The Odyssey of Phoebe Quilliam is a completely captivating quest story exploring precious family relationships, unending hope and finding those you’ve lost. Through a wonderful combination of realistic fiction and brilliant mythological fantasy, readers are challenged to create special moments with their family and hold on to special memories when our loved ones are no longer able. Building on author Annelise Gray’s expertise in creating compelling and meticulously detailed stories of the ancient world, this Greek adventure introduces readers to the infamous Odysseus and the implications of his long journey home. Overflowing with giants, sea raiders, terrifying monsters and the salt and spray of the sea, Phoebe Quilliam sets off on her own epic adventure.
The story opens in beautiful Cornwall. Phoebe and her Nan love painting together. Nan instructs, encourages and inspires Phoebe, helping her to paint feelings rather than objects. Phoebe’s favourite painting is Nan’s Ithaca seascape – based on memories of childhood holidays on the Greek island with her friend, Hattie. Every week, Nan tells Phoebe a new myth. She loves them all but it’s the story of Odysseus that captures her imagination. Over time, Phoebe notices Nan slipping away. Visits are hard, Nan doesn’t always know who she is and her memories are fading. One of the hardest parts of Nan’s memory loss is the fact that she doesn’t remember that her son, Phoebe’s dad, was lost at sea during a lifeboat rescue. He was able to rescue others, but not himself. Full of love and hope, Nan expects him to come home.
Phoebe is caught in a combination of guilt (for not speaking up when she first noticed Nan’s memory lapses) and anger that she is losing someone so precious. Upset by the sale of Nan’s cottage, she decides to add to the Ithaca seascape. A crash of thunder and a power failure leave Phoebe in darkness – but it seems she’s no longer in the cottage. Where is she? Is she dreaming?
Through a mysterious and completely exciting timeslip, Phoebe discovers she’s in mythological Ancient Greece. With the help of Leander, a boy searching for his father (a shipbuilder who went missing with Odysseus’ crew), she sets out to find and defeat a terrifying monster who steals the memories of her victims. Along the way, she discovers what Nan meant when she said, “The ending isn’t the thing that matters. It’s everything before the ending that counts.”
Thank you to Zephyr Books for the opportunity to read an early copy of The Odyssey of Phoebe Quilliam on NetGalleyUK. It will be published on Thursday 11th September 2025.
Don’t miss the fantastic Circus Maximus series also by Annelise Gray.
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