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 … 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 that fans of Rick Riordan and Cassandra Clare are sure to devour. If you like Greek mythology, forbidden romance, and feats of courage, then you’ll love Astrid Arditi’s heroic coming-of-age tale.
Buy Olympian Challenger to enter a pulse-pounding tournament of heroes today!
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A great take on Greek myths!
Something a little different and unusual but I loved it. It was a breath of fresh air and I found the heroine really relatable. Can’t wait to see what else is in store.
I found this book an amazing read. The cover was beautiful and the title gave me no real clue of what’s coming. Imagine that for 2000 years the Whole Mythos of Ancient Greece has been separated from humanity. And they want back in to do what the Pantheon were famous for doing….screwing up humanity. Just how they plan to do this is the protagonists, Challengers. Take your average New York seventeen year old with all their angst and create a whacked out set of trials and you have it, warts and all. Astrid paints a truly marvelous masterpiece using dynamic brush’ strokes of the colors of the.human condition.
Brilliant work both compelling and thought provoking.
Full of internal struggles and external illusions. Olympian Challenger plunges Hope into the world of the Greek Gods who need a hero/heroine to help them out. Only, the contenders that are competing for the title of Olympian Champion aren’t sure of the rules or what games the Gods will mix up for them next as they compete to be the last one standing and get their one wish granted. Some contenders will stop at nothing and others will team up with Hope to accomplish the impossible. This book is full of untapped powers, greedy gods, and a few compassionate people ready to set things right.
Wonderfully written an epic series with an epic ending to end all. I cried laughed and bit my lip in frustration and in agony of what would come next. I hate that it ends but also know the next series will be just as good if not better.
Loved this book with it’s unique take on Greek mythology and combined with similar aspects of The Hunger Games. Hope is transported into a whole new world of Heroes and Gods..and all she wants is to get home to her sick mother, screw the Gods and their stupid little games. But the only way to get back home is to play. This is competition like no other paired with new friends, enemies around every corner, and love blossoming in the most expected way. The Gods are locked out the Human RealmThe story is similar to The Faerie Games by Michelle Madow while still completely unique. There is mystery, intrigue, action, and everything else you could need in a book.
I received a free copy of this book from the author and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received an advanced complimentary copy of this book for free to give a voluntary honest review. This review contains only my own thoughts and opinions of this book. First of all, I want thank the author Astrid Arditi. I am always honored receiving and reviewing ARCS. I am however sad to say that I could not for the life of me get behind this story. Basically everything in this book I had an issue with. If I were to point out everything that bugged me however, then this review would be its own book, so I’ll try to keep it short and to point.
The major issue I had with the story was the writing style and inspiration. Its all been done and seen before. It’s like the author read hunger games and then Percy Jackson and made a mashup of those two books. Because she has taken the exact same concept as Percy Jackson with the Greek mythology, destiny and quests and the concept of a death match until the last survivor from the hunger games. The thing is though, Percy Jackson is a children’s book, but she made it a young adult genre like the hunger games. The end result of that is not great. The writing, Greek mythology aspects in the story and the poor development is just too ridiculous and bareboned in details to adhere to an older audience.
Just like in Percy Jackson, Greek mythology is a very big area of creatures and stories. This author’s mistake is trying to fit too much of the mythology in one book, which is what makes it so bareboned to begin with. It’s just too convenient and unlikely that every story, creature, god and hero most known in Greek mythology makes an appearance in this one girl’s adventure and this one competition that takes place. It felt like Arditi sacrificed good development, pace and natural personalities and emotions just to make the mythology aspect as detailed as possible. She should have focused on making it a good natural flowing story instead of forcing Greek mythology in every, conversation introduction and supernatural aspect with every detail possible.
I also have to address the characters and their personalities. Let’s start of with the main character Hope. If a girl like her excited in real life she would have been one of the first to go in the challenge. She is just too naive, overly melodramatic and unrealistically selfless to a self-destructive degree. I mean, she cried like a little baby when she had to shoot down a few birds attacking her and her friends. She threw away the whole competition several times for so stupid selfless reasons that it was only pure luck and the hard work from the other challengers that saved her. Yet she is the heroine that the author tries to pass of as special? Then there is Gabriel, the gay character with father issues and an interest in fashion. He was written so over-stereotypically gay, to the point of becoming insulting to the gay community. He and Hope were friends, but seeing how patronizing the dialogues was, Hope felt more like his overprotective fussing mother than a friend.
And surprise, surprise. Every single one is conveniently Americans. God forbid other ethnicities. I’m so tired of this pattern of everything American in YA books. Sure, be overly patriotic all you like, but at least have a reason for why that makes sense. If the book is about GREEK mythology, how is America the country out of all the countries out where the portal opens to Olympus so that the American descendants of the gods just happens to be chosen from?
It feels like very little thought and planing went into this book when it was written. A lot did not even make sense to me, like for example the quests and challenges. What was the point of those? There were nothing to be gained nor learned from them to progress the challenge and story further. Every single challenge was a fight with a mythological creature and retrieval of an object. Even the whole reason behind the challenge and fighting til last man standing was sort of dumb and anticlimactic to begin with.
I hate to bash down an author’s hard work this much, but I can’t with a good conscience give this book more than one star.
A very good book, it kept me on the edge of my seat. It makes you wonder though. Some other story line I have read about the Olympian God’s is the same, I not sure if they are facts, but keep me wondering. Now I am going to have to get the next book to see how it goes.
Greek Gods, Fear & Friendship!!
Seventeen year old Hope Diaz heart hurts as her Mum’s illness gets worse. She has dementia and is losing her memories, thankfully she hasn’t forgotten Hope yet!! Before school one morning a mysterious invite arrives for Hope. At school it turns out everyone of her age received one but So far she’s the only one she knows that the invite has revealed its contents too … So far!!
Later that night she is down by the river when she sees a lad, her age she thinks, throw himself into the water! Without thought she removes her coat & boots to dive in and save him – Her life will never be the same again after she’s unwittingly fulfilled one of the invites requirements!!
When Hope awakes its to discover she’s now to undertake Quests along side others that made it too. The Greek God’s want a new Hero and the winner will be it!!
This was an exciting, page turner the kept you on the edge of your seat throughout!! The main characters are likeable & you really cheer them on, well most of them! The Gods are as selfish, self absorbed & morally corrupt as we’d expect, although there is hope for some!! I really enjoyed this epic Olympic tale and can’t wait until book #2 is available
Debbie, 1970, UK
This was such a fun book to read. Hope has a tough life, her mother has dementia and she is all that Hope has left in this world. So when she receives a mysterious invitation, she literally dives into the world of Greek Gods. She doesn’t want what they are offering and tries to escape, to no avail. But out of all the other kids that are on Mount Olympus, Hope has the best chance of being the hero everyone needs. Olympian Challenger did a great job of creating rich backstories for the teenagers and it incorporated Greek Mythology very well into the story making it a fun, fast-paced read
Olympian Challenge – Bored a long time ago with mythology, I overdosed as a kid, I volunteered to review this book without knowing what it was about. Hey, the author’s a good writer! Well, I read the book and enjoyed it. It was well written, suspense filled with action, emotions and interesting characters. Amy is my favorite character, she’s a hoot. 4*
A Cunning Plan – Absolutely funny! A well written, action packed novel with romance and intrigue; craziness and bad guys; fun and good guys. The characters are believable, along with their dialog; you can’t help but love em and dislike em, you’ll know what I mean. While there’s silliness, this is a substantial read and sometimes something happens you don’t expect. The well thought out plot keeps the reader glued to the pages, while ROTF with the humor. I purchased this copy, but didn’t find it in my library until after reading A Harper Christmas. 5*
A Cunning Heist #2 – Picks up six months after A Cunning Plan ends. Another well written, action packed novel filled with our favorite characters and some new ones. There’s still romance, humor, and a plot that keeps the reader glued to the book. This is a more serious book than A Cunning Plan is, but it’s just as entertaining. The dialog is realistic and the characters show growth. So far, all three of Ms. Arditi’s books do not disappoint the reader. 5*
A Harper Christmas #3 – My first book by this author and I loved it. Well written with humor all through the story, which was actually a substantial read, not a cozy. The pages flew by with happenings one after another. The plot was interesting and well thought out. The characters were developed enough to hold the reader’s attention and the dialog was realistic. The momma was a trip; good intentions. No stupid formulas, just an entertaining story that included a murder. 5*
I contacted the author to review The Cunning Heist after reading my purchased copy of A Harper Christmas. Enjoyed it so much I bought the books.
Actual rating: 3 1/2 stars
Too many adjectives, you’re not to the point, and it’s distracting. I don’t mind the way you write, it’s like you’re weaving an eloquent piece of embroidery, but the topic is too standard and doesn’t bring anything new to the table.
“Mean Girls” high school, why don’t these brats look at the bigger picture?
Protagonist syndrome: too perfect (potential valedictorian, possibly the best on the swim team, senior, future surgeon?), the only down side is she’s a “nerd;” protagonist stereotype: one or both parents of the protagonist must either be dead or missing. Note: one parent in missing and the other has dementia.
Chapter 5: Olympus
Chapter 6: Is dis Percy Jackson with the Hunger Games?
Chp. 8: Not bad; the characters are still 2D.
Chp. 26: by now the story and the writing prove delicate and interesting. “He listens to the Hesperid in the yellow dress and takes the red apple, like us. If the clever boy has come to the same conclusion as me, it makes me feel more confident about my choice. Astrid Arditi. Olympian Challenger (Kindle Locations 2816-2818). Kindle Edition.”
Chp 28: Cheesy, bad boy + good girl. “…adorned like a goddess. “But I’m only human…” His fingertips skim my cheek lightly. “Your humanity—that is your greatest beauty.”” Astrid Arditi. Olympian Challenger (Kindle Locations 3160-3162). Kindle Edition.”
Astrid Arditi writes in a beautiful style and captivates the reader by encompassing them in a world of mysticism and other worldly beings. Olympian Challenger takes its reader on an adventure to Mount Olympus through the mind of one teenage girl named Hope Diaz. The main protagonist is selfless, mature, and empathetic. She is a teenage girl taking care of her ailing mother and an unwilling challenger in the gods dance, a dance in the guise of a competition. There are ups and downs to her personality such as her high independence and pacifist-like nature but be she makes up for is with her self-lessness and loving heart. Because of her desire to help others, Hope makes new friends and unlikely allies in the form of Gabriel and Amy, two teenagers from very different backgrounds, and Kieron the son of Hades and Persephone. But others in the competition with selfish or hateful intentions bare their worst traits first and make friends with others never. The stress is overwhelming, but Hope is intelligent, and she figures out the challenges in stride.
“He listens to the Hesperid in the yellow dress and takes the red apple, like us. If the clever boy has come to the same conclusion as me, it makes me feel more confident about my choice.” Astrid Arditi. Olympian Challenger (Kindle Locations 2816-2818). Kindle Edition.
She’s certainly not a genius but she knows how to survive and reassure herself. Like any heroine she deals with each challenge presented to her. She fairs to be the most thought out character in the book.
The focus of Olympian Challenger shifts throughout the book. At first, I found it fun, bright, and filled with contenders of courage or vileness. A good distraction for the dangers hidden on Olympus. The antagonists Hope must face are those that compete in the gods’ challenges and quests with her. A boy named Heath and another girl named Jessica particularly show their violent sides and will stop at nothing to win, even sacrificing the lives of others. Contenders from all around New York were chosen and chose to participate in the Olympian gods competition but later, the story draws a hard line to make obvious light and dark comparisons. Some teenagers were having the time of their lives living in luxury just to be raised as pigs to the slaughter. The contenders are no longer the source of Hope’s disdain. The gods have put on nothing but a show.
The line between good and bad shows itself further when Hope sees the gods as they really are; cold statues, selfish beings that deserve to be trapped on Olympus, a place where humans do not worship them. The gods themselves do not pose as a direct threat to Hope but to their ever-growing influence over the contenders dwindles the competitor’s spirit and morality. They lack the love and morality of humans, but the gods want to rule over humanity. It’s all written with elegant detail and interwoven into a story of faith and love.
“…adorned like a goddess. “But I’m only human…” His fingertips skim my cheek lightly. “Your humanity—that is your greatest beauty.”” Astrid Arditi. Olympian Challenger (Kindle Locations 3160-3162). Kindle Edition.
Olympian Challenger is the first book of a could be series. It had action, grief, and romance. Although I enjoyed the trip that Astrid Arditi took me on, I wish it had something more. It was good to say the least and not something to pass up if you want something to read next weekend.
I really liked this book. It was fresh, original and a fun book to read. It mainly concerns three people who were whisked away from earth life to Mount Olympus to compete for a title of hero or heroine to the gods. However where each competitor was whisked away by a respective god based on what was in their blood one competitor was taken to Mount Olympus because she tried to save the life of an individual who it turned out was a competitor himself.
Friendships were formed by these three individuals who have unique skills which aids them in the early quests. There are moments where one may shed tears unashamedly but overall it is a story of determination and believing in oneself.
The story leaves a few things unanswered which leaves the reader waiting for the second book to be released.
I really think you’ll enjoy this book as much as I did. Give it a try, you won’t be disappointed!
This book has a great concept and realistic characters that really kept me interested! I love all of the Greek mythology, especially the obscure stuff (I took a lot of Ancient Studies and Mythology classes in college so I really like the lesser-known stories being incorporated). Really, the only thing I didn’t like was that some parts of the story seemed very rushed; like it was originally much longer and whole chapters got condensed into a sentence or two to move the story along. Most of those parts happened in the beginning and by about a third of the way through it was much better! I’m looking forward to reading how the rest of Hope’s story unfolds 🙂
An incredible story. Hope is absolutely delightful with her wonderful sidekicks Amy and Gabriel. Amy is a hardened thief with a heart worth more than its weight in precious jewels or metals. Gabriel is tormented by memories of his father but is also growing in strength and confidence. I look forward to the continuation.
I received a complimentary copy of this book and voluntarily posted an honest review.
ARE YOUREADY FOR A WILD RIDE??? have to say right up front, this read is nothing that I thought it would. I was pulled in from the first paragraph and held at bay until the very last word. The characters personalities are mixture that compliments each other as they work toward one goal. They face insurmountable odds that makes biting your nails through it, and absolute must. Twists and turns that keep you on your toes and frozen on the edge of your seat. I couldn’t have put this story aside had I tried. Its that captivating. You root for the underdogs and curse gods. This was one pleasant surprise. Astrid has an amazing ability with such graphic detail that made this read come alive. I would recommend reading this story for anyone who loves mythology.