Book Review: Wrath of Olympus by E.M. Kkoulla

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.

GENRE: Fantasy

PURCHASE LINK: Amazon

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: I'm of mixed British/Greek-Cypriot heritage and live with my husband and two feline overlords, Zeus and Hades, in County Durham, UK. After many years of teaching very small children, I decided to put my degree in Classical Studies and long involvement with 17thC re-enactment to good use by combining them in my fantasy adventure series. I love history, reading, gardening and anything with gods and monsters trashing the landscape. You can find me on fb on my Ships of Britannia page and on Twitter @EKkoulla.

Review

I read this book for the final round of the 2023 Book Bloggers' Novel of the Year Awards (BBNYA) and this was my winner!

Holy heck, when the blurb said "Ships are alive" I didn't think it would be in the way the book said they were. I LOVE IT. I also LOVE alternate histories and reimaginings like these, and I thought it was very well done! Not that I'm well versed about the Roman Empire or anything. But most of all, the Ships. A+++ concept there!

It was likewise refreshing to have gods that are powerful and will smite you for no reason and do things people don't understand. After writing a series about the opposite (where there are no real gods, only powerful races) and having seen a fair bit of similar stuff recently (gods losing power as mankind progresses, etc.), it's nice to see we're back to full chaos.

The prose is surprisingly clear and easy to follow despite the impression I got that this is epic fantasy. The worldbuilding isn't overwhelming either, though I had to go back every now and then to the note on which places are which. The lack of romance was also particularly refreshing. I was waiting for it, and while I love a good romance with a great plot, the book didn't feel lacking without it.

I LOVE Maia, and I was honestly surprised she was [REDACTED] because of the way she was characterized. Who would've thought??? The other characters were great too. Even the Ships had personalities!

And the cover is absolutely gorgeous.

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️️⭐️️

About BBNYA

BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with 15 finalists and one overall winner.

If you want some more information about BBNYA, check out the BBNYA Website https://www.bbnya.com/ or take a peek over on Twitter @BBNYA_Official. BBNYA is brought to you in association with the @Foliosociety (if you love beautiful books, you NEED to check out their website!) and the book blogger support group @The_WriteReads.

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Hi! I'm Marie, a Filipino SFFH author and book reviewer currently based in the UK. I’m the co-author of The Prophecies of Ragnarok, a Norse myth new adult urban fantasy trilogy, and I also have several short stories published in anthologies and literary journals.

You can find more info about me and my books, and also subscribe to my newsletter for more content, here. And if you like what I do, please also consider supporting me on Ko-fi! 🩷 https://ko-fi.com/mariesinadjan

If you fancy a short read, I have a cozy reimagining of the Norse myths about Hel, but it's just under 70 pages and can be read in one sitting. ✨ Plus there's a swag kit coming soon! Includes a "membership card," a bookmark, a sticker, an origami dog, and an exclusive 500-word story 🫶🏼

All things end, and all must die.

But death is not always the end.

When Geiravor Lokisdottir was stripped of her name and cast out of Asgard, torn from her family and the life she had known, she thought she’d lost it all. But in the shadows of Niflheim she discovers the path to her destiny, and what it truly means to be queen.

This is a prequel short story to THE PROPHECIES OF RAGNAROK trilogy by Meri Benson and Marie Sinadjan, and a retelling of the myths involving Hel, the Norse goddess of death and the queen of the underworld.