Tag: gods

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Posted in Reviews

Review: A Touch of Darkness by Scarlett St. Clair

Posted on by Jennifer

A Touch of Darkness by Scarlett St. Clair

Recommended: eh
For Hades and Persephone sex scenes, for another angle of these characters, for some great creative imaginings of other gods and their world. Not for terribly interesting characters or plot conflicts

Summary

Persephone is the Goddess of Spring by title only. The truth is, since she was a little girl, flowers have shriveled at her touch. After moving to New Athens, she hopes to lead an unassuming life disguised as a mortal journalist.

Hades, God of the Dead, has built a gambling empire in the mortal world and his favorite bets are rumored to be impossible.

After a chance encounter with Hades, Persephone finds herself in a contract with the God of the Dead and the terms are impossible: Persephone must create life in the Underworld or lose her freedom forever.

The bet does more than expose Persephone’s failure as a goddess, however. As she struggles to sow the seeds of her freedom, love for the God of the Dead grows—and it’s forbidden.

Thoughts

I finally read this after borrowing it from Hoopla like eight times! It was decent. Thankfully it was more tame than the other Scarlett St. Clair book I read without realizing their, uh, style of writing. xD It can get distracting.

Anyway, my favorite thing about the story was probably the connections to other stories I’ve read fictionalizing Persephone and Hades. It’s fun to tease out the common thread of the original story by seeing what themes come up repeatedly. Minthe, Tartarus, pomegranates, and even pink dresses. Somehow it’s all connected! Delightful.

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Posted in Reviews

Review: The Seventh Sun by Lani Forbes

Posted on by Jennifer

The Seventh Sun by Lani Forbes – ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Recommended: Yes!
For a fantastic Mayan-esque fantasy, for a ripe and unique world of belief and gods, for anyone who wants to imagine more about the world in the movie The Road to El Dorado

AND THE COVER IS GORGEOUS.

Summary:
The emperor is dead, and before the crown Prince Ahkin can take his father’s place, he must choose an empress. While bearing the burden of raising the sun every day and attempting to prevent another apocalypse, he must now find a wife amongst the noble houses that each wield their own kind of magic. Mayana, meanwhile, is sure she won’t be picked by the emperor, dooming her to be sacrificed in a blessing to the marriage. She can’t stand the sacrifices, but in a world where that belief is embedded in every daily action, she struggles to hide her thoughts on the matter. That’s easier said than done when she’s in a selection for future empress, however…

Thoughts:
I have noticed that I don’t read much with Central or South American styles or themes to it. However, The Road to El Dorado is one of my favorite movies, and I couldn’t help but be reminded of that fact as I was reading descriptions of huge towering golden temples with countless steps, of lush jungles where panthers stalk, and of blood sacrifices that allow the demigods to wield incredible magic. And so, perhaps it’s not that surprising that I somewhat fell in love with this world. 😍

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“Ahkin didn’t know what could possibly be more troubling than the pressure to live up to his father’s legacy, all while marrying a complete stranger and sentencing five others to die, providing descendants as soon as possible, protecting his people from the Miquitz Empire, and making sure the sun itself rose each morning.”

– Seventh Sun by Lani Forbes

Summary of Seventh Sun

Quote• Posted on by Jennifer
Posted in Reviews

Master of Sorrows by Justin Travis Call

Posted on by Jennifer

Master of Sorrows by Justin Travis Call – ⭐⭐⭐⭐
PHEW. That was a lot packed into what equaled three days in the book!

Recommended: Sure
For a super fast-paced story with lots of high intensity fighting, for an interesting world of gods and magic, be ready for some “lore” moments where you read sections from the gospel to understand everything

Summary:
Among the Academy’s warrior-thieves, Annev de Breth is an outlier. Unlike his classmates who were stolen as infants from the capital city, Annev was born in the small village of Chaenbalu, was believed to be executed, and then unknowingly raised by his parents’ killers. Seventeen years later, Annev struggles with the burdens of a forbidden magic, a forgotten heritage, and a secret deformity. When he is subsequently caught between the warring ideologies of his priestly mentor and the Academy’s masters, he must choose between forfeiting his promising future at the Academy or betraying his closest friends. Each decision leads to a deeper dilemma, until Annev finds himself pressed into a quest he does not wish to fulfill. Will he finally embrace the doctrine of his tutors, murder a stranger, and abandon his mentor? Or will he accept the more difficult truth of who he is . . . and the darker truth of what he may become . . . 

Thoughts:
I have a lot to say about this one so here are the bullet points:

  • Annev is an idiot
  • The relationship between Annev and Myjun is confusingly weak
  • The end leaves a lot of questions open; like so many that I wish there were a few more answers to give a strong reason to read the next book
  • The lore-building around the gods is amazing and fascinating
  • There is non-stop action and important moments in this; you won’t be bored
  • I want more magic!!!
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