Heroines of Olympus

The Olympus Trilogy #1

by River Bennet

The Pantheon is gathered, and the Fate’s loom is set. What tangled web will they weave in this epic sapphic tale?

Aphrodite, an honored Goddess, has played many parts over the years, and as she draws closer to the answers she longs for most, she’ll sacrifice anything and anyone that would get in her way.

Hestia has learned to live on the sidelines in the Temple of Olympus, but when she unearths duplicitous plots she’ll risk everything to execute justice.

Icarus has left behind everything to become a Hero of Olympus, her skill in combat making her an asset. When given a choice to follow their orders or follow her heart which will she choose?

Medusa has long since made peace with her exile, and the endless heroes sent to ensure that her island is no paradise. However, when a band of rebels come offering a glimpse of freedom, Medusa must put aside her distrust of Gods and Goddesses to seek revenge against the ones who cursed her.

Join our Heroines as they decide if they will sacrifice what's necessary to eliminate the evil that has corrupted Olympus.

Genres: Fantasy, Mythology, Greek Mythology, Lesbian, Ebooks, Romance, LGBT

298 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 27, 2023

Reviews

[Jo Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s gay as hell and might even have a throuple??? Say less, I’m in. Plus I’m a SLUT for a Greek mythology retelling ESPECIALLY when it’s from the women’s pov and all the men ain’t shit. Scrumdidileeumptious 😙🤌

[Danielle · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was riddled with spelling errors. Additionally, despite being a book dedicated to people wrongfully villainized and hinting towards being a feminist view of a fictionalized Greek mythological world, there is an awful lot of bad events against women. We have multiple attempted assault scenes, including one with an incest aspect, and the end of the book contains a metric ton of horrors that just don't get resolved. If there's a sequel coming out, I couldn't find any information on it. I know a lot of other reviews found this book empowering, and Medusa's internal strength definitely is, but we have a book where she escaped abuse only to end up trapped by her abuser at the end. Hundreds of women were trafficked. We also have an ending scene with Icarus that was reminiscent of some Wattpad stories I read years ago. Overall, I liked the concept of wronged women getting a different opportunity, but the author just ends up wronging them in a new way. Again, I hope there is a sequel, solely to actually accomplish what she set out to do.

[karli hayden · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book advertised everything I love in a book. Greek Mythology, sapphic relationships, and feminist re-tellings. But I hate to say it was executed very poorly. Not only was the writing very mediocre and...well, just flat-out bad, but the story itself was an absolute mess. The structure was poor and it felt like the author did not follow a plot structure when writing it. It also very much reads like a first draft. I questioned if it was ever run through an editor as I came across countless spelling and grammatical mistakes. One of my biggest issues with the book was the way it was written. There was a lot of "telling" rather than "showing". And because of this, every single character fell flat. They had no depth, making it impossible for me as the reader to form any emotional attachment. I didn't care what happened to these characters because I didn't even know who they were. Throughout the entire book, we are told what to think and feel about the characters and their relationship. I couldn't find it in myself to care about the main ship, Medusa and Psyche, because we didn't actually "see" their relationship development. Most scenes between them were very short, lacking in emotion, and we were only told what happened instead of being able to witness it. I also became very frustrated with the character motivations of Medusa. I understand what Bennet was trying to do here in exploring her trauma, but it was just not done very well. Her relationship with Cadmus was extremely frustrating to read as Medusa constantly went back and forth with how she felt about him. And I mean this would happen in the space between sentences. In one sentence she states how she likes him and trusts him and then two sentences later she hates him again. I understand writing a difficult, love-hate relationship between characters but this...was not it. It was done so poorly and just made me even more annoyed than I already was. The pacing of the story was also very bad. For the first nearly 70% it feels like nothing happened. We were just constantly skipping around to different characters while they did nothing. It became very repetitive very fast. And honestly? I don't think Icarus' POV was necessary in the slightest. We didn't glean any new information from her POV we couldn't have gotten from the others. And the smut scenes? They were very randomly placed and felt like they were just placed there for the hell of it. Especially the scene between Aphrodite and Athena. That scene did not add anything to the characters or story I was not already aware of as the reader. It was just there for the sake of it being there. But half of the story itself didn't make any sense to be very honest. The majority of the time I was reading I was just thinking, "Is this necessary?", "what is the point of this?", and "Is there not a better way to go about this?". In other words, it was full of melodrama.

