lot of retelling greek myths and though that this would be in the same vein, not so, it is head and shoulders above the others I have read recently. An absolutely absorbing book, I loved it.

An unusual retelling of the Minotaur of Knossos and his labyrinth using dual time lines of Ancient Greece and Dickensian London 1861.
Minos is a giant of a man, who is viciously attacked one night by footpads. He is stabbed and left to die after he falls into the river Thames.
Found by mudlarks the next day, Nell who is 10 years old, persuades the other children in the gang not to alert Murdstone, their master, about this injured giant, she wants to nurse him back to health.
Minos, whilst in a deep sleep or coma, once again experiences his previous life in Athens, he has visions of a labyrinth, voices and sacrifices, whilst all the time he experiences terrible rages and a desire to kill. Each generation the Minotaur lives, the less beastly he becomes. Will Nell be safe with him, can she help heal his fragile mind?.
This is quite a story that contrasts the factual history of London and its mudlarks, against the legends of Ancient Greece. This misshapen, forbidding figure of a man- beast, is not unalike the story of the Elephant Man, we fear those who look different from the accepted norms.
A difficult story to get involved in at first, but once you start to understand and feel sympathy for both Minos and Nell, it feels more relatable and human, a very moving story about what it means to be accepted despite appearances.
I found this to be a very thoughtful and emotional novel. It shows the importance of dreams and aiming high. Nell finds happiness in her hopes of a happy future, Minos will always struggle unless people look for the man underneath.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers Pan MacMillan for my advance digital read, freely given in exchange for my honest review. A five star read. I will leave reviews to Goodreads and Amazon UK.

This was not definitely not the book that I was expecting it to be.

Once a Monster is about a 10 year old girl called Nell, a Mudlark, who one day finds the Minotaur washed up on the shores of the Thames.

I found the pacing of this book to be super slow, with the first 50% of the book mainly being about Nell and the Minotaur’s relationship/friendship. By the time we got any action or answers about the Minotaur’s history/story, I had already lost interest and was skim reading most the pages.

I also found that the relationship between Nell and the Minotaur was really weird. It wasn’t a father-daughter type of relationship and instead they had this weird obsession/loyalty to one another right from the get go. Given that the minotaur is a thousands year old man and Nell is 10, it gave me grooming vibes.

The initial plot of this book interested me and it had a lot of potential but I just wasn’t a fan of where the story went. I think the main aim of this book was to discuss the Minotaur’s evolution from monster to man which would have been interesting but due to the pacing, the author had lost me before we even got to that point of the book.

Overall, it wasn’t terrible but just wasn’t the kind of book for me.