Mythology

Mini Reviews #20

Hello readers, and welcome to Mini Reviews, where I talk about some of the books I don’t write full length reviews for. This installment, let’s chat about: One for All, The Bombay Prince and Crown of Cinders.

Rise of the Snake Goddess – Jenny Elder Moke

Following their adventures in Ireland, the trio have returned to their normal lives, with Sam and Jo joining Bennett in college. Sam has been looking forward to the end of term archaeological expedition to Crete, but despite being top of the class the Professor, who hates her, excludes her from it. However, when Sam discovers a letter from an archaeologist in Crete asking for help with an ancient artifact, the trio waste no time in setting out for Greece. Their search leads them to a long buried cave shrine and the golden girdle of the Snake Goddess hidden in its…

Elektra – Jennifer Saint

Elektra tells the story of three women whose fates are impacted by the Trojan War: Clytemnestra, wife of Agamemnon and Helen’s sister, Cassandra, princess of Troy who has the ability to see the future but is cursed by Apollo so that no one will ever believe her, and Elektra, Clytemnestra’s daughter and the youngest princess of Mycenae, who blinded by love for her father, never sees her mother’s side of things as she swears to make things right in the House of Atreus, which is said to have a bloodline curse upon it.

The Dream Runners – Shveta Thakrar – ARC Review

Ever since she was taken to the realm of Nagalok seven years ago, Tanvi has been one of the dream runners, human children who collect mortal dreams that are greatly prized as entertainment in the naga court. Dream runners are made free of all emotions and memories of their lives on earth, but when one of her harvests goes wrong, she not only runs into someone who seems to recognize her, but also begins to remember flashes of her old life. In a panic, she approaches Venkat, a dreamsmith who collects the dreams brought in by the runners and shapes…

Mini Reviews #19

Hello readers, and welcome to Mini Reviews, where I talk about some of the books I don’t write full length reviews for. This installment, let’s chat about: Aru Shah & the Nectar of Immortality, This Golden State and Dreams Bigger Than Heartbreak.

Mini Reviews #18

Hello readers, and welcome to Mini Reviews, where I talk about some of the books I don’t write full length reviews for. This installment, let’s chat about: Terciel and Elinor, Crown of Cinders, Hush and Veil.

Argo – Mark Knowles – ARC Review

The kingdom of Iolkos is ruled by King Aeson. When they are attacked by the king’s half-brother, Pelias, Aeson’s wife sends away their newborn son, Jason, to keep him safe. Twenty years later, a grown Jason arrives in Iolkos to compete in the games and discovers his true identity. But Pelias sets an impossible challenge for him to complete in order to reclaim his throne: to travel to the distant kingdom of Colchis and steal the mythical Golden Fleece. A great ship called the Argo is built for the quest as Jason assembles a crew of great warriors from across…

Daughter of Sparta – Claire M. Andrews

Daphne has trained all her life to be a warrior, hoping to one day be accepted by the people of Sparta who look upon her as an outsider. When Daphne’s brother runs afoul of the goddess Artemis, the only way she can save him is to undertake a quest to retrieve nine powerful items that have been stolen from Mount Olympus. If she cannot find and return them in time, not only will she lose her brother, but the power of the gods will fade, throwing the mortal world into chaos. Accompanied by Artemis’ twin, the handsome Apollo as her…

Mini Reviews #15

Hello readers, and welcome to another round of Mini Reviews, where I talk about some of the books I don’t write full length reviews for. It’s been a while since I did one of these posts! This installment, let’s chat about: Aru Shah and the City of Gold, Admission and Maybe This Time.

Ariadne – Jennifer Saint

Princess Ariadne of Crete is the daughter of the feared King Minos and has grown up hearing the roars of the Minotaur, her brother, in the Labyrinth beneath the palace. Year after year, young men and women from Athens arrive to be sacrificed to the beast, and Ariadne and her sister Phaedra can only watch in horror, powerless to stop the atrocity. When Theseus, Prince of Athens presents himself as one of the tributes one year, Ariadne feels drawn to help him in a hope that he might be able to end this terror. But having seen how her own…

Curse of the Specter Queen – Jenny Elder Moke – ARC Review

Samantha Knox works at an antique bookstore, burying away her dreams of going on archaeological adventures after her father died in the war. One day, Sam receives a package with a mysterious diary, but before she can investigate it further, the shop is attacked by people who are willing to go to any lengths to get their hands on the book. With her childhood best friends, Joana and Bennett Steeling, Sam flees her small town, finding herself on the road to New York and on to Ireland as they unravel ciphers and clues that seem to point the way to…

A Thousand Ships – Natalie Haynes

Stories centered around the Trojan War have always interested me, so when I first heard of this book, it was an instant addition to my TBR. I love The Iliad and The Odyssey, but it has always annoyed me that the originals never bother to focus on or give voice to the women in the story, relegating them to little more than side characters. As such, this was a very welcome and much needed addition to see this story through a perspective that is less male-dominated.

