Hello everyone! Welcome to my tour spot for The Immortal! This is my first time to work with the wonderful TBR and Beyond Tours, and don’t forget to follow the rest of the tour using this schedule.
Publication Information
- Publication Date: 25 May 2021
- Publisher: Swoon Reads || Feiwel and Friends
- Age Category: Young Adult
- Genre: Fantasy (Legends, Myths, Fables)
- Book Design: Liz Dresner
- Book links:
- Goodreads || StoryGraph
- Amazon || Book Depository || Barnes and Noble || Indigo || IndieBound
About the Book
An exiled goddess goes on a quest to clear her name and save Mount Olympus in Talia Rothschild & A. C. Harvey’s action-packed young adult debut,The Immortal Game!
Galene, daughter of Poseidon, desperately wants to earn her place among the gods. But when a violent attack leaves Mount Olympus in chaos and ruins, she is accused of the crime. Banished from Olympus, Galene sets out to prove her innocence and discovers a more deadly plot—one that threatens even the oldest of Immortals.
Fortunately, she has allies who willingly join her in exile:
A lifelong friend who commands the wind.
A defiant warrior with deadly skill.
A fire-wielder with a hero’s heart.
A mastermind who plays life like a game.
All-out war is knocking at the gates. Galene and her friends are the only ones who can tip the scales toward justice, but their choices could save Olympus from total annihilation, or be the doom of them all.
Content/trigger warnings: emotional abuse, violence (battle scenes), up-close death
Review
Disclaimer: I received an Advanced Review Copy (ARC) on Netgalley from the publisher and TBR and Beyond Tours as part of my participation in this blog tour. This does not affect my review.
The Immortal Game is an action-packed standalone fantasy that introduces a fresh way of reimagining life on Mount Olympus. Instead of the usual demigod champions, we have new generations of gods and goddesses who have yet to take their place as full-fledged Olympian deities. As one of the Unnamed, Galene aims to pass her Trials and reclaim her family’s good name, but the deck of fate remains stacked against her.
I honestly am not expecting to enjoy the book as much as I do because the YA market is already oversaturated with Greco-Roman mythology retellings. I appreciate that it veers away from the “ancient gods in the modern world” trope and chooses to set it in a more timeless context. However, as much as I enjoy what that decision does for the story, the world and vibe does not seem consistent with what I expect–making it feel flat and divorced from its source material. I liked it most when I viewed it as an original world and story that simply shares names and vaguely similar powers with known figures of Greek myths.
It is quite unusual these days to find a standalone YA fantasy book, and I’m so happy that this one was able to fill that gap. The intrigue, the prophecy, the great battle, and the rewards are all present, and it makes for a satisfying read. Though the pacing in the first half of the book felt dragging, the second half kept me turning page after page to keep up with the steadily rising stakes. The second half also employed shorter chapters, and combined with the multiple POVs, makes the climactic battle scenes much more vivid and movie-like.
The multiple POVs work too because of how lovable the characters are. Iyana, in particular, is my favorite person in the group because she is so sweet and yet fiercely loyal to her friends, even to the point of exile. I love reading about Galene and Iyana’s friendship because it is has none of the awkwardness or petty jealousies that seem to mar several girl friendships in other books I have read.
Kostas is my favorite god! I love his power set and how he takes on a rarely talked about aspect of Hermes. As a god of games, he isn’t as much of a trickster as he is a cunning tactician, and his duel showcases that unique perspective to the fullest.
However, the Demetri-Iyana-Braxtus love triange is SO annoying. I hate that Iyana and Braxtus simply assume esch other’s feelings and kick up a lot of really immature fights during their quest that don’t add anything to the plot or to their individual character development. Their dynamic also made the first half of the book so dragging to read.
Shenanigans aside, I like this book! If you want an immersive story that you can devour in just one afternoon, then you might want to check this book out!
About the Authors
Talia Rothschild, Italian American, is passionate about stories in many forms—music, dance, photography, film and, of course, great novels. She believes in thick hot chocolate and creamer in your tea. When she’s not happily writing, she’s mothering the sweetest baby girl and making memories with her husband.
Author Platforms: Website || Twitter || Instagram || Goodreads
Ashleigh Harvey is teaching high school physics and bringing her writing dreams to life. English-born and world-traveled, she loves filling her life with new adventures, such as visiting a new country or exploring the Wild West with her husband. She also finds escape in movies, music, literature, and yearly comic conventions.
Author Platforms: Website || Twitter || Instagram || Goodreads
That’s it for my stop today! Thank you for dropping by, and please don’t forget to check out the rest of the tour using this link.
Inkhaven 
ooh a standalone ya fantasy that is a timeless story with the Greek gods 👀 I’m intrigued! the characters sound great too.. but I also here love triangles 😔 can they just not exist in all books
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They are all equally great characters, but they lose all their brain cells in their very flimsy love triangle 🥴 but the book is still great!
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