If It Looks Like a Hoax
"But the wood that remained was sturdy and thick, its bow slathered with seaweed. Except for one section, where the vegetation had been pulled away by the movement of the rising land."
Those who read "The Curse of the King" would have been excited by the above paragraph. It was the moment they've been waiting for. Atlantis, the sunken continent. It was Plato who first described this realm, in "Timaeus" and "Critias". During the height of Western esotericism, there were many who became interested in it. If you're familiar with World History, then you know this is not a coincidence. Many called it a fraud, but some couldn't let it go.
The fourth book in the "Seven Wonders" series would be the most interesting episode. In the final pages of "The Tomb of Shadows", Jack McKinley lost the third Loculus, which contained the power of healing. They thought it was found beneath the ruins in Bodrum, Turkey, the present site of the impressive mausoleum of Mausolus. Jack and company, the descendants of the ancient people of Atlantis, met Artemisia, who was Mausolus's grieving wife. She didn't want the lost soul of her husband.
"The Curse of the King" brought back the gang to what was once the center of the universe. They were checking out another supposed hoax, the existence of the Statue of Zeus. It was said to be destroyed before the Middle Age. But Jack was exploring the Peloponnese peninsula, where the statue once stood.
The dream continues
One of the works of Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema showed Phidias, with his friends, in front of Frieze of the Parthenon. The hues would suggest a dreamy set-up, prompting those who have seen the painting to wonder if this was a product of an artist's imagination.
There was no doubt about Phidias's talent, regarded as the greatest sculptor during ancient Greece. He built the Athenas Parthenos, which was the main attraction of the Parthenon. He also sculpted the Statue of Zeus, one of the ancient wonders. Nothing remained of both structures. (Rick Riordan brought back the Athenas Parthenos in "The Heroes of Olympus" series. This imposing figure prevented the Greek and Roman camps from fighting each other.) The lack of records would be the reason why some questioned the disappearance of the statue.
Peloponnese was where the Mycanaean civilization came from. It was Europe's first major civilization. The Lion Gate, the sole surviving monumental piece of Mycenaean sculpture, could be seen. The peninsula was also the site of the Olympic Games of ancient times. Locals could point out the venues where the competition was held, but not the statue of Zeus.
Young-adult fiction would give its fans a good excuse to imagine what could be absurd. Ancient Babylonia was seen, in full glory, in the second book. But Lerangis had a story to tell. "The Curse of the King" showed the statue as a diversion, albeit a short one. Jack and company came face to face with the men in brown monk robes once more. This group wanted to get the Loculi, their reasons hard to detect. The book was an excursion into enemy territory, but it would leave readers wanting more. It seemed like a prank, but what if.
