#Review - Rise of the Snake Goddess by Jenny Elder Moke #YA #Fantasy

Series: Samantha Knox # 2
Format: Hardcover, 320 pages
Release Date: June 7, 2022
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Source: Publisher
Genre: Young Adult Fiction / Legends, Myths, Fables

The beautiful island of Crete, an archaeological find for the ages, and one seriously pissed-off Greek goddess. It’s just another day for Samantha Knox.

After being snubbed by her college’s archaeology department for an honor she rightfully earned, Sam is hell-bent on proving her worth to her misogynistic department head. So when an opportunity presents itself to solve the hidden meaning behind a symbol found inside a cave in Greece, Sam is all over it, and she’s bringing Bennett and Jo with her for the cross-Atlantic trip. Once on the island of Crete, Sam finds a treasure she never expected—the golden girdle of an ancient and powerful goddess, and she can’t resist its siren call, or the accolades she would win for discovering it. But before she can take credit for the find, the girdle is stolen and the island is hit with a series of earthquakes that don’t feel quite coincidental.

Soon Sam, Bennett, and Jo are embroiled in a wild hunt—one that takes them to tiny island shops, a glamorous high-stakes auction, and a fiery near-death experience—to find the girdle before someone can use it to raise the ancient goddess from her slumber. An unexpected heist, a terrifying trek through a labyrinth, and a fight to the death with the Minotaur itself lead to a final standoff she and her friends won’t soon forget—one that might just break up Sam and Bennett for good.

Set against the gorgeous backdrop and ancient ruins of the Greek islands, the pulse-pounding action in this twisting mystery will appeal to action-adventure fans, romance diehards, and mythology buffs alike.

Rise of the Snake Goddess, by author Jenny Elder Moke, is the second installment in the authors Samantha Knox series. Samantha Knox is back in her second adventure, along with Bennett and Joana Steeling, this time taking her to the ancient island of Crete where mysterious caves, dangerous treasure hunters, and a shrine to a powerful goddess ensnare Sam and friends in an even deadlier game! 

With rumors surrounding Sam's last adventure in Dublin, where Sam met the Specter Queen, the Celtic goddess of vengeance and death, Sam has become the subject of strange rumors and gossip. She's called a treasure hunter, foolish amateur, and gold seeker. Nobody believes a girl who came from nothing, ended up at the top of her class in a short time. After being snubbed by her college’s archaeology department head, Professor Atchinson, for an honor she rightfully earned, Sam is hell-bent on proving her worth to her misogynistic department head. 

So when an opportunity presents itself to solve the hidden meaning behind a symbol found inside a cave in Greece via a letter to Professor Wallstone, Sam is all over it, and she’s bringing Bennett and Jo with her for the cross-Atlantic trip. Once on the island of Crete, Sam finds a treasure she never expected—the golden girdle of an ancient and powerful goddess, and she can’t resist its siren call, or the accolades she would win for discovering it.  

Also known as the Snake Goddess, Ariadne is a powerful being who's ready to return--unless Sam and her friends can stop her. But before she can take credit for the find and prove that she's not a treasure hunter out for herself, the girdle is stolen and the island is hit with a series of earthquakes that don’t feel quite coincidental. Soon Sam, Bennett, and Jo are embroiled in a wild hunt—one that takes them to tiny island shops, a glamorous high-stakes auction, a fiery near-death experience, , a terrifying trek through a labyrinth, and a fight to the death with the Minotaur to put Ariadne back to her slumber ancient. 

Joana, Sam’s best friend, is more the party girl type, getting drunk and gallivanting about, even getting expelled from school. She’s funny but also very pushy and stereotypical, focusing on the party and the finery instead of on the situation most of the time, but she does have her good moments. Bennett is way too overprotective, lording his experience over Sam and Jo for much of the book, again. He’s ready to make all the decisions and stop them from participating in the adventure, despite Sam being super useful in solving all the riddles. She’s the first one to find the clues every time and he knows nothing.

Samantha (Sam) is sort of like a young female Indiana Jones. She's smart, loves to follow clues and crack codes and has no problem digging around for a bone or two. She seems to get things before others around her, including Bennett who she a crush on. Set against the gorgeous backdrop and ancient ruins of the Greek islands, the pulse-pounding action in this twisting mystery will appeal to action-adventure fans, romance diehards, and mythology buffs alike.

