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Gods Galore

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The Olympian Gods have made it to the 21st century AD. We may not have heard much about them in the last two thousand years, but they’re still controlling what we humans are up to – or at least they think they are.

The reality is that the Gods are like us – they’ve got problems!

Zeus is still Top God on Mount Olympus, but he’s got issues with many of the younger gods. His brothers, Hades and Poseidon, have issues with themselves – they’re getting too set in their ways ruling the Underworld and the Seas; they probably need a job change.

But help is at hand from an unexpected source – we humans.

It’s surprising what a dose of good common sense can do for even the most powerful of the gods, especially when it comes from a couple of teenagers!

334 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 28, 2021

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About the author

Rupert Stanbury

5 books24 followers
Rupert Stanbury is a Cambridge graduate. He was born in Manchester but has lived most of his adult life in Central London.

He has always been an avid reader and in recent years decided to take up writing himself. His first three books were a mixture of fantasy and comedy about the Greek Gods in the 21st Century. They had one overriding objective which is TO MAKE PEOPLE LAUGH!

His latest book, Greek Gods on TikTok, is different since it recounts various myths about the Greek Gods in the Classical World. The book reflects the words recited by Rupert in a series of TikTok videos he has produced on this subject.

His first book, Gods Galore, was published in November 2021 and this was followed by The Four Horsemen in April 2023 and Pimlico People in October 2024. His latest work, Greek Gods on TikTok was published in December 2025.

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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
Profile Image for Steph Warren.
1,847 reviews40 followers
May 27, 2022
*I received a free ARC of this book with thanks to the author, Troubador and Anne Cater of Random Things Blog Tours. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*

Imagine a soap opera featuring a mixture of gods and goddesses, famous historical figures and modern, ‘normal’ mortals, and you will have an idea of what to expect from Gods Galore.

A light, easy read with a gently humorous tone, this book takes us through the three realms of the gods: Olympus, ruled by Zeus; the Underworld, ruled by Hades; the oceans, ruled by Poseidon. We find out that the three brothers have little contact with each other and are all facing problems caused by the same root issue – they are stagnant and unchanging and the world has moved on without them.

Zeus faces rebellion from the younger gods who want equality for women (and other minorities!) and a vote in Olympus’ affairs. The Underworld is being run in an inefficient manner and newly-dead young mortal Vesta has ideas for how to shake things up, including streamlining the tortures and taming Cerberus. Poseidon and his staff have become unhealthy and isolated, but newly-maybe-dead young mortal Totty happens to be an expert in fitness and beauty and is ready to whip them into shape with the help of ever-busy go-between Hebe.

Once these initial scenarios have been established, Rupert Stanbury simply lets the characters free to deal with them and documents the results. There is no overarching plot or unifying direction to events, but rather a general shift from the old-fashioned to the modern – slowly and often reluctantly.

Much like a soap opera, there is plenty of scope here for future instalments, as most of the issues are raised but not resolved, especially in the Olympus setting, which gets rather less ‘screen time’ than the others, not having a go-getting mortal catalyst of its own.

The blend of mythological deities (Greek and Roman) and historical figures (Attila the Hun, Florence Nightingale, Marie Antoinette) with the 21st Century of beer promos, hairdryers and Mars bars is humorous and effective. I was particularly amused to note that teenagers Vesta and Totty ‘broke’ the gods in gently, relying on the Lambada and spag bol, rather than diving straight in with TikTok dances and avocado smoothies!

Tom Holt fans will enjoy this irreverent dip into the life of ancient beings in today’s world, as will anyone looking for a light-hearted easy-read romp about dealing with change in its many aspects.


‘As he sat on his throne alone reflecting on their conversation, Hades wondered if he was getting too stale, too set in his ways. He’d been running the Underworld for thousands of years and no longer questioned things. Everyone did what they’d always done and new arrivals were merely slotted into the current arrangements. Perhaps the whole place needed shaking up under new management. He wondered if the same applied to the two kingdoms run by his brothers, Zeus and Poseidon. It probably did, but it would no doubt take a thousand years to get them to agree to a job swap. Meanwhile, he’d have to carry on but start listening more to the people, especially the new ones. Vesta seemed a smart girl, someone to take an interest in, he decided.’

– Rupert Stanbury, Gods Galore

Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpres...
Profile Image for Fatguyreading.
1,027 reviews46 followers
March 3, 2025
Another great book from Rupert Stanbury, and my third read by him, the others being The Four Horsemen and Pimlico People, and Gods Galore certainly lived up to my expectations.

