Review of The Muse of Kill Devil Hills

[ej_author]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Muse of Kill Devil Hills" by Mary K. Kaiser.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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The Muse of Kill Devil Hills by Mary K. Kaiser is a witty and whimsical take on a chapter in history that most people know well. Kaiser introduces Polyhymnia, a muse in charge of agriculture, geometry, and sacred hymns. When her sister muse Urania tries to persuade her to nurture humanity’s quest for flight, Polyhymnia refuses time and time again. Then, however, she meets Wilbur Wright, and everything changes. Polyhymnia’s journey takes the reader through everything from laughter to sorrow as the muse tries to whisper encouragement to Wilbur and his brother Orville. Will the brothers listen, or will their passionate pursuit of flight be forgotten in the depths of history?

This book was just pure fun. I would never have thought to mix history and Greek mythology in such a way, but Kaiser did a wonderful job of incorporating ancient myths into recent history. This was due in part to all of the detailed research that went into the book. It was obvious that Kaiser knew what she was talking about in every aspect of the book, from technical flight terms to the names of different Greek gods. Moreover, the book was very well-edited; I only found one error in the text.

I especially enjoyed the various settings in the book, as they were described so well that I felt as if I were really there. In addition, Polyhymnia was a fun character to follow. Witty and stubborn but compassionate to a fault, she seemed more human than some of the human characters in the book! Her journey was so fast paced that I didn’t get bored once.

The only thing I found lacking in this book was depth. While a large part of the book depended on a love story between two main characters, the romance wasn’t tangible to me. In my opinion, the climax and ending also fell short, as they were over much too quickly compared to the rest of the detailed story. After reading through so much and waiting for a grand ending, I was left disappointed with what I got. Overall, while I did enjoy the book as pure entertainment, I think that another layer of depth in the characters and story of the novel would have really made the book stand out.

I would recommend The Muse of Kill Devil Hills to people interested in historical fiction, Greek mythology, or both! It’s the most unconventional historical fiction novel I’ve ever read, and I really enjoyed it. The concept of a muse meddling in aviation does sound rather strange to begin with, but Kaiser pulls it off very well. I give the book three out of four stars.

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The Muse of Kill Devil Hills
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[Okoye Chinonso+]

For such an excellent combo of the Greek myth and the history of man, I can tell the author carried out great research while writing the book. The book also has one error. It's a marvellous book if you'd ask me...lol
Thanks for the lovely review though.

[Akinola John]

The book seems interesting. I love the way the author structure the book to avoid getting the reader bored. Nice review.

[Patty Allread]

The book sounds unique. I wonder if the love story was between a goddess and one of the Wright brothers or what?

[Christopherio]

It seems like an interesting story with a lot of history so I'll give it a try. Thanks for the review.

[Ntokozo Joy Ndlovu]

An amazing take of one of humanity's crucial achievements. Makes one wonder just how much the muses have interfered in the course of human history. Thanks for the review.