Review - The Lusty Journey of Perseus by Arthur Griffin

Perseus has grown up on a tiny Mediterranean island and knows nothing of the outside world. He doesn't even have any friends his own age. When his mother is accosted by the island's king and the young man steps in to stop it, Perseus is given a quest: To save his mother from an unwanted marriage, he must kill Medusa and bring her head back to the king. Nobody expects the young man to come back alive, but they don't know the secret of his true parentage.

In this very modern retelling of the Perseus legend from Greek mythology, the emphasis is on the many gods and mortals the young man meets on his quest. Most of these encounters involve sex in this erotically charged story. The language and sensibilities expressed by most of the characters are especially contemporary. Rather than being anachronistic, this makes the ancient legend all the more relevant.

Perseus is painted as an especially likable young man. Then again, as his lover points out late in the story, his demi-god “talent” appears to be empathy, so it's hard not to like him. He's definitely heroic, doing what needs to be done as long as it's the right thing.

The young hero is not alone on his quest. He meets up with Bellerophon along the way and also enlists the aid of the winged horse Pegasus. Perseus and Bellerophon become lovers, but the two young men are indeed “lusty” and never seem to object to a third man joining in their fun.

This is definitely an enjoyable retelling of a well-known tale.

“The Lusty Journey of Perseus” is available from Smashwords and Amazon (commissionable link).