Book Review: Olympus by G. Johns et al.

 Olympus written by Geoff Johns and Kris Grimminger, and illustrated by Butch Guice

An archaeology professor and three of her students end their European learning tour with a dive in the Aegean Sea. They discover a very old shipwreck and bring back a box. The archaeology program is about to be shut down because they haven't had any results, so the team decides to open the box rather than turn it over to the Greek authorities. They discover a strange and ancient vase inside. A storm suddenly comes up as another ship approaches too close. The other boat is full of mercenaries who board the archaeologists' ship. The storm gets worse, destroying the mercenary vessel. The science boat crashes on a sun-drenched beach. Suddenly the storm is gone. The shore is unfamiliar, especially the gigantic statue of Zeus on the hillside. The people discover they are shipwrecked on Mount Olympus and are soon fighting all sorts of mythical (or so they thought) monsters in an attempt to return the vase to its proper place at the top of Olympus.

The story is fun and action-packed. The violence is a bit gruesome at points (a Cyclops eats what a Cyclops eats) and the language is definitely R-rated. The mercenaries are generally unlikable, making them good cannon fodder for the island's inhabitants. The archaeologists are the heroes. One female student wears a bikini through the whole story, which seems unlikely and looks exploitative. That's the kind of action story this is.

Recommended for some light action reading.