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Daughter of Sparta (Daughter of Sparta, #1)
8.0
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Seventeen-year-old Daphne has spent her entire life honing her body and mind into that of a warrior,...
David McK (3562 KP) rated Shield of Thunder (Troy #2) in Books
Jan 8, 2023
The mid part in David Gemmell's final trilogy of books, all of which were a re-telling of the epic story of the Fall of Troy, and which were finished by his wife after he passed away while still writing the final installment ( Fall of Kings).
This is also very much a book of discrete parts, starting by focusing largely on Odysseus in the first section and the new characters of Banokles, Kalliades and Piria, before moving onto Troy proper (and recurring characters from the first book) in the second part and then taking a large jump forward in time to the third (and final) part, when war has broken out between the Greek kingdoms of the 'Great Green'.
For my part, I actually found the first section of the book the most enjoyable; the section that concerned itself mostly with Odysseus. While the next section was necessary to show how the war (eventually) came about, and with third part to show the impact that war would have, I felt that (unfortunately) at times it fell almost too much into that age-old trap for the mid-part of trilogies: all build-up, with no real pay-off.
This is also very much a book of discrete parts, starting by focusing largely on Odysseus in the first section and the new characters of Banokles, Kalliades and Piria, before moving onto Troy proper (and recurring characters from the first book) in the second part and then taking a large jump forward in time to the third (and final) part, when war has broken out between the Greek kingdoms of the 'Great Green'.
For my part, I actually found the first section of the book the most enjoyable; the section that concerned itself mostly with Odysseus. While the next section was necessary to show how the war (eventually) came about, and with third part to show the impact that war would have, I felt that (unfortunately) at times it fell almost too much into that age-old trap for the mid-part of trilogies: all build-up, with no real pay-off.
Death in the Aegean
9.0
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When private banker Stefanie Adams travels to Greece on vacation, she is suspected of murdering a...
Stone Blind
10.0
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'So to mortal men, we are monsters. Because of our flight, our strength. They fear us, so they call...
Greek Mythology Historical fiction Retellings Feminism
Daughters of Sparta
8.0
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Two sisters parted. Two women blamed. Two stories reclaimed. As princesses of Sparta, Helen and...
Historical fiction Greek Mythology Retellings Greece
It looks as though my Greek mythology bender is still going strong - and it’s not difficult when there are fabulous stories like Atalanta being retold.
And what an amazing heroine Atalanta is - the only woman amongst the Argonauts on their quest for the Golden Fleece, she can run faster than the men, beat the best at wrestling, shoot arrows more accurately and hunt wild animals. All activities completely unexpected for women of the time. But Atalanta was raised by a bear from when she was abandoned as an infant, and then nurtured by Artemis and her nymphs in Artemis’ own forest.
When Atalanta leaves the safety of Artemis’ forest to go on her adventures, Artemis warns her that she must remain a virgin - if she doesn’t and she consequently marries, it will be her undoing.
So you just know what’s going to happen!
I loved this book, I loved Atalanta, I love thatGreek mythology is having something of a renaissance in the last few years (but has it ever not been popular in one way or another?), and I love these Retellings where the women are front and centre.
This is just perfect - more please!!
And what an amazing heroine Atalanta is - the only woman amongst the Argonauts on their quest for the Golden Fleece, she can run faster than the men, beat the best at wrestling, shoot arrows more accurately and hunt wild animals. All activities completely unexpected for women of the time. But Atalanta was raised by a bear from when she was abandoned as an infant, and then nurtured by Artemis and her nymphs in Artemis’ own forest.
When Atalanta leaves the safety of Artemis’ forest to go on her adventures, Artemis warns her that she must remain a virgin - if she doesn’t and she consequently marries, it will be her undoing.
So you just know what’s going to happen!
I loved this book, I loved Atalanta, I love thatGreek mythology is having something of a renaissance in the last few years (but has it ever not been popular in one way or another?), and I love these Retellings where the women are front and centre.
This is just perfect - more please!!
Rachel King (13 KP) rated Abandon (Abandon, #1) in Books
Feb 11, 2019
Though I have been familiar with the name of Meg Cabot for awhile, this is the first book by her that I have actually read. I am a sucker for Greek mythology, and a retelling of Hades and Persephone has great potential. With a great cover and an even better premise to the book, I had pretty high hopes for the plot itself.
The way the book begins throws me -- told through the eyes of Pierce Oliviera, which is not that great of a name for a girl (instead of Persephone?), the author refrains from giving away hardly anything about Pierce's circumstances, what happened to her, what motivates her, etc. While it can be considered good writing to hold back on the major revelations as long as possible to build the suspense and draw in the reader, for me it was rather frustrating to read almost the entire book before Pierce finally realized who and what John Hayden is(also a crummy name for a death deity). Much of the actual events of the book are Pierce's memories, and what happens in real time is the culmination of these memories.
While I disliked the way that Meg Cabot chose to string all of these separate events together, I do like what the actual events create when put together. A girl who has a Near-Death Experience, or NDE, meets for the second time the man who runs her personal Underworld, instantly making her his consort thanks to a rare diamond necklace, though she does not yet know it. Her ability to skirt death makes her a target for the bad guys in the book, the Furies (not the same as the Furies of Greek mythology), who blame John for their lot in life after death. In addition, Pierce also has a host of quirks that alternately set her up for disaster or save her life, such as her addiction to soda and her paranoia that tassels are Evil.
While Pierce has a vast array of personality and behavioral problems that make the act of living difficult for her, I do think that this book fits well in the Young Adult category. Pierce does not have everything figured out, does not always know how to handle herself, and does not even recognize when she is in love. She is protective of her feelings, can be just as detached as the next person from those around her, and has to work at not being too self-absorbed. Sometimes an imperfect heroine makes for a better book. I look forward to the next installment in the trilogy, Underworld.
The way the book begins throws me -- told through the eyes of Pierce Oliviera, which is not that great of a name for a girl (instead of Persephone?), the author refrains from giving away hardly anything about Pierce's circumstances, what happened to her, what motivates her, etc. While it can be considered good writing to hold back on the major revelations as long as possible to build the suspense and draw in the reader, for me it was rather frustrating to read almost the entire book before Pierce finally realized who and what John Hayden is(also a crummy name for a death deity). Much of the actual events of the book are Pierce's memories, and what happens in real time is the culmination of these memories.
While I disliked the way that Meg Cabot chose to string all of these separate events together, I do like what the actual events create when put together. A girl who has a Near-Death Experience, or NDE, meets for the second time the man who runs her personal Underworld, instantly making her his consort thanks to a rare diamond necklace, though she does not yet know it. Her ability to skirt death makes her a target for the bad guys in the book, the Furies (not the same as the Furies of Greek mythology), who blame John for their lot in life after death. In addition, Pierce also has a host of quirks that alternately set her up for disaster or save her life, such as her addiction to soda and her paranoia that tassels are Evil.
While Pierce has a vast array of personality and behavioral problems that make the act of living difficult for her, I do think that this book fits well in the Young Adult category. Pierce does not have everything figured out, does not always know how to handle herself, and does not even recognize when she is in love. She is protective of her feelings, can be just as detached as the next person from those around her, and has to work at not being too self-absorbed. Sometimes an imperfect heroine makes for a better book. I look forward to the next installment in the trilogy, Underworld.
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated The Prophecy of Shadows (Elementals, #1) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
<b><i>I received this book for free from Netgalley/Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i></b>
Well, then. This is going to be one of the harder reviews to write, isn't it. (And it'll probably come out a little choppy, but um... bear with me.)
Okay, so how about I start with this: <i>The Prophecy of Shadows</i> is great, but the only thing working against the book is the instalove between Nicole and Blake. But even the instalove isn't much of a bother Nicole is attracted to Blake from the get go, but she's not as <em>obsessed</em> as Danielle, who would threaten anyone in Blake's proximity. Yet?
Anyways, the first book in the <i>Elementals</i> series brings yet a new idea to the <a title="Mythology" href="http://www.bookwyrmingthoughts.com/search/label/Mythology"; target="_blank" rel="noopener">mythology</a> genre, sort of following in <a title="Raye Wagner" href="http://www.bookwyrmingthoughts.com/search/label/Raye%20Wagner"; target="_blank" rel="noopener">Raye Wagner's</a> footsteps. When Nicole first moves to a new school, she is quickly thrown into the world of witches, people who are descended from Greek gods but not exactly demigods. Witches in Madow's newest series are those not directly descended from a Greek god (basically, a generation or two later...?) and their powers are mostly based off of color theory (definitely not getting into the specifics of that one). Nicole is weirded out and dismisses the entire idea at first, but quickly has a change of heart.
The book is also a little slow on the pacing side, especially for those who like constant action. Madow spends approximately half the book setting up the plot and introducing the world of witches, and I personally think that in itself is good enough without being overwhelming. Even though the witches in the <i>Elementals</i> series are similar to witches in general, I enjoyed learning how each color corresponds to a particular emotion or talent. Any particular legendary creature fighting comes later on in the book.
It'll be interesting to see how Madow takes the series with the sequels, and I'll be looking forward to the sequels (which, by the way, have extremely interesting and adventurous titles).
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/arc-review-the-prophecy-of-shadows-by-michelle-madow/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Well, then. This is going to be one of the harder reviews to write, isn't it. (And it'll probably come out a little choppy, but um... bear with me.)
Okay, so how about I start with this: <i>The Prophecy of Shadows</i> is great, but the only thing working against the book is the instalove between Nicole and Blake. But even the instalove isn't much of a bother Nicole is attracted to Blake from the get go, but she's not as <em>obsessed</em> as Danielle, who would threaten anyone in Blake's proximity. Yet?
Anyways, the first book in the <i>Elementals</i> series brings yet a new idea to the <a title="Mythology" href="http://www.bookwyrmingthoughts.com/search/label/Mythology"; target="_blank" rel="noopener">mythology</a> genre, sort of following in <a title="Raye Wagner" href="http://www.bookwyrmingthoughts.com/search/label/Raye%20Wagner"; target="_blank" rel="noopener">Raye Wagner's</a> footsteps. When Nicole first moves to a new school, she is quickly thrown into the world of witches, people who are descended from Greek gods but not exactly demigods. Witches in Madow's newest series are those not directly descended from a Greek god (basically, a generation or two later...?) and their powers are mostly based off of color theory (definitely not getting into the specifics of that one). Nicole is weirded out and dismisses the entire idea at first, but quickly has a change of heart.
The book is also a little slow on the pacing side, especially for those who like constant action. Madow spends approximately half the book setting up the plot and introducing the world of witches, and I personally think that in itself is good enough without being overwhelming. Even though the witches in the <i>Elementals</i> series are similar to witches in general, I enjoyed learning how each color corresponds to a particular emotion or talent. Any particular legendary creature fighting comes later on in the book.
It'll be interesting to see how Madow takes the series with the sequels, and I'll be looking forward to the sequels (which, by the way, have extremely interesting and adventurous titles).
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/arc-review-the-prophecy-of-shadows-by-michelle-madow/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
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Pure Act: The Uncommon Life of Robert Lax
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The only biography to receive awards from both the Association of Catholic Publishers and the...