Publishers: Brainstorm Publications, Inc.

Atlas’ Revenge is the second in the Mad Myth Mystery series and again sees PJ Allen dashing around trying to live his life as a student during the daytime while saving the world at night. Fortunately, he is assisted by the gods and goddesses of Greek myth, including Zeus, Hermes, Hera and Athena. They help PJ learn and indeed the intended audience to learn some important lessons about the world as he gets the chance to travel again to the underworld, deal with the Amazons, meet more immortal characters and also undertake the twelve labours of Hercules. This is necessary because of a new plot threatening the world as the witch goddess Hecate and Atlas, the titan charged with the task of holding up the heavens, plan to destroy the world and take revenge on PJ, who destroyed Hecate’s daughter Circe in the previous book.

The writing is as competent as the previous book and provides an entertaining romp which many will enjoy. PJ himself is quite an engaging character, while the minor characters have some vivid and unpleasant characteristics to help them stick in the memory. PJ worries about getting the girl again and dallies with the flame-haired Cate. However, the same dreary Andi from the first book is still lurking in the background and the father of the gods is still rather creepily masquerading as PJ’s dead father. Still, the various riddles and quests can help the reader to forget about her baleful presence. I am, nevertheless, reluctant to recommend this too strongly for young readers for two reasons, which others may well consider irrelevant. Firstly, PJ is once again an elitist figure: he has given up being quarterback of his school American football team but now has become an expert snowboarder and surfer as well as being a highly talented illustrator who has a job as leading artist for a film company (no factory or waiting for him). Secondly, Brainstorm Publications seems to lack a competent editor and there are just too many grammatical, syntactic and spelling mistakes for a serious publication. However, I am glad to notice that Atlas’ Revenge is no longer being promoted as an alternative to Harry Potter as The Hero Perseus was.

John Walsh, Shinawatra University, August 2005