Once upon a time, when gods still strode the Earth and magic still manifested in unexpected ways, when the city of Troy stood in all its glory and the city-states of Greece dominated the world as they knew it, no tribe was more respected for their battle prowess than the legendary Amazons. Hidden away in the city of Themiscyra, they were every bit the equal of men, eschewing them altogether save for trading and procreation. Male children were always given to the father; only the females remained with the tribe. Ruled in peace by Queen Otrere and in war by Queen Valasca, blessed by Ares and Artemis, they stood strong and proud against all who would destroy them.

But the legends surrounding the creation of the Amazons hide an even darker beginning, one filled with tragedy and shame, blood and fire, and a curse laid down by the gods themselves. Should the second son of an Amazonian queen ever be allowed to grow to adulthood, the Amazons would fall, becoming as dead as the men that had once completed the tribe. For centuries, they have watched and waited, ready to prevent this dreadful curse from striking them. However, the day has finally come. Queen Otrere’s second son lies newly born in her arms, and the traditions call for him to be sacrificed to the gods. Can she do what it needed for the good of her people?

Her daughter Hippolyta, whose destiny as Queen of the Amazons lies years ahead of her, is willing to defy gods and traditions alike to fulfill her mother’s desire: that the newborn Podarces be delivered not into the bosom of the gods, but instead to his father, King Laomedon of Troy. Such an upset cannot go unpunished. Otrere is thrown into prison, and only a daring midnight escape allows Hippolyta to go free with her baby brother, intent upon seeing him safely to his new home. Hippolyta will brave bandits and soldiers alike, defy a king, and be condemned to die at the jaws of a mighty sea monster before she’s through, and only with the unwitting aid of her other unwanted half-brother Tithonus will she return home. There, she finds that the dreadful curse once pronounced by the gods has descended upon the Amazons, and only she and Tithonus may save the tribe from extinction. But can she overcome the very will of the gods?

Hippolyta and the Curse of the Amazons is part of the Young Heroes series of books, which takes famous heroes of myth and legend, and looks at what they might have been like in their younger days. This isn’t the Queen of the Amazons who interacted with Hercules during his Twelve Labors, or who met Bellerophon, tamer of the Pegasus. This is Hippolyta the teenage girl. She’s stubborn, overbearing, arrogant, strong-willed, hot-tempered, biased against men, and utterly fearless. She’s not a terribly nice person in some ways, but she’s completely loyal to her mother, and daring enough to challenge the gods. We can see in her the fire and steel that will someday turn her into a legend, if she can just live that long. As an adult, she’ll be a hero of myth. As a teenager, she must overcome her many faults, and accept the help of someone she initially despises, all to save her people.

Jane Yolen and Robert Harris do a wonderful job of taking someone who’s relatively unknown in the grand scheme of the Greek mythos, and fleshing her out into a character as real and believable as any modern teenager… if teenagers were allowed to carry double-bladed axes, that is. Yolen and Harris are in top form with this book, proving once again that Yolen has well earned her reputation as a master of the fantastic. This book is a treat for young and old readers alike, and worth checking out. Those interested may also go to www.janeyolen.com for more on the author and her works.