Cassandra Peel and the Curse of the Black Swan’s Daughter

You can view a free online evalution copy of issue 8 of the magazine – just click here.

Category:	Children
Author:	J Robert Maze
Publisher:	Booksurge
Price:	£9.50
ISBN:	192101931X
Pages:	234
Reviewed in issue:	7

Cassandra, a teenage college student in Australia, has issues with her father regarding her mother’s death. Luckily she is able to turn to the Greek gods for help recollecting the fatal car wreck concerned, but how long will it be before some of those Greek gods turn on her? Meanwhile at school, her Indian friend (who in the book’s token dodgy proof reading moment dresses in a ‘safari’) and others are encountering more gods, from Asian pantheons. With a unique internet interface they can bodily transport themselves to the world of the gods for a rescue mission.

Reading this I was certainly reminded of the science fiction that got published in the early 1980s, and with a little more tightening and a better story dynamic I could imagine Margaret Atwood writing this – which is surely a compliment? As a melange of mythology and modern adventure it works, but it isn’t quite there – the erudite author has lumbered his story with an awkward opening couple of chapters, and more clarity and help for those who have not read the first two books in the series would have helped. Also, the ending underwhelmed, unfortunately.

Still, I am sure those who know Maze’s other work will really appreciate this volume, and to them and the generally curious I would recommend it.

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