What do you think?
Rate this book
Latter-Day Olympians #4
Battle for the Blood
Dragons, demons, gods, gorgons. Who will save the world...and who could destroy it?
"Latter-Day Olympians, Book 4"
Tori wakes after Rise of the Blood to two very shocking one, she's in bed with a very naked Apollo, having lost the fight to resist their attraction. Two, she still has her wings. Not dinky little fairy wings. Full-scale, cover-'em-with-a-trench-coat bat wings.
Apollo suggests consulting the Gray Sisters on the wings. Those cannibalistic, psychopathic oracles who, even with only one tooth and one eye among them, manage to see too much. As in a Rapture, zombie-apocalypse, biblical-plague, hellgates-busted-open the end of the world.
While the Sisters are perfectly on board with death and destruction, the thinning of the human herd doesn't sit well with them at all. They'll help her. All she has to do is save the world.
Tori and her team trace the origin of the plagues to New York City, which is under quarantine and martial law-as if that's enough to stop the influx of gods and gorgons, dragons and demons. But as death threatens from without, betrayal lurks within Tori's ranks. And nobody is safe. Nobody.
Betrayal and bad-assery, sensuality and a sizzling hot sun god. Death, demons, destruction and, potentially, the end of the world as we know it...zombie style.
"Latter-Day Olympians, Book 4"
Tori wakes after Rise of the Blood to two very shocking one, she's in bed with a very naked Apollo, having lost the fight to resist their attraction. Two, she still has her wings. Not dinky little fairy wings. Full-scale, cover-'em-with-a-trench-coat bat wings.
Apollo suggests consulting the Gray Sisters on the wings. Those cannibalistic, psychopathic oracles who, even with only one tooth and one eye among them, manage to see too much. As in a Rapture, zombie-apocalypse, biblical-plague, hellgates-busted-open the end of the world.
While the Sisters are perfectly on board with death and destruction, the thinning of the human herd doesn't sit well with them at all. They'll help her. All she has to do is save the world.
Tori and her team trace the origin of the plagues to New York City, which is under quarantine and martial law-as if that's enough to stop the influx of gods and gorgons, dragons and demons. But as death threatens from without, betrayal lurks within Tori's ranks. And nobody is safe. Nobody.
Betrayal and bad-assery, sensuality and a sizzling hot sun god. Death, demons, destruction and, potentially, the end of the world as we know it...zombie style.
430 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 16, 2014
1 person is currently reading
71 people want to read
About the author
Lucienne Diver
31 books522 followersLucienne Diver has written snark and suspense with her Vamped YA series featuring a teen fashionista who goes from chic to eek when she wakes up as one of the undead, her Latter-Day Olympians series featuring a heroine who can, quite literally, stop men in their tracks, and her YA suspense novels, Faultlines, The Countdown Club and Disappeared.
The Shadow Girls, her new epic fantasy, which David B. Coe/D.B. Jackson calls, “thrilling, powerful, redemptive, and exquisitely written,” is darker in tone. In a country that’s been at war for six years due to the supposed poisoning of the king of Jucar by his queen from their rival Frizenze, three women are about to rebel against their treatment and, with allies gained along the way, fight to reshape the face of power. The problem is, one of the women is quite mad, and she is in line for the crown. The trilogy continues with The Whisper Kin (2025) and The Illuminated Lands (2026).
The Shadow Girls is close to Lucienne’s heart, touching on feminist and gender issues, LGBTQIA+ themes and climatological fantasy. Both the religion and magical system are based on animism, the spirit in all things, but also the universal spirit, the All. The mageri, the great magic men who raid the anima for the power to create their battlefield constructs to crush their enemies, are killing the land, creating deprivation and disease. And…well, much, much more.
Interested in learning more? To interview Lucienne Diver, contact her at luciennediver@gmail.com.
