Theseus seven most courageous youths and the seven most beautiful maidens were to board a boat and be sent as tribute to Crete, never to be seen again. In another version, King Minos had waged war with the Athenians and was successful. He then demanded that, at nine-year intervals, seven Athenian boys and seven Athenian girls were to be sent to Crete to be devoured by the Minotaur, a half-man, half-bull monster that lived in the Labyrinth created by Daedalus. On the third occasion, Theseus volunteered to talk to the monster to stop this horror. He took the place of one
The Battle of the Labyrinth fifth and final showdown between gods and monsters next year." Matt Berman of "Common Sense Media" was one of few reviewers to mention the differences between this book and preceding ones in the series. He highlights "The Battle of the Labyrinth"s darker tone, more mature themes, and increased discussion of what it philosophically means for the characters to follow and support the Greek gods and Titans. He concludes, "Up until now the series has been great fun, but little more. Now as it begins to grow, like the Labyrinth, larger and deeper and more complex, it's even more fun." Despite