I have always loved Greek mythology and the last saga I read before starting this book was also about this, so I was pretty obsessed with the subject before starting and had really high expectations about it.
In brief this book seems totally recommendable to me and it fulfilled my expectations, I can’t give it 5 stars because I felt the whole book that I was reading a story instead of really feeling part of it. But I have faith in the following books, I look forward to them (2019 u.u)
The book itself was easy to read and I only had a couple of problems to understand some parts until the context guided me (this may have been because I am not a native English speaker). In fact more than once I got confused if they were talking about Hope the protagonist or about having hope. (Dishonor to my cow for this XD)
The central theme behind the story, the competition, was very entertaining and included enough mythology as a bonus. As for the characters, some just were lovely like Gabriel and Amy. Hope is also an interesting character but it is soooo good that it gets stressful sometimes XD. Most of the characters are introduced drop by drop, which makes you begin to really like them when the story is well advanced. Especially with Kieron, I love his character but I feel I knew him very little and I wish I had seen a little more of his personality change cause it was too drastic for me. Anyway, I’m not too worried about this ‘cause it’s only the first book in the series and we will have time to get to know everyone better and get deeper into the world that Astrid presents to us. Regarding the gods ... I love them because they are excessively imperfect. The heroes are much better though, especially Bellerophon (whose name is not so difficult but for some reason I am unable to say aloud XD), but I deeply desire the power of Aphrodite...
Now I need a second to express ... probably Heath is the character that I’ve hated the most in centuries! When I started reading, I was sure that he would be part of the typical love triangle and that we would understand why he does everything and blablabla. BUT NOOOOOO, he’s just a damn bastard, if you read this, feel free to hate him from the beginning, do not bother thinking about it XD. Actually I swear I hated him more every chapter and that just reading his name makes me angry, I just Hope (see what I did here? xD) that I’m not offending an important character for Astrid, if so I’m reaaaaally sorry but I still hate him :)
I just need to add that I really got kind of obsessed while I read the book and ended in every Astrid group in facebook, don't even know how that happened. And that I'm IN LOVE with the cover. I strongly recommend to give this book a try.

I picked up this book because of my love for Greek mythology. It starts in New York with a normal girl. But something unexpected happens when Hope receives an invitation...and is transported to Mount Olympus. I enjoyed the quests and trials. The premises of the story is good, yet it didn't live up to my expectations. The characters lacked depth, and the romance had no chemistry. Though I liked the book enough to finish it, I won't read the rest of the series.

[I received a free e-copy of this book from NetGalley for review purposes.]

I don't intend this to sound mean, but it may. I liked the book, but I didn't, so my review is mostly my problems with it.

I'm somewhat torn on this book. In pretty much all ways, it's extremely formulaic. Girl with home issues gets sucked into an adventure she doesn't want, she needs to beat out a whole crapton of other people who are better at everything than she is, somehow she makes it to the actual competition, and eventually she wins. I can't term this as a spoiler, because it is GLARINGLY obvious from the first page that she is going to win this thing. Even though she has no skills to help her through the competition, her "pure" heart and love are enough to beat out a bunch of other teenagers.

Along the way, she makes friends with a couple of people, hates and loves her teachers, and falls in love with a god. (This also isn't a spoiler, because from the second the guy is mentioned it's clear he's meant to be the love interest.) By the end they're whispering sweet nothings to each other and making out like horny teenagers (and at least one of them still is a teenager...).

This book is so meta that it even mentions The Hunger Games. In one scene Hope thinks that she has read that series and that's what this competition feels like to her. Well, it was. Really. I was reading The Hunger Games on Olympos. Even the government conspiracy comes into play because it's revealed at one point that the gods have their own sinister motivations for all of this. Next, I assume her job is to take down the gods/government and free the people (the demigods/heroes/earth) from their tyranny.

And Hope, as a character, is pretty bland. She's only concerned with getting back to her mother, she gets rescued a lot because her heart is so pure, she is the favorite of everyone to win except the actual gods, and she doesn't make mistakes ever. She's the perfect Mary Sue character - she can do no wrong (except that one time she tried to forfeit and then did the darn thing anyway). And she's annoying for it. Even when she can't do something herself, her mysterious powers come to the rescue. The scene at the end with the Pythia really sealed that for me. Her love conquers all! Her weakness has been turned into a weapon! It could not get any sappier.

