Dark of the Moon

One of my favorite subjects in humanities and art history classes was the Minoans, that first civilization that would eventually grow to become the Greeks. I'm a history geek like that and so finding a YA book with a story related to this got me really excited. And I have to say I was not disappointed in that aspect. Dark of the Moon has an enthralling story and prose that kept me reading hour after hour. Through Ariadne's story we learn about the Kretan's culture and belief system. There is also a lot of mythology involved, and for Ariadne is not myth but reality. I mean, she is training to become a goddess and her brother Asterion is the freaking Minotaur!The story concentrated around Ariadne, although we do get a second POV from a young man named Theseus (more on that later). She has trouble accepting the role she is to inherit. As a goddess in training she is not to be touched by anyone, friends are not encouraged, and everyone fears her. She resents this. Ariadne also dreams of traveling, but goddesses in training can't leave the island. Her world is Krete and will forever be Krete. This makes for a very narrow view of the world and we see that when the Athenians come into the story. Athenians don't understand how Kretan society works, because their own culture is based on politics not religion. They see the Kretan people as barbarians for their rituals and sacrifices; they also find it inconceivable for a woman to be the leader of the people.Theseus is the son of the king of Athens, and he is the typical hero in the sense that he is there to challenge the gods and Ariadne's view of them. He doesn't believe that the gods dictate his life, and that he has no control over it. Ariadne is the opposite; she believes in the goddess completely and is prepared to receive whatever punishment for having done something wrong. I would have loved to read about Theseus changing Ariadne's views, or doing some sort of heroic act, but sadly that was not to be.Like I mentioned before I was not disappointed in the history/mythology/story aspect. However there were some things that did let down. The romance falls short, very short, almost non-existant. I don't even know why Theseus POV was written if he ultimately didn't affect Ariadne in any way. It became not Ariadne's story but also not Theseus'. It was like a mix of the two that left me wanting. I would have either gone with Ariadne's POV the whole way, or Theseus, but the story of the two together just seems incomplete.Again I say that I liked this story because of its mythology and history aspects. But I would only recommend this to people who are really into the whole Greek past history thing.

I used this book with my 13 yo as part of our homeschooling in preparation for a trip to Greece which culminated with four days in Crete. The story is an alternate retelling of the story of the Minotaur imagining what the 'true' story might have been that inspired the myth of Theseus and Ariadne and the unfortunate Asterion. Barrett based a lot of the story on Archaeological findings in Crete and what we know about the Minoans and the Myceneans. While my child enjoyed the story, I knew it was a good choice when I saw just how excited he was to finally visit the Heraklion Museum which focuses on the Minoan Civilization. He was able to explain things to me that he had picked up in his reading of this book and in the research projects he had done on the Minoans.I love when a Historical Fiction novel really makes history come alive for the reader and lights the spark of curiosity in my child. We are reading King of Ithaka by the same author next as we cover the Illiad and the Odyssey.Highly recommended

So I read Anna of Byzantium in middle school and remember really loving it. But Dark of the Moon is so much more complex than that—-it seriously takes a look at known rituals and culture and shows how the myth of the Minotaur really came to be.This writing is wonderful and truly what historical fiction should be. It’s a well researched, inventive examination of stories we already know from school. It’s deeply expressive and cinematic and just really enjoyable. Plus it got me out of the worst book slump ever.A+! Can’t wait to read more

I ADORE this version of the Labyrinth story, which has always been one of my favorite myths. The way the author blended our current understanding of Minoan culture, the characterization, and the over reaching story is fantastic.

3.5 stars.My reaction: I found the first half more interesting, but it started to get repetitive and somewhat boring partway through. (I should note here that I've never studied the Theseus/Minotaur legend and so I'm not very familiar with it.) The story that the Cretan religious belief system is founded on (that of Velchanos and Goddess) is complex and difficult to follow in all its intricacies. While it keeps getting re-hashed and added to in detail, there isn't a lot of action or major plot points until the climactic scenes toward the end. The tone is rather dark and for much of the story the prospects of the main characters are bleak indeed, so don't go into it expecting a light or fun retelling.The main characters Ariadne and Theseus are well-defined and multi-dimensional, but I didn't personally connect with either of them. Ariadne's acceptance of the religion and her role in the rituals irritated me at times; I'm sure it was realistic for the way she'd been brought up and the times she was living in, but I wanted to see her question and doubt the system more. However, her love for her brother was endearing; it was nice to see that she cared deeply for someone outside of herself. I can't really say the same for Theseus, who often acted out of selfish motives.I did appreciate there is no black-and-white romance going on between Theseus and Ariadne. They share more of a tentative alliance, each by turns using the other, than anything else. While Ariadne briefly flirts with the possibility that she may have fallen for Theseus, their relationship never ventures beyond the merest beginning of a friendship.As for other characters: Ariadne's mother Pasiphaë isn't really likable, but the relationship between Ariadne and her was quite interesting, the mother-daughter dynamic taking on an unusual tone as Pasiphaë also has the role of "mentor," so to speak, to She-Who-Will-Be-Goddess. The villains seemed a bit caricature-ish and could have been fleshed out more to make them less stereotypical.Best aspect: I enjoyed seeing how fundamentally a belief system can affect everyday lives. The close connection between their religion and nature and the harvest made sense, and although we don't know a whole lot about ancient Cretan society, many societies in ancient times had a strong correlation between the farming schedule and their spiritual traditions (i.e. paganism). The atmosphere of ancient Greece was well-evoked, the writing painting a rich picture of life back then.If I could change something... Well, for a book being touted as a retelling of the myth of the Minotaur...we don't actually *see* the "Minotaur" (Asterion) very much! This is unfortunate, as I thought his character had a lot to offer; the way Barrett has re-interpreted the Minotaur — as a mentally challenged and physically deformed young man, rather than the actual offspring of a bull and woman — brings into play the potential for many questions of morality and empathy. I think there's more that could have been explored with Asterion, but it's overshadowed by the complexities of the Goddess/Velchanos legend and the plot surrounding Theseus and Prokris.Also, I was a bit iffy on how the religion is handled. Through most of it, the religion is portrayed merely as a belief system without concrete evidence — which is fine. But there's one part where this shifts and the presence of a deity is implied, though granted it is told from Ariadne's perspective. I found it difficult to accept Ariadne's belief in Goddess and her presence given that we don't really get to know Goddess' character at all. However, towards the end Ariadne herself acknowledges her uncertainty about this scene, which helps to remind the reader that this is all being filtered through Ariadne's point of view. In a way, it gives it a bit more mystery to not have the question resolved one way or another.Read if: you like Greek legends, ethics, and characters with questionable motives.Final verdict: 3.5 shooting stars. I like the more realistic interpretation Barrett has taken of this legend, but I didn't really empathize that much with either of the leads and thought the complexities of the religious belief system swamped the storyline in a way.Disclaimer: I received this book for review from the publisher.