When Pluto wrongly takes Proserpina to be his bride in the Underworld, Ceres, mother of Proserpina and goddess of the Earth, withdraws into a cave to mourn and refuses to permit crops to grow.
Relates the exploits of Hercules and his importance in Roman mythology, including his connection to such figures as King Augeas and Queen Hippolyte, and describes the role of myths in the modern world.
Reborn as the Flame, thirteen-year-old Emily has saved Olympus from destruction, but when the gruesome Nirads begin a new invasion, Emily and her friends become entangled in the conflict as old grudges are unearthed and new enemies are discovered.
Thirteen-year-old Emily's life is transformed when Pegasus, the mythological winged horse, crashes onto the roof of her building during a New York City blackout and takes her to Olympus where she faces monsters, a corrupt governmental agency, and the quest to keep the Olympic flame burning.
Contains illustrated retellings of ten Roman myths which teach about the culture, history, and religion of ancient Rome, and includes photographs, illustrations, a glossary, and sources for further information.