All's Fair in Love and War: Athena's Tale

by Alicia Fields

Book Overview

The Third book in the enchantingGreek Goddess series Passionate, inspiring, and full of adventure, this is Athena's tale. In a time when a girl's place is at home, Athena has been raised wild and... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0451217357
• ISBN13: 9780451217356
• Release Date: January 2006
• Publisher: Signet Book
• Length: 280 Pages
• Weight: 0.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 4.3" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

Athena and how she became a goddess

Having learned Greek mythology in elementary school, I've loved it ever since. And Alicia Fields makes a good take on the Athena and Athens myths by having Athena be the only child of her father and mother. Thus she is given more freedom's then most women in her city, her father wanting to cement control of the city wants her when she's of age to marry her arrogant, drunken, ignorant, boorish uncle Poseidon. Athena desperate to get away, goes with her friend Echo on an Anatolian merchants ship and learns of things such as technology, navigation, and olives. She's even there when her friend Echo finds love with an Anatolian sailor and helps a hero defeat the so called Gorgan Medusa. Truly a good take on the mythos of Athens.

Spectacular reinvention of the tale of Athena

Falling more into the realm of a well-plotted fantasy novel than the "historical romance" category that it lists on its cover, "All's Fair in Love and War" is a wonderful reimagining of many of the myths of Athena and other Greek figures. It blends a human-based reinterpretation of various Greek myths (including Medusa and Arachne) with a bit of the magic from whence they came. Though not a classic romance novel (and certainly not a historical romance by the way of others in the genre), this book is heart-warming and thought-provoking, altogether one of the best books I have ever read.

An Intriguing Tale for an Intriguing Goddess

Alicia Feilds has done the goddess Athena justice in this wonderful tale. For while Alicia Feilds is no sport when it comes to frills and fluff in her novels, she certainly held my attention with her latest installment in her Goddess Series. Athena in Greek Mythology was the daughter of Zeus, but known mostly as the goddess of Wisdom. She is one of the most influential goddesses in Greek Mythology and probably one of the most written about besides Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love and Artemis, Goddess of the Moon. Her mother was Metis, a daughter of the Titans. In the Greek Myth, it was said that if she gave birth to a son it would kill Zeus, so learning that, Zeus swallows Metis whole. Stricken by a headache so strong he began beating his head against the rocks. Hephaestus comes to his father's aide and splits his head open with his mallet. Then is born Athena, the grey-eyed maiden goddess, bearing a bronze helmet and spear. Athens was named after her. But the olive tree and the owl were sacred to her. If you have never read Alicia's novels, be prepared. Alicia writes with a very realistic eye and her characters are real people with real problems. Athena grows up in a time when a young girl's place was strongly belived to be at home. Her mother, Metis, the queen, raises her as she would a boy and lets Athena rome wild and carefree. When Athena grows older she becomes very beautiful and she soon learns to resent the fact that she is a girl when plans are made for her to marry her uncle Poseidon (who in Greek Myth is the God of the Sea). Poseidon is a whoremonger and a very evil man, especially when a young girl by the name of Medusa is raped at his hands and turns into the dreaded Gorgon. Athena, however much she denies it, she is very much in love with Amoni, her childhood friend. They both know that realistically neither can marry the other, but they become lovers instead. Their love story is very gentle but complicated, especially when Amoni realizes that Athena's power is growing and that she will someday rule as queen. After Athena's childhood friend, Pallas, accidentally dies, events fall into place that changes Athena's life forever. She goes on a journey, with her friend Nike in tow, across the seas disguised both as boys. But the kind captain Ahiram sees Athena for who she truly is and brings her and Nike to come live with him in his palace. In time, Athena becomes more mature and powerful as she understands her place in the world and how she will someday influence it. She learns that she is a part of a story and so returning home, Athena finds her father the king ill. Returning home, her father becomes better, as if Athena's very presence magically chases Death away. Poseidon is angered at her return, but still makes his claim that he will marry her. He makes the assumption that he is already king even though Athena's father is still alive. So in a contest of wills, Athena and Poseidon have one year to give the kingdo