Carolyn Hennesy

The story was a bit disjointed: first a sea voyage to Egypt, followed by time with a traveling circus, before the girls (and new male companion Homer) are finally able to make progress in their pursuit of Vanity. I did like this last bit a lot—but it took a while to get to it. We see less of the "folks back home" (Prometheus and the Greek gods), but Alcie ends up somewhat more developed as a character, which is a good thing. Overall, I thought the book was pleasant enough, just not up to the level of its predecessor.… (mehr)

Okay, this book was a lot better than I expected. The author takes quite a few liberties with Greek mythology, but you have to to write a story like this, and the important parts are there. Whether or not you like the story may depend on how much tolerance you have for the modern touches Hennesy sprinkles throughout the story ("Finally Pandy stood up, took off her school toga, and put on her sleeping garments. Now that she was a maiden, she was beginning to detest her combed cotton night-robes with the face of Iris, Goddess of the Rainbow, and the little multicolored arches splashed all over them."). The story is pretty lighthearted, although there are some darker notes: Pandy's relationship with her mother is strained and her parents' marriage is a bit shaky. And of course, having seven evils loose in the world is causing chaos everywhere, but the author avoids saying anything really scary about that.

I hope that in later books, Pandy's friends Iole and Alcie are developed further. And I admit I was disappointed that Hennesy made Hera the villain—Hera is always the villain: it's trite. But it's a strong start, and I liked this book enough to want to read more of the series.… (mehr)