[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Spark Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]
Summary
Phoebe Katz is a foster kid, a ward of the state. Her case worker found her abandoned at a bus stop when she was a baby. All that was with her was a note and a mirror, two precious possessions now.
Phoebe seems to be a magnet for trouble. She never causes the trouble, but it always seems to find her. And it’s never made sense before.
Then, a statue of Atlas comes to life and speaks to her, calling her Princess of Argos and telling her she’s in danger. He tells her to talk to Athena to get the answers she seeks.
Thankfully, Phoebe’s friends Damain and Angie are able to help her find the statue of Athena at Athens Square Park. There, the statue comes to life and tells the three kids that Phoebe is a daughter of Zeus. The gods of Olympus are real, and their timeline and Phoebe’s on Earth are intersecting. Ares, the god of war, has broken the barrier between the two worlds, and Phoebe was sent away to protect her from a prophecy.
Now Ares has Phoebe’s caseworker as a hostage. Phoebe discovers a prophecy that says she must collect items from dangerous mythical creatures. Those items are the only way she can rescue her caseworker and thwart a prophecy that insists she will ultimately destroy Olympus.
Review
This was fun. There’s a Percy Jackson feel to this – 12 year old hero demigod with unexpected powers discovers her true heritage and heads off on a quest to fight monsters thanks to a prophecy.
Phoebe’s team includes one demigod and two humans, which changes things up a bit in the quest dynamics. I felt like there was some inconsistency with Phoebe’s friends. There were moments when they were cautious and reluctant and others when they were all in on the next step. I couldn’t find the thread to explain the vacillation in their engagement. Also, there’s no camp for training or preparation. Phoebe acquires all of her skills by instinct. It was one of the disappointing parts of this for me. She just somehow knows magical words to activate powers she never knew she had and what powers are part of her repertoire.
While there are a couple pieces unresolved at the end of this (Who is the school counselor who knew to give her ambrosia?), the quest is resolved and there’s no cliffhanger. There are a ton of monsters to fight and challenges to their quest. There are some moments of violence and mild gore as the kids get covered in monster goo.
Fans of mythology stories like the ones from Rick Riordan (or his imprint) or Kate O’Hearn should check this one out.