This is a fun prequel to the Iliad and the Odyssey, portraying a life of Odysseus as a young man and forging new heroic adventures to creatively fill in gaps in his backstory. Without the poetry and voice of Homer eerily reaching to you across the millennia, the many recastings of his plots over the centuries have had to fly with either by some revitalization of the plot, by digging deeper into the character of the players of the stories, or by dwelling longer in the pathos of their tragedies and moral choices. In this version, author David Hair does a good job in all three of these spheres and does so by drawing on his strengths gained from writing about 10 epic fantasy tales.

We start with a bang as Odysseus in a visit with his family to the Oracle learns that he is not Ithacan King Laertes’s son but instead that of Sisyphus, in the lineage of Prometheus. (Though considered a descendant of Hermes in Homer, his being Sisyphus’ bastard was a non-Homeric version Wiki notes as found in Sophocles’ “Ajax”). A fight with his father over the king’s cruel reaction to his mother leads him to be banished. At the same time he realizes he must hide from the gods. Zeus has long put a jihad on all the descendants of Prometheus for bestowing too much knowledge to humans, such as the gift of fire (recall the punishment of the god to be chained forever to a rock ripped by an eagle and of the man to forever roll a rock up a hill). On the plus side, he was smitten at the temple with a brief encounter with Cassandra, a beautiful seer and daughter of Priam and Hecuba of Troy attending the Oracle with a royal delegation from that kingdom on the eastern Aegean. Also, he gathers in many clues to his fate which he must puzzle out through the rest of the book:

"He comes before you humbly, purified and desirous of knowledge.
…Then the Pythia speaks, obliterating all thought. Her voice is at times shrill, at others a low growl, her facing staring into a void, looking past me, looking through me.
'Purified? Where is the purity? He came to be purged yet he has been touched by another! Another? Nay, by two! Spawned in fire, born of lust, the renegade, the trickster, eternal traitor, eagle’s prey! Who dares! This is my place! Mine!'
… the fingers she jabs at me are violently accusing.
'Wit before wisdom! Concealed hands and hearts! Faithful yet false! Loved and loathed! Touched, more than touched: claimed, by another! I see you, False Daughter, the owl that swoops! But this one is not for you! Tainted chalice! Envenomed blade! Honorless, perilous! Lost wanderer! Twin-finder! And dangerous: yes, most dangerous! Wall breaker! Lock picker! True-hearted deceiver!
..I see you, cuckoo’s egg! Seed of the cursed! Rotted fruit of the tainted seed! I see you: son of Sisyphus!' "

The “False Daughter” turns out to be Athena, referring to the myth of her being born from the head of Zeus as just being a pretty tale for the common man. Athena soon enlists Odysseus as her champion and puts him with her other champion, Theseus, who helps train him up to use his extra boost of strength and speed she has endowed him with. That Theseus, the Minotaur slayer and first king of Athens, now deposed for his lecherous and drunken ways. The conflict between these two heroes is a core of this version, initially a source of comic relief in the crude egotism and amoral bloodlust and regular lust shown by Theseus compared to the more refined, logical, and moral deportment of the budding master of craft and diplomacy. Later, Theseus betrays team Athena and they become deadly enemies. Together you have in store for you their teamwork in kidnapping Helen and her twin brother Polydeuces at age 13 from their family palace in Sparta, the same Helen stolen later by Paris from husband Meneleus of Mycenae as the kickoff of the Trojan War. The why on Helen’s earlier abduction here provides a fascinating alternate twist on the origins of the Trojan War. A doublecross by Theseus has him absconding with them and hiding out in Hades, and lots of action attends both Odysseus and Trojan forces racing to free the twins in separate passages through that dangerous realm ruled by Hades and Persephone.