The Shadow Girls, her new epic fantasy, which David B. Coe/D.B. Jackson calls, “thrilling, powerful, redemptive, and exquisitely written,” is darker in tone. In a country that’s been at war for six years due to the supposed poisoning of the king of Jucar by his queen from their rival Frizenze, three women are about to rebel against their treatment and, with allies gained along the way, fight to reshape the face of power. The problem is, one of the women is quite mad, and she is in line for the crown. The trilogy continues with The Whisper Kin (2025) and The Illuminated Lands (2026).
The Shadow Girls is close to Lucienne’s heart, touching on feminist and gender issues, LGBTQIA+ themes and climatological fantasy. Both the religion and magical system are based on animism, the spirit in all things, but also the universal spirit, the All. The mageri, the great magic men who raid the anima for the power to create their battlefield constructs to crush their enemies, are killing the land, creating deprivation and disease. And…well, much, much more.
Interested in learning more? To interview Lucienne Diver, contact her at luciennediver@gmail.com.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
July 17, 2023
Battle for the Blood by Lucienne Diver
Book #4 of the Latter-Day Olympians series. Urban fantasy, mythology in modern day. Should be read in series order.
Dragons, demons, gods and gorgans. Will the world survive now that the paranormal is no longer secret and the fight for supremacy is deadly?
This story opens with Tori and Apollo waking up after a night of sex in his hotel room immediately after the end of the previous book. Tori has wings now and has a lot to figure out. She compares the wings to John Travolta in the movie Michael. Tori has to save the world. Of course. The battle against the zombies is too close to home and on top of the zombies, she needs to help Nick.
A strong heroine fights to save the world against battling gods and zombies. Quite the combination. She does have to reconcile where her relationships are and what needs to be done. It’s a complex world with many layers and twists (zombies?) that centers around Tori though you’d think it should be Apollo.
I can’t imagine what comes next since there is one more book in the series. It’s definitely in my tbr because I need to know where this goes.
3.5
Book #4 of the Latter-Day Olympians series. Urban fantasy, mythology in modern day. Should be read in series order.
Dragons, demons, gods and gorgans. Will the world survive now that the paranormal is no longer secret and the fight for supremacy is deadly?
This story opens with Tori and Apollo waking up after a night of sex in his hotel room immediately after the end of the previous book. Tori has wings now and has a lot to figure out. She compares the wings to John Travolta in the movie Michael. Tori has to save the world. Of course. The battle against the zombies is too close to home and on top of the zombies, she needs to help Nick.
A strong heroine fights to save the world against battling gods and zombies. Quite the combination. She does have to reconcile where her relationships are and what needs to be done. It’s a complex world with many layers and twists (zombies?) that centers around Tori though you’d think it should be Apollo.
I can’t imagine what comes next since there is one more book in the series. It’s definitely in my tbr because I need to know where this goes.
3.5
November 5, 2014
I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review, I was in no way compensated for this review.
Battle for Blood is the fourth installment in Lucienne Diver's Latter-Day Olympians series and is one of my favorites! It combines Greek Mythology with some other paranormal goodness, plus amazing characters and some good-natured humor!
When we last left Tori, she was in a bit of a pickle. She has wings that she doesn't know how to properly control--like the whole hiding them from humans thing--Nick was seriously injured and breaking up with her, and she spent the night with Apollo...which led to things other than sleeping! Now Tori and Apollo are off to see the Fates to see if they will help Tori with her wings problem, being that that is the only solvable one at the moment. But before they agree to help her, they want her to do something for them first. Nothing big, just stop a guy from ending the world!
If that wasn't enough, Lau--Nick's partner from the police force comes a calling and tells Tori that she has to heal Nick. Find a way or else. And so begins Tori's ever so fun journey in trying to track down a bad guy while also dodging zombies left and right. The US, particularly LA and NYC are under heavy attack from the monsters and the bad guys controlling them.
Tori is without a doubt my favorite character in this series! Naturally, she's the heroine but she's a fun heroine! She's part gorgon, used to be in a circus and now works as a PI. She has quite the attitude, but it's snarky and harmless, she's just funny! I love her sense of humor like how in random moments a song pops up in her head and it's even one I know! So there are some pop culture references in this one, but they're kind of subtle at times and aren't completely "modern" as in music of today.
