Reviews for Shadow of the Spider
Kirkus Reviews
A set of triplets must save a magical realm from an evil goddess in Burgess’ YA fantasy debut.
Fourteen years ago, in the realm of Eleusia, Queen Sharra vanished from Dundarden Castle. The wizard Azmodeus helped hide her young triplets from Hera, who’s targeted her family as revenge on her husband, Zeus, who believed Sharra to be the reincarnation of a “young, mortal river nymph” he loved. Now Hera presents a challenge: If the triplets can answer six riddles, Hera will lift a curse from the land. Two of the kids, 16-year-old Jamie and Jeremiah, return to Eleusia from the Earth dimension, where Azmodeus sent them; the third triplet is among a ragtag group of teens with unusual but untested powers who live in rural Glockamar. (Hera has charged a woman called the Spider with collecting such special children at a place called the Sanctuary.) After Azmodeus gathers his adventurers together, they learn about the riddles and the necessity of saving the Laurel Tree, which controls their troll pursuers. Should they fail, Eleusia will fall to darkness—and other dimensions, including Earth, might be next. Can the group, which includes Mikel, Tovan, Petre, Portia, and Melisande, outwit beings from Earth mythology along the way? Burgess offers YA fantasy readers an intriguing conceptual jam session. The premise that magical beings—including deities, pixies, dragons, and characters from literature, such as Ali Baba—fled Earth long ago is a particularly fertile one. The main characters’ mission doesn’t truly begin for about 100 pages, but then Burgess effectively gives each player a chance to stand out. Mikel, for example, learns he’s a wizard, and unlikable Portia solves a tough riddle and feels a sense of belonging. The oldest hero, Melisande, is 17, but the narrative has the energy of a middle-grade epic; the tale’s barrage of colorful creatures—including two different shape-changing sidekicks—and shocking revelations will keep young readers engaged. A bit more emphasis on the teens’ inner lives, however, might make the plot feel less cluttered in future installments.
An epic mashup that will reward readers of both contemporary and classic fantasy.
BookTrib Review
Whisked Away to Another Dimension, Long-Lost Siblings Discover Magic and Each Other
By Nicole Maher|December 13th, 2021|Fiction, Young Adult, Young Adult - Featured
In the middle of an impending snow storm, Jeremiah attempts to take his family frustrations out on a ski slope. Across the country, Jamie prepares to face her father as he returns from a trip with his secretary-turned-fiancee. But before either of the teenagers have a chance to face their respective families, they are whisked away in a mysterious vortex and land in another dimension.
In Marianne E. Burgess’ Shadow of the Spider: A Quest to Save a Queen (FriesenPress), this alternate dimension called Eleusia possesses magic, and here, mythical creatures exist.
JEREMIAH, JAMIE AND PORTIA MAKES TRIPLETS
Jeremiah spent his younger years reading books full of magic, and yet, he finds it hard to believe this is real. In fact, he is more willing to believe he died during a skiing accident and has found himself in a twisted afterlife. Jamie, on the other hand, feels far too excited with the recent events to question it. Her curiosity remains at the forefront as she encounters her first mystical creature, a satyr, but as more dangerous creatures start to appear, the reality of their new surroundings begins to settle in.
On top of the discovery of different dimensions and magical beings, the teenagers learn another surprising piece of information: not only are they related to one another, but they are part of a set of triplets. When they meet their third sibling — Portia, who has lived in Eleusia her entire life — they find that she lives up to her reputation as both mischievous and temperamental.
It is the wizard Azmodeus that explains to the triplets why they have suddenly been brought together. Eleusia has fallen under the goddess’ curse, and in 20 days, the dimension will cease to exist as they know it. In order to stop the curse, they must solve six riddles before time runs out .
While the trio finds assistance in a group of magical teenagers from Eleusia, their quest still appears impossible. In order to solve the riddles in time, the siblings have to put aside their differences and learn to work together. And they must do so on a tight timeline, as Spider, the shadowy creature behind the curse, continues to spread terror across the land.
