THE WORLD OF AGARTHA

This debut middle-grade novel sees three friends step back in time to ancient Rome during Nero’s tyrannical reign.

Middle schoolers Makayla (aka Mick), Tanner, and Andrew live in Brownsville, Kentucky. Friends since elementary school, they have recently been exploring Mammoth Cave to research Mick’s presentation on the “Caveman”—a local legend stemming from the disappearance of Donald Carlton after a bank robbery and triple murder in 1810. When Mick discovers she is descended from Carlton, she worries the town will hold it against her. Mick channels her energies into proving her ancestor innocent—and while following his journal, she slips through a portal in an underground stream in Mammoth Cave. She finds herself in the lands of Inner Earth—real places that include the underworld depicted in Greek mythology. Having met with the “twelve gods of Olympus seated in a circle around her,” Mick continues to pursue her ancestor and becomes stranded in ancient Rome during Nero’s persecution of Christians. Tanner has abandonment issues and so is determined not to lose Mick. He convinces Andrew to join him in a rescue attempt, and the two follow Mick through the portal. Can the three reunited friends find their way home? Thorpe presents an omniscient narrative in the past tense, employing plain language to weave an intricate, rather messy plot. At times, the series opener becomes a bit unraveled, as if the characters have been left to their own devices and taken several wrong turns. In particular, Tanner and Andrew’s journey through the underworld is overlong and, for all the inherent fascination of Greek myths, of no great relevance to the main story. Given the buildup, the adventure also ends rather abruptly (in preparation for the sequel). Still, the modern-day setting is well handled, and once the boys join Mick in ancient Rome, they find sufficient peril there to keep readers turning the pages. Mick, Tanner, and Andrew are all relatable protagonists. Though resourceful and determined, they evince flaws and insecurities that test the bonds of their friendship. In place of traditional illustrations, each chapter of the book ends with a QR code; readers may download an app and create an account to get access to a miscellany of real-world photographs, concept drawings, and interactive art.

An engaging tween adventure that immerses readers in Greek myths and Roman history.