King of Ithaka
3.5/5
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Currently unavailable
Currently unavailable
About this ebook
Telemachos has a comfortable life on his small island of Ithaka, where his mother Penelopeia keeps the peace even though the land has been without its king, his father Odysseus, since the Trojan War began many years ago.
But now the people are demanding a new king, unless Telemachos can find Odysseus and bring him home. With only a mysterious prophecy to guide him, Telemachos sets off over sea and desert in search of the father he has never known.
Tracy Barrett
Tracy Barrett writes both fiction and nonfiction set in the ancient and medieval past, as well as contemporary novels, for middle-grade and young-adult audiences. Her titles include the popular Sherlock Files series, as well as the award-winning Anna of Byzantium, Dark of the Moon (starred review, Kirkus), King of Ithaka (starred review, SLJ), and others. She loves traveling, and speaking to groups of students, teachers, and librarians.
Read more from Tracy Barrett
Dark of the Moon Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5
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Reviews for King of Ithaka
18 ratings4 reviews
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5First off, the cover of this book bugged me. I hate the current trend of putting large faces on covers. Books like this creep me out with the people staring back. That said, this book was ok. I'm not 100% into books with a male lead. I just personally prefer female leads, I can identify and empathize better with them. The story, however, was solid, the plot believable, and the characters were interesting. The story is about the son of Odysseus, prince of Ithaca, who has been left behind the whole time his father has been trying to get home from Troy (the other side of the story of the Odyssey). It is a very interesting premise, and the plotting is good, especially since it is based on so little of the story because there's only a few references. I was a little confused by the lead's fear of the ocean. I don't believe a prince would be allowed to be afraid of a sword because his father died in battle, so I don't think the son of the most famous sailor in history would be allowed to say "no, thanks, I'll stay on land". I also don't think they'd wait until he was old enough to have a phobia, he'd probably be sailing before his eyes were open so by the time he was old enough to understand phobias he'd probably be used to it. I was also greatly annoyed at how the last half of the book deviated from the original Odyssey story. It's jmo, but if you're basing your entire story on 10 lines from a classic story then don't base your plot on "it was all a lie" or "they stretched the truth". Or, if you do, trust in your reader's ignorance and only mention the change in passing, not with a huge plot-line explanation. I feel as if the author is telling me about her failures straight out.I do feel a little guilty, though, because right now my longest review is nit-picky things about this book that really wasn't all that bad. It was an enjoyable, short read that I didn't feel like throwing away. The mythical creatures were dealt with well, and their characterization was believable. The females in the story were well written and acted believably and independently of men, which is nice in a historical story. All-in-all I recommend it from your library or in paperback as a quick fun read.
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- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5An ingenious retelling of the story of the return of Odysseus from the perspective of his son. In some ways this version sounds more believable than the original.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5You may be familiar with the story of Odysseus returning after many years to his wife Penelope but this book presents the story of his son, Telemachos, who was still a baby when Odysseus left. Telemarchos leads a carefree life on Ithaka but is worried about the possibility of his mother marrying again so decides to set out to seek his father. This is a great adventure story featuring believable characters and would appeal to readers aged 12 and up.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Okay. I need to start by saying that I’m a complete and total classics nerd. I have a degree in classical studies, I’ve read countless papers on classical mythology, and written several myself. So when it comes to rewriting something like THE ODYSSEY, well, you’d better do it well if you want to impress me, because my eye is beyond critical.So when I first heard about KING OF ITHAKA by Tracy Barrett I was scared. I was scared that I would hate it even though it looked so good. A reimagining of Telemakos’ part of THE ODYSSEY? Telemakos is my favorite character. I have a freaking cat named Telemachus. I knew I had to read it, but I also knew that if it wasn’t everything I wanted it to be, I would be sorely disappointed.That said, I read every page of KING OF ITHAKA, my critical eyes wide open, turning pages as quickly as I could. It’s a fast-paced adventure story that doesn’t dumb down a single thing for its younger audience — a mistake I’ve seen in many mythology-based books. The characters are sympathetic and believable while being true to their classical originals. And the twist ending is to die for.If you don’t know much about THE ODYSSEY, well, you should! Still, I think you’ll enjoy this wonderful, honest adventure novel as a historical fantasy. And if you’re a total ODYSSEY nerd like me, you should definitely check it out.