Mini Reviews #14

Hello readers, and welcome to another round of Mini Reviews, where I talk about some of the books I don’t write full length reviews for. It’s been a while since I did one of these posts! This installment, let’s chat about: The Game, Wings of Fury and Yes No Maybe So.

City of the Plague God – Sarwat Chadda – ARC Review

Sikander Aziz’s normal life is turned upside down when one night, as he is working late at his family’s deli, he is attacked by demons who believe he holds the secret to immortality. He is saved by the unexpected appearance of a ninja – who he later finds out is his classmate, Belet, the adopted daughter of the goddess Ishtar – but the deli, his family’s livelihood is completely destroyed. Things only get worse as Nergal, the god who commands the demons, starts a disease in Manhattan – and the first to be affected are Sik’s own parents. Now Sik…

The Tower of Nero – Rick Riordan + 2nd Blogversary!

The conclusion to The Trials of Apollo series brings Apollo’s final challenge, and the most daunting one of all. He and Meg are on their way back to New York to confront the last Emperor of the Triumvirate, Nero. But even if they manage to defeat Nero, Apollo’s old nemesis, the serpent Python, still waits in the shadows, having taken over the sacred shrine of Delphi, the last and most powerful oracle.

Sacred Bride – David Hair and Cath Mayo

Six months after the Theban War, Odysseus and Bria find themselves infiltrating the oracular site of Dodona which has been taken over by priests of Zeus who have imprisoned the priestesses of Hera in the mountain. Their goal – to get a last few answers from the oracle before silencing it permanently so that the Trojans can’t use it. The prophecies Odysseus receives are no less ominous than previous ones, but seem to show a ray of hope for Achaea, if a faint one. Adding to that the crucial knowledge he has gained, that prophecies are not cast in stone,…

The Dark Prophecy – Rick Riordan

With the first of the oracles, the Grove of Dodona, restored, Apollo finally has a prophecy (though one in limerick form that apparently bodes ill), and with the newly returned Leo and Calypso along for the quest, Apollo heads west to Indianapolis to find the second oracle, Trophonius and face the next Emperor, Commodus. But his demigod master Meg betrayed him to Nero and has been ordered to find and capture Apollo before he can free the next oracle – and Meg can make Apollo do anything, even kill himself.

The Hidden Oracle – Rick Riordan

Following the events of The Blood of Olympus, Apollo is in trouble with his father. Zeus decides he’s to blame for the war with Gaea, and as punishment, the glorious Apollo finds himself turned into a sixteen year old mortal with acne and flab named Lester, crash landing, quite literally, in a dumpster in New York, and to complete the indignity, enslaved to a twelve year old demigod named Meg. To complete his punishment and be restored to Olympus, Apollo has to regain control of the five oracles which will include facing his oldest and most deadliest enemy who can…

The Tyrant’s Tomb – Rick Riordan

The Tyrant’s Tomb opens with Apollo and Meg escorting Jason’s body to Camp Jupiter for funeral rites in what is possibly the most heartbreaking sendoff in all the books so far. But neither Camp Jupiter nor Apollo can mourn overlong. The Romans are just recuperating from one battle and another is fast approaching – the Emperors intend to wipe out the camp and the Romans stand no chance – unless Apollo can find the answer to their problems in the tomb of a Roman king – who might just be the worst foe he has yet to face.

Oracle’s War – David Hair and Cath Mayo – ARC Review

Odysseus has returned home to Ithaca after his adventures and fallen back into routine, albeit an uneasy one, now that his entire family is aware of his heritage. Not for long though, as chaos descends upon his sister Ctimene’s wedding, Odysseus sets out once more to avenge his family honour

Mini Reviews #1

Hello readers, and welcome to Mini Reviews! This installment, let’s chat about four books: The Iliad, The Fire Queen, The Dead Queens Club and A Curse So Dark and Lonely.

Circe – Madeline Miller

Circe is a character little spoken of. I knew of her from The Odyssey as  the witch who turned Odysseus’ men, as yet another who delayed his return to Ithaca. But through this book, Circe has a voice of her own. Though an immortal, her emotions, her dreams, fears, guilt, hope are all very much human – genuine and relatable.

The Burning Maze – Rick Riordan

There is truly nothing negative I can come up with for this book. The final chapters left me quite speechless. The Burning Maze has its lighter moments, sorely needed in a book like this which has a markedly darker tone to it.