Euryale

by Kara Dalkey

Fantasy, magic and romance deftly woven into a story of gods and monsters, dark secrets and strange omens . . . Veiled against the world, and served only by the blind and short-sighted, a mysterious woman comes to Republican Rome to gain the answer to the riddle: "What can change stone into living flesh?"

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Historical, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy

248 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

Kara Mia Dalkey is an American author of young adult fiction and historical fantasy. She was born in Los Angeles and has lived in Minneapolis, Pittsburgh, Colorado, and Seattle. Much of her fiction is set in the Heian period of Japan.

She was married to author John Barnes; they divorced in 2001. She is a member of the Pre-Joycean Fellowship and of the Scribblies. She is a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Design and Marketing in Los Angeles.

She is also a musician and has gigged extensively on electric bass (which she plays left-handed) and harmony vocals, with such bands as Runestone, the Albany Free Traders, and Nate Bucklin and the Ensemble (in Minnesota) and Relic and Voodoo Blue (in Seattle.) At different times she has also played drums, banjo and acoustic guitar. She is a songwriter, but her total output is low, and consequently no CD or other album is presently in the works.

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dalkey did SOO much research on this book. After taking four years of Latin and Roman history, I did not find even one thing that was incorrect. Her knowledge of the Roman culture was absolutely impeccable! The story was wonderful, exciting mysterious and romantic, I loved everything about this book. Highly recommended :)

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four stars for making me cry at the ending.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantasy inspired by Greek mythology set in ancient Rome. Dalkey doesn't retell the myth of Medusa, but creates an original story using some of the "background" characters from that myth. The stress is on characterization rather than high adventure, and if bits of the plot are a bit predictable, it's an excellent story nonetheless—and I'm delighted to have had a "new" Greek myth to read.

[PJ Who Once Was Peejay · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was reprinted by Juno. I liked it: ancient Greek myth meets ancient Roman politics, people cursed and/or blessed by the gods, good characters--what's not to like?

[Amy Culbertson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of Medusa.

[Mely]

2016 reread.

[Britt]

WHAT ABOUT WATER