A Trial of Gods, A Test of Loyalty. High atop Mount Olympus, as dawn breaks on a new academic term, normalcy returns to campus following a harrowing expedition into The Underworld to rescue kidnapped students. Zeus and his fellow Olympians now prepare to testify in The High Court where Hyperion will be tried for the attack on Crete and death of Anytos and Kronos will stand trial for the murder of MO Prep’s Headmaster Ouranos. As the trial draws near, the MO Prep students and faculty are besieged repeatedly by a race of gargantuan stone and earth giants. Under heavy assault, the Olympians are forced to flee to the volcanic island of Limnos to regroup. Meanwhile, a toxic poison Zeus has carried with him since a prior fight with a dragoness creeps toward his brain. In a race against time and beasts, Zeus and his friends must find a way to survive not only the toxin ravaging Zeus’ body, but also the giants who grow stronger after every attack, and somehow make it to the The High Court alive. For young adults interested in mythology, fantasy, and legal thrillers. "Ledbetter is not letting his heroes off easy in this next book and as is tradition with second books of a series, the stakes are even higher than before. It is clear that his style and refinement in the craft is better handled than in the previous book. The world building of this series continues to amaze, since not since Percy Jackson has an author created such a self-contained world of mythology and used it to such effect. It would be derivative to compare it to the likes of Harry Potter or other classic series where the majority of action and story happens at a school, but Ledbetter uses this setting to his advantage at every turn. Ledbetter has written another great installment in his Greek mythology series and anyone who enjoys fantastical settings and compelling, fun characters would be remiss to skip this series." - Literary Titan ★★★★ Chris Ledbetter is a former high school teacher, football coach, and has worked in various managerial and marketing capacities throughout his life. He has walked the streets of Los Angeles and New York City, waded in the waters of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, climbed Diamond Head crater on Hawaii, and rang in the New Year in Tokyo, Japan. But he dreams of one day visiting Greece and Italy. He is the author of The Sky Throne . He lives in Wilmington, North Carolina. The High Court By Chris Ledbetter Month9Books Copyright © 2018 Chris Ledbetter All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-946700-72-8 CHAPTER 1 Dismissing the sunset behind them, iron-gray storm clouds draped over the big island of Crete when I hurled to the courtyard of Eastern Crete Lower Academy. Salty air hung damp with moisture. A familiar, yet foreign, sensation passed through me like spiritual residue as my gaze trailed around the empty courtyard. A landmark stood out in the twilight, the music hall, the site of the last class I'd ever taken at the school, the site of my final showdown with the headmasters. I remembered with fondness the pranks I'd pulled on the faculty. They were funny, not menacing. Their lack of humor was not my problem. I still didn't know why they'd taken things so seriously. My friends and siblings from Mount Olympus Prep — still couldn't get accustomed to calling them that ... siblings — encircled the single blue Hurler post in the center of the square. Siblings, all but one. Metis sidled over to my side and threaded her fingers between mine. I reveled in her softness, the calm to my storm. A whirlwind had whipped me about over the past months. First, the expulsion from Eastern Crete. Then, Hyperion's attack on my home and killing Anytos. A ragged sigh escaped my lips. Anger seeped into my veins. Forced to leave the only mother I'd ever known, I had vowed vengeance on Hyperion. That is, until I met Kronos. And then I despised them both. Then my new school, Mount Olympus Preparatory Academeia, came under attack. Friends were abducted. Our headmaster, Ouranos, was murdered. And Kronos was the one responsible. I knew in my ichor he had done it. All that remained was to face Hyperion and Kronos in court. Their time was running short. Headmistress Tethys of Eastern Crete appeared through a far doorway of an administrative building. She stopped abruptly upon noticing us, tilted her gaze toward the western sky for a moment, and then walked briskly toward us. Concern wrinkled her brow. "I was just heading to housing for the night," she said. "It's rather late in the evening for visitors from faraway lands." Tethys' ice blue gaze traveled over the lot of us before landing on me. "Thought sure I'd never see you again after the shameful manner in which you left." "Shameful?" My heart thudded against my chest. "What does that mean?" Tethys' face tightened. "Well, for one thing, you weren't the most serious pupil, were you? You pulled more pranks than you had passing grades. I have no idea how you made it to Mount Oly