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Athena's Son

by Jeryl Schoenbeck (Goodreads Author)

4.54 of 5 stars 4.54 · rating details · 13 ratings · 7 reviews

In 276 BC, Egyptians are terrified when a series of murders are linked to Anubis, god of the dead. The evidence is inexplicable. The victims' bodies have no wounds and the killer's tracks are enormous animal prints. Egyptians believe the jackal-headed god doesn't want the new lighthouse build. The pharaoh needs someone special to solve the crimes, someone with the skills a...more

Paperback, 254 pages

Published December 3rd 2011 by Papyrus Publishing

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Aug 04, 2012 Kellee rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, mythology, mystery, middle-grade, about-books-or-reading, art, teach-mentor-texts, website-review-done, my-best-read-in-2012-not-pub-in-12

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*Oh my goodness! So much is going on in this novel and all of it is good.

First, suspense. The book starts off right away with a murder. It is very Alex Rider-esque because it isn't until a bit later that you figure out how this murder fits into the story. However, by beginning that way, the author sucks you into the story and already gives you a reason to want to keep reading. Then as you read through the story and Archimedes gets himself far...more Reviewed at:
http://www.teachmentortexts.com/2012/...

*Oh my goodness! So much is going on in this novel and all of it is good.

First, suspense. The book starts off right away with a murder. It is very Alex Rider-esque because it isn't until a bit later that you figure out how this murder fits into the story. However, by beginning that way, the author sucks you into the story and already gives you a reason to want to keep reading. Then as you read through the story and Archimedes gets himself farther and farther into the murder-mystery at the center of the story, the suspense builds and at a certain point I just could not stop reading.

Second, history. There is so much history in this book! First, it is taking place in 2nd century BC Egypt when the Ptolemy family is ruling thus a tumultuous time because Greeks and Egyptians are both trying to live peacefully together. The Romans are also becoming part of the mix. Our characters are from all three nations. Second, part of the story is about Alexander the Great and has us look back at his reign. Although the book begins with an historical background index and maps, I found myself on Wikipedia many times throughout the reading because I wanted to know more about the fascinating things that were being shared with me.

Third, science. Archimedes is known for being a leading scientist in classical antiquity and this book shares with us some of the principles, inventions and theories he had. I was worried at first that the science aspect was going to seem forced, but I found that it fit perfectly within the story and just added to it. Also, the author made sure that all of the items discussed are actually findings of Archimedes thus are historically accurate as well.

Fourth, mythology. I love mythology. And this book has the best of both worlds as it discusses Greek and Egyptian mythology.

And there are other reasons as well: action, mystery, and culture. See, as I promised- a lot of stuff going on and all good. This book is very much worth a read and will find some readers in fans of Rick Riordan.

Snatch of Text: "The solution became clear when Ptahhotep laughed at him and told him not to drop the crown in the water. "By completely immersing the wreath in this bowl of water, an amount of water equal to the total volume of the crown will be expelled. This large plate," he pointed to the alabaster plate underneath the bowl, "will collect the water that spills."
..."The water that spills onto the plate will be poured into this glass beaker, which will measure the volume of the water, and at the same time, the volume of the gold wreath." Archimedes' hand moved to the measuring scales. They were the same bronze scales the men were using to weigh gold when he and Berenike first entered the palace." (p. 89-90)(less)

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Sep 03, 2012 Heidi rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: great-teaching-books, middle-grade-historical-fiction, multicultural, science, ya-historical-fiction

I've never particularly been interested in ancient history, but this book has changed that opinion. Not only are the characters fascinating but the intricate plot twists and turns delightfully. The author beautifully incorporates science and both Greek and Egyptian religious beliefs. I appreciated that the author points out what characters are real and what aspects of the real individuals he included in the story. Like most historical fiction, he changes things so the story works better, but the...more I've never particularly been interested in ancient history, but this book has changed that opinion. Not only are the characters fascinating but the intricate plot twists and turns delightfully. The author beautifully incorporates science and both Greek and Egyptian religious beliefs. I appreciated that the author points out what characters are real and what aspects of the real individuals he included in the story. Like most historical fiction, he changes things so the story works better, but there is enough realistic information in the story to provide a believable context for the story.

The setting is intriguing to say the least. While I have little interest in ancient history, I've always had an interest in the Library of Alexandria. If there was one place in the ancient world that I could visit, it would be that place. The author does a nice job of describing not only the School that Archimedes attends but the palace, and marketplace. It makes things so much easier to visualize when the author takes the time to create a realistic setting, something that can be especially difficult to achieve when describing a time and place that no longer exists.

