The Games Gods Play

I love Greek and Roman mythology, which is why this book caught my interest the moment I saw that Hades was the male lead of this story. And although many readers find trials as theme overused I thought it worked really well with this story - after all, the gods are playing for the throne. I like Lyra as the main character and pov - she's confident, yet knows her limits and is certainly no stranger to speaking her mind, which leads to some very entertaining moments. The pacing is fast, yet there are also some quiet interludes that have been very well integrated into the plot and add even more depth to the characters. The gods are portrayed in an interesting way as some of them have traits I hadn't expected, whilst the characteristics from mythology are also included. Naturally you recognise traits such as those of Zeus or Aphrodite, yet they've been given additional features that add an inntriguing twist to the whole story. I flew through the pages and would recommend this book to anyone who, like me, enjoys reading books including acient deities.

The gods love to play with us mere mortals. And every hundred years we let them... I have never been favored by the gods. Far from it , thanks to Zeus. Living as a cursed office clerk for the Order of Thieves , I just kept my head down and hope the the capricious beings who rule from Olympus won't notice me. Not in easy feat, given San Francisco is Zeus patron city, but I make do. I survive. Until the night I tangle with a different god. The worst god. Hades. For the first time ever, the ruthless, mercurial King of the Underworld has entered the Crucible-the deadly contest the gods hold to dertemine a ruler to sit on the throne of Olympus. But instead of fighting their own battles, the gods name mortals to complete in their stead. So why in the Underworld did Hades chose me- a sarcastic nobody with a curse on her shoulders- as his champion?