Anyway, despite all of that, I did find myself liking the mythology, and some of the writing. Most of the characters were trope, and the time limits on some challenges didn't make much sense, but otherwise it was an okay read. So if you don't mind a rehash of The Hunger Games and all the similar books that have come out since (and before, since a lot of people argue that The Hunger Games was really just Battle Royale), and you don't have anything better to do with your time, you could give this one a whirl. I wouldn't buy it, and probably won't seek out book 2, but it was an okay read. I'm giving it three stars instead of two because I loved Gabriel so much.

Olympian Challenger is a slightly more mature Percy Jackson-esque book. The main protagonist is Hope, a high school girl whose mother is slowly, but surely, succumbing to dementia. One day, every teen in New York State seems to have received a strange letter. However, Hope is the only she knows who can read the invisible message. Next thing she knows, Hope is sucked (quite literally) up to Mount Olympus along with a crew of other teens. The gods command the teens to train and then compete to be crowned the latest Olympic Champion.
Zooming way out and looking at the big picture, I like the concept of this book. There was a flare-up in YA Greek mythology retellings a couple of years back, but it is rare to see new YA releases relate to Greek mythology. Astris Arditi clearly did a lot of research for this book, including many minor gods and creatures. I think that really paid off and made the world more immersive. Each of the challenges given to the teens was directly related to Greek mythology, instead of random, meaningless tasks. I think the cover is really beautiful and eye-catching.
Zooming in, I had a couple of gripes with this book. The pacing in the first 40% or so of the book really confused me. It frequently seemed as if transitional sentences or paragraphs were missing. The main character would be in her bedroom and then all of a sudden at the training field. I double checked and I do not think I received an unedited copy, but the final version. I hope I am wrong because I would have enjoyed this book a lot more if I had not been so confused right off the bat. The love interest and instalove confused me. A cliche gay best friend also makes an appearance. I am totally fine with LBGT characters being featured in YA, but I think these ultra femme stereotypical characters might do more harm than good.
Overall, I liked seeing another YA Greek mythology book but was puzzled by missing blocks of text. I think if this book was tightened up a little, Olympian Challenger will be quite popular.

I absolutely loved this book. When I put it down, I couldn't stop thinking about where it would lead next. Subtle romance, but not the main focus of rhe story, but still a part of the story. The author did a great job in the writing of this book. Very descriptive!! The characters were great. I would love to read the next one as well. Looking forward to joining my heroine again in her journey. LOVE LOVE LOVE

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. I must admit the cover is what first drew me to the book; it's gorgeous! I enjoy reading YA novels that have strong females characters that don't sit back and let the boys take charge. Hope Diaz thought she was trying to save someone, not become an Olympian challenger. She has the strength to stand up for others, but will her self-doubt be her downfall? This book drew me in right away, and I loved reading it. It's perfect blend of adventure, and coming of age romance that anyone will like. The author stayed true to Olympian tales which I enjoyed and I look forward to read the next book.

I was so excited with the description of this book. Ever since i read the Covenant series by Jennifer L Armentrout I have been needing another Greek god book and this book by Astrid Arditi has really satisfied my need for a little while at least. I was not let down with this book.
There was so many characters and so much going on but it was never overwhelming. The characters were so diverse that it was almost impossible to not relate to at least one of the characters. I really loved the descriptions of the Gods the most. They were all so funny and they felt non human and human at the same time.
I like the romances in this book because the plot is so exciting that the romance story line is sort of secondary to the main plot which is great because that makes romances more enjoyable to me. Without spoiling anything for anyone I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed one romance in particular, I found it very amusing.
The only negative I have is that some of the chapters jump around a little bit too much for my liking but I think that is a personal preference thing.
Olympian challenger has definitely made me want to read more mythology books and more by Astrid Arditi.

I was obsessed with Greek mythology as a child and this book brought back the love I had for it. This was such a fun read! The characters were easy to like from the beginning, especially Hope, Gabriel and Kieran (I have to say I fell for Kieran when she did.). It was well-written, flowed perfectly and kept my interest throughout with the descriptive challenges that continued to spark my imagination.

It was the perfect blend of Percy Jackson and Hunger Games.

Thank you for the privilege of getting an eARC. I'm so happy to have found another trilogy to look forward to reading. I can't wait for the next one!

PS I'm a graphic designer and the first thing that caught my eye was that breathtaking cover. Amazing!!!

