Inside cover blurb:
Old Gods never die…
Or so Athena thought. But then the feathers started sprouting beneath her skin, invading her lungs like a strange cancer, and Hermes showed up with a fever eating away his flesh. So much for living a quiet eternity in perpetual health.
Desperately seeking the cause of their slow, miserable deaths, Athena and Hermes travel the world, gathering allies and discovering enemies both new and old. Their search leads them to Cassandra—an ordinary girl who was once an extraordinary prophetess, protected and loved by a god.
These days, Cassandra doesn’t involve herself in the business of gods—in fact, she doesn’t even know they exist. But she could be the key in a war that is only just beginning.
Because Hera, the queen of the gods, has aligned herself with other of the ancient Olympians, who are killing off rivals in an attempt to prolong their own lives. But these anti-gods have become corrupted in their desperation to survive, horrific caricatures of their former glory. Athena will need every advantage she can get, because immortals don’t just flicker out.
Every one of them dies in their own way. Some choke on feathers. Others become monsters. All of them rage against their last breath.
The Goddess War is about to begin.
Thoughts:
Let me just start out by saying there are some seriously gruesome bits in this book. I guess I should have known considering Kendare Blake did write a horror duology (Anna Dressed in Blood), but reading about Athena pulling bloody feathers out of her eye…. *shudder*
But gore aside, I was pretty impressed by Blake’s take on the Greek pantheon. I’ve definitely read a lot of books based on Greek mythology, but this felt like something fresh. And spooky! I also like that she found a way to incorporate the mortal heroes, so it feels like getting the gang back together in the modern age.
Not sure that I’ll read the sequel…but I might just to see if Hades makes an appearance!
Plus: A fresh take on the old myths. Great action scenes, which can be really hard to pull off.
Minus: Why are they teenagers again…? I feel like there is some much needed context missing here.
If you like this book, try:
The Hidden Oracle (The Trials of Apollo #1) by Rick Riordan- Teenage god, but with a much more slapstick feel.