As Fate Decrees

Denysé Bridger

Average Rating 9/10 (1 Review)

Ares would permit no one to change what the Fates had set in motion. In an ancient world, the Fates decree that a Champion will soon be brought forth: a being both mortal and eternal, destined to become as legendary as the Gods to whom she will be forever enslaved. Of the twelve who rule on Mount Olympus, it is Ares, God of War, son of Zeus and Hera, who recognizes both the truth of the divination, and the one who has been chosen. On the eve of the new millennium, the Champion of Olympus is called forth by disciples of the Ancient Order of Zeus, and Amarantha finds that she must once again defend history and myth with her very life.

In ancient Greece the young maiden, Amarantha, is captured and sold in the slave market of Athens.

"What fates await?" she wonders. "And what divine design will the Olympian gods have for me?"

As unexpectedly as she had found herself placed in chains, Amarantha finds herself purchased by a mysterious master who refuses to reveal his true identity.

But he is no ordinary man, nor she an ordinary slave.

Under her master's tutelage, Amarantha is trained as a fighter and challenged to prove herself in battle after battle until her skills are perfected and she is granted the right to know his true identity.

He is Ares, god of war and the son of Zeus. And she is to become Champion to the gods of Olympus; bound forever to serve and vanquish all foes until the gods themselves grant her peace.

But even gods are not immune to the fickle twists of fate, and Amarantha is soon ripped from her quiet resting place and cast through time itself to do battle with a modern day reincarnation of an old foe - a madman bent on rewriting history to suit his own twisted desire.

She must act quickly to win this battle, for the fate of all Olympian gods hangs in a delicate balance between immortality and the realization that even the gods themselves may be returned to the dust from which they arose.

Denysé Bridger

Passionately intrigued by the ancient legends of Greece, Denysé turned to historians and Greek literature lovers alike as resources for this adventurous fantasy. This Newfoundland born author has had a highly prolific career; writing numerous paperback and electronic books. Her work has also been featured in a number of anthologies. Denysé has published over 400 stories, poems, and novella's world wide and has won an Amber Heat Wave award and has been nominated for an EPPIE Award; a prestigious award given for excellence in electronic publishing.

Review by Paul Lappen (140908) Rating (9/10)

Review by Paul Lappen
Rating 9/10
In Ancient Greece, a woman named Amarantha finds herself as the next item up for sale in the Athens slave market. She is bought by a mysterious stranger who refuses to identify himself. He trains her as a warrior, and makes it clear to Amarantha that disobedience is a really bad idea. After her skills have been perfected, the stranger reveals himself as Ares, the god of war, and son of Zeus. She has been trained to be Champion of the gods of Olympus, to vanquish evil forever, until the gods say otherwise.

Sent into the world as a kind of travelling warrior, Amarantha runs into Iphicles, now King of Corinth. The two were very good friends, almost lovers, when they were younger. She stays for a while as one of his advisors, to the whispers of nearly everyone that their relationship is not exactly platonic.

While in another city also ruled by Iphicles that has been badly damaged by bandits, Ares tells Amarantha that Iphicles must return to Corinth, now. She can't tell Iphicles how she knows this, but when he finally listens to her and returns to Corinth, with Amarantha as part of the procession, the city has been decimated. There are many deaths, including Iphicles' queen.

Switching suddenly to present day Athens, Amarantha finds herself in the body of archaeologist Alexandra Christophi. This is not the first time that Ares has sent her elsewhere in time. This time, the enemy is a shadowy terrorist organization that has been bombing religious sites all over the world, including Macchu Picchu, the Vatican and all the religious sites in Athens. The object is to destroy all other gods and bring about the coming of The One True God. The gods of Olympus understand that their fate hangs in the balance. In the final battle, Amarantha/Alexandra is severely injured. Will the gods grant her the peace she seeks?

Here is a first-rate piece of writing. It's very readable, the characters are well done, and it is an interesting look inside Greek mythology. This gets two thumbs up.
Paul Lappen (14th September 2008)