CORYDON AND THE FALL OF ATLANTIS
by Tobias Druitt
Knopf
ISBN-10: 0375833838
ISBN-13: 9780375833830
Ages 8-12
352 pages

In his first novel about Corydon, the outcast boy with the goat's leg who becomes a reluctant hero, Tobias Druitt devised a rich, imaginative reworking of Greek mythology, turning old stories on their heads, making monsters into heroes and heroes into buffoons. Now, in the second volume, CORYDON AND THE FALL OF ATLANTIS, Druitt further broadens the story's scope, resulting in a delightful romp through myth and legend that will delight fans of the old Greek tales --- and introduce those classics to many new readers.

Following his adventures in CORYDON AND THE ISLAND OF MONSTERS, all young Corydon wants is a return to a quiet, safe, anonymous life, tending his sheep and goats and making cheeses from their milk. But this is ancient Greece, after all, where heroes and monsters roam the land. Corydon should know that his life won't ever be quite the same again. For one thing, he has Gorgos, the troublesome young son of his sorely-missed friend Medusa, to look after. Impetuous and impatient, with a tendency to befriend wolves and other predators, Gorgos can be tolerated but simply not trusted.

Corydon's problems really erupt, however, when his gentle friend, the Minotaur, disappears. At first Corydon and his fellow "monsters" suspect the heroes who caused them so many problems before. Soon, though, thanks to some vague clues from the Sphinx, the friends' eyes turn toward the sea --- specifically toward Atlantis.

Corydon has no choice but to accept the challenge to rescue his friend --- he's really the only one who can fulfill the quest. Getting to the island is half the battle, as Corydon, Gorgos and the Snake-Girl must set sail across Poseidon's unfriendly seas as they make for Atlantis. But once they get there, they discover that rescuing the Minotaur is only part of the story. Can they learn to get by in this intellectual but hostile environment, and maybe even save it from a certain fate?

Written by a mother and her son (Diane Purkiss teaches classical literature at Oxford and Michael Dowling studies ancient Greek), the trilogy centered on Corydon and his acquaintances brings Greek mythology vividly to life. With obstacles worthy of Odysseus and a climactic battle (complete with a pretty dark ending), Druitt's breathtaking plot will draw in readers regardless of their prior knowledge of these stories. Fans of Greek mythology, though, will especially appreciate the author's wit and playfulness, and will look forward to the trilogy's final installment, set during the Trojan War.

   --- Reviewed by Norah Piehl

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