Early Reader Review: The Medusa Quest by Alane Adams

Source: From the Author in exchange for an honest review. This in no way alters my opinion or review.

The Medusa Quest by Alane Adams 

Series: The Legends of Olympus Book 2
Publisher: Spark Press
Publication Date:  TODAY, April 13, 2021

 

Format: Paperback

Rating:


Goodreads Synopsis: 

Phoebe Katz is back on a new mission to save Olympus and undo the fallout from her first visit. Damian has troubling news—the epic mythology stories in the books are changing. Instead of Perseus slaying Medusa and becoming a hero, the books now say he’s turned to stone. Worse, thanks to Phoebe slaying the Nemean lion and the Lernean hydra to complete the Eye of Zeus, Hercules failed his first two trials—which means he’s not the immortal hero he’s supposed to be.

After speaking with the oracle who brought her to New York, Phoebe learns that without great heroes, the entire fabric of Greek mythology is in peril. She must go back to Olympus and right the history she wrecked. To do that, she must embark on a quest to collect the items she will need to help Perseus defeat Medusa, including the curved blade the Argus Slayer, the winged shoes of Hermes, and Hades’s Helmet of Invisibility, and convince Hercules to complete his new trials without giving up—despite the efforts of a powerful force that will stop at nothing to see the demi-god children of Zeus destroyed. Can Phoebe collect the items she needs and save Olympus once again?

 

Review: 

Phoebe must return to Olympus in this second installment of the Legends of Olympus in order to rescue her brother and also to fix some of the things she messed up her first time there. 

Phoebe is still strong, brave, and stubborn, but she knows that she has a job to do and will do anything in order to finish it and make sure things are right again in Olympus... at least enough for how the tales are told in her world to be correct and back to normal-ish. 

The action in this book starts right off and I think middle grade readers will enjoy that. This book still has the Percy Jackson feel of the first book, but it is a creative retelling of the legends of the heroes of Olympus and it shows their personalities in a fun way. In a way it kind of teaches the reader a bit about the mythology while also changing it for the premise or the book - that is where Damian's character comes in, he is a wealth of knowledge. 

I liked that in this book, the author tried to give us more about the companion characters, tried to grow them into more fully fleshed out people versus just bait like the last book.

I really enjoy mythology so this was a fun read for me and I enjoyed following Phoebe and her friends again as they navigated their way through the world of these legends. I think that Phoebe still has a lot of room for growth and needs to be a bit less impulsive, but she is entertaining and her friends are what are holding her together but also cleaning up after her. 

I think overall there needs to be more character growth, but for a middle grade reader I think that this will be a fun and fast book that will keep them on their toes and have them wanting more of Phoebe and her friends. 

Other books by Alane Adams