Jason and the Gorgon's Blood

Young Heroes #4

by Jane Yolen, Robert J. Harris

Before he led the Argonauts on the quest for the Golden Fleece, Jason saved an ancient city . . .Jason is an orphan training to be a warrior under the instruction of the centaur Chiron. But when wild centaurs steal Chiron’s most precious possessions—two jars of Gorgon’s blood, one with the power to heal any wound and the other a poison deadly enough to massacre multitudes—Jason must recover the blood before it can destroy the city of Iolcus. As he undertakes the quest with a band of unruly companions, Jason learns he’s actually the true heir to the throne of Iolcus. Only by proving himself worthy of leading this troop of young heroes can Jason stop the savage centaurs and save his city from slaughter. This ebook features personal histories by Jane Yolen and Robert J. Harris including rare images from the authors’ personal collections, as well as a timeline of the Heroic Age and a conversation between the two authors about the making of the series.

Genres: Fantasy, Mythology, Greek Mythology, Young Adult, Fiction, Adventure, Middle Grade

246 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 17, 2004

About the author

Jane Yolen is a novelist, poet, fantasist, journalist, songwriter, storyteller, folklorist, and children’s book author who has written more than three hundred books. Her accolades include the Caldecott Medal, two Nebula Awards, the World Fantasy Award, three Mythopoeic Awards, the Kerlan Award, two Christopher Awards, and six honorary doctorate degrees from colleges and universities in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Born and raised in New York City, the mother of three and the grandmother of six, Yolen lives in Massachusetts and St. Andrews, Scotland.

Reviews

[Matthew Hendricks]

I read this when I was a kid, and I had a religious crisis over it because I got scared that God wouldn't want me to read books with other gods in them.

[Jack Cheng]

Great read, great concept. This is part of a series of books about the imagined adolescence of great heroes. In this one, Jason has not claimed his birthright yet (and not sent on his quest for the Golden Fleece) but he meets a number of his future Argonauts. The story involves stolen jars of Medusa's blood -- enough poison to kill everyone in Thessaly. Austin really enjoyed it (at age 6) and even read a few chapters by himself.

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

A take on what Jason, from Jason and the Argonauts fame, was like as a teenager. Fun, but lightweight give to fans of the Lightning Thief.

[Mckinley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not into the characters.

[A Hoppy Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars
I remember this being good.