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.