LitPick Review
ANAX by Keren Ouliel is a mature young adult, mystery science fiction book that follows a freelance journalist who finds herself smack-dab in the center of a hidden world. Naya Tellus has always had bigger than life dreams and out-there theories, yet that was all they were until a stranger shifts her entire word on its head by telling her she’s been right all along. Naya’s time as an ordinary person begins to shift after her father reluctantly gives her a necklace from her mother, claiming it be her inheritance and that he is only giving it to her because it was her mother’s last wish, as he’d prefer to have it at the bottom of the Thames. As Naya begins to come into her inheritance as a descendant of the Greek Goddess Gaia, she learns that she has a dangerous destiny ahead of her. Does Naya have what it takes to master her heritage and the power she is connected to, or will she be consumed by it?
Opinion:
ANAX by Keren Ouliel was a well-written, mystery science fiction book that dove deep into secret societies and Greek mythology. However, I did find it difficult to get into the book at first as I found the beginning to be too slowly paced for me. It was more near the middle of the book that I really felt myself being pulled into the story. I found myself really liking Naya as a character. The author did a great job in making her feel real with how she was not always strong and how she had her own doubts and weaknesses. I enjoyed the diverse set of characters and mythological elements that the author wove together into a true web of mystery that had both myself and Naya never knowing what would happen next. Overall, I found that I enjoyed reading this book, and the I look forward to the next book in the series.