Unfortunately, I was not able to finish this book. The writing did not draw me in and the plot did not compel me at all. The whole thing was coming off as superficial. Because I didn't finish, I won't post reviews for this book.

While I have a soft spot for Greek mythology, this book did not disappoint. This book has a fresh spin on heroes versus Gods and is a solid YA title. I'm looking forward to more in this series!.

A beautiful book! Hope is sent to Mount Olympia by mistake. It is here she finds friends, love, and purpose. Greek Mythology has always been fascinating to me, and this author has done an amazing job telling many tales without it becoming boring or jumbled!

Honestly, I was a little weary starting this one out, because I just read The Goddess Test and he sounded very similar. I didn't want to do nothing but compare the two in my mind the whole time I read this one. But the more I heard friends of mine enjoying it, the more I thought that I should give this one a shot. Some of the similarities were possibly impossible to ignore them. Both books are about Greek mythology, both involve some sort of test , both main characters participate because they're trying to say there's like mothers and both main characters jump into rivers trying to save someone. But after hope is brought to Mount Olympus for the challenges, the similarities between the two books end.

Both the plot and pacing of this novel are really good, the book kept moving forward with all the challenges while Hope battle through. I really enjoyed all the Greek gods included throughout the book and how the challenges related to some of the major stories of heroes in mythology.

The characters were kind of immature at times. There was something about the writing that failed to convey the intensity of the super dramatic moments. The writing failed to capture my emotions, so some of these moments fell flat and felt anti-climactic. I didn't feel the romance at all. The buildup just didn't work for me and at one point Kieron started to act completely differently from the character that he was developed to be. It was insta-love and it did not feel authentic at all.

The plot and ideas were all really good, but the execution wasn't great. Without invoking any feelings for the characters some of the points that were supposed to feel like big moments didn't. It was a cool story and full of mythology that made this a good retelling, but something just felt like it was lacking. I did thoroughly enjoy following the story though, so I would pick up a sequel or continue with Astrid Arditi's writing.

I was sent an e-ARC from Astrid Arditi on Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book! Greek Gods, heartbreak, mystery- everything I love.

The story follows a 17 year old called Hope, who receives an invitation for a magical competition. All the 12th graders receive this invitation in NYC, but only a few can read it. She is whisked away to Mount Olympus, with the others who could read the invitation. She and the others are put through training for a "quest" to find the next Olympic hero.

Each major god chooses 2 candidates to represent them, and surprisingly, Hope is picked by Hades. Hades son, Kieron made his father pick Hope, because he liked her. He has some bad boy vibes. I will reveal no more spoilers!

The only critisism that I have for this book is that I thought everything was a little bit too rushed. I didn't get to see the plot or characters grow as much as I hoped. Also, I expected everything to happen, Hope being picked, the ending etc.

Overall, 4 stars!

Birdy xx

I received a copy through NetGalley for review.

I like these kinds of books about human's mixing with the gods, this was solidly written.
We meet Hope Diaz, hard working senior in High school, on the swim team. Her mother is suffering from alzheimer's and she's doing her best to cope with it.
Everyone in the city of Manhattan receives a mysterious invitation, but to most people it appears mostly blank, to others cryptic words are written but they are warned and are forbidden from speaking about it.
Things happen and she finds herself in the middle of Mount Olympus as a member in a competition to choose the next Olympian Hero.
I like the story, the love interest isn't quite believable, I wish a little more personality and emotion were built into these characters, it was so close to being right. But felt a little shallow on that aspect.
But overall was enjoyable.

This book was so good ! I can’t wait for the next one in the series.

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.

I am always hesitant to read new takes or perspectives on Greek mythology because I am afraid they will ruin what I love about them. This book was a pleasant surprise in many ways. I loved the protagonist Hope, she is an enjoyable character, is not self-absorbed and is bright. I found the back story of Hope's mother having dementia as refreshing and realistic aspect of the story. I enjoyed how the challenges continued through the story and Hope learns all is not as it seems. I am very happy this story is continuing as a trilogy. I was lucky to receive an ARC of this e-book via Netgally. I would recommend this book to any fans of Greek Mythology and anyone interested in young adult fiction. Astrid Arditi is a great author and I look forward to reading more.

