Athena's Promise

Aegean Trilogy #1

by Annetta Ribken

Compared to Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden series, meet Pallas, the heroine of "Athena's Promise".

As the front desk manager of a hotel on the edge of Zombietown, Pallas is used to dealing with angry centaurs, surly trolls, and zombie housekeepers. The trouble really starts when one of her guests ends up dead. But that's not her only problem.

A cop with an attitude – can he be trusted to be more than just a pain in her ass or does he have a more sinister agenda?

A new Guest Services Manager, out for her job and ready to sacrifice anyone in his way – what does he really want?

The attractive maintenance guy, endangering the promise she made out of necessity to the Goddess Athena – does he know more than he's telling?

A mermaid diva, whose show at the Sparkling Butterfly must go on – or else. Pallas needs to find the killer, and fast, or she'll lose her job, her home, and the ragtag family she's adopted out of her crew of "critters". In the course of the investigation Pallas uncovers connections to a nasty Oddities dealer deep in the heart of Zombietown, forcing her to expose a trauma from her past which could threaten her future.

With everyone and everything she loves in danger, the promise made to the Goddess Athena may well damn her if she breaks it, but she is bound and determined to save her friends, her home, and everything she's built.

No matter what it takes.

Genres: Fantasy, Mythology, Urban Fantasy, Greek Mythology

269 pages, Paperback

First published October 20, 2011

About the author

Annetta has been writing since words were carved on stone tablets with chisels. Not only does she write her own words, Annetta is also an accomplished editor. She lives just outside of St. Louis with her evil feline overlord, a rescued shelter cat named Athena.

Reviews

[Patti Larsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Pallas, the MC. LOVE her. Witty, strong despite the odds she's up against and the horrible experiences of her past. Did she crumble under pressure? Never! Instead, this gutsy gal dives head first into danger for the sake of her friends and her home. Ribken's writing is very strong, full of snarking sarcasm that made me snort and giggle while tearing my heart out with Pallas' need to protect the vulnerable ones she calls friends. Awesome book--can't wait for the sequel.

[Martha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun fantasy. A true page turner with an amazing heroine and colorful characters. The plot takes you along on a joyful ride of reading

[Kate Anders · Rating 4 out of 5]

To read this review and others like it please check out my site, www.ufreviews.com

There is something to be sad about having a unique hook, something out there, that makes you as a reader say "huh, I really want to know what happens". For me it's the fact that Pallas works at a hotel at the front desk. When I first started going to college I was working at the front desk of a hotel, and believe me it isn't an easy job, I myself had to deal with a shooting (someone got shot in the butt, so it wasn't a murder like Pallas). So needless to say when I saw Pallas worked the front desk of a hotel that catered to the supernatural, and one where I murder happened, I was super intrigued.

As a front desk worker Pallas is basically responsible for anything and everything that comes up in the hotel. Making sure employees have everything they need, guests have everything they need, dealing with conventions, and reservations, oh and of course the inner politics that are in every job; oh and of course all the while trying to navigate all the difficult and different supernatural "critters" circumstances.

I love Pallas, she is a take charge kind of girl who is willing to do anything to get the job done. And it's not just because she is some crazed work-a-holic (although she is), it's because he work is her home, and all those people that she works with are her family. She's also a girl with a past, and a past that she hold close to the vest. In fact it's kind of fun going throughout the book and trying to put together the pieces of this woman's past.

Another reason why this book is such a fun read is because it is a part of a larger murder mystery throughout the book and it's really interesting to attempt to figure out who did it, why they did it, or if someone in the hotel did it.

There are parts in this book that make you laugh, and there are parts that seriously make you want to cry along side of Pallas. The employees are all creatively written and distinct in their own rights. Not only that but the world building is fantastic. What I think is even more impressive about this book is so much of it takes place in one setting, and when you have a book take place in one setting it can easily become repetitive. But that was never a problem for Athena's Promise, it was fun and interesting from beginning to end.

This was good book, a fun read, and kind of made me wish I worked a zombie hotel. There isn't anything to hot and heavy in the book so I would say it would be okay for younger readers, but those of you who really like urban fantasy this is a great read, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

[Justine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book that I have read with my book club. I enjoyed this pick much better than the first. I fell in love with this book from the very beginning! I loved how there was every type of critter that you could think of, and even some that you didn't think of. There were vampires, gorgons, mermaids, fairies and everything in between. I also liked how for the most part, all the creatures got along harmoniously amount humans. Plus, it was a murder mystery mixed with fantasy and paranormal. I also loved how the author dangled the secrets and mysteries right in front of the reader and slowly, painfully made you wait to find out the answers. But the pain was well worth it!
Pallas was one of the most mysterious characters that I have ever read about. We virtually know nothing about her until the very end. The reader learns about everyone else and their dog but not so much on Pallas. But what I didn't find out about her, I LOVED!! I really can't wait for the next instalment to see if/ when the promise is broken and under what conditions. I want to know if love

does really conquer all and I can't wait to meet this villain we keep hearing about.
This book was amazing! I would recommend it to young and old readers, mythology lovers, paranormal fans and fantasy junkies. Every type of reader is just about recommendable for this book. I just can't give it enough praise. So well done. Keep your eyes peeled for Annetta Ribken.

[Nicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to be honest when I first began reading this book I thought it was a little too over the top for me but I figured I should stop being "Judgey Judgerson" and give it a fair shot. I am so glad that I did. It was a really enjoyable read. It has a little bit of everything humor, romance, murder and mystery.

Pallas is a tough cookie who won't take crap from anyone. Her back story is sad and makes you wonder if she isn't a pawn in a bigger scheme. The supporting cast is interesting as well and I liked that every possible paranormal/mythical creature made appearances. I enjoyed the different spin on zombies that was presented. Rather then being bitten and immediately tuning into mindless brain eating machines, there is a 15 year delay. The zombies in this story were religious and very superstitious. It had parallels to someone having a terminal disease, trying to continue to live life and make peace with it.

As this is part one to an expected trilogy there were a few little carrots dangled for back stories that I will be more than happy to chase. If you're someone who likes to compartmentalize and not allow any food to touch each other on your dinner plate, this may not be the story for you. However, if you are looking for a story that is a great example of urban fantasy pick this one up.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read Annetta Ribken's work in her book of flash fiction, Not Nice and Other Understatements - A Journal of Flash Fiction , which showed me what I already knew from reading her blogs: Ms. Ribken can flat out write! But a novel length story is different to me; could she tell a story over the course of the longer form?

The answer is a resounding "Yes", yes she can! This is a pretty original take on a locked-room mystery, but with critters. The denizens of fantasy fiction populate the character roster of this novel, ranging from vampires to pixies to centaurs and Greek gods (and goddesses), and of course, zombies. It's reminiscent of the world that Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden lives in. And it's as well drawn as that world. I actually felt I learned something about hotel management (and I probably did!), that's how vivid this world is.

I couldn't ask for a better first novel from a fresh author. I give it a solid recommendation to anyone who enjoys fantasy, urban fantasy, or doesn't mind their mystery tinged with the supernatural!

[Melissa Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I heard about Annetta Ribken's book from a friend and fellow author Patti Larsen.
I had originally skipped over the book quite a few times because the cover wasn't my cup a tea.
Wow, I now know this the perfect example of don't judge a book by it's cover!
The cover made me think it was going to be very ethereal musings kind of book which again isn't my cup of tea.
(Damn, I really drink a lot of tea.)
Thrilled to discover how very wrong I was. Annetta had me sucked in by page 4. The kids being fed was put far down the list again as I read it all in one sitting.
(Note to all, I'm a writer also so give me a little bit of license when describing things to do with my kids, truth be known I did throw a biscuit or two into the dungeon for them and they were fine for the week...er,night.)
Can't wait find out some of the secrets alluded to in book one, like what was the 'accident' concerning Medusa and what is the love interests background to finding him working at this hotel.
Keep up the great work Annetta!

[Marguerite · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pallas is the front desk manager at an unusual hotel. The manager is a Gorgon, the owners are gnomes, housekeeping is made up of zombies and Pallas' new nemesis is a lycan. It's the perfect staff for a hotel that caters to guests who stepped right out of mythology and fantasy.

Athena's Promise is a fun, laugh out loud, turn the pages as fast as you can book. However, it's more than that. Pallas is a realistic, powerful heroine with a giant heart, guts of steel and a fantastic narrative voice. She, and her crew, inhabit a fascinating world where the thought that anything might happen is completely believable.

This is a weekend book; once you start you won't be able to stop. Start this on a Monday night and you'll miss work on Tuesday from staying up all night to finish Athena's Promise. I can't wait for Book #2. I'm seriously disappointed I can't just read it now.

Look out, folks. Urban fantasy has a new kick ass heroine, and her name is Pallas.

[Ingrid Foster · Rating 4 out of 5]

ATHENA'S PROMISE was a creative, fun read that I recommend for all urban fantasy lovers.
The characters (critters) as the main character, Pallas, calls them are ingenius, definitely a cut far above what your normal paranormal fantasy fare.

I applaud Annetta Ribken's writing style and ability to draw in and keep her readers. If I were to find one criticism it's the sheer, whirlwind pace of the novel but even that fits with the main character, Pallas, an obvious caffeine addict and insomniac.

ATHENA's PROMISE is a great read, I highly recommend. This is one novel that will capture your attention and not let it go.

All I can add is, so Ms. Ribken, when's the sequel???

[Cat Sheely · Rating 4 out of 5]

Working as a Front Desk Manager in a hotel isn't easy, especially when it's on the borders of Zombietown and patronage includes Centaurs, Diva Mermaids, Elementals and furtive humans. If your staff consists of Pixies, Zombies, apprentice dragon trainers and your boss is Medusa, then it's likely things will get out of hand. Add to that your patroness is Athena and she has her own agenda and you have the makings of a very interesting story when an elemental gets 'stoned'.

