Harper Collins paperback, £6-99
When Sosi's brother Theron is injured during training for the Olympic Games, Sosi reluctantly uses his strange shape-changing ability and sheds his skin to take his form and his place. But Theron's injury was no accident. Soon other athletes are being targeted as well in a Persian plot to disrupt the Games. Only Sosi has the power to stop the terrorists from using the sacred Olympic flame to raise an ancient demon intent on killing his friends.
This story takes place during the games of the 113th Olympiad, which were held at Olympia in Ancient Greece. Many of the events are similar to those we have in our Olympic Games today, but in ancient times the Games were a religious festival based at Temple of Zeus with its fabulous statue of the god. The winner of the boys' sprint had the honour of carrying the Olympic torch to light the sacred fire on the third day of the festival, an honour Theron is determined will be his.
Read an extract HERE.
What they said...
¬ "A thrilling adventure of sorcery, plotting, poison and power struggles." Becky Innes, Kyriakou Bookshops.
¬ "An exciting fantasy adventure...one of the few books on the subject aimed at younger readers." Nottingham Evening Post.
¬ "This tale of sorcery, potions and power struggles will have you turning the pages faster than a gold medal sprinter." Animals and You.
¬ "Really good stuff." cool-reads.co.uk
Yes. They had their own festival called the Games of Hera. These also took place at Olympia but in different years from the Olympics (which were held every four years, just as they are today). But that didn't stop determined women entering the Olympic Games disguised as men... in fact this became such a problem, the judges passed a law that declared all trainers and athletes must compete naked! Women could also "compete" by owning racehorses entered in the chariot race. Princess Kyniska of Sparta, whose horses won at two Olympics, had the honour of seeing her statue erected in the sacred precinct. And speaking of statues... The statue of the goddess Nike in the hand of Zeus gave her name to the sports company we know today. Her name means "victory", and she makes a magical appearance in this book as Sosi's guardian angel.
ASK THE UNICORN: Did girls ever compete at Olympia?