The Eye of Zeus

A thrilling read where Phoebe Katz, abandoned in New York as a child, discovers her destiny on Olympus as a daughter of Zeus. This book made me look up a number of the stories of Greek gods and mythology, and would be perfect for children 8+ who have been learning about this topic. The only reservation I have is that the language is very American, and I found the dialogue quite grating, so I probably wouldn't choose it to read aloud to a class in the UK. However, I'd definitely recommend it to fans of Percy Jackson etc.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I'm giving this book 4.5 stars, rounding it up to 5. I really enjoyed this book! It has definitely got Percy Jackson vibes which I really liked; I LOVE Greek mythology! The characters were so much fun and I adored the voice in this book.

My only quibbles were that some of the words the MC used took me out of the story a bit, as they didn't always sound like something a middle grader would say (like referring to your home as your "crib") and it reminded me that the book is written by an adult--which of course it is. Also, one of the characters is nicknamed "sun-brain", which for me was just a tad too close to Percy Jackson's nickname "seaweed-brain".

Overall, I really enjoyed THE EYE OF ZEUS. If you liked Percy Jackson and want a little bit of a twist with a female protagonist, I'd definitely recommend this book!

The Eye of Zeus follows Phoebe Katz as she ventures to Olympus in order to save a long time friend and parental figure with her friends. It is a fast-paced, bold adventure, with mythology, monsters, and lots of fighting.

I really enjoyed this book, it follows a female main character battling monsters to save a friend, destroying almost everything else around her to to do so. She is strong, stubborn and brave, but mostly stubborn and resilient for being a foster kid of so long. The book is action packed and takes Greek mythology tales and turns them on their heads a bit.

This is the first book in a series and it starts so quickly, you meet Phoebe and then she starts getting attacked almost immediately. Luckily she has two friends to help her, Angie and Damian. Angie is always hungry and a great character for comic relief in the rough times, and Damian is a know it all, which actually comes in really handy in order to defeat monsters. There are even a few demigods that help as well.

So why only 4 stars and not 5, well.... this book it eerily similar to Percy Jackson, which is fine because I enjoyed that one a lot too. This book does change a few key things but there were a lot of very striking similarities throughout.

Overall, if you or your children enjoyed Percy Jackson, this would be a great read. I think it could resonate more with girls, as it is a girl main character and let's be realistic, as a female sometimes I wish there were more books with brave, battling female main characters like this one had. I appreciate it even though the tale is similar.

The Eyes of Zeus by Alane Adams is the first book in a new middle grades fantasy series, The Legends of Olympus. The main character is Phoebe Katz, a girl who was abandoned by her parents when she was a newborn. She has been bounced around the foster system for years. and has experienced some trouble in school. Phoebe is having an ordinary day at Dexter Academy until she starts seeing some things that are definitely not typical, such as a two headed dog, a hydra, harpies, and talking statues. Phoebe quickly discovers that she is not an ordinary girl. She is in fact a daughter of Zeus and the twin sister of Perseus! She is really Princess Phoebe of Angos and she was gifted the power to call lightning. She was sent away from Olympus because of a prophecy. At first Phoebe wants nothing to do with Olympus or the Greek gods, but Ares wants Phoebe to fulfill the prophecy and forces her to enter the magical world of ancient Greece or she would face consequences.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was a fast easy read and very appropriate for the intended audience. It could definitely be used to help teach about Greek mythology in a fun manner. It did feel a bit like I was reading Percy Jackson combined with Narnia, but the story is genuinely entertaining.

**Thank you author and Net Galley for sharing an ARC with me in exchange for an honest review.**

The fact that there was a strong female protagonist was a huge plus for me from the get-go. I was a big fan of the Percy Jackson series, so I was super excited to review this as well. I loved the fun and fast-paced adventure in this book. It took me right back into the reason(s) why I loved Percy Jackson so much. This was a book cram packed with action that I could not put down. I am excited that this is becoming a series, and I cannot wait to recommend it to my students!

For fans of Percy Jackson and/or Rick Riordan series, I highly recommend this!

this is a great book for those who love Rick Riorden and others who write about ancient Greek heroes and gods. When the heroine discovers that she is not an orphan, but is actually the daughter of Zeus and sister of Perseus that is shocking enough, but then she finds that there is a prophesy that says she will be the cause of Olympus's destruction. things go down hill from there but it makes for a really exciting story that will have the reader on the edge of their seat. I hope there are more adventures to come?

