The journey to the underworld has been a popular plot motif for millennia. It can take many forms, but generally involves the hero of the story crossing over into the land of the dead to rescue someone, speak to someone, or otherwise complete a quest. This trope appears in many classic myths, such as the Greek tales of Orpheus and Eurydice or Hercules’s twelve labors. It also became a staple of epic poetry, beginning with the Odyssey, continuing in the Aeneid, and becoming the basis of Dante’s Inferno. Scholars of epic poetry even have a word for this recurrent plot element: katabasis, which means “to go down” in Greek. With such a storied history, it’s not surprising that we see variations on journey to the underworld cropping up in modern fantasy novels. Below are a three of my favorite recent variations on this classic trope: Continue reading Modern Journeys to the Underworld
Tag: Labyrinth Lost
Labyrinth Lost Review–A Bruja Bildungsroman
Alex hates being a bruja, but after she accidentally banishes her entire extended family to the underworld, learning to control her powers may be her only hope of getting them back. After hearing this premise, I knew that Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Córdova would be just my kind of book. Back in October, I wrote about seeing Zoraida speak at the Boston Teen Author Festival, where she discussed the recent release of Labyrinth Lost and how her cultural upbringing influenced the novel, particularly in her portrayals of magic and death. After getting my copy signed, I added it to the top of my to-read pile and soon found that it more than lived up to my expectations. Continue reading Labyrinth Lost Review–A Bruja Bildungsroman