Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Set in ancient Greece, this sumptuous adventure from King (the Hundredth Queen series) sees a fierce heroine contending with brutal Titans, suspicious vestals, and a petulant Boy God. Eleven-year-old Althea Lambros witnesses her mother die while giving birth to a half-Titan baby after having been raped by the god Cronus, the most powerful Titan. At her dying mother's request, Althea vows to protect her older sisters, Cleora and Bronte. But when Althea is 18, Cronus's goons kidnap Cleora. Althea seeks advice on how to defeat Cronus from the oracle Clotho, who tasks Althea with retrieving the 15-year-old Boy God Zeus from the island of Crete, where he's been hidden from Cronus, his father, by his mother. Zeus has the power to overthrow Cronus and unite the Titans under his own rule--but not without Althea's help. To succeed, Althea must evade the evil General Decimus, who has marked her as his property; thwart the vengeful Erinyes; and defy the handsome but deceitful Col. Theo Angelos. King ably weaves Greek mythology into a cat-and-mouse spectacle. Readers will cheer for Althea as she upholds her family's honor and fights belligerent gods with determination and confidence. This is a winner. Agent: Marlene Stringer, Stringer Literary. (Feb.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
Cronus is the God of Gods, the Almighty, and rules the world, calling it a Golden Age. But for women, it is an age where they fear for their freedom and their autonomy. After her mother is taken and dies giving birth to Cronus's child, Althea Lambros promises to protect her sisters, Bronte and Cleora, from the same fate. Raised and protected in a local temple, the sisters decide to leave when Althea is given a task set by the Fates: to find the hidden Boy God, the last surviving son of Cronus, and set him on his path to overthrow the Almighty. Yet as the path leads to the sisters' separation and reunion, Althea learns there is much that the Fates left out, including truths that will force her to accept her own destiny and soar. Sharp prose and smart characters, along with a clear man vs. god structure, are filtered through Althea's perspective and determination to protect her family. VERDICT King ("Hundredth Queen" series) takes a fresh look at the Greek pantheon to create a clamor for the next book of this new series.--Kristi Chadwick, Massachusetts Lib. Syst., Northampton
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