4.5 Stars
A deliciously immersive YA Fantasy steeped in Greek Mythology, magic and Alexandra Christo’s signature blend of fast paced action and rich character development. Not to mention how delightfully endearing our ragtag cast of monsters and humans were.
This is the second of Alexandra Christo’s books I’ve read but it is easily my favourite soo far. The worldbuilding and lore surrounding the Gods, monsters and the realm they all originated from was interesting. Though not as detailed as I would’ve liked, I loved the sense of mystery that not knowing everything really invokes (still I’d love an entire companion novel just on the history of the gods, waay before the events that led to the monster banishment.)
I was however, incredibly impressed with how beautifully detailed and endearing our protagonists were. The depth of emotion we encounter in both Atia, Silas and their respective backstories really tugged at the heartstrings and kept me emotionally invested the whole way through.
Especially Atia’s, having lost her family in such a devastatingly brutal manner, I don’t blame her for wanting to emotionally distance herself from everyone she meets. But, it’s her very “human” sense of compassion (and reluctant need to help a not-quite friend) that I loved the most.
The role reversal in her being a monster and being more caring than the majority of the “good” human characters we encounter was also rather refreshing. As was the witty back and forths she has with our other POV character, Silas.
Their chemistry is pretty much electric from the get go, so their fast paced relationship wasn’t a problem but fans who prefer their romance slower paced might not enjoy as much.
I loved the found family vibes and banter we encounter within this reluctant group of (almost) strangers, capturing (a much needed dose) of warmth and friendship that helped break up all the darker,more emotionally charged scenes.
Overall, a fast paced, plot twisty and richly crafted tale of gods and monsters that Alexandra Christo fans and lovers of all things dark YA fantasy definitely don’t want to miss.
A huge thank you to Readers First and Hot Key Books for the proof.
A deliciously immersive YA Fantasy steeped in Greek Mythology, magic and Alexandra Christo’s signature blend of fast paced action and rich character development. Not to mention how delightfully endearing our ragtag cast of monsters and humans were.
This is the second of Alexandra Christo’s books I’ve read but it is easily my favourite soo far. The worldbuilding and lore surrounding the Gods, monsters and the realm they all originated from was interesting. Though not as detailed as I would’ve liked, I loved the sense of mystery that not knowing everything really invokes (still I’d love an entire companion novel just on the history of the gods, waay before the events that led to the monster banishment.)
I was however, incredibly impressed with how beautifully detailed and endearing our protagonists were. The depth of emotion we encounter in both Atia, Silas and their respective backstories really tugged at the heartstrings and kept me emotionally invested the whole way through.
Especially Atia’s, having lost her family in such a devastatingly brutal manner, I don’t blame her for wanting to emotionally distance herself from everyone she meets. But, it’s her very “human” sense of compassion (and reluctant need to help a not-quite friend) that I loved the most.
The role reversal in her being a monster and being more caring than the majority of the “good” human characters we encounter was also rather refreshing. As was the witty back and forths she has with our other POV character, Silas.
Their chemistry is pretty much electric from the get go, so their fast paced relationship wasn’t a problem but fans who prefer their romance slower paced might not enjoy as much.
I loved the found family vibes and banter we encounter within this reluctant group of (almost) strangers, capturing (a much needed dose) of warmth and friendship that helped break up all the darker,more emotionally charged scenes.
Overall, a fast paced, plot twisty and richly crafted tale of gods and monsters that Alexandra Christo fans and lovers of all things dark YA fantasy definitely don’t want to miss.
A huge thank you to Readers First and Hot Key Books for the proof.