1290 BCE- The height of the tumultuous Mycenaean Empire. A king dies, leaving a violent struggle for the kingdom of the Island of Siphnos-coveted for its riches and many resources. Warring nobles offer the resident princess a wager: if she goes to the Underworld and retrieves the coin placed in her father's mouth at the time of death, they will give her the kingdom. Princess Erigone gets the help of Karras, a daring adventurer, and sets off to face the insidious dangers of hell. In the meantime, her blind sister, Marina, defies Rhexenor, a ruthless mercenary holding onto the throne; and her brother's wife, Clymene, plots her own twisted revenge and schemes to eliminate all in her way. The characters in the Underworld are not the only ones who must escape hell. Those above must also deal with their own dangers and demons, and the hell they carry within themselves. Action, mythology, history, adventure, steamy romance, and suspense all blend together in this riveting novel. Who will live? Who will die? Who will escape hell, and what hell will they escape?

Author Biography

Vell Sweeny lives in New York State with her husband, two children, and some mischievous cats. A graduate of Princeton University, Vell studied archaeology and spent long periods of time in both Greece and Crete. She is fluent in Greek. Vell's hobbies include hang-gliding, ballooning, parasailing, piloting a sailplane, spelunking, ballroom dancing, bird nesting, exploring corn mazes, yoga, reading, and of course, writing! She is the author of the spine-tingling, romantic thriller, The Moon Says It Will; the suspenseful adventure, Try Not 2 Die; and the award-winning children's books, Second Hand Cat and Cast Off Cat.