Game of Strength and Storm

The Labors of Gen #1

by Rachel Menard

Victory is the only option.

Once a year, the Olympian Empresses grant the wishes of ten people selected by a lottery—for a price. Seventeen-year-old Gen, a former circus performer, wants the freedom of her father, who was sentenced to life in prison for murders she knows he didn’t commit. Castor plans to carry the island Arcadia into the future in place of her brother, Pollux, but only after the Empresses force a change in her island’s archaic laws that requires a male heir.

To get what they want, Gen and Castor must race to complete the better half of ten nearly impossible labors. They have to catch the fastest ship in the sea, slay the immortal Hydra, defeat a gangster called the Boar, and capture the flesh-eating Mares, among other deadly tasks.

Gen has her magic, her ability to speak to animals, her inhuman strength—and the help of Pollux, who’s been secretly pining for her for years. But Castor has her own gifts: the power of the storms, along with endless coin. Only one can win. The other walks away with nothing—if she walks away at all.

Genres: Fantasy, Mythology, Young Adult, Retellings, LGBT, Romance, Young Adult Fantasy

400 pages, Paperback

First published June 7, 2022

About the author

Rachel Menard was born in New Jersey, raised in Arizona, and then relocated to Rhode Island. Throughout her life, she has been a barista, college radio DJ, singer in an alt-country band, marketer, designer, and finally, a writer.

Steel Hand, Cold Heart, her self-published YA fantasy novel, won the Grand Prize in the 27th Annual Writers’ Digest Self-Published E-Book awards. Her debut duology, a genderbent reimagining of Hercules, includes Game of Strength and Storm and Clash of Fate and Fury, both awarded the Junior Library Guild Gold Standard. Game of Strength and Storm also won the silver medal in the IPPY awards for YA fantasy.

Reviews

[Emily]

Thank you so much to Flux Books and the author for providing me with this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I discovered my love of reading growing up in that dystopian/fantasy YA boom of the late ‘00s/early ‘10s, but the popular series that followed as I got older and started working myself out began to feel less and less like they were meant for me. I’ve wondered if maybe I just outgrew them early, or if the premises got less exciting to me somewhere along the line. Maybe it’s because - until more recently - I had to look elsewhere for books that I could see parts of myself in. There is something so special and rare about the occasions now where I read a book that can recapture the specific kind of magic and excitement I felt in the height of those days, and that is precisely what Game of Strength and Storm did for me.

I love Greek mythology and books with any kind of competition so this being described as a genderbent reimagining of the labours of Hercules with a fierce rivalry and race driving the action felt too perfect for words. If you think the blurb of this book sounds amazing enough, just know that it delivered on these promises and then some. I truly cannot remember the last time I was this excited while reading something. As in, ‘dropping my iPad on my chest to stare at the ceiling and kick my feet when things I hoped for happened’ excited. This was a fast paced and well crafted story with vivid settings, action that didn’t let up or sag in the middle, twists and reveals that kept me guessing right to the end and such clever and innovative magic systems. I won’t spoil anything regarding the latter, but I don’t know when I’ll ever stop thinking about that violin.

I found the characterisation in this book so strong - even for characters we don’t meet - and I adored the two girls that are very much at the heart of this story. Gen’s consistent and distinct moral compass guides her through the most unimaginable difficulty in her young life, both personal and in the trials themselves. Her love of her family and her menagerie of animal companions is just endlessly endearing, and it’s wonderful to see her navigate the challenges as well as her own feelings, and grow in strength throughout. Wink. Both girls have such well thought out reasons for entering the lottery, but Gen’s backstory is so compelling and I loved all the time spent hearing her perspective. From reading other people’s reviews, I know not everybody liked Castor. So I have to say it. I loved her. I know she’s stubborn and ruthless and hurtful. I know she has a high opinion of herself. I know she’s dangerous and relentless. And I loved her. She’s unapologetically determined, has a very strong point of view, and under all the coldness and fierceness is just somebody that is really trying. Someone wanting so badly to be respected and noticed, even feared, if it comes to it. If their harsh home environment produced her soft and introverted brother, Pollux, that same environment hardened Castor. And with the patriarchal system she finds herself in, it is no wonder to me that she considered that hardness a necessity. It doesn’t excuse things, but it explains them. The moments when we got to see underneath - the moments of “why did I say/do that?” - were so humanising. And she also just so happened to like women. No one made a thing of it, but we got to hear what that felt like to her, and getting to see her encounter an equally clever girl was, of course, one of my highlights. I wanted even more of Castor than we got.

And I want more of this. This wonderfully crafted world and ensemble of characters I am aching to know more about. If I close my eyes really tight and wish hard enough, maybe the sequel will come faster. In the meantime, I cannot recommend this book enough! Check it out for all the animals with big personalities, girls who can talk to them, music loving (absolute simp) boys, lightning-wielding morally grey twin sisters, tragic backstories, whispers in the ruins of ancient cities, impossible trials, and a thrilling race to win. Whatever the cost.

[Lucie V. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley and Edelweiss+ (thank you North Star Editions and Flux Books). All thoughts and opinions are my own.

✅ Gorgeous cover
✅ Pace
✅ Plot
✅ Magic and action
✅ Gender-bent Hercules' 12 labors retelling
✅ 3 POVs
✅ Strong female characters
🆗 Romance

That was how the game was played. The Empresses offered a bad solution to a horrible problem, and once their word had been given, it couldn’t be broken on either side. People didn’t come to the lottery unless they were desperate, unless they had no other options.

Gen and his father are MindWorkers, they can control animals with a little bit of saliva, hair, or blood. When Gen was 13, her father was arrested for murders she knows he did not commit. She's been an outcast and an orphan for the past 4 years, feared because of her MindWorker abilities and shunned for being the daughter of a murderer.

I like the concept of the lottery: the Empresses choose 10 winners every year, and each of them can ask for one favor, but the Empresses decide the price to pay for those favors, and it is always a hefty price. After being chosen for the annual lottery, Gen finally has a chance to ask for her father's freedom, but the Empresses will release him only if Gen completes a series of deadly tasks, and only if she accomplishes more tasks than her rival Castor.

The first few chapters were a little slow, but then the pace picks up as the tasks start and there is action and magic everywhere. Each task brings us to a new island, with a new setting and new magical creatures, and it created a good pace and a plot that was interesting without being repetitive.

Hecate, Oracle of the Spirit; Tartarus, Oracle of the Sky; Ponos, Oracle of the Earth; and Keres, Oracle of the Mind. The four Oracles gave Gen and others their abilities.

