What do you think?
Rate this book
The Sea King's Daughter
After a strange visit from the father she has not seen in twenty years, Sandy Bishop agrees to do illegal scuba diving for his archeaological expedition in Greece
230 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1975
79 people are currently reading
989 people want to read
About the author
Barbara Michaels
95 books693 followersBarbara Michaels was a pen name of Barbara Mertz. She also wrote as Elizabeth Peters, as well as under her own name.
She was born in Canton, Illinois and has written over fifty books including some in Egyptology. Dr. Mertz also holds a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in Egyptology.
She was born in Canton, Illinois and has written over fifty books including some in Egyptology. Dr. Mertz also holds a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in Egyptology.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
October 28, 2017
Great romantic suspense story in the vein of Mary Stewart.
The young heroine lies to her parents so she can go to Santorini to get to know her natural father. He's a famous archaeologist, but a cold and rotten father. While she's there her father uses her to do some archaeological diving for treasure.
Toss in a young hero, a suspense mystery/adventure that dates back to the WWII, and the reader has fast paced enjoyable story.
Barbara Michaels really channels Mary Stewart's strong and likable heroines who find themselves coping with a mystery adventure episode in another country.
It's been a while since I have read it, but it is a constant for re-reads.
The young heroine lies to her parents so she can go to Santorini to get to know her natural father. He's a famous archaeologist, but a cold and rotten father. While she's there her father uses her to do some archaeological diving for treasure.
Toss in a young hero, a suspense mystery/adventure that dates back to the WWII, and the reader has fast paced enjoyable story.
Barbara Michaels really channels Mary Stewart's strong and likable heroines who find themselves coping with a mystery adventure episode in another country.
It's been a while since I have read it, but it is a constant for re-reads.
September 29, 2017
More so than other books by Barbara Michaels, this reminded me of Mary Stewart. The setting in Greece and a mystery hearkening back to WWII and the relatively young age of our heroine probably contributed to that feeling. A young woman accompanies her long lost archaeologist father to a volcanic island in Greece to investigate long lost sunken treasure. Of course there is a rival archaeologist with an attractive young assistant. There is also a villa with a mysterious man and woman who live there, much gossiped about by the village. There were earthquakes, a volcanic eruption, and a weird ancient female cult. All in little more than 200 pages! Sandy, our heroine, was self proclaimed indifferent student in high school and college, much more interested in sports; yet she seems to know more about ancient mythology than your average person and had read Mary Renault. Also the archaeological digs seem, to me, to be pretty amateurish. I was curious about those people on the hill though.
August 20, 2020
Meh. The main character seem to fall in love with the guy for the simple reason that he was just so darn male. Boring! Also, the mystical element just seemed silly, like it was only there for the effect.
July 23, 2022
I have a lot of trouble getting into Ms. Michaels books. It takes a while for her to get me truly involved, but once there I have no difficult finishing the book. It means taking a long time to read her books, however. This one took almost two months, when I usually read a book in one to two days. I couldn't really get into the characters, but the plot became much more interesting as the book wound to a close.
February 21, 2022
This story is a mix of archaeology, history, myths (ancient religion), gothic suspense with a touch of romance and supernatural. The story begins in Florida with a young college girl who goes to Greece at the request of her father who is working archaeological digs there. The main story begins in Crete. I enjoyed reading about the ancient myths and the landscape and how the Greek people live under the shadow of volcanoes and earthquakes.
August 6, 2021
Like other reviewers, this book reminded me so much of a Mary Stewart novel (especially The Moon-Spinners, which I recently read and which also takes place in Crete). I liked the strong, no-nonsense heroine, and I enjoyed the passages dealing with underwater archaeology and ancient Greek and Minoan cultures and mythology. The secret WWII-era mystery was intriguing. The action and plot didn't seem to take very long to get underway (though the ending did seem a little rushed). Overall, I enjoyed this!
May 14, 2021
I never have anything bad to say about any of Michaels books. I love them all.
March 17, 2023
I had read this book before, possibly several times, back when I was a young teen but I definitely didn't remember the uncharacteristically apocalyptical climax or just how modern, active, and American the main character is. It is very refreshing to find a gothic romance in which the main character feels so young and alive, whether she's backpacking around Europe, finding sunken treasure, or sassing her dad. This is not to say that she isn't occasionally damseled, but it's usually through some rather extreme circumstances.
I really had forgotten how fun these books are and I see why I was so gaga for Barbara Michaels back in the day. She really is holding up for me so far.
