Review: Athena's Promise a great mystery, set in a fascinating world
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 3, 2012
Annetta Ribken's "Athena's Promise: Aegian Trilogy" looked intriguing, of course or why would I have bought it, right?  But we all know not every book lives up to our expectations.  "Athena's Promise" did more than live up to expectations, it created a world where zombies are not the bad guys, where vampires and pixies work the front desk of a hotel and where being "stoned" is not a good time, but a dreadful outcome.  After one page, just one, I was hooked into the story and I did not want the story to end.  Luckily, this is the first of a trilogy.Pallas (yes, just Pallas, no last name, thank you very much) manages the front desk of  the Traveler's Haven, a hotel located on the edges of Zombietown.  It's the only hotel in the area who accepts paranormal "critters", so Pallas has her hands full trying to please mermaids, trolls, randy centaurs, and a trio of gnomes who own the hotel.  And last but not least, Pallas's boss is Medusa.  Yes, that Medusa, the one with the snake-hair and ability  to turn a person into stone with just one glance.  It takes some quick-thinking and great diplomacy on Pallas's part but she has done well for three years.  Pallas is a tough cookie, with a good heart and a lot of brains.  She also has secrets, which she tries her best to keep hidden during the investigation.Then one day, a body is found in one of the rooms.  The victim has been "stoned", turned to stone with a special potion forbidden  to anyone but the police.  With a big event looming, the murder investigation closes off the entire third floor of the Traveler's Haven.  The gnome owners are unhappy with this situation and expect Pallas to get the rooms opened up pronto.  Hey, no big deal, all she has to do is figure out who the victim is, what he was doing in their hotel, find out who killed him, and where they obtained the highly restricted potion.  And not tick off the local police. And keep the hotel running smoothly in the meantime.  Oh, did I mention she's also fighting a strong attraction to the handsome maintenance man?If this review doesn't have you intrigued, trust me, just read the first page.  You'll want to read this book and, if you're like me, you'll be buying the rest of the Aegian Trilogy.