I could go on and on about the issues I have with this book, but I'll just stop here. Overall, it was very disappointing. If you can get past the spelling and grammar mistakes, lousy plot structure, flat characters, and bad writing, then this book is for you. However, if you are looking for a well-crafted and thought-out story, then I would not recommend this in the slightest. If you read it and enjoyed it, great! I'm so happy you found something you liked. But for me... it's a hard no.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

“This will not break me.”

Fans of Greek Mythology, you need to read this book! Heroines of Olympus by River Bennet is a creative, steamy, and adventurous take on Greek myths. Following the stories of Medusa, Aphrodite, Hestia, and Icarus, readers will be captivated.

Each of the goddesses has their own unique perspective and voice, which makes this story an easy read. Although the four characters are on their own journeys, they all cross paths in some way. The plot is action-packed, the spice is spicy, and the characters are just incredible! Personally, my favorite characters are Icarus and Medusa BUT I love Aphrodite and Hestia as well! Medusa’s story is just so beautiful, I couldn’t get enough of it!

There are plot twists weaved throughout the story and an incredible cliffhanger that will leave readers gasping and wanting more!!!

[Vixen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed this story. I love the alternate point of view for Medusa especially. I have only recently began expanding my knowledge of Greek Mythology so I cannot provide really much in regards to how well the story fit as such but I loved reading this story just the same! I was slightly thrown by the editorial errors in this story but it was not bothersome enough for me to not enjoy it, though it would be nice to see a revision of this book in the future. (I have recently spoke to the author and with a better understanding of what happened during the process of this book, I give full pass on this and cannot wait to get a revised version in the future). In knowing that this is book 1 in a series, the growth of the story and characters to me seem well paced and the possibilities to these characters are endless. I recommend this as a very good read if you enjoy a different spin on Greek Mythology with twists and turns and such it kept me interested the whole time. I cannot wait to read the next one!

[AvidReader53 · Rating 5 out of 5]

“For everyone who has been wrongly villainized” – The dedication in this book says it all for me. Yes, this is a fun, queer, sapphic take on the Greek myths, and it has some steam (just the right amount that adds to the story, not a focus)—but for me, it's mainly a beautifully feminist reclaiming of the Medusa tale. And what a gorgeous cover! Medusa's tale is not the only one here, however, and the way the author connects them all in the greater plot arc is fantastic.

This story picks up AFTER Perseus would have killed Medusa and asks: what if she survived and got the jump on him instead? It gives her a life denied her by the original myth (in which she was raped by Poseidon—who couldn’t help himself apparently because of her beauty—and then punished for it and turned into a Gorgon). Medusa’s character arc in this book as she deals with her exile and PTSD, being seen as a monster, and hating her serpents to reclaiming those symbols as her own—and the budding romance with Psyche—is powerful, cathartic, and sensitively managed.

As the Dear Reader/Author’s Note says at the beginning, “If you are a stickler for Homer, you might find this story isn’t for you. If you can set aside your preconceived notions, the Fates might spin a tale for you.”

Well done, Bennet! I can’t wait to see where this goes next.

[Courtney Esper · Rating 5 out of 5]

▪︎ARC Review▪︎

This was such a great spin on Medusa's lore. I'm already very familiar with her story, having been a råpe survivor myself, but this story focuses on what happens to her after Poseidon and Athena destroy her life.

Instead of wallowing in her own pain, Medusa finds herself wanting to save others the Panethon has wronged. She finds unlikely God allies and maybe even love!

