Odysseus, Prince of Ithaca, has always been safe, sheltered, protected -- and bored! The Age of Heroes is past. The wars are over. The monsters are slain. Or so he believes. Are there any adventures left for a thirteen-year-old boy who wants, more than anything, to be a hero?His time comes when Odysseus, his best friend Mentor, a spoiled princess named Helen, and her outspoken cousin Penelope are kidnapped by pirates. After a daring rescue and a journey on a mysterious ship to the ancient island of Crete, Odysseus must face the deadly secret at the heart of the Labyrinth, where the Minotaur once struck terror into the hearts of all who were unfortunate enough to enter. Now another, more deadly monster roams the maze. There the boy destined to fight in the Trojan War and survive the perilous voyage of the Odyssey discovers the hardest part of being a hero: living long enough to tell the tale.Jane Yolen and Robert J. Harris have written a fresh and exciting adventure that introduces the boy who would later become one of ancient Greece's most renowned legendary heroes.