The characters are fun and dangerous, Pallas, the heroine, is different, never taking a backward step and the world-building is well-done. The writing is fast paced.

Altogether a fun read.

[Laura Eno · Rating 5 out of 5]

I devoured this book! The heroine is fun, sassy and kick-butt with an attitude that doesn't quit. The author has a unique voice, full of wit and snap. Her characters and setting are distinctive. They will stick in my mind for a long time to come. I'm so happy this is the first in a trilogy and can't wait for the next one to come out!

[Jan R · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome

I liked the plot to the book. Once l started reading it l was not able to quit reading.kiddos to the author. So when can I get the other two books in the trilogy. Love 💘this author

[Kate Sherrod · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pretty much primed from the beginning to enjoy this book, early chapter drafts of which I was privileged to see because the author is a good internet friend of mine -- but not only because of that.

Set in a hotel on the edge of the questionable part of town, Athena's Promise concerns the struggles of its front desk manager, Pallas (and the naming is no coincidence, there, but I'll get to that in a minute), made all the more difficult as the story kicks in by two unwelcome events: a murder that has taken place in one of the guest rooms, and a new, unlikable and unpleasant "guest services manager" imposed on the hotel by its owners to beef up the "numbahs" and make sure it retains its corporate flag.

This new guest services manager, by the way, is a werewolf.

And he's far from the weirdest thing in this hotel or this world, for Athena's Promise is, in addition to being what is termed a "cozy mystery", an exploration of what life would be like if somehow the old Greek gods and goddesses came back (she doesn't bother explaining how that has happened, just refers to "The Crossing" and leaves it at that) and brought the whole stable of mythological creatures along for the ride. Thus one front desk clerk at Traveler's Haven is a pixie and the night auditor is a vampire, the hotel manager is Medusa (yeah, that Medusa) and the housekeeping staff consists of a lot of very kind-hearted and well-behaved and hard-working zombies. Zombies, of course, being all of those things naturally, at least before they "Turn" and become the shambling brain-eaters of familiar lore.

And the guests make the staff look plumb dull: randy centaurs flashing trashy bling and showing up demanding rooms by the hour, the better to ravish their too-willing groupies; Elementals for Environmental Protection in town to supervise work on cleaning up the Mississippi River (the city of St. Louis is never explicitly named as the locale for this story, but it is Ribken's home and the novel has the feel of St. Louis throughout); and mermaid divas who travel from city to city and strip club to strip club putting on shows and mezmerising men who then abandon wives, families and girlfriends to become the mermaids' too-devoted followers and, incidentally, steady guests at motels like Traveler's Haven.

And that isn't all, for Pallas herself, bustling around trying to maintain order AND solve the murder, is not an ordinary girl, either, and her mystery is expertly teased out in little doses throughout the novel, complementing and beefing up the neatness of the main plot.

She is, too, the narrator, and it's her unique, fierce, feisty voice that really makes this novel enjoyable. Her protectiveness towards her staff, especially the much-misunderstood zombies, her impatience with the foibles of centaur studs and barely competent cops and Guido the cheesy werewolf who thinks he's the boss of her, is wickedly fun to read, and even if you think you know her secrets from reading between the lines and applying your own meta-knowledge of Greek mythology, you really don't, not quite, but it all works very well.

This is a self-published paperback and it does have a few flaws in formatting that might bother some: the page numbers on the left-hand pages are in the wrong corner, and there are a few passages of text that, bizarrely, are centered instead of left-justified, but I urge anyone who thinks he or she might enjoy a story like this to forgive these. Ribken is a one-woman operation (except for her cover artist, Rebecca Treadway) and an original, amusing voice in fiction writing who deserves to be read.

Bring on Athena's Chains, the sequel to Athena's Promise!

[Charity Becker · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm glad that others enjoyed this book. I did originally give this a 2 because I did like the story (aside from Pallas seeming more like a teenager than an adult), but the quality of the writing really made this a challenge for me to get through. I cringed every time I read the word 'fucktard' (I can honestly say I've never heard or read that one before) and every time I came across issues in verb tense (which were numerous). I wanted to enjoy reading this novel, but was so frustrated by the grammatical errors that I couldn't really get into the story. As an English teacher, I just can't give this more than a one as a finished piece. As a draft, I would say it is an interesting story with the potential to be a good story with some work.

[Sally · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't usually comment on ratings but this book was given to me and I thought the giver was joking. My ten year old could produce a better cover. I see it is published by Word Webber press and the author's website is wordwebbing.com - obviously self-published. This is why self-publishing gets bad press. You need a proper editor and publisher to produce a good read.

I read about half before I gave up. Sorry, but life is too short.

[Valerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book... so funny yet so dark. Can't wait for the next one.