Daedalus is Dead - Review

*I received a physical & digital copy from Tordotcom and NetGalley. All reviews are my own.

I love a good retelling. There are so many ways to approach one, whether it builds on the original story or creates canon events to spawn its own history. There are two different versions of a retelling: the “What ifs” and the “What happens after”. I recently finished Daedalus is Dead by Seamus Sullivan, and this was a perfect reimagination of what happens after the story of The Flight of Icarus.

"Daedalus of Crete is many things. The greatest architect in the world. The constructor of the Labyrinth that imprisoned the Minotaur. And the grieving father of Icarus—plunged into the sea as father and son flew from the grasp of the tyrannical King Minos.

Now that Daedalus is dead, he seeks to reunite with Icarus in the Underworld. Daedalus will confront any terror to see his son again—whether it be the vengeful spirit of Minos, the cunning Queen Persephone, or even the insatiable ghost of the Minotaur.

But a shocking realization follows in his wake. As Daedalus encounters the souls from his past, he begins to worry that his identity as a husband and father, mentor and friend was all a lie. And that the truth, stalking him in the labyrinth of his own heart, might be too monstrous for him to bear."

Here’s a quick recap of the Story of Icarus: Icarus was the only son of Daedalus, a master inventor who built the famous labyrinth for the Minotaur.  Both were held captive by the tyrant King, King Minos. To escape the King’s treachery, Daedalus invented arm-length wings for himself and his son to fly off into the distance. Daedalus warned Icarus not to fly too close to the sun, or the wings would melt, and he would fall to his death. And what did the boy do? Daedalus is Dead tells the story from Daedalus’s point of view, focusing on what happens after Icarus’s death and his determined, hell-bent search for his son in the afterlife.

This little book packed a mighty punch. With most novellas, readers have to imagine some details to get the full story, but that wasn’t the case with DID. The story gives us a look at the past, the present, and Daedalus’s fierce determination for the future. It also reveals the complicated sides of his character. In every Greek tale, Daedalus is just the clever inventor and loving father, but we rarely see who he is as a person. Here, we see both his cleverness in life and the truth about him after death. By the end, you might wonder if Daedalus was a good man trying to protect his loved ones, or if he was a selfish coward who deserved his fate.

Overall, I rated this book 4-stars. This modern touch of a classic tale didn’t disrupt the flow and ambience of the original story. I think it did a great job exploring what happened after Icarus’s death and the challenges Daedalus faced to find answers. What is more loving than a father doing everything he can to reconnect with his son for the last time? Sullivan did a great job with his first novella, and I’m excited to see what he has in store for us next.

Daedalus is Dead is available now!

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