Random House Books for Young Readers The Games Gods Play.

The Crucible #1

by Abigail Owen, Unknown Author

Percy Jackson for adults meets The Hunger Games with a slow burn romance between a contestant and Hades himself.

Every hundred years, the gods toy with us mere mortals.
And we let them.

The gods of myth are alive and well.
Once every century, they select a new ruler in a cutthroat competition, pushing mortal players to the limit. But this year, Hades is done sitting on the sidelines. And he’s picking a champion no one expects—in this modern mythic romantasy, she’ll fight for her life…
for the god of Death.

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Romance, Mythology, Audiobook, Fantasy Romance, Fiction

Hardcover

First published September 3, 2024

About the author

Abigail Owen is the #1 New York Times, #1 USA Today, and International bestselling author of 30+ books that range from upper YA (18+) epic romantasy to new adult modern mythic romantasy to super spicy adult paranormal romance. She loves magical worlds with plots that move hot and fast, feisty heroines with sass, heroes with heart, a dash of snark, and oodles of HEAs!

Abbie has a degree in English Rhetoric (Technical Writing) from Texas A&M University (gig’em Ags!), and an MBA from California State University-Sacramento. Prior to becoming a published author, she spent 15+ years using the other side of her brain in various tech- and business-related roles.

Other titles include: wife, mother, Star Wars geek, ex-competitive skydiver, AuDHD, spreadsheet lover, Jeopardy! fanatic, organizational guru, true classic movie buff, linguaphile, wishful world traveler, and chocoholic.

Abbie currently resides in Austin, Texas, with her own swoon-worthy hero, their (mostly) angelic teenagers, and an adorable fur baby.

Reviews

[SK · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars ✨

I enjoyed this A LOT yet there were some issues I can't stop thinking about.

Imo it does deliver on the Percy Jackson x The Hunger Games vibes, more so THG. Just cause it has Greek Mythology doesn't automatically make it PJO but the vibes in the second half were more present.

I believe the premise was really strong but the execution of it was sort of weak, especially when it comes to writing. The concept of these games or Labors could have used more explanation. It needed to be much more high stakes for me. The start should have been slower, given we almost instantly jump into these labors, I couldn't connect as much to our main character as I hoped. There was little room for me to get to know her.

I couldn't connect to Lyra, throughout the book. Sure, I appreciate her actions but that doesn't mean I understood her. I couldn't figure out her personality. She talks fiercely but her inner monologues are full of her being afraid. She doesn't have a strong incentive of saving or helping others but she does that. Am supposed to believe she has a good, pure heart but I never knew her enough. One minute she is angry, the next minute she is being a pushover, then the next she is being Mother Teresa. She doesn't fight for herself at all and it's what disappointed me the most. The reason why Percy and Katniss are loved by many is because while they are always willing to save others, they know how to stand their ground too. They know that they will have to fight if it comes down to it. Basically, Lyra is a big problem of this book for me and needs more emotional growth and development.

Hades is a good character to root for imo. I liked his emotional maturity, his straightforward attitude and his charm. I liked seeing the romantic and jealous side of him. The way he put Lyra first was sweet to see. He is so affectionate. He's probably the best part of this book. I love that he's the type to burn the world for her 👀

I don't have much to say about the side characters as there were too many and the only ones I liked were Zai, Boone and Samuel.

The romance is marketed as slow burn but the two get attracted to each other almost instantly. Hades ends up calling her "my star" within the first 50 pages, if I recall right and that didn't sit well with me. I loved the nickname tho. Some of the moments between the two had me giggling and blushing so much. There is tension between the two which I ate up. The kisses and spice is really well written, definitely enjoyed that. I would have loved to see some level of groveling tho, even if it was two page's worth.

The Labors were pretty fun. I binged those scenes. The action sequences are pretty well written and quite addictive.

The ending could have used a bit more time, especially the last chapter. I feel like that was rushed. It ends on a good cliffhanger and I can't wait to see what Hades does next and how the story progresses.

