A titan and the goddess of memory, Mnemosyne erased the gods’ memory of her. She created five daughters: Calliope the storyteller, Clio the inquisitive history buff, Mepomene the empath, Terpischore the dancer, and Thalia the comedian. For their mother’s birthday, the five daughters stage a public birthday performance for their mother. As Mnemosyne tries to explain the danger, they are all in, Panic and Pain, Hades’ minions, kidnap her. Putting aside their differences, the five sisters must use their strengths and their mom’s special journal to ask the gods for help. Why did Hades take their mother? Why did Mnemosyne not want the gods to know where she was? Can the five sisters save their mother?

The plot is well developed, engaging, and full of adventure. The characters are well developed with distinct temperaments. The author’s writing style and narrative does a great job of bringing a lesser-known mythology story to life. Readers who like mythology, Hercules, fantasy, and adventure will want to pick this one up. Recommended for most library collections. 4 stars, Gr 7 and up

I cannot even express how much I loved this amazing twist on the Hercules story about the Muses. The perspective, the curiosity, the back story, it was all phenomenal. I need to look more into this author!

I’ve never been one for origin stories, but this is one I could never pass up. And yeah, it was so good. The muses have always been my favorite part of Hercules’ movie, so this was a no brainer. I knew I had to read this one ASAP.

Ok so the one thing I loved about this was the characters. As we know, all the Muses had their own thing and they all got to showcase them in the book. And I loved even more that they had no idea that these were their gifts. They were so naive and it was almost comical. I had to keep reminding myself that they were teens because all this happened to their mother and like, kids, listen to your parents. Even when it seems annoying lol And I also really loved the portrayal of Hades. He was terrible and also hilarious. Just like in the movie. I hope this is how they make him in the live action too if we ever get there.

The plot was good too. It was an origin story so I wasn’t thinking there would be a lot of action, but there was. From finding a labyrinth to having something that would be akin to a comedy show back in the day. It reminded me of all the things that make me happy in real life. It was so funny that I was reading this because I never thought of myself artsy before, but then I read this. All of the muses are me rolled up in one, so I loved this. This really was a lot of fun.

After reading this I can’t wait to see what Disney decides about the live action remake. I REALLY hope this is going to show them that this is the one we need next. I wish we had more of a look into their future than just the ending, but I get why Rochon didn’t. She wanted to give them their own shine. Which they deserved. (It’s me. I’m the problem. Because I just wanted more nods to the movie lol) And while we’re here talking about the movie…. Stop playing with my girl Amber Riley’s top! If I hear ANYONE ELSE sing, “Bless my soul, Herc was on a roll!” I’m going to lose it. But for now, this Disnerd Adult is happy with this!

I loved this origin story of the Muses! It was such a joy to see these iconic characters written with care and creativity. The mix of Disney nostalgia, Greek mythology, and sisterhood made it feel like a love letter to fans. The story was adventurous and heartfelt, with just the right touch of magic. Highly recommend this for anyone who adores Disney, grew up loving Hercules, or is just looking for a fun, empowering read!

At 20% of the way through the book...barely anything has happened. The teenaged muses are angsting over various things. Mnemosyne is angsting over hiding them. Hades is angsting over taking over Olympus. And the event that sets the rest of the story into motion has just barely taken place.

Additionally, I was SUPER annoyed by anachronisms and inaccuracies. I know, this is a tie-in to a Disney animated movie. I get that. But when you're writing for children, I believe there's an implicit responsibility to get history at least somewhat correct. For example, there's mention of one of the girls finding information in a "tome" found in their "small village library." [insert record scratch sound here] One minute of googling taught me that in ancient Greece, scrolls were used, literacy was about 10%, and libraries were for scholars in big cities.

Don't even get me started on Terpsichore ("Ree") opening a village dance studio. If Calliope is the eldest and about to turn 18, By the author's own timeline, that makes Terpsichore about 12 when she opens a dance studio and starts flirting with the son of an olive farmer.

I don't buy it.

DNF.

This is an origin story of the 5 Muses from the Disney animated Hercules movie. The Titan goddess Mnemonsyne, the Goddess of Memory, left Mount Olympus after erasing everyone’s memory of her existence, to create her daughters without any divine interference. Each daughter was created with a special and unique gift. For nearly 2 decades, it worked, until a fateful concert where the girls’ beautiful voices attracted the attention of Hades, God of the Underworld. Hades has his own devious plans for Mnemonsyne to help him dethrone his brother, Zeus. The girls must search, using their various talents, to find their mother before it is too late.
I was excited to read the book, I loved Hercules and the backstory of the muses was an entertaining read. I think that students will love this book. I look forward to purchasing this for our library.
Thank you to NetGalley for this e-ARC to preview.

A book about my favorite characters from Hercules....what's not to love!?

This book follows the Muses from Hercules in their younger years. They each have their own ambitions and dreams, but their mother is very protective of them. After a concert where their lovely voices catch the attention of Hades, they realize that things aren't what they were led to believe growing up. When their mother is kidnapped, the girls have to band together and use their individual talents to find her and save Olympus.

I enjoyed this book thoroughly and cannot wait to suggest it to others.

Thank you to Disney Press and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a joy it was to delve into the history of the muses from Hercules! Farrah Rochon has created a world that exists within the film we all know and live, but that can also survive without it as something wholly realized and completely fleshed out. I loved the myth behind the Muses' creation, and I loved the opportunity to connect with them as individuals. Rochon took great care to adhere to the canon while still making the story her own, and I think this is one of the most successful "behind the story" Disney releases I've read in a while. And that's the gospel truth!!