Character-wise, I liked Archimedes from the beginning. The boy's courage and ingenuity are clear from page one. I've always had a preference for heroes that use their brains and Archimedes does that in spades. Berenike, the Pharoah's daughter is quite likeable as well, feisty and intelligent. The secondary characters are interesting, the Pharoah, Callimachus (Archimedes' teacher and head of the School), and Herophilos, the doctor, who lead the way for modern medicine. I had no idea that so much was known about the human body at that time. The villain isn't quite as deep as a character, but his actions are quite in keeping with priests who want to maintain power at the expense of the people.

I loved the plot with large doses of both murder mystery and science there are plenty of twists and turns. There are some violent parts, which are a bit graphic, which unfortunately sword-fighting tends to be. The autopsy scene is also rather gross. I enjoyed the balance between action and thought, science and strategy. I recommend this book to readers who enjoy stories of brains and brawn, ancient history and science, as well as plenty of action.(less)

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Jul 30, 2012 Karen Yingling rated it 3 of 5 stars

Archimedes arrives at the School of Alexandria after a horrible voyage by ship from Greece. He has been sent because he is such a talented scholar, but he also manages to get himself into trouble. He irritates the high priest Ptahhotep while trying to show an Egyptian how to improve the speed of his wagon; even though Archimedes does make the wagon faster, he causes a disturbance outside the temple. The head of the school, Callimachus, is very understanding and helps smooth things over with the...more Archimedes arrives at the School of Alexandria after a horrible voyage by ship from Greece. He has been sent because he is such a talented scholar, but he also manages to get himself into trouble. He irritates the high priest Ptahhotep while trying to show an Egyptian how to improve the speed of his wagon; even though Archimedes does make the wagon faster, he causes a disturbance outside the temple. The head of the school, Callimachus, is very understanding and helps smooth things over with the priest, but before long Archimedes has himself embroiled in two mysteries-- one involving the murder of workmen at the sight of Pharoah Ptolemy II's Pharos lighthouse, and one that the Pharoah's daughter, Berenike, is trying to solve about the death of Alexander the Great, whose body is in the possession of the Egyptians. There are many nefarious adults around, from the evil sailor Pollux, who comes back to haunt Achimedes, to the shady Roman Remus Decimus, but Archimedes manages to use his skills and knowledge to solve both mysteries, even though he and Berenike are almost killed in the process!
Strengths: Mr. Schoenbeck has done a good job with an intriguing mystery with lots of action as well as some grossness and gore! This would be a very useful book to use in our 7th grade, when ancient Greece and Egypt are studied. It would be fun to try some of the many experiments in science class while going over the real people in the book in social studies. There are many small details, such as food eaten, clothing worn, that make this especially fun. Readers who liked Caroline Lawrence's The Roman Mysteries will definitely adore this.
Weaknesses: Some of the descriptions of Archimedes' experiments are a bit didactic, and while his relationship with Berenike is fun, it seems a tiny bit unlikely. I was also bothered by two small anachronisms, mainly because most of the book was so authentic-- when Archimedes uses measurements, he uses grams, and at one point the mystery of Alexander is hinging on whether the reading of a Demotic Greek manuscript should be "son" or "sun", while in (at least modern Demotic) ήλιος and γιος would not be mistaken for each other. Of course, maybe I just through that criticism in so that everyone knows I minored in ancient Greek in college!
(less)

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Aug 31, 2012 Darlene Williams rated it 5 of 5 stars

Athena's Son commences with the young 12 year-old Archimedes (renowned ancient world scientist) arrriving in Alexandra to begin his studies at the School of Alexandra. Before Archimedes sets foot on shore, he outwits a thieving sailor. On his walk to the School of Alexandra, he once again uses his intellect to expose a fraudster, although he makes a severe social gaff at the same time. At the school, he meets the Pharoah's daughter and they embark on solving two mysteries, both of which could c...more

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Jan 14, 2013 Rebecca Kempfer rated it 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book because it has a very interesting plot even though it is mostly based on facts.

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Dec 25, 2011 Jane Simmons rated it 5 of 5 stars

A great mystery book for middle grade readers because it teaches science and history while entertaining them.

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Feb 23, 2013 Kimberly Jean rated it 4 of 5 stars

Great historical fiction! Must read if you like ancient Egyptian mythology and Ancient Greek mythology. Takes place in Alexandria during Ptolemiac times.

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