Among the pleasures of epic fantasy—clever world-building, quests that require both physical prowess and problem solving talents, and mastery of magic systems—the latter often flops for me as a rewarding element. Here, Hair impressed me with his scheme by which godly qualities in those with a lineage from human-god matings can be activated and lead to humans, the “theioi” (god-touched), who can serve the god behind their activation, who are in turn protected by their god. Aside from champions, the other types of theioi are the seer, the avatar (one whom can host a god’s personality), and the magus (who can tap into a gods supernatural powers), examples from which appear in this tale. An avatar for Athena, Iodama explains the system for the gods need to mess with human destiny:

"Imagine our world is an amphora like this one, too small for the gods to enter lest they destroy it, but with many holes through which they can reach inside. They do so to protect the ones they love—their people—from the people of other gods. But they can only act through those with the right blood …the god-touched. …The Trojans desire ascendancy over Achaea, so they attacked you, our “Man of Fire.”
…Gods compete; gods die. In this world, we theioi are their weapons, and can be turned on each other”.
“If there were no gods, would there be no war?”
Iodama snorts. “We are mankind, doomed to struggle and strive and fight and kill. As above, so below”. She jabs my chest with a bony finger. “Life is a struggle, Ithacan. Would you not prefer a world shaped by Athena—a place of wisdom and reason—than one made in the image of Skaya-Mandu’s Ishtar, or even Ares, the War God of Olympos?”

Yet who can you really trust anyone in the face of such a mercenary scheme? A member of Athena’s team who operates through a succession of human bodies casts the following ultimate puzzle for Odysseus to resolve by the end of the story:

That story she fed you—of gods creating the world, and of gods and men intertwined in a battle for survival—might not be the only explanation. … Here’s a thought for you—which came first: the egg, or the bird that laid it?

In terms of personal enjoyment, this one equalled my read of Miller’s prequel on the lover relationship between Achilles and Patroclus, “Song of Achilles”, but wasn’t at the peak of my pleasure meter in my love for Dan Simmon’s sci fi version of the Trojan War, “Ilium.”
This book was provided by the publisher for review through the Netgalley program.

The story was solid. It was intriguing to read about the early life of Odysseus as opposed to his role during the Trojan War and the Odyssey. The author was inconsistent with his use of language. One sentence he uses names from antiquity while in the next he uses modern vulgarity. It was pretty fast paced and was fascinating to read the connections of several mythological stories. I believe this was a decent start to what could potentially be a great series.

Athena's Champion by David Hair and Cath Mayo, a new way of looking at an old tale. The Olympian gods are real and so are their tales and scions. A young Odysseus has his eyes opened wide as he embarks on his strangely familiar and fated odyssey, starting at the beginning...

Odysseus was never one of my favourite heroes in Greek mythology partly because I sided with Troy and Hector in the epic battle of Troy. Yes, not even Brad Pitt as Achilles could change my loyalties in this regard. Since Odysseus had more than paid up for his treachery and the fact that he never wanted to be a part of the Trojan war in the first place had favoured him to me a bit. And Tennyson's poem invoking him as a tireless fighter who is intended to live life to the lees only accentuates this image.
David Hair and Cath Mayo's recent addition to this literary corpus brings yet another side of this Ithacan hero. Following the non-Homeric tradition which sees Odysseus as the son of Sisyphus, the book traces his journey of survival as a champion of Athena, the warrior goddess of logic and reason.
From the beginning itself, we feel a comradeship with Odysseus who are scared to wits when his stable world comes tumbling down. He knows his limitations and his silver tongue sets him apart from the usual heroes who are known for bloodshed and deeds of valour. The man we find here is fragile as any other human but refuses to be a pawn in the games of gods. How he will manage to do that is yet to be seen.
Though first in the part of a series, the story has a satisfying end so that the readers can keep their excitement leashed until the arrival of the next one. I loved the way the authors managed to give a modern interpretation to the existence of Greek Gods; they are alive till they are worshipped and thus the Trojan war turns out to be a decisive one regarding their survival.
To conclude, 'Athena's Champion' will hook anyone who loves Greek mythology. You feel right at home with Odysseus and with each turn of the page, we are pulled deeper into the story. It was an enjoyable and educative read which made me revisit some of my mythology references. Thank you, Ellie Pilcher of Canelo, for sending me an ARC and for the invitation to the blog tour.

