The Shadow of the Minotaur is the second in Wendy Leighton-Porter’s Shadows from the Past series. These books really appeal to me since they deal with a bit of history I did at school. I loved Greek Myths, and at present that’s the era that Wendy Leighton-Porter is treating us to, with the adventures of Jemima and Joe, and their friend Charlie, and Max the cat.

The second in the series picks up from The Shadow of Atlantis and sends Jemima, Joe and Charlie (and Max) off to a ship travelling from Athens to Crete. It’s just over a year since they visited Atlantis, and there is a delightful meeting, or should I say reunion, with the family they persuaded to flee from Atlantis before it was too late. The first half of the book is an interesting mix of holidaying and news gathering, with an underlying issue of the sacrifice to the Minotaur of the Athenian young people, who were on the ship they arrived on.

Suddenly it gets serious, and our heroes are at the entrance to the labyrinth where the Minotaur awaits his dinner, i.e. a human sacrifice or several. Theseus seems not quite the hero we read of in the myths. The story twists and turns much like the labyrinth and continues to do so right to the end.

I found this to be very much a book of two halves – one light and enjoyable, the other adventurous, exciting and sometimes unexpected. Maybe setting up the story works well with the more touristic approach, but I couldn’t wait to get to the action. However, as one who holds the memory of those buildings and painted walls of the palace at Knossos from a very early history lesson, I found it deeply satisfying to be transported there by Ms Leighton-Porter’s excellent and detailed descriptions.

It is a book rich with a magical departed culture, and an exciting encounter with a truly horrible monster. Fortunately our heroes (male, female and feline) live to adventure another day. Where next? I’m looking forward to the Trojan Horse! ( )

The adventures of twins Jemima and Joe, their talking Tonkinese cat Max, and their best friend Charlie continue with another trip back into the past using the magic book they found in their uncle’s attic. Their previous adventures began with a time travel trip to Atlantis in search of their parents, who have mysteriously disappeared. The book, Shadows of the Past, (which belonged to their missing parents) opens to the second chapter, and the poem (a clue) that begins the chapter indicates the adventure concerns the Minotaur and the Athenian prince Theseus. They unhesitatingly step into the past, and find themselves embroiled in an adventure that’s a lot more dangerous than the previous one. Theseus is rather a selfish, absent-minded hero, and without the kids’ and Max’s good ideas, will he even manage to slay the Minotaur at all? With the help of Princess Ariadne (King Minos’ daughter) and of course Max’s vital intervention, they need to achieve their mission and make it back to the present day.

Having read The Shadow of Atlantis, I confess I couldn’t wait to go on another time travel trip with this trio (or should that be quartet?). Author Wendy Leighton-Porter has an amazing knack of placing her heroes right smack into situations that are potentially big and scary (and this one is uber-scary) and then letting them work out the escape routes by using their brains. The kids are refreshingly honest. They don’t let arrogant Theseus steal all the glory. They are also very brave and inventive. They reaffirm the bonds of friendship and loyalty, and isn’t that what kids should be learning in life lessons. It’s not easy to do the right thing when situations are frightening and dangerous, but our young heroes, human and feline, persevere against all odds. The adventures will continue as the kids search for the twins’ parents, but their renewed hope brings a new and positive slant to their escapades. This is a fantastic way of getting young readers interested in ancient myths and legends, and in realising that history is not dry as dust, but is vibrant and exciting. All the characters are believable and wonderfully drawn. Max, of course, quite steals the limelight! ( )