Rise of the Mythix: Mighty Minotaur by Anh Do
Illus. by Chris Wahl. Allen and Unwin, 2020. ISBN: 9781760876401.
(Age: 9-13 years). Highly recommended. 'The world will suffer at his
hands yet hope remains. With the return of long-forgotten magic,
slumbering spirits released from Purgatory will find new homes in
human souls. The Golden Unicorn, the Minotaur and the Griffin will
be born again as children of humanity. Only these three united in
common purpose can fell him who seeks to triumph over all.' (Anh Do
p43)
Mighty Minotaur by Anh Do is the second much anticipated book
in the Rise
of the Mythix series. This story begins with Kelly's
mother being held captive by William James aka The Collector of
Souls. She is eventually punished for not answering questions about
Kelly and painted onto a canvas forever. Meanwhile Kelly and her
mentor Stanley Solomon are hidden beneath the city, concentrating on
learning about and refining her amazing unicorn powers. One of which
is her ability to read the minds of others and as she later
discovers her ability to control minds to help others remember
information long forgotten. While in hiding, news breaks of a
possible lead on the whereabouts of another mythical creature, the
Minotaur, who has been discovered in the city. Kelly and Stanley
track the teenage boy down and after a terrifying battle against
Hornets and the Elite eventually team up together to try to find
Kelly's mother and others who have been painted onto canvas by
William James. The journey taken to discover these lost souls is
fraught with danger, battles and clever twists and turns.
Anh Do keeps the reader entertained throughout this compelling story
and when the Griffin appears on the last page to aid the three
trapped main characters, there is a sense that Book 3 will have a
powerful and gripping climax to this exciting story. Once again
Chris Wahl has cleverly interpreted the author's story and
characters with eye-catching and impressive illustrations. The fine
detail gives the reader a wonderful insight and understanding of the
story.
This is a thoroughly enjoyable read that will appeal to students
from middle to upper primary.
Themes: Fantasy, Myths, Legends, Dystopia, Adventure, Power, Good vs
Evil.
Kathryn Beilby