Have a Hot Time, Hades! (Myth-O-Mania, #1) by Kate McMullan

Have a Hot Time, Hades! (Myth-O-Mania, #1) Reviews

• 
  Debbie

  This was a fun book! It is told from Hades' point of view, and there are lots of puns and tongue-in-cheek humor. This is a much easier introduction to the gods than what you will find in the Lightning Thief series. There's even a "Quick-and-Easy Guide to the Myths" at the end to help newbies with pronunciations and with keeping all of the key players straight! The series is currently out of print but will be rereleased this fall. I can't wait! They will be on my classroom shelves for sure!
• 
  Natalie

  Review #3 - December 2022
  
  The stories were wrong. Not a single one was told the way it really happened. My little brother Zeus had been messing with the myths. He'd scratched out all the parts that didn't fit with his own overblown idea of himself...There was only one thing for me to do. I had to write a book of my own to set the record straight.
  
  So move over, Zeus. Make way for me, Hades!
  
  Hades and his younger siblings grow up in the pit of Cronus's stomach. One day, instead of another baby coming down, a rock is thrown down instead. The rock is used for many diverting amusements until the day that Zeus and their mother figure out a way to release them.
  
  Things are not smooth sailing yet, though. First they have to defeat the Titans and take control of Mount Olympus. They come up with the "Olym-pic Games" and compete for the rights to rule on high. The little godlings win by springing some distant relatives from the Underworld and asking for their help. (Hydra and Cyclops)
  
  As usual, I really enjoyed this book. I think it's more amusing when you are already familiar with the Greek myths.
  
  
  Review #2 - November 7, 2015
  I really never tire of this series. It's so silly and fun. I read it when I want something light and fast.
  
  
  Review #1 - February 8, 2014
  I love, love, love, love this series. I never tire of reading about the antics of the Greek Gods and Goddesses.
  
  Zeus is a myth-o-maniac, Greek speak of "liar". He has royally messed up all the myths and it is up to Hades to set the record straight.
  
  McMullan has done an excellent job of writing amusing books that will appeal to young (and old) readers. She keeps the basic idea of all the myths, while tweeking the details. They succeed at being humorous while being informative.
  
  The fourth-graders loved it. It was an easy read-aloud and went by quickly.
• 
  Md. Al Fidah

  মিথলজী একটা মজার জিনিস, আর এদের মধ্যেও সবচেয়ে ইন্টারেস্টিং মনে হয় গ্রীক মিথলজী। বিশাল কন্টেন্ট, প্রচুর স্টোরি সাইড স্টোরি নিয়ে গ্রীক মিথলজী। জানা কথা - প্রধান চরিত্রগুলো হচ্ছে অলিম্পিয়ান গড। আর তাদের মধ্যে প্রধান এবং সবচেয়ে শক্তিশালী এবং সবচেয়ে সাহসী যে একা টাইটানদের, টাইফুন কে এবং জায়ান্টদের হারাইছে হল - হেডিস।
  আচ্ছা ঠিকই আছে, নাহয় একা হারায়নি, কিন্তু সবচেয়ে বেশি অবদানতত রাখছে, নাকি? কি বললেন? জিউস? আরে সে ত ক্রাই বেবী। ওর কি কিছু করার ক্ষমতা আছে নাকি? সে একটা কাজই ভাল পারে পলায়ন।
  বইএর কথা জিজ্ঞাসা করছেন? আরে বাবা, যে লোকটা (অথবা গডটা) মাটির নীচের আন্ডারওয়ার্ল্ড এ চলে গেছে, সে প্রচার বিমুখ হবে সেটাই ত স্বাভাবিক, নাকি?
  এতদিন যা পড়ে এসেছেন তা হল জিউসের বানানো বাজে কথা। যে কিনা হে��ার সাথে বিয়ে হবার পরও এত আকাম-কুকাম করে বেড়ায়, তার কথায় বিশ্বাস করবেন? আচ্ছা হেডিসের নামে শুনছেন কখনো যে সে পার্সিফনির সাথে ঝামেলা করছে?
  আসলে পোকার খেলায় হেরে হেডিস যখন আন্ডারওয়ার্ল্ড এ চলে যায়, তখন জিউস একগাদা উল্টাপাল্টা কথা সবাইকে গিলাইছে।
  পোকার খেলা কোথথেকে আসল? কেন জিউস, পো (পোসাইডন কে আসলে ওর ভাই বোন এই নামেই ডাকত), আর হেডিস কিভাবে ক্ষমতা ভাগ করছে বলে আপনার ধারণা? লটারি? হায়রে জিউস বেটায় ইতিহাসের কি বিকৃতিই না করছে।
  তাহলে নিশ্চয় বলবেন অলিম্পিয়ান আর টাইটান যুদ্ধ করছে মাউন্ট অলিম্পাসের জন্য, নাকি? আরে সত্যি হল যে, এরা ফুটবল খেলে ঠিক করেছে কে ক্ষমতায় আসবে আর কে না।
  ক্যামপে এর মত এত সুইট একটা মহিলাকে কি বিষাক্ত দানব হিসেবেই না আপনাদের সামনে উপস্থাপন করছে। আর সেরেবাস? ওর মত এত কিউট একটা কে....... না, না। আমি আর লিখতে পারছি না। হাতে তুলে নিন বইটা আর শুনে নিন মিথের আসল ঘটনা গুলো, এমন একজনের কাছ থেকে যে ঐসব ঘটনা ঘটার সময় উপস্থিত ছিল - হেডিস।
  বি.দ্র. বেশ মজার একটা বই, মিথ ফ্যান হলে পড়া উচিত।
• 
  Allison

