What do you think?
Andromeda
For as long as she can remember, seventeen-year-old Princess Andromeda has done what was expected of her. She consented to a political marriage to a hateful older man. She became a quiet, obedient housewife. After her husband’s death, she agreed to be united in yet another political marriage for the sake of her country’s stability.
However, when the Greek goddess of the sea disrupts this second wedding ceremony, jealous of the pomp of the celebration, she places a curse on Andromeda and her home: either sacrifice the princess to a sea beast or let the creature destroy her country. A visit to the Oracle reveals that Andromeda needs four ancient weapons of the Greek gods to fight off the beast and the goddess who controls it.
Now Andromeda must find the strength and the cunning to do what she has never done before — to fight for her own life — while keeping the well-meaning “hero” Perseus out of her way.
However, when the Greek goddess of the sea disrupts this second wedding ceremony, jealous of the pomp of the celebration, she places a curse on Andromeda and her home: either sacrifice the princess to a sea beast or let the creature destroy her country. A visit to the Oracle reveals that Andromeda needs four ancient weapons of the Greek gods to fight off the beast and the goddess who controls it.
Now Andromeda must find the strength and the cunning to do what she has never done before — to fight for her own life — while keeping the well-meaning “hero” Perseus out of her way.
326 pages, Paperback
Published July 12, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 31, 2016
Title: Andromeda ~~ Author: Meg Trotter ~~ Series: God-Haunted
Release Date: 07/12/2016 ~~ Source: publicist
FTC Disclosure: I accepted this review copy free of charge and received no compensation for my fair and honest review.
PREFACE:
I am extremely excited to be writing this review. If you've been around my blog for a while, you've seen many mentions of my bestie Meg of Myth-illogical. This is her book! Yay! I'm so glad to be able to share with you all my love of this book. I've loved it for years, but next month it will finally be available for all to read. Meg isn't my friend that just happened to write a book - she is a (great!) writer that became my friend (we met at a creative writing group of which we two were the youngest and instantly bonded over our love of Harry Potter and love/hate of Twilight).
So let's get to the business where I tell you how awesome Andromeda is!
WRITING:
From the get-go, information, description, dialogue, and voice are all balanced to paint a vivid picture of every scene. It felt like I had a movie playing in my head, a movie that was funny, interesting, and exciting. No dialogue or description felt extraneous, I felt the tension of the action scenes, and I simply did not want to put it down (and considering I had read many previous versions, that's saying something!).
SETTING:
There is a lot of YA involving Greek mythology out there, but I've not come across many that are set in the original time period, probably because it's hard to get right. I know how much research went in to this novel because of this, and it was 100% worth it. I was blown away by how easily I could imagine every place.
A lot of the time, setting is something that is just in the background that I don't pay much attention to, but in Andromeda the settings almost felt alive. As I mentioned before, the amount of description was just right and made me feel like I was right there with the characters. I have a hard time picking which setting was my favorite, but it's probably between the Underworld, Medusa's island, and Delphi. I also loved the scenes at the Parthenon, but I've been to the replica Parthenon in Nashville many times so I feel like it has an unfair advantage.
CHARACTERS:
Speaking of characters, I love this cast so much. Andromeda is right at the top of favorite YA heroines for me. She is stuck in a terrible situation, and once she breaks free of it, she does absolutely everything in her power to keep that freedom. She refuses to wait around on the "heroes" to save or help her. I loved every moment when she gave a man what-for because she wasn't being proper, pointing out that she had bigger things to worry about than proprieties. And while being a grade-A bad-ass, she is also caring and compassionate.
Perseus is a character made of more quiet strength than Andromeda. He tries to do what is right, is respectful and sensitive, but when someone he cares for is hurt, watch out! I loved how ready he was to jump into any fray and how, despite being doubted by everyone around him, rose to each occasion. I loved that he was both physically and morally strong without being a macho-tough-guy.