I really had forgotten how fun these books are and I see why I was so gaga for Barbara Michaels back in the day. She really is holding up for me so far.
June 3, 2009
This is another one of my favorites of Michaels'! It takes place in Greece and there is a clever tie-in with Greek mythology. Definitely one of her best books, I think.
December 30, 2015
i was expecting more, the beginning was good and then the last part felt really rushed
May 29, 2023
This is another of Barbara Michael's 1970's gothic thrillers. I think I've read most of them, at this point, and while not without its faults, I enjoyed it (especially the first half) more than I expected. I think it was better than the last few of hers I've read.
What made this one better? Three things come to mind:
Exotic locale.
The beautiful setting of Santorini worked in its favor and gave it a light touch of the Mary Stewart vibe. It's much more appealing than the last one I remember reading, which was set against the scintillating setting of some boring college, a creepy old grump's deteriorating (?) mansion, and the claustrophobic home of two aging religious obsessives. (Search the Shadows, if that has tempted you...)
Non-academic heroine.
Obviously I don't object to an intelligent heroine, but it does make a bit of a change that this one starts out being more interested in athletic pursuits than books—though she still comes across as unusually well-informed in some rather niche subjects, which was a bit silly. Either commit to a non-bookish heroine or don't! Ah well, at least she tried. It's definitely a break from the author's usual style, and that gave it a fresher feel.
Less "male chauvinist pig"-hunting.
Some of these books are heavy handed with the attitude of, "Oh, what a good feminist am I! I shall find offense hidden in every little thing, because it's us against them!" It gets old, and the language feels outdated. (The funny thing is that there are some very unenlightened, cringe-inducing elements in some of these books, despite the attempt to be oh-so correct.) There are a few... moments, but it's less than usual.
Those positives aside, I didn't give two figs about the romance and found the whole mystery a bit blah. The early hints at the spooky supernatural came to naught, and despite some literal earth-shaking developments in the plot (not to mention a few natural fireworks), the whole story felt flat for me. I just... didn't really care.
It was okay. At least I didn't actively hate the heroine by the end of the book, which isn't always a given with these things!
2.5 rounded up the 3 stars.
What made this one better? Three things come to mind:
Exotic locale.
The beautiful setting of Santorini worked in its favor and gave it a light touch of the Mary Stewart vibe. It's much more appealing than the last one I remember reading, which was set against the scintillating setting of some boring college, a creepy old grump's deteriorating (?) mansion, and the claustrophobic home of two aging religious obsessives. (Search the Shadows, if that has tempted you...)
Non-academic heroine.
Obviously I don't object to an intelligent heroine, but it does make a bit of a change that this one starts out being more interested in athletic pursuits than books—though she still comes across as unusually well-informed in some rather niche subjects, which was a bit silly. Either commit to a non-bookish heroine or don't! Ah well, at least she tried. It's definitely a break from the author's usual style, and that gave it a fresher feel.
Less "male chauvinist pig"-hunting.
Some of these books are heavy handed with the attitude of, "Oh, what a good feminist am I! I shall find offense hidden in every little thing, because it's us against them!" It gets old, and the language feels outdated. (The funny thing is that there are some very unenlightened, cringe-inducing elements in some of these books, despite the attempt to be oh-so correct.) There are a few... moments, but it's less than usual.
Those positives aside, I didn't give two figs about the romance and found the whole mystery a bit blah. The early hints at the spooky supernatural came to naught, and despite some literal earth-shaking developments in the plot (not to mention a few natural fireworks), the whole story felt flat for me. I just... didn't really care.
It was okay. At least I didn't actively hate the heroine by the end of the book, which isn't always a given with these things!
2.5 rounded up the 3 stars.
August 26, 2017
The Sea King's Daughter by Barbara Michaels (Elizabeth Peters) has the protagonist, Sandy Bishop (Ariadne Frederick), leaving her mother and step-father to go on an archaeological hunt with her natural father, who is cold and concerned only with finding Minoan ships in a harbor in Santorini. There, however, she seems to find herself as a part of a myth of her namesake, with the unlikely trio of three former resistance fighters (her father, another archeologist, and a dead friend, whose role has been taken by a nephew who resembles him--and falls for Sandy) and a former Nazi commander who was there at the same time and his consort, a Greek woman who first worked with the resistance but now lives with the former Nazi. Between the plot of the WWII persons "accidentally" together on the island, and the plot of the ancient Minos-Theseus-Ariadne myth re-occurring in modern times, and the constant small eruptions of the volcano and earthquakes, the story becomes quite exciting and involved.
The protagonist-narrator Sandy is likeable; Jim, the nephew and now lover of Sandy is a little up-tight, but pleasant; the other characters are generally a mix of unpleasant and intriguing. The plot is interesting and involving. The setting is fantastic, and the allusions to many Greek myths add to the glamour. It is an enjoyable, if fluffy, read.
The protagonist-narrator Sandy is likeable; Jim, the nephew and now lover of Sandy is a little up-tight, but pleasant; the other characters are generally a mix of unpleasant and intriguing. The plot is interesting and involving. The setting is fantastic, and the allusions to many Greek myths add to the glamour. It is an enjoyable, if fluffy, read.
October 7, 2022
This retro read stars recent college graduate Sandy Frederick. She has been raised by her mother and stepfather in Florida and has almost forgotten that her father is an archaeologist. When she is contacted by her father who wants her to help him with his current search for Atlantis.
Sandy is eager for the adventure, but she has questions about diving alone in waters that she doesn't know. She finds herself in the middle of a situation that has its roots in the past. Her father and some of his fellow scholars were assigned to the same island where they are now during World War II as part of the underground efforts against the Germans. The main characters of that time period have gathered again.
But Sandy is also having dreams about the long distant past where she is Ariadne, and the minotaur is active. I really liked the vivid descriptions of Sandy's dreams. All the descriptions of the land and characters were vivid.
There is also a romance. Sandy meets Jim who is a budding archaeologist who is working for her father's rival. The two of them have all sorts of adventures ranging from a mob of believers to a volcanic eruption.
This was an entertaining story. Written as a contemporary romantic suspense title in 1975, it has aged into a nice historical romantic suspense story.
Sandy is eager for the adventure, but she has questions about diving alone in waters that she doesn't know. She finds herself in the middle of a situation that has its roots in the past. Her father and some of his fellow scholars were assigned to the same island where they are now during World War II as part of the underground efforts against the Germans. The main characters of that time period have gathered again.
But Sandy is also having dreams about the long distant past where she is Ariadne, and the minotaur is active. I really liked the vivid descriptions of Sandy's dreams. All the descriptions of the land and characters were vivid.
There is also a romance. Sandy meets Jim who is a budding archaeologist who is working for her father's rival. The two of them have all sorts of adventures ranging from a mob of believers to a volcanic eruption.
This was an entertaining story. Written as a contemporary romantic suspense title in 1975, it has aged into a nice historical romantic suspense story.
June 18, 2020
Romantic Suspense
Sandy Bishop decides to help her estranged father Frederick on a dig on the island of Thera in Greece. There she meets Jim, an archaeology student, his boss Sir Christopher, an old comrade in arms of Frederick’s, and a cast of odd characters that live on the island.
It’s not long before Sandy’s experiences lead her to suspect that there is more to her father’s work than meets the eye, and that not all of it is safe.
With an absolutely fascinating background of history, mythology, and geography, this was an all around enjoyable read. Not quite as good as Mary Stewart, it too is a vintage romantic suspense. Originally written in 1975, it has aged relatively well, although works best when read as a story set then, simply because time has changed many things!
Recommended for those who enjoy romantic suspense with a little travel or if you enjoy vintage books. Keep a map handy, and maybe a phone or tablet to google some of the sites and pictures mentioned, it only helps add to the experience!
Sandy Bishop decides to help her estranged father Frederick on a dig on the island of Thera in Greece. There she meets Jim, an archaeology student, his boss Sir Christopher, an old comrade in arms of Frederick’s, and a cast of odd characters that live on the island.
It’s not long before Sandy’s experiences lead her to suspect that there is more to her father’s work than meets the eye, and that not all of it is safe.
With an absolutely fascinating background of history, mythology, and geography, this was an all around enjoyable read. Not quite as good as Mary Stewart, it too is a vintage romantic suspense. Originally written in 1975, it has aged relatively well, although works best when read as a story set then, simply because time has changed many things!
Recommended for those who enjoy romantic suspense with a little travel or if you enjoy vintage books. Keep a map handy, and maybe a phone or tablet to google some of the sites and pictures mentioned, it only helps add to the experience!
August 21, 2024
I originally read this book in my teens and went back to re-read it during a hot July when I wanted to be underwater in Greece discovering Atlantis vs. working my job in a land-locked state.
