3.5 stars

The Immortal Game by Talia Rothschild and A.C. Harvey is a YA quest fantasy based on Greek Mythology. Galene, daughter of Poseidon, is wrongfully accused of causing a vicious attack on Mount Olympus and is banished from the Mount as punishment. But somebody set Galene up, and to prove her innocence, she with a group of friends leaves her home in search of answers. On their journey, the group discovers a sinister plot to bring the Gods of Olympus down. It's now up to them to stop the destruction of Olympus and save the Gods.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Immortal Game. It's an action-packed adventure with interesting characters and mythology, great friendships, and not one but two romances. If you enjoy YA books about competitions, quests, and mythology, you will enjoy The Immortal Game!

I have already preordered this book and think this book needs as much buzz and love as possible. This was everything I could want from a book on the Greek Gods and Mount Olympus and so much more. Also if you love a standalone and do not want to read a long series then this is a book for you. The authors do such a great job with a complete story arc in one story. The world building is incredible. You get great character development with multiple POVs which also helps the plot fast paced. There is non-stop action right from the get go. I am highly recommending this as a must read! 5 out of 5 Stars.

I was given an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Honestly, I almost DNF'd this book at 40%. I am very glad I didn't- the end was AMAZING- but the middle of this book was very hard to enjoy.
The characters were okay, but I think there were too many perspectives switching back and forth for there to be any real development. Sometimes multiple perspectives work well, sometimes they leave something to be desired. In this case the characters just didn't have developed arcs. I wasn't attached to any of them, their voices were weak, and the romantic stories were underdeveloped.
I could see where the authors were going and their ideas were but the book characters just fell short.
The romance plots were meh. In the end the love triangle made sense but I would have liked more drama. The second romance was very much an instalove. The idea was planted and all of a sudden the characters liked each other despite having very few conversations. It was very rushed.
The writing itself was not my favorite. It was very choppy and short instead of flowing using descriptive imagery. Show me what the characters are doing, use imagery and flowing sentences. Let me imagine the scene. Don't tell me in one sentence.
The middle of book where the adventure happened was again, just okay. I enjoyed the elements of mythology that were brought in but the scenes were very fast and then they were over. Nothing flowed together. The stakes also weren't as high as I was anticipating which made it all the more boring. Some of the low stakes were explained later on and they made sense after the fact but getting through it was rough.
Now onto the end: that plot twist was great! I had some clue throughout the book what would happen and in was somewhat right but the twist was so much better than what I was hoping. Very well done. The elements for the twist were hinted at throughout the book and the twist was well planned and not something just pulled out of thin air so that part gets 5 stars.
From the twist to the end the pace picked up, the writing was a little less choppy and more flowy and was over all more enjoyable. I was on the edge of my seat and my heart was racing. The resolution was very enjoyable.
I wish there was more to this book, the the paragraphs and chapters were a little longer just to make it a little easier and more fun to read, but over all it was decent.
I would say it's a solid 3 stars BUT the end was so good I'm giving it 4.

The Immortal Game is a YA standalone fantasy that is inspired by Greek mythology. It follows a band of exiles as they embark on a quest to save Mount Olympus and prove themselves.

I'm not going to lie, I was a little let down by this book. Usually, I'm a huge fan of anything inspired by Greek mythology, but this book fell flat for me. Don't get me wrong it was still an okay read, but I just expected more!

Plotwise, I felt like there wasn't really any action until towards the end of the book. Though I did really enjoy the fast-paced finish of the novel! My biggest critique of the plot is that it felt predictable. I felt like I had already read this story before, this was just another version of it if that makes sense.

As for the characters, most of them weren't really that interesting. I will say, I did enjoy Iyana's character arc and I found her compelling to read about. I also enjoyed the dynamic between Galene and her brother! The romances I wasn't the biggest fan of, as they felt rushed to me.

The thing I enjoyed the most about this book was the Greek mythology aspect of it! The authors did a pretty good job of creating their own world inspired by Greek myths.

Overall, this is a decent read that could have been better had the characters been more compelling.

The Immortal Games is a perfect read for fans of the Percy Jackson series and for readers looking for a new twist on Greek mythology. Told from the perspectives of several young Olympians who must pass impossible tests in order to secure their own immortality, the novel explores themes of love, friendship, justice, and power. Readers will identify with Galene’s thirst to prove herself, Braxtus’s unrequited love, and Iyana’s self-doubt. The story’s villains are also relatable and raise important questions about the dividing lines between good and evil. This action-packed story is a well-written YA novel that won’t disappoint.

I loved the premise. Great characters. Stellar plot. I always love when an author brings in gods, goddesses, anything mythological. A fantastic story. I highly recommend.

What (if anything) do you like to see in ancient myth retellings?

I’ve noted before that my favorite types of retellings are thought experiments in which ancient stories that transcend time and place are transplanted into a different context. The latest in my “read” pile is The Immortal Game by Talia Rothschild and A. C. Harvey, which I received from NetGalley for review. This young adult novel is set in a Greek mythology-inspired world where the Olympian gods rule and their demi-god children are given a chance to gain immortality, via a test of strength, and join the pantheon. Though events bring characters away from Olympus, the novel’s action remains rooted in the immortals’ concerns, never straying into the mortal realm. As a result, the world feels neither characteristically ancient nor entirely modern, since our familiar technologies are absent.

The story launches with the disastrous immortality test of Galene, a daughter of Poseidon, and a subsequent attack on Olympus for which she is blamed. Desperate to clear her name, she goes on a sea-based quest to recover a precious artifact, joined by her best friend Iyana (daughter of Zeus), the two men who are in love with Iyana (Braxtus and Demitri), and Kostas, a son of Hermes who has already achieved immortality. Four of these perspectives narrate events as they unfold. Overall, the novel has a Percy-Jackson-meets-Six-of-Crows vibe. There are the latter’s camaraderie and romantic tensions with the former’s dangerous quests and non-stop action.

In addition to incorporating familiar mythological figures and narrative elements, the story engaged several ideas that ancient literatures explore. Among the more prominent are those of willingly binding your fate to those of your people as well as aligning your fate to that of the gods, the corrupting nature of power, and the problem of prizing physical strength over other equally important strengths. I could see this being a useful companion novel in a mythology unit and recommend it for readers familiar with Greek mythology, who like action-focused narratives.

Thanks NetGalley for this eARC!
The Immortal Game was a fast paced and fun read.
Galene is the daughter of Poseidon (no worries- there are no Percy Jackson vibes here). Although she’s already a goddess, ichor and all, the story opens as Galene is fighting to earn her immortality. Things go wildly astray, and soon she is exiled from Mt Olympus with her best friend (and a few others). After banishment, Galene and her friends discover a plot to topple the Olympians- but can they stop it in time?

I did enjoy this book, and it was hard to put down. There are very few pauses in action- the action just shifts in different ways. I liked the protagonist, Galene, and her relationship with her best friend, Iyana.

While I normally don’t mind multiple POV books, this one kind of threw me off at first- I think the sweet spot might be at 3 perspectives, especially when it’s a stand alone (The Immortal Game had 4). There were a couple of other small things that let this from being 5 stars for me- even though I consider myself pretty informed on Greek mythology, there were a couple times when the authors just started listing monster parts... and it got confusing. Also, Galene’s love interest was predictable yet sudden? There wasn’t any real meaningful interaction before they started moving into the relationship zone. Iyana’s love arc, though, I thought was solid.

All in all, this is a fun read that I’ll recommend to my students.

Perfect for fans of LORE by Alexandra Bracken and Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

Galene fails to conquer a beast and therefore loses her opportunity for immortality. She’s then set up for a crime and banished from the mountain of the gods. Her best friend Iyana refuses to believe her guilt and goes after her with her boyfriend. The god of games follows as well with his friend. Together they meet Galene’s banished brother and learn of a plot to destroy the gods. They must use all of their unique powers to save themselves and their home.

Full of action and adventure, this story is fast-paced and fun. There’s also two sweet side plot romances that add spice to the story. If you’re a fan of Greek mythology, this book is for you!

I really enjoyed reading this book and was so sad when it was over! It was full of greek mythology and adventure. I really connected with the characters and the story plotline. I will be recommending this book to all my friends.