Zeth was probably the most surprising character for me. He comes across as typical of the time-period, valuing heroes and dismissive of anything a woman could offer on something like a dangerous quest. He's also a poet and his attempts at recording the trio's adventures were hilarious and so very wrong. I loved his buddy relationship with Perseus and how he and Andromeda bickered every chance they got. He also had the most growth of the characters, and that was really nice to see.
The villain of the story, Amphitrite, is a little on the typical side for a bad guy, but considering she is a Greek goddess, she was right on par for what you'd expect of that lot. But my favorite thing about her was her physical description, which sounds weird, but it was one of the coolest ways to present a character that I've ever seen and I loved it.
Beyond the main cast, all of the other characters felt fully-formed, from Andromeda's friends and family to the various gods and goddesses and monsters. But there is one other character that I can't go without mentioning because my love for him knows no bounds: Hades. He only has a very small part in this story, but from my very first glimpse of this novel, I have loved Hades. I've literally been saying I HEART HADES for years because of this book. I cannot wait to read more of his snarky wit in future novels.
DOWNSIDE:
The only minor thing I found while reading this is that Andromeda gets hurt. A lot. Granted, a lot of the injuries happen while she is fighting or something like that, but she's also very jumpy. Thinking a bit more on it now, it could be because of her life with her first husband, which if so, is really sad and further goes to show how strong she is.
COOL STUFF:
Beyond Hades being the coolest of the cool, I absolutely loved every little wink to Greek mythology, especially when the characters would say something off-hand that referenced the original Perseus myth. Between that, the humor, and the many well-thought out actions scenes, I was giddy while reading this book. It was just so much fun while still being surprising in how it differed from the source material.
VERDICT:
If you couldn't tell by my gushing all over this review, I love this book. The great writing, fantastic settings, action aplenty, and fun twists make this a book not to miss. Andromeda is the epitome of an amazing heroine, being cunning, kind, and feisty simultaneously, and the dynamics between her, Perseus, and Zeth make them a trio I want to adventure with again and again and again.
*10/10*
Release Date: 07/12/2016 ~~ Source: publicist
FTC Disclosure: I accepted this review copy free of charge and received no compensation for my fair and honest review.
PREFACE:
I am extremely excited to be writing this review. If you've been around my blog for a while, you've seen many mentions of my bestie Meg of Myth-illogical. This is her book! Yay! I'm so glad to be able to share with you all my love of this book. I've loved it for years, but next month it will finally be available for all to read. Meg isn't my friend that just happened to write a book - she is a (great!) writer that became my friend (we met at a creative writing group of which we two were the youngest and instantly bonded over our love of Harry Potter and love/hate of Twilight).
So let's get to the business where I tell you how awesome Andromeda is!
WRITING:
From the get-go, information, description, dialogue, and voice are all balanced to paint a vivid picture of every scene. It felt like I had a movie playing in my head, a movie that was funny, interesting, and exciting. No dialogue or description felt extraneous, I felt the tension of the action scenes, and I simply did not want to put it down (and considering I had read many previous versions, that's saying something!).
SETTING:
There is a lot of YA involving Greek mythology out there, but I've not come across many that are set in the original time period, probably because it's hard to get right. I know how much research went in to this novel because of this, and it was 100% worth it. I was blown away by how easily I could imagine every place.
A lot of the time, setting is something that is just in the background that I don't pay much attention to, but in Andromeda the settings almost felt alive. As I mentioned before, the amount of description was just right and made me feel like I was right there with the characters. I have a hard time picking which setting was my favorite, but it's probably between the Underworld, Medusa's island, and Delphi. I also loved the scenes at the Parthenon, but I've been to the replica Parthenon in Nashville many times so I feel like it has an unfair advantage.
CHARACTERS:
Speaking of characters, I love this cast so much. Andromeda is right at the top of favorite YA heroines for me. She is stuck in a terrible situation, and once she breaks free of it, she does absolutely everything in her power to keep that freedom. She refuses to wait around on the "heroes" to save or help her. I loved every moment when she gave a man what-for because she wasn't being proper, pointing out that she had bigger things to worry about than proprieties. And while being a grade-A bad-ass, she is also caring and compassionate.
Perseus is a character made of more quiet strength than Andromeda. He tries to do what is right, is respectful and sensitive, but when someone he cares for is hurt, watch out! I loved how ready he was to jump into any fray and how, despite being doubted by everyone around him, rose to each occasion. I loved that he was both physically and morally strong without being a macho-tough-guy.
Zeth was probably the most surprising character for me. He comes across as typical of the time-period, valuing heroes and dismissive of anything a woman could offer on something like a dangerous quest. He's also a poet and his attempts at recording the trio's adventures were hilarious and so very wrong. I loved his buddy relationship with Perseus and how he and Andromeda bickered every chance they got. He also had the most growth of the characters, and that was really nice to see.
The villain of the story, Amphitrite, is a little on the typical side for a bad guy, but considering she is a Greek goddess, she was right on par for what you'd expect of that lot. But my favorite thing about her was her physical description, which sounds weird, but it was one of the coolest ways to present a character that I've ever seen and I loved it.
Beyond the main cast, all of the other characters felt fully-formed, from Andromeda's friends and family to the various gods and goddesses and monsters. But there is one other character that I can't go without mentioning because my love for him knows no bounds: Hades. He only has a very small part in this story, but from my very first glimpse of this novel, I have loved Hades. I've literally been saying I HEART HADES for years because of this book. I cannot wait to read more of his snarky wit in future novels.
DOWNSIDE:
The only minor thing I found while reading this is that Andromeda gets hurt. A lot. Granted, a lot of the injuries happen while she is fighting or something like that, but she's also very jumpy. Thinking a bit more on it now, it could be because of her life with her first husband, which if so, is really sad and further goes to show how strong she is.
COOL STUFF:
Beyond Hades being the coolest of the cool, I absolutely loved every little wink to Greek mythology, especially when the characters would say something off-hand that referenced the original Perseus myth. Between that, the humor, and the many well-thought out actions scenes, I was giddy while reading this book. It was just so much fun while still being surprising in how it differed from the source material.
VERDICT:
If you couldn't tell by my gushing all over this review, I love this book. The great writing, fantastic settings, action aplenty, and fun twists make this a book not to miss. Andromeda is the epitome of an amazing heroine, being cunning, kind, and feisty simultaneously, and the dynamics between her, Perseus, and Zeth make them a trio I want to adventure with again and again and again.
*10/10*
June 3, 2016
***I received a free ARC in exchange for an honest review***
I have to say that I fell in love with this story. I am an avid reader (read about 4-5 books a week) and enjoy getting lost in other worlds. The main thing that stuck with me was the twist on the Greek myths we’ve all learned, Meg added her own spin to multiple classic Greek myths that made this story refreshing and unpredictable. This story was told in a way that the true hero ended up being the heroine, Andromeda. She was the one responsible for getting Perseus to step up and act like the hero we all know him to be. I loved how strong Andromeda realized she was throughout the book. She went through A LOT of obstacles and near-death experiences and only grew stronger after each one instead of giving up. My favorite thing about this book was the way the author kept me guessing. I wasn’t sure until the end how all the pieces would fit together and to me that really made reading interesting and I couldn’t put the book down. This book focused more on Andromeda coming into her own strength than the romance that is budding between her and Perseus and I thought it worked nicely. I usually read romance books, but enjoyed the way the friendships developed in this book and look forward to seeing those relationships grow in future books. It does have a cliffhanger ending, which I'm not a huge fan of, I usually like to wait until a whole series is out before I read so I don’t have to wait for the next book. But don’t let that stop you from reading this. This was a pretty quick read for me (as I couldn’t put it down) and would highly recommend this book for anyone’s summer reading list. This author has herself a new fan in me and I'll be keeping her on my TBR list for sure!
I have to say that I fell in love with this story. I am an avid reader (read about 4-5 books a week) and enjoy getting lost in other worlds. The main thing that stuck with me was the twist on the Greek myths we’ve all learned, Meg added her own spin to multiple classic Greek myths that made this story refreshing and unpredictable. This story was told in a way that the true hero ended up being the heroine, Andromeda. She was the one responsible for getting Perseus to step up and act like the hero we all know him to be. I loved how strong Andromeda realized she was throughout the book. She went through A LOT of obstacles and near-death experiences and only grew stronger after each one instead of giving up. My favorite thing about this book was the way the author kept me guessing. I wasn’t sure until the end how all the pieces would fit together and to me that really made reading interesting and I couldn’t put the book down. This book focused more on Andromeda coming into her own strength than the romance that is budding between her and Perseus and I thought it worked nicely. I usually read romance books, but enjoyed the way the friendships developed in this book and look forward to seeing those relationships grow in future books. It does have a cliffhanger ending, which I'm not a huge fan of, I usually like to wait until a whole series is out before I read so I don’t have to wait for the next book. But don’t let that stop you from reading this. This was a pretty quick read for me (as I couldn’t put it down) and would highly recommend this book for anyone’s summer reading list. This author has herself a new fan in me and I'll be keeping her on my TBR list for sure!
July 5, 2016
Full Review at: What's Beyond Forks?
This is a clever re-telling of the Greek Myth about Andromeda. In many ways, I liked this better than the myth. I felt like I got to know Andromeda and Perseus better, and I enjoyed this version of their characters quite a bit. This story followed along with the original some, but it also put a whole new spin on things as well. It was definitely entertaining with heaps of action from start to finish.
The ARC of Andromeda by Meg Totter was kindly provided to me by The Book Vortex for review. The opinions are my own.
May 31, 2016
Meg Trotter’s Andromeda dropped me into a world where gods are worshiped and quests are had. The story itself follows Andromeda as she goes on a mission to save her kingdom and herself while battling the misogynist opinions.
This is a book set in a historical setting and Trotter makes me feel like I am actually there instead of just reading about it. The amount of research she had to do to write a book like this shines through at every moment. Everything from geography, to dress, to hierarchies, and different gods and their attributes is written seamlessly and integrated into the story not from the historical view of someone looking back in time, but as though she was actually living with these characters at that time in history.
I love how Andromeda takes charge of everything, while still showing her weakness. Even when she is terrified she still continues forward because she is not going to let the sea beast destroy her kingdom. It’s always so important for me to show heroes with weaknesses as well and while Trotter has shaped Andromeda into a strong willed character, she isn’t afraid to show her uneasy side. Apprehension lurks around every corner as she is forced to go on the quest, but she never lets that stop her or slow her down even at the very end. It could have been so easy for her to walk away and let the sea beast destroy her kingdom while she hid away for the rest of her life, but she doesn’t.
Trotter doesn’t focus a lot on romance, this is a girl who was married off as a teenager, widowed as a teenager, and then while still a teen she is arranged to be married off yet again. It only makes sense for this story to not be about Andromeda falling in love or finding her true love, but for her to find herself. She created two unlikely friends while on this journey and while I do hope she finds love eventually with one of them, it was so refreshing to see the protagonist not giving their heart to someone else during the story.
The ending was fantastic. I was slightly apprehensive while reading, but once I got to the very end I was blown away. This is the first book in the series and while the other book focuses on another character, I know these characters will (hopefully) return and I cannot wait to see that happen. I need the next book in my life yesterday and I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a great read with a fantastic lead who happens to shatter her expectations as a woman at this time.
This is a book set in a historical setting and Trotter makes me feel like I am actually there instead of just reading about it. The amount of research she had to do to write a book like this shines through at every moment. Everything from geography, to dress, to hierarchies, and different gods and their attributes is written seamlessly and integrated into the story not from the historical view of someone looking back in time, but as though she was actually living with these characters at that time in history.
I love how Andromeda takes charge of everything, while still showing her weakness. Even when she is terrified she still continues forward because she is not going to let the sea beast destroy her kingdom. It’s always so important for me to show heroes with weaknesses as well and while Trotter has shaped Andromeda into a strong willed character, she isn’t afraid to show her uneasy side. Apprehension lurks around every corner as she is forced to go on the quest, but she never lets that stop her or slow her down even at the very end. It could have been so easy for her to walk away and let the sea beast destroy her kingdom while she hid away for the rest of her life, but she doesn’t.