I'm a huge fan of Greek Mythology if my years of obsessing over Percy Jackson is any indication. Also Middle Grade action books are some of my favorites if you want something to read that will make you forget about your own problems. The protagonist was funny and relatable and all of the other characters were likable and fun. I also thought the plot was fun.

Fans of Rick Riordan's mythology stories (or the ones from his imprint) or those of Kate O'Hearn should enjoy this story that has a Percy Jackson feel to it. There's a pre-teen demigod, monsters, a quest and a prophecy. I enjoyed the ensemble in this, although Phoebe's friends were inconsistent at times whether they were going to be cautious and reluctant or all in for the adventure. My other disappointment was with how quickly and easily Phoebe understood her powers. There's no mentor or camp or brochure to tell her how they work. She just knows magical words and what powers are in her repertoire instinctively, I guess.

The mythology is spot on and the quest includes sufficient danger to keep readers engaged and flipping pages. Mythology fans should check out this series launch.

The Eye of Zeus is the story of Phoebe Katz's journey to save her social worker, Carl, who has been kidnapped by Ares who is trying to overthrow Zeus (who also happens to be Phoebe's father). Phoebe and her two friends, Angie and Damian travel throughout Ancient Greece to fulfil an ancient prophecy in the hopes of stopping Ares.

Phoebe learns she is a daughter of Zeus and can conjure lightning which proved to be both helpful and harmful during the course of this book. I enjoyed reading the story from Phoebe's point of view. She also has two great friends who believed her pretty quickly that she was a demigod. I loved Damian since he's a big mythology nerd like me. He knew more than me since I'd never heard of Erinyes before reading this.

My favorite aspect of this book though was the Ancient Greece world. Since I'm use to reading a certain Greek mythology series that has the gods in our world, I thought the way the characters entered Greece was a new take on a present day mythology story. Overall I'd give this book 4 stars since it was so fun to read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Alane Adams, and SparkPress for the opportunity to read The Eye of Zeus in exchange for an honest review.

Cute for middle grade. I know everyone has said this, but even just the book blurb shouts "Percy Jackson Knockoff." While there are many similarities, there is more than enough difference to make this book unique. I really liked Adams' The Legends of Orkney series. I would actually rather see a mythology tackled by this author that we don't really see as often in literature for younger readers, rather than the over-done Greek mythology.

About the plot: Phoebe Katz is the daughter of Zeus. When Ares takes her caseworker, Carl, she learns of her heritage and sets out on a quest to save him. There is a prophecy that Phoebe is fated to destroy Olympus. Somehow, with the magic of Olympus, Phoebe and her two friends, Angie and Damian, hitch a ride on a pegasus and end up in Ancient Greece.

Disaster seems to follow Phoebe throughout her travels in the ancient land. The trio set out on a quest throughout the lands of ancient Greece to find six items to place into the Eye of Zeus, a mirror-like object that is meant to help Phoebe save Olympus...and Carl.

They must defy fate, solve the riddle of the Spinx, slay a hydra (and a lion and a boar and a chimera), and cut off just a small piece of Cerberus' tail. Prophesies are often misconstrued. Can Phoebe read between the lines and twist the fate that everyone believes she must fulfill?

Two things I really like about this book: 1. The humor and 2. the illustrations. There are plenty of funny moments that made me actually laugh aloud and I had to read that part to my husband. Throughout there are also gorgeous illustrations of the various monsters and characters throughout Phoebe's journey.

One thing I didn't like: much of the dialogue felt flat and even a bit boring at times, though descriptions of events and creatures were interesting.

For the most part, a fun middle-grade adventure to the ancient land of Greece. A nice dive into mythology for young readers who have not yet been exposed to Greek mythology.

Also, check out the publisher's book trailer. It's very well done, more effort than many of the book trailers I have seen and relays the premise better than the book blurb!

Phoebe Katz is an orphan doing her best to stay out of trouble. She is not an ordinary orphan however, she is a daughter of Zeus and bound to a prophecy that might destroy her. This book encompasses friendship and confronting one's demons. It is geared toward youth, however there are lessons for all who read it, adults included. If you love Greek mythology, you will love this book. It differs from Rick Riordan in many ways, however fans of his will enjoy this book as well. Fret not fans, Katzy, Angie and Damian will return.