Prince Odysseus of Ithaca is taken to the Pythia, his seer grandmother, to receive a blessing and be named his father's heir. Pythia proclaims him to be another man's son. Abandoned by his father and running from his true father's enemies, he is taken in by Athena to be her new champion. Trained and awakened, Odysseus is taken on a journey from the heavens to the gates of Hades. Odysseus proves to be of his father's line, but might spell his own doom.

I enjoyed the fast pace of this book and I loved the characters. I liked how the myth was made a bit more modern, but still retained a lot of the Attican cultures. Very good read and I can't wait to read the next one in the series.

Odysseus staggers away from this rite of passage an outcast, when he was expecting it to be part of his preparation and training for ruling Ithaca, a small rocky island off the Greek mainland. So he is out of options when Athena appears and offers to provide him with sanctuary, in return for his service. I’ve always had a soft spot for poor old Odysseus, whose – like Heracles – pays a high price for serving the gods, becoming entangled in the Trojan War and then taking ten long years to return home, to the extent that his name has come to mean a long, important journey… odyssey.

This retelling, however, deals with the events that lead up to the Trojan War and explains why the Greeks were such a quarrelsome lot. Once Odysseus has sworn his allegiance to Athena, he is automatically regarded with enmity by other members of the Olympian family, given they spend much of their time plotting against each other, terrified they will lose influence and get swallowed up by competing deities with more worshippers.
In this dangerous, uncertain world, where young Odysseus no longer even has the safety of his own family, he is forced to spend far more time than he’d like with Athena’s other champion, the mighty Theseus. This depiction has the great warrior as a bullying drunken braggart, convinced he is irresistible to woman. I like the fact that the events leading up to the Trojan War are not just explained by the gods’ insecurities, but also by Troy’s growing power as a trading centre that threatens the economy of the Spartan kingdom and the surrounding states.

I am conscious that I haven’t conveyed the pace and drama of this retelling – in amongst the intriguing backstory and strong characterisation, there is a cracking action adventure, full of fights, plots, desperate schemes and dangerous situations. Odysseus, though strong and well trained, is also too short to be able to prevail against might of a gigantic warrior like Theseus in hand-to-hand combat. However, he is clever, quick-witted and able to spin a tale to get himself out of a tricky situation, which is just as well…

I loved this one. And if you have a fondness for well-told retellings of Greek gods and heroes, this comes very highly recommended. While I obtained an arc of Athena’s Champion from the publisher via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
9/10

I have to admit, I have a soft spot for the Greek legends. I try to read everything associated with the Greek myths, and the Trojan Wars in particular. David Gemmell and Glyn Iliffe have been my go-to authors for a long time. However, with Athena’s Champion there is an excellent new series to get my teeth into. Written as a collaboration between David Hair and Cath Mayo, Athena’s Champion is the first in their Olympus Trilogy, a series which promises to bring the Greek myths to vivid life.

Athena’s Champion follows the adventures of Odysseus before he finds fame on the battlefields of Troy. It portrays the Greek hero as he learns his trade as a leader and a warrior, and as an instrument of the Gods. Several of the characters – Gods and heroes – who shape the Trojan Wars are introduced to us as the story weaves its way through ancient Greece and the depths of Hades itself.

An outcast from his home on Ithaca, Odysseus has to find his own place in the world while serving the ambitions and plans of his goddess, Athena. He is helped and guided by an immortal named Bria, who serves Athena and inhabits the bodies of mortals.

Odysseus is not the confident trickster we know for the traditional Trojan stories. He is learning his trade, though his quick intelligence and obvious courage. The enemies are not always obvious and not always tangible – Odysseus has to fight with his conscience as well as his physical opponents. The way he faces his trials head-on, and takes responsibility for his mistakes makes him a sympathetic hero and one who draws the reader to his side from the very first pages.

Ancient Greece and the realms of the gods and Hades are wonderfully recreated in all their majestic and terrifying glory. Hades, in particular, is a marvelous, wondrous world in which the reader can get lost as easily as the souls trapped within.

