Even though mortals think the gods have disappeared . . . Olympus still rules. Demigods have elite hunters who viciously kill monsters. And shadow-demons from the Underworld, the very harbingers of death, are tracking her.
When tragedy destroys the only safety she’s ever known, all signs point to Hades’s demons. Or do they? Something doesn’t add up, and Hope needs answers. But now, someone knows she exists . . .
Forced to hide, Hope pretends to be normal. She’ll do whatever it takes to keep her secret safe— and her heart protected. But when Athan arrives, her world is turned upside down.
With gods, demigods, and demons closing in, the question is…
How long can a monster stay hidden in plain sight?
Join Hope on her unforgettable journey to discover what it means to live and her daring fight to break Apollo’s curse. *Previously released as Curse of the Sphinx.*
Perfect for readers who love the adventure and romance of Cassandra Clare’s The Mortal Instruments and the mythology of Rick Riordan's Trials of Apollo. The Sphinx series is filled with Greek gods, monsters, demigods, action and romance. It challenges teenage concepts of fate, true love, and what defines courage and heroes. This series is perfect for teens or young adults at heart.
RAYE WAGNER is the USA Today Bestselling author of young adult fantasy books, but she hates writing bios. She’d much rather tell you a story. She’s partial to fantasy, with dragons or magic or something so she can lie and not feel guilty. She also has an obsession with sweets (all the bakery goodies), nerf wars, wigs, and occasionally tutus.
When she isn’t writing, shenanigating (I’m sure that’s a word), or lying, Raye is with her family . . . preferably at the beach.
Come chat with me! I love to hear from readers. You can connect with me via Facebook (Raye Wagner), Twitter (@rayewagner), Instagram (rayewagnerauthor), or her website: rayewagner.com
I really enjoyed this! It was an easy read, but it had a lot of depth to it. Hope goes through so much throughout this book and it was interesting following her different life experiences. I can't wait for book two!
I am so in love with books based around Greek Mythology.. but the fact that this book WAS based in a modern world where GREEK GODS still rule was just so fantastic and unique! I loved Hope and found it so interesting that the author wrote a book from the perspective of a greek monster..
This book was a struggle for me to read starting from chapter 2. I was really disappointed because it has a very promising start. This novel revolves around Greek mythology, gods and their minions who are after the Sphinx because they are known to be a monster; a cursed creature but also a human. The concept is compelling enough to let you dive into this world however the execution failed to impress me instead it left me bored with a headache.
I wanted it to have a back story where the world or setting is explained; I assumed that it was set in the modern world where people were not aware that gods, demigods and other mythological creatures exist for real and that the students were just having their lessons in mythology. It turns out that People are indeed aware that these mythological gods exist and I only known that when I was about 48% done with my reading. I was so confused and frustrated about that detail because it's essential in the world building.
I also wanted to know why the Sphinx is cursed and why the gods wanted them dead even though there was a prequel novella but it helps to let readers refresh their history. The build-up was really slow and just when it has something going on it abruptly stops. It was really killing me and I feel that Hope, our main character has a Bella Swan vibe in her. I wanted to love her but I hated her even more. Sorry ya’ll!
Another thing is the romance. I love some romance in my books but here it’s just feels so forced, it all feels so cliché and there is no chemistry between Athan and Hope. I was really hoping the romance might stir my frustrations away but it only adds up. This book has a lot of clutter and the ending didn’t even leave an impression. I hope it gets better for the sequel though.
(a digital copy was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review)
Buddy read this with some awesome friends from Instagram ♥
Don't get close. Don't make friends. Be invisible. Be safe. She repeated them over and over as she placed the food inside the fridge, sealing her words with a promise as she closed the door. Isolation is safety
Things that made me sure this would be a great experience ♥ It was a readalong. Readalongs are a source of shared passion and excitement over a book, and it also gives the reader motivation to express their feelings about the story and finish it quicker, or keep going in case of a reading slump. ♥ It's Greek mythology. The stories I listened to instead of fairytales as a child grow up in front of my eyes, take shape and turn into beautiful, complicated, mersmerizing tales. ♥ The main character is cursed. This is a very interesting concept about me because cursed characters are deeper and it's more interesting to have an insight on their minds. Hope specifically was a very great character to get to know. ♥ It has a lot of contemporary elements like the way the main character tries to balance their supernatural life with their normal school life and maybe it's me but I love seeing things like that.
That being said, the experience was made even better because of a few wonderful elements this fresh, action packed young adult story about a girl who wanted her freedom but knew that her safety lied far, far away from it and a boy who had a mission but put his feelings over it, had.
The way mythology was handled completely blew my mind. This gave a very different insight than Rick Riordan's books, mostly because f the fact that in here demigods were the bad guys . Monsters, on the other hand, were just creatures who wanted a life away from being hunted, away from pain and fear, away from hard stares and terrified glances, away from disgust and abandonment. Hope herself, a girl who turned into a Sphinx, a woman whose body is lion's waist down and whose back has strong, massive wings, once a month, was a very nice character. She ws brave but also human, and she wanted to live a normal life and be free to show her true self without people to judge her.
I certainly loved her and some other characters like Mr Stanley, Hope's amazing friend and fatherly figure, or Haley, his crazy and caring daughter. I didn't like Athan, both as a character and as a person, and found that a lot of his actions were annoying me very very much. I didn't ship him and Hope, although I was glad she had found someone to care for her, even after her secret was revealed. Overall though he was a character that gave me a bad impression and it one of the reasons this book lost a star.
A thing I also loved about the book was the Goldendale twist. The small little town that has more secrets than it lets out was totally one of the elements that made this book even more addictive, and I found myself at the edge of my seat as Hope was faced with lots of challenges and dififculties regarding the citizens. Every twist this book had was honestly incredible. The Skia gave it an air of mystery and a creepy element that I really loved, and so did Athan's aunt. I loved how Raye Wagner handled mythology in general, to be honest.
A twist I didn't really like though (the other reason this book lost a star) was the Priska twist.
The writing was incredible, thankfully, and it flowed with my blood, making me feel the story like a second skin. Familiar, exciting and utterly addictive. It was a great story to read and the fact that it was a big, happy readalong made it an even more beautiful experience.
I'd like to see more good monsters (people who can shift, specifically, like Hope) in the next book and hopefully some more good demigods. Another thing that would certainly pleasantly surprise me would be a good Skia! I hope Raye will take these into consideration if she already hasn't.
Until the next review, stay safe and check this book out for an amazing adventure and a tale of curses, mythology and the pull of fate ♥
~Mary ♥
P.S The use of Greek swear words made me laugh so much :) ❤
Raye Wagner's Curse of the Sphinx Blitz & Giveaway at Tome Tender Raye Wagner is offering One (1) eCopy (INTL) One (1) SIGNED Print Copy (U.S.)of Curse of the Sphinx Ends September 20, 2015 INTL | U.S. Click on Banner to Enter!
Myths, magic and mayhem all hiding right in plain sight. Hope and her mother have spent their lives hiding in plain sight. Someone wants her dead, thinks she is an abomination, a monster, and according to mythology, she is, but she feels like any seventeen-year-old girl, only lonelier, more mature. From high school to home, curses of the gods and even young romance, Hope is caught between a world that despises her and one that barely knows she exists, is it time for Hope to disappear once again?. In a world who knows of myth and magic, a friend or confidant would be nice, but who can she trust?? Would everyone think she is crazy? Will she never find her place in the world?
Now hunted by a demigod, sent on a mission to destroy her, Hope finds there is more to this boy than his mission would suggest, but can she trust him? Only time will tell and time is running out for Hope.
Curse of the Sphinx is ya fantasy with a dollop of mythology, some romantic fare and a young girl trying to make it on her own in a world that stands against her. From the typical high school cliques and the condescending “it” girls to the fresh take on fantasy creatures, Raye Wagner has a wonderful foundation built for her new series. Fast-paced, twisted into knots at some points, Ms. Wagner gives us just enough information to mentally take us down several possible avenues, not sure which will be the correct one until the next book in the series. Wonderful writing, geared toward young adults, without too much overpowering angst. I was hooked by the possibilities that could be explored!
I received this copy from Raye Wagner in exchange for my honest review.
Publication Date: August 9, 2015 Publisher: R. Wagner; 1 edition Genre: YA Fantasy Print Length: 276 pages Available from: Amazon Reviewed for: http://tometender.blogspot.com
I just finished rereading this book and it's just as good as I can remember!! I read this book during April 2016 and gave it a 5/5 Stars! Guess what? Still a 5/5 Stars!! I noticed that some parts were different in this second edition (for example: the first edition had a longer Paul and Sara part in it) but it was still amazing!! 5/5⭐️s
Review from April 2016: OMG! THIS BOOK WAS EVERYTHING! . . Ok first of all, I received an ebook copy for review. Now let me explain to all of you, I wanted this book for a few months now, but I couldn't find it anywhere! So I contacted the author and she was super kind and had Ms Sara (her assistant who was super awesome too) to send me free copies of this one and its sequel (Demigods and Monsters) which was released a few days ago, so that I could finally read them and of course I was really willing to review them too! So let's get into the review. . . . I absolutely adore mythology, I'm Cypriot so that's why I'm super close to it and I know it well. I'm really interested in mythology books 'cause you know, Greece and Cyprus are like one thing and we are the origins of Greek mythology! Anw, the author told me that she didn't exactly follow mythology and she added a few things to the "original" stories, and it was totally fine! Honestly, if I didn't know a lot about myhtology I wouldn't spot the differences of what was real and what was from the author. Anw, the plot was super interesting and intriguing! The book was obviously amazing, I stayed up till 4am just to finish it It was engaging, it was filled with action, it was fast paced idek what else to say! Just READ IT NOWWWW! The characters were all so great, mr Stanley was one of my faves as well as Hope of course! If you know nothing of mythology then this is quite educational too;) So yeah this is an excellent book that deserves its solid 5/5 stars rate :)
A book about SPHINXES and set in the modern world where Greek mythology is alive and well. I picked this up expecting something brilliantly original. Curse Of The Sphinx had so much potential, potential that became all. But. Wasted.
How ever the author wanted the book to play out clearly became lost in translation. The story was and lagging up until the end and honestly the paranormal aspect of the book was irrelevent and barely touched upon. The book has the story arch of a cliche contemporary romance-- outcast girl who fails to fit in at school meets a hansome, dazzling popular boy who brings her to life, embeliished with a barely there Greek mythological touch.
For a book that was practically a romance novel, Hope and Athan are one of the worst couples I've ever encountered. The chemistry was non-existent and every interaction between them was tastlessly cliche. Not only that, but they both have the personality of a rock I could pick up from my backyard. Riveting, really.
The brutality with which the author demolished a perfectly good idea for a book is almost sacrilegious. Curse Of The Sphinx was wayyyy off the mark. So disappointed.
I went in to this book expecting a caliber to compete with Percy Jackson but alas no one can even come close to the king. But aside from being disappointed by that, I'm fairly satisfied with the plot line as well as the characters. However, I would like to point out that some details were rather vague and it made it difficult to go along with the story. But a little determination never hurt. And because of my love for Greek legends, I'm going to go on to the next book.
**this book was sent to me in exchange for an honest review from booktube tours**
I have to be honest, I didn't read the whole back of the book before starting to read so I was very confused because in this book, it is a well known fact that the gods exist and everyone knows about demigods and such.
But once I stopped being confused because I'm dumb I was flying. This is a very Percy Jackson reminiscent book but don't let that scare you Ito thinking its a rip off. It is very much it's own story and its own plot - I just couldn't help but feel a little nostalgic while reading it.
Nota: 2.75/5 Me encanta la mitología y el "epilogo" me ha dejado con ganas de leer el segundo, cosa que no tenia pensado hacer, pero tiene un ritmo muy lento y realmente no pasa nada interesante en todo el libro y el romance no me lo termino de creer.