The romance in this one was good as well. There's not a whole lot since Tori and Nick are technically broken up. But then there's Apollo, the Apollo as in the god! And things are definitely intense between these two. But there's so much chaos and action going on around them, there's hardly time for romance. Now Nick is still around too, for Tori's journey brings her back to him and there's still something between them. And I admit, I have a soft spot for Nick. But you can kind of tell the direction Tori is going in and I respect that. So there's not really a strong love triangle moment, but more so a little one. It's there for a moment or two, but then it becomes obvious of who Tori will choose to be with.
The ending to this one was great! Pretty much what you could expect. There's no clear cut path that Tori is headed towards now, besides the trying to get her wings issues sorted out. Though that's a minor thing after everything else that happened! This was a rather fast paced kind of read as well, I think the reason it took me a little longer than usual was because of its format on my kindle. It was a pdf file and all and the way my kindle formatted it made it seem longer to read. Or maybe not. I'm just really weird with my kindle reads. Feels like it takes longer to read an ebook then a real one! But the pacing was good. There's not really a dull moment as Tori is constantly on the move. There are moments where the action isn't so high, but it's usually due to a rather entertaining moment as well! Hermes for instance joins up with Tori eventually, and he's just a riot!
Battle for Blood was yet another awesome addition to the Latter-Day Olympians series! One I highly recommend for Urban Fantasy fans because it's not your typical UF read with vampires and werewolves (though those are still incredible!) but with Greek gods and goddesses and all other sorts of monsters they decide to raise and you know, cause a little chaos!
Overall Rating 5/5 stars
Battle for Blood is the fourth installment in Lucienne Diver's Latter-Day Olympians series and is one of my favorites! It combines Greek Mythology with some other paranormal goodness, plus amazing characters and some good-natured humor!
When we last left Tori, she was in a bit of a pickle. She has wings that she doesn't know how to properly control--like the whole hiding them from humans thing--Nick was seriously injured and breaking up with her, and she spent the night with Apollo...which led to things other than sleeping! Now Tori and Apollo are off to see the Fates to see if they will help Tori with her wings problem, being that that is the only solvable one at the moment. But before they agree to help her, they want her to do something for them first. Nothing big, just stop a guy from ending the world!
If that wasn't enough, Lau--Nick's partner from the police force comes a calling and tells Tori that she has to heal Nick. Find a way or else. And so begins Tori's ever so fun journey in trying to track down a bad guy while also dodging zombies left and right. The US, particularly LA and NYC are under heavy attack from the monsters and the bad guys controlling them.
Tori is without a doubt my favorite character in this series! Naturally, she's the heroine but she's a fun heroine! She's part gorgon, used to be in a circus and now works as a PI. She has quite the attitude, but it's snarky and harmless, she's just funny! I love her sense of humor like how in random moments a song pops up in her head and it's even one I know! So there are some pop culture references in this one, but they're kind of subtle at times and aren't completely "modern" as in music of today.
The romance in this one was good as well. There's not a whole lot since Tori and Nick are technically broken up. But then there's Apollo, the Apollo as in the god! And things are definitely intense between these two. But there's so much chaos and action going on around them, there's hardly time for romance. Now Nick is still around too, for Tori's journey brings her back to him and there's still something between them. And I admit, I have a soft spot for Nick. But you can kind of tell the direction Tori is going in and I respect that. So there's not really a strong love triangle moment, but more so a little one. It's there for a moment or two, but then it becomes obvious of who Tori will choose to be with.
The ending to this one was great! Pretty much what you could expect. There's no clear cut path that Tori is headed towards now, besides the trying to get her wings issues sorted out. Though that's a minor thing after everything else that happened! This was a rather fast paced kind of read as well, I think the reason it took me a little longer than usual was because of its format on my kindle. It was a pdf file and all and the way my kindle formatted it made it seem longer to read. Or maybe not. I'm just really weird with my kindle reads. Feels like it takes longer to read an ebook then a real one! But the pacing was good. There's not really a dull moment as Tori is constantly on the move. There are moments where the action isn't so high, but it's usually due to a rather entertaining moment as well! Hermes for instance joins up with Tori eventually, and he's just a riot!