It took some hunting to find a used version online.
The heroine traveling to Greece and finding a connection with the past is exciting, but the book wasn't able to overcome some deeper problems, most notably, for a girl in her early 20's from Florida, the heroine's voice and vocabulary weren't a match at all. The voice was way too old and scholarly.
I wanted more of her connection to the past and less arguing with her dad along with less colonialism and misogyny. It was written in a different time, I know.
My personal spoiler is that I ended up losing this book on the bus...oops. I'm not even mad because it means I can go read something else.
It took some hunting to find a used version online.
The heroine traveling to Greece and finding a connection with the past is exciting, but the book wasn't able to overcome some deeper problems, most notably, for a girl in her early 20's from Florida, the heroine's voice and vocabulary weren't a match at all. The voice was way too old and scholarly.
I wanted more of her connection to the past and less arguing with her dad along with less colonialism and misogyny. It was written in a different time, I know.
My personal spoiler is that I ended up losing this book on the bus...oops. I'm not even mad because it means I can go read something else.
February 1, 2018
I’m pretty sure that I first read this book when it was newly published in 1975. It’s held up fairly well in the intervening years. Michaels really did write excellent romantic suspense, and this one has just a touch of the kind of excitement one looks to Mary Stewart for. Of course, the archaeological background is convincing, given the author’s Ph.D. in Egyptology. It also features one of the things I enjoyed most while reading Michaels in the seventies—guilt free and enthusiastic sex and sexual attraction. There’s a bit less of the wry humor that creeps into her later work, though touches of it already appear. Some of the “Gothic” aspects are a little overwrought, but not excessively so. It’s a generally good time.
February 1, 2019
Not Michaels' best. As other reviewers mentioned, this one felt like she was channeling Mary Stewart, but not doing a great job of it. Neither the situation nor the characters were especially compelling. For adventure in the Greek Isles, go read Stewart's
The Moonspinners
or
This Rough Magic
November 4, 2019
I can see why people make some comparisons of this novel to Mary Stewart's My Brother Michael but the only commonality that I see is that they are both set in Greece, there the comparison ends. I love Barbara Michaels and this one was a fun break for me. The archaeology and history were fun and the backstory with WWII added a nice depth. The romance was a wee bit silly but that's okay.
November 11, 2019
I did think this book was interesting, entertaining, sometimes boring, informative with a little bit of history in it. It was definitely not what I expected in reading this book. It seemed to me that this book was more of a mystery than a fantasy story. I will definitely check out the authors other books in the series. Hopefully they will be just as interesting.
October 14, 2021
Didn't get interesting until maybe the last 60 to 80 pgs or so and the final time-jump definitely doesn't hold up to modern scrutiny..."heroine" comes off from a very sexist perspective that is just unpleasant to read. It's just a few paragraphs that read like that but it's enough to put the entire chapter off.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 14, 2018
I judged this book by it's cover and title and really thought I'd get a book about Poseidon. I was right, but in a very round about way. Very Glad I picked this book as it's not near my normal reading of Paranormal/Paranormal Romance/Romance genres I stick to.
I like Sandy, and Jim. And it took a bit of time to realize I was reading a book set in the 1970's so that came with it's own challenges as to why they did things they way they did and said some things.
I like Sandy, and Jim. And it took a bit of time to realize I was reading a book set in the 1970's so that came with it's own challenges as to why they did things they way they did and said some things.
July 28, 2017
This book was...weird. It went in a completely different way than the back cover led me to believe. It was still okay, but just not to my taste.
March 16, 2021
I liked it a lot! Simple plot, feet firmly on ground—interesting characters. A good older mystery/fantasy
March 15, 2022
I hadn't read one of her books recently. Still pretty gripping, still interesting archaeology, a bit more woo-woo than I recall.
June 22, 2022
I love books set in Greece (thank you Mary Stewart) and I own a couple of wonderful Barbara Michaels's books. This was not one of them.
July 16, 2022
Working my way through the Barbara Michaels books. This was an earlier one, always a good time. There is always a touch, or more, of the supernatural, the obscure, or both. Moving on to Witch.
January 1, 2024
Just okay.
February 15, 2024
Loved this book by the author of the Amelia Peabody series. Reminded me of Mary Stewart, one of my faves from an early age…
December 24, 2024
This book keeps you on your toes and wanting more. Mystery, suspense, and romance elements keep you entertained throughout the entirety of the book.
May 3, 2025
A great novel with many exciting plot twists!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews