Olympians #7
George O'Connor
Graphic Novel
80 pages
First Second Books
Available Now
Source: Finished copy from publisher for review
THE STORY (from Goodreads)
The myth continues in the tenth year of the fabled Trojan War where two infamous gods of war go to battle. The spotlight is thrown on Ares, god of war, and primarily focuses on his battle with the clever and powerful Athena. As the battle culminates and the gods try to one-up each other to win, the human death toll mounts. Who will win this epic clash of power? And how many will have to die first?
MY THOUGHTS
Ares is the latest addition to George O’Connor’s Olympians series, taking us on a very quick journey through the tail end of the Trojan War as the gods and goddesses of Olympus debate and bicker among themselves as to whether or not they should intervene. Ares is larger than life in his anger and love of blood and chaos–a striking contrast to Athena’s love of strategy and planning–but like so many of the Olympian gods, he’s also in possession of an inflated sense of self and an easily-bruised ego, causing him to sulk one minute and erupt in an all-out rage the next.
The artwork itself is absolutely stunning, the panels beautiful, colorful and easy to understand for the most part (the sheer number of Olympian gods does create some confusion here and there as we try to identify and keep track of each one), allowing us breeze through this piece of the Trojan war in no time. The back of Ares contains a breakdown of–and explanation for–a number of panels, giving us unique insight into the story itself while also bringing to our attention things we may have missed as we read through initially. Quick and fun, Ares provides a different perspective on the final days of the Trojan War and shows how powerful yet vulnerable some of the Olympian gods can be.
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I love the sound of this Jenny and would love to check out the illustrations. This period in history has always fascinated me
ReplyDeleteMe too Kim! I thought the illustrations were fantastic:)
DeleteYou're making me curious about the illustrations now! It sounds like a good one! I don't read a lot of books like that but it's nice from time to time. thanks for the discovery!
ReplyDeleteI thought they were gorgeous! I sometimes have trouble figuring out the panels in graphic novels, but these were all really clearly marked and flowed well.
DeleteYou don't even know how tempted I have been to pick up a book like this just for the artwork alone. This sounds amazing Jenny!
ReplyDeleteI'm definitely going to have to go back and read the previous 6 installments now:)
DeleteI normally don't read graphic novels, but this one sounds fantastic, I'm quite excited about checking out the gorgeous artwork!
ReplyDeleteMe either Jasprit, but the few I have read have been fabulous:)
DeleteOoooooh, this sounds so interesting! I love Greek Mythology and the Trojan war and seeing it in graphic novel form seems like a great way to refresh and enjoy the story anew! Thank you for putting this one on my radar, Jenny!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome Pili! It's fun to pick up something really different every now and then:)
DeleteI don't read graphic novels (other than Archie Comics) but you're making such a strong case for this one, Jenny! Also, the artwork sounds amazing!
ReplyDeleteGreat review. :)
It's a super fast read Nick, you'll be done in no time and the illustrations are just great:)
DeleteI'm with Nick, I don't read graphic novels except like the old school Archie comics, etc. But I'm glad you enjoyed this!
ReplyDeleteI did! I've only read a handful of graphic novels, but they're a treat for me since I'm always fascinated by the illustrations:)
DeleteThough I have limited experience with graphic novels, I appreciate the artwork. You can tell there I lots of time and talent involved.
ReplyDeleteI can't even imagine how long these take to put together O.o
DeleteI find graphic novels too distracting; I end up staring at the artwork more than paying attention to the actual story, and they take me sooo long to read cuz sometimes I get lost in a drawing for what seems like an eternity. Glad you enjoyed it though!
ReplyDeleteCarmel @ Rabid Reads
That's been my problem with some of the ones I've read Carmel, but this particular graphic novel had a really nice flow to it. It wasn't weighed down with too much dialogue crammed into teeny tiny talk bubbles, and I was able to figure out what was going on in the panels even during the big battle scenes:)
DeleteOkay, I just took a look at the previous novels and they're simply gorgeous and I'm wondering why I haven't tried one before being a fan of all things Greek myth. Thanks for sharing, I'm going to track issue one a down - the art/story looks/sounds amazing. Thanks Jenny :)
ReplyDeleteI'm a big fan of all things Greek mythology too Kim! It's something I never tire of:)
DeleteI love the Trojan War. Once upon a time, I couldn't get enough! I would definitely like to give this one a try.
ReplyDeleteYay! I hope you like it:)
DeleteI enjoy picking one up and stepping outside my comfort zone on occasion Heidi!
ReplyDeletesound like a good book, I haven't heard of this series before, I will make sure to check it out soon ,, great review jenny
ReplyDeleteI always want to read more graphic novels, but I borrow them from the library and they do not have a lot.
ReplyDeleteGlad you liked this one, Jenny. I only read the first two books, but I like how you can read them in any order really. I also like how his images makes Greek mythology come alive just like the superhero comic books. I plan on going back and reading more from this series!
ReplyDeleteI feel like this is not something you'd normally pick up! But that's a good thing, right? I haven't read many graphic novels but I really do appreciate the artistic ability that goes into creating them.
ReplyDelete