Battle for Blood was yet another awesome addition to the Latter-Day Olympians series! One I highly recommend for Urban Fantasy fans because it's not your typical UF read with vampires and werewolves (though those are still incredible!) but with Greek gods and goddesses and all other sorts of monsters they decide to raise and you know, cause a little chaos!
Overall Rating 5/5 stars
June 27, 2015
Finally worshiping @ the alter of Apollo. They just fit well with each other.
November 24, 2025
This book picks up in the aftermath of the battle in the previous books. Tori still has wings and Nick is in the burn unit in a New York City hospital. To top it all off Tori wakes up in Apollo’s bed. Tori finds out that in order to learn to control her wings she must stop the impending apocalypse. During the fight they will be betrayed by an ally and new allies will emerge. Tori is growing to embrace and use her abilities and she finally makes a decision about her personal life. I really enjoyed this installment of the Latter-day Olympians series and cannot wait to see what Tori and her crew get up to next. Highly recommended.
December 31, 2021
4.5 stars
October 6, 2022
I've definitely left a little bit too long between reading the Third and fourth (this) books in this series. I mean, I eventually reminded myself of where I was in the series and what had happened. But it probably took half the book. I should probably make sure I don't let quite as much time pass before I read the final part of this very fun series.
Tori has spent the first portion of this series in a pretty complex love triangle. And although Battle for the Blood does pretty much resolve this, there's still a lot of lingering emotions. I'm not always a fan of the messiness of some love triangles. But I have enjoyed this one thus far. Plus, Tori's reason for choosing who she finally does and that farewell... it was very well done and doesn't make anybody out to be the bad guy.
Tori's pretty insane transformation is a pretty big driver throughout this story as a secondary plot and mystery. I'm hoping that a few of the potential challenges and secrets are concluded in the next novel. Particularly the wings. I mean, how in the he'll are you supposed to live with a pair of giant damn bat wings flapping out of your back?
Battle for the Blood was a great adventure. There was love and lust, lots of Greek mythology and a whole apocalypse waiting at our doors. I was unable to put it down from the moment I picked it up, because I just needed to know what was going to happen next!!! And now, deep breath, I need to dive right back in and find out what insanity is going to occur next in the world of Tori.
Tori has spent the first portion of this series in a pretty complex love triangle. And although Battle for the Blood does pretty much resolve this, there's still a lot of lingering emotions. I'm not always a fan of the messiness of some love triangles. But I have enjoyed this one thus far. Plus, Tori's reason for choosing who she finally does and that farewell... it was very well done and doesn't make anybody out to be the bad guy.
Tori's pretty insane transformation is a pretty big driver throughout this story as a secondary plot and mystery. I'm hoping that a few of the potential challenges and secrets are concluded in the next novel. Particularly the wings. I mean, how in the he'll are you supposed to live with a pair of giant damn bat wings flapping out of your back?
Battle for the Blood was a great adventure. There was love and lust, lots of Greek mythology and a whole apocalypse waiting at our doors. I was unable to put it down from the moment I picked it up, because I just needed to know what was going to happen next!!! And now, deep breath, I need to dive right back in and find out what insanity is going to occur next in the world of Tori.
November 6, 2014
Tori, who is part gorgon, got her wings in the last book and isn’t sure what to do with them. She’d just been dumped by her boyfriend, Nick, via a note left at their hotel after he was burned pretty badly in the last book and left for a hospital in the States, and wakes up naked, in bed with Apollo, where she’s fought not to be since they’d first met. Ah, but being in his arms feels right.
Something strange is going on back in New York and Nick is going to need Tori’s help. But first she needs to take a trip to meet with the Graeae Sisters and hopefully find out what to do with the wings besides were a trench coat over them.
The story is packed with members of the Greek Pantheon, demons, zombies, various types of dragons and other creatures from mythology as an unexpected group of high powered individuals like the idea of remaking a new world and being in charge. We get lots of carnage and destruction.
Tori as a heroine is an interesting character who doesn’t always understand what’s happening as she picks up more gorgon traits. Nor does she ever stop trying. She’s always in a middle of a fight, badly hurt, but determined to make a difference. She’s also feeling somewhat guilty that she loves two men. But she does work that out.
What I really enjoy about this book and the series the further we get into it, is that it’s not just the well known gods from the Greek Pantheon that are involved. Many lesser known, or ones that you might not have heard of, are involved in this one. We still have Apollo and Hermes on hand with mentions of other big names from the prior books. You won’t believe what how Hera now lives her life. What’s happening and why is full of surprises and there is plenty of action.
And that’s where I had a problem with this story. Too much action, constantly hurt, no time for recovery (she’s thankful that she now heals so fast) or sleep, continuity errors and some things that just don’t make sense, even for a work of fiction. It took me days to get through this book as it was too easy to set it aside.
Something strange is going on back in New York and Nick is going to need Tori’s help. But first she needs to take a trip to meet with the Graeae Sisters and hopefully find out what to do with the wings besides were a trench coat over them.
The story is packed with members of the Greek Pantheon, demons, zombies, various types of dragons and other creatures from mythology as an unexpected group of high powered individuals like the idea of remaking a new world and being in charge. We get lots of carnage and destruction.
Tori as a heroine is an interesting character who doesn’t always understand what’s happening as she picks up more gorgon traits. Nor does she ever stop trying. She’s always in a middle of a fight, badly hurt, but determined to make a difference. She’s also feeling somewhat guilty that she loves two men. But she does work that out.
What I really enjoy about this book and the series the further we get into it, is that it’s not just the well known gods from the Greek Pantheon that are involved. Many lesser known, or ones that you might not have heard of, are involved in this one. We still have Apollo and Hermes on hand with mentions of other big names from the prior books. You won’t believe what how Hera now lives her life. What’s happening and why is full of surprises and there is plenty of action.
And that’s where I had a problem with this story. Too much action, constantly hurt, no time for recovery (she’s thankful that she now heals so fast) or sleep, continuity errors and some things that just don’t make sense, even for a work of fiction. It took me days to get through this book as it was too easy to set it aside.
December 26, 2014
Disappointing. I enjoyed the first 3 books in the series but this one was a mess, lurching from repetitive battle, to repetitive battle with our characters running around aimlessly. In the first 3 books Tori (who is a PI) actually investigates matters in between action. Here she is just thrown into one battle after another with the various undead. And that was the other thing that REALLY annoyed me - zombies in a greek mythology novel. If you want to write a zombie novel, great - go write a zombie novel. Don't randomly throw them into a previously good series based on Greek mythology. The first 3 books dealt with Gods plotting and monsters from the Greek pantheon which is the premise for the whole series. Then to have a the God of plagues unleash a zombie plague - ridiculous. There are plenty of existing diseases which could have been unleashed. I'm not a fan of love triangles and it is even worse when both guys are great. No matter who the heroine ends up with you are disappointed. I don't know that I would bother reading any more in the series. The first 3 are good though.
August 1, 2015
Delicious Romp through Greek Mythology
I'm a fan of most of Samhain Publishing's choices, and the Latter-Day Olympians is no exception. Uncomplicated, fresh, easy with humor. Collides a wide swathe of mythos together and does it joyfully, a great summer romance read--get all 4!
I'm a fan of most of Samhain Publishing's choices, and the Latter-Day Olympians is no exception. Uncomplicated, fresh, easy with humor. Collides a wide swathe of mythos together and does it joyfully, a great summer romance read--get all 4!
January 30, 2015
Girl just keeps on getting her butt beat, but comes out alive!. Good ending, but still questions unanswered --- will red the next book when it comes out
September 20, 2015
Great read!
Girls rock! Tori seriously kicks some butt in this iteration of Latter-Day Olympians. Things go to hell in a hand basket. But she finds a way out of it.
Girls rock! Tori seriously kicks some butt in this iteration of Latter-Day Olympians. Things go to hell in a hand basket. But she finds a way out of it.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews