Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars.
Recommendation: Sure, read and be merry my fellow mythical creature lovers.
The Prose:
"I don't think I'll be kicking around here that long. Too many people want me dead. And the weather sucks." (Zephyr thinks as she contemplates how long she'll reside in the Pits of Tartarus shoveling piles of dirt around as half-bull-half-men wander around with whips.)
I thoroughly enjoyed Ireland's writing style. It was brisk and sharp like a double edged sword. One side sharp, one side dull. Prompt and glorious, it's dry wit malleable like molten smelted silver.
The Girl: Zephyr Mourning:
"I sigh, feigning boredom. 'What do you want? Can't you see I have a very important ditch to dig?" (Zephyr says to the Messenger of the gods aka Hermes after he's just got through killing a Fae for splashing mud on his couture.)
First off let us just take a moment to let the marvelousness of the girls name sink in. I mean is it not the exact name you expect to hear when you think: Harpy. Secondly let's discuss the character of the girl. Dry wit and logical emotional responses to horrid disastrous situations. She's the sort of strong that isn't natural to come by, she doesn't have confidence in herself, she has to work for it. And there is something about that, that is just...so utterly refreshing. I, in the beginning, liked Zephyr's subtle backbone but then it started to get a bit mildly depressing the way she regarded herself as "less than" when she so clearly wasn't. I mean heck she did kill one of the "un-killables" didn't she. Take a bit of pride Harpy. I at points had myself thinking, throw her back in Tartarus for another year maybe the backbone will stick this time around. By the end I was completely done with Zephyr, she was a child, terrified and relying on other peoples strength and protection the entire novel, like a leech. A leech who constantly tells herself she's worthless. Talk about an endearing heroine. I sadly almost wanted Hera to kill her. Almost.
The Intrigue:
"They have a saying in the Underworld: Life's a bitch." (Zephyr thinks as she tries to reconcile what the prophesy says she must do and what she feels she wants to do instead. Run.)
I admit it was a wild ride. The adventure was demure and the sense of danger darkly electrifying (pun intended, if you've read the book). The rising action rose fast and the falling action stuck to the drumbeat of "slow and steady wins the race" just how I semi-like them to. I enjoyed the concept, anything to do with Greek or Roman mythology and I am hooked instantaneously. Literally. I thought the background information was well formed and that the author took liberties with the Classic Greek gods, the liberties turned out to work in this case. The development of each character was well-rounded and the perfect mix, I thought, of brief but explanatory.
Bottom Line:
Con--The whole "Daddy kicks me because he loves me"mentality that Zephyr had going one was kinda disgusting, I'm not gonna lie. Anything remotely bad happens to her, and she thinks "I probably deserve it," or she runs away. Cowardice is not something I enjoy in my heroines.
Pro--It was a fast past read, the plot of Greek gods, and the concept of magic/power was unique.
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