- Mass Market Paperback: 432 pages
- Publisher: Tor Fantasy; First Edition edition (Jan 15 2001)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0812590465
- ISBN-13: 978-0812590463
- Product Dimensions: 17.2 x 10.9 x 2.9 cm
- Shipping Weight: 236 g
- Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #1,045,425 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
This followup to The Face of Apollo plants one foot in the mythology of ancient Greece and the other in Saberhagen's wry take on the frailties of human nature-a slippery position, as it turns out. The novel is based on the myth of Prince Theseus, who is shanghaied to Crete as tribute to evil King Minos, cajoles Princess Ariadne into stringing him through the deadly Labyrinth and kills the monstrous Minotaur. To Saberhagen, though, Theseus is an opportunistic pirate who uses, then dumps, Ariadne in his pursuit of a god's Face: a mask "as clear as fine glass" that, when donned by a mortal avatar, sinks below his skin and endows him with divine attributes--but not with immortality. Meanwhile, Alex, a soldier smitten by hopeless love for Ariadne, becomes the avatar of Dionysus, god of wine and ecstasy. Aided by the genial Minotaur Asterion, the source of Saberhagen's pithiest reflections on human foibles, Alex/Dionysus swashes his way through several rousing Aegean adventures to rescue Ariadne, but his knees buckle at the sight of Hades, Lord of the Underworld, whose "great game" of eternal warfare against Apollo, god of the sun, anchors this fantasy series. Despite all the fun, Saberhagen's redo of classical myth has pitfalls. Jerky shifts in point of view disrupt the action; names seemingly snatched haphazardly out of Bulfinch's Mythology tend to distract. Most problematic of all, Saberhagen waters down mighty gods into mere rollicking humans, denaturing deities who for time immemorial have given Western culture its metaphors for the human condition. Something necessary to human imagination is thereby lost--and the old magic just isn't there.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Library Journal
After the brutal death of her royal father, the princess Ariadne resolves to prevent her beloved Theseus from becoming a sacrifice to the whims of the dark god who presided over the assassination. Saberhagen (The Face of Apollo) gives the familiar story of Theseus and the Minotaur a whimsical twist as gods and heroes come together in an elaborate scheme to further the twin causes of love and justice. The author of the popular Berserker series brings his storytelling expertise and gracious wit to bear in this seriocomic mythic fantasy that belongs in most libraries.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Customer Reviews
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Most helpful customer reviews
2.0 out of 5 stars
Concept good, but disappointing,
By Khevron (Fairbanks, AK USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Ariadne's Web (Mass Market Paperback)
I'm a Saberhagen fan from way back, but I had to force myself to finish this second part of the Gods series. It's a great concept, the use of 'faces of the gods' but I had higher hopes in it's execution. The story development is too broken up, goes out of it's way to be roundabout, and the characters I wished more of didn't pan out. Frankly, this is a good short story stretched way too long. No book three for me.
3.0 out of 5 stars
Book two of a good series,
By Erik "grey0000" (Norwalk, ct United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Ariadne's Web (Mass Market Paperback)
Adrian's web, Now this wasn't the best Saberhagen book, the I have ever read, but don't get me wrong, it was still very good. Compared to the first book, Adrians web is less wonderous, but it is still just as strong in the writing and the flow of words. The imaginative aspect of fantasy books is there and while these is no "Lord of The Rings" it is still a very well crafted and interesting tale, that all should read
4.0 out of 5 stars
An acceptable sequal,
By "scorchen" (Lyman, Wyoming United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: ARIADNES WEB (Hardcover)
The beginning is a little slow and at times it seems it takes many pages for anything exciting to happen, but its still a good book overall. I can honestly say i wasnt hooked on this one like i was the face of apollo, but i HAD to read what happens to Jeremy Redthorn aka apollo. After i finished the book, I went right to amazon.com and bought the next one. Arms of Hurcules. I am currently half way through Arms of Hurcules and its worth reading adraines web just to understand more of Hurcules.
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