Scan barcode
A review by lothlorienne
Promise of Shadows by Justina Ireland
4.0
I would definitely agree with those that have said the book's summary does not draw you to the story, but I'd recommend that you disregard the summary and dive right in.
Obviously, we have seen Greek mythology modernized in a few other YA novels. I've always been a bit drawn to these, as the Greek myths are fascinating in themselves. To add a modern connection begets an interesting setup for a story that could be headed almost anywhere. In this book, the mythos is focused on harpies, which I found to be very unique, and well done. Zephyr is a character I enjoyed. Strong, but not overtly feminist.
The book draws you in almost immediately, with the opening setting in Tartarus (hell). How could that not be fascinating?
I felt the book sustained a good pacing and plot development to keep a steady interest without many lulls. The characters introduced continued to be well-written, and the author did a good job of building up their personal twist on the mythos as the story progressed.
The only complaint I might have is that the love/attraction was a bit like every other YA relationship - overly crush-oriented and based on appearances, but this can be largely overlooked for the quality of the story.
This one has great originality, good flow, and I would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of Greek myths modernized.
Obviously, we have seen Greek mythology modernized in a few other YA novels. I've always been a bit drawn to these, as the Greek myths are fascinating in themselves. To add a modern connection begets an interesting setup for a story that could be headed almost anywhere. In this book, the mythos is focused on harpies, which I found to be very unique, and well done. Zephyr is a character I enjoyed. Strong, but not overtly feminist.
The book draws you in almost immediately, with the opening setting in Tartarus (hell). How could that not be fascinating?
I felt the book sustained a good pacing and plot development to keep a steady interest without many lulls. The characters introduced continued to be well-written, and the author did a good job of building up their personal twist on the mythos as the story progressed.
The only complaint I might have is that the love/attraction was a bit like every other YA relationship - overly crush-oriented and based on appearances, but this can be largely overlooked for the quality of the story.
This one has great originality, good flow, and I would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of Greek myths modernized.