No Need for Heroes

Ariadne was trapped, trapped by her own father, the cruel King Minos of Crete; trapped by the mysterious strangers from another world, Daedalus and Icarus; and trapped by her would-be rescuer, Prince Theseus of Athens. Appalled by the blood-letting in the Labyrinth and the evil worship of the Bull-God that Minos encourages, she helps Theseus escape after his bid to slay the monster. But then she begins to fight for her own freedom when she is forced to marry the Prince, a man she does not even like. Suddenly nothing is more important to her. In the end, Ariadne has her own way; Theseus is a hero of the old type, but she proves that perhaps, after all, there is no need for heroes. In this compelling and fast-moving story, Brian Keaney has retold the myth of the Minotaur from Ariadne's point of view (also introducing science fiction elements to the story). In so doing, he has written a surprisingly contemporary novel about relationships and social forces that at the same time has magic and enchantment in it.