When the goddess Hathor suddenly morphs from a cow into a flying, fire-breathing lion intent on devouring the whole world, Isis and Thoth need a hero. So they send for Odysseus. Or rather, they send a time storm around to sweep him up from his quest to return home. Along with a balloon ship to speed things up.

Though the last word in contemporary transportation, the balloon ship does come with a couple of caveats. Like, a crew of Amazons with a seething hatred of all males. And a mad teenage shaman whose visions call for offering their goddess parts of Homer's hero he'd really rather not lose.

Turn-about's-fair-play as Odysseus, his captors, mad Queen Nefertiti, and a crew of time-stranded Vikings race each other down the Nile toward the temple of Hathor. But Set, God of Evil, has his own plans for the berserker fire-lion.

Ranging far and wide over history and myth, this world and beyond, Man of Pain will sweep you along on an adventure unlike anything you've read before.