  This is a fun take on Greek Mythology that is told through Hades point of view. He claims that his little brother Zeus is a giant liar. When he read the myths based on what Zeus had written he wanted to set things straight and let people know what truly happened. There are great origin stories like how the Olympics were created and how the Olympians defeated the Titans.
  
  Anyone who likes mythology and retellings will eat this up. The books are fun and have a glossary at the back of the book so that young readers (and adults alike) can understand who the gods are and how to pronounce their names. Also the books include the version of the myths that we all know so you can compare what happens in both perspectives.
  
  Fans of series like Goddess Girls or Percy Jackson will appreciate these quick stories that will have you contemplating the myths as we know them.
  
  Check out
  http://bibliophilesisters.wordpress.com/ for more reviews.
• 
  Ashley W

  
  
  Except, ya know, he wasn't.
  
  This poor god is just going through it. I'd have killed Zeus, just saying.
  
  This would be a wonderful intro to Greek mythology for any child (an adult) seeking to learn more. While the the main focus was on Hades and his siblings escaping, then defeating their father, there are some other little tidbits thrown in. For example, Here possibly being Hathor in Egypt and how the gods got their weapons.
  Obviously this story was watered down for children, but if someone wanted the full versions, this would be a good way to dip in.
  
  Notes in highlights
• 
  Maya

  Have a hot time Hades is the first in the Myth-o-mania series. It was very funny and interesting. When Cronus swallows five of his children they grow up in his stomach. When Rhea puts special herbs in Cronus's tea, he throws his children up. Later they meet Zeus, his children, fight dragons, and play a ten year stone ball game. Very, very good book.
• 
  Cheryl

  I read this book and most of the others in the series aloud to my daughter who was about 6 or 7 at the time. We both enjoyed the humor and action of the storyline.
• 
  Julio

  It was a good book people that are reading this should read it
  
• 
  Hazel West

  I loved this series as a kid. Still a really fun and quirky re-write of Greek Mythology. Particularly love that it's told from Hades POV since everyone always wants to make him the villain just because he's god of the Underworld.
• 
  Fiona Wren

  We found this book deep in a box of books from my husband’s class library and thought we’d give it a shot. My 8 year old loved it. He thought the jokes were funny and it sparked an interest in Greek mythology. We’re three books in now! Recommend.
• 
  Alexandria

  I remembered reading this book as a kid and adoring it--I still do. I love the characterization of the gods. It's a nice way to teach children Greek mythology, which has always been something I was fascinated with.
• 
  Kasi

  2.75. It had a good start but it went on too long and got a little boring. It could also benefit from some illustrations. Not terrible, pretty funny, and a fun take on Greek mythology.
• 
  Adil

  
  I love Greek mythology and saw this book in the library. It had just come in and it was looking awesome.To be honest i think that this book can actually attract anyone. This is one of the reasons why i decided to read this book.
  
  A male main character. This category was interesting to read because it was in a point of view of the god "Hades." We all know that he is a male so this book comfortably fit into this category.
  
  "Ah, mightier!"said Dad. "That is- wait a minute, I am the father. What are you saying? This is my favourite quote because it shows how Cronus reacts to this comment when he finds out that he is soon going to be trampled over by his own blood. This funny because when the seer is telling him at the start about his future he is so positive and is so glad that nothing is going to happen to his throne. This is to me and all of you greediness.
  
