Book Details:
Book Title: The Sky Throne by Chris Ledbetter
Category: YA Fiction, 300 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Month 9 Books
Release date: April 18, 2017
Content Rating: PG + M (No f-words but there may be some mild profanity, and mild religious expletives such as “damn”, “hell” and “Oh God!”, some depictions of violence. No drug use or underage drinking. Some semi-mature themes – suggestion of sexual misconduct by certain characters, but not the actual performing of it.)
Book Description:
Duality dwells at every turn, and an adolescent Zeus will learn that all too well when Hyperion attacks his family on Crete.
When the dust settles, his mother is unconscious and his best friend left for dead.
Stacking epic insult upon fatal injury, Zeus discovers the woman who raised him is not his biological mother. But to ensure her safety while she recovers, a heavy-hearted Zeus leaves her behind to seek answers at Mount Olympus Preparatory Academia.
Zeus embarks on a quest to discover who ordered the attack on his home, avenge the death of his friend, and find his birth mother. When some of his new schoolmates vanish, Zeus’s quest is turned upside down, and the only way to make things right is to access the power of The Sky Throne, confront a most dangerous enemy, and take his life back.
On his way to becoming king of the Greek gods, Zeus will learn to seize power, neutralize his enemies, and fall in love.
Book Review:
I am not an expert of mythology, in fact I am very much a beginner. But I am so glad to say that Chris Ledbetter’s obvious love for the topic has helped me find my own love of it. I wanted you to know i am not an expert, so that you can understand that anyone can read this book. Sometimes, greek mythology can feel impossible to understand. Between the numerous characters with unfamiliar names, the fantastical locales, and the winding interweaving storylines, can all create a perfect storm of mythical insurmountability.
If you are anything like me, you see greek mythology and run away, scared to feel stupid. DON’T! The beauty of The Sky Throne is in its simplicity. Chris Ledbetter allowed the gods to be accessible in a way that I have never seen, while creating an altogether original concept of the life of Zues. I felt at times like I was reading a normal young adult fiction but learning so much about mythology at the same time. I feel like I should start the Iliad tomorrow.
If you are a “greek-freak,” saw that term online when reading about this book and I love it, you will definitely get into this. You might be even find way more meaning and symbolism in the text.
I am excited to read the next book in the series and see where Zues goes from here. This book is a quick read with a lot of depth. Zues is a normal teenager in extraordinary circumstances. I had never considered the origin of Zues, the details of how he came to power, but I’m so glad someone did.
Chris Ledbetter is an award-winning author of short fiction and novels for young adults. “Jason’s Quest,” a short story retelling of the Jason and Medea Greek myth was published in the anthology, Greek Myths Revisited. His first full-length novel, Drawn earned him two awards, Library of Clean Reads Best YA 2015 and Evernight Publishing Readers’ Choice Award Best YA 2015, as well as a USA TODAY “Must Read” recommendation. His second novel, Inked, concludes that duology. The Sky Throne is his newest young adult series. It includes, thus far, The Sky Throne and The High Court.
He’s a proud member of SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators) and a strong supporter of the Need for Diverse Books. He now writes and lives in Wilmington, NC with his family, including three cats.
Connect with the author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Pinterest ~ Instagram
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