I seem to be on a roll picking young adult romances... Add this to your list if you are looking for a fun, young adult adventure. Great book to pass a couple hours. Full of secrets and discovery.
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: http://bookbriefs.net** Curse of the Sphinx is the first book in the young adult, Sphinx series by Raye Wagner. What I liked the most about Curse of the Sphinx is that this is not a mythology lite book. This is full fledged mythology in all its' glory. You get dropped right into the action, so you would best be served if you have some kind of background knowledge on the players and workings of the worlds in Greek Mythology. One of my minors in college was greek mythology, and another minor was world mythology, so I knew a lot about the set up of the worlds, and a lot of the gods. Raye Wagner not only includes the big hitters, like Hera Hades, Hermes, Thanos, etc, but she also includes some of the lesser known gods, like the god of sweet talk and flattery- Hedylogus. I loved that. The mythology nerd in me was totally geeking out the whole time I was reading Curse of the Sphinx.
Curse of the Sphinx is about Hope, who as the name suggests is Sphinx, and you guessed it- is under a curse. I really liked Hope, but her mother had her so sheltered that she seemed a bit naive to me. I know that sounds strange, since she is what most people would consider to be a creature of myth that does not exist, but still she seemed too naive. Much of the first part of the story is told in a timeline that was based on the amount of days it had been since Hope's last move. I found this to be a cool concept, but a bit confusing. I didn't always know which move they were talking about. Was she at the same school? Was this still the same move? Or a different one? I would have really liked to have seen locations, along with the number of days. But the story still flowed really well, and moved at a brisk pace.
Athan is another main character in the Sphinx series, and the story starts out in a scene with him and his father in the underworld. I was very intrigued by Athan. I hope we get to see some more build between him and Hope in the next book. I think they have a lot of potential. Curse of The Sphinx is a book where you get bits and pieces of the answers as you go along. This first book did a good job setting the stage, and building the world. I love that the Greek gods are still running the show in modern times. It was a unique concept for sure, and there is a lot of promise for the second book. I think there are great things to come in the Sphinx series.
Curse of The Sphinx brings something new and something old to the table. It brings the well used mythology, but spices it up with putting the story in the perspective of one of the alleged monsters, a sphinx. Said Sphinx is named Hope Nicholason and she is on the run from the demigods who would just senselessly murder her without a second thought, the gods and creatures send from Hades to "keep the balance". Hiding away she can't make friends, can't share her secret and cannot stay long. Doing any of the three would only lead to hurt or even death. The story is addicting and emotionally engaging. I found that I was invested in the extremely well developed characters and and the complex plot. I could not put the book down. The story had a definite feeling of freshness to it. It felt new and refreshing. I can't get deeply into detail about why I loved Curse of The Sphinx without spoiling something or other, but I can say that I love the main characters and their struggles. I loved the sense of magic in the story, and I loved the underlying mystery that is hidden in the pages. I am super excited and am on the edge of my seat waiting for the next installment of the series. I totally recommend Curse of The Sphinx, its an awesome read, and give it the rating of FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARS!!! Want more of me? Go to: http://thenotsopubliclibrary.blogspot...
I decided to re-read this book as I work my way towards the books in the series I have to read. My feeling toward the book is the same. It is a slow read in the beginning and it does pick up the paced. This time around I did find it off how she jumped into cooking and what she chose to cook. Not that a 17 year old can't cook but there wasn't any indication that she could before with her mom. It's like she has to live in her own and all of a sudden she knows how to make filet mignon. I know it have her a reason to go one of her lifeline characters but it was kinda thrown in there. All in all though, it was still a good read for me.
***original review - This started off slow for me. It picked up quickly after Hope's mother murder. I enjoy Greek mythology but I wasn't sure if I would like this book. Many books try to weave mythology into their world building. I don't have to tell y'all, it doesn't always work. Thank goodness that isn't the case with this. The story is interesting.
Hope ended up being a stronger character than I thought she would be. I am not sure about Athan. He rubbed me the wrong way. He has too much alpha male going on. Also I don't know why she didn't figure out who those 3 new guys in town were. I mean a small town where the real estate agents says no one has moved to in years and right after she moves there Athan shows up and then 3 guys...uh hello...somethings up. Engaging and suspenseful, it keeps your turning those pages.
Story is really really good. Although what set me off is that I think we have different image of what a Sphinx looks like?? I say it like that because I got really confused in imagining it. Like she's in the Sphinx form but them she got hands? And can type in the laptop? Can do homework? Can write? I thought Sphinx has a body of a lion. Lion have paws though. So how in the world can she do all that??
I'm just curious. Lol. Another thing, I was under the impression that nobody should know about Greek Gods. Like half of the book I was thinking that humans in there didn't think of Gods or they are ruled over by the Greek Gods. I stopped thinking that after reading some reviews. LOL. Even the humans know how to curse like the Demigods. Makes me think that I am missing something out.
BUT overall, if I removed those stuff I have mentioned, I really liked it. Plot wise, it's something that I like to continue reading. Which in this case took me 3days and I read in between work or travel. I loved Greek Myths but it is my first reading a book about monsters POV and it's really great. I didn't expect I would thoroughly enjoy the book. :)
The writing feels middle grade. I still feel iffy about the romance. At the same time, I think I need to brush on my knowledge on greek myth because I'm still not sure what this curse has to do with our MC. It makes sense with her mom, but for her... Eh. I'm not sure. I don't know what Apollo has to do with any of these?
By the way, if you subscribe to Raye Wagner's newsletter by the end of April, you get this ebook for free.
I received a free copy of the book from the author for my honest opinion.
Hope and her mom are always on the run. Moving from place to place they may stay in one place for a couple of months or so and then they are packing up and off again down the road to a new place. Her mom is always picking small towns for them to hide out in. Hope knows a little bit behind the reason they are always moving. But her mom has never told her much. She knows that they are running from some very bad people, demons that what them dead and will stop at the nothing to see that they are dead.
Hope and her family was cursed many, many, many years ago by a God. Her mom has always tried to do her best by Hope and that is why she has never explained very much to her about them always running from one place to another. She is only trying to keep her as safe as possible. She is doing the only things she knows to do and the best. She figures the less Hope knows the better she will be and or may be happier?
When she finds out that her mom is dead and she starts learning more about all the secrets her mom kept from her. When she is found by a demon she has to move once again. Hope is on her own now and no one to turn to. She doesn’t know or has no one she can trust. What in the world is ever going to do? How is she going to stay alive? What or who killed her mom? Hope is determined to find out everything she can about the secrets her mom kept from her and who killed her mom and make them pay. Well that is if she can stay alive long enough.
Hope moves to a new town and a new school to start a new life. Being the new kid in town doesn’t give her much favor with the other kids but Hope is not real bothered by this she has always been a loner. Besides she doesn’t know if and who she can trust so it is better that she doesn’t have friends. But she meets this one guy whom she can’t seem to get rid of but deep down inside she is not sure she really wants to either. Every human needs at least one person in their life that they can talk to or just some to be with. As humans we need that emotional contact in some form or fashion. So with her realizing it she lets this new guy gradually make his way into her life. It all kind of slips up on her before she knows it.
I enjoyed reading Curse of the Sphinx and can’t wait for the next book, Demons and Monsters expect it April 2016. I can’t wait to find out more about Hope and her new life. Will she have to move again? Where will she go? Will she find someone she can trust again? Will she find out who killed her mother? Will she find who is trying to kill her? Will her and Athan still be together? Can they be more than friends? Can they even be friends? Questions, questions and more questions, what is a person to do but read the next book right? Well of course. Oh have you read Curse of the Sphinx? If not then I suggest that you do if you like reading about Greek Gods and mythology.
This book is the first in the relatively new series, Sphinx by Raye Wagner. I picked this up because it was the book of the month for the Perustopia Book Club. I was super excited for it and immediately purchased it for my Kindle since not only was the premise extremely interesting, but it's also a self-published book! However once I managed to make my way through the book, I found myself being fairly disappointed.
The synopsis of the book and the background of the story are very interesting. The story incorporates Greek mythology into our world. Students have mythology classes (instead of the history classes that we have), and there are students here and there who are demigods. I enjoyed reading and learning about the Greek mythology, and I'm glad that I bought the book on my Kindle - my Kindle's dictionary was able to give me more in-depth information about Greek Gods when they were mentioned in the book, which was helpful when I forgot what a certain God was known for.
There was so much potential in this book, but I felt like a lot of parts that would've made the story amazing were just skipped over. I realized this pretty early on, when descriptions would be cut short and scenes would be switched too abruptly. This made me so upset because I was enjoying the storyline and where it was going, but I wasn't really feeling a connection to the characters. Instead, I felt myself becoming annoyed with the main character because (1) she would make a lot of idiotic decisions, and (2) she would spend most of the time being negative and brooding (which I suppose could be normal for a teenager, but I don't want to read a whole book about that).
Hope Nichols has been on the run since she was born. For seventeen years, she and her mother have moved across the United States, never staying in one place for longer than a few weeks. She doesn't know who or what she is hiding from, but she knows that staying in one place for too long isn't safe. Then one day, her mother is killed and she finds herself alone in the world. Not knowing who she can trust, Hope moves again and begins school in Goldendale, where she meets Athan, a cute boy who catches her attention.
I loved the mix of mythology and the modern day. Although I did enjoy the book, I feel like more of a back story should have been provided about the Curse and Hope/her mothers lives. I would have enjoyed the story a lot more if there was one because at times I found myself slightly confused. I'm hoping that this is better explained in the sequel! The romance in the book felt a bit forced to me and I didn't really enjoy that aspect of the book... but I did like that it wasn't an insta-love. I didn't feel like I got attached to any of the characters and found most of them to be annoying ESPECIALLY Kristen, what is wrong with that girl?! I did like Haley though, she was very nice to Hope when she first moved to Goldendale. Mr. Stanley, the butcher, was my favourite character and I loved trying to figure out the riddles he gave Hope when she visited him. At times, the book was slow, but the writing style made it easy to get through these parts without them dragging on too long.
This is the YA, romance version of The Lightning Thief without the charming sass, memorable characters, or easy-to-remember gods. Don't get me wrong, CbtG was good, it was just heavily YA, lots of times in a high school, and had romance. So it did seem a little less entertaining when I read it after Percy.
Athan was great, btw. He was a balance between romantic and being a genuinely good person and YA needs more characters like him. Also, I called it three or four chapters before it happens. That's faster than I normally call these things, so I'm pretty proud of myself.
One thing did bother me: I've been around dfcs/children in foster care for 8+ years now. At my internship, I do social work. My mom helped the families at my church who were fostering for around 3 years. My family was a respite family for a year. So I know what I'm talking about when I say: Yes, you do get a little money for each child that you foster. However, it a) does not make you rich/provide a liveable income (especially not here in Georgia), and b) with all the emotional trauma that comes with a child, the money is not worth it. You're in it because you want to love the children or you're going to burn yourself out in 6 months, if not sooner.
Recommended 14+ for violence, some mild language build around the gods, romance (sensual not sexual), and annoying teenagers.
Disclaimer: I received this book for free when I signed up for the author's email list. It does not affect my feelings of this book/my review at all. (We all know the drill, right?)
As an author who focuses on modern day retellings, I'm always interested in how other authors approach the bringing the ancient into modern day aspect of the world building. Raye Wagner took a unique approach by making the Greek myths not just well known, but real to all the citizens in her society. Modern teens worship the Greek gods. Demigods are a known phenomenon walking among them. Monsters and curses are an every day part of life. The book maintains this fantastical sense of a magical AU without ever losing focus of the truly modern day. The high school is a normal high school, the students in it, just as much. This book *feels* like a really good representation of what the world would actually be like if all the magic of mythology was real. Everyone wouldn't be a demigod, humans wouldn't dare hunt/experiment/or otherwise go after demigods and monsters because friendly reminder, the greek gods do not take mortals trifling in their business lightly. Wagner pulled off a very believable society.
The actual protagonist is a victim of one of those generational curses so common in Greek mythology. Readers hoping for more background should definitely check out the prequel. I've read it, so I can't say whether or not readers would be lost without it. The romance was as anti-instalove as you could get. And the pace had a slow, gradual build up that kept me reading well into the night. I will say the story felt a little fragmented at first, but once the character arrives in Goldendale, the plot smooths out and takes off.
All in all a very unique and interesting take on Greek mythology.
Well, if you love a twist on Greek myths, this is your book. I really liked this one. With people, normal people in our every day world, being a part of the Greek gods and goddesses bloodlines and keeping things in check. Or causing chaos lol. You see, Hope and her mother have been living like normal people. She goes to high school and her mom works. But then, she finds that someone is after her. Someone thinks she's an abomination for what she is. She's a shifter but way till you see what she is!! Most think she's a monster, but not all monsters look scary. And not all scary looking are monsters.
Hope is 17 and in high school. She keeps to herself and makes sure no one finds out her secret. She's kinda sad to me because she has to keep so much to herself. Until Hope is chunked into a world where the gods and their descendants start causing trouble and she needs to keep her head on straight to keep her life. Now, a demigod is hunting her. He must destroy her, but he's not just a killer. And when hope starts to learn more about him, and him about her, thinks of course get complicated.
I loved the story line, though there's a good bit of things thrown at you, the gods and their lines and their beliefs and such. But it still reads like a great YA fantasy. In a high school type setting to the underworld, the world building is done very well. The pace flowed and made for intrigue to keep me turning the pages. And I loved the authors modernized way of doing the back grounds. There's some great twists and mystery as well. I definitely look forward to book two coming out soon!! You'll just have to see if Hope makes it out :) 4.5 PAWS!!
Loved this take on mythology. As much as I loved the Percy Jackson books, I really don't want that to be the defining series about Greek mythology. This one is up there!
I really enjoy books that have a supernatural or paranormal aspect that society is aware of. There are too many books that have supernatural creatures secretly living among us and only a select few are let in on the secret. I don't think that's believable. This is one of those series where everyone is aware of the fact that the Greek gods and myths are a real thing and still present today. This makes the concept of demigods that much more believable and realistic.
At times I got frustrated with our protagonist, Hope, because of how damn naive she was. But then, it makes sense with how sheltered her mother kept her. I liked Hope's character development throughout and that even though she was sheltered, she wasn't afraid to tell things like they are.
Athan's character is still a bit obtuse to me. I feel like there is more than we know at this point. Or at least I certainly hope there is to at least explain the insta-love and forgiveness of everything. Same with Priska. And Mr. Stanley...okay so every character makes me curious.
Either way, I'm excited that I have a copy of the second book so I don't have to wait! Would highly recommend for mythology fans!
I wouldn't have minded a bit more action to have taken place within the story, I was a bit let down in that aspect, but I instantly fell in love with Hope and Athan. They were both very interesting and unique characters, however, there was an added depth that I felt was missing from their personalities that would have taken this story from the 'great' category to the 'omfg-give-me-the-next-one-now' category. But I was very taken with the universe the story was set in, how mythology is something as well known as history and taught as much as maths in schools. For me, this is what made in gravitate towards the book, and I was not disappointed by what I found within its pages. 'Curse of the Sphinx' is a heart-wrenching story that had me reading for a solid four hours before it sadly ended way too soon. I cannot wait to see where this series takes the characters and readers both, I can tell that this is the start of something awesome.
The End, okay so the truth comes out but I’m still not one hundred percent sure of what all the curse entails. Although I will say that by the end we have a better idea. READ THE PREQUEL NOVELLA. Things end a little bit cliffy but nothing too crazy or shocking. As I mentioned before this was a great starter book. I feel like something amazing is around the corner. Now I’m off to read the novella for some more back story and I’ll be looking forward to what happens next.