  I learnt how it is very hard to take care of your own siblings especially when they are out of control. Leader is one of the most hardest thing to become if you don't know how to control a group of people.
  
  Zeus was the most funniest shown in this book and it shows his perception which is way different to what the factual info has been given to us. I think Zeus must have been like this in his time. What i don't get is they sound like humans and act like humans so how do they become gods. I ALSO THINK HE IS VERY MISCHIEVOUS AND VERY NOT GOD LIKE. Overall, it was fun to read this book.
  
  Review by Adil Imran
• 
  Linda Jaejoong

  Ich war ja schon immer ein Fan von Hades. Alle machen ihn immer so schlecht, nur weil er der Totengott und Herrscher über die Unterwelt ist. Ich finde ihn sehr faszinierend und war schon gespannt wir er in der "Myth-O-Mania" Reihe dargestellt wird. Hades erzählt die Geschichte aus der Ich-Perspektive und stellt die Lügen die Zeus verbreitet hat richtig.
  
  Ich fand das Buch super lustig und unterhaltsam. Die Erzählweise von Hades macht richtig süchtig nach mehr. Ich fand ihn sehr unterhaltsam und habe förmlich an seinen Lippen gehangen. Hades ist einfach mein liebster Gott. Wenn ich überhaupt nicht mag ist Zeus, er ist so eingebildet und ein richtiges Weichei.
  
  Das Buch ist von der Aufmachung her sehr schön gestaltet. Das Cover ist sehr hübsch und glänzt auch noch. Hades sieht einfach Hammer auf dem Cover aus und Cerberus ist so niedlich. Am Ende gibt es noch ein kleines Glossar, indem nochmal erklärt wird wer wer ist. Ich bin schon sehr auf die nächsten Bücher in der Reihe gespannt.
  
  Fazit: Das Buch war sehr unterhaltsam und sehr spannend. Es hat sich super flüssig lesen lassen und das Englisch war leicht verständlich. Hades ist einfach super und ich finde es gut das er in jedem Buch der Erzähler ist. Das Buch eignet sich perfekt zum Vorlesen für kleine Kinder, aber auch ältere werden ihren Gefallen daran finden!!
• 
  Dolly

  Our girls are really getting into Greek mythology, especially our oldest. Between this book and the
  Goddess Girls series by
  Joan Holub, they are being drawn into the stories and are getting excited about the characters. Now granted, these stories are somewhat fractured versions of the myths, but they still hold true to the basic truths.
  
  Of the two series, I think the
  Myth-o-Mania series is more faithful to the original stories and I like this one better. Still, I love that our girls love these stories and I hope that it instills a life-long affinity for Greek mythology and a desire to pursue more advanced versions of these stories. They discuss the various proclivities and special talents of each of the gods and goddesses and compare their favorites. So cool! We will certainly look for more of the books in this series at our local library...and soon!
• 
  Julian P

  I have finished reading Have a Hot Time Hades by Kate McMullen. The book is about how the gods were born from the titans in Hades point of view. At first Zeus Hades and Poseidon were born. Their father, Kronos didn't want to have any little troublemakers that weren't titans so he gobbled them up all but Zeus which Kronos's wife hid in a cave with a nymph. In his cave Zeus planned to get his brothers out so he made a potion and poured it into Kronos's tea. Kronos barfed all of the little gods up and they escaped far away. When Kronos came to his senses he was furious. He searched all over the land for the little gods and finally found them in his old palace on mount Olympus. The gods and titans had a very long war but finally the gods won and they played cards to see who became the ruler which is how Zeus became ruler. Hades got the underworld because he wanted some peace and quiet from the others. My favorite character was Hades because he was the most mature and had the most to do with the war. The theme of this book is peace and war.
• 
  Jen Blackham

  I'd pulled this out of the library as possible reading material for the boys. They are so reluctant to read, that I do like to pre-read some books, and only pass on the very best, hoping to catch their interest. While I really enjoy reading YA stuff, these elementary books are a little harder to get into for me. But this was pretty cute and I do think the boys might like it. The four star review is more based on my recommendation to kids, rather than the fact that it kept ME super enthralled. I've always enjoyed mythology though, and this was a good review (or introduction) presented in a clever, silly, but memorable way.
  