BURGESS’ BEAUTIFUL WORLD OF FOLKLORE AND MYTHS
As the quest builds, so does the relationship between Jeremiah, Jamie and Portia. While the triplets begin the journey as three drastically different teenagers placed together, their similarities slowly begin to shine through. Between their growing number of inside jokes and desire to keep each other safe, they create the familial bond they lacked in their prior realities. Despite facing mythical challenges such as goblins and dragons, they also overcome emotional challenges faced by anyone who has a close bond with their siblings.
Burgess places all of her characters in a beautifully developed world full of folklore and fairy tales. From wizards and elves to a sphinx and Greek deities, Shadow of the Spider includes references to everyone’s favorite myths. It is this diversity that makes Burgess’ novel an attractive read for anyone who enjoys fantasy of any kind. The age range of the characters makes it fitting for young adults, while the complexity of the storyline can also appeal to adult readers.
Shadow of the Spider by Marianne E. Burgess
This book contains those magical elements of YA sci-fi/fantasy that make for a surefire winner when done with a deft pen: curses, prophecies and quests. Jamie and Jeremiah are ordinary teenagers with mostly-ordinary lives when a strange vortex appears and transports them to the land of Eleusia in another dimension. They are even more stunned when they learn that they were actually born in Eleusia but were hidden on Earth for their own protection. It doesn’t stop there: Jamie and Jeremiah are part of a set of triplets, and the third triplet has been living in this parallel land the whole time.
They must quickly adapt to a world where magic exists and fairytale and mythical creatures such as wizards, elves, dwarves, dragons, and Greek and Roman gods and goddesses exist. The triplets must save Eleusia from a goddess’ curse that will bring evil and darkness to the land … and they have only 20 days. Meanwhile, Spider, the shadowy creature spreading the curse, continues to terrorize and kill with its incomprehensible and demonic power. Can they pull it off? Read our review here.
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound | Bookshop
A set of triplets must save a magical realm from an evil goddess in Burgess’ YA fantasy debut.
Fourteen years ago, in the realm of Eleusia, Queen Sharra vanished from Dundarden Castle. The wizard Azmodeus helped hide her young triplets from Hera, who’s targeted her family as revenge on her husband, Zeus, who believed Sharra to be the reincarnation of a “young, mortal river nymph” he loved. Now Hera presents a challenge: If the triplets can answer six riddles, Hera will lift a curse from the land. Two of the kids, 16-year-old Jamie and Jeremiah, return to Eleusia from the Earth dimension, where Azmodeus sent them; the third triplet is among a ragtag group of teens with unusual but untested powers who live in rural Glockamar. (Hera has charged a woman called the Spider with collecting such special children at a place called the Sanctuary.) After Azmodeus gathers his adventurers together, they learn about the riddles and the necessity of saving the Laurel Tree, which controls their troll pursuers. Should they fail, Eleusia will fall to darkness—and other dimensions, including Earth, might be next. Can the group, which includes Mikel, Tovan, Petre, Portia, and Melisande, outwit beings from Earth mythology along the way? Burgess offers YA fantasy readers an intriguing conceptual jam session. The premise that magical beings—including deities, pixies, dragons, and characters from literature, such as Ali Baba—fled Earth long ago is a particularly fertile one. The main characters’ mission doesn’t truly begin for about 100 pages, but then Burgess effectively gives each player a chance to stand out. Mikel, for example, learns he’s a wizard, and unlikable Portia solves a tough riddle and feels a sense of belonging. The oldest hero, Melisande, is 17, but the narrative has the energy of a middle-grade epic; the tale’s barrage of colorful creatures—including two different shape-changing sidekicks—and shocking revelations will keep young readers engaged. A bit more emphasis on the teens’ inner lives, however, might make the plot feel less cluttered in future installments.
An epic mashup that will reward readers of both contemporary and classic fantasy.
