Title: Shadow of Athena

Author: Elena Douglas

Publisher: Penmore Press

Publication date: 29 Sep 2019

Genre: Historical Fiction

Source: Review Copy

My rating: 4/5
Blurb (as on Goodreads):

In a cruel, centuries-old tradition, lovely sixteen-year-old Marpessa of Lokris is chosen by lot to serve as a slave for one year in distant Troy, across the Aegean Sea. She can return, but only if she survives. Marpessa leaves behind her devoted mother, and also a ruthless oligarch, Klonios, who vows to have her as his wife upon her return. The young slave Arion is sent to escort the maiden on her treacherous journey. After delivering her safely, he escapes slavery to eke out a living on the Trojan shore, until barbarians raid Troy. Captivated by the girl he remembers from the sea journey, Arion rushes to save her. The two find themselves marooned in a rough, unforgiving land teeming with dangers. Struggling to survive, they yield to forbidden love. Marpessa longs to remain with her beloved, but Arion knows he must give her up. When they lose everything in a deadly flash flood, he must return her safely home, despite the price on his head as a runaway slave and the evil Klonios who lurks in wait. By the time they reach Lokris, Marpessa is with a child. Enraged, Klonios orders their deaths, but Arion will stop at nothing to save Marpessa’s life. Even at the cost of his own.

Historical fiction has become one of my favourite genres recently. The best thing about Historical fiction is, though the characters and situations are fictional, the backdrop of a particular era demonstrates the norms, beliefs and people of the past. So when I was approached by the author for a review, I immediately accepted the offer as Shadow of Athena falls under the category of historical fiction.

I haven’t read anything related to Greek mythology or Goddess or the rituals mentioned in this book before so reading a book which has this all is something different and new to me. Through her vivid description, the author had taken us into ancient Greek and its religious beliefs and customs. It was really shocking to know that the ritual spoken of in this book was in fact undergone by Lokrin maidens for hundreds of year.

I liked the author’s writing style and narrative. Books that has strong female leads are my kinda books. Marpessa was one of the strongest female lead I had read. Arion was not only a very protective and caring person but a very responsible one too. That was the quality I liked most about him. Also, he was the only character in this book who has a practical way of seeing and understanding things rather than relating everything with the wrath of the goddess like others.

Arion’s story as a slave piqued my interest in learning more about slavery in ancient Greece. I learned that Athens had the largest slave population, with as many as 80,000 in the 6th and 5th centuries BC, with an average of three or four slaves per household, except in poor families. Wikipedia contributors. (2020, January 21). Slavery in ancient Greece. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 15:06, January 24, 2020, from Wikipedia

Forbidden love is one of my favourite troupe and it was beautifully presented in this book- a slave who caught between his feelings and his own conscience often reminding him of his state. The situations Marpessa and Arion entangled in, the hardship they had endured together, the pain and the suffering Arion went through to protect Marpessa and how they stood for each other at the end, everything made me grow fond of this pair.

The author had touched upon various themes like War, slavery and forbidden love. The first 16 chapters and the last 16 chapters were really engrossing but in the middle, the book was a bit monotonous with Arion’s and Marpessa’s daily routine. The climax was heart-warming and it was all that I hoped for. If you are a person who loves to read historical fiction, then this book is a definite recommendation from my side.

*Thanks to the author for the review copy. All opinions are my own.*