Minotaur's Lair (Servant of the Gods Book 3)

The quote by Herodotos, "The gods love to punish whatever is greater than the rest,” sums up the third book, "Minotaur's Lair," in the "Servant of the Gods" series by Luciana Cavallaro. The epic saga follows an unlikely hero — a 21st Century Australian architect (Ethan) whisked back in time by his father, Zeus, to ancient Greece. The Greek god has mandated that Evan collect three sacred relics to change the course of history so the worship of the old gods will not be replaced with the Messiah. In the first two books, Ethan has successfully retrieved the first two relics, but his quest to retrieve the third object has stalled. An Amazon queen has saved him and his crew from a shipwreck, but she has imprisoned and tricked them to procreate offspring with women on the island so the matriarchal society will survive.

"Minotaur's Lair" begins ominously when Kronos, the fallen Titan father of Zeus, gleefully schemes his next acts of vengeance—sire the Messiah with the High Priestess and destroy the Olympian gods and their followers. But first, the Titan must venture into the minotaur’s lair, “the decay of thousands of victims steeped within its cavernous walls.” Only the twelve-year-old Sicilian boy from Evan’s crew, who hasn't succumbed to the drug’s effects, holds the key to their rescue. The ensuing odyssey of Evan’s escape from the queen’s grips and his search for the third relic is full of twists until the climactic ending. Not only must Evan face formidable enemies and monsters, but he also struggles with his doubts about the gods and their fate for him.

Author Luciana Cavallero has masterfully woven Greek mythology into the backdrop of ancient Greece. You are swept into the ancient world with her rich, vivid descriptions of landscape and architecture. It is a unique, mythic tale reminiscent of Homer’s poem about Odysseus who wanders for ten years trying to get home after the Trojan War. For Evan to return to the 21st century, he must do Zeus’s bidding and defeat the minotaur that guards the third relic.

Nonetheless, Evan questions his role in assuring the polytheistic religion isn't replaced by the monotheistic Christian religion. Though Kronos promises, “The Messiah will be a different god, who can provide hope and is a teacher of the virtuous,” Evan realizes people who don’t follow Christ’s teachings have been persecuted throughout history. “And if Kronos wins and brings forth the birth of Jesus centuries earlier, as Zeus claims was the Titan’s intention, does that mean the timeline of the world will be brought forward? Was Kronos the same god of the Judaic, Christian, and Islamic faiths?”

"Minotaur's Lair" is a provocative book that will make you consider how patriarchal religions have impacted human societies and whether there is an alternative. How will the Olympian gods deal with Evan who dares to question their motives and moral code? I highly recommend this epic saga about how one man defies the gods and brings forth the promise of a new world order.

First of all, let me start with saying...I'm not a normal person and hardly ever read books in order! With that being said, Minotaur's Lair is the third book in the series and was wonderfully written! This novel could be just read as a stand-alone book, and you wouldn't be lost! Now I will also add that the story is much more interesting if you read the previous books in the series as well. I actually went back and read the second book, now all I need is to read the first book! This was a fantastic and detailed read, that drew me in and made me feel like I was right there with the characters. Luciana Cavallero has such a unique writing style that is so strong that you can vividly imagine what is happening. This book really ends on a high note! Which is a lot to say because sometimes when you are reading books that are part of a series, you feel like you were left high and dry and didn't get a great ending!

I for one am very intrigued when it comes to Greek Mythology, and I loved the Greek mythology element that Luciana added to this book. She included quite a bit of information that I was already aware of. I really enjoyed going on Evan’s journey with him. Luciana created a wonderful character that you felt like you were right next to on his journey, and that is despite the fact that he is a twelve-year-old young man! I hope that you will enjoy this page turning book as much as I did! Happy Reading!

The Minotaur’s Lair is the third and final installment in Author Luciana Cavallaro’s popular Servant of the Gods series.

Architect Evan Chronis, who had stumbled upon time’s doorway and found himself transported back to mythical times, is hopeful that one day he will find a way back home to the twenty-first century. However, he must first fulfill the wishes of his father, the Devine Zeus, and find the third and final artifact to preserve the way of the Olympian gods.

We had last seen Evan (aka Evandros) and his crew set out to sea to retrieve the third and final relic from the lair of the Minotaur. However, before they could fulfill their orders and collect the artifact, the Goddess of Discord had sent the Cyclopes and the man-eating Stymphalian birds to attack them, which set the Argo off course, causing it to become shipwrecked.

Rescued by the Amazons, and unbeknownst to Evandros, the High Priestess and his crew, Antioche, Queen of the Amazons, has put them all under a spell that wiped out any memories of the past in order to keep them from leaving the island. Worried about the demise of her people, her sole purpose is to keep the men for procreation.

However, Evandros is the only one who can stop Kronos and his intention to bring forth the birth of the Messiah. The only one equipped to fight the deadly mythical creature with the head and tail of a bull and the body of a man, the only one who can retrieve the last artifact that will keep the Olympian gods—and Evandros himself—from dying.

How will Evandros and his crew free themselves from the spell to carry out the wishes of the Devine Zeus? And will Evan ever find his way back home to the twenty-first century?

The characters are well developed the scenes vividly portrayed. As was in the first two installments, the series final installment is filled with adventure, action-packed scenes, and drama.

Some readers might find the ending unexpected.

I love all things Greek mythology so as I stumbled upon this book I knew I had to give it a shot. What a great decision that turned out to be because this series is nothing short of amazing. The characters are well thought out and the writing makes you feel as though you are a part of the story, almost as though you are with Evan through every obstacle he faces.

This third and final book in this series is a bit of a bittersweet read because honestly I didn’t want the adventure to end. In this book Evan loses his memories and therefore forgets about the God’s quest. This leads to not only memories to be tested but loyalties and where they lie. Will Evan complete this quest and finally earn what has been promised by Zeus? Or are the other gifts that have been offered too great to pass up on?

While this can be read as a stand alone book, as the author does a fantastic job of recapping the previous books. The journey is far different and much more interesting if you start at the beginning with Evan in book one. Overall, I am so glad I ran across this series and am equally sad that this journey has ended. I can't wait to see what else this author might have on the table because the writing was fantastic and I bet whatever is produced next will be just as amazing!

I've been a huge fan of Greek mythology since I was a kid, and I've read a lot of fantasy books based around the myths. Finding mythos/fantasy books as an adult can be pretty hard.

I liked this book. I read it as a stand alone, but it is part of a series. I thought it was interesting how they took a modern day man back to the time of the ancients. It's an interesting story, and I find the plot almost a little strange, but not bad.

One thing I did have a slight issue with though as someone who has studied history and religion, is how some of the Argonauts used the phrases Baal and Molech as curse terms, which by the time ancient Greek society would have come around, wouldn't have been the mainstream gods worshipped, especially because those gods were worshipped in another region of the world. (Ancient Babylon, specifically)

It was nice to take a break from romance novels and jump into an action novel. I did like the book, and if you're into mythology and action, this is the book for you!

As a fan of Greek Mythology, I had to read this book when I stumbled upon it. This is a new fictional take on how Christianity overtook Mythology and how Zeus wants to stop this from happening. In this series, Zeus tries to stop this by bringing Even (his son) from the future to collect three sacred relics that will save the Gods and stop the new Messiah. This third and final installment shows Even being tested and questioning everything while wondering if he will ever make it back to his 21st life.

Luciana Cavallaro has come up with a very intriguing take on Mythology and the Gods that is well researched and knowledgeable while also leading you on an epic adventure. Her descriptive landscapes and strong characters allow you to feel as if you're immersed in the story itself. As a Christian I sometimes have trouble when Christianity elements are put in stories (even fiction ones) but this was well written and added to the fiction story. If you like mythology and descriptive, obviously researched details mixed with adventure and time travel, then this series is for you.

Luciana Cavallaro’s Minotaur’s Lair, the final chapter of the Servant of the Gods trilogy, opens ominously with Evan, the Greek High Priestess Alexina, and the rest of Evan’s friends shipwrecked on the island headquarters of the Amazon Queen with no memory of how they got there or what they should be doing. As victims of a devious spell cast by the Amazon Queen, Evan has become her consort, the High Priestess her captive, and the rest of Evan’s all-male group breeding companions to her female Amazons. The only member of Evan’s crew not under the Queen’s influence is the youngster, Dexion. With the help of the Amazon healer, he manages to release his friends so the group can continue their critical journey to retrieve a relic from the lair of the Minotaur. The consequence of failure: not only losing the heart of the ancient Greek world, but Evan may never be able to return to his 21st-century home. To complete this task requires the skills of many Ancient Greek names readers will recognize–Jason and the Argonauts, Homer, the Minotaur, the Amazons, Atlantis. Zeus and Kronos, and more of the Greek Gods.

The drama is non stop with a satisfying ending that may surprise many readers. Highly recommended for those who seek authentic Ancient Greek stories with detail and drama.

Minotaur’s Lair seems to be the epic conclusion of this series, and it did not disappoint. The author keeps you ingrained in an intriguing tale involving descendants of the Gods and Goddesses of old, and well as the Titans that came before them. I give this author a lot of credit you feel the discord between Kronos and his beloved children.. lol Jk

We find Evan and his companions held captive by the Amazons. Not against their will per say but drugged to forget what they are doing. Once the High Priestess is visited by Mother Goddess, she not only gets her companions free but also back on course for their date with The Minotaur so they can retrieve the final relic. Of course anyone who has read the previous books knows this is no easy task, also as Kronos is waiting in the wings. With no intentions of letting his children succeed and taking the relics for himself, leads to an epic showdown.

Who comes out on top?

What obstacles do they run into along the way?

Does Evan get his wish to return home?

I highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys Greek Mythology. The author is very knowledgeable and makes it entertaining for all!

4 Stars

Minotaur’s Lair is the third and final book in the Servant of the Gods series by Luciana Cavallaro. I have really enjoyed following along on this epic fantasy series, so this final book was a little bit of a bitter-sweet read for me. On one hand I really wanted to know what happens and how everything would play out in the end. But then on the other hand, I knew this was the final and wasn’t reading to leave the adventure behind.

This book proved to be another well-woven and action-packed fantasy adventure- with ancient history, intriguing mythology, gods, dramatic developments, danger, magic, the paranormal, mythical creatures, rich world building, agendas, revenge, and a few surprises.

This book follows on from book two, and even though the author does a good job of ‘catching’ the reader up on what has previously transpired, there is something to be said for experiencing it all first-hand…. So, therefore, I highly recommend reading the first two books before starting on this instalment.

Evan has been through quite a lot since we met him back in book one, but he’s not going to catch a break any time soon. Thrust into this adventure, Evan has been drugged and has forgotten the god’s quest. So, as you can imagine, nothing good can come from that. Set the scene for epic odyssey. It’s not only are memories and loyalties that are to be tested as all the action unfolds- and what ensues definitely makes for a captivating read.

As I have mentioned before, Ms. Cavallaro’s attention to detail and obvious love of ancient history really helps to bring her story(ies) to life. She proves to have an eye for detail, and her descriptive details and snippets of history, as well as her ability to build tension really adds to the intrigue, atmosphere, and overall ‘feel’ of the story. It was so easy to be ‘in’ the story, and ‘see’ everything as it was unfolding. I can see this making a great television series.

Happy Reading…

Thank you, Luciana Cavallaro!