Book Review: Hippolyta and the Curse of the Amazons

Jane Yolen and author Robert J. Harris co-wrote a four-book series they named The Young Heroes. The four books cover Greek heroes Odysseus, Atalanta, Jason, and Hippolyta. Overall, the whole series is well-liked, though Hippolyta’s story gets some mixed reviews.

Hippolyta and the Curse of the Amazons follows the young Amazon Princess as she attempts to save her newborn baby brother’s life, and escort him to his father, King Laomedon. The reason for her quest: Hippolyta’s mother the Amazon Queen Otrere has given birth to a second son. Artemis, patron of the Amazons, has forbidden this. According to Amazon Law the baby must be sacrificed.

Hippolyta makes her way to King Laomedon, but instead of being happy with her, he proves to be yet another hazard that Hippolyta must escape from. She also ends up having to deal with the king’s older obnoxious son in order to save both their lives.”

While on the road they meet a mysterious stranger who guides them. This is how the Gods enter the story, especially Ares, the God of War. Harris who is known to have plotted, or over-plotted this story. Some readers suggest that he may have gone a little overboard and have been a little disappointed by the deus ex machina ending.

Yolen and Harris combine both mythology and known history in their telling of Hippolyta (who was an Amazon queen that very little is actually known about), as a young Amazon princess. Some of what is known historically can be found in the ending note entitled: What Is True about this…