BookTrib Review
Whisked Away to Another Dimension, Long-Lost Siblings Discover Magic and Each Other
By Nicole Maher|December 13th, 2021|Fiction, Young Adult, Young Adult - Featured
In the middle of an impending snow storm, Jeremiah attempts to take his family frustrations out on a ski slope. Across the country, Jamie prepares to face her father as he returns from a trip with his secretary-turned-fiancee. But before either of the teenagers have a chance to face their respective families, they are whisked away in a mysterious vortex and land in another dimension.
In Marianne E. Burgess’ Shadow of the Spider: A Quest to Save a Queen (FriesenPress), this alternate dimension called Eleusia possesses magic, and here, mythical creatures exist.
JEREMIAH, JAMIE AND PORTIA MAKES TRIPLETS
Jeremiah spent his younger years reading books full of magic, and yet, he finds it hard to believe this is real. In fact, he is more willing to believe he died during a skiing accident and has found himself in a twisted afterlife. Jamie, on the other hand, feels far too excited with the recent events to question it. Her curiosity remains at the forefront as she encounters her first mystical creature, a satyr, but as more dangerous creatures start to appear, the reality of their new surroundings begins to settle in.
On top of the discovery of different dimensions and magical beings, the teenagers learn another surprising piece of information: not only are they related to one another, but they are part of a set of triplets. When they meet their third sibling — Portia, who has lived in Eleusia her entire life — they find that she lives up to her reputation as both mischievous and temperamental.
It is the wizard Azmodeus that explains to the triplets why they have suddenly been brought together. Eleusia has fallen under the goddess’ curse, and in 20 days, the dimension will cease to exist as they know it. In order to stop the curse, they must solve six riddles before time runs out .
While the trio finds assistance in a group of magical teenagers from Eleusia, their quest still appears impossible. In order to solve the riddles in time, the siblings have to put aside their differences and learn to work together. And they must do so on a tight timeline, as Spider, the shadowy creature behind the curse, continues to spread terror across the land.
BURGESS’ BEAUTIFUL WORLD OF FOLKLORE AND MYTHS
As the quest builds, so does the relationship between Jeremiah, Jamie and Portia. While the triplets begin the journey as three drastically different teenagers placed together, their similarities slowly begin to shine through. Between their growing number of inside jokes and desire to keep each other safe, they create the familial bond they lacked in their prior realities. Despite facing mythical challenges such as goblins and dragons, they also overcome emotional challenges faced by anyone who has a close bond with their siblings.
Burgess places all of her characters in a beautifully developed world full of folklore and fairy tales. From wizards and elves to a sphinx and Greek deities, Shadow of the Spider includes references to everyone’s favorite myths. It is this diversity that makes Burgess’ novel an attractive read for anyone who enjoys fantasy of any kind. The age range of the characters makes it fitting for young adults, while the complexity of the storyline can also appeal to adult readers.
Shadow of the Spider by Marianne E. Burgess
This book contains those magical elements of YA sci-fi/fantasy that make for a surefire winner when done with a deft pen: curses, prophecies and quests. Jamie and Jeremiah are ordinary teenagers with mostly-ordinary lives when a strange vortex appears and transports them to the land of Eleusia in another dimension. They are even more stunned when they learn that they were actually born in Eleusia but were hidden on Earth for their own protection. It doesn’t stop there: Jamie and Jeremiah are part of a set of triplets, and the third triplet has been living in this parallel land the whole time.
They must quickly adapt to a world where magic exists and fairytale and mythical creatures such as wizards, elves, dwarves, dragons, and Greek and Roman gods and goddesses exist. The triplets must save Eleusia from a goddess’ curse that will bring evil and darkness to the land … and they have only 20 days. Meanwhile, Spider, the shadowy creature spreading the curse, continues to terrorize and kill with its incomprehensible and demonic power. Can they pull it off? Read our review here.
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound | Bookshop
