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woodsbookclub's review
5.0
A ton of magic, badass heroines, animal companions, impossible tasks, found families and slow-burn romance. Brace yourself, because this book has it all.
Once a year, the Olympian Empresses grant the wishes of ten people selected by a lottery for a price. But this time, they change the rules and pit two girls against each other; they have to be the ones granting the wishes and only one will have her own desire fulfilled. Inspired by Greek mythology, specifically the Ancient Olympic Games, this fast-paced fantasy novel by Rachel Menard follows a dangerous competition between two 17-year-old girls: Gen, a former circus performer trying to free her wrongfully imprisoned father, who was sentenced to life for a mass murder she knows he didn’t commit; and Castor, who plans to rule Arcadia, but only after the island’s archaic laws are changed and her brother, Pullox, is no longer the rightful heir.
The main characters are diverse and quite intriguing. Genevieve, also known as Gen, is a MindWorker (she can connect, talk and influence animals to their bidding through feeding them her hair, spit or blood) and the last one of the all-female Mazon tribe (which was apparently extinct by Gargareans, an all-male tribe). Born with a fancy title, Castor, Lady of Storms, has endless money and the power to control storms. Both must use their cunning, strength and unique skill-set to master seemingly impossible tasks, including bringing to the empresses the head of a Hydra.
I love Gen: she’s determined, smart, passionate and kind. As for Castor, not so much. I mean, I would love her to be strong-headed, ambitious and proudly queer if she wasn’t too cruel most of the time; she does whatever it takes to get what she wants, even if it means hurting the people she loves. Her brother, Pollux, is the complete opposite: a misunderstood artist with a big heart and a knack for building and playing the violin.
As for the story per se, it was fast-paced but steady, which means the author let us know the characters, their backgrounds and even the lore of the world without ever leaving us dry for action. The writing is compelling and easy to read, and each POV was also very distinct. The twist at the end was expected but leaves space for a fun sequel, which I appreciate (and hope it brings us a much-need map!).
Thanks to NetGalley, Flux and North Star Editions for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an unbiased review.
----
Teens of Olympia Gen and Castor race to be the first to complete the better half of 12 nearly impossible tasks to obtain their greatest desire. Only one will win. The other walks away with nothing--if she walks away at all.
A ton of magic, badass characters, cute sidekicks, found families and slow-burn romance. What's not to love? It is fast-paced and enthralling, and I can't get enough of Gen. I tried to draw her on Procreate with a new blouse (after trying to draw her original outfit and suck at it, but it ended up cute, I guess), so I hope it peeks your curiosity. I love, love, love her (and Pollux, and even Castor, who's queer, ambitious and unapologetic btw!)
Once a year, the Olympian Empresses grant the wishes of ten people selected by a lottery for a price. But this time, they change the rules and pit two girls against each other; they have to be the ones granting the wishes and only one will have her own desire fulfilled. Inspired by Greek mythology, specifically the Ancient Olympic Games, this fast-paced fantasy novel by Rachel Menard follows a dangerous competition between two 17-year-old girls: Gen, a former circus performer trying to free her wrongfully imprisoned father, who was sentenced to life for a mass murder she knows he didn’t commit; and Castor, who plans to rule Arcadia, but only after the island’s archaic laws are changed and her brother, Pullox, is no longer the rightful heir.
The main characters are diverse and quite intriguing. Genevieve, also known as Gen, is a MindWorker (she can connect, talk and influence animals to their bidding through feeding them her hair, spit or blood) and the last one of the all-female Mazon tribe (which was apparently extinct by Gargareans, an all-male tribe). Born with a fancy title, Castor, Lady of Storms, has endless money and the power to control storms. Both must use their cunning, strength and unique skill-set to master seemingly impossible tasks, including bringing to the empresses the head of a Hydra.
I love Gen: she’s determined, smart, passionate and kind. As for Castor, not so much. I mean, I would love her to be strong-headed, ambitious and proudly queer if she wasn’t too cruel most of the time; she does whatever it takes to get what she wants, even if it means hurting the people she loves. Her brother, Pollux, is the complete opposite: a misunderstood artist with a big heart and a knack for building and playing the violin.
