I will admit that I got thrown off at the start with all the bizarre names given to the gods in the book. I was tempted to leave the book but something told me to keep going. I was certainly not disappointed by this very well-written story that emphasizes on the consequences of bullying (Let's face it, what the other students do is bullying) as well as abuse by persons in positions of authority such as the A----le Artemis and the difference in social classes created by the society. The author masters the way of spinning those two situations into a fantasy tale that virtually takes the reader on-site where the abuse, torture, action, and fighting take place. I have not read other books in this series but I will. Definitively a 5 STARS