#BookReview — The Labyrinthine Journey (Servant of the Gods Book 2), by Luciana Cavallaro #HistoricalFantasy #AncientGreece @ClucianaLuciana

The Labyrinthine Journey

(Servant of the Gods Book 2)
By Luciana Cavallaro

Follow Evan as he continues his odyssey as Servant of the Gods in The Labyrinthine Journey. The quest to locate the sacred object adds pressure to the uneasy alliance between Evan and the Atlanteans. His inability to accept the world he’s in, and his constant battle with Zeus, both threaten to derail the expedition and his life.

Traversing the mountainous terrain of the Peloponnese and Corinthian Gulf to the centre of the spiritual world, Evan meets with Pythia, Oracle of Delphi. Her cryptic prophecy reveals much more than he expected; something that changes his concept of the ancient world and his former way of life.

Will Evan and his friends succeed in their quest to find the relics and stop the advent of Christianity?

"The time to restore the true path has come, and my bloodline will become king of the human race."

It is prophesied that the Gods of Olympus will be eclipsed by a man whom the people will call the Messiah. That cannot be allowed to happen.

Evan has been summoned by his father, Zeus, the King of the Gods, to partake in a very time sensitive quest. If he fails, then nothing will ever be the same again. Evan, along with some new friends from Atlanta set out on an epic journey to find the ancient relics which will save the Gods from an eternity of obscurity. However, it will be no easy task for there is one who is determined to see the Gods fall and the Messiah rise.

The Labyrinthine Journey (Servant of the Gods Book 2) by Luciana Cavallaro is no ordinary time-travel story. Prepare to meet deities, heroes and a whole host of mythological creatures.

Cavallaro has drawn from her extensive knowledge of Greek mythology and has written a story that will not only hook her readers but hold them captivated until the very last sentence. The narrative is refreshingly rich and vibrant. The story itself is bold and successful.

Throwing aside the boundaries of time and place, Cavallaro has carefully brought together some of the great names in Greek philosophy as well as some of the most memorable Greek heroes and Gods from that time. So be ready to meet, Zeus, Poseidon, Hera, Ares, Kronos, Plato, Jason and his famous Argonauts as well as a host of other fabulous characters. Bringing these characters together works very well for Cavallaro’s purpose of presenting a very entertaining and riveting tale. 

I thought Evan made a superb protagonist. He is a foreigner in this classical civilisation, having been brought from his comfortable life in the 21st Century by Zeus. Evan draws upon his knowledge of both the birth of Jesus and the contemporary interpretation of this ancient world he now finds himself in. Every so often he lets slip a modern term, only to be met with blank faces — some of his explanations were fabulous, and I must admit, I don’t think I would have explained how an aeroplane stays in the air quite as well!

Evan is a very driven character who simply wants to get on with the quest so he can go back to the time and life he knows. Unlike others, Evan does not cower when the Gods present themselves. He stands his ground. Evan does not fear them, for he knows their secrets, and he does not respect them as a hero usually does, which makes this story a little different from other Greek mythology tales that are out there. At times he can be somewhat temperamental, but then so would anyone who had found themselves stolen from their own time and thrown into a world of Gods, monsters and, if I may play on words a little, χάος — chaos!

Cavallaro has skillfully included a shadowy counterplot to this story, and by doing so, we have been given the privilege of following the antagonist’s tale as well. I was really surprised how well this worked. Usually I like my protagonists to be somewhat blind to the danger they are in, but in this case, I found myself enthralled by the antagonist's attempts to thwart the heroes. Kudos, Ms Cavallaro for thinking outside of the box.

The Labyrinthine Journey is the 2nd book in the Servant of the Gods series — I have not had the pleasure of reading book 1, but this did not impede my enjoyment of this story at all. The Labyrinthine Journey stands very firmly on its own feet.

What else can I say about this remarkable book but, be prepared to expect the unexpected! The storyline was refreshingly original, and there are certainly enough plot twists to keep the reader engaged. This is one adventure you don’t want to miss. Great for fans who have grown up with Rick Riordan’s fabulous Percy Jackson and Heroes of Olympus series!

I Highly Recommend.

Review by Mary Anne Yarde.

The Coffee Pot Book Club.

Amazon UK • Amazon US

Luciana Cavallaro

Historical fiction novelist and a secondary teacher, Luciana Cavallaro, likes to meander between contemporary life to the realms of mythology and history. Luciana has always been interested in Mythology and Ancient History but her passion wasn't realised until seeing the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. From then on, she was inspired to write Historical Fantasy.

Connect with Luciana: Website • Twitter