Customer Reviews

Hercules: The Legendary Journeys: Serpent's Shadow

5 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

I could be wrong but I think this is the first of the Timothy Boggs H:TLJ novels to actually have Hercules paired with his best buddy, Iolaus. And - if I do say so myself - it was about time! "Serpent's Shadows" is fun read. The duo are faced with a multitude of problems, not the least being a sea serpent who has a thing about chewing on pretty maidens. It's an enjoyable read about our heroes, as a team, doing what they do best. The dialogue is typical between characters, if a little predictable, but warming. Hercules has his god-family problems and Iolaus gets the attention of a beautiful girl who, unfortunately for the stressed hunter-warrior, sees him as a perfect marital prospect. The final battle with the serpent is well written. You can almost feel the splash of salt water and the mental and physical strain that is put on both Herc and Iolaus. If you're interested in reading these tie-in books I suggest this be your first -- It's the best.

The characterizations of both Hercules and Iolaus were quite well done. Iolaus's fun-loving nature leads to some refreshingly light-hearted moments. The plot, too,is very interesting, introducing another of the gods with whom Hercules has a relationship of sorts, Poseidon.

While only a marginal fantasy novel, fans of the show may enjoy the brief moments when the flavor of the show is captured. Other times, the main characters (Hercules and Iolaus) don't really act like themselves and there's not much tension. The supporting characters are rather weak and somewhat stereotypical. It's a pity, but the book seems to be geared toward a very young audience and thus may hold its greatest appeal in a pre-teen to teen market segment. Check out the synopsis for a plot summary. [Note: This is my first attempt at reading a novel based on this show, which I happen to really like, and will be giving another book in the series a try]

This was bought because of the tv tie in, we all felt let down by this disjointed story.