Olympians

May 3, 2010
Following the first book in the Olympians series, Zeus: King of the Gods, this volume begins with a quick summary of the previous tale, before moving on to the story of the goddess of wisdom. O’Connor does a nice job of using the three Fates to do the serious storytelling of the myth, while incorporating casual, fun dialogue between characters and making the portrayal of the difficult friendship between Athena and her best friend, Pallas, daughter of Triton, relatable to modern readers. In the emotional scenes in which the two fight in a tournament and Athena accidentally stabs her friend, the two girls’ faces are expressive and clear, showing all the love, fear, and guilt they feel. The necessarily episodic story moves lightly from one narrative to another, with endnotes that give concise and clear explanations of the myths and their characters. O’Connor also gives some information about the lives of women in ancient Greece, noting, “I’m glad I live in a time when girls can be more like Athena,” thus bringing the story into the here-and-now for its readers. Ages 9–up.

Starred review from May 1, 2010
Gr 5-9-Five myths featuring the Greek goddess are included in this volume. Dialogue is modern ("What's gotten into you, Zeus?" "I wanna bite him!"), while narration, provided by the Fates, retains a more formal tone. A good balance is struck between exposition and action: readers familiar with these stories will enjoy seeing them brought to life with such vigor, while sufficient background is provided so that children reading about the Greek gods for the first time will not find themselves lost at sea. The family tree of the immortals is a useful tool even for the most experienced readers. O'Connor's drawings, full of energetic diagonals and expressive faces, are nicely balanced by spare settings and minimalistic backgrounds. A sophisticated color palette, full of midtones and subtle contrasts, and panel layouts that vary from page to page further distinguish the art. The author's affection for his subject is evident in a chatty note. Profiles of major characters, notes, and discussion questions appear in addition to the usual back matter. An exceptional graphic novel."Paula Willey, Baltimore County Public Library, Towson, MD"

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2010
Grades 5-9 OConnor kicked off the Olympians graphic-novel series with Zeus: King of the Gods (2010) and now follows up with the story of Zeus forehead spawn. Top-notch artwork and design values are used to tell five myths involving Athena, including complementary (or conflicting) stories of how she gained the Pallas moniker along with quick treatments of Perseus and Medusa and the weaver Arachne. OConnors take on mythology is well researched, synthesized, and presented, yet it still maintains a stupendous superhero appeal. The next 10 planned books in the series cant come out fast enough.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2010
In this graphic novel, the Fates narrate a collection of myths featuring the Greek goddess, including the story of her birth from Zeus's skull, the Olympians' battle with the Gigantes, and Medusa's betrayal of Athena. The lively format brings a modern sensibility to the ancient myths and makes them accessible to a wide audience. Reading list. Bib.

(Copyright 2010 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)