Hotel of the Gods: Beware of the Hellhound

In this comedy series opener, a huge host of mythical beasts and ancient gods are all put together into one heavenly hotel. Unfortunately, someone has to take responsibility for running the place!

Artemis and his family are somewhat down on their luck when the news comes through that they have been successful in a very special job application. Atlas is eager to seize any opportunity that will take him away from the bullies at school, and his dad has far too many great recipe ideas to be selling fish and chips every day. Money is tight for the family and they have never really had a holiday: becoming resident employees at an exciting hotel seems like a great move!

Upon arrival, the family quickly realise that ‘Hotel of the Gods’ is more than just a name. All of the guests are genuine gods taking holidays away from the mortal realm where humans have swapped worshipping gods for worshipping screens. Luckily, because Atlas’ Greek mother is obsessed with gods and myths from all different cultures,  Atlas is able to recognise most of the residents, from the mighty, hammer-chucking Thor to the feline, Egyptian goddess, Bastet.

However, Atlas’ legendary know-how cannot prevent him being mistaken for a human sacrifice, nor can it help him dodge Maui’s mischief, which leads Atlast into the basement where he meets Hades…and all Hell breaks loose!

As the opener to a new series, Beware of the Hellhound plays its part as an introduction to Atlas and his family and successfully sets the scene that readers can expect in upcoming sequels. For this reason, the initial narrative is somewhat predictable, with little drama, but the pace increases (and so does the comedy) once Hades and his hellish beasts enter the story.

Though some of the gods in the story are familiar, recognisable caricatures (Maui the surf-dude, Thor the muscular hunk) Easton’s take on Hades is fresh and original. He is less of a red devil, and more of a heavy metal rocker, and he has a basement full of mythical monsters that Atlas must recapture if he is to save his parents’ jobs.

With an endless supply of ancient mythology from all over the planet to explore, Hotel of the Gods has the potential for many more episodes and readers will hope that the humour and excitement present for the third act of this story are maintained.