As for the story per se, it was fast-paced but steady, which means the author let us know the characters, their backgrounds and even the lore of the world without ever leaving us dry for action. The writing is compelling and easy to read, and each POV was also very distinct. The twist at the end was expected but leaves space for a fun sequel, which I appreciate (and hope it brings us a much-need map!).
Thanks to NetGalley, Flux and North Star Editions for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an unbiased review.
----
Teens of Olympia Gen and Castor race to be the first to complete the better half of 12 nearly impossible tasks to obtain their greatest desire. Only one will win. The other walks away with nothing--if she walks away at all.
A ton of magic, badass characters, cute sidekicks, found families and slow-burn romance. What's not to love? It is fast-paced and enthralling, and I can't get enough of Gen. I tried to draw her on Procreate with a new blouse (after trying to draw her original outfit and suck at it, but it ended up cute, I guess), so I hope it peeks your curiosity. I love, love, love her (and Pollux, and even Castor, who's queer, ambitious and unapologetic btw!)
ishouldbewriting's review
5.0
I received this through NetGalley and thoroughly enjoyed this book, rating it at a strong 4.5. It features two badass women being pulled by strong motivations that they crave so desperately, they're willing to complete insane tasks set by the Emperesses to earn. They both want nothing more than to win and change their lives forever, and the author does a great job of making that very damn hard to do while also making it really entertaining. I love both of these characters and was hard-pressed to decide who I was rooting for to win. Both characters held true to their motivations and values to the very end, though without going into details, there was a strong potential for growth on the part of one character that gets shut down at the very end, but she did still have plenty of character growth in other ways. Plus, killing that bit of growth helped push toward a sequel, so there's plenty of room to keep growing.
enchanted_reads26's review
3.0
Immediately thrown into a world of lore and adventure. I love hearing all the mythological aspects of this book. I love all the challenges our main character goes through, it shows her determination to save what’s left of her family. Overall an enjoyable book and can’t wait to read the next one.
justgeekingby's review
4.0
Originally posted on Just Geeking by.
Content warnings:
Game of Strength and Storm is a brilliant reimagining of Greek mythology, transferring the mythological tales into a sprawling fantasy world where characters and creatures of legend inhabit islands. Every aspect of the world-building is shaped from Greek mythology, right down to the landscapes and fauna. As someone who has always been drawn to mythology, and Greek in particular, I fell in love with the world Menard created very quickly.
Her characters are just as likeable, with Gen the half Mazon (Menard’s version of Amazons) placed in the role of hero, and Castor in the role of anti-hero. Both have a unique set of abilities, and when they both use their lottery wish to ask the Empresses for something life changing the Empresses are eager to get something out of the deal. The thought of placing the two young women up against each other in a test is too good to resist. Gen and Cas find themselves with a choice; walk away with nothing or complete the impossible list of tasks that the other lottery winners have requested from the Empresses. And for good measure the Empresses have thrown in a few others, such as kill the hydra.
If this is sounding a bit familiar, it should. Game of Strength and Storm is a genderbent retelling of the labours of Hercules. The tasks that Gen and Cas have to complete are pulled straight from the myth, however, that’s where the similarity ends. This is a whole new story and while there are some similarities between Hercules and Gen’s story (mass murder and a link to family appear in both), they are very different otherwise. The story of what happened with Gen’s family is heartbreaking, and the history that Menard has woven for the Mazon’s is hauntingly beautiful.
Likewise, Cas’ story cuts just as deep. I called her the anti-hero of this story and circumstances beyond her control have forced her into that role. She’s a headstrong woman in the last patriarchal hold out, the only Island where succession goes to the next male heir and female offspring are pawns to be married off for influential and political gains. Despite spending years trying to prove to her father that she’s the woman for the job, her father refuses to budge and still only sees her for her gender. Cas is also attracted to women rather than men, so her island’s archaic laws will trap her in a loveless marriage no matter who the match is with.
As you can imagine, Cas’s father is not going to be best pleased when he finds out what Cas is trying to do, so it’s not just her freedom and future that is on the line. She’s on a clock to outrun her father’s fury and his goons, and she’s got the money, influence and storm powers to do it. No one is getting in her way. Enter Pollux, aka Lux, her twin and this is where things get very interesting. Normally at this point in the story it’s obvious where this is going to go; sibling rivalry. It was refreshing to have a sibling actually care about the other and meddling to prevent their sibling winning for wholesome reasons.
