Wearing the Lion
Wearing the Lion by John Wiswell is set to be published by Astra Publishing House on June 17, 2025. This 384-page novel presents a fresh take on the Hercules myth, blending humor and humanity to explore the complex relationship between the hero and the goddess Hera. Wiswell reimagines the classic tale, focusing on Heracles’ devotion to Hera and the tragic events that unfold as a result of their intertwined fates.
Readers will find a narrative that delves into themes of grief, revenge, and unexpected family bonds. As Heracles grapples with the loss of his children and the burdens of his heroic identity, he forms connections with various mythical creatures, including the Nemean lion and the Lernaean hydra. This edition invites exploration of fantasy, mythology, and the emotional depth of its characters, offering a unique perspective on well-known folklore.
Official synopsis Publisher
“This novel effortlessly ascends to the heights of Mount Olympus. Tough and tender and bittersweet. Wearing the Lion establishes Wiswell firmly on the new fantasy landscape.” —T. Kingfisher, Hugo Award-winning author of Nettle & Bone
“Wiswell makes something new and thrilling—and funny and wrenching and tender—out of a very old myth.” —Kelly Link, Pulitzer Prize finalist and author of The Book of Love
Nebula Award-winning author of Someone You Can Build a Nest In John Wiswell brings a humanizing and humorous touch to the Hercules story, forever changing the way we understand the man behind the myth—and the goddess reluctantly bound to him
Sometimes a goddess’s worst enemy is her biggest fan.
Heracles, hero of Greece, dedicates all his feats to the goddess Hera. If only he knew that his very face is an insult to her…as he is yet another child that Hera’s dipshit husband, Zeus, had out of wedlock.
“Auntie Hera” loathes every minute of Heracles’ devotion, until she snaps and causes an unspeakably tragic accident: the death of Heracles’ children. Plunged into grief and desperate for revenge, Heracles is determined to find the god that did this.
Wracked with guilt and desperate to save face, Hera distracts Heracles with monster-slaying quests, only to find that he is too traumatized to enact more violence. Instead, Heracles cares for the Nemean lion, bonds with the Lernaean hydra, and heeds the Ceryneian hind.
Each challenge adds a new monster to Heracles’ newfound family. A family that just might lay siege to Mount Olympos.
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