Overall, a pretty addictive and fun read. It's lighthearted and doesn't require much brain power imo. Given it's just the first book in the series, I see a lot of potential. I would recommend it as I see others having a better time than me. I hope the next book in the series will make up for the flaws in this one.


~•~•~
Percy Jackson x The Hunger Games but for adults?? LET'S GOOOO!!!

[Rachel Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for a book with trials...and this did not disappoint 👏🏼

[Noi (in & out) · Rating 2 out of 5]

THERE WAS NO REASON FOR THIS TO BE 600+ PAGES.
This needed to be a 0.5 book and condensed into like 250 pages overall. This was repetitive, and the character description and arc were minimal.

I did not understand why they were doing what they were doing, I did not know any of the motives or end goals, there was nothing to make me care. The romance felt random, there was not much to it, slow burn? Where? LYRA WAS A MESS; Hades was fine; Boone (a side character) had the most character development and might have been the best character overall (IMO) and that's saying a lot.

In the words of my sister: "They could all die for all I care."
Edit: “except for the dog!”

Also, just because we have the Greek gods, does not a comparison to Percy Jackson make.

The good: This was action-packed, repetitive but semi-entertaining. The concept was good, and if this was a short 0.5 and heavily edited it would have made a terrific start to the series. Oh and the cover.
------------------------------------------
BRing with Bella my love and my sister who is not on GR 💕

[♥︎ Heather ⚔ (New House-Hiatus)]

Idk. Feeling pretty slumpy lately, my library just dropped this one in my inbox- hopefully it delivers. 🤞🏻

[[̲̅K̲̅][̲̅a̲̅][̲̅t̲̅][̲̅i̲̅][̲̅e̲̅] (semi-hiatus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm stuck between a 3 and a 4 star rating because I adored this book but it had some problems.

The first problem that I had with this book was that it was labeled as adult but was very much YA except for the one sex scene. I kept forgetting that Lyra was in her 20s because she came off as 16 or 17 at most. She kept using lingo and statements that were very current to the younger generation and maybe it's just because I'm an old fogey in my mind, but it just took me away from the story.

Lyra was my least favorite part of this book. She wasn't bad by any means but for being the main character she didn't exude main character energy. She was by her own account not even good enough to be a thief and yet she was a total badass who took on whatever challenge and saved everyone doing it.

I loved Hades.

I wasn't a huge fan of the insta love but I feel like it was worked in well enough with all of the action that I didn't notice. And the action. Oh my god that was the best part. Hands down burned through those chapters like they were nothing.

I might have an unpopular opinion about the end but I actually loved it and for some reason I'm content with sitting with it until the next book comes out.

[bookworm ꣑ৎ‎ ˚. (more active) · Rating 1 out of 5]

dnf @ 4%

the writing was so off-putting…. And the MC was annoying….. and I got bored 😃

[sonia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars . ⊹ ･ﾟ𖥔 ₊ ˑ

⤷ Was this book entertaining? Yes
Was this book good? No

I am sad because this book had SO much potential but it fell flat for me. It felt really rushed in parts but then really slow in others. The potential was there but the execution unfortunately was not.

Firstly, I will say that I really enjoyed the labours. I am a sucker for trials in fantasy books, especially when they are done well. In this book they were! The stakes were high, labours both so unique and intense. I also liked the rewards and gifts the contestants were given after winning that could help with the future labours. I have not read much (if any) books based on Greek mythology so I really enjoyed that element of the book. And Cerberus <3

The plot holes in this were pretty hard to ignore. Hades and Lyra both lacked any depth to their characters and any chemistry between them. Lyra was supposed to be unlovable yet formed many connections once the games started. A Greek God falling in love with a human so quickly was so unrealistic. Calling her my star from page 16??? PLEASE. I also didn't really understand anybodies motives. And why were all of the Gods written so juvenile? This felt really YA.

Things that pissed me off:
- Hades wears jeans and suspenders
- Insanely short chapters
- Hades calls Lyra my star every other sentence
- Lyra's entire personality revolves around being snarky
- Hades dresses like a cowboy
- Lyra wanting to save everyone all the time
- Cannot forget silk-covered iron 🙃

Probably won't pick up the next one

[Kat Robbins · Rating 1 out of 5]

I want whatever y'all are smoking that contributed to you enjoying this because I am sober and I don't get it.

✧ DNF, never before have I so violently abhorred a writing style and been so viscerally repulsed by a main character

[naz · Rating 5 out of 5]

“𝑰𝒇 𝒈𝒐𝒅𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒃𝒆 𝒌𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒅, 𝒚𝒐𝒖'𝒅 𝒃𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒆, 𝒎𝒚 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓.”

THIS BOOOOKKKKKKKK! 😍 First of all, I LOVE trials, and I love Greek mythology especially when the main character is the "evil" god Hades. This book had both, and I ate it upppp.

The story offers a modern twist: every 100 years, the gods hold games to determine who will become the King of the Gods. But this year, things take a wild turn.. because Hades is competing for the first time, and his tribute is… Lyra, a girl cursed by Zeus.

The relationship between Hades and Lyra throughout the trials is hilarious, intense, and SO frustrating (LIKE, CAN YOU JUST FALL IN LOVE ALREADY?! 😫). I adored Lyra. I know some people might find her annoying, but I related to her so much especially with her struggles around self-worth (okay, I wasn’t cursed by Zeus, but still lol).

“𝑰 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒄𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒅𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕,”
“𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒏𝒐 𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆, 𝑳𝒚𝒓𝒂. 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒆. 𝑵𝒐𝒕 𝒂 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒎𝒑𝒊𝒐𝒏. 𝑵𝒐𝒕 𝒂 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒆𝒇. 𝑵𝒐𝒕 𝒂 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒂𝒍. 𝑴𝒊𝒏𝒆.” 𝑯𝒆 𝒔𝒏𝒂𝒓𝒍𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒅. “𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒏𝒐 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒆𝒍𝒔𝒆’𝒔.”

I devoured every second of this book, and the way it ended? OMFG. I need the second book ASAP.

If you love The Hunger Games and Greek mythology, this one is a total must in your tbr! 🏹

Tropes
⚡️ forced proximity
⚡️ tournament
⚡️ slow burn-ish
⚡️ secrets
⚡️ "mine"
⚡️ grumpy and possessive MMC

⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.
𝗽𝗿𝗲-𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱｡ꪆৎ ˚⋅ did someone say greek?! um yes please *adds to audiobook rotation*

[Audra · Rating 2 out of 5]

Please, I feel like I read a totally different book than everyone else. I should give up, I know I should give up on these Red Tower Books! This one was at least.. ~*finishable*~ I guess. Although most of it I read out of pure rage. Buckle up, this one is long. And there's a scooch of spoilers.

This book was bad. It was readable, and I can understand why a lot of romance readers especially could find it entertaining. But it found that it was soooo flat. The writing was horribly immature, especially for a book labeled as new adult. It read very young, like that either Lyra is straight up saying the F word or she's like "like oh my freaking gods." She read much more like a 17 year old than 23 which she's described as being. Also on page like, 12, she says something like "ok lyra popping off" 😬 I almost stopped reading. Here's some more lines I recorded as being some of the dumbest I've ever read:

"Hades is back in thundercloud mode."
"My heart goes a little fetal."
"She's back in va-va-voom mode."
-(this one is talking about Aphrodite wearing yoga pants. She's also ~*not like other girls*~)

So, Lyra, our main character, is cursed by Zeus, because her mom gave birth to her in his temple?! 🤣🤣🤣 and he's pissed I guess that her mom got birthing fluid on his marble floor so he curses Lyra to be "unlovable." Lol. So she is but also isn't because the curse is mentioned only when I think the author forgot to say it every couple of pages. And it's up to interpretation I guess because Lyra definitely makes friends in this tournament she's trying to win as Hades contestant. Even when she repeatedy tells everyone she doesn't HAVE friends because she's UNLOVABLE. Anyway. So that's a very huge and very forgettable plot point.

