Book Review: Wrath of Olympus by E. M. Kkoulla #TheWriteReads #BBNYA #BlogTour

Solid start to unique fantasy series!

4.0

My dear bookish friends,

It’s time for a book review featuring Wrath of Olympus by E. M. Kkoulla, BBNYA 2023 finalist! Fantasy and mythology fans should check this book out (but first read my review please!!), I’m sure you’ll really like it too!

A big thank you goes out to TheWriteReads, the BBNYA team, and the author for the ebook and my spot on this tour (none of which influenced my rating in any way).

About the Book

The Roman Empire never fell. The Gods are real. Ships are alive.

In the Province of Britannia, ruled by descendants of King Arthur and on the brink of an industrial revolution, young Maia Abella is on the run.

Something unseen has murdered her cruel mistress and she’s being blamed. The streets and factories of Portus are no place for a friendless girl, trapped in events beyond her control.

The city authorities and the Royal Navy are both desperate to find her – one investigating a killer, the other to recruit her, while the deadly legacy of a tragic past stalks her every step.

Aided by Raven, an ancient, blind Mage with a terrible secret and Milo, Crown Agent and spy, Maia must discover and overcome the fatal consequences of her birth.

Meanwhile, the Gods are making their moves. And not all of them are friendly.

My Review

I heard about Wrath of Olympus after it was a finalist in BBNYA 2023, and with the super cool cover it was very hard to resist picking it up, even though I would say it’s not my go-to genre. Now I’m so glad I picked it up!

I have to say I really like the way the author created the setting. Maia is an orphan girl in a fantasy world (though we don’t find out about the fantasy part immediately) where the Roman empire never fell and ships are alive. When we first meet her she is working as a servant for a very harsh mistress who is quick to lash her servants physically as well as with her tongue. I immediately hated the mistress and felt so sad for Maia as well as the other servants who had to stay with her. But then a strange force intervenes and saves Maia from another beating and the mistress is finally brought to justice. As Maia fears being accused of murder, she flees and finds a new occupation elsewhere.

I really liked the way this book is written – simple and easy, with a nice flow to it. The world-building is top-notch; it’s mostly fantasy, but you can see inspiration from Greek and Roman history and mythology throughout. The pacing is really well done. We are not thrown into action on page one, but get a few moments to figure out where we are and what is happening, but then the pace picks up, which I really enjoyed. Even though I was already hooked because I wanted to find out if Maia’s life would ever make a turn for the better, the invisible force that pulls the mistress away from her as she attacks Maia was keeping me glued to the pages even more. What WAS it?!!

Maia is a very likeable character; I immediately felt for her and wanted her to live a better life under better circumstances. When she is assigned to the Navy, Maia is treated kindly for the first time in her life – she is asked what she wants to eat, clothes are washed and put out for HER, something she really is not used to. Maia is overwhelmed with her new treatment, but she is also scared her secret(s) will be uncovered…

I really enjoyed this book, but I felt the plot got a little messy towards the end, especially as several threads are being woven together. The ending also felt a little rushed, but overall I still really enjoyed the story and I’m sure I want to continue the series. The author has some really unique ideas (living ships?!?), and I also liked the use of mythological, historical and fantastical elements throughout.

A very solid start to a promising fantasy series! 4 stars from me.