The Odyssey of Phoebe Quilliam is a completely captivating quest story exploring precious family relationships, unending hope and finding those you’ve lost. Through a wonderful combination of realistic fiction and brilliant mythological fantasy, readers are challenged to create special moments with their family and hold on to special memories when our loved ones are no longer able. Building on author Annelise Gray’s expertise in creating compelling and meticulously detailed stories of the ancient world, this Greek adventure introduces readers to the infamous Odysseus and the implications of his long journey home. Overflowing with giants, sea raiders, terrifying monsters and the salt and spray of the sea, Phoebe Quilliam sets off on her own epic adventure.

The story opens in beautiful Cornwall. Phoebe and her Nan love painting together. Nan instructs, encourages and inspires Phoebe, helping her to paint feelings rather than objects. Phoebe’s favourite painting is Nan’s Ithaca seascape – based on memories of childhood holidays on the Greek island with her friend, Hattie. Every week, Nan tells Phoebe a new myth. She loves them all but it’s the story of Odysseus that captures her imagination. Over time, Phoebe notices Nan slipping away. Visits are hard, Nan doesn’t always know who she is and her memories are fading. One of the hardest parts of Nan’s memory loss is the fact that she doesn’t remember that her son, Phoebe’s dad, was lost at sea during a lifeboat rescue. He was able to rescue others, but not himself. Full of love and hope, Nan expects him to come home.

Phoebe is caught in a combination of guilt (for not speaking up when she first noticed Nan’s memory lapses) and anger that she is losing someone so precious. Upset by the sale of Nan’s cottage, she decides to add to the Ithaca seascape. A crash of thunder and a power failure leave Phoebe in darkness – but it seems she’s no longer in the cottage. Where is she? Is she dreaming?

Through a mysterious and completely exciting timeslip, Phoebe discovers she’s in mythological Ancient Greece. With the help of Leander, a boy searching for his father (a shipbuilder who went missing with Odysseus’ crew), she sets out to find and defeat a terrifying monster who steals the memories of her victims. Along the way, she discovers what Nan meant when she said, “The ending isn’t the thing that matters. It’s everything before the ending that counts.”

This is my first Annelise Gray book, although I do own a copy of the first Circus Maximus book just waiting to be read.

This had the same feeling I get when I read a Katherine Rundell book, right from the off, as well as hints of C.S Lewis' Narnia.

Like all good kids books, it is fun and magical and thrilling, but it doesn't talk down to them. It contains some difficult topics, ones that even adults struggle with, and I think that's important in keeping the story and characters grounded.

The problem I find with some kids books is that because the protagonist is a child, I find it hard to connect to them as a 32 year old. But Annelise has created such a mesmerising character in Phoebe that she really spoke to me. All the characters, whether I could relate to them or not, were so well written and felt so real, even the mythological ones, and you get swept up on this journey with them.

Its a relatively short book and I read it in a few hours as it's so addictive and well written, and so smooth. I think for younger readers, it would be a great read at bedtime, a chapter at a time. I truly did enjoy it, but I think younger readers will get more out of it, which is fine, as that is the target audience.

I loved the weaving of the Odyssey stories and other myths like Jason and the Argonauts for example.

It's a fantasy, and a fairy tale, I suppose. But it's also about family, friendship, love, sadness, memories, bravery, hope, the power of imagination, and the power of art.

Strange but brilliant is really the best way to describe this inspired book! Time slip adventures like this one can either be dire or wonderful, and Annelise Gray has managed to pull this one off with aplomb. Her background in Classics really shines through, as it does in her fabulously gripping four part 'Circus Maximus' series. 

Children already familiar with 'The Odyssey' will have no trouble recognising all the places and characters Phoebe and Leander encounter on their quest to find Leander's father and destroy the evil monster Morpheia - but for readers who have never read Homer's story, the book works too: Gray cleverly tells the story of Odysseus's journey through Phoebe as they sail the oceans, was she recounts it in snatches to Leander (who, of course, though an Ancient Greek himself, has never heard the tale!).

As well as being a celebration of the Ancient Greek myth, the book is so many other things. It's an ode to the power of imagination and storytelling - Cass, Phoebe's grandmother, created the monster Morpheia herself as a child playing with a Greek friend Hattie during long summer holidays, and the whole world in which Phoebe finds herself is the product of Cass's memories and creativity, combined with those of Homer. It's a very clever comment on the power of the oral storytelling tradition and the way in which myths can grow and morph over centuries when passed down in this way. It's also a celebration of art, of bravery, an exploration of grief, and last, but not least, recognizes beautifully the importance of the bonds across generations in families - in life, and also beyond it.

There is humour too - notably some very funny tongue in cheek moments of Ancient Greeks wondering in amazement over the existence of Phoebe Quilliam's pockets! At heart, it's an rip-roaring, sea-faring adventure story - one that is gripping and fun and educational too - it'll leave readers reaching for the nearest copy of The Odyssey, and that is an quite an achievement!