Daedalus of Crete is many things: The greatest architect in the world. The constructor of the Labyrinth that imprisoned the Minotaur. And the grieving father of Icarus, who plunged into the sea as father and son flew from the grasp of the tyrannical King Minos.

Now, Daedalus seeks to reunite with Icarus in the Underworld, even as he revisits his own memories of Crete, hoping to understand what went so terribly wrong at the end of his son's life. Daedalus will confront any terror to see Icarus again; whether it's the cruel punishments of Tartarus, the cunning Queen Persephone, or the insatiable ghost of the Minotaur.

But the truth, stalking Daedalus in the labyrinth of his own heart, might be too monstrous for him to bear.

In Daedalus is Dead by Seamus Sullivan, the author has created a compelling and creative rewrite of the story of Daedalus, forcing the reader to rethink what they know of Daedalus and his legend, creating a terrifying and monstrous change to the narrative of the character.

I found the story winding but intriguing as the story goes back and forth in time as Daedalus explores his own memories in the afterlife as he hopes to reunite with his son Icarus to discover what went wrong and why Icarus flew away from him. Daedalus is willing to do anything to confront Icarus but is he willing to confront the truth of who he truly was as a person?

If you like Greek mythology and unreliable narrators, this compelling and creative story is well-written and intriguing. I love how the truths emerge about Daedalus and how the story ends, with a question for the readers. It was an unusual but highly interesting story.

Rating: 5 out of 5 labyrinths. ~~ Andrea Rittschof