'The Moon Maiden' by Vince and Sandra Peddle. Reviewed by Monica Williams.

"This exciting story brings the ancient, long vanished society of Minoan Crete back to glorious life in a fast-moving tale of love, ambition and betrayal”  This is how the author describes the book and exciting it is.

From page one it leads into intrigue and what is going to happen next and it continues for the next 467 pages.

It is set around one family, two older brothers, Rhadamanthys and Sarpedon and their younger brother Thasos and mother Aphrodite.   Why are they being banished from Patras towed out to sea in an open boat and the ropes cut.

What had they done

The next thing we know is that they are arriving on an island called “Keftiu” It does not take long to realise that this is the island of Crete where they speak a different language and the whole way of life is different from what they are used to.

Why do they have such a passion for the underworld, sacrifice,   the Bull, the Moon? Why is this a matriarchal, matrilineal, Goddess-worshipping society? From page one you are intrigued to what is going to happen next through the eyes of  young Thasos until he becomes a young man and very much part of the island and all is mysteries are revealed to him.

The family were lucky in the fact that there was one person on he island "Klawiphoros" who spoke "Achaean", their mother tongue who was able to translate for them. Knowing that he and his family are in danger, Thasos must find answers to some very important questions. Why are the Keftiu honouring his family as royal guests? what do they really want with them?       .

The book is so intriging that it makes you want to delve into the backgound of the society of Minoan Crete.  The "Moon Maiden! is an attempt not so much to revive a vanished world as to convey to the reader a sense of a timeless, mystical essence about Crete that is indefinably special - which perhaps explains why, in Minoan times, the island was sacred.

The story was absolutely fascinating.  I felt quite disappointed at getting  to the end  but am looking forward to book two coming out..

Peddle, S and V The Moon Maiden BOOK ONE OF THE BULLDANCER'S TRILOGY.  Price: £ 6.99

Monica Williams is senior partner of The Hellenic Bookservice