Hekate (Goddesses of the Underworld #1)

After the Olympians prevail during the Titanomachy—a war between Titans and Olympians—young godling and Titan Hekate flees with her mother to the Underworld. With Zeus and Poseidon in pursuit, Hekate’s mother is forced to leave the child with Hekate’s caring but aloof aunt, Styx. Though the Underworld is no place to grow up, Hekate is drawn to the ghosts in the Asphodel Meadows and ferryman Charon’s stories. She yearns to come into her powers, which she plans to use to find her mother and free her father, now imprisoned by the Olympians. Hekate’s unfettered curiosity and desire to achieve her goals leads her to the darkest, most enigmatic parts of the Underworld, and her magic, once it manifests, threatens Zeus and the Olympians who sundered her world. Well-researched, expressive verse by Gill (These Are the Words) explores themes of survival and resilience to reimagine the story of an unsung god in the Greek pantheon. The richly imagined setting serves as a vibrant backdrop for Hekate’s journey of self-discovery and actualization as she uncovers dark secrets and meets familiar and novel figures of Greek myth. Hekate cues as white. Ages 14–up. Agent: Niki Chang, David Higham Assoc. (Sept.)