Eliza Raine

Like the rest of the series, this book hits with excitement from start to finish.

Normally, I put a short summary here, but I'm not going to this time so as not to spoil anything. But this one starts where book three left off and tidal waves into an exciting ending. As the end of the trials draws near...and Hercules is leading with only two other crews still in the running...the tension is high. The stakes are already clear, and this is where everything comes together. It holds all of the show more energy promised from the rest of the series, packs several surprises, and ends with a satisfying bang.

I especially enjoyed how the characters are doing their final arcs as some reach beyond what they can, others die while trying, some are hit with harsh reality, and others discover there's more than they once thought. It's an action packed race for the finish and had me on the edge of my seat until the last page. Fans of mythology, strong women characters, tension filled battles and fast-paced action are going to enjoy this one.

I received an ARC copy and found this to be more than a fitting end for a fun series. So, I'm leaving my honest thoughts. show less

This is a refreshing twist on the myth of Persephone and Hades, which swings the Greek gods into an entirely new adventure.

Working at a cafe, the last thing this modern heroine expects is to run into a hot guy, who suddenly morphs into a huge being surrounded by lightning. Her world turns upside down as she finds herself in the Underworld and is told she's actually Persephone, who was stripped of her memories and exiled to Earth. Now, she's to take part in a series of deadly trials in hopes show more of winning the place of Queen at Hades side. Not only doesn't she want the prize, she wishes nothing more than to forget the entire thing and return to her life on Earth. But to do that, she must lose the trials, and that would mean her own death.

This book hooked me in more than I expected, and it turned into one of those reads, which I couldn't put down. Persephone steered clear of cliches and comes across as a modern day young woman, who struggles but is determined to achieve her very earthly dreams. Her decisions are understandable, and she deals with whatever hits her as best as she can. She isn't overly powerful, but as very normal weaknesses and fears. It was simply a treat to root for her as she came against those nasty Greek gods and all of their tricks.

There are quite a few unexpected twists in the plot. While a couple of things are fairly predictable, other aspects come as a completely surprise. There's a nice dash of humor sprinkled in with the darker and more tense moments, giving it great balance. The humor is often very suggestive, and being in the Underworld, there is torture and darkness. It's creates a nice clash to Persephone. Hades definitely stands out, not only because of his hotness, but there's a quite a few secrets surrounding him. But this is also true of Persephone and the past...and the other gods.

I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series already.

I received an ARC and was caught up in the story much more than I thought I'd be. show less

With scheming gods, demons on the loose, evil lords, and a heroine with more than a little attitude, this is a read that does hold the reader in the pages until the end.

Bella has huge anger management issues and tends toward more than a little violence. To stay away from prison again, she sees a shrink...the only person who seems to, at least, partially like her. When he's murdered, the giant she finds bending over his body kidnaps her and takes her to Olympus. Here, she's told she's show more actually the Goddess of War and is harboring half of Ares' powers, ones he wants back at any price. But before he kills her for them, a Titan intervenes and offers Ares a deal he can't refuse. Soon, Bella is forced to accompany Ares on a dangerous adventure, where each and every one of her opponents tower over her in every way.

This book took me a bit to sink into, and I only didn't give up because the reviews were good enough to insure that things would get better (and I tend to like this author's works, anyway.) We meet Bella on Earth as she sees her shrink. I think these scenes were hard for me to connect with because Bella is hard to connect with. She has more sharp corners than a cube, cusses profusely, is always angry, and simply not the kind of person you want to be around. And that was exactly the problem.

When she gets to Olympus, it's easier to warm up to her as she's forced to take a step back thanks to everyone else around hers complete dominance. Her human and softer side start to shine through, and she definitely has a lot to go up against. So, rooting for her comes naturally. Still, there are more than a few times, she's hard to swallow. And this kept me from liking her completely...because I simply wanted to slap her.

So, why 4-stars? Because after this gets going, it really is a well woven tale with tons of action, lots of intrigue, oodles of surprises and characters with tons and tons of personality. They might not have far reaching depth, but their quirks keep them entertaining. And I'd be lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to see what happens in book two. show less

A nice start to a series

This was fun! It has similar vibes as other popular fantasy series but I think it hold its own. I am suspicious of everyone. I love Maz and can’t wait for more of him. I liked Reyna ok but I’m hoping she gets a little better over time. Something about her just bugs me. I wish there was a tiny bit more world building but maybe that will come later too! I’m excited to move forward with the series:)