Mythos [Mass Market Paperback]

Switching to another pantheon? In this installment, Ravirn is transported from the Greek pantheon to the Norse pantheon. I'm not sure if McCullough has run out of ideas when it comes to the Greek, but mixing the Norse mythology added new characters and new ideas.

Generally speaking, I liked who the Raven became and some of the things that he was able to do. I liked the idea that the Raven did things that Odin couldn't/wouldn't do. On the other hand, I can't understand why Tisiphone went along. True, she did some fighting, but since she was outside of Necessity's domain, she wasn't a fury. Without wanting to spoil things too much, I didn't like what Tisiphone became. I also feel that the new characters involved just didn't develop like they should. Maybe, McCollough is setting us up for his next book. I hope so. I loved the first 3 books.

If you ever grow weary of vampires, werewolves, and empowered females behaving badly in pseudo-historical settings, you might be pleasantly surprised, delighted even, by MythOS, a hacker's take on Greek and Norse mythology. This is one for the gamers, computer nerds, mythology geeks, and anti-heroes. And that's all of us, isn't it, one way or another?
The protagonist, Ravirn, usually inhabits and hacks in a universe where the Greek myths are the One True Reality - in fact, he is a descendant of Lachesis, one of the three Fates. For reasons that remain inscrutable, the goddess Necessity, who the Greeks, by the way, referred to as `harsh necessity' (her name'shares a root with the words 'anguish' and 'angst'), has sent Ravirn to an alternate Norse reality. Seeing how several Greek deities want Ravirn dead, Necessity might be doing him a favor. On the other hand, she may be throwing him to the wolves, quite literally. Or, possibly, she sent him to disrupt the predeterminism of Norse mythology with its inevitable progression to Ragnarok, the last battle in which the gods themselves, and all their champions, (living, dead, and undead), everybody dies a final time. In any case, Ravirn finds himself petitioned by both opposing sides, by Odin and by Loki, Order and Chaos personified, to do something to avert their doom.
Ravirn had slept through most of his mythology classes, so he is at a loss until he realizes that these deities have their counterparts in the familiar ones of home. At the same time, he is perceptive enough to realize that the differences may be even more significant than the similarities between, say, Zeus and Thor, or Ares and Tyr. Ravirn is especially intrigued by local differences in primal chaos, the stuff from which all existence derives, and the programming languages of computer networks that the Aesir employ. Chaos is the direct source of his power, as well as his regenerative abilities, and Ravirn finds himself much more vulnerable in this new reality. Then the operating system poses a serious challenge to his hacking skills. The most important variable is that in his world, AIs give computer systems a soul, complete with personality, while the MimirNet is the sole - and soulless - functioning system in the nine worlds of Norse reality.
The supporting cast of characters is fantastic. The Fury Tisiphone accompanies Ravirn, and his sidekick is a net-goblin named Melchior. Like Ravirn, both Tisiphone and Melchior find their powers are muted in the Norse alternate reality, where they meet the aforementioned gods, plus Loki's sons: the Fenris wolf and the Midgard Serpent, and Odin's ravens, Thought and Memory - Ravirn's counterparts. McCullough has a fresh take on all the gods and `monsters.' Additionally, he brings Tyr's severed hand to life a la Thing from The Addams Family.
Can Ravirn the Trickster introduce an element of Lucretian swerve to the Norse myths, or will he get devoured by the Midgard Serpent, killed by Tyr, caught by Odin's Wild Hunt, or die in a systems crash while he's hacking the net?
I enjoyed this book so much, I promptly bought its predecessors: WebMage, Cybermancy, and CodeSpell, which explain how Ravirn got to be so very unpopular with his home gods.

This is the first time I've reviewed a book ever. I've revised an earlier review I had worked on.

MythOS is the fourth installment in the masterful Web Mage book series written by Kelly McCullough. Over at the NYC Resistor workshop, we are no strangers to this series, and anyone who has ever spent considerable time in our bathroom is well acquainted with the books. Blending ancient Greek mythology with modern technocracy has produced a profound work of literature that finds a balance in classical interpretation of drama and tragedy with the common parlance of our times. As true today as it was two millennium ago, the Greek's hallmark style of story telling and character development has inspired Ms McCullough to craft a masterwork in the genre of science fiction. As we follow the lead character "Ravirn" we are taken through a roller coaster of love affairs with Hellenic age foes, and divine heroines whose allure wafts from the pages like a fine perfume. As you are introduced to this magical world of web goblins and code spells, you find yourself gripping the pages like the last stable purchase holding you to your mundane reality and saving you from the adventure within. But you wish for nothing more than to let go.

MythOS is a real gem in the series as the author has decided to temporarily depart from the Greek mythology and tell a tale that occurs in a new magical operating system or "MythOS" that is governed by the rules of Norse mythology. Trading classical drama for the infusion of the epic tales of Norse bards and some of the most primal tales we have preserved through the ages of human existence offers a unique opportunity to blend three cultural dichotomies across the expanse of time and space. And Kelly does not disappoint. The fatalistic war addled gods of Valhalla provide a jaw dropping backdrop of adventure, intrigue, and insight into a cultural divide that is too often left unexplored. However the taint of Greek tragedy is never far from Ravirn as he faces off against impossible odds to defy the fate of Ragnarok that dooms this new MythOS. His only allies are the forces of chaos lead by the devilish Loki himself, renowned god of mischief. And facing them is a mountain full of histories greatest warriors lead by Odin himself. Added into the mix of Norse myth and modern technology is a familiar face from the Greek past. Tisiphone the Fury of Vengeance as well as Raven's strong armed girl friend is left coming to grips with the loss of her mother ( and the mother of invention ) necessity. Also returning to the story line is an old web troll ( main frame ) that is responsible for a revolution of sorts of AIs against the sisters of fate. And of course the now quantum processing Melchior, who is Raven's sidekick and webtroll.

While the interplay between Norse and Greek gods is in and of itself a merry intellectual pursuit, and fodder for a truly entertaining story what really makes this book worth mentioning is the attachment to technical nuance. For instance the conversion from kerberos to heimdal in this new mythos parallels our own technical past as europe developed it's own kerberos variant aptly named heimdal. Today we see these technical divides in our own lives, and provides a believable thread upon which to weave a modern myth.

Ultimately though you'll find yourself laughing to the tune of fantastic otherworldly uses of technical jargon. The nerd in you will cringe with delight, and your better self will find a perverted sort of enjoyment in the play on words. Just remember to leave your skepticism and attachment to the more subtle plot and character development techniques of the past century at the cover, and just try to honestly enjoy what the author has produced for you.

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