Also, she's literally the worst part of the book, and we're stuck with her single POV the whole (unnecessary) 500 pages. Her inner monologue is so bland and monotonous, yet everything that comes out of her mouth is "sassy," and "sarcastic" and then in her head she was like "omg that was so sassy and sarcastic of me." 🤦🏼‍♀️ She was given by her super shitty, temple-baby-having parents, to the Thieving Guild (or whatever the fuck dumb name she gave it) when Lyra was 3 years old, to "pay off the family debts."
What family debts you ask?
Who knows.
I don't.
It's never explained. But what makes Lyra ~*different*~ is that she's a REALLY BAD THIEF and she tells us that repeatedly. And like she really is quite stupid. There's 12 "labors" (trials) that she has to try to win so that Hades can become the King of the Gods, and Lyra literally does not complete a single one of them without help from magical tattoos, the other contestants, or straight up cheating. She is truly very stupid.

She also apparently has a humming "problem" which I read as a vocal stim, probably from autism, which could have been a cool character trait and would explain.. like a lot actually. But that's never actually addressed except to help her VERY ACCIDENTALLY win just one of the labors, and also! Every character in the book fucking HATES it when she hums! Like damn just let her self soothe or whatever.

Speaking of the other characters, literally 12 other Greek gods and goddesses, they all have a contestant, so there's 24-30ish named characters in this book. WAY too MANY. I had no idea who anyone was and cared less and less about each one. The author also drags this poor Boone guy into the story, because Lyra has a crush on him, and he says like, "Sorry Lyra, I don't feel the same way about you," and then he KISSES HER "like a friend" 😂 and then he dies. In such a stupid way. Also they had spoken maybe twice before she admits her crush and then they're literally bffs for about 4 pages. I don't know, it's so dumb. I hated every character in this book. Oh, and not to mention the character we actually hate, Neve, who is a massive bitch, DIES OFF SCREEN and the other contestants LITERALLY say "she was a bitch, but she was our bitch" aaahahahaha who in the CW do you think you are 😂😂

The romance between her and Hades was the cringiest thing I've ever read. Her calls her a pet name, "My Star" within about 3 paragraphs of them meeting. Then calls her it like 35,000 times throughout the book. (~*pet name trope*~) 🤢 And so you're like ok maybe there's a reason to this nickname like he knows something about her past or future that could be foreshadowing. But no. I think he just picked it and stuck with it. Also at one point Hades says something and Lyra was like "omg who told you" and he says "my brother" and holds up his CELL PHONE with a GrOuP ChAt wItH thE GoDs?! 😩 I understand it's modern or whatever but please. It's bad enough Aphrodite is nicknamed "Addie" and she's wearing a top knot and yoga pants, and Hades is wearing tight acid wash jeans while making fried eggs in the morning. I cannot.

Besides the poor writing and horrible characters, the actual format of this book was strange as well. A chapter would stop in the middle of a scene and pick up right back into the same scene in the next chapter. But they're like... Standing in the kitchen. There was so rhyme or reason to the length or content of what made a chapter begin and end. So strange.

I know I did this to myself. This is now the THIRD Red Tower book that I've obliterated in my reviews. They got lucky with an author like Rebecca Yarros and Fourth Wing. Although I've said it a million times, Fourth Wing and Iron Flame are NOT works of art. Obviously. But the writing was good at least. For the most part. I don't know anymore actually.

[✨⚡ Kelcey (felinebooktrovert) ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

1st reread: still dope AF and I'm counting on Hades throwing some serious hands ⚒️

"Being King of the Underworld without you at my side is an eternity of my own personal hell."
He shudders against me, holding nothing back now.
He lifts his head, hands threading into my hair so he can stare down into my face. "Be the queen there. Keep me at your side.

4.5 stars

This had a questionable start for me, but it improved rather quickly. I'm not sure exactly what I wasn't enjoying at the start. I think I can have issues with too much banter in books. I think a lot of authors try to master the Art of Banter but then end up forcing it down our throats, and if there's too much it can really take away from the story.