Trotter doesn’t focus a lot on romance, this is a girl who was married off as a teenager, widowed as a teenager, and then while still a teen she is arranged to be married off yet again. It only makes sense for this story to not be about Andromeda falling in love or finding her true love, but for her to find herself. She created two unlikely friends while on this journey and while I do hope she finds love eventually with one of them, it was so refreshing to see the protagonist not giving their heart to someone else during the story.
The ending was fantastic. I was slightly apprehensive while reading, but once I got to the very end I was blown away. This is the first book in the series and while the other book focuses on another character, I know these characters will (hopefully) return and I cannot wait to see that happen. I need the next book in my life yesterday and I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a great read with a fantastic lead who happens to shatter her expectations as a woman at this time.
July 12, 2016
Whew! What a journey! I feel like I've crammed this massive
enterprise in to just a few days. I must preface this analysis by mentioning
that I have very very little knowledge of Greek Mythology or gods and
goddesses of the like. Lucky for you and for me, there is absolutely
no need to study up before leaping in to this book. Megan does a great
job of keeping you in check along the way!
The only time I was lost was at the ending. I didn't expect to have
emotions, but I will say I did tear up in the last chapter. I'll leave
this vague for you, as I don't want to ruin the ending. If you lhave
read or seen Percy The Lightning Thief, and enjoyed it, then you'll
likely love this version as well. It rides along the lines of that
story with touches of familiarity, however is told from a totally
different angle. I felt as if by the second chapter Andromeda gripped
hold of me and haunting me to come back for more. Let me put it this
way, real life kept getting in the way of my figuring out what happens
next. Megan's descriptions are made of just the right stuff to build a
strong vision for that brain movie that gets going when you're
reading. I loved our heroine's personailty here. She was unsure of
herself and yet powerfully driven with purpose! I thought I was
reading in to an epic love story, and in a way one could see it as
such, but really it's about the adventure of a girl (with help)
throwing caution to the wind to save the day. Along the way she makes
some pretty epic friends who stick with her.
I feel like Andromeda is someone I would want in my life. You know. If
she weren't in a fight for her life!
I really love that my idea of certain gods and goddesses were pretty
much shoved over to make room for these varied details that personally
I never knew, or more possibly that Megan wrote in on her own. Which
is wonderful! Very good read, I would recommend to anyone looking for
a little quest filled with courageousness, surprises, and a definitely
unexpected ending!
enterprise in to just a few days. I must preface this analysis by mentioning
that I have very very little knowledge of Greek Mythology or gods and
goddesses of the like. Lucky for you and for me, there is absolutely
no need to study up before leaping in to this book. Megan does a great
job of keeping you in check along the way!
The only time I was lost was at the ending. I didn't expect to have
emotions, but I will say I did tear up in the last chapter. I'll leave
this vague for you, as I don't want to ruin the ending. If you lhave
read or seen Percy The Lightning Thief, and enjoyed it, then you'll
likely love this version as well. It rides along the lines of that
story with touches of familiarity, however is told from a totally
different angle. I felt as if by the second chapter Andromeda gripped
hold of me and haunting me to come back for more. Let me put it this
way, real life kept getting in the way of my figuring out what happens
next. Megan's descriptions are made of just the right stuff to build a
strong vision for that brain movie that gets going when you're
reading. I loved our heroine's personailty here. She was unsure of
herself and yet powerfully driven with purpose! I thought I was
reading in to an epic love story, and in a way one could see it as
such, but really it's about the adventure of a girl (with help)
throwing caution to the wind to save the day. Along the way she makes
some pretty epic friends who stick with her.
I feel like Andromeda is someone I would want in my life. You know. If
she weren't in a fight for her life!
I really love that my idea of certain gods and goddesses were pretty
much shoved over to make room for these varied details that personally
I never knew, or more possibly that Megan wrote in on her own. Which
is wonderful! Very good read, I would recommend to anyone looking for
a little quest filled with courageousness, surprises, and a definitely
unexpected ending!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews