A review by ricksilva
The Winged Girl of Knossos by Erick Berry
5.0
This feminist reimagining of the myths of Theseus and Icarus won the Newbery Award in 1934, and in many ways fits in perfectly with more recent mythology-themed stories.
Inas is the adventurous and fiercely competitive daughter of Daidalos, genius inventor serving Cretan King Minos. Caught up in Princess Ariadne's love affair with the Greek captive Theseus, and dealing with powerful court figures plotting against her father, Inas faces physical and social dangers with wit and courage.
Inas has a daredevil approach to life that is a lot of fun, as well as a healthy dose of snark, especially as she waxes cynical over the princess's love for Theseus, who Inas regards as something of a muscleheaded jock.
The book crams a lot of plot into its pages, and covers many of the elements of the Theseus and Icarus myths, while attempting to present a historical (if perhaps a bit idealized) version of Crete. The story does contain some racist language typical of 1930s writing, although those items are relatively few and not of major plot significance.
In spite of Inas having a male love interest, she remains front and center in all of the action elements of the story. There is a nice mix of action and court intrigue, and the worldbuilding, while not always historically on the mark, is wonderfully flavorful.
This is a fun story that is worth being rediscovered by today's fans of female-centered middle grade adventures.
Inas is the adventurous and fiercely competitive daughter of Daidalos, genius inventor serving Cretan King Minos. Caught up in Princess Ariadne's love affair with the Greek captive Theseus, and dealing with powerful court figures plotting against her father, Inas faces physical and social dangers with wit and courage.
Inas has a daredevil approach to life that is a lot of fun, as well as a healthy dose of snark, especially as she waxes cynical over the princess's love for Theseus, who Inas regards as something of a muscleheaded jock.
The book crams a lot of plot into its pages, and covers many of the elements of the Theseus and Icarus myths, while attempting to present a historical (if perhaps a bit idealized) version of Crete. The story does contain some racist language typical of 1930s writing, although those items are relatively few and not of major plot significance.
In spite of Inas having a male love interest, she remains front and center in all of the action elements of the story. There is a nice mix of action and court intrigue, and the worldbuilding, while not always historically on the mark, is wonderfully flavorful.
This is a fun story that is worth being rediscovered by today's fans of female-centered middle grade adventures.