March 1, 2007
Gr 6-10-This sequel to "Corydon & the Island of Monsters" (Knopf, 2006) extends the premise of the first book: several monsters have moved to an island and live in uneasy peace with the local humans. As the book opens, goat-footed Corydon, a son of the god Pan, learns that his friend the Minotaur has been kidnapped. He sets out, along with Medusa's son Gorgos, a hydra, two gorgons, and a half-snake-half-girl, to rescue the Minotaur. The party encounters many other characters from Greek mythology during the quest, which ends in Atlantis. While the monster-as-hero theme is creative, plot twists overshadow character development. In addition, the writing is choppy, the time period of the story is unclear, and readers unfamiliar with the events of the first book won't know where this one fits into traditional Greek mythology. Unless your readers are clamoring to know more about Corydon and his companions, save your money for second copies of Rick Riordan's "The Lightning Thief" (2005) and "The Sea of Monsters" (2006, both Hyperion/Miramax), which provide an engaging, well-written look at Greek gods and monsters in a contemporary world."Beth Wright, Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, VT"
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