| Re: Hades' Daughter; March Discussion Title
Well, to jump start the discussion (maybe), and until someone turns up who actually likes the book, so that we have a chance to debate some good and bad points, I'll mention the one thing I did like.
The idea of a network of labyrinths, each at the heart of a great city, is very appealing. It really struck a chord. I'm not caring for the way she handles it, but I think it's a really fantastic concept to build a story around.
Although I'm a bit puzzled: all those she mentions seem to be unicursal. This makes sense in one way, as these are the kind that turn up at ancient sites we believe to have magical or mystical significance. But it's impossible to get lost in a labyrinth with only one path, and if the one at Knossos is supposed to be the same as the others, what use would Theseus (the cad!) have for Ariadne and her thread?
The Cretan labyrinth is often pictured as unicursal, but it doesn't make sense. Even Daedalus, who created it, was supposed to have a very hard time finding his way out. So, logically, it would have to be a multicursal maze.
I wonder if Douglass addresses this at any point in the story? |