Meet Phoebe Katz, a twelve-year-old foster kid from New York City who’s been bounced around the system her entire life. Things happen around Phoebe, but it’s not like they’re her fault! But when a statue of Athena comes to life, Phoebe gets the stunning news she’s the daughter of Zeus, has a twin brother named Perseus―and was sent away from ancient Greece as a baby to stop a terrible prophecy that predicted she would one day destroy Olympus. Athena warns Phoebe to stay in hiding, but when the vengeful god Ares kidnaps her beloved social worker, Phoebe has no choice―she has to travel back to ancient Greece and rescue him! There, Phoebe and her friends Angie and Damian discover a new prophecy, one that may fix everything. The catch: Phoebe has to collect talismans from six Greek monsters, including the fang from a nine-headed hydra, a talon from the Nemean lion, and a feather from the sphinx. No problem for a girl with the power to call up lightning bolts and change the weather! But can Phoebe collect them all and stop the prophecy before she destroys Olympus? 

I won’t lie, I enjoy pretty much any stories featuring mythology and while there are some notable series featuring Greek mythology, that doesn’t mean other stories featuring the same mythology can’t be enjoyed. I did enjoy Phoebe’s back story as it did set it apart and we do see some of the typical childhood behavior from others and herself that come from being in her situation. I did really enjoy the friendships she had and how she and her friends interacted, not always agreeing, but working together.

Her journey did harken to ‘hero’s journey’ stories (which most adventure stories follow) and was full of adventure, growth, colorful characters and obstacles to overcome. The illustrations peppered throughout the story were a nice surprise and a great addition. Phoebe was a well fledged out character, as were Damien and Angie. No one was always right and there was plenty of learning from mistakes or missteps. I think this is a great story for anyone looking for an adventure including mythology and look forward to reading further books in the series.

Happy reading!