Riddles of the Sphinx

by Meagan Cleveland

Thebes is cursed. Or so Ismene's nurse tells her. Ismene has never been outside the palace; she's led a sheltered life protected from the plague that took the lives of her parents, the king and queen. But when a mysterious voice compels her to leave the safety of her known world, Ismene decides to venture out on her own. Soon she learns the only things keeping her inside the palace are the lies being fed to her by the ones she loves. Ismene disguises herself as a boy to join the delegation on their way to Delphi for the Pythian Games.




In Delphi, Ismene comes face-to-face with the owner of the the god Apollo himself. When Apollo tells Ismene her city and her family are destined to be destroyed, Ismene will do anything to prevent this from happening. She makes a bargain with the god, agreeing to go into his service if she cannot stop the war between her brothers. Joining the famous seer Tiresias, Ismene travels Hellas and the Underworld to unlock the secrets of her past. She uses her own curse-visions of the past, present, and future-to try to change the course of fate to save a kingdom, end a war, and reunite her family.But the god has only given her three months to try and solve the family mystery. The war rages on and Ismene may be destined to be the only survivor.

Genres: Fantasy, Greek Mythology, Mythology

270 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 30, 2024

About the author

My MA and BA in Classics have taken me on many adventures: attending a week-long conference speaking exclusively in Latin, living with archaeologists in Rome, delivering a paper on Greek tragedy at a conference at Oxford, and searching for Greek inscriptions in Athens. Whether on the page, in a museum, or in the archaeologists’ trench, the classics are still alive if you know where to look.

Reviews

[HighMountainReader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Meagan did an amazing job of bringing Ancient Greece to life in her debut novel. I can’t wait to see what she does next! Great job Meagan!!

[Mr. R · Rating 2 out of 5]

I heard about this book on the podcast, "Let's Talk About Myths Baby" and was excited to dive in. Unfortunately, I was a bit dissatisfied. The story unfolds through Ismene's passive lens, making events and decisions feel peripheral. Thematically, I understand this stylistic choice, but for me, it resulted in a narrative where everything happened around Ismene and not directly involving her (even if the plot points affected her). Early in the novel, Ismene could have actively challenged fate, but, each attempt to alter destiny only pushed her closer to it. This concept could have put her more front and center, rather than having the main character become a bystander. Based on the exciting podcast, I just expected more. One particular frustrating moment was the extensive synopsis of Oedipus the King. This section interrupted the flow. There were also some distracting run-on sentences that pulled me from the story.

Grade: D

[Meagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

In RIDDLES OF THE SPHINX, Ismene, daughter of the legendary Oedipus, refuses to be a background character in the tragedy of her family. Ismene makes a wager with Apollo, the god who cursed her family, agreeing to go into his service if she cannot stop the war between her brothers. Ismene must travel all across Ancient Greece to learn the source of her family curse and try to break it before war severs her family forever. But, in a family at war with itself, is she destined to be the only survivor?

I have a BA in Classical Studies and Classical Languages from the University of Guelph and a MA in Classics from the University of Western Ontario. Since graduating, I have decided to pursue my life long dream of becoming an author, using my knowledge of Classical history, literature and archeology to adapt Classical myths for young adults.

I hope you like my debut novel!

[Eleanor Stanhope · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this twist on a well known story. I also liked that it is YA. My only small critique is the pace of the second half felt rushed - the three month time limit seemed pointless when most of the plot happened in the last few days. Otherwise I loved the adventure, the weaving of myths and small history lessons in the glossarised vocabulary.