So the first handful of chapters was like that, all snark, very little substance. And I really wanted to get more information on what this story was going to be made of. Once the story started rolling and The Crucible was under way, things got serious real fast.

Overall, Lyra was a very likeable character (ironic considering her curse 😜). As stated she was snarky but also brave and selfless. Her character really started to flourish as the story progressed and her relationship with Hades developed.

And HADES 😍 be still my heart. I've yet to come across a poorly written Hades, though I'm sure they exist. But was loving his character. He was the typical dark, brooding, dangerous. You know, the type of MMC we all shamelessly adore.

And CERBERUS. What a lovely depiction of the pooch ❤️

There are a couple things that weren't really cleared up. A lot of stuff having to do with Hades, so I'm assuming we'll see more of his truths in the next book. But also Lyra's curse? It wasn't really resolved imo. If she's not loveable, how did she get all these friends, Hades, etc?

But the ending was dope AF and I can't wait to see Hades kick some ass now that his hands aren't tied because of The Crucible ❤️‍🔥

[Kilikina · Rating 2 out of 5]

So disappointed…..I didn’t vibe with this one at all.
I was so excited to start this, the premise and early ARC reviews were SO promising.

The good/redeeming parts of this were definitely the fresh take on the Gods/Goddesses and the trials. I loved the world created, especially with the modern take on things.

The bad was, hands down, the characters. Lyra & Hades were both very immature and I could not stand Lyra’s thoughts and inner monologue throughout the entire book. Her actions and “sassy attitude” missed the mark completely, and she was straight up annoying. Hades was also just so bland and forgettable. The romance was forced and cheesy right from the beginning, it was very insta-love vibes - which sometimes I don’t mind, but it didn’t work for this.

The way this was written was also weird. The chapters were very short and there are a ton of them. Had they been longer I think this would have flowed better overall, but I thought it was pretty choppy because of that.

I absolutely think this would have been better suited for YA - if the swearing and one unnecessary/random sex scene were cut. Being NA felt like it was forced into a genre it didn’t belong in.

[Bailee Latham · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

GREEK MYTHOLOGY. TRIALS. HADES. I REPEAT, HADES.

Every 100 years a new Olympian god gets crowned king of the gods by choosing a mortal to represent them and compete in the Crucible. Ever since this tradition started, only 12 of the gods have participated. But, this time, Hades wants to play and chooses a thief, Lyra, to be his competitor. What happens if the King of the Underworld becomes the King of Olympus too?

Percy Jackson prepared me for this.
First of all, the Greek mythology humor had me audibly cackling mulllltiple times. I loved it.
Second of all, the TRIALS??? Are you kidding?! Those were so much fun!!!
Third, the BANTERRRR!!! It was bantering. Hades and Lyra made me giggle and kick my feet.

I didn’t realize this is the first in a series, and now I can’t wait for the next book!!!

[ariyel ੭ (semi ia) · Rating 5 out of 5]

── ⋆˙⟡ 5 stars! ★
﹒⌗﹒contains spoilers﹒౨ৎ˚₊‧

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ “seems to me that love can calm storms, end wars, make fools of smart people, and bridge the gap between life and death. doesn’t that make it the most powerful?”

﹒ ⋆ ꩜ ⋆ 𓂃 ₊ ⊹

⟢ ⌗ ⋮ my thoughts♟️ ིܳ ﹾ ⸝⸝
ৎ yeah this held up well. i was so excited to reread this because it was one of my absolute favorites last year, and i was genuinely a little scared it wouldn’t hit the same. i don’t think i was as obsessed as the first time, but this was still such a fun reread. i honestly forgot almost everything that happened so it kinda felt like reading it for the first time again—but with bonus foreshadowing moments i actually noticed this time. and the things i did remember?? wild how wrong i was about some of them. love when a book keeps me on my toes even on a reread.

the plot still works for me. i’ve been super burnt out on the whole deadly trials thing because it’s been so done into the ground, but this didn’t bother me at all. probably because it’s not just constant killing and betrayal—there are actual alliances and teamwork moments, and that makes it feel way less repetitive. also greek mythology?? still a win. i was definitely invested in everything going on, especially with the mystery behind the crucible and how it’s played out.

and that ending??? like actually what the fuck. the crown. tartarus. lyra being stuck there. i’m sorry but that is an insane setup for book 2. i’m scared and excited. also !! the veil over zeus’s face. i still need answers about that. and boone becoming the god of thieves??? genuinely such a fun twist. i love that this series is actually doing something different with the whole mythology competition setup.

