Dark of the Moon [Hardcover]

Tracy Barrett (Author)

Book Description

Release date: September 20, 2011

Ariadne is destined to become a goddess of the moon. She leads a lonely life, filled with hours of rigorous training by stern priestesses. Her former friends no longer dare to look at her, much less speak to her. All that she has left are her mother and her beloved, misshapen brother Asterion, who must be held captive below the palace for his own safety.

So when a ship arrives one spring day, bearing a tribute of slaves from Athens, Ariadne sneaks out to meet it. These newcomers don’t know the ways of Krete; perhaps they won’t be afraid of a girl who will someday be a powerful goddess. And indeed she meets Theseus, the son of the king of Athens. Ariadne finds herself drawn to the newcomer, and soon they form a friendship—one that could perhaps become something more.

Yet Theseus is doomed to die as an offering to the Minotaur, that monster beneath the palace—unless he can kill the beast first. And that "monster" is Ariadne’s brother . . .

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Ariadne weaves a new tale in a historically rich reworking of Theseus and the Minotaur... A world and story both excitingly alien and pleasingly familiar."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Fans of historical fiction and Greek myths should be pleased."—Booklist

About the Author

Tracy Barrett teaches Italian language and civilization at Vanderbilt University. Her books include King of Ithaka, On Etruscan Time, Cold in Summer, Anna of Byzantium, and the Sherlock Files series. Tracy lives with her family in Nashville, Tennessee. Visit her website at www.tracybarrett.com.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books; None edition (September 20, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0547581327
• ISBN-13: 978-0547581323
• Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 1.2 x 8.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #935,687 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and grew up mostly in New York state. I went to college in New England and graduate school in California.

The first book I ever read by myself was called Little Bobo and His Blue Jacket. I still have it. I learned to read when I was three, but I know now that this doesn't mean much. My brother didn't really read until he was seven, and now he reads more and remembers it better than I do.

I have a husband, two grown children, and two crazy Jack Russell terriers.

I teach Italian and other subjects at Vanderbilt University, but I've handed in my resignation and plan to retire in May, 2012, to write full time. I love doing school visits and hope that when my schedule doesn't mean that I'm working while kids are in school, I'll be able to do more of them.

I like to travel, especially to Italy, and especially with my family. I used to skydive (that's how I met my husband, but on the ground, not in the air!) but I haven't jumped out of an airplane in a long time.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A memorable, unconventional YA novel August 11, 2011

By YA book lover

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

If you expect "Dark of the Moon" to be just another Greek mythology-inspired paranormal YA romance, look elsewhere. If you are looking for a novel based on a familiar myth but that turns this myth on its head and re-imagines it in the most unexpected but realistic way, you might have hit a jackpot here.

Traditionally, the myth of the Minotaur is a pretty straight forward tale that is mostly known for Cretan Princess Ariadne's passionate love for Theseus. She helps her imprisoned enemy to defeat her brother, half-bull/half-human creature Minotaur, by giving Theseus a thread that would guide him out of the Minotaur's lair located in a center of a intricate labyrinth. In return, Theseus marries Ariadne and whisks her away from Crete just to abandon her on the way back to his home, Athens.

Tracy Barrett, however, takes a different approach. Don't expect a romance-driven story here. In her interpretation, in mythologies, while some important events in history are remembered and retold, they are not always understood correctly. Every religion adds a certain magical flair to the events it builds its teachings upon. But at the core of them are true occurrences that have nothing to do with magic, miracles and divine interferences.

You search what could have been a source of the myth of the Minotaur, and a new vision emerges - the Minotaur is just a disfigured, deranged man; Theseus's heroic adventures are exaggerations of a young overactive imagination; and Ariadne's help is motivated not by her passion for Theseus, but by her position as a priestess and future Goddess-incarnate and her desire to serve her land.

I am impressed by this approach to religion and myth creation. What is even more exciting (again, for me) is how Barrett sets up the stage for her retelling in terms of political and religious intricacies. On Crete specifically Goddess worship is rampant. This religion is gory and sordid in its details, but it also vital to Crete's prosperity and integrity as a country. This short novel manages to show how and why religions may be born, how they serve their followers and what makes them fall out of grace. It reminded me a lot of one of my favorite Ursula K. Le Guin's short stories "The Birthday of the World," and I use this comparison as a complement to Dark of the Moon.

To me, this historically realistic approach to retelling a myth is much more interesting than any other banking on forbidden love and betrayal.

