Circe, the Ancient Greek sorceress, is causing Sabrina trouble at the Witches' Council dance. So Sabrina decides to ruin her night. This proves to be a big mistake because, in revenge, Circe kidnaps Harvey.
Mel Odom is a bestselling writer for hire for Wizards of the Coast's Forgotten Realms, Gold Eagle's Mack Bolan, and Pocket's Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel book lines. His debut SF novel Lethal Interface made the Locus recommended list . The Rover was an Alyx Award winner. He has also written a scientific adventure of the high seas set in the 19th century entitled Hunters of the Dark Sea. He lives in Oklahoma.
This one is kind of a mix of magic, alternative realities, science fiction and mythology. Circe, of mythological fame, feels Sabrina has not shown her proper respect. (Not that she did anything to earn that respect, of course.)
Circe shows up at school and kidnaps Harvey, making this sort of a takeoff on the idea of a school shooter. It's kind of a rather questionable thing to do something like this is a book meant for young readers who already have to put up with such threats in real life.
Sabrina meets a scientist who can help her get to the Manhattan that Circle controls. Here to me there's another problem, the scientist sounding and acting just like a mad Nazi scientist from World War II. Probably many readers who not even recognize this for what it is and just think it's funny.
That Manhattan is filled with once full humans who have been altered by Circe. Sabrina has to try to fix things that for some reason the Witch's Council refuses to do (out of fear of Circe's powers, probably, but if they stood united they should have enough to deal with her. )
In my own opinion books like this can be funny and at times scary and still be fine but if it's overdone, like in this book, then the quality of the story is hurt. Circe could have kidnapped Harvey at some kind of store or while he was playing a game. The scientist could have been effective as some kind of stuffed-shirt guy that thinks he's an incredible genius and who didn't want to help but finally gives in. Instead of an entire Manhattan filled with mutated humans it could have been Circe's traditional temple with fewer hybrid figures and a little more emphasis on the mythology angle.
Very interesting how Kirke's Manhattan did not have the Twintowers. Everything else was the same, excepting names, but those two buildings were not there at all...
I loved all of the Sabrina tales full of magic. Every story was a different adventure and some new and exciting challenge to overcome. These books made me want to have magical powers too but the ending results were hilarious.