Lux doesn’t care about being in charge of their family’s powerful company, he doesn’t want to inherit. He just wants to be left alone to do his own thing which is completely different to what his father and sister believe that their ability to capture and bottle storms should be. The family has been selling the weather to the highest bidder for three generations now, including weaponising it, and Lux has found his own unique way of using their abilities which they do not recognise. Both of them have written him off entirely, however, he’s the male heir and tradition dictates that he will inherit. He would much rather have nothing to do with it, however, Lux sees it as the only way to undo the mistakes and tragedies that his family have had a hand in. That’s if he can stop Cas from winning, but before that he has to save her from their father’s wrath.
The fact that it allows him to help Gen, the famous circus performer he fell in love with long ago, is of course, just a bonus
Content warnings:
Spoiler
There are some scenes of violence, including one particularly aggressive fight between the two main characters. Genocide takes place off the page and is retold through flashbacks and memories. The topic of genocide is discussed throughout the book. References to several deaths, including mass murder, off page are referred to in flashbacks. There is one brutal animal death and other scenes of animal cruelty. The book engages with and discusses themes of patriarchy, forced marriage, misogyny, and abuse (emotional and physical).Game of Strength and Storm is a brilliant reimagining of Greek mythology, transferring the mythological tales into a sprawling fantasy world where characters and creatures of legend inhabit islands. Every aspect of the world-building is shaped from Greek mythology, right down to the landscapes and fauna. As someone who has always been drawn to mythology, and Greek in particular, I fell in love with the world Menard created very quickly.
Her characters are just as likeable, with Gen the half Mazon (Menard’s version of Amazons) placed in the role of hero, and Castor in the role of anti-hero. Both have a unique set of abilities, and when they both use their lottery wish to ask the Empresses for something life changing the Empresses are eager to get something out of the deal. The thought of placing the two young women up against each other in a test is too good to resist. Gen and Cas find themselves with a choice; walk away with nothing or complete the impossible list of tasks that the other lottery winners have requested from the Empresses. And for good measure the Empresses have thrown in a few others, such as kill the hydra.
If this is sounding a bit familiar, it should. Game of Strength and Storm is a genderbent retelling of the labours of Hercules. The tasks that Gen and Cas have to complete are pulled straight from the myth, however, that’s where the similarity ends. This is a whole new story and while there are some similarities between Hercules and Gen’s story (mass murder and a link to family appear in both), they are very different otherwise. The story of what happened with Gen’s family is heartbreaking, and the history that Menard has woven for the Mazon’s is hauntingly beautiful.
Likewise, Cas’ story cuts just as deep. I called her the anti-hero of this story and circumstances beyond her control have forced her into that role. She’s a headstrong woman in the last patriarchal hold out, the only Island where succession goes to the next male heir and female offspring are pawns to be married off for influential and political gains. Despite spending years trying to prove to her father that she’s the woman for the job, her father refuses to budge and still only sees her for her gender. Cas is also attracted to women rather than men, so her island’s archaic laws will trap her in a loveless marriage no matter who the match is with.
As you can imagine, Cas’s father is not going to be best pleased when he finds out what Cas is trying to do, so it’s not just her freedom and future that is on the line. She’s on a clock to outrun her father’s fury and his goons, and she’s got the money, influence and storm powers to do it. No one is getting in her way. Enter Pollux, aka Lux, her twin and this is where things get very interesting. Normally at this point in the story it’s obvious where this is going to go; sibling rivalry. It was refreshing to have a sibling actually care about the other and meddling to prevent their sibling winning for wholesome reasons.
Lux doesn’t care about being in charge of their family’s powerful company, he doesn’t want to inherit. He just wants to be left alone to do his own thing which is completely different to what his father and sister believe that their ability to capture and bottle storms should be. The family has been selling the weather to the highest bidder for three generations now, including weaponising it, and Lux has found his own unique way of using their abilities which they do not recognise. Both of them have written him off entirely, however, he’s the male heir and tradition dictates that he will inherit. He would much rather have nothing to do with it, however, Lux sees it as the only way to undo the mistakes and tragedies that his family have had a hand in. That’s if he can stop Cas from winning, but before that he has to save her from their father’s wrath.
The fact that it allows him to help Gen, the famous circus performer he fell in love with long ago, is of course, just a bonus
cl_bonner's review
I received an arc of this book from Netgalley and the publisher for an honest review
I started off really liking this book. And honestly I still like it. But I ended up DNFing this book.
The concept is so clever and imaginative and I really like it. But the actual plot ended up being rather predictable and it just hasn’t hooked me. I got 37% of the way through this book before I put it down officially but I have been trying to read this book for a few weeks now and just have no urge to pick it back up ever.
Normally I rate a book I DNF 1 star but I’m giving this book 2 stars because it is something I think lots of people will enjoy and could get really hooked on. But I believe the target audience may be slightly younger than me (I’m 23) despite it advertised as general YA. I feel like if I read this as a young teen I would have adored it. Right now I can say I only like it but not enough to pick it back up and finish.
I started off really liking this book. And honestly I still like it. But I ended up DNFing this book.
The concept is so clever and imaginative and I really like it. But the actual plot ended up being rather predictable and it just hasn’t hooked me. I got 37% of the way through this book before I put it down officially but I have been trying to read this book for a few weeks now and just have no urge to pick it back up ever.
Normally I rate a book I DNF 1 star but I’m giving this book 2 stars because it is something I think lots of people will enjoy and could get really hooked on. But I believe the target audience may be slightly younger than me (I’m 23) despite it advertised as general YA. I feel like if I read this as a young teen I would have adored it. Right now I can say I only like it but not enough to pick it back up and finish.
ashleym10148's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
alliskarathe's review
4.0
sapphic rep!! cant wait for next book , sufficiently interesting worldbuilding imo , unexpected twists / ending and love mythology inspirations
thiane_reads_sa's review
4.0
Round up to 4.5 stars⭐️
Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this fantastic book.
Thrilling, adventurous and fully loaded with a fresh and unique magic system that will have you hooked from page one. As a reader I absolutely love retellings, so when I saw this was a gender-bent Hercules Greek mythology retelling I couldn’t get started fast enough.
The plot revolves around an Olympian empresses annual lottery that usually grants 10 people their wishes. This year around the game was changed where the rules now place two girls head-to-head in order for only one to make their wish and have it granted. In the left corner, we have an orphan named Gen, last of the Mazon tribe,coming in with the magical ability to speak to animals and her wish for her father to be set free from prison and their names cleared. Rumbling in the right corner is Castor, royalty, full-time stormmaker with the wish that her islands archaic laws be demolished so she can become rightful heir of Arcadia.
Both these two girls are cunning, smart and determined. With impossible tasks, set in a world that make it even harder, who will complete it all and have their wish granted?
This was an epic story full of twists, excitement and scenes that made me audibly gasp. I loved that there were multiple POV’s and I have to say Pollux has my heart, he is such a cinnamon roll.
Don’t miss out on this amazing retelling and crazy ride that is this book. I can’t wait to see what happens in book two. Fingers crossed for a team-up!
Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this fantastic book.
Thrilling, adventurous and fully loaded with a fresh and unique magic system that will have you hooked from page one. As a reader I absolutely love retellings, so when I saw this was a gender-bent Hercules Greek mythology retelling I couldn’t get started fast enough.
The plot revolves around an Olympian empresses annual lottery that usually grants 10 people their wishes. This year around the game was changed where the rules now place two girls head-to-head in order for only one to make their wish and have it granted. In the left corner, we have an orphan named Gen, last of the Mazon tribe,coming in with the magical ability to speak to animals and her wish for her father to be set free from prison and their names cleared. Rumbling in the right corner is Castor, royalty, full-time stormmaker with the wish that her islands archaic laws be demolished so she can become rightful heir of Arcadia.
Both these two girls are cunning, smart and determined. With impossible tasks, set in a world that make it even harder, who will complete it all and have their wish granted?
This was an epic story full of twists, excitement and scenes that made me audibly gasp. I loved that there were multiple POV’s and I have to say Pollux has my heart, he is such a cinnamon roll.
Don’t miss out on this amazing retelling and crazy ride that is this book. I can’t wait to see what happens in book two. Fingers crossed for a team-up!