Book excerpt: An epic tale of ancient Crete that depicts the curse of the Minotaur from its inception to conclusion, as told from the point of view of Ariadne, daughter of King Minos and Queen Pasiphae. Stepping back into this visceral telling of an ancient myth, Crete and the palace of Knossos become vivid with color and life. The royal family, the gods, and Ariadne and the Minotaur are born fully formed, as the goddess Athena from Zeus’ head. It begins when she’s thirteen, on the day she is given by her parents to the shrine of Dionysus, the god of wine, to become his high priestess. Dionysus hears her Call, after generations of neglect, and he comes to her on the altar, promising to bless the island’s vines and grapes, and ignites desperate emotions in powerful people, jealousy, envy, fear—along with her family’s greed, that turn a god’s wrath against them. Thus, the curse of the Minotaur is born, a deformed babe, a monster, and Ariadne’s half-brother. She is the only person who feels the slightest compassion and tenderness towards the poor creature, caring for it when no one else will. He grows into a huge beast with the mind of a child, and the temper of a god, who will only obey Ariadne. Learning the ways of her god Dionysus, and through him the ancient gods of Olympus, Ariadne becomes a powerful force, capable of controlling her beautiful and kind, yet jealous and wrathful god.