The Athenaeum's Index Of Fiction

Artemis Complex by JLynn and Brigit M. Morgan     

Xena | Alternative (Mature) | Drama | Novel - 177 pages | Finished | Feb-05 Cast: Xena, Gabrielle, Argo, Artemis, Ephiny, Brigit Honors/Awards:  #29 in 2005
Written as answer to the Bard Challenge tended by DJWP, this tale is set in the second season between 'The Execution' and 'Blind Faith.' The story is both a comedic and dramatic race against time. While on the way to the Amazon village for the sacred festival of Brauronia, Xena and Gabrielle encounter several bizarre (and seemingly unrelated) occurrences drawing them into a series of events and comedies of error that may spell the doom of the Amazon Nation and possibly the world unless they can help the goddess Artemis.
I feel like a woman who has been crawling under a blazing sun across hot sand, lips cracked and parched - mind numb with thirst. I can see something in the distance, but what is it? Is it real? No, it can't be! I crawl closer reaching out with blistered fingers. It is. It is.It's a honest-to-goddess, full-blown, classic Xena and Gabrielle story, with Amazons and Ephiny and Autolycus ... Xena is Xena, Gabrielle is Gabrielle - they look, talk and banter like they should - they even smell like they should! By the gods, I think I even even get a whiff of a first time story somewhere in there under all the muck!I fall back onto the hot sand and roll over, staring at the blue of the sky, spent but relieved. And then my eyes widen in horror.Yikes! They evoked the challenge! I better get my lazy butt off this hot sand and get to work!Djwp(Helluva start! Beautifully written, great plot! If anyone threw down the gauntlet, I'm sure glad it was you two. I raise my cup to JLynn and Brigit M. Morgan - two of the best who are keeping Xena and Gabrielle classic alive!) - Djwp - Feb 4th, 2005    Loving it large! It's yonks since I read a classic and this one has left me wanting more. Xena and Gabrielle are bang on and I realised how much I missed the 'real' them, if you get my drift. Don't get me wrong I love Uber, but you can't beat the real thing for a mega nostalgic trip.As soon as I saw who the authors were I was in there like a shot. I have loved both JLynn and Brigit M Morgan's other stories and I'm eagerly awaiting the conclusion to Brigit's outstanding Apocalypse/Inferno series, but this is filling the gap nicely. Bring on the classic revival. - Sai - Feb 14th, 2005    It's such a relief to find a classic story these days -- especially one that's so well-written and such a pleasure to read. This is the dynamic duo we all remember and long for. Great plot, great energy, wonderful chemistry between the WP and Bard. Can't wait for more! I highly recommend this and all stories by JLynn and Brigit Morgan. They are among the best of the Xenaverse! - anonymous - Mar 1st, 2005    You can't go wrong with these two authors. An absolutely captivating story and an amazing cast of characters. The development and conflict of emotions are intensely and vividly portrayed. Somehow I couldn't help but feel a little melancholy towards the end... - aurelius - Apr 2nd, 2005    My compliments to the authors of this terrific story. Very imaginative plot, natural dialog, consistent characterizations... I could easily imagine this tale as an episode in Season Two. I hope Djwp's challenge to revive classic X&G fiction results in other works of such quality. And I hope that JLynn and Brigit M. Morgan will favor us with another tale. - LDP - Apr 15th, 2005    Wow, I am so glad that I found this jewel! This story is alt but also like the good old classic Xena. Great plot and wonderful writing. It has something for everyone. Amazons, slavers, gods, thieves just to mention a few. Truly a good read. Thank you very much bards. I hope to see more from the both of you! PLEASE DONT MISS THIS ONE! - R. C. P. - Nov 9th, 2005    Phenomenal! I laughed so hard at some points, I thought I was going to cry, and it kept me glued to the screen. Wonderful, wonderful story! - -Aerows- - Jun-04-2006    Classic -- in an alt way. Wonderful read. It's got humor, drama, suspense, and, dare I say, a remarkable number of odors for a text-based work. Quite fun! - Anonymous - Dec-31-2006    Sheer brilliance! This is one of those rare treats where you read as slowly as possible to savour every word, and make sure you don't miss a thing. I absolutely loved this, to the point where I am now going through my Xena DVDs again with a renewed passion. If you missed this before, read it now! You will NOT be disappointed! - Kez - Oct-12-2008    Two awesome writers combine to make double-awesome! - omkhalil - Jan-04-2010    Great story with good humor and characterizations! - Anonymous - May-30-2010    This is the kind of story you want to hunker down and just let it envelope you like when you either pick up, or call out or go out to have one of your most favorite foods that you have a hankering for and you just can't wait to sink your teeth into it knowing how orally orgasmic it's going to be when you place it in your mouth and start experiencing the many delectable delights of its delicious flavors - and you feel like you've just died and gone to heaven - this is a Xena story equivalence and it will satisfy every part of your taste buds. This story is delicious. There's drama, there's romance, there's adventure, there's mystery, there's angst (I love angst) and there's wonderful humor and repartee. But what do you expect from an author like J who writes these epic stories like STORMS OF WAR along with Brigit who does these tomes like the most amazing story ever, APOCALYPSE? This story will satisfy - but never satiate because it makes you want more high quality narratives like this. Rob? Eat your heart out. This is the stuff of Xena, indestructible and mythological. Myth never dies. - Karon Reiter - Jul-30-2011    Well written, hilarious, sublime, such an excellent read. Feel the present fall away and be transported to the land of the Amazons, their Queen, her somber-eyed Champion, and the love that binds them all. - Anonymous - Jan-16-2013    hahaha!! now that's a little masterpiece! trust me, if you haven't read it, you're not a Xena/ Gabrielle fan! I read it twice and each time laughed my head off! - Claudia - Dec-31-2013