This story of the Hercules muses is wonderfully written. I loved knowing more about them and their story. Highly recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley & Disney Press for the early copy in exchange for an honest review. Sadly, I DNF'ed at 40% of the way through.

I didn't feel like the sisters had distinct enough personalities to be interesting and it was just...really slow yet fast? A lot of stuff happened quickly but it wasn't really all that interesting. The author did nail the Hades voice, but his chapters were short and few. :(

This is such a fun twist on one of my childhood favorites ….. Hercules. I loved reading about the story of the Muses and their background outside of the story I knew.

Thank you to Disney Press and NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This is an origin story of the 5 Muses from the Disney animated Hercules movie. The Titan goddess Mnemonsyne, the Goddess of Memory, left Mount Olympus after erasing everyone’s memory of her existence, to create her daughters without any divine interference. Each daughter was created with a special and unique gift. For nearly 2 decades, it worked, until a fateful concert where the girls’ beautiful voices attracted the attention of Hades, God of the Underworld. Hades has his own devious plans for Mnemonsyne to help him dethrone his brother, Zeus. The girls must search, using their various talents, to find their mother before it is too late.

I thoroughly enjoyed this back story of the Muses. This book stands fine by itself but I did enjoy the callbacks to the movie. It is a great choice for those who have finished the Percy Jackson series, like Greek mythology, or just love Disney! I wholeheartedly recommend this YA book for readers in grades 6 and up.
#Bemused #NetGalley

For fans of Disney’s animated Hercules and the Percy Jackson series this book is for you! This story follows the five daughters of Mnemosyne on their own adventure before they became the muses who narrated Hercules story in the movie. Each girl has their own special gift and personalities readers will connect with. It is told from different perspectives and Hades had to be my favorite - it’s so true to his villainous personality in the movie. Plenty of Greek mythology and nods to the movie readers will enjoy.

Hercules was a delete to me as a child. I loved the innocent and magical version of Greek mythology from the first time I saw it. The recent addiction to its mythology have been an amazing and refreshing flashback to a happier time and I eagerly await each addition to the world of Hercules. This story of the Muses is no different. It is a delightful folic I. The time before Hercules was born, a prequel of sorts that centers instead on the Goddesses of the Arts before they were Goddesses of the Arts. Each of these feisty ladies has her own unique style and talent and brings it to full force when their mother , a Titan, is kidnapped by the ever scheming Hades in another of his clever plots to overthrow Zeus and rule Mount Olympus. Long have the girls been on the run, hiding their passions, their secret dreams , even their interests in romance, as they move from villa to villa to conceal their existence. Now they must not only attract the attention of the Gods, but put on a show worthy of the Olympians with some help from Apollo and Hermes. Wonderful, funny, touching, inspiring. A great book that teaches you to follow your heart.

3.5 stars. Hercules is a favorite Disney movie in our house, so I was really excited to get the Muses' history. Overall, I really did enjoy this book. Each of the five sisters have such unique personalities. It was easy to keep them all straight. The scenes with Hades, Pain and Panic were right on with the Hercules movie.

The scenes where they are in Aeaea with the goddess Circe seemed a little off to me. Circe is a goddess with a lion "Queen" as her pet. It makes no sense that the five girls and Sivas were able to hide behind a tree trunk and not be found by Queen or Circe seems really unrealistic. That whole escape scene was bad in my opinion. I liked how the girls used their talents to put Circe and Queen to sleep, but the race to their boat without getting caught was bad in my opinion. Maybe Circe wanted them to get away?

I also wasn't the biggest fan on how forgiving Zeus was of Mnemosyne swiping all of Olympus's memory of her. He ended up apologizing for keeping Mnemosyne captive. This just seemed odd to me. I wanted a little anger but at the end him still allowing Mnemosyne to live her life with her daughters.

I think people who have a better knowledge of Greek gods and goddesses will appreciate this book more. I definitely needed to brush up on my knowledge of them.

I would LOVE for them to make this into a movie! I think the music in it would be epic (just like the original Hercules movie).

I absolutely adore hearing alternate storylines from side characters in other stories. The Muses are a great set of characters that give strong personalities and a family vibe. Plus who doesn't love the return of Hades!

Taking a deep breath, she stepped forth, held her hands up high and proclaimed, “We are the Muses!”

Bemused, a prequel to Disney’s Hercules, unravels the origin story of Olympus’s favorite quintet, the Muses! The story remains faithful to the movie while managing to feel real and not cartoonish. If you’re looking for a tale of sisterly love (and squabbles) and to spend some time with the gods, take a chance on Bemused… and that’s the gospel truth!

I feel like when people are looking for books about the Disney universe, rather than another book about the main character, THIS is what they are looking for. It expanded the universe in such an interesting and unique way. It made me want more Hercules content STAT.

I loved Farrah from the Boyfriend Project series and LOVED those so much and Hercules Disney animation is my absolutely favorite movie of all time so this was a no brainer.

I am in love with this and will be buying it as soon as I possibly can. Like looking into preordering this as soon as I’m done typing this review. 😅 IM OBSESSED THANK YOU FOR BREATHING LIFE INTO MY FAVORITE CHARACTERS