This story leaves so much of the plot unresolved, I'm really hoping there's a second book ready for us. I NEED to know what happens next!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶🌶/5

[Falling_Into_Ink · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Greek retellings and this one is hands down the best one I've read!

Yes it differs and the author has tweaked some thing to fit the story but that has only improved how these charecters might get seen.

The symmetry between medusas story and feelings at times had me sobbing, no only because it drew parallels to my own experiances but because River has such a way with words that I could help but be inside her head having these feelings along with her.

I am absolutely going to be getting myself a physical copy of this and I cannot wait for Book two to come out!

[Elisa👹 · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

this was so good. i liked the characters and the plot was really good. unfortunately, i wasn't the biggest fan of teh writing but it was okay, didn't bother me too much. not amazing, not terrible, lowk recommend.

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story weaving and going to check out the rest of this author's work!

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was an interesting take on Greek mythology.

I loved the different POV we were given. The connection, the spice, and the personalities made this book enjoyable. Each character has distinct and unique traits.

If you love Greek Mythology and open to a different look at it, then this is for you.

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

A queer, updated spin on Greek Mythology!

This is a fast-paced, plot-twisty adventure through a highly imaginative world. Medusa, Icarus, Aphrodite, Hestia all have chapters in this queer, steamy story.

I loved Medusa’s chapters and found myself pulled along on the adventures out of her cave and into society . It was a redemption of sorts for the years she spent isolated away and hunted. Her introversion was extremely relatable and I found myself connecting to her character on several levels.

And the spice!
Queer and poly and lovely. Aphrodite with a strap-on? YES. And oh my god…. How I would love some pegging of “Sea Daddy” Poseidon—HINT HINT.

Anyway, I’m usually not someone who enjoys a lot of Greek mythology but this story held my interest until that cliffy of an ending.

Which, wtf.

[Kirsty W · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Medusa and the gods retelling with a us vs them mentality. This is a fun multi pov story with ancient gods and a group set out to overthrow the pantheon with Medusa being a key player. Can’t wait to see what happens in the next book!

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how River Bennet used greek mythology as the base but has a whole new story to tell. You get to see different POVs that tell different parts of the story and also show how they connect together. Excited for book 2. Thanks for my advanced copy.

[Alora Black · Rating 5 out of 5]

The WAY I AM OBSESSED!!! Love love love this world, the individuality of each characters POV. The way everyones stories weave together! All around adore this sapphic take on my favorite greek myths.

[Kamila · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is so poorly written that I was able to find constant grammar and spelling mistakes. Additionally, how many sex scenes can one put into a barely 300 page book before it goes from "feminist retelling" to straight erotica. The characters were flat and lack substance, the romances seemed to happen off the page, or were simply told to the reader. I love a retelling, and feminist retellings have been a particular favorite, however once again, stuff you kindle day has disappointed the hell out of me.

[Peyton McCain · Rating 1 out of 5]

A weird bastardization of the original myths, with lots of unnecessary sex scenes. Not going to read the sequel

[Rebekkah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5, rounded down.

A delight of a quick, fast-paced, multi-POV read. I really appreciate how River Bennet was candid in the beginning about how this is not a "retelling" but rather that she was building her own lore that follows the characters we all know. I would recommend this book for someone who is looking for something fast-paced and a divergence from the stories we all know in a mostly positive way. Bennet creates a compelling us-versus-them narrative that has room to evolve and grow if the series continues.

Before I get into a more engaged review of the book, I want to comment Bennet's writing. It was excellent, particularly the scene building and characterizations in the beginning of the novel. Her world is well fleshed out, including the pace of Icarus's quest to join the Legions and the realm of the Oracle.

*WARNING* MILD SPOILERS BELOW REGARDING CHARACTER RELATIONSHIPS AND CHARACTERIZATIONS:

Bennet approaches, particularly Medusa, with care and concern. Her focus on making Medusa her own heroine along with Psyche is genuinely heart warming, as is the friendship that blooms into something more and a brief mild-spice scene. I do think the characterization with Medusa at the beginning of the novel was done particularly well, but some of the charm did die off towards to end of the book. Overall, her character was the most fleshed out of the main four characters.

I believe Hestia was also met with the same concern. Her role as a "spy" for the Allegiance was a perfect way to integrate her into the story. I do wish we could have had more time spent with her trying to uncover the mystery of where Hera is, and perhaps more time spent with Dionysus. Hestia did feel like an after thought when it came to her interactions with the Allegiance. Her relationship with Alec was presented very late into the narrative. While I understand it was a means of her motivation, more details on Alec's end about their relationship would have been appreciated.

I wish we could have had more time spent with the other three main characters: Icarus ("genderbent"), Aphrodite, and Hestia. Icarus felt like her story was rushed and was solely there to fuel a secondary (or even tertiary) plot point for Aphrodite. Icarus's story had so much promise, but she did only seem to be there for Aphrodite's future development. Aphrodite's story, particularly the incest circumstances with Oedipus, felt somewhat unnecessary and anti-feminist/anti-women. Aphrodite's freewheeling love for romance and sex is understanding, given the nature of her goddess realm. However, having her be a victim to her son Oedipus and her trafficking of nymphs, felt incredibly out of place. I wanted to love Aphrodite since this is marketed as a heroine's tale, yet she is anything but. She is a victim, but also a perpetuator of sexual violence.

The last thing I want to touch on is the aspect of this being a sapphic romance. I was so engaged with the prospect of Psyche and Medusa. I think that this was an interesting divergence from the stories we are all familiar with. I wish Bennet would have given us more of their relationship building beyond hand holding and literal soul-searching before they had sex. Medusa, which the novel addresses, has a lot of healing she needs to do. I feel like this first book could have gone without the sex scene between them in order to build their relationship naturally, showing the healing that takes place after sexual assault and years of isolation. Now, addressing the sex scenes with Aphrodite: I understand the intent to have her "final" relationship be sapphic with Icarus. I understand that sex scene as well; it was a casual hook-up at a gala. I wish we could have been given perhaps more queer spice than "normative" heterosexual. Aphrodite has several scenes with Zeus, either just for pleasure or for mutual power, I'm not sure of, including an alluded one with Ares. Aside from the final scene with Icarus, the only sapphic, "explicit" written scene is with Athena. Aphrodite's character falls dangerously to the trope of oversexualized bisexual. While this does fit her character well within the novel, for a book focused on being feminist and rewriting the stories of victims, I'm struggling with the characterization.

Everything in the final act of the book felt incredibly rushed. It took me two re-reads of the last few chapters to finally understand what was happening. More time and care could have been afforded to make sure the pacing and emotion that was demonstrated earlier in the novel continued.

[K.E. Blair · Rating 4 out of 5]

fast paced retelling of Greek mythology

Between Lore Olympus and Percy Jackson & The Olympians and all the Hades x Persephone retellings, I have been on a Greek mythology kick lately. So I was beyond excited to read this fresh new take on some of our favorite Greek gods and goddesses.

Myth 3.5/5
I love that this story centered around Medusa - who doesn’t love a story from a “villain’s” POV? And you learn that Medusa was a victim of the gods, specifically Poseidon, and her deaths have the result of self defense when he sends Heroes to kill her in her secluded home. There’s a lot more backstory to Medusa’s story, and it’s slowly revealed to you throughout the novel.

But this book is Heroinnes of Olympus, and it also has multiple POVs. We learn about Hestia joining a secret rebellion movement; Aphrodite’s callous disregard for others’ due to losing her lover long ago and setting her up for a brilliant redemption arc if the author chooses to go that way; and Icarus, who basically just had set-up chapters for hopefully a stronger influence in the sequel because everything went her way.

Magic 4/5
Medusa’s storyline was masterfully done - we learn she was once a great beauty that was cursed with snakes, and she is given a magic hood that can hide their power. Without their constant noise, she slowly learns to accept and maybe even appreciate them. I liked this literal analogy for learning to accept oneself after change and would like to see more of this in the follow up.

Psyche’s soul magic is also used quite frequently and is sort of catch-all that I would have liked to know more about.

Hestia, although a goddess in her own right, never utilizes any magic. As one of my favorite Greek goddesses, I would have like to know more about her power and if she could have used them.

Overall, this was a really fun fast paced story that I enjoyed reading! As other reviews mentioned, Medusa could be a bit wishy washy at times and there were more than a handful of spelling and grammar errors that should be corrected. But the story and characters were fun to read about!

See the full review soon at MythandMagicBookClub.com

[De_Boekenplank_van_Floor · Rating 5 out of 5]

River Bennet has the magical writing powers to take well known heroes, Gods/Goddesses and mythical elements and make them entirely her own!! Medusa, exiled, hunted and shunned, lives in a constant state of vigilance and guilt, the many statues in her grotto being the all too visible reminder of who she’s been made to be: a monster.

When Psyche visits her island, Medusa’s whole life is about to change. For the first time in forever she meets people who are not scared of her, who talk to her as if she’s an actual person and who care for her. All of which are completely new experiences to Medusa. But this new situation is not without its dangers.

Fighting the Pantheon will mean Medusa and her newfound friends will never be safe from the wrath of the Gods, but the rule of these cruel Gods must be ended. With this new cause to fight for, Medusa finds herself willing to risk everything she ever dreamed of and more, to reach her goals. Will they succeed in overthrowing the Gods of the Pantheon or will they lose everything, while trying?

Find out in this captivating read by River Bennet and explore well-known names and legends in a whole new, and I must say, thrilling and sexy form!

[Kayli Marcum · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad! But could use improvements. I read the ebook and there were a lot of typos. Medusa is so sweet though and deserves the best. Most of the characters are likeable, even the ones who aren't exactly acting in favor of our main heroines. A creative and fresh spin on the myths! I recommend this book to adults who thrived on Greek mythology and Percy Jackson as kids.

My biggest problem with this book is that the writing style seemed juvenile at times. The content of this book is definitely for mature audiences, and I would have appreciated a more mature writing style to match.
There are several spicy scenes. Sex and intimacy are things that are shared very openly between Olympians, with or without romantic feelings existing between partners. All described scenes are of consenting partners, but there is very little "romance" in most of the scenes. It's often "just sex." So if you're looking for a deep and passionate romance, this might not be the book for you.
⚠️ Ends with a cliffhanger!!

[Terra Hyde · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clunky writing, excellent story

All in all, read this book if you're a Greek mythology fangirl like me. The rest of the review is just to warn you what you're getting into.
-----
It may be just this edition, but the book is absolutely littered with writing errors of various sorts. Makes it very difficult to keep reading.

The sex scenes, of which there are something like four, depending on how you define it, could use some work.

But. And I cannot stress this enough. BUT.

I'm glad I finished reading it. It is intriguing, and it's giving us a view of its world in a very "show, don't tell" way. The feeling of the story is much more espionage and much less adventure, but what it does, it does decently well.

So why three stars? Because it felt like I had to read a hundred pages to get into the flow of it, and once I did it still felt somewhat hollow in a way I can't quite put a finger on.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a must if you love reading stories based around mythology and gods and godesses. This was such a fun read and I love how there were four povs that all intertwined by the end of the book. I truly loved the spin on Medusa, I could not help but love and want everything good to happen to her. Hestia, was another fun pov. But everything Aphrodite does sort of starts making more and more sense by the time you get to her last chapter. Icarus, was a fun change in POVs as you see her trying to become a Hero. I honestly wish I could have Psyche's pov through out it all, since she was nearly my favorite character in this book. This book held a pull and I had to know how it was going to end. And I was not disappointed. Thank you so much River for allowing me to have an arc, I really had a blast with it.

[Carley Halling · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can see where this was meant to go but I'm not convinced it's what it was meant to be.

Firstly, the number of grammatical and general editing errors was obvious enough that I couldn't get over how much was overlooked before this was published. There are several sentences with extra words that were missed. One sentence even stops mid-way through and then launches into a completely different sentence.

I like the idea of this being different perspectives but this is very obviously centered around Medusa. When I saw that Aphrodite would be one of the POVs and I started reading her storyline, I wondered why this story is called Heroines of Olympus because she is certainly not a heroine.

This was a great attempt at a story but definitely shouldn't have been the final draft. Both the storyline and the grammar need cleaning up.

[Kelly Quirin · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this sapphic tale, Bennet weaves a tale of an alternate Greek mythology. Many of the gods are up to no good, and a group of rebels is resisting their rule. I loved the character development, especially as we watch Medusa grow and relearn to trust others. While some may not dig a gender swapped Icarus or the heavy lean into sapphic relationships, I found the interpersonal connections to be the best parts of the story. Bennet weaves a tale of fate, love, and passions over the backdrop of established mythology. The spice is mild, and I felt like it fit naturally into the tale. The writing style was a little lacking (some missed capitalization and quotation marks), or I’d probably have rated 5 stars. I’m looking forward to her next book in the series to see how things pan out for the ladies of Olympus!

[Kelly Funk · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fresh new take on the depravities and cruelties of the Gods and Goddesses who rule over mankind from the heights of Olympus. In this rendering, the quest for power is thwarted by The Allegiance. A group of men and women, aided by gods, who have known only pain and suffering at the hands of Zeus, Aphrodite, Athena, and Poseidon. And at the center of it all is Medusa, a young girl sentenced to a cruel fate for defying the advances of the God of the Sea. Kidnapped from her home, an island of exile of her own making, she must decide if she can trust the hearts and the cause of the rebels; if she can trust herself to fight for her friends without becoming the monster Olympus made her; and if she can trust her own heart in love when her brain rails against trusting anyone. Only she can decide her future, no matter what the Fates may think…

[Hanna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really liked the idea of the book and how the author added her own turn on the myths I know and love. However, what ruined the book for me were the many (and I repeat MANY) spelling errors. Was there no one who proofread the book before it was published?? Whoever read over it and gave their okay should be fired (like right now.) In addition to that I think it would have been better to write in a first person POV rather than the third person as the author seemed to also struggle (in addition to the spelling errors) to get the grammatical time right. Some sentences hopped between the present tense and the past like there’s no tomorrow which confused me A LOT because it just wasn’t necessary? I rly wouldn’t recommend this one.

[ShannonM · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Review:

This is such a fun take on Greek Mythology!

It's impossible to choose which POV was my favorite. Each of the four main characters had such a distinct voice and personality, I love them all for different reasons.

I appreciated the variety in the spice. It was tasteful but hot with varying partner scenarios.

The character ages ranging from 24 to immortal was a touch as I did appreciate that all characters were written with a good maturity level at their foundation.

All in all, this was a compelling book that kept me on the edge of my seat. I can't wait to see where the author takes this world.

[Dani G. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t care much for romantasy but I thought this sounded interesting because it’s a queer Greek mythology retelling. It was fine, the characters were fine. Though I did like Medusa’s characterization and how she’s proving herself to not be the monster everyone believes she is. The book was full of typos and inconsistencies but it didn’t completely ruin my experience. I don’t like spice so the spice was just meh. Some spice stuff had me giggling for the wrong reasons because of how some stuff was worded and the use of “core” and “center”. The book also ends with a cliffhanger and I was like “Damn okay.”

[Amy Zhao · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started this book because I’ve been watching Percy Jackson and am in a Greek mythology phase again. I was really enthralled and interested at the beginning but as the story went on, I felt myself losing interest. There was so much telling instead of showing in this. Also TW for SA in the book. Some storylines felt like they wrapped up really quickly and weren’t developed completely but the book ended on a cliffhanger for the next book in the series. I think this is the first in a series? But overall 3/5.