﹒ ⋆ ꩜ ⋆ 𓂃 ₊ ⊹

⟢ ⌗ ⋮ characters♟️ ིܳ ﹾ ⸝⸝
ৎ lyra surprised me. i still liked her, though i think i was more obsessed the first time. i liked how smart she was, how quickly she adapted, how she wasn’t just blindly trusting anyone even though she was out of her depth. and now she’s queen of the underworld and trapped in tartarus. absolutely insane and i need to know what happens next.

ৎ hades… i definitely liked him more on my first read, but i still enjoyed him. i remembered him being more morally gray, but he felt a little more softened this time. still worked though. i liked how calculating he was, how much he was always thinking five steps ahead without being a complete ass about it.

ৎ side characters were mostly great. boone and zai were my favorites (and boone being the new god of thieves??? what the hell). charon and cerberus also get honorary mentions because i just love them. some characters didn’t really stand out much, but the ones who did were good. i liked that most of the characters had some kind of agenda.

﹒ ⋆ ꩜ ⋆ 𓂃 ₊ ⊹

⟢ ⌗ ⋮ romance♟️ ིܳ ﹾ ⸝⸝
ৎ i liked them! i don’t think i was as into the romance this time as i was before, but i still thought they had good chemistry. the banter worked for me. i liked the power dynamics and how their trust kept building through the book. it never felt too rushed or too dragged out. i was invested. the development was fun to see. and i liked that their relationship actually tied into the plot—like him giving her his crown?? queen of the underworld??? insane.

﹒ ⋆ ꩜ ⋆ 𓂃 ₊ ⊹

⟢ ⌗ ⋮ extras♟️ ིܳ ﹾ ⸝⸝
— zeus cursing her just because her mom gave birth in his temple??? hello???
— kinda obsessed with the way the gods are portrayed.
— give me teamwork over nonstop betrayals any day.
— really hope the thing with zeus’s veil actually matters…
— rereading this genuinely made me more excited for book 2.

﹒ ⋆ ꩜ ⋆ 𓂃 ₊ ⊹

⟢ ⌗ ⋮ overall♟️ ིܳ ﹾ ⸝⸝
ৎ still really loved this. definitely less than the first read just because nothing hit as hard, but it held up so well. the setup is strong, the world feels interesting, the trials were interesting, and the ending has me excited for book 2. this series is doing something really cool and i’m fully invested.


‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ── ⟢ ・⸝⸝ ‎ ‎ entry 0360 ❞


☆ 🖇️ pre-read 𖥻 ＜꒱
i will read almost anything greek mythology so of course i loved this the first time. but now i’m back for a reread before book 2 and hoping it still holds up. it was one of my favorite reads last year so i’m actually begging.


𓏲 ⟡ the crucible ⊹◞
⌗﹒ 01 the games gods play — 5 ☆
⌗﹒ 02 the things gods break — 4.5 ☆
⌗﹒ 03 the wrath gods reap — ?? ☆

[chantalsbookstuff · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book hooked me right from the start and didn’t let go. I love when a story jumps straight into the action instead of dragging through long backstories, and this one did exactly that. I also enjoyed that the whole story was told from Lyra’s point of view, it doesn’t always work in books, but here it fit perfectly.

The storyline felt fresh with the idea of the Labors (the games) and the glimpse we got into the Gods and their roles. The pacing was great, though I’ll admit the flirting dragged a little too long at times. Lyra and Hades were well developed characters, the other characters not so much.

The Labors really made the book shine. Each challenge brought mystery, tension, and hold our breath moments I love. I thought it might wrap up neatly with them going off into the sunset but