Gods and Warriors

smartbeing - Gods and Warriors by Michelle Paver is a exciting book set in Ancient Greece, when Mycane and Crete were ruling the part of the world. The main character, a young goatherd named Hylas, is an orphan and is forced to take care of the village’s goats- against his will. He is forever an Outsider, as he has been branded, and his life gets worse. His friends and sister are attacked by strange warriors set on killing all of the Outsiders. In the midst of the battle, his dog is killed, his sister slips away and he runs off- with an arrow embedded in his arm. This sets the tone of an action-packed book filled with fights, near death and cliff hangers at every chapter. This book takes place in everywhere from the sea, islands, caves and temples. It brings you places from all over, through the eyes of a young boy and girl. The girl, Pirra, is the High Priestess daughter, who escaped from the temple and made her way to the island. Pirra and Hylas team up to find a way off the abandoned island. Along the way, Hylas ends up with a dagger that is very important- and the strange warriors, known as Crows, want it. He and Pirra have to fight their way off an island against the best warriors in the country. The plot thickens, as several characters allegiances seem to change and unknown stories are revealed in the waning moments of a great first book of the series. Michelle Paver brings to life an ancient world, and describes each moment vividly, painting an incredibly realistic picture in your head, and the action is so well explained, it’s like you’re standing in the middle of it. The strength of this book is the plotline. It’s like a roller coaster at Six Flags- the story seems to change instantly, but very smoothly. The strength is also a weakness, however. The plotline is so complex that is easy to become lost and confused. If you miss a key part- you will have no clue what’s going on. That is one of the few things I didn’t like about this book- it is tough to just casually read it, you have to be really into it. Other than that, I think it was a very good book and it ended with a question that will have to be answered in the next installment. I would recommend this to fans of Percy Jackson because it is a lot alike- just set a really long time ago. I enjoyed reading this book and look forward to the next book in this series.

July 23, 2012
Paver (the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series) tells the engrossing story of 12-year-old Hylas, a poor goatherd in Bronze Age Greece, who is attacked, along with his fellow outcast Outsiders, by the Crows, black-garbed soldiers led by the warrior Kratos. When Hylas makes a desperate bid to escape by sea, he is saved by “an enormous fish burst from the waves in a rain of blue fire—but it wasn’t a fish, it was a dolphin.” Washing ashore on the mysterious Island of the Goddess, Hylas meets Pirra, the daughter of a high priestess, who is also on the run, in her case from a forced marriage. Working through mistrust and misunderstandings—and aided by a dolphin, Spirit—Hylas and Pirra work to survive the island’s perils and defeat Kratos. Hylas and Pirra are engaging heroes, and Spirit stands out as an especially intriguing character. First in a planned series, Paver’s story should appeal easily to lovers of historical fantasy (and, of course, Percy Jackson fans) with its polished blend of action, ancient history, and myth. Ages 10–up. Agent: Peter Cox, Redhammer.

June 15, 2012
Set during the Bronze Age of Ancient Greece, this new adventure series attempts to navigate a land filled with fickle gods, dangerous spirits and even more dangerous men. Hylas, a young goatherd and Outsider, is forced to run for his life when a dark swarm of warriors known only as the Crows attacks. Following the raid, Hylas sets out to find his missing sister and solve the mystery of why the Crows are so intent on destroying every last Outsider. Parallel storylines of the chieftain's son, Telamon, and Pirra, a mysterious girl from across the sea, emerge, further complicating Hylas' quest. When a prophecy reveals that Hylas' destiny will destroy the known world, he must rely on new and old friends to survive. Action-packed chapters ending in cliffhangers keep the story moving forward at a fast clip. Richly detailed and historically believable scenes show Paver's commitment to authenticity. Unfortunately, an uneven plot, a lack of character development and unstable fantastical elements will keep readers from fully engaging. Though the story promises much in its premise, it falls short in its execution. Less than a sum of its parts, this unfortunate series falters before it even begins. Beautiful, but broken. (Fantasy. 10-14)

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October 1, 2012

Gr 6 Up-Paver brings her intense research skills to Bronze Age Greece to tell the story of Hylas, a young man who is an Outsider and is not allowed in the clan village. He suddenly finds himself being hunted by fierce warriors he knows only as the Crows, who seem bent on destroying him and all the remaining Outsiders. Hylas takes refuge in a tomb where he discovers a dying man who gifts him with a bronze dagger and some cryptic words about the answer being found in the sea. With help from his friend, Telamon, who is the village chief's son, Hylas makes his way to the sea. There he is befriended by a dolphin named Spirit that leads him to an island where he finds Pirra, the daughter of the High Priestess, who has escaped to avoid a forced marriage to Telamon. While initially antagonistic toward each other, Hylas and Pirra must work together not only to stay alive, but also to discover the truth behind the dagger and why Hylas is being pursued. The added element of Hylas's friendship with the dolphin adds a surreal quality to this story already filled with adventure and danger. Paver brings this mysterious period of history to vibrant life in a compelling realistic narrative with some fantasy flourishes. Who knew the Bronze Age could be so fascinating?Tim Wadham, Puyallup Public Library, WA

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2012
Grades 5-8 Hylas starts off running and never slows down; his sister Issi is missing, and warriors are pursuing him. Hylas is an Outcast, and Outcasts are being killed to subvert a prophecy about a bronze daggera dagger that Hylas has in his possession. Telamon, the chieftain's son, can't help, so Hylas escapes to the Island of the Fin People, where he receives aid in the strangest of forms: from Pirra, the runaway daughter of a High Priestess, and a dolphin called Spirit. Using multiple points of view, including Spirit's, Paver explores a very detailed settingthe Mediterranean during the Bronze Agealong with the rituals and beliefs of people who worship elemental gods, all the while keeping readers on the edge of their seats with plenty of death-defying action and adventure. Although each character is given time to develop, Spirit is the most fascinating. This first book in a new series will have natural appeal to fans of Rick Riordan's books as well as Paver's earlier Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)