Hippolyta and the curse of the Amazons : Young Heroes Series, Book 2

Before she became Queen of the Amazons, young Hippolyta fought to break a goddess�s curse . . . An ancient prophecy states that any Amazon who bears two sons must kill the second, lest he grow up to destroy all the Amazons. But Queen Otrere can�t bear to sacrifice her baby, so she gives him to her daughter, thirteen-year-old Hippolyta, begging her to take the child to his father, Laomedon, King of Troy. In order to save her baby brother�s life, Hippolyta must find a lost city and lift a goddess�s curse. Along the way, she will need help from an unexpected source: a newly discovered brother. But can Hippolyta bring herself to trust a boy in order to save the Amazons? This ebook features personal histories by Jane Yolen and Robert J. Harris including rare images from the authors��personal collections, as well as a�timeline of the Heroic Age and a�conversation between the two authors about the making of the series. From Publishers Weekly Yolen teams up with Robert J. Harris in a continuation of their collaboration on the Young Heroes series with a second adventure starring an Amazonian princess, Hippolyta and the Curse of the Amazons. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. From School Library Journal Grade 4-8-An Amazon princess learns about honor and family in this adventure set during the Golden Age of Greece. Hippolyta's mother, Amazon Queen Otrere, gives birth to her second son and refuses to kill him as tradition demands. When she is imprisoned, she turns to Hippolyta to save the baby and take him to his father, King Laomedon of Troy. The girl's mission is successful, but she is to be killed for offending Laomedon. Tithonus, the first son of her mother and Laomedon, saves her, and they return to the Amazon capital, only to find the Amazons cursed. Athena informs Hippolyta that to save her people, she must travel to their ancestral home and sacrifice Tithonus. The siblings survive adventure and enemies as they travel, and Hippolyta must decide whether her brother's life is more important than her goddess's command. While the gods play an important part in this story, historical detail creates a realistic background for a minor character in the mythology of the Trojan War. Hippolyta is a strong heroine who faces difficult choices and grows as the story unfolds, and secondary characters are also well defined. This is a detailed, compelling story, and its nonstop action will involve even reluctant readers. Yolen and Harris offer a unique look at what Amazon life might have been like in this quality addition to the series, begun with Odysseus in the Serpent Maze (HarperCollins, 2001). Beth L. Meister, Queens Borough Public Library, Flushing, NY Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. Before she became Queen of the Amazons, young Hippolyta fought to break a goddess{u2019}s curse . . . An ancient prophecy states that any Amazon who bears two sons must kill the second, lest he grow up to destroy all the Amazons. But Queen Otrere can{u2019}t bear to sacrifice her baby, so she gives him to her daughter, thirteen-year-old Hippolyta, begging her to take the child to his father, Laomedon, King of Troy. In order to save her baby brother{u2019}s life, Hippolyta must find a lost city and lift a goddess{u2019}s curse. Along the way, she will need help from an unexpected source: a newly discovered brother. But can Hippolyta bring herself to trust a boy in order to save the Amazons? This ebook features personal histories by Jane Yolen and Robert J. Harris including rare images from the authors{u2019} personal collections, as well as a timeline of the Heroic Age and a conversation between the two authors about the making of the series Thirteen-year-old Hippolyta, a princess of the Amazons, fights to save her people from destruction when her mother the Queen refuses to sacrifice her second-born male child.