  I think I'll buy a copy to have on hand and encourage the boys to read it, there is an entire series if they like it ... doesn't seem to be available on Kindle yet, but the boys/schools haven't converted to digital, so an actual physical book is probably the way to go anyway.
• 
  Christopher Delzell

  Hilarious. This book is really funny, have you ever wondered how zeus became ruler of the universe? Well how it’s told in this book is that their was an ancient poker game. This book is based in greek mythological times with the greek gods such as zeus, hades, poseidon and others. The events in this book are not actually what happened according to greek mythology but it is similar it just has a funny twist that Hades put on it himself. I connect with Hades most mainly because in the real greek stories he doesn't deserve enough credit and he is really funny. This is a good book and i highly suggesting reading it especially if you're interested in greek mythology like i am. This book is really funny and really makes me want to keep reading it. The only downfall it has is it’s really short i read it in about two hours on a road trip. Overall it a good book and worth reading i can’t wait to read the other 7 books in this series.
  
• 
  Owen

  This book is the first book of a series. It is the "true story of greek myths. This book is about when Hadies and his brothers and sisters are swollowed by their father Cronos. Zeus turns out to be a big fat liar. This is about them growing up and decideing who becomes ruler of who and so on.
  
  I can make a text-to-self connection. In this book Hades made a promis to look after his brother Zuse no matter what. This promis always comes around some way because Zeus is always getting in trouble and it is realy annoying. This is sort of like haveing an obnoctious little brother or sister.
  
  I would give this book 5 stars. The book does not get boring at all. I would recomend this book to people of all ages. I asure you that you will zoom through this book.
• 
  Alyssa

  A very fun and entertaining book told from the perspective of Hades, God of the Underworld. Tells how the Olympians beat the Titans for Mount Olympus. The beginning is when the children are all stuck in Cronus's stomach, and eventually tell of their rescue by Zeus. Right off, we see a different view of all the gods and goddesses. We see Zeus as cocky and headstrong from Hades's point of view. We also see Demeter as very motivated about the rock and the things she loves most, such as agriculture. It also shows the rivalry and dislike between Zeus's children and the original Gods and Goddesses. A very fun read where we see the gods and goddesses in a different point of view. I definitely would recommend this to anyone interested in Greek mythology.
• 
  Maclean H

  I am currenty reading Have A Hot Time, Hades By: Kate McMullan. This book is about when Hades is born his dad eats him. My favorite part is when his dad eats nectar and Hades swims in it because it is something that nobody would do. I was suprised when one day his dad ate his little sister Afriditeis and Hades had to raise Afridities in his dad's stomach. I also enjoyed the part when Hades and Afiditeis kicked their dad to make hime miserble.This book is fiction because I do not think this would really happen.
• 
  Kendra

  I might have been impatient with this book and the tone if my seven year old and i had not already read a lot of mythology together. He already likes the stories and we have great conversations (sometimes awkward questions about marital arrangements) about the Greek Myths. We have read the first two of Kate McMullen's books in this series, and will look for the rest in the library...as good and close to a 7 year old boy's beach read as it gets (and isn't a graphic novel!)
• 
  Wan Ni

  Funny, but not funny enough. But I totally love the sign - "Underworld: mortals everywhere are dying to get in", hahaha.
• 
  Melinda Brasher

  I'm afraid I've never liked mythology much, and this book didn't do much to change that.
  
  I thought the setup was cute, and the voice of Hades was charming at first (when I imagined him talking to me in the present), but that same voice and the very modern language just didn't ring quite true as dialogue in the ancient past. However, this won't bother many people.
  
  There was a lot of action that I found rather dry and drawn out. However, fight scenes, sports scenes, and chase scenes are usually my least favorite parts of books and movies. I ended up skimming a lot.
  
  I think the author may have tried to fit a few too many mythological characters into the story. It left them all underdeveloped, made the novel feel episodic, and smacked of a school lesson disguised as a book. Of course, I felt this way about Percy Jackson too. I think I'm just the wrong audience for the book.
  
  But I did love Cerberus.
  
  If you want to learn mythology in a fun way and enjoy action on a cosmic scale, untethered to the rules of physics, this might be the ticket.
  
  Rating details:
  My personal enjoyment: 2
  What I imagine mythology fans might rate it: 4
  
• 
  Maura Fenelon

  This book is a fun look at Greek mythology from another perspective as Hades gets to be the one who tells the story of how he and his siblings escaped from Kronos and how he ended up as the lord of the underworld. I would put this book in a fourth through sixth grade classroom. This book is a great tool for looking at the workings of first person narration, and can be used with more traditional Greek myths to look at both alternate perspectives of events and creative reinterpretations of a source text.