I am not sure how many readers search for such themes in their YA fiction, but for me "Dark of the Moon" turned out to be a pleasant surprise that took me in a direction I never expected this Greek myth retelling to take me. The last few chapters are a little rushed and at times confusing, but otherwise this is a memorable, unconventional YA novel.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars a brilliant twist on Theseus and the Minotaur September 2, 2011

By Tabitha VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

After reading the above summary, I couldn't wait to read this book. The potential for twists and turns bubbles on the surface of the story, and I wasn't disappointed. It's rife with conflict from beginning to end, the pacing is spot on, and the characters so absorbing that I could not put this book down.

This is the perfect example of taking a well-known tale and turning it into something new, while still remaining true to the original roots. It's clear the author knew the myth inside and out, as well as the religious practices at that time. She took the time period surrounding that myth and turned it into a plausible `what if it actually happened like this' scenario. Brilliant.

I really liked the characters, too. Ariadne is both an historical figure and a typical teen trying to figure out who she really is. She doesn't completely fit it, the way most teens feel, and finds solace where she can. Theseus isn't quite as compelling, but he's still interesting and sympathetic nonetheless. His reactions to Krete's religious practices are believable and fitting. The explanation of the minotaur also fit, especially when you take the time period and ancient customs into account. I was completely caught up in their stories.

The only thing that gave me pause was the way in which it was told. We hear from both Ariadne and Theseus, which is fine, but the timelines don't match. I would have preferred to see their stories unfold closer together. For example, we first get several chapters of Ariadne and how she meets Theseus, and then we jump back to months before Theseus is sent to Krete. That jarred me a bit, but I was able to get over and it read on with little impact on my enjoyment of the story.

Even though I knew the way the story would end, it still kept me on the edge of my seat. I especially liked how the author addressed the poetic vs. realistic slant on the way the story was passed down through the generations. It gives us lots of interesting things to think about.

If you want to read a myth that has been turned completely on its side, this is the story for you. If you're looking for an exact rehash of Theseus and the Minotaur, then you should look elsewhere.

Age appropriateness: due to plenty of violence, gore, and innuendo, I think this story is better suited for older teens, perhaps 15 and up.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Dark of the Moon by Tracy Barrett October 3, 2011

By Amber @ Down The Rabbit Hole

Format:Hardcover

The myth of the minotaur has never been told like this. In fact, most of the mythological characters and creatures that show up in Dark of the Moon are turned on their head, their heroic deeds or misdeeds twisted into human feats and explained. Filled with vivid descriptions of the setting and a rich and thriving new culture, Dark of the Moon is equal parts horrifying and beautiful.

Switching narrators from Ariadne to Theseus, the reader gets to see how fate conspired to make their paths cross. Ariadne is a goddess in training, someone that is both revered and feared by her people. Mostly, she's just lonely, being tossed around from training and studying with no friend to confide in. Her love for her mother and brother, the minotaur, is both beautiful and endearing. Theseus's path is a little less than I was expecting. For some reason, I had it in my head that he'd be a noble prince and he really wasn't much more than a scorned boy looking to impress his father. While this was okay, he was a very inactive character--merely letting things happen to him and reacting instead of acting himself. I liked the contrast between him and Ariadne who tried to act on important issues before it was too late.

The culture of Dark of the Moon is rich, vivid and very gruesome. We're talking birthing scenes, human and animal sacrifice, drugs and violence. I have to admit that I was horrified half of the time at what these characters were going to face but I couldn't stop reading to find out more about what the society was going to do next. I liked the differences between Ariadne's land and Theseus' home. They both remark that the other is a barbarian more than once which is fascinating since they both have what we'd concern barbaric customs now. There is a really interesting point in the novel where Theseus talks about his stepmother, the queen, Medea and how hated she is for killing her children to which Ariadne remarks that she is revered in her him. I loved that contrast of views as it really marks the fundamental differences of their cultures.

Another shining aspect of this novel was the beautiful descriptive writing. I'm not much in to loads and loads of scenery description but the passages about the palace where absolutely amazing. I could close my eyes and see it all from the detailed murals on the wall to the dank cellar where Ariadne's brother was locked up for his own good. The minotaur mythology was also unique--that is to say that the minotaur is really a misshapen man-child who doesn't know his own strength.

While there was a lot of really good things about this story, it did feel a bit long in the middle, particularly in Theseus's beginning chapters. I felt myself wishing that the plot would show itself a lot early than it did. I also felt a bit let down about how the story ended, mostly because I was expecting something a little bigger. The book just felt easy to put down for me and was missing that spark. Maybe it was just a bit quieter than I was expecting.

Dark of the Moon utilizes it's rich world building and barbarically fascinating culture to the fullest to craft a new take on the minotaur myth. While the novel drags a bit in the middle, the re-telling and humanizing of the mythological creatures and characters is definitely creative. I might not venture through a maze for this one but if you happen to see it and are in to historical/fantastical re-tellings, go for it!