Review of "Asterius (Timelessness) by Susana Imaginário.

RECOMMENDED - "A POSITIVE READING EXPERIENCE"

This  book provides the reader a satisfying experience, especially if the reader is already a fan the genre. This may not hold true for readers outside the genre. This book approaches the level of a contemporary traditionally-published book in its genre. This book met or exceeded the minimal editing quality of a traditionally published book. If spelling or mechanical errors were present, they were rare, hard to notice, and didn't detract from the novel's overall experience. The novel's structure (plot, characters, flow, dialogue, etc.) allowed reader to reasonably experience the story without unnecessary effort or distraction.  The story met genre expectations, though did not necessarily bring anything new to the literary form. ​

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TITLE: Asterius (Timelessness)
PUBLISHER: Independently Published
AUTHOR: Susana Imaginário
GENRE(S): Myth & Legend (multiple sub-genres)
PUBLICATION DATE: 21 December 2024
AMAZON REVIEWS/RATINGS AT DISCOVERY: 14/4.7 Star Average
AMAZON KINDLE RANKING AT DISCOVERY: #1,228,389 
WHY IT GOT MY ATTENTION:
I write about mythology, so this book caught my attention on genre alone. However, the blurb really hooked me. It was perhaps one of the shortest and most efficient blurbs I've seen on Amazon. The sample is a first person perspective of a famous Greek myth, which I assume is to refresh the reader on the story of the Minotaur. It is effectively written and clearly serves to prime the story and set up the main character, but is that character the protagonist or antagonist? A monster or a hero? I want to know more! 
DATE PLACED ON CANDIDATE LIST: 14 August 2025
​STATUS: Scheduled for Review 17 October 2025

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The Review

PLOT

Asterius is a retelling and reinterpretation of the 2,500-year-old Greek myth of the Minotaur. Author Susana Imaginário stays faithful to most of the story elements but tells the tale using modern contexts in the style of the genre known as "mythological slipstream," which is loosely described as a "blend of speculative and literary fiction that uses mythic and folkloric elements to create a sense of strangeness or 'otherness' in a contemporary, realistic setting." Elements of mythological slipstream include a blending of genres, a sense of unease, subtle surrealism, high cognitive dissonance, and psychological depth. While I am passionate about mythology, Asterius is my first introduction to this genre.

​The novella is written in first person through the perspective of Asterius, commonly called the Minotaur, and takes place in the original setting of ancient Crete. Half man, half bull, Asterius is cursed by the gods from birth. Sealed in the Labyrinth, the almost-endless underground maze beneath King Minos's palace on Crete, he has one job—slay any who enter his domain. That task takes the form of monthly "tributes," condemned men and women sent into the Labyrinth's depths. Asterius dispatches them efficiently, with neither malice nor mercy. It's simply his job. Life goes on this way in his world until a new batch of tributes changes everything.A mysterious woman has entered the Labyrinth, one who has managed to elude the Minotaur on his own territory. This, coupled with warnings from his benefactors, Daedalus and Icarus, puts the legendary monster of the Labyrinth on edge. Icarus tells Asterius the Athenian hero Theseus has come to the court of King Minos and has sworn to marry the king's daughter and slay the monster that dwells in the Labyrinth.In the darkness, two deadly adversaries discover they have one thing in common—honor. Is honor enough to bend fate?

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CHARACTERS

Asterius, the Minotaur, is clearly the star of this show. He is portrayed by Imaginário as sort of a "hit man" trapped in a job he is exceptionally good at but hates. He doesn't take joy in killing, but he doesn't shrink from it either. Imaginário builds Asterius as an intelligent and tragic character, who seems to make the best of the raw deal he has been given by the gods, his family, and his "friends." He was imprisoned in his hideous form even before birth by Poseidon's wrath, his stepfather's greed, and his mother's dark lust. He is imprisoned physically in an underground maze designed by the man whom he calls "father." None of this is his fault, yet he must bear the shame and punishment for it all. The world has granted him no mercy, yet he chooses to show no mercy to those who enter his realm. He also doesn't see himself as a victim, nor does he let circumstance rob him of his humanity.

Theseus, the traditional hero of the ancient myth, comes to Minos to further his own plans and his own glory. Like Asterius, he is a powerful and resourceful demigod. Through much of the story, Theseus remains hidden from the reader. We only get glimpses of who he is through impressions communicated by Icarus to Asterius via a small window in the dungeon's wall. Both the reader and the Minotaur must wait patiently in the dark Labyrinth for Theseus to reveal himself. In that aspect, this is where the novella clearly crosses into the "slipstream" genre.

​Instead of following Theseus from the light into the darkness in search of a monster, we are the monster lurking below awaiting the hunter invading its territory. Imaginário doesn't subvert expectations in this manner; she merely shifts our perspective. Neither Theseus nor Asterius is a hero, nor are they villains. Asterius is physically trapped by fate, the gods, King Minos, and even his friends. Each of these players uses him for their own purposes. Theseus is equally trapped by his own ambitions. Both men are isolated by fate and their own choices, and will face each other in the complicated darkness of the Labyrinth. Are these characters morally gray? No. Are they complicated? Yes.

THEMES

In this maze, we encounter the themes of betrayal, fate, and honor. Imaginário doesn't subvert the original myth as much as she humanizes it by framing timeless characters with a contemporary psychological lens. In ancient myth, the Minotaur represents generational sin and evil lurking in the deep darkness. Theseus must find the courage and resourcefulness to penetrate that darkness and face that monster. In this tale, however, instead of finding a "heart of darkness" at the labyrinth's center, Theseus finds a well-lit, warm sanctuary filled with scrolls and comfort.

​Here, the reader finds reason, not savagery. Instead of a monster, we find a contemporary man, made monstrous by those who seek to control him for their own ends.Here, Theseus must face the consequences of the decisions he's made that led him to this point. The novella climaxes in the labyrinth's heart with phenomenal dialogue between Theseus and Asterius. Here, Imaginário's skill as a writer truly shines.

ANALYSIS

I was expecting Imaginário to do the postmodern thing and subvert my expectations by turning the ancient myth on its head—portraying the Minotaur as the victim and Theseus as the villain. Thankfully, she didn't. In fact, she hewed fairly closely to the spirit of the original myth. She presented this story as a Greek tragedy, but with a modern "slipstream" vibe. I guess the term I'm looking for is "accessible."

There are dark adult themes in Greek myths that explore the darkest regions of the human mind, like murder, betrayal, rape, and even bestiality. Greek myths approach evil, and the inherent unfairness of life, in a format that enables the old to teach the young through stories around the firelight. On a gut level, I think Imaginário understands this and delves only as deeply into these dark themes as the original myth does—no more, no less. I think most contemporary writers in the slipstream genre would have plunged deeper into the more graphic possibilities the source material offered. The author resisted this temptation and, in the process, made the work highly accessible.

​The only real critique I have is the smattering of profanity throughout the story. I have no objections to profanity in a story if it's necessary. In this case, it was jarring and served to undercut the story. Yes, the modern profanity makes sense as an aspect of the "slipstream" genre, but in this case, it didn't seem to fit.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Asterius is tightly written and edited, with strong dialogue and a satisfying pace. Asterius serves as a gateway to Imaginário's larger Timelessness series, and in that role, this novella serves its purpose. I am intrigued and look forward to exploring her other titles. Susana Imaginário is clearly a talented author with a bright future. I would recommend this novella to any lover of ancient myth or someone interested in dipping their toes in Greek mythology​.