The Sky Throne by Chris Ledbetter is a re-imagining of Greek mythology unlike any other. A teenage Zeus attends the academy of Eastern Crete with his friend Anytos. A rough day at school gets the pair tossed out due to Zeus’ mischievousness. The next day, the sun greets the pair. Literally. Hyperion descends with the sun chariot, demanding 'the orphan boy’. The ensuing scuffle leaves Anytos dead, and Zeus’ ma, Amalthea, gravely injured. Zeus is whisked away, to Mount Olympus Prep in order to be protected, where he learns he was Hyperion's true target. MO Prep, as the scant six students call it, used to have many more students before Kronos broke from it, taking the majority of students and forming Othrys Academy. Unfortunately, no sooner has Zeus found a home here, then it all begins coming unravelled. He has several run-ins with students from Othrys, his fellow male students give him the nickname 'Spruce’ due to his scrawny frame, and then students begin to go missing, along with Ouranos, the Headmaster. Can they all survive, and find their missing mates before the academy closes for good?

Set in ancient times, this humorous tale looks at the war between Titan and Olympian is a rather different, less literal fashion. Kronos doesn't eat his children. The battle between the two is in context of War Games between rival schools- Mount Olympus Prep, and Othrys Academy. With humour akin to Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series, Ledbetter breathes new life into the classic myth of the rise of the Olympians over the Titans. Besides Anytos, there is another death. I won't give it away, though those who remember their Greek mythology should figure it out fairly quickly, since all the gods keep their original names.

I loved the rivalry between Zeus and Hera regarding the Sky Throne. It's said that others, especially students, should not sit on the Sky Throne. Even just climbing to the foot of it can affect the students, much less sitting on it. Going near it is what gave Zeus, Hera, and Hades unique gifts- thought reading, energy manipulation, cloaking. The author weaves science in as well. In addition to cosmic dust, dark matter and dark energy are mentioned. Erebus, the Elder God and ⅓ of the Khaos Council, is mostly created from dark matter/energy. That's kinda neat. Cosmic dust not only assists nourishment, but plays a part in artifact creation, such as weapons, or the pillars known as Hurlers that serve a transporter function, allowing for near instantaneous travel.

A few things I wish were different: there's a pretty neat mystery going on. For as fantastically advanced as these deities seem to be, there are times common sense seems to fail. Like not securing the crime scene at all… or inviting everyone to traipse through it. I don't expect CSI forensics. After all, still ancient world. But secure the scene, yeah? Also, I know from Zeus’ point of view, Prometheus is a 'bad guy’, but I find it hard to reconcile the culture hero who gave humanity fire with ‘Promo’, who is a bully. Kronos didn't seem as fierce as I'd expected, either. There were times when he got rather whiny. Just saying. I'm definitely looking forward to reading the next in the series!

Recommended for those who like Greek mythology, or who enjoy the Percy Jackson series.

***Many thanks to the author and Chapter by Chapter Tours for providing an copy in exchange for a fair and honest review. ( )

Zeus felt like he didn’t belong, it’s like he was invisible at school and the only thing he had to look forward to was taking over his mother’s goat farm . He was a student at Eastern Crete Lower Academy but he found school boring so he spent his time pulling pranks with his best friend. Life changes quickly though as Hyperion attacks his home, now his best friend is left for dead and Zeus is left with the knowledge that the woman raising him is not his real mother.

Now Zeus is being taken away to Mount Olympus Preparatory Academia so he can be protected from Hyperion and to prepare him for what’s coming. Now he has a new life and is meeting new people in the academy but now his classmates are beginning to vanish and its up to Zeus to find out what’s happening and who is trying to kill him.

The Sky Throne by Chris Ledbetter is a coming of age story for people who love Greek mythology. The story has a lot of action and is a great read for kids with an interest in mythology. I enjoyed how the schools are described and how the book gets into describing what Greek society is like. This is a perfect read for kids in middle school, they will love the introduction to mythology and will find all the characters easy to relate too. This is also a good starting point for kids who are wanting to become better readers and discover the joys of YA fiction. ( )

This is the second book I have read from this author. The second time around was easier. What I mean by this is that I was able to jump right into this story with ease; everything from the storyline to the characters drew me in. Young readers to adults will enjoy this book and you don't have to be into mythology.

Zeus is the perfect lead character. I like that this story features Zeus and the rest of the characters as young teens. Mount Olympus Preparatory Academia is an interesting school. You could say it is like the Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. I like Zeus would be anxious to try transforming myself as both inanimate objects and living beings. The story picked up towards the last third of the story. This is where we see Zeus and several of his class mates battle the bad Gods. The Sky Throne is a book worthy of the Gods! ( )

I received a copy in exchange for an honest review and I am so glad I did. I LOVED this story. Trying to keep up with all the Greek names was a challenge so I was really happy with the nicknames given. I could picture everything so clearly in my mind that it was like watching a movie. I'm an instant fan and do hope there are more stories following this one. ( )

This book follows in the vein of Rick Riordan's mythological tales. The protagonist is a young Zeus with a sense of humor and maturity similar to Percy Jacksons. While there are a lot of similarities between Riordan's tales and this one, there are also several things that set them apart. The Sky Throne presents some alternate and less commonly known aspects of the mythology, and there are fewer characters to get drawn into. We mostly view the story through Zeus' eyes. Overall, young fans of mythology will find this a comfortable read to slip into. ( )