The Athena Avengers

Things fall apart; the center cannot hold.
—William Butler Yeats, The Second Coming

This is my fourth novel by Shamim Sarif, and she doesn’t disappoint. “The Athena Protocol” is the first of the Athena series, with two books so far. The author, who also writes and directs several cult-classic lesbian flicks, takes us deep into high-stakes organized crime.

Athena, an elite all-female paramilitary force made up of teenage soldiers, fights to rescue trafficked women and girls from the clutches of evil men globally. When a rescue mission in Africa leads to the unforced assassination of a suspected child trafficker, Jessie, the Athena soldier who pulls the trigger, is ousted from the force.

The next mission, to save abducted women in Eastern Europe from the underground trafficking ring led by Gregory Pavlic, a Serbian casino owner and mob boss, is within Jessie’s sights. Jessie has researched Pavlic, so naturally, she longs to end his despicable organization, trying to trick her former colleagues at Athena into providing her with the means to link into Athena’s secured servers. Jessie encounters unforeseen roadblocks and misadventures as she tries to redeem herself through her covert involvement in the Pavlic assignment.

Although this young adult thriller is tepid with the LGBTQ theme, we see that Jessie crushes on other girls. Her backstory is intriguing, especially since her mother, Kit, a superstar singer, is also a founding member of Athena. The story’s clutch is their mother-daughter dysfunctional relationship. Sarif seamlessly weaves their past with the action and Jessie’s desire to belong.

With the Athena organization, Jessie feels a loyalty that surpasses mere workplace fealty. Athena seems to be her reason for existence or gratification, something her mother doesn’t provide.

Sarif also ties Jessie’s other wants or recognition of desires to this mission. Her conflicting feelings for Pavlic’s daughter, Paulina, give us a riveting subplot. And the addition of another would-be Athena fighter draws us toward the next series installment.

I enjoyed the complexity of this novel and its acknowledgment of crime establishments we wish did not exist. The inventive use of Athena as a militia group, which we hope exists in real life, was also captivating. Of course, utilizing female teenage avengers in these spy games makes this a compelling narrative for the 14-18-year-old target audience.

This was a fun read. Sarif’s writing style is elegant and descriptive, using sensorial cues, visual creativity, and beautiful language. Her thought-provoking themes keep me drawn to her work. I can’t wait to dive into “The Shadow Mission.”