The book is written by co-authors David Hair and Cath Mayo and it is a testimony to their writing skills that the story is seamless – it is impossible to tell which parts were written by which author. In fact, if I hadn’t known there were two writers, I would never have guessed. They have managed to recreate ancient Greece, combining the mystical and magical with the history and legends to produce a story that is at once in the greatest tradition of Homer whilst offering a refreshing and unique vision of these timeless stories.

I can highly recommend this fascinating, engaging novel to anyone who loves the greatest traditions of the Greek myths.

This is a book I deeply enjoyed, it has a mix of Greek Mythology and Fantasy. The authors created a plausible young Odysseus, it doesn’t feel out of place or character. Its Odysseus through and through, and for me that adds a lot of value to the story.

Odysseus is a theios, “god-touched” awakened by Athena that offered him her protection. He was sceptic about the gods to later discover they were real and mankind is at their mercy. He’s also portrayed as idealistic, I would like to highlight his conversation with Bria about honor: “‘I thought Athena stood for honour.’ ‘Honour? No, she stands for logic, and logic has little place for irrational concepts like honour.”

Sometimes I felt as if the book goes in separate ways with Homer’s original story, nevertheless, the authors always manage to bring the story back to the original. It has a good ending and I look forward to the next book in the series.

Many Thanks to Canelo, David Hair, Cath Mayo and Netgalley for the opportunity.

My thanks to Canelo for an eARC of this ancient historical fantasy. Athena has long been a favourite goddess of mine in her role as Goddess of Wisdom so I was very drawn to ‘Athena’s Champion’ on title alone.

In this first in the Olympus Trilogy the young Prince Odysseus has his world torn apart when the oracle at Pytho reveals a secret that leads to his being outcast from his family. He is offered sanctuary by the Goddess Athena and is swiftly drawn into a war between the Olympians.

I was very enthusiastic when I started reading but my feathers were soon ruffled by the writers portraying Odysseus as a non-believer. While I understand that it can be difficult to write from the worldview of someone from an ancient society, this felt anachronistic.

With the entrance of Athena and her ‘god-touched’ (theioi) companions into the story Odysseus’ perspective soon shifts as he is awakened to a wider reality. Yet I continued to feel the way the gods were portrayed and the attempt to rationalise their existence and influence was handled in a way that left me feeling dissatisfied. Also, the dialogue at times seemed far too modern and was distracting.

I know these factors are not going to bother everyone (or maybe anyone aside from me) and despite having these issues I did quite enjoy the story and the incorporation of various legendary figures and events.

The journey to the Underworld and Hades’ role in the tale was very pleasing as so often in these explorations of Greek mythology he and other chthonic deities are just branded as villainous.

Overall the descriptions of characters, events and places were well executed. The cover art was stunning and I appreciated the glossary.

I have struggled a bit with the awarding of stars. It’s one of those that fell between 3 and 4 so rounded up to 4 stars as I am aware my reservations are idiosyncratic. I likely will continue with this series as I am interested in how the authors address Odysseus’ further adventures.

David Hair has created a wonderfully engaging story that provides the reader with the perfect marriage of Greek mythology and fantasy. Once you get going, you will NOT want to put this one down!

Athena’s Champion took a little bit for me to get into but once I was…amazing! I think a lot of writers tease about incorporating mythology into fantasy but it never turns out the way you expect. Hair has proven that there is a right way to get it one and I couldn’t be happier. I, personally, look forward to continuing this series and will be looking for other works by the author.

I received this copy from NetGalley and the publisher to read and provide my honest opinions.

