As I was thinking about what I wanted to write for this review, my brain keeps calling up that oft quoted line from Romeo and Juliet, "What's in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet." But what if the name really did matter? In Artemis Rising, those who adopt these new names also adopt the fates of their namesakes. When Eva fully accepts her mother's belief system, and adopts the name Arethusa, she very quickly finds her life paralleling that of her namesake nymph. I love a good myth, but this was the first time I've come across that of Alpheus and Arethusa. Upon looking up the myth after finishing the book, I was impressed on how well the myth was translated to fit the life of a teen in the turn of the century Azores yet keep the parallels. The Tristan and Isolde legend I was more familiar with, and I found that inclusion was a bit more subtly done. The result is a love triangle and triangle of ideology.

I always enjoy a lead female character who can take care of herself, even if she needs help from the guys sometimes. Eva/Arethusa certainly fills this role. All the characters are strong characters and well written. This is a great addition to the increasingly popular mythology adaptation genre. This is Lasota's first novel, and I look forward to more from her.

I received a copy of this from the author for review. ( )

I always love mythology, and it could only get better with a dose of Christianity…

The story is moving and I cried along with Arethusa, I can completely feel myself being in her shoes, and all those horrible things happening to her..

I find myself surprised at each turn of the story, things which I didn’t know would fall into…I especially appreciate the ending, I was thinking the same lines all along, but I was still surprised how perfect it ended. A complex yet highly engrossing read…

It’s really thrilling and horrifying what accepting other’s names would mean accepting their fate too… I really love this combinations of stories…

The book is a combination of fast and slow, it got slower at the part when they are growing into maturity, it’s just it jump to a couple of years, and I really want to know what happen in those missing years. The beginning is engaging and pack of twist… the middle not so much.. but the end says it all, I even felt my breathing stops at every words I read..lol…

I love how the author presents the philosophical thought between fate and choice, and how at the end, fate depends on our choice..(:D)…, the nature of true love and plain lust, and the danger of believing something and letting your mind be engulfed in things which are not true…

Ms. Lasota beautifully combined Greek myth, Arthurian legend, Christianity into a wonderful tale, any romanticist would love.

A book- Any reader could be carried away…Highly recommended! ( )

I found this to be an interesting novel. Set against the myth of the classic story of Tristan and Isolde, the characters struggle with oaths, promises and superstition in a tale that is a breaking away of previously held beliefs and the subsequent coming of age. The text is well written and the tension is maintained throughout.

This was novel was received in eBook format as a Member Giveaway from the author in exchange for an honest review. ( )

This is the story of a young girl named Eve who is raised in the US by a catholic father and a pagan mother, they are on a boat at sea when Eve’s mother Arethusa does a ritual to give Eve her mother’s name and to promise her to the moon goddess Artemis but things don’t go as planned, as tragedy strikes Eve’s/Arethusa life will never be the same.

This is a mix of 2 myths Tristan & Isolde and Arethusa & Alpheus and how your beliefs can set you on a path of tragedy and/or love and how outside forces can affect everything you do until you take control of your own life and stop living for others.

I enjoyed this book very much it has a mythical fairytale quality to it, and I thought it was well written. I found myself cheering for Arethusa & Tristan; it is a love story yet so much more. I was afraid at first it would be to romancey (I know maybe not a word but there it is) but I was pleasantly surprised by the story and the atmosphere her descriptions of the coastline & the sea made me feel like I was right there and could feel the wind. There are some scenes that made my stomach knot in fear for our heroine and that is the mark of a good book.

I will definitely read more by this author.

**I received this book from the Member Giveaway Program on Librarything**

4 Stars

P.S. To Publishers I would really love a paper book of this for my library ( )

Artemis Rising is a charming story of a young woman on a quest for identity. Eva, raised a Catholic by a domineering and abusive father, is persuaded to adopt the religion of her pagan mother. But when her mother is killed in a shipwreck, Eva is left to face the world alone, to decide for herself what she is to believe, what stories and legacies to hold as her own, and how, most importantly, she is to give her heart. In a world where the canons of social behavior have been determined for them by those that have come before, I think young people will relate to the battle for self-definition and to find happiness in a world fraught with danger, prejudice, malice and manipulation, and where the rules, if written, are unclear.

I found Artemis rising a refreshing read, taking me to places I've never seen and seldom read of. The characters are engaging and believable and the writing lyrical and at times poetic. The story is fast-paced and filled with allegory and analogy--which I love--and successfully draws the reader into a time past but still relatable, a world both beautiful and intriguing. Artemis Rising was a true pleasure to read. ( )