"Pure Ambrosia"
Following a deadly battle between the Gods and the
Giants, a shipwrecked Proteus barely manages to reach a
nearby beach but has lost his memory. Already on the shore
are Jason and the Argonauts preparing to continue sailing
in order to take the Golden Fleece from King Aeetes.
Proteus decides to join the quest and performs feats beyond
that of the heroes of the Argo. As Proteus begins to regains pieces of his memory, he
concludes that King Pelias hired him to kill Jason.
However, his time amidst the Argonauts, especially the
brave leader makes him realize he cannot do this task and
instead becomes an intrepid and loyal member of the crew.
After fleecing Aeetes and other adventures, the Argonauts
land on the enchantress Circe's island where Proteus not
only learns more about himself and the truth, but plans to
do something about it, that is if he lives long enough to
do so. This retelling of the Greek epic Jason and the
Argonauts is a well-written fantasy tale that keeps reader
attention throughout the book. The story line is fast-
paced and filled with action though much is seen through
the eyes of the mysterious and bewildered Proteus as
opposed to Jason, Hercules, and some of the other mythical
heroes. Highly regarded Fred Saberhagen, in his
fourth 'BOOK OF THE GODS' novel, is not quite on the level
of the mythological classic or the Ray Harryhausen animated
enhanced movie, but will provide the author's myriad of
fans with an entertaining story. Harriet Klausner
Reviewed by PNR Group Member
Posted August 19, 2001
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