Cover Image: Olympian Challenger

Olympian Challenger

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Member Reviews

Greek mythology, tournaments, and forbidden romance are such a winning combination for me! I'm looking forward to continuing this series and seeing where it leads.

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I loved the mythology in this and the competition. It was really entertaining and fast-paced (once the challenges began). I felt like the romance was a little insta-love but I enjoyed reading it anyway. I’m really curious about what will happen next.

I’d love to know more about her family’s history and her powers. Then ending was really good and I’m glad that she made the choice she did.

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I love anything mythology so I was so excited to get this book. It was a really in the now YA, but still had an excellent storyline and plot! The author added new ideas around gods and demi-gods along with some mental illness tie ins so I definitely enjoyed it and would recommend this book and would read the rest of the series!

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Simply put, this was not the book for me- the plot was okay but I felt the characters were lacking something they needed to be great. There is no denying that some people will definitely love this book with everything they have it just isn’t going to be me. Thank you s o much to the publisher for giving me the opportunity to review this book!

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I received an e-arc by Net-Galley in exchange for my honest opinion. I honestly enjoyed this book a whole lot. I have always loved Greek Mythology and I think the author did a great job with that in this book. I did not connect as much to the main character, Hope, as much as I usually do with main characters, but despite that, I still enjoyed her journey. I also really loved the relationship she had with her mother, and I really felt her love for her mother, so that was a nice touch.
There was action, but not as much as I hoped for, but it is just the first book in the series. I think this book did what most first books in a series do: it helped set up for the future books.
3.5/5 Stars

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I loved the concept of this story but the execution didn’t excite me as much. There wasn’t a lot of character development which caused me to lose that connection with the story fairly early on.

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First of all I love the cover, it's beautiful. The book is typical YA fantasy that concerns trials, but it does it so well. I love all the characters especially Hope. She was clever and feisty, she loves her mother very much, which she brought up a little too much for me. The story flowed well and the character development was good.

But let's get into the exiting bits, the story was very exciting, a little slow at times, which is odd since there was so much action going on. The trials were interesting, I was glad only a few of them were mentioned in detail though. I liked how Hope changed her views but I would have liked a little more oomph and dedication from her.

Gabriel was very likeable, he had a few dimensions to him, he felt very familair, like an old friend. I wasn't so keen on Amy, she was a little too feisty for my liking, she never seemed be real, came off as a little fake.

I have been in a bit of a reading slump and not really reading much over the last year, this book brought me out of it big time, I raced through it. I only put it down when I had to, and even when I wasn't reading my head was stuck in Mount Olympus. The gods were interesting characters, I liked how they changed with the story. I am very much looking forward to reading the next one.

4 out of 5 stars.

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Blurb: A hero’s tournament. A defiant contender. Does one girl have the courage to take on Mount Olympus?
Hope’s world doesn’t have room for heroes. She barely has time for schoolwork, swim team, and taking care of her ailing mother. But when she’s invited to a mysterious tournament, the all-powerful hosts won’t take no for an answer.
Transported to Mount Olympus, Hope comes face to face with her new trainers—the pantheon of Greek gods. While other contenders train hard to gain a fighting edge, Hope searches for a way out. Instead, she finds a gorgeous shadow god who may just convince her to stay…
As each round unfolds, the ultimate prize draws closer—the granting of her heart’s deepest desire. If she survives the final challenge, her mother’s cure would be within reach…but only if Hope can ignore the tournament’s dark purpose.
Olympian Challenger is the first book in a bold YA urban fantasy trilogy. If you like Greek mythology, forbidden romance, and feats of courage, then you’ll love Astrid Arditi’s heroic coming-of-age tale.
Review:
When I read the blurb for this book I knew I would love it. As an avid fan of the Percy Jackson series, anything to do with Greek Mythology with a modern twist is right up my street. But Be aware, this is nothing like the Percy Jackson series!
I loved the characters, even if there were a few immature moments. For me the writing was great and there was great build-up. Both the plot and pacing of this novel are really good, the book kept moving forward with all the challenges while Hope battle through.
One of my favourite things about reading this retelling was that it told a new story, while sticking to the traditions of greek mythology. I would definitely pick up a sequel

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This is a book unlike any I’ve personally read. It was a book I enjoyed and would recommend to others. I loved the storyline the characters, and can we y’all about how gorgeous the cover is??!! Go read it!

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Okay, so.. I liked it a lot!!!
I have had it on my NetGalley to read for such a long time and I wish I had gotten to this sooner!!
It was Percy Jackson meets the Hunger Games and I am here for it!
Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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My Review: Enjoyable YA that involves Greek mythology. Downloaded from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the release of this book for review.

As far as I know this is an independent author. I am not sure if there is a publishing company on this book.

Now the book cover drew me in but this story was just missing something for me. I ended up having to DNF this book around chapter 5. I don't normally do this but I think if we can get some better editing to this book and get this story developed better this story could be better.

BTW, I love the name Astrid!

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Hope’s world doesn’t have room for heroes. She barely has time for schoolwork, swim team, and taking care of her ailing mother. But when she’s invited to a mysterious tournament, the all-powerful hosts won’t take no for an answer.
This was a decent story. The main character was decent enough. However, it was a little young for me. I’ve read YA books before and enjoyed them but, maybe it was the premise of Greek mythology that made me extra critical, but it didn’t really work well for me.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

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Rating: 2.5 stars

To begin with, I have to say that this book was a pleasant surprise. I am greek, so any story involving mount Olympus and the gods captures my attention. I can also be a very harsh judge, because mythology was my favourite reading subject from age 7 to 10.
Having said all that, I won't tell you that this is a book you'll read to dust off your mythology trivia or for the intricate plot. It's a quick read and f I'm being honest I might have enjoyed it more if I had read it a few years ago. The plot is not that sophisticated and the characters follow the classic YA recipe. In any case, Overall, I liked the idea, but the execution left me wanting more. I might pick up the second book if I come across it out of curiosity, but I probably won't go searching for it.

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This,,, Just didn't do much for me. I love Greek Mythology (all Mythology, really), but this didn't reflect enough of the Greek Myths to satisfy me. If the author had created a unique world of their own I think this would have been a bigger success.

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I absolutely love books with mythology in them. Add in romance and I am so there! The main character is absolutely amazing, even through all of her struggles. Then remains amazing when thrust into a new world. We NEED more strong female leads!

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The writing on this was really poor, I felt like I was in a fan fiction of Rick Roridan's novels. The beginning was a little dramatic but I felt like every single character was the same. They all rolled their eyes or they all crossed their arms. To be quite honest, this book needed a heavy developmental edit before it ever saw the light of day.

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Vote 3.5 stars
I love stories about Greek mythology and the characters were well described. But what has not conquered me was the too much immaturity and some choices made by the characters and the rhythm of the novel that in moments when it should have supported the pathos did not.

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This was such a fun read as I enjoy Greek mythology so much. The characters are well created and relatable and the overall feeling of mythology remains. Excited to read more.

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The concept was cool, but I thought the writing style and execution weren't as good. Really enjoyed the plot though.

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