The world-building is basic but well done. It is inspired by Greek mythology, and I liked how each island had a different political system. Some islands are controlled by Dukes, while smaller ones are controlled by governors. Some governments have elected representatives chosen through tournaments of skills and wits, but others are patriarchal and have inherited positions.

The StormMakers, contrary to the name, could not actually make storms; they could only capture and control them.

The most interesting part of the world-building for me is the magic abilities certain people have. The four Oracles gave different abilities to the people: the MindWorkers can control animals (and potentially humans too), the StromMakers control the weather, the SpiritWatchers can control and bind spirits, and the MetalBinders can work metal with their bare hands and infuse their creations with purpose or emotion. The magic is interesting, yet simple and easy to understand without lengthy explanations. On a side note, I absolutely ADORE how Gen can travel inside her whale's mouth (I've always been a fan of whales).

When Alcmen went down, he took all MindWorkers with him, and Gen fell the hardest. She was the daughter of a convicted murderer, one with the same ability. She might as well have been imprisoned with him.
At thirteen, she had become an orphan and an exile.

Gen is very lonely, and her only friends for the past 4 years have been her animals. She is an interesting character, and I definitely want to know more about her backstory and her mother's. Gen is a strong warrior, determined to do everything in her power to rescue her father and finally be able to get back the life they had before. She is empathetic and sensible and tries to find the balance between using the creatures she needs, respecting them, and making sure they still have their free will. She wants them to stay with her because they decide to, not because she forces them to, and she makes sure to send them back to their natural habitat once she is done with them.

Castor owned most of what she wanted: money, an expansive wardrobe, a golden chariot, winged horses, and whatever else she needed, she could buy. All but one thing, the one thing she ached for and could never have—control of Arcadia.

Castor wants to control her family’s island, but control will be inherited by her brother who’s inept to rule, according to her. She asks the Empresses for control over Arcadia, even though she is a woman. Castor is very driven and competitive, and would rather die than lose. She is ruthless, and very dangerous because she will not hesitate to destroy anyone who stands in her way. I appreciate the colder and darker aspect she brings to the story, and I like parts of her character, but at the same time, I wanted to bitch-slap her so many times for the selfish and cruel things she's done. My vengeful side really hopes that she will get what she deserves for her selfishness and horribleness in the next book.

Pollux is Castor's brother. He is the softer sibling, the one who prefers art and music to power and money. He is often overlooked and considered weaker than his sister, but once we get to know him we realize that he can be very driven too, even though he is quieter and more discreet. He wants what's best for his island, but also for the other islands, and he knows that having his father or sister in charge of Arcadia and the StormMakers will only bring more death and anger around them.

You could never fully trust an Arcadian. They always had a bolt of lightning hiding in their sleeve, and they would strike you with it when you least expected it.

We get to see a little bit of the politics and rivalry between the different islands, and I hope to have more information about the political aspect in the next book. We know that Arcadia (Castor's island) is driven by power and money, and they've made a few enemies because of that. We also know that an entire race has been killed a few years back, and it also created tensions, but I would like to know more about the Empresses mysterious plans, and what exactly their objective is.

You promised to do anything to get Alcmen back.
Her definition of “anything” had been much smaller when she’d made that vow.

Gen starts this adventure with the sole purpose of freeing her father, and she is willing to do ANYTHING it takes to free him. She soon realizes though that doing anything can also mean heartache and tough choices that can haunt you. She is still very determined to finish her tasks, but we can see that she realizes that maybe there will be a limit someday to what she is willing to do to save Alcmen.

The romance that blooms in this book was not the best. It is slow and cute, but it also seems a little forced... I hope this relationship will have more depth in the next book because while I felt a bond forming between the two characters, the romantic feelings did seem to come out of nowhere for one of the two characters.

Overall, this is a very good fantasy debut that I recommend to any fan of Greek mythology looking for an adventure full of action and driven characters. It's a very entertaining quick read, the only reason it took me a week to finish it is that I decided to start reading Manacled at the same time, which was a mistake because once I started Manacled, there was no room in my brain for anything else.

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[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Update 6/9/25 -- The e-book is on sale for all of June for only $2.99!

Game of Strength and Storm is a gender-bent Hercules retelling set in the fantasy Empire of Olympia.

If you like adventure, badda$$ heroines, "don't take no" antiheroines, magic, fantasy creatures, animal companions, monsters, and soft musical cinnamon roll bois with unrequited crushes then you will want to add this to your TBR immediately. Of course I am biased, having written the book, but I've honestly read it 100 times and still love the heck out of it.

Demi rep, sapphic rep, Anxiety
CW: Sexism, violence

[♥Milica♥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been a while since a book left me breathless. I was only unsure about it in the first chapter, how it would handle the mythology and all that, but it just kept getting better and better and it became one of my new favourite books.

The book is told through three PoVs, Gen, Castor and her brother Pollux.

Gen is the best, I love her so so much and I want to hug her and all her animal friends too. She's a character I can relate to fully and I can't wait to see her shine even brighter in the next book.

Castor, on the other hand, I hated. I think she might appeal to me more in the sequel, but in this one she was just horrible. Anyone who hurts animals (whether directly or indirectly) to meet their goals is not a good person, sorry.

I was worried she'd be the love interest, BUT LUCKILY, THANK THE HYDRA, she isn't. Well, at least not for Gen, but she does have her own possible love interest on the side. We didn't get to see much of her, but I think they'd be a good match.

And Pollux, it's hard to find a better character than him. Not just in the book, but in general. He's the sweetest bean, the best noodle, the cutest cinnamon roll. AND HE PLAYS THE VIOLIN! And, he's written compositions about Gen. If you're looking for the "boy obsessed" or "boy falls first" trope HERE IT IS. AND IT'S ADORABLE!!!

Game of Strength and Storm is also an action filled book. Something is always happening, but it doesn't feel crushed together or like too many things are going on. Each task is given enough time and described in detail (even the manure, blehhh) so you feel like you're really there with the characters.

The magic system is unique, and I'm excited to learn about all the branches. But what I'm most excited about is the circus. I'm dying to see it, I NEED IT RIGHT NOW. Because from the memory snippets we've seen it's amazing.

P. S. Expect a lot of pain from this book. You have been warned.

*Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review*

[Nushroom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the arc. I was intrigued by the beautiful artwork on the cover as well as the description but my expectations were low since I'm not really into Greek mythology. Turned out, the story gripped me since the beginning. Even though, most of the second half of the book had me feeling 3 stars but the ending changed my mind. It's a solid 4.5 for me.

The writing style was promising with a good pacing. The characters were 'whale' written (iykyk) but the romance bit felt a bit forced and lukewarm to me, (it might've been because I didn't care much about Lux for the first half). Though Castor's bit were more interesting to read about. Given chance, I'd certainly pick up the second series to learn more about the past and all the secrets of that empire and of course my lovely Castor who has done only one thing wrong that pierced my heart as well as Bale, The empresses and my baby Gen.

[megs_bookrack]

ARC received. Thank you to the author and to Flux!!



This synopsis has me hella intrigued. I'm sort of picking up light Lore-vibes here and I loved that book. I'm willing to take the chance, because if I enjoy this one half as much as I did that one, this is going to be a fun reading experience!

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

🐳 Five Infinity Whale Stars 🐳

A GAME OF STRENGTH AND STORM is a richly drawn gender-bent Hercules retelling where every year, the Olympian Empresses grant the wishes of ten people chosen by lottery, but at a steep price. Genevieve, a powerful mind worker who can speak to animals, hopes to free her father from prison. Castor wishes to rule the island of Arcadia. She is furious that her birthright might pass to her brother Lux simply because he is a male heir. The writing and rich world building is absolutely gorgeous, from the descriptions of Castor and Lux’s storm maker rainbows 🌈 and magic, to the magical sea whales 🐳 that Gen can control with her blood.

The empresses assign each of the lottery entrants a task, and as a surprise at the end, tell Gen and Castor that they will race to complete the labors themselves. Whomever gets the most wins and gets their wish granted. I loved the way the book followed the Greek mythology but with modern day twists. The Lion’s Den Casino. The Hydra. The Mares. I rather loved that Lux fights using a violin with magical strings that casts spells. So cool! I found Genevieve’s backstory where we learned more about her mother’s history with Hippolyta, particularly interesting.

The ensemble cast was very well written. I enjoyed all of the characters in this novel, but Lux, the softer sibling who was often overlooked, was a special favorite. I loved the scenes with the infinity whales. 🐳 Author Rachel Menard brings such a lovely magic to her fantasy writing where you just want to step into the pages of the book. And as Gen, Lux, Castor and Bale get further entwined in the empresses’ heartless assignment, it is clear each task may wind up costing them more than they can bear. So many cool reveals and twists especially as we reached the end with a nifty Greek god surprise that has me needing book two!

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary ARC copy of this book from Flux Books and NetGalley for review purposes.

[Alaina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have received this ARC from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

Game of Strength and Storm was so much fun to dive into. Not only is it a Heracles retelling but we also get some fun characters to fall in love with. Well, not all of them but there's always room for improvement - right?

In this, you will meet and follow three points of view: Gen, Castor and Pollux. From the very beginning, I absolutely loved and adored Gen. She definitely doesn't have things easily handed over to her like some people. She also has one thing on her mind: freeing her father. Then there's her magic and I secretly envied her connections with animals. I can only imagine the things I would do with animals if I had her power. Like a conversation or something else.

Then there's Castor. Now she's the character that has a lot of room for improvement. Definitely got on the wrong foot with her but then again, she was pretty selfish throughout the book. Just like Gen, she has one thing on her mind: ruling the Kingdom. The only thing in her way is Pollux, her brother, who is in line for the throne. Now him, I actually liked. He's the completely opposite of Castor. I also really enjoyed him and Gen getting closer to one another.

Out of the two, I'm honestly not sure who I would want ruling. Other than that, they all go through so much within this book. Whether it was travelling to an island I never want to go to or fighting a giant battle towards the end. In the end, lots of little reveals blew my mind. I honestly didn't see one of them coming. I'm also very excited for the next book within this series.

[Dr. Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Flux City Books and the author for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

What a fun retelling of Herakles' labors. I want the next one immediately.

This is a YA Fantasy that retells the labors of Hercules/Herakles. However, we follow two young girls. Gen is trying to free her father from wrongful imprisonment. But she is a MindWorker and everyone thinks she can completely control people and that her father murdered a bunch of people in a cold rage with his powers. Meanwhile, Castor wants to become Empress of her island. Her family has ruled for generations but because of an outdated and misogynistic document, Castor will be completely looked over in favor of her brother, Pollux. Castor actually wants to rule the island and help her people, while Pollux only wants to play his instruments. Both girls can get what they want from the Empresses, but they make them compete for it. The two girls have ten tasks to split between them and each needs six to win. As the girls set out, Gen is approached by Pollux who offers his assistance. While she is hesitant to accept, the two work out an alliance.

I really enjoyed this story! I am a huge fan of mythology and any sort of mythological retelling so I had a feeling I would love this one. Gen was my favorite of the two girls. She was just so soft and has had so much crap happen to her. I wanted to finally see her reunite with her father after all this time. Gen mainly uses her MindWorker powers on animals and I loved the bonds she had with them. She abhors animals being kept in captivity and even does her best to free several from an awful trader.

Castor was a bit harder to root for. Her cause was certainly noble. Misogyny is the worst and when this book started I was rooting for her to win. But as the book progresses, we see mainly cruelty for her. We also get to know more about Pollux and he was a literal cinnamon roll. I came to like him a lot. I was so conflicted and unsure about who to root for. When the book ended, I was certain about who won, but the Empresses had other plans. We get little hints about something bigger brewing and I cannot wait to see what will happen. So excited for the sequel.

Castor does also express romantic interest in another female character. It was a very small interaction, but I am here for queer representation always. Maybe Castor's story is one of women's wrongs??

Rep: BIPOC Mazon cishet female MC, white Arcadian sapphic cis female MC, white Arcadian cishet male MC, sapphic cis female side character, Greek side characters.

CWs: Violence, animal death, injury/injury detail, emotional abuse, blood, excrement, misogyny, sexism. Moderate: forced institutionalization, animal cruelty, confinement, toxic relationship (siblings), alcohol consumption, death, past death of parent, fire/fire injury (lightning), gaslighting, kidnapping of side character (not by MCs), murder, death by drowning, slavery, vomit.

[Haley West · Rating 5 out of 5]

A YA gender-bent Hercules retelling?? Shut up. I received this ARC from Rachel Menard and Flux Books in exchange for an honest review, and I am SO GLAD I DID. The story-telling, the pacing, the characters, the world-building?? Just chef’s kiss 🤌🏼 I fell in love with Gen and Pollux, and even though I wanted to hate Castor I really couldn’t. I can’t wait to continue their story, and I would love to see them all team up in book 2!

[George Jreije · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thrilling ride from start to finish!

I just finished Rachel Menard’s book and HAD to write this review to let everyone know that THIS is an amazing fantasy debut. It’s epic, full of twists, and is the re-telling I’ve been waiting for.

Gen is one of the most fun characters I’ve had the pleasure of following in a while, and Caster is the perfect foil. Both POVs really stand out, and with a third character, Pollux, who will melt your heart. I sincerely loved the tension between these three, whether fueled by hate or…something else.

You won’t regret picking up this book, especially if you’re a fan of Greek mythology!

[Alison (theemptybookshelves) · Rating 5 out of 5]

New favorite book!!

Olympian empresses annual lottery:
All the winners comes and place their wishes in front of the Empresses to make them true. But the empresses have their own requirements before approving the winners their wishes.

Gen: mindworker (can communicate with animals), became an orphan and an exile at thirteen. She wants to wish that they free her father and clear their names so that they can rebuild their lives together.

Castor: stormmaker (can control the weather), she came to the lottery to ask the empresses to name her the irrefutable heir of Arcadia.

After Gen ask for her wish to be fulfilled the empresses told her that they will fulfill it if she grant the wishes of all the other lottery winners that were before her. The wishes of the other were quite dangerous and difficult. And if that wasn't enough also the wishes of the Empresses. After Castor made her request, the empresses decided to make her split the tasks with Gen and complete them.

For Gen i found it so sad but for Castor I found this so amazing, because Castor really seems to be mean and it is a good lesson for her!
This journey leads to so many twists. Who will be their enemy and who will be their ally? But most importantly who will win!!?

This was a wild ride to read how they are completing the tasks and all the difficulties and clashes. There was this part that broke my heart and I cried my ass off. It was so harsh. Also there was this cute slow burning romance which I found so cute!
I love the writing and I definitely want to read more books of this author.

Thank you @netgalley. And especially a huge thanks to @fluxbooks for approving my request, this is the second book that I got and just like the first one amazing. Nothing can go wrong when you request a book through them.

[Bluehairbookwitch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whether or not you are a fan of mythology, there is much to enjoy about Game of Strength and Storm. Menard takes on the Herculean task (pun intended) of reimagining the labors of Hercules as a young-adult fantasy novel. She balances the world-building, action, and character development perfectly and we are left with an exciting, high-stakes romp through a world of peril and magic.

The highlight of Game of Strength and Storm. is its strong female cast. The book is teeming with Girl Power and I’m here for it! First, there is our heroine Gen, a supernaturally strong warrior who can mind-meld with animals and who just wants to rescue her wrongfully imprisoned father. She is cast against our protagonist Castor, who has the power to control storms and is fighting to win her place in a patriarchal monarchy. But my favorite females are the dual-headed Empresses who set the action in motion and who are both devious and manipulative and so much fun to hate!

The author has a very strong sense of plot-pacing and world-building. The action never lags despite the onerousness of having seven labors. I feared that it might get repetitive, but each labor brings with it a new setting, new characters/creatures and new obstacles to overcome. And Menard manages to move us through her story in a delightful way. We island-hop through the world by pirate ship, winged chariot and whale’s mouth!

Strong women, magical creatures, fast-paced action and a touch of romance all make for the bounteous and fun-filled reading experience that is Game of Strength and Storm. What more could you ask for?

I received an advanced reader's copy of this book from Netgalley and North Star Editions. All opinions are my own.

[Laura Rueckert · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was blown away by this vividly colorful and wildly imaginative world. Talk about fierce and strong female characters! The characters were all so different, driven, and memorable. My absolute favorites were Gen and the different animals (including her relationships with them), Pollux, and Bale.

[Riss Neilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this book! Menard blew me away with this magic system. She managed to make it feel unique and refreshing without over explaining, which is very hard to do. I felt like I was thrown right into this magical world with those who bottle storm for money and others who whisper to whales. I’m a sucker for soft boys, found family, and slow burn, so this book was perfect for me. It was also just really…fun? I loved following the characters as they raced to try to complete these seemingly impossible tasks in a world meant to make those tasks more impossible. The pacing of the novel was great. It was steady enough to let me get to know the characters and quick enough to keep my adhd brain turning pages. The writing flowed so well, and the author excelled at making each POV feel very distinct. The characters were all a bit flawed and I loved that about them. Gen is a badass heroine, who is strong and passionate and determined, but gets in her own way once or twice because of it which made me love her more because she felt real. And I think one of my favorite parts about this book is that Menard truly made this Hercules retelling her own. Hercules is one of my favorite stories so I was thrilled to read this, but I loved, loved that Game of Strength and Storm could hold it’s own. I am so happy that I was able to read an eARC of this book pre-release and I can’t wait to have a physical copy on my shelf!! Please pick it up!

[Jacq.and.the.readstalk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, wow, holy wow! This was such an imaginative and enthralling read, I was super excited to receive an eARC, and this book certainly did not disappoint.

I have been waiting for a YA feminist Greek-mythology book like this! It is absolutely on point! A gender-bent Hercules filled with strong female characters, epic adventures, and a host of Greek mythology turned on their head in such an innovative fashion. Gen and Castor make gripping characters, and all the side characters are a delightful, complex motley riot! Bake is definitely my favourite.

The plot is engaging, unique, plenty of action, and full of intrigue. Two badass magical heroines undertake the deadly ten labours set in a reimagined Grecian world. It’s definitely a fast-paced page turner. Menard has created such a fascinating world and system, I was instantly sucked into her words.

Rachel Menard has delivered such an exceptionally creative debut series. Its an entertaining adventure that left me eagerly anticipating the next one! A great publication to the start of year! Let the games begin!

Thankyou to Netgalley and Flux books for this eARC in exchange for an honest review

IG Post: https://www.instagram.com/p/CZfkmhovA...

[Lindsay Zrull · Rating 5 out of 5]

Game of Strength and Storm is a nonstop adventure from the very first chapter, all the way to the end. Menard’s creativity and storytelling truly shine through in this Greek mythology retelling with strong female protagonist – literally! But the protagonist doesn’t get all of the glory in this story. I can’t remember the last time I read a book where I found myself rooting so much for the villain.

If you’re looking for action, cute animal sidekicks, or a villain who you kinda want to be friends with then look no further.

[Era ➴ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me an ARC!

I was given a Heracles retelling and saw two pretty women on the cover and really thought this would be sapphic -

Spoiler: it’s not.

Seriously, how can you make a Greek mythology retelling and NOT make it gay? How does this work? I feel wronged. (disclaimer: this is a joke and I’m neither accusing the author of anything nor trying to say anything seriously)

The plot of this book followed Genevieve, a half-Mazon MindWorker whose father was wrongfully accused of a massacre, and Castor, a powerful StormWorker who wanted to take the throne of her family’s island. After winning the lottery of the Empresses of Olympia, they were promised their boons - if they could defeat each other in a tournament of twelve labors.

I have actually never seen a Heracles retelling, especially not a wildly genderbent one like this, and let me tell you it was a ride. Things kept happening that were just so creative and weird that it was hard to keep up with the story.

The world-building was insanely clever, with all the different kinds of creatures and the Greek mythology elements being warped so specifically into all these crazy…things. It was shockingly easy to understand while still being complex and chaotic in a really cool, immersive way.

The different kinds of people and islands were meshed together so well with Ancient Greece and imagination that I both understood it perfectly and had no idea what was going on, which was pretty perfect for my intelligence level.

The characters were pretty mixed for me. I didn’t really feel that connected to anyone, though I could appreciate them. I just didn’t really…care?

Gen was really interesting. At the beginning, I thought I would find her pretty annoying, but as time went on, I started really empathizing with her and paying more attention to her perspectives. Her character had this motivation and intensity that made her compelling, if not relatable.

She felt like a bit of a basic rough-and-tumble, I-don’t-want-my-past protagonist, but she pulled it off pretty well. The way she was written felt like the author cared more about her than anyone else, and it came across in how I read her. Which would have been unfair if she hadn’t also been the only character I cared about.

Castor was actually just…no. Honey, no.

I had such high hopes for her because I am absolute trash for badass noble ladies with superpowers and ambitions who refuse to let men stand in their way. I live for these women and I will die for them. Go queens, get your thrones and roast your enemies.

But Castor? I would willingly kill her.

This bitch thought every single problem she encountered could be solved with lightning or money. She was so spoiled and cold. And while I have loved that kind of woman before, they were the kind who had actual emotions and goals and opinions.

Castor was just all “I can’t let my idiot brother get the throne because it would be bad for business” (guess what bitch, so is killing everyone who breathes wrong) and “I can’t lose, I never lose” (oh my God you never lose because you’re so HaRdWoRkInG and CuNnInG) and “I will roast that half-breed bitch” (first of all, racist much? Also are you so bad at competing that your answer is to kill the competition?)

She actually fried every single person who stood in her way, thought that declaring herself the Lady of Storms would magically convince everyone to bow to her will, and thought nothing of risking the lives of everyone around her just because she thought it would be more convenient for her goals.

There’s ambition and there’s sadism.

And look, I can get behind sadism. Really, I can. But I won’t if the sadist has no opinions, no development and no personality other than condescension and the fact that she refuses to lose a competition. My disgust with her grew into boredom as her perspective became so, so repetitive and so…stupid. I just could not make myself care for her.

At first, she gave me very Azula vibes, and I was excited because I love Azula and I would willingly lay down my life for her. Then, as I kept going, I felt guilty for even comparing the perfection of Azula to…Castor.

Pollux honestly just felt really pathetic to me? He did so much for Gen’s sake and Gen’s sake only. His only personality and character arc was “I’ve been in love with this girl since I was fourteen and I want to help her now.”

It gave him some conflict, but not really enough for me to care about, because I didn’t care about his motivations enough. His crush on Gen was kind of all that held up his character and I didn’t want to read about that.

I think he was supposed to bring in a lot more emotion and tension and highlight the importance that Gen and Castor played, but I didn’t get that.

Strangely enough, I still liked this book even though I live for strong characterization. I think most of what saved it was the pacing. Things got off to a fast start and stayed constant through the book, and that kept me going through the whole thing.

Everything happened one thing after another, and that just carried me from beginning to end. I had to be immersed in the plot because it was just so fast and unique that it was impossible to actually be bored.

Overall, this book was unique, kind of quirky, a little bit shabby but still a lot of fun and really immersive. It didn’t actually matter how seriously I took everything, because it was entertaining and exciting, and that was the main substance in my opinion.

[milliereadsalot · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review!

On the surface, this book sounds really cool. A genderswapped Hercules retelling? Sign me up! However, the execution just fell short. The tasks are split between two main characters, except by the end, the POV of one of the main characters all but disappeared and was replaced by that of a love interest, which just felt quite messy. There was also underdeveloped worldbuilding - set in ancient Greece, this shouldn't need worldbuilding, but as it was an alternative kind of ancient Greece, with no mention of the Greek Gods whatsoever, and lots of changes to the mythology, there needed to be further explanation. Sadly, this book just didn't work for me.

[Athena (OneReadingNurse) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I seem to be in the minority here as the book has great early ratings, but I didn’t love it. It’s solid enough for YA but took me almost three weeks to finish because I honestly was not interested and had trouble with the repetitive inner monologue.

The concept was interesting and there was plenty of action interspersed throughout, but overall as an adult reader I just wasn’t as engaged as I think a teen would be.  I also like the theme of family loyalty which is explored in different ways.

Character wise- I can’t deal with inner monologue that never changes. Pollux said the same thing over and over and so did Castor who had no character growth at all.  It’s hard for me to read multiple points of view when the characters just keep repeating themselves. The main character, Gen, didn’t really change much either except to open her barriers to a proximity romance and gain slightly more awareness of the way the empire works. I liked the magic, abilities, and attitude of the characters, although the most enjoyable part for me was the animals

What do you think it would be like to ride in a whale’s mouth? A monkey with 100 eyes? Flesh eating mares?

Gen’s ability to communicate with different creatures was the high point for sure

Plot wise I wanted a little more from some of the tasks. Overall it was fairly fast paced but I found myself skimming over a lot of repetitive introspection. The final battle’s ending struck me as a bit silly and I thought the book would be a standalone. I can’t see myself reading the sequel.

I like that the content and language was appropriately clean for YA.  There were a few kisses between m/f and briefly w/w but otherwise the content was extremely low. One of my favorite things about the Flux imprint is that they tend to keep things on the tame side!

I would recommend for YA 100% and accordingly went with my three star, aka neutral rating

[Julie - One Book More · Rating 4 out of 5]

As soon as I saw that this story was a gender-bent Hercules reimagining, I knew I needed to read the book! I love Greek mythology, retellings, and stories with strong female protagonists, and this ya fantasy offers a unique reimagining of Hercules tale and the Olympic Games. It’s an action-packed adventure with a strong cast of characters, cool magical creatures and powers, and vivid world-building.

Gen is such an interesting protagonist. Strong and determined, her main motivation is to rescue her father, who has been imprisoned for murder. She goes through a lot over the course of the story and is put through so many trials, but she never gives up on her desire to free her father. She is a compassionate and kind person with a deep love for family and animals. And her connection to the animals is fantastic. I love that she tries to find balance with these animals instead of using her powers and the animals to get what she wants. She has strong morals and shows deep respect for living things.

Castor, the other person vying for the Empress’s granted wish, wants to rule the patriarchal kingdom in which she lives. However, her brother is in line for the throne even though he is not well suited. Like Gen, Castor is strong and determined, but unlike Gen, she is also pretty ruthless when she needs to be. I found her story really interesting and wanted to learn more about this vicious and sometimes cruel character, and I wish there were more chapters from her perspective. Pollux is so different from his sister and favors art and music to power and control. I think he is often underestimated and considered weaker than his sister, but he is strong and determined in his own right.

I really like the powerful and relevant messages about equality and women’s rights that come up particularly in Castor’s journey. I always enjoy when books weave relevant and important issues into fiction, like the themes of equality, fighting for those you love, and more. There are some parts of the story that fell a bit flat for me, including the romance, which seemed a bit forced. Also, I found the world-building less developed than I hoped and the story hard to get into initially, but I’m glad I stuck it out because it ended up being a pretty action-packed and entertaining read.

Special thanks to Flux Books and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

[Jonas Backer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for a review!

This book was so unexpectedly good! I don’t know why, but I didn’t really go in with high expectations, but I ended up really enjoying this book!

A big part of why the book was so good is because of the solid world building and how well it was explained. There’s a magic system, several islands, history and all that, which may come off as a lot and at times confusing, but the author did such a great job of explaining everything in its own time without dumping a lot of info on the reader all at once.

I really felt for Gen and she was definitely my most favourite character of the entire book. I really found myself rooting for her, even though we read through the eyes of her competitor (Castor) too.
Castor could have used some more work or scenes in the book. There’s potential of giving her a strong character arc, but she didn’t get nearly as much page time as I’d have liked, so I hope that maybe in a sequel there might be more of her.

Now, I also don’t know if the physical copy will have a map, but it would really be an addition to the book, so I really hope there will be one!

[Lia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks Netgalley and Publisher for the opportunity to read and review.
Quite intriguing fantasy novel inspired by Greek mythology and more accurately - the Olympic games.
The main characters are compelling, diverse and very relatable in their main motivations to take on the labors set by the Olympian empresses. You understand them, root for them and also judge them for the bad decisions they take. And the epilogue offered the needed conflict that will allow readers to meet these characters again in the second installment. A lot of creatures from greek mythology are incorporated into the story.
It's not to say I don't particularly like Greek mythology, but kinda wished it wasn't the main inspiration behind so many fantasy YA novels. Anyway....it still worked for this story. Will see what next novel will offer. It's unsettling to see how all of Gen's efforts and achievements didn't fullfil her main desire, but I'm curious to see where her next adventure will take her and what is the reason behind it.
Looking forward to book two.

[Mari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Game of strength and storm review

4.5/5 ✨

This was a fun book to read and I enjoyed the labor- which reminded me of the ones hers gave Hercules. I enjoyed the characters and their challenges with the labors as well as the development of a romantic relationship with two characters. I also enjoyed the animal friends then Gen has a long the way (and oh so sad and happy some moments are).

I did find Cas to be particularly hard to like as she’s a brat through the whole book, but I think that was the point. But I did enjoy Gen and Pollux as characters. I do think Cas helped to add some additional struggles to the characters which was nice.

I do look forward to book two! I need to know how this ends for Gen.


Things to remember for book 2:

- Gen enters the empresses lottery to ask for her fathers freedom. He was arrested and charged with controlling a group of gargarean to kill each other at a bar. Gen mentioned this was impossible as they would have to have drank a cup of his blood each.
- Gens mother was Mazon (Amazon) and so she is half giving her increased strength and endurance. Her father was a Mindworker making her able to control living things through blood and communication through Silva and hair. Such as when she leaves hairs in whales mouth to keep talking to him.
- Cas joins the lottery to become heir to her home Arcadia over her twin brother- Pollux. However doctrine states only males can inherit the throne so she wishes the empresses to grant her heir title.
- The empresses agree to grant cas and gens wish if they complete the 10 labors the other lottery winners have. The one to complete the most wins the favor and the other loses their favor. (Six or more will be considered a win) if they tie then the empress will decided an additional challenge.
- On the way to do the first labor - the Lion- Gen sera to buy animals to help. She finds a monkey who is being harassed by children and discovers it has a hundred eyes making it rare. She buy it and a smoke rat.
- Bale invites Gen to Pollux violin performance. She goes and gets Pollux to agree to help her obtain a audience with the Lion.
- Gen completes the first two challenges with the help of Pollux. Getting the Lion to agree to let Percy out of debt and Livia go for a free performance from Pollux, while being choked to death by Gen (her Amazon strength). Pollux agrees.
- Pollux offers to help Gen on her quest because he does not want his other to rule Arcadia because she will sell their storms to the highest bidder and cause people to use them for war. He also likes Gen since seeing her in the circus. Her performance inspired him to keep working on his storm vision he uses to preform in present time.
- Cas kills the birds by using her storm clouds and lighting vials.
- Cas offers the Boar a place in her court with ships should she obtain her wish along with the best storms the family keeps for themselves. He agrees to leave the island - completing the task. She asks for the boars help. She ordered the Boar to stake out the island where Gen was (to get the belt) and have her whale killed. They boat and his crew poached the whale and killed him. Gen mentioned his last thoughts were of her family and their circus - fond ones. 😭😭😭
- Gen is able to get the belt, though she learns Hippolytus still lives and is birthing babies below the island that was destroyed with storm vials. She states she will grow her people again to take revenge. Gen puts her to sleep with bees and leaves then learning of real time death of the infinity whale. She collapses and Pollux and bale help her to their chariot to leave the island.
- Pollux, Bale, and Gen travel to the stables but find Cas already there trying to wash the manure away with storm vials. Gen decided to try and steal the labor by asking the cows to do it themselves. However this doesn’t work and cas catches Gen and they fight. Gen is choking cas but stops after cas said she is like her father. Cas also reveals she had the boat kill her whale. Gen then realizes she can break the dam to wash away the manure. Gen succeeds in breaking the dam and cleaning the stables. Cas is upset and waits for Gen to come closer to the water to use a lightning vial to kill her- like she did rats when she was younger. Pollux intervenes and cas realizes he is helping Gen and she gets mad. She hits him with lightning and Pollux is unable to block it due to his broken violin string. This severely injured him and took his ear. Gen takes Pollux back to the chariot where she uses the lizard pus to heal his wounds after he refused to go to a healer.
- They were then attacked by the boar when he threw a highly combustible seed in the chariot. They crashed into the ocean and had to take shelter on the island with whispering moths who scream in caterpillar form. (Gen mentioned that the screams will make you deaf and then cause death).
- Cas has set off to find the hind (ship) and flew through a dangerous area and had her chariot destroyed by fire from a Volcano and her horses fly away.
- Cas takes a ship to where the Hind is docked. She makes a deal with the thief (Adikia) that stole it paying her 6,000 coins and a vail of lightning. She is then daughter by her fathers royal guard.
- Gen and the group settle down at Flex house while they wait for a boat. Gen walks down To the beach where bale is sitting. They then noticed a infinity whale in the water. Gen uses the moths to fly to it and shake blood off to make a mind connection. The whale agrees to help them as Gen said she could explain things in the world to her. Gen named the whale andromeda after bales suggestion.
- Gen succeeds in capturing the mares and getting them into the ship with the help of argos. However the experience left him changing colors and Gen admits they need to get him healed before he dies. Gen is now at five labors meaning that she will at worst tie with Cas- leaving only the hydra labor left. Gen left the smoke rate on the island where the mares were from.
- Cas is rescued from the hind by Adikia, after firing an arrow at Leto who was using hail to hold her down. After Cas tried to fight her fathers guards. Adikia kisses cas goodbye before cas sera off on the hind. She learns through Delia (ghost box) that Gen has completed the mare labor leaving only the hydra to ensure a tie.
- Gen, Pollux and bale get the monkey the fruit and heal him. When Pollux disappears from the inn Gen becomes upset thinking he has betrayed her- thus causing her monkey to become upset. bale is able to calm the monkey down with fruit and By doing so reveals he is a mondworker. He reveals he was the one who had suggested his GF swim in high tide- thus caused self loathing. They then go to the hydra to catch Pollux and cas.
- Pollux tries to offer half of everything to cas but she spots Gen and bale in the trees and thinks her brother is trying to set her up. Gen then goes down to the hydra to try and kill it to compel eye six labors putting her ahead.
- Gen battles the hydra with no luck only smashing heads and having more grow. Cas joins after her fight with Pollux and breaking his violin. Cas uses lightning to strike the hydra and thought she had won but the hydra came back to life sprouting more heads. A giant crab then appears. Gen takes on the crab while cas fights the hydra. Pollux shows up trying to rescue his sister form the hydra by throwing rocks at it. Gen kills the crab and uses its claw to kill the hydra - winning her the labor. Cas storms away upset she has lost. Gen is praised for killing the hydra and the faint crab.
- Gen arrives at the empresses request to claim her father. She is shocked to see Pollux and Cas be called to attendance as well. The empresses announce the winner of the labors is Cas due to cutting off more hydra heads and cleaning up more manure from the stables (because she was there first). Cas is delighted and leaves- it is unknown if she plans to stay engaged to the mine owner…. But she makes sure to let her brother know he has a lot of begging to do now that she is heir to Arcadia.
- Gen is upset but the empresses tell her that they would still release her father should she complete two more labors. One is getting golden apples and the other is capturing Cerberus. She agrees against Pollux protests.
- Pollux states that the empresses change the winner for some reason and stuck her with these labors for a reason and they needed to figure it out. He stated they should ask his sister for help on discovering the reason and what the empresses are up to.

list of tasks:
- Blue mustache - lion (GEN)
- Young man - find the hind ship (CAS)
- One eyed woman- stop the boar (CAS)
- Many eyed figure- clean the stables (GEN) empresses awarded to CAS saying she cleared more of it away
- Tall man- birds (CAS)
- Fierce woman- kill the bull (CAS)
- Thylox - capture mares (GEN)
- Weeping woman- find Livia (GEN)
- Red empress: kill the hydra (GEN) empresses awarded this labor to CAS for cutting off more heads
- Crystal empress: belt of Hippolyta (GEN)

Characters:
- Genevieve (Gen): a mind worker who is half mazon (Amazon). Her father was arrested for murder and he mother died when her home island was attacked due to the grief of thousands of deaths. She wants to win the labors to free and clear her fathers name.
- Castor (cas): rival to gen in the lottery win, storm master. Wants to be heir to the kingdom instead of her brother.
- Pollux (Lux): castors twin brother who plays the violin. A storm master. Uses his violin to play acts with the storm vials. Likes Gen.
- Bale: Pollux attendant (once served his father but was fired for losing a message). Doesn’t like mindworkwrs because his girlfriend died due to their suggestion she swim out during high tide. Come to find out Bale is a mindworkwr who with a kiss made his GF swim out and die- thus causes a lot of self hate issues.
- smoke Rat: obtained from the animal shop
- Argos: a monkey with a hundred eyes who can camouflage. Gen bought him from the animal shop to save him from being poked at by children.
- Empresses: a conjoined twin with one being named the red empress and the other the crystal empress.
- Infinity Whale: a whale who Gen uses to travel with. Has a history of being in her family’s circus. Was killed by the boar and his poachers.
- Chomp: Gens dog companion
- Delia: a ghost who is trapped in a box who assists Cas in her quest by gathering information.
- Andromeda: the new pink infinity whale Gen connects with. Named after Bales deceased girlfriend.
- Flex: a dead islander who is friend with Gen. He sought her out to help save the screaming caterpillars.
- Adikia: a thief who stole the Hind (ship). Also rescued Cas from her father guard.

[ThianeJansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

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!🙌🏻

[Melissa Diaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many thanks to the author, Netgalley, and the publisher for the arc and for giving me the opportunity to read and review the book.

𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀:

~ The artwork on the cover was what grabbed my attention to this book and once I read the blurb it was sealed.

~ This has a Greek mythology inspired plot line with everyone being descendants of mythical gods with different magical abilities with a focus on ancient Olympic games and I loved it as I am really into mythical plots a

~ This also is a gender-bent Herculian retelling where annually the Empresses choose 10 people all over the land through a lottery and are granted one wish in exchange for a task of the Empresses choosing.

~ These tasks are no walk in the park as the dual-headed Empresses are cunning, devious, and manipulative and has no interests of granting these wishes unless it benefits them.

~ The heroine of the plot Gen's wish is to save her dad who has been imprisoned and is being accused for murder.
~ And the protagonist Castor is a show off, selfish, and vindictive character who only cares about fame and power. Her wish is to take over her kingdom which she thinks is her birthright but her brother Lux had inherited because he is a male heir by hook or crook.

~ Gen and Castor are tasked to complete the 10 tasks the Empresses have chosen and whoever completes the most number of tasks will be granted their wish. And this book follows the twists and turns they both take completing these life threatening challenges.

~ The strong female cast was another plus point of this storyline. And I loved all the characters including the support characters.

~ The author's style of writing is magical; it helps you to vividly imagine every scene and transports you into that world with all your imagination with ease.

~ This was also a fast paced book that had me hooked from the very beginning and I just could not put it down. This is one book you'll be up reading all night.

~ The plot twists were really cool and got me more excited to be reading.

~ Castor that perfect enemy character that gosh I couldn't stand her. Hahah!

~ That one part with the infinity whale broke me and made me hate castor even more.

~ I got Avatar vibes with the elemental magic, Lux's mist elk reminded me of the patronas from Harry Potter, and the mind workers who can communicate with animals made me think of Eliza from the Wild Thornberry's.

~ Also travelling by infinity whale made me think of moby dick.

~ The slow burn romance between Gen and Lux is very minimal and mainly towards the latter part of the book and has not much of prominence. And the plot also has very minimal LGBTQ representation with Castor's love interests.

~ I thought the ending was a little bit too fast like a flip of a switch. Gen who was hated, shunned, and insulted all the while all of a sudden being praised was a bit too unrealistic for my liking.

~ Also that last plot twist that's leading to book two really drove me mad. I felt what happened was unjust but the empresses cannot be trusted.

~ Rachel Menard has created a beautiful fantasy world in The Game of Strength and Storm that until the very end I didn't realise there will be a part two. And I am definitely gonna grab it because I cannot wait to see what happens next.

[alessia · Rating 3 out of 5]

it took me a while to get into the story but it was SO worth it. i need more backstory on my sapphic girlboss castor, so when i say i want the sequel it means i NEED it now. at the start i honestly didn’t really care about pollux povs, but his character grew on me, in part cause i kinda relate to him 😭 i mean how could i not like him ?? he literally said ‘excuse me, i’m just going to go hang myself’ after a very awkward moment … he is me. i enjoyed gen’s povs but nothing compared to castor’s. yes, she may have made some questionable choices, but in this case i support women’s rights and wrongs.

*thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the earc in exchange of an honest review*

[Raquel · Rating 5 out of 5]

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!) 🌈✨

[Rachel Stine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of the netgalleys in exchange for my review.

Game of Strength and Storm by Rachel Menard tells the story of Gen, a former circus performer trying to rescue her wrongfully imprisoned father and Castor sister to the heir apparent to Arcadia, a country who can control, manipulate, bottle, and sell storms! Both girls enter a contest where the Olympian Empresses grant wishes of ten people who win the lottery. However, as with all magic (and everything else) nothing is given for free. Gen has the magical ability to speak to animals and is the last of the Mazons (Amazonians) who draws strength from the Earth but mostly only in her ancestral homeland. The girls are pitted against each other to complete the tasks wished for by the other lottery winners in order to have their own wish granted. They must use their cunning, strength, and unique skills to master increasingly complex and worrying tasks, the last of which involves bringing the empresses the head of a Hydra. And if you know anything about ancient mythology, you know how problematic that ask is.


First, I absolutely adore modernized mythology/classic tales or myths told with new twists. So when I heard about Game of Strength and Storm, I was all about it. The start of this book is a little slow. I don’t really care that Gen’s new clothes are dirtier than she’d like but I do love the fact that she is traveling in the mouth of a Whale! Also, the ability to communicate with animals is a superpower I have always wanted so that hooked me fast even though I don’t know what it’s like to have a parent in prison, let alone wrongly imprisoned. I do know what it is to feel like you don’t belong. To think everyone hates you, is staring at you everywhere you go, whispering about you.

I instantly connected with Gen because of those things. Castor, not so much. But soon there was Pollux who abides by the tragically misunderstood artist tope, something I also love. Watching these teens fighting for their own autonomy, battling mythical monsters, making deals with unsavory characters, and taking on Sisyphean challenges like cleaning up a never-ending pile of horse poop was fantastic. I loved just about every minute of it even if the fight scenes were a bit too long and took place slightly more often than I would have liked.

As much as I personally did not want to be friends with (or on the wrong side of) Castor, I thought she was a wonderfully written character who isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty but who is not merely strong because she can fight good. She will do whatever it takes to get what she wants, even if it means hurting the people she loves. Gen is, surprisingly the same way she just goes about it differently. Where Castor will strike physical blows to her own family, Gen cuts herself off from the world, refusing to accept help, love, or friendship from anyone. Please read this book. The cliffhanger ending makes me want very much to read the sequel but we won’t get that if people aren’t buying and talking about this book.

[Bri · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Reading this book was such a treat. It reminded me why I love fantasy so much. From the first page, we enter the author's world and it's just a fascinating place to be. The world building gets started right away and there isn't a huge world building thrown at us right away like in some fantasy. There is a good bit in its early pages but it comes in throughout the book so we aren't bombarded, which I appreciated.

Let me start by saying I adore Gen. I knew I liked Gen right away. She's loyal and maybe not super trusting, but she has principles and sticks by them. She's also adventurous and smart and really caring, so I loved seeing all those parts of her character grow throughout the book. I liked her more and more as she grew more comfortable with her strength and confident as a competitor against Castor. Speaking of Castor...well I didn't feel as amicably for her. I started out really liking her. She was tough and you could tell that this competition was important to her. However, by the end of it I couldn't stand her whatsoever hahah. But I loved hating her tbh. She was an amazingly developed character. Everything she did made sense and her motivations were clear-- I just didn’t like her😅 She was selfish, ruthless, and didn't know how to take responsibility for her own actions. That said, these qualities made her a worthy adversary to Gen in this competition and a great antagonist. The side characters: Pollux, Bale, and our wonderful animals were stunning. Lux is my sunshine cinnamony soft boi king and I will love him forever. Bale is a splendid mess and the animals were a great addition to the story and really highlighted Gen's power!

The plot was great! Quest stories have a tendency to get boring at certain parts in the middle, but this one didn't for the most part! Very fast pacing and exciting action. There were a few aspects that I could've gone without (third act "betrayal" arc was meh and some of Castor's chapters felt a bit slower compared to the rest of the chapters). I also wanted more about the Empresses and their history and how they became these feared beings with so much control when this is a world where pretty much everyone has power of some kind. Finally, I wanted more Pollux. I'm not factoring that into my rating though bc I'm pretty sure there was a good amount of him, I'm just obsessed with him and wanted him everywhere at all times lol! He and Gen were my favorites in this and I just would love to see more of them in this world!!

This is such a phenomenal fantasy. There are a lot of stories with Greek mythology inspiration, but this one still managed to be original and interesting. The story ends very interestingly and with the epilogue, it definitely gives a pretty clear indication of where a sequel would go. I do hope we get that sequel because I imagine it will be even more incredible! Thanks so much to the author, Flux, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!