People who know me, know that I am a huge Greek Mythology fan, and OH MY GOD if Idid not dream about getting to face what these characters deal with in Greek Mythology retelling books. That said, I have read almost all the legends and stories available to human kind, about Greek Mythology, and I am a huge critic. So, while I enjoy the books, I also cling to the "mistakes" that they have included there, and being a big bookworm, I am judging from to positions, first, being a Greek Mythology fan, second, being a bookworm.

So let's get this started. First of all, as some of the other readers really thought that the book concept was very similar to the Goddess Test series by Aimee Carter. Both being about Greek Mythology, both having a heroine as a main character, both heroines having sick mothers and finally both heroines being somehow linked to Hades. However, while in the Goddess test the characters were mature and more serious, here, characters acted like immature kids. Their conversations, the way they acted, the way they reacted, everything. Although, I liked this one's tests more, they were more exciting.

I'm half Greek and grew up listening to and reading about Greek Mythology with my Mom. Needless to say, I really wanted to read this book! I was thrilled when I received an ARC and literally couldn't put it down! Hope Diaz's story really resonated with me. She's a wonderfully written character with a good heart who is not perfect, but always tried to do the right thing. I love Gabriel and was happy with the turn of events at the end of the book. I look forward to the second book of the series (2019 seems so far off to wait!!) to see what further trials, tribulations and relationship developments happen. I have a soft spot for Amy and hope that we get to see her soon.

Excellent character development and descriptions. I love the setting! This book didn't read like Young Adult. I was captivated by it in the first chapter and can't wait to see what happens next!

*I would like to thank the Author/Publisher/NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review*

Three Stars

I was drawn to this book because 1.) the cover (like oh my god look at it, its gorgeous, 2.) it had a super interesting premise, 3.) I love Greek Mythology.
The book felt lack luster though. I felt iffy about a lot of the characters, Hope included. She felt very two demential.
The novel starts out with a standard breakfast introduction to Hope and her mother. We find out that her mother is sick with dementia. But this morning was different, Hope received a strange invitation that said "You're cordially invited" and nothing else. Well she thought she saw more words shimmer but was clearly just imagining things. After swim practice, Hope's best friend, Lily, says everyone got one. But as Hope is in the locker room, she does actually see more on the invitation that no one else can also see. She doesn't tell anyone cause she doesn't want people to think she is going insane or anything.
Hope goes home that night, to find her mother having an episode and her neighbor says she should leave in cool off. So Hope is wandering around and sees a boy jump into the river. She also doesn't see him come back up either. So she goes to save him, only to pass out in the water.
When she wakes up she is plopped right into Olympus itself. Poseidon brought here there through the water. So from there the story introduces all the gods, the challengers (who also saw the extra words on the invitation), and it even introduces the love interest. Some dark brooding guy in the corner.
The whole middle of this novel revolves around their training week. It goes into dynamics between the challengers. It's a whole lot of setup that got pretty boring.
After the training week, they do a ritual to find who everyone is related to. So the whole end of the novel is Hope and her basically insta-love with Hades' son, who sponsored her and made a bet with his father and whattnot. The rest of the novel is just the quests. The quests also get dull to read. They basically follow in a hero's footsteps and someone dies brutally or just loses. We also get told by like a million people that Hope HAS to win, she is meant to win. She NEEDS to.
The end of the novel is super sweet though.
There was also enough at the end that I would highly consider picking up the second book when it comes up.
I recommend this book if you want a quick, fluff read and you like mythology.

3.5 stars
I saw the cover for this and immediately went to read the blurb. I was sold. Greek mythology, young adult, fantasy! All things I love so I dove in. I really enjoyed this book but I there are things I wish had more depth, like some of the other characters. Their backstories seem important but left to the imagination.

Hope takes care of her mom who suffers with failing health from dementia. Hope is slowly and agonizingly losing her mom. She gets and invitation to go to NYC and takes it. This seems a little off to me because anyone who has a family member with dementia knows you shouldn't leave them alone. The thing that entices her is if she goes and enters this competition she could win a wish.

She of course goes and is transported to Mount Olympus for the tournament. There are some familiar things with the completion and Hunger Games but I still enjoyed it anyway. The excitement of being a spectator to this competition through Hope is there.

Keirnan, one of the competitors, is the son of Hades and Persephone. He quickly becomes a love interest for Hope and of course he has the bad boy vibe. You can probably see where that is going because of Greek Mythology. I am glad this is a series because I would like to read more. Hopefully book two will explain more.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a copy of this ebook in exchange for a fair and honest review.