Curse of the Sphinx

4.3

4.0 (1)

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Author(s)

Raye Wagner

Publisher Name

Indie

Genre(s)

Greek Mythology

Age Range

12+

Release Date

August 11, 2015

ISBN13

1539415562

ISBN10 or ASIN

An Ancient Curse. An Immortal Monster. A Forbidden Love. Seventeen year-old Hope Nicholas has spent her entire life on the run. With her mom, she’s traveled from town to town, barely staying long enough to meet anyone, let alone make friends. If she wants to stay alive, she’ll have to keep it that way. When her mother is murdered, Hope is left orphaned and alone. Is this the fulfillment of Apollo’s curse? Is Hope, too, being hunted? Hope flees again. Staying hidden is now more important than ever. But learning to navigate mean girls, demigods, and shadow-monsters from the Underworld is nothing compared to the enigmatic and persistent new-boy, Athan Michael. In a modern world still ruled by the Greek Gods, being a monster is more than a curse. It is a death sentence.

Editor reviews

2 reviews

Perfect for Percy Jackson fans who are all grown up now

November 11, 2016

Overall rating

4.3

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The gorgeous cover caught my eye months ago and I’ve been anxious to read Curse of the Sphinx ever since. (And I was delighted to see the interior of the book is just as beautiful.) I wasn’t sure what to expect from this author, but I adore Greek mythology and I was absolutely captivated by Wagner’s fabulous world where the ancient gods—and their children—still walk among us.

Every month Hope Nicholas and her mother transform into the sphinx (I so want to be a sphinx btw). But even in a world where the ancient gods are alive and well, Hope and her mother are truly extraordinary. When Hope finds herself completely alone and uncertain of her future, she doesn’t let her circumstances define her. She rises to the challenge and she protects herself from the dangers around her.

I found Hope to be an exceedingly realistic heroine (despite the fact that she turns into a monster once a month). She acted her age, but she was smart and cautious. She took charge of her own life when others might have fallen apart. She was strong when she needed to be, but she had her weak moments. And throughout her journey, she showed tremendous growth. Curse of the Sphinx provided one of the best strong-girl heroines I’ve seen in a long time and I can’t wait to see what’s next for Hope—and her handsome demigod boyfriend, Athan in the sequel, Demigods and Monsters.

There were a few areas where the world building and descriptions could have been better. Several moments left me confused, but overall, Curse of the Sphinx was an outstanding and refreshing read. I would highly recommend this series for any YA fans who enjoy mythology, urban fantasy or shifter themed stories.

Melissa A. Craven, Indie Manager Top 50 Reviewer 111 reviews

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User reviews

1 review

Overall rating

4.0

Writing Style

4.0(1)

Plot

4.0(1)

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4.0(1)

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A Good Spin on Mythology

June 07, 2017

Overall rating

4.0

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Curse of the Sphinx is a somewhat fast-paced story with one of my favorite types of mythology, starring the wonderful and somewhat sheltered Hope. The prologue was wonderfully written, but the following couple of chapters became bland. I feel like I should have had some sort of emotional connection to some of the characters, but I didn't, and it's unfortunate because if I was invested emotionally to this book, it would have gotten a higher rating from me.

I really love different spins on mythology and this story was no different, especially since I haven't read a story with sphinxes yet. Moving on to Hope, I can say that I did actually care for her. Her cautious, brick-walled personality is easily explained due to only ever really having association with very few people.... Like three people. I also was appreciative that the author made her out to be a doesn't-take-no-shit type of girl.

As for the rest of the story, some instances didn't fully make sense, but they were also easily overlooked by the mild action that kept the story going at its fast pace. It's quite upsetting we didn't get to "see" much sphinx action, and knowing that there may be another book after this, I really do hope that there's more of it.

The ending was okay, nothing really much to say. It didn't leave me speechless, but it left enough open to see that there's something coming later on in the year, if not, next year. I look forward to reading more and seeing where the author will lead us and Hope.

Good Points

- The Mythology
- Sphinxes