January 24, 2023

ARC REVIEW The Gorgon Agenda (SPI Files Book 8) by Lisa Shearin

The Gorgon Agenda (SPI Files #8) by Lisa Shearin
Rating: 5 Stars
Release Date: January 24, 2023
Format: eARC (Courtesy of the Author)
Publisher: Murwood Media LLC (Self Published by the Author) 

It’s been two years since the release of the last book in Lisa Shearin’s SPI Files series, The Solstice Countdown, and it was well worth the wait for the sequel, The Gorgon Agenda. A humorous and heartfelt series complete with immersive worldbuilding and an incredibly detailed cast of characters, the adventures of Makenna Fraser and the rest of the team at SPI have come to be a comfort read for me over the years.

Coming off of a trip to her hometown of Weird Sisters, North Carolina, Makenna Fraser is back in the swing of things working as a seer for the Supernatural Protection and Investigations team. She’s pleased to have learned that she is the daughter of the God of the Wild Hunt, Cernunnos, and quite happily moved in with handsome goblin dark mage boyfriend Rake Danescu. There’s no rest for the weary however, as a theft from dragon boss lady Vivienne Sagadraco’s hoard has all of SPI on a high alert and hunting down one of the most legendary items of all time.  

Ms. Shearin has pulled from various mythologies and legends from around the world to create this series, and The Gorgon Agenda in particular is a love letter to Greek Mythology. Gorgons, as you might have guessed from the title, feature heavily in the book’s action. The book pulls out all the stops with the different monsters and creatures that appear in the book but I want to acknowledge how the author took the time to acknowledge the darker side of the Greek myths. One example in particular I appreciated (and think more people should be aware of) is how the Greek gods had a penchant for punishing mortals who got in the middle of their fights (even unwittingly). They aren’t figures to be looked up to, and Athena’s faults are highlighted in particular.  

The ensemble cast of characters featured in the SPI Files books have always been a highlight of the series for me, and Ms. Shearin continues the rotation by bringing back some old friends we haven’t seen in a couple of books. She also takes the time to introduce some new characters. I did guess correctly on some of the characters who make an appearance, but I was pleasantly surprised by others. I'm always happy to see how even the characters who make an appearance only for a page or two are well developed - no one ever appears simply as ‘window dressing’, for lack of a better word. 

The SPI Files books continue to be one of my favorite urban fantasy series of all times, and The Gorgon Agenda was yet another entertaining and amazing book from Ms. Shearin. An auto-buy author for sure! If you like Lisa Shearin’s SPI Files series, I highly recommend checking out the Aurora Donati series and her Raine Benares books (which share a connection with the SPI Files books). The next book the author is working on is the second book in the Aurora Donati series, and the Raine Benares novel will follow (there is a three series rotation with her book releases). 

Thank you the author for providing me with a complimentary review copy of the book. I appreciate the opportunity to read and review The Gorgon Agenda immensely! Please note - I voluntarily read and reviewed the book. All opinions expressed in the review are my own and not influenced in any way.

About the Book
A planet-killing weapon, sinister sisters, and immortal monsters.
All in a day’s work for the agents of SPI.


I’m Makenna Fraser, seer for SPI (Supernatural Protection & Investigations). I knew SPI protected some of the world’s most dangerous relics, but I didn’t know our draconic founder, Vivienne Sagadraco, kept them in a vault deep below Manhattan.

Until the most lethal relic of all was stolen.

The Aegis is the shield once wielded by Athena, the goddess of wisdom and war. The center of the Aegis contains the head of Medusa, making it the ultimate weapon. All who look on it or its reflection are instantly turned to stone.

Old enemies and new adversaries have descended on New York—and one of them now has the Aegis:
Tiamat—Babylonian goddess of chaos, and Vivienne Sagadraco’s sister
Stheno and Euryale—Eight-foot-tall, snake-haired gorgons, granddaughters of the Titans, and Medusa’s sisters
The Sisterhood of Medusa—An ancient gorgon military order
The Cabal—A supernatural terrorist organization

Those behind the theft have declared war on humanity, with a hatred that was millennia in the making, and a heist that was centuries in the planning.

Our mission is simple yet impossible: Retrieve the Aegis and save the world. But we can’t do it alone. We’ll need our friends, family, and some unexpected new allies if we’re to stop this ancient evil once and for all.

About the Author

Lisa is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Raine Benares novels and The SPI Files.

Lisa is a voracious collector of fountain pens, teapots & teacups both vintage and modern. She lives on a small farm in North Carolina with her husband, four spoiled-rotten retired racing greyhounds, and enough deer and woodland creatures to fill a Disney movie.

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