 

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#Review - Curse of the Specter Queen by Jenny Elder Moke #Fantasy #Historical

Series: A Samantha Knox Novel
Format: Hardcover, 352 pages
Release Date: June 1, 2021
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Source: Publisher
Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy / Historical

MAY THE HAZEL BRING YOU WISDOM AND THE ASPEN GUIDE AND PROTECT YOU...

Samantha Knox put away her childish fantasies of archaeological adventure the day her father didn't return home from the Great War, retreating to the safety of the antique bookshop where she works. But when a mysterious package arrives with a damaged diary inside, Sam's peaceful life is obliterated. Ruthless men intent on reclaiming the diary are after Sam, setting her and her best friend, along with her childhood crush, on a high-stakes adventure that lands them in the green hills outside Dublin, Ireland. Here they discover an ancient order with a dark purpose - to perform an occult ritual that will raise the Specter Queen, the Celtic goddess of vengeance and death, to bring about a war unlike any the world has ever seen. To stop them, Sam must solve a deviously complex cipher - one that will lead her on a treasure hunt to discover the ancient relic at the heart of the ritual: a bowl carved from the tree of life. Will she find the bowl and stop the curse of the Specter Queen, or will the ancient order bring about the end of the world?

Curse of the Specter Queen, by author Jenny Elder Moke, is the first in a new series. Moke's mystery-adventure is based around Celtic mythology featuring Samantha Knox. The story touches upon the myth of the Morrigan, a badass raven queen who's ready for her comeback as the most powerful being on earth--unless Sam and her friends can stop her. Indiana Jones gets a refresh with this female-driven mystery adventure, set in the 1920's, full of cyphers, ancient relics, and heart-stopping action. 

Samantha Knox put away her fantasy of being an archaeologist the day her father didn't return home from the Great War. She retreated to the safety of the Steeling's Rare Antiquities where she works restoring old books. Even though she has an insatiable curiosity about the world she lives in and dreams of traveling beyond the small town where she resides, Sam has been stuck in the same town her entire life, lulled into a quiet life aided by the grief for her father. Instead of going off to college with her best friend, she was content with a life of repairing books. 

That is until she opens a package containing a strange journal that has clearly been buried for years. Sam's peaceful life is obliterated when her bookstore is burned to the ground by strangers looking for the journal and she barely escapes with her life setting her and her estranged best friend Joana, along with her childhood crush, Bennett, a college student in archeology, on a high-stakes adventure. The journey takes the trio from a small town outside Chicago, to the city itself, all the way to New York, and, finally, to Dublin, Ireland. Here they discover an ancient order with a dark purpose - to perform an occult ritual that will raise the Specter Queen, the Celtic goddess of vengeance and death, to bring about a war unlike any the world has ever seen. 

To stop them, Sam must solve a deviously complex cipher - one that will lead her on a treasure hunt to discover the ancient relic at the heart of the ritual: a bowl carved from the tree of life. Will she find the bowl and stop the curse of the Specter Queen, or will the ancient order bring about the end of the world? Sam is very intelligent and skilled. She knows all sorts of facts from her reading and knows how to handle precious books, the ones that are liable to fall apart if you don’t handle them right. Because of a childhood game, in which the trio pretended to be archaeologists, she is also skilled as solving cryptic puzzles, complete with codes and hidden messages.

Joana, Sam’s best friend, is more the party girl type, getting drunk and gallivanting about, even getting expelled from school. She’s funny but also very pushy and stereotypical, focusing on the party and the finery instead of on the situation most of the time. Bennett is way too overprotective, lording his experience over Sam and Jo for much of the book. He’s ready to make all the decisions and stop them from participating in the adventure, despite Sam being super useful in solving all the riddles. She’s the first one to find the clues every time and he knows nothing.

With Samantha Knox, Moke has created a young woman who can crack any code, scale the side of a moving cruise liner and troubleshoot solutions for taking down an ancient goddess with a rune and a tube of lipstick, all in mid-battle. Move over Indiana Jones, there's a new adventurer in town! 

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#Review - Hood by Jenny Elder Moke #YA #Historical #Retelling

Series: Standalone
Format: Hardcover, 320 pages
Release Date:  June 9, 2020
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Source: Publisher
Genre: Young Adult / Historical / Medieval / Legends, Myths, Fables

You have the blood of kings and rebels within you, love. Let it rise to meet the call.

Isabelle of Kirklees has only ever known a quiet life inside the sheltered walls of the convent, where she lives with her mother, Marien. But after she is arrested by royal soldiers for defending innocent villagers, Isabelle becomes the target of the Wolf, King John’s ruthless right hand. Desperate to keep her daughter safe, Marien helps Isabelle escape and sends her on a mission to find the one person who can help: Isabelle’s father, Robin Hood. 

As Isabelle races to stay out of the Wolf’s clutches and find the father she’s never known, she is thrust into a world of thieves and mercenaries, handsome young outlaws, new enemies with old grudges, and a king who wants her entire family dead. As she joins forces with Robin and his Merry Men in a final battle against the Wolf, will Isabelle find the strength to defy the crown and save the lives of everyone she holds dear?

In Hood, author Jenny Elder Moke reimagines the world of Robin Hood in lush, historical detail and imbues her story with more breathless action than has ever come out of Sherwood Forest before. This novel is a must-read for historical-fiction fans, adventure lovers, and reluctant readers alike!

In Hood, author Jenny Elder Moke reimagines the world of Robin Hood set during the years of King John Lackland. 16-year old Isabelle has only known the walls of the Priory of Kirklees where her mother Marien who is the Prioress. As a budding sister, she's been treated like a dog or worse by certain sisters. After shooting a knight with her bow and arrow, she lands in serious trouble and finds herself no longer safe any where near Kirkleestown or her mother. Marien frees & sends Isabelle on a journey to find the man she's never known but has heard about; Robin Hood. 

As Isabelle travels through treacherous terrority, she meets new and old members of Robin's Merry Men. She also learns that the Wolf, Sir Roger of Duncaster, wants to get his hands on her very badly. Not as badly as Robin, but if he captures Isabelle, he could have leverage over Robin. He also has access to Marien should he deem Isabelle uncooperative. Isabelle is told that she can not tell anyone who Robin is to her or they could be used against her. This needs to be addressed. Yes, Isabelle keeps this secret for a very long time but I don't see anything wrong with keeping your word.

After some (mis)adventures, she finds that Robin isn't with the group prompting a group of young misfits to join Isabelle in her quest to find him. Isabelle starts off the story not knowing who her father is, and when she finally meets Robin, it's so apparent that he didn't leave her behind nor is he selfless. Robin was quirky and goofy while yet retaining an air of mystery and seriousness. Marian was loving while being stern, and strong when most might consider her weak. 

One could say that Hood is not really a "Robin Hood" story as much as a spin on his daughter learning to become a fighter for justice. Isabelle doesn't automatically become a kick butt heroine who knows everything there is to know. She has a learning curve, in so many things including trusting her new friends not to reveal her secret to anyone. She has to deal with becoming a Merry Men through a target shooting contest. Then later she has to earn the trust of her new friends Adam, Allan, Patrick and Helena who have come to idolize Robin Hood and what he stands for.

I've read so many retellings of Robin Hood that I've had a hard time not comparing other books with each other. I think this is a find standalone but I would not mind if the author wrote another book featuring Isabelle and the Merry Men. This is the first book I believe I've read where King John was in charge and things really are dark. The book even hints at rebel barons trying hard to force John into signing the Magna Carta for which the US Constitution is based on. 

This book is not only a coming of age story, but one with a minor romantic entanglement between Isabelle and Adam. It's not overwhelming nor does it take up large parts of the story which I loved. Isabelle has skills with a bow, and could shoot extraordinarily well. Considering who her parents are, this shouldn't shock anyone.

Isabelle took great pride in herself that she did not cry once during the whole wretched, messy ordeal. Not when the soldiers barked their orders at her to stand down; not when they grabbed her up like a common criminal and threw shackles on her wrists; not when they shoved her in this moldy makeshift prison cell that once served as a potato cellar; not even when the strips of light leaching in from outside grew longer, and thinner, and then disappeared altogether. She held her head high, gritted her teeth, and glared malevolence at the warped wooden boards of the door and the rough voices of the men beyond.

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