What a wonderful book if you like Greek mythology. I loved the mix of fantasy and mythological characters.
Odisseus was well written and interesting as well as the other characters.
The plot was engagin and entertaining, keeping you hooked till the last page.
A must read for both mythology and fantasy lovers.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to Canelo and Netgalley for this ARC

Athena’s Champion is a story based around Greek mythology, and features the early days of Odysseus. It begins when the seeress of Pytho proclaims that Odysseus is not the son of King Laertes, but the son of Sisyphus. Unfortunately for him, all descendants from Sisyphus have a death warrant on their heads. Added to this, an embarrassed and livid Laertes then disowns Odysseus, but luckily new friends help him. After barely surviving an attack from a magical boar, the Goddess Athena intervenes and awakens him so he may be one of her ‘theioi’ or demi-gods.

Given the job of serving Athena, Odysseus becomes embroiled in the selfish battles between the gods of Olympus. When a kidnapping goes wrong, he finds himself facing the perils of the underworld where he meets his true ancestors. He must use his quick thinking to make it back to the world above.

Like many tales of mythology, this story was a complicated mix of characters and plot twists. However, it was very entertaining and I enjoyed it. One of my favourite parts was the episode through Hades’ underworld, which I could picture more easily than other settings in the story. Also, I quite enjoy seeing Hades score points over other gods.

Thank you to netgalley and Canelo publishers

For some time now I have been looking to sink myself in a good Greek Mythology book  (I chanced upon Circe late but I do want to read it)and that's when I chanced upon Athena's Champion. The blurb looked interesting and when I began reading I was glad I made the right choice.

The opening sequence is dramatic and makes for a good movie screenplay. I don't know why but I always imagine scenes in a book playing out like a movie. Do you guys do that? Anyhoo back to the plot, Odysseus, prince of Ithaca discovers that his true parentage comes from Prometheus lineage who is the god punished for sharing fire with mankind. He is brandished as a bastard and exiled. But the Goddess Athena gives him refuge and turns him into Theoi as well as requires him to play a part in a mission that was propelled by the prophecy that revealed Odysseus's true lineage. 

Despite such a heavy story they make it look so effortless and even those who have no patience to read such fantasies can do it.  I was admittedly apprehensive going in wondering if I will be able to complete it as my patience is unpredictable but I truly emerged satisfied at the other end.

full review on www.bibliogyan.com

I am a big fan of stories based around mythology. And I did enjoy reading. I did find a couple of times the story wasn’t gripping me, but I pushed though and I am glad I did. The last third of the book was brilliant. I really enjoyed the leaps of logic based around gods actions and those around them. What came first, the bird or the egg?

Athena's Champion by David Hair and Cath Mayo

Prince Odysseus of Ithaca is about to have his world torn apart. He’s travelled to the oracle at Pytho to be anointed as heir to his island kingdom; but instead the Pythia reveals a terrible secret, one that tears down every pillar of his life, and marks him out for death.
Outcast by his family, hunted by the vengeful gods, Odysseus is offered sanctuary by Athena, goddess of wisdom, and thrust into the secret war between the Olympians for domination and survival. Only his wits, and his skill as a warrior, can keep him ahead of their power games – and alive.
When one of Athena’s schemes goes drastically wrong, and the young Helen of Sparta is kidnapped, Odysseus must journey past the gates of Hades to save her. Falling in love with a Trojan princess, a bewitching woman who poses a deadly threat to both his homeland and Athena, won’t make his task any easier…

I liked the way the authors managed to bring ancient greece back alive in this book. The book includes famous stories most of you will already know and connect them in some way. I especially liked the way they portrayed the gods which are influencing lives of mortals and try to be better than the other gods. Even though some parts of the book were rather tough to read for me, I still liked the main ideas and characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I absolutely loved reading this book! I may be biased because my name is Athena and I love anything related to mythology and Greece, but this was also a great story.

The description briefly states that the book is "The first in a thrilling new historical fantasy series; Odysseus must embrace his secret heritage and outwit the vengeful Gods who would control or destroy him… "

Enter a snarky version of Odysseus, Theseus, the Gods and Goddesses in the authors' unique interpretations, and a host of other characters and you have quite an interesting story. I especially loved how they portrayed Athena and Hades.

I had to suspend known mythology/history and take the story for what it was at times, but it was still terribly entertaining for me. I liked the splashes of Greek words and insults thrown into the dialogue, but wish they had kept to traditional insults vs bringing in so much modern day slang.

This book earns a solid 4/5 stars, and I would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone who likes a good history, mythology, or fantasy based read!

This review also appears on my blog at https://onenursereader.wixsite.com/onereadingnurse-1/home/athena-s-champion-by-david-hair-and-cath-mayo

Prince Odysseus of Ithaca travels to the Oracle at Pytho to be affirmed as his father’s heir. But what should have been merely a routine ritual takes a shocking turn as a closely guarded secret is revealed, resulting in Odysseus being cast out into the world alone – a world where monsters and worse are bent upon killing him merely for who he is. The goddess Athena offers him sanctuary, awakening him as a theios, or god-touched, plunging him into the world of the Olympians and their constant struggle for power and dominance.

First of all, if you’ve read anything Homer, this is not the Odysseus you will expect to see. Rather, the best part of this story is seeing him grow into the hero of legend. This Odysseus is untried, barely out of his teens, but still embodies the qualities we know him best for – intelligence, versatility, and most of all cunning. In Athena’s service, he is trained as a warrior, and is quickly caught up in one of her many schemes. Several familiar faces make an appearance in rather unexpected places – Odysseus’s old friend Menelaus of Mycenae, Theseus (Poseidon’s son and the slayer of the Minotaur), and more, but perhaps most crucial of all, Helen of Sparta. Being Zeus’ daughter, the Skyfather awakens her and her twin brother Polydeuces in a new scheme to tip the balance of power. The lines of war between the gods as seen during the Trojan war are already being drawn. The beauty contest of the goddesses and the following judgement of Paris (or Parassis in this book) plays out under very different circumstances and leads to Athena’s scheme to spirit the twins away – a scheme that goes horribly wrong, resulting in Odysseus joining the mission to retrieve the young Princess, who, due to her theia powers is currently the most prized asset in the Mediterranean.

Athena’s Champion is essentially the story before the Trojan War, the tales less talked about. There’s an interesting equation between Odysseus and Kyshanda (better known as Cassandra of Troy), and knowing what happens in the Trojan War, I’m curious to see how this is going to play out. Helen is evolving into a very fascinating, and no doubt crucial character in the sequel beyond the obvious and I’m looking forward to seeing how her character in going to be portrayed in events going forward. The story is told in first-person of course, but despite being first and foremost Odysseus’s journey, there are several other key players, all given their due importance in this fast paced and imaginative adventure that will have you hooked from page one.

Among the many mythological worlds I have delved into, Greek mythology ranks among my favourites. Athena’s Champion is definitely one more to add to that list. In some ways, Greek mythology has been turned on its head, but the strongest recognizable elements are still there, just twisted. Most of the events in the book line up with the major myths I know – it turns around and heads off in what seems to be a completely unrelated direction, but always loops back to the original tale, presenting it in an entirely new light – and somehow, it all lines up into a pretty great narrative!

Athena's Champion is a recommended choice for readers who, like me, appreciate quality fantasy and science fiction, but who also hold a soft spot in their hearts for mythology. The book draws on classical mythology and casts these ideas in new ways for an exciting story.

This is the first book I have read by Hair and Mayo, but I do hope to check out others like this one.

This is the story of Odysseus. It starts when he is a young prince getting ready to go before the oracle at Pytho. He wants nothing more than to rule Ithaca one day just like his father. His life will be turned upside down after hearing the oracle. He will be marked for death. He will be hunted.

I really enjoyed this book. I haven't read any Greek mythology in a while, so this was a nice change of pace. I loved some of the characters, and absolutely hated some others. Reading about how the women were treated then never fails to piss me off! This was my first time reading anything by David Hair and I will definitely read more.

This book was a breath of fresh air to Greek mythology. In this action, packed tale, you will follow a younger Odysseus. Saved by the Goddess herself Odysseus and Athena’s fates are crossed. If you are a lover of Greek Mythology this would be a great book. Overall, this book was written well and captures the God and Goddess as if it were from the past.

This book was given to me by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.