Verses of Athine

by Shannon McRoberts

Take what you know about mythology and throw it out the window...

Do you have any idea what Zeus, Odin, Pandora's Box, Atlantis, Machu Picchu, Hera, Nike, Dragons, Vlad, Clones*, and Vampires have in common? Athine does!

The Daughter of Ares Chronicles follows Athine as she uncovers the secrets of her destiny while interacting with key figures from many mythologies. Athine is not your ordinary immortal born goddess. Learn of her mysterious origins, learn why Zeus hates her so much, find out where vampires come from, and learn what really happened to the dragons.

Contains books 1-4 at one incredible price! This allows you to catch up on all the action in preparation for the next book Cursed Bloods (2015ish). (This book is a totally overhauled version of all 4 stories that are available. It replaced The Daughter of Ares Trilogy, The Narkurru, The Blood Sisters, and Worlds Collide. Athine Verses: The Beginning is also included in this edition, but it remains perma-free for those that would like to pick it up. It also was updated with new material and editing.)

*Clones-for a full understanding of this also pick up The Secret of Genetic Corp X.

Genres: Fantasy, Mythology

358 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 24, 2013

About the author

USA Today Bestselling Author Shannon McRoberts writes epic fantasy and urban fantasy books while living in the rolling hills of Kentucky. Shannon is a lover of all kinds of fantasy but enjoys watching her collection of favorite shows like Xena, Buffy, Firefly, Game of Thrones, and Farscape. When she's not busy with taking care of her family, binge watching Netflix, or making fantasy art, she is at her computer weaving myths and magic featuring women of grit and steel.

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Reviews

[Simon Okill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Verses of Athine: The Daughter of Ares Chronicles Collection by Shannon McRoberts is a highly imaginative retelling of Greek and Norse Mythology. All four verses describe the petty squabbles immortals tend to suffer which invariably lead to devastating wars for us poor mortals. Every God and Goddess is lovingly reinvented from Zeus, his son Ares and to Athine the ultimate warrior who has the entire world on her shoulders. As Athine passes through eons so she must battle vengeful immortals, dragons and vampires. We also discover Amazonians, ferocious female warriors, evil mages and many, many more fantastical creatures to keep the reader entertained. The final verse left me breathless with its completely unexpected twist.
Shannon's magic is evident with every page, using mythology and magic to create an epic fantasy for all the family to enjoy.
I recommend this FIVE STAR Fantasy to any reader who loves great battles, ferocious female warriors, dragons, vampires and pure fun fantasy.

[Desert Rose Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being a collection of all four parts in The Daughter of Ares series, this is not a short read. Luckily, it's interesting and full of great characters, making this a wonderful fantasy book.

Mixing Norse and Greek Mythology is certain to make for an epic plot. With rich histories and backgrounds plunging into both areas of myth, Shannon McRoberts does a fantastic job of creating a new story out of old legends. Full of mystery, secrets, suspense, and quick adventure, this story keeps you second guessing an on your toes.

This book follows Athine, daughter of Ares, and tells her story, from her childhood, to her connection with our world. We meet a wide range of characters, including the descendants of humans with dragon blood, descendants of dragons themselves, mermaids, most of the famous Greek gods, several Norse gods, vampires, and many humans. Watching history unfold in this magical realm is sure to satisfy the imagination of any fantasy fan.

The writing style took a few chapters to grow accustomed to, but is wasn't bad. Like most fantasy stories creating an alternate reality/realm/universe, there were a lot of names and places that were unique. It had a lot of dialogue and history, but still had action and adventure to keep the story flowing at good pace.

Overall, I really liked this book. With dynamic characters and extraordinary challenges, this story has done a great job of tying in the myths of Olympus and Valhalla with our own history. I would recommend this story to any fantasy fan.

*I was given an ebook copy of this book, from the author, to read in exchange for an honest review.

[Aidan Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Verse of Athine by Shannon McRoberts
Fresh and exciting
Let me start by saying this book is well worth the time it takes to read it. Now, having said that, know that I don’t know JACK about mythology. Any mythology I have (perhaps had) the slightest knowledge of comes from Hollywood or television.
Whether the events in this book are closely aligned with accepted mythology, or not, they tell a marvelous tale. McRoberts brought the feminine side of the ancient tales in to the light, and told this story from their point of view. I found fresh perspective as new characters were introduced, to take part in the tale. The old tales that I have seen only showed the beefy men fighting between themselves, with the goddesses as an afterthought. Whether fiction or not, it was most interesting to view the other side of the coin. The struggles and accomplishments of the women in the book make for a great read. I found myself rooting for the “good girls” even when it was only my perception of who was, and who wasn’t. In such a sweeping time frame, the validity of good and evil is transitory, and entertaining to follow. The time frame is vast, so read the verse headings well. One piece of advice I will offer is to go directly to the last pages of the book to view the pronunciations of names, places, and other things as soon as your mind says, “What does that mean, how do you say that?” I am a voracious reader, and can ignore such things, substituting my choice of pronunciations without skipping a beat. However, some people can’t, and the guide in the back could be the difference between enjoying this book and putting it down. I would hate to see you do that, because this book is such a fresh view of an ancient subject. In addition, if you stop too soon, you will miss the interesting tie-in to modern, and future (beyond 2014) times. Although it is a stand-alone novel, the end of the book has a HUGE hook in it. I, although not privy to the authors’ intent, believe there is another book on the way, which will cover a different genre. I hope so; this one was a blast!
I give the book 5 stars, even though there is a recurring grammatical error, for which I would have detracted only 1/4 of a star, if possible. What is it? Don’t worry, the Grammar Police will find it and point it out, but I won’t. To detract from such a wonderful story here in the reviews would be an “Immortal Sin.” I will recommend this book to people of any age capable of reading the vocabulary.
Forget all preconceptions, and have a good time.

[P.J. LaRue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Note: I received a free copy of this book in return for an honest review.

I’d previously read Athine Versus: The Beginning and Athine Versus: The Blood Sisters, but I’d inadvertently skipped Athine Versus: The Narkurru. So when Ms. McRoberts placed her mythology books on sale as a trilogy, I knew I had to read them all, this time in order.

I still love Ms. McRoberts’ artistry with extending Olympic mythology beyond the stories we learned in school. She created worlds for the gods and goddesses to defend and to rule. But, even better, she has written the stories that explain why the gods and goddesses are loving, jealous, protective and vindictive all at once.

In book one, Athine Versus: The Beginning, an Oracle's ancient prophecy foretold that Ares' favorite daughter will break a spell then allowing Ares to rule Olympia. Athine and Harmonia, two of Ares warrior daughters are fated to players in this prophecy. Will they choose to use their powers to save Olympus, Ximira and Draosia? Will they use their powers for personal gain?

In book two, Athine Versus: The Narkurru, Athine must protect the worlds from the Narkurru who are allowed to breach the veil due to an ancient curse.

In book three, Athine Versus: The Blood Sisters, Athine must protect Olympus from Nikeda and Morain’a. Ms. McRoberts yet again, weaves a tale extending mythology into a whole new realm while adding a new spin to the origins of the vampire.

And in a surprise twist, verse four, Worlds Collide, a time warp occurs allowing Olympus to meet inhabitants of Atlantis. This verse sets the stage for book five, and I for one, cannot wait to read it, too.

I would recommend these books to anyone that loves mythology, fantasy, strategy, and strong female warriors. I’d agree with the author’s statement that the age range should be 16+ years old, as the books depict the gods the way they were: both lusty and violent.

[Michelle's Paranormal Vault of Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this fantasy book a lot, although I had a hard time getting into it in the beginning, a little too many characters were explained and felt more like history lessons, but I forced through it (not being able to keep track of so many strange names) and it picked up really well from there.

This book has lots of the greek mythology type stuff in it that I found very interesting.

The story is mainly about Athine, who we do not even see until after 20% as its telling of her parents to see how we get to her.
Athine is supposed to save them all. ( I won’t go into detail of all the books, that are in this one book now, so not to spoil anything)

Harmonia is the prophetess that brought her mother to Olympus as her visions said it was how to save them. But not knowing it would not be her mother, but her, Athine instead, so she had trained her whole life for it, not knowing for what or even when.

It’s interesting, and if you like books with the Greek mythology, I think you would like this one, and the rest of the series that is now in this one book. Once your past the major lineage of characters, you will enjoy if you like fantasy books.

I give it 5 out of 5 stars, I originally gave 4 out of 5 for just the first book, only because I did have a hard time in the beginning, like too much info and people to fast. But once you get past all that, and into the rest of the books, it flows nicely and I really liked them.

I do recommend this book, give it a try.

I was provided this book for my honest review

[Maghon Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an interesting take on mytholgy. And holy goodness is it complicated. HA! Everything you thought you knew, just throw it out the window for a little while. Things are wacky cool. I actually learned a few things about some of the myths, and maybe it’s not your normal telling, but I sure enjoyed it.

Athine is a deterimined rule breaker. She is supposed to be a warrior, except she doesn’t want that. She also doesn’t want power, or to rule, yet she seems to be destined to do just that. Her family is either dead set on making her do these things, or wants to take the power. LOL Yeah, life is a little complicated.

The writing was flawless. I also realized that this is not the beginning of the series. So, I got book one, to see how it all started. But I had already become immersed in this one to stop. It’s really interesting. And I know my review seems short, but I am trying really hard to find ways to talk about it without literally telling you major spoilers. This is harder than usual :) So, I will now say, you should just check it out. It’s an excellent story. It’s so unique you’ll have a blast figuring out how all the mythology comes into play, and it’ll make you think about all the old originals, and which one may be right. :) Hehehe a little conspiracy is always fun! So, get it. 4.5 FANTASY AND MYTHOLOGY-RIDDLED PAWS!

[McKaylin Felton · Rating 5 out of 5]

At first I considered this something that I wouldn’t typically read, however as someone that has studies the humanities, I began reading it and was very hooked after finding that McRoberts used mythological stories from the Greeks and Vikings.

I greatly enjoyed reading the many stories within this chronicles. I would have to say that my favorite character out of all of the many great ones within this work was Isri. She was so valiant, selfless and yet, finds herself with a happy ending.

I found it to be an easy read, aside from names that we are not used to today, I found myself completely entranced in the world of these characters. McRoberts writes from the character’s views, allowing you to feel like you are right there along for the ride. There is also plenty of action for all those actions lovers.

I would recommend this to anyone that enjoys a great read, those that enjoy fantasy, and those that love the mythology stories of old. I love the use of Olympus and the gods that reside, as well as her use of Valhalla and the gods that reside there. She was able to take names of the gods still known today, but create stories that haven’t been told, while following enough of the original to be believable.

[Lis - The Indigo Quill · Rating 4 out of 5]

See the original review at The Indigo Quill here: http://theindigoquill.blogspot.com/20...

If you have the occasional inkling for an entirely new world conjured utterly from a person's imagination, then Verses of Athine is for you. When I first read the description, I'll be honest, I was a little wary that it would be significantly overwhelming. At first it was with the lineage of the characters listed in the same format you find throughout the Bible. That was probably the worst part about this book. I still thought it was cool that Miss McRoberts chose to include the lineage this way, but it made me just a tad bit dizzy. After that part, however, I found myself engrossed through the work. It was very well written and the plot and characters written with a mythological style. I found it interesting and innovative and Shannon McRoberts truly did a wonderful job. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys delving into a magical land they've never ventured into before...and be prepared to meet some new friends on the way, while learning new things about characters you thought you once knew!

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will be later to give my thoughts..let's just say for now; WOW! If you thought you knew where vampires came from, you may want to read this book!

It flowed gracefully from one verse to another, it was very easy to keep up with the characters as well as the underlying story. I would love to see a book about the two women who end up at Olympus due to circumstances!

I would highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys mythology as well as love stories, action, adventure, intrigue, murder, you name it, it seems this book has it all.

I would also like to say that I did win this book in the giveaways section, and I am so glad that this is the first book I have ever won.

Keep up the great writing Shannon McRoberts...I hope there are more to come!

[Nathaniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the original trilogy from Shannon McRoberts and loved it. Now with the revisions and the addition of another story to the series, I am looking forward to a follow up. While using familiar mythological names and concepts, the author is able to make the stories her own with a unique style. Written with focus on character relation, action, and little filler, the story collection is a quick and enjoyable read. If you love fantasy but want a story without hundreds of pages of descriptive filler then this story is for you!

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Writing could be better but I liked the plot. Sometimes the writing jumps between first and third person while talking about the same person making it difficult. The same person also jumped between arrogance and hubris to humility and compassion through the stories. I think this is one of those series that could go through a good re-write to add some character development as well as straighten out the characters personality. I'm reluctant to say more as I'm never good at stating exactly what makes it's a "B-grade" book and what it would take to make it "A-grade."

[Tina Power Traverse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let the fantasy adventure begin!

 I may not understand a lot about Greek Mythology, but that has not stopped me from being fascinated with it.
The title character, Athine, is a young warrior goddess with magical powers, and her very existence is a product of trickery, but in the end her existence proves to be a blessing.

 Shannon McRoberts had me spellbound long after I put it down.

 Even if you are not a fan of this particular genre, I encourage you to pick up a copy and settle in for the adventure of your life!

[Rosie Zayne]

Check out my review here!