This Is actually book one, and The Four Horsemen book two, so I read them in the wrong order, so it was great to get my teeth into the story from where the characters were introduced to us.

I love the idea of the Gods being pulled into the modern human world, and have always been a big fan of mythology, particularly Greek mythology, so this really was right up my street.

It's light hearted and incredibly funny with lots of great tongue in cheek humour. The writing style is fresh and fun and the storyline flows along nicely with good pace.

4 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 's from me.
Profile Image for Georgina Candy.
660 reviews21 followers
March 3, 2025
I’ve actually read the 3rd book in this series first and now had the chance to read the first. Just as good as the other, with some brilliant characters that just make the book more. My favourites this time round were Vesta and Nell Quickly. Oh and Mr Hashimoto!

The Gods have got stale and set in their ways, needing some new ways of thinking and some upgrades to drag them into the 21st century. Vesta arrives in the Underworld and sets about streamlining and offering advice here and there, whilst by some unlucky fate, Totty gets taken to Poseidon’s cavern and makes a HUGE difference there! Lots of fun, laughter and sarcasm ensues.

I really like reading about the Gods and Rupert makes this such a fun way of learning about them, but in the modern world! Not sure if they like it or not. Great writing style that just flows, you don’t realise how much you’ve read till it ends! I need to go get book 2 now and see where they go next.
Profile Image for Sue Wallace .
7,586 reviews147 followers
March 6, 2025
Gods Galore by Rupert Stanbury.
I loved the cover of this book. I really enjoyed it. It was something different. I loved how the gods were pulled into the human realm. I loved the writing style and the story. It was humorous. I would recommend this book
Profile Image for Katarina.
882 reviews22 followers
December 27, 2021
This was a very light-hearted and fun read. It's not a super deep book, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. It's original, unique, and quirky. It made me smile and was well worth reading. I'd read a sequel in a heartbeat.

Thanks to Netgalley for the free review copy.
Profile Image for Karolyn.
1,445 reviews47 followers
March 9, 2025
Here is my review for Gods Galore by Rupert Stanbury

I really enjoyed reading Gods Galore and found it very intriguing to read. I was hooked from the start of the book and just couldn’t put it down as I wanted to know what was going to happen next. Zeus is the head God on Mount Olympus but he is experiencing trouble with a lot of the younger gods. He is trying to find a way of controlling them and getting them to do as they are told. A great story with lots going on and lots of gods involved. The author has used his imagination inspirationally to write this book which is a great fantasy read. Some short chapters which I like. It’s been well written by the author and he’s put a lot of thought into it. He’s plotted out the story extremely well and each chapter has been named. There is a terrific index at the beginning which lists the characters in the book. Also, I love the design of the front cover which is amazing.

Blurb :

The Olympian Gods have made it to the 21st century AD. We may not have heard much about them in the last two thousand years, but they’re still controlling what we humans are up to – or at least they think they are.
The reality is that the Gods are like us – they’ve got problems!
Zeus is still Top God on Mount Olympus, but he’s got issues with many of the younger gods. His brothers, Hades and Poseidon, have issues with themselves – they’re getting too set in their ways ruling the Underworld and the Seas; they probably need a job change.
But help is at hand from an unexpected source – we humans.
It’s surprising what a dose of good common sense can do for even the most powerful of the gods, especially when it comes from a couple of teenagers!


Profile Image for Lynda.
2,445 reviews126 followers
August 12, 2023
I genuinely don’t know where to start. I chose to read this as I’m a bit of a beginner when it comes mythology however, I’ve read and loved a number of retellings, so I though this might educate me! This was a completely crazy tale that I would have classified YA more than adult reading. Amongst the Greek Gods there were a couple of Roman Gods (because their names were more recognisable), characters from classic authors such as Shakespeare, Dickens and Melville, historical figures including Atilla the Hun and Gengis Khan and more recent mortals and figures from popular culture.

I knew I was in for a bit of a rollercoaster ride when the first introduction to Cerberus (in Greek mythology a three headed dog who guards the gate to the underworld) was him saying ‘give us a mars bar or I’ll bite yer bum’. I’m pretty sure he didn’t ever say that! The plot, and I use the word loosely, centres around the three gods who rule Olympus - Zeus, the Oceans - Poseidon and the Underworld - Hades. The three gods are brothers although they have little contact, but all are living in the past and not moving with the times.

I’m not sure I learned an awful lot about mythology but what I really enjoyed was character spotting. The attempts to bring the gods up to date was kind of strange but weirdly entertaining. This was an easy to read book and the author appears to have left things quite open for a sequel or two. A farcical read full of ludicrously improbable characters and scenarios and if you enjoy a good satirical novel you are most probably going to enjoy this bizarre and humorous read.
Profile Image for Krystina.
266 reviews13 followers
August 17, 2023
The cover is again that slight Pratchett cartoon style which really suits the writing style, as I said last time it's very much reminiscent of the late great Terry Pratchett. Fantastically clever with very witty things thrown in that you take a minute to register. One of those made me stop and think for a moment, we had the very brilliant Vesta being shown around the torturing department by Mr Atilla ( yes the Hun) and in Vlad's area they come across two men being impaled called Harold and William and I stopped for a moment before carrying on to see if I could figure out which historical figures they were before I found out by reading. And I loved that I did that throughout the book and I lost count of the amount of times these little things made me laugh out loud, I thoroughly enjoyed every page of this book.
And for once I actually found myself tabbing a book so I could remember things I wanted to tell you all in the review(I've never understood tabbing a book before now) because we start with a list of Principal Characters and the detail added into their little one-line explanation is fantastic. Some of my favourites are Homer-Once a writer, now head librarian ( ok so not so much detail there but it made me really giggle) and Mr Wong- Works in the kitchens, having once run a Chinese restaurant in Alderley Edge, England.
Once again I loved reading this book, and I'm off to go re-read The Four Horsemen now because I do so love this series and I'm eagerly awaiting the next book, with the hopes that we have many more to come.
423 reviews57 followers
March 6, 2025
This was such a fun book! We get to follow the gods of Olympus (with a couple switched out for their respective counterparts from Roman mythology) in the 21st Century as they navigate some difficulties and adjust to the times. I was laughing right from the start with the list of principal characters (Attila - Former King of the Huns; now works in the Torturing Department!) and there were hilarious moments right the way through. I liked the way that we sort of got 3 separate but interlinked stories with different things happening in the 3 different realms (of Zeus, Poseidon and Hades) but with mentions of the others and Hebe travelling between the three making deliveries and sharing info. I loved each of the storylines and the bits that didn't quite finish. Not unsatisfactorily, but I would have loved to see some of the aftermath of certain suggestions and things. Hopefully we might in the next book? Might be a weird opinion but I think my favourite character was actually Cerberus! He was just so cute, I love him. When I die and go to the Underworld you will have another friend Cerberus! But seriously all of the characters were great and each unique with their own qualities, the "humans" as well as the gods who obviously each specialise in their own thing. A very funny book that I'd really recommend reading and I'm excited to read the next!
Profile Image for Vix.
559 reviews23 followers
June 1, 2022
3.5 rounded to 4 for Goodreads (as I've been informed there is a sequel).
This was a funny read which I enjoyed right up until the end. I felt there wasn't really an end at all - but I wanted it to continue as there's so much more to find out.

I loved Vesta and Totty and how they were shaking things up in the kingdoms. Watching the stale old Gods develop was amusing. I was so hoping Zeus would get the same treatment or that he would swap with Mrs Bumble for a period. I thought the story was well written taking the presumed personalities of the Gods and I must admit, I had a little soft spot for Cereberus.

I wish all the Gods were the Greek ones - I know Rupert said it's because the two Roman ones were more well known, but as I like my myths it bugged me. Additionally, I found myself pulled further into a plot that didn't seem to have any conclusion which was beyond frustration (so many questions). I just hope this is because a sequel is on the way.

Overall, a light and enjoyable read about dragging the Gods into a more modern era. Annoyed by the ending but I want there to be a sequel to continue the story.

*I received a complimentary copy of the e-book from RandomThingsTours and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
Profile Image for Sonja Charters.
3,199 reviews152 followers
August 9, 2023
I couldn't wait to get stuck into reading this book as I had assumed this was the third book in the series and I had recently read and reviewed book 2 - The Four Horsemen and loved it.

However, this turned out to be the first book written in the Gods Galore series and this made me so, so happy as I hate reading books out of order - I know, I know, I did these read these the wrong way round, but I feel so happy to now be caught up to date with these hilarious gods.

As with the last book, I absolutely loved seeing the antics that the gods got up to and picking out each one and remembering their myths. The personalities that were attributed to each made for some great banter and hilarious moments.

This book was great as it allowed me to get to grips with the characters as they were introduced to us. Such a great concept with dragging the gods into the human world and not only that, into the modern world.

I loved the writing style which was fun and fresh. With the whole trend of the myths re-tellings growing, it was great to read something similar but with a unique twist.

Love this series and will be re-reading the second book again now to follow on nicely, but I really hope that there will be more to follow.
Profile Image for Sharon Rimmelzwaan.
1,493 reviews46 followers
March 5, 2025
This is my first book by this author, I knew it sounded so good, but I wasn't sure about just how good it would be. 


It's definitely a story that's right up my street. I know an awful lot about Greek mythology due to having an autistic teenager who is hyper fixated on Greek mythology. God's Galore held my attention from the first paragraph. As I found out after I finished reading, I discovered this is the first in a series and, oh my word! Do I need to read the rest! 

Having the Greek Gods being dragged kicking and screaming into the modern world was always going to be interesting. I never realised how funny it would be, too!

 Vesta and Totty arriving and mixing everything up for the gods was so highly entertaining! Told in a similar vein to the late Terry Pratchett. This book seriously brightened my day. 

Crazy, light-hearted, and so funny. I am going to see what books next and start adding them to my TBR list!
Thanks to Hygge Book Tours and the author for my gifted paperback to write my honest review.
Profile Image for Sarah.
340 reviews
November 30, 2021
Thank you to Matador and Troubador Publishing for giving me access to this book as an E-ARC via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

I’m not quite sure what to make of Stanbury’s book. Did it have a plot or was it just desultory scenes thrown about? I don’t know! I give the author that it was a fairly fun read – I do like my Greek mythology and am not a stranger to literature where the myths and its characters are used in a modern setting for (often) comedic effect, so that’s all good. Not ground-breaking in any way but that wasn’t something I expected either.

However, the lack of plot was, well, lacking making the reading experience feel a bit disconnected for my personally. I didn’t know what was going on for half of the time as perspectives jumped around a bit from chapter to chapter.

This review will be up on my Goodreads-account (see link) on November 30th 2021.
All in all, I liked the comic use of Greek mythology but didn’t really connect with the story.
Profile Image for KT.
Author 3 books59 followers
December 13, 2021
i went into this one with an open mind and i must say, i ended up enjoying it wayyyy more than i thought i would! being a greek mythology nerd, i grabbed it up when i saw it on netgalley.

what would happen if you threw a bunch of modern people into the worlds of the greek gods? welp, a bunch of ridiculous stuff is what.

there was so much i appreciated in this book- the side characters names being one of them... i mean he named the librarian of the underworld homer. how can you not love that?!

i found myself chuckling so much in this book. it's super lighthearted and would be good for even a middle schooler to read (zeus' lover affairs are mentioned).

and yeah. i agree. mars/ares is a dick.

thank you netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for JL Dixon.
339 reviews9 followers
May 26, 2022
Who doesn’t love the idea of Greek gods, with relatable personal problems, in a contemporary setting?

I love the cover art, and was already invested in the story just after reading the blurb. And in all honesty, I wasn’t disappointed. So okay, the plot is a little shaky at times, but the humour more than makes up for it. I still managed to read it in one sitting because it was a lot of fun.

The characters are brilliant and on the whole I liked them. Well except for Ares/Mars that is. I can’t explain more without ruining that part of the book for you.

This was an enjoyable, light-hearted, read which I am happy to recommend to all readers, especially those who like Greek mythology. I gave God’s Galore, by Rupert Stanbury, four stars.
Profile Image for Naturalbri (Bri Wignall).
1,450 reviews122 followers
August 27, 2023
This is a brilliant book! I have always had a love for Greek mythology, especially given to me by a teacher of mine who took the time to teach us all about it and really have us join the journey by reading the tales. This book was a modern take on that, kind of like the telly shows who check back in, ‘where are they now’ style.
There was a wonderful added humour to the mix and the story became quite a piece of joy. I absolutely adored the detail put into each of the unique characters, as well as the level of detail and time placed on catching up with the well known and lesser known gods.
This book is definitely well worth all the hype and more. It is a must read and should really be enjoyed and most likely devoured swiftly, over lots of giggles.
Profile Image for Kelly.
2,669 reviews124 followers
March 4, 2025
I'm reviewing this as part of a tour with Hygge Book Tours.

I enjoyed another book by this author, The Four Horsemen, which I read previously, so I was looking forward to this.

This book made me chuckle from the beginning. The author brought the characters to life in a fun and quirky way, and I enjoyed the interpretations of Zeus, Hades and well-known other figures from Greek mythology. The conversations were humorous and relatable, and I giggled as I was reading. The story was entertaining, original and a lot of fun. In fact, it cheered me up. If you're looking for a book that will make you smile, then give this a try, especially if you're into Greek mythology.

Thank you to Hygge Book Tours, and to the author, for the opportunity to read and review this.
Profile Image for Kerry.
189 reviews
March 8, 2025
This is the first book that I have read by Rupert Stanbury, as soon as I read the blurb I knew I had to read it. I love Greek mythology, so was immediately drawn in and it held my attention from the first chapter. I've since discovered this is the start of a series, I will definitely be reading the rest!

I was hooked on the premise of Greek gods being dragged into the modern world. 'Bill and Ted ' sprang to mind. It certainly would be interesting to see in reality.

It's just a fun and light hearted read and so refreshing. It's incredibly funny with tongue in cheek humour thrown into the mix. It will certainly appeal to fans of the great late Terry Pratchett, as I think they will like the style of the writing.

All in all a fantastic read.
521 reviews30 followers
August 7, 2023
I haven't read anything by Rupert Stanbury, but after reading this light-hearted book, I will be looking at more of his books. I have to say that it was the cover that made me decide to read it. I think it would appeal to a lot of YAs. We have Greek gods and goddesses in the twenty-first century, we have Zeus with his many lovers and dangly bits, Hades in charge of the Underworld and Poseidon in his watery kingdom. We also meet Hebe and her children, Cerberus, to name but a few. I found in an enjoyable, easy read, with plenty to laugh about with an added bit of fantasy. If you love your gods and goddesses you have to give this book a read.
273 reviews4 followers
January 23, 2024
This is an interesting take on the ancient Greek Gods in the 20th/21st century. I enjoyed the characters and seeing what the Gods would be like now. I thought it was great how some new arrivals in the Ocean world of Poseidon and the Underworld were able to instigate a lot of changes that would modernize things. I did find the overall plot line to be a little lacking. There really wasn't a climax or conclusion in the book. It was more like a journal of what was going one that just stopped. I am interested to see what happens in the second book.
Profile Image for Lizz Taylor.
1,589 reviews16 followers
November 10, 2024
An entertaining fast read that went in a different direction than I expected. I enjoyed the light-heartedness of this book and the fun way the author handled the character development of the mythological gods. I will never think of Cerebus the same way again. I hope the author continues this series.
Profile Image for Claire Ball.
319 reviews21 followers
March 7, 2025
This was a great book! If you’re looking for a comedic read that doesn’t take itself too seriously then this one is for you. I have some knowledge of Greek gods but this made it easy to understand who they were and the relationship between them. The way it was written made it easy to read with a good flow and I read it very quickly. Also a fantastic idea to bring the gods “up to date”!
Profile Image for Staceywh_17.
4,018 reviews12 followers
May 23, 2022
This was such a bizarrely bonkers blend of greek mythology, a handful of modern day humans, and a plot that wasn't a plot, or was it?

It was a fun, entertaining read with plenty of laugh out loud moments. The characterisations of the gods were quirksome and unlike anything you've read before.

Light hearted, enjoyable and totally original, and I can't wait for a second book, if there is one 🙏

QOTD Who is your favourite of the gods in Greek mythology?

Many thanks to Random Things Tours for my tour spot.

Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Profile Image for Patrice Gotting - #prdgreads.
400 reviews14 followers
November 20, 2023
My Thoughts: I had absolutely no use what to expect going into this but I’ve started dipping my toe into stories about gods and mythology.

I bloody loved this one, it was light and funny with totally tongue in cheek humour.

Vesta and Totty were almost a law unto themselves mixing things up and making the gods and historical figures on Mount Olympus, on earth and down in the underworld realise that they were stuck in their ways and helping them to realise there were better/ easier ways, but then realising themselves that change isn’t always for the better 🤣

I don’t feel like I’m selling this very well, but I promise it’s worth the read, I flew through it and I’m pretty sure when I wasn’t laughing I had a big goofy smile on my face.

I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to watch Hercules in the same way again!

🐧🩷
Profile Image for Jade Leanne.
86 reviews8 followers
March 14, 2026
With thanks as always to Hygge Tours for having me and to meeting Rupert.
This is the first time I've met Rupert Stanburys writing and I'm not disappointed. I will be looking out for more of his work in the near future.
I chose this book purely for the cover because I found it absolutely amazing and super interesting, and when it comes to mythology I'm very much a beginner so diving into this book is new to me!
I simply knew I was in for a ride as Rupert started reeling off the Gods names, and introducing a 3 headed dog (this got me chuckling!) as his favourite saying was "give us a Mars or I'll bite yer bum" hehe I love that!
I must say this book was an absolute pleasure to read, very lighthearted, funny, with lots of humour something not to be missed
Rupert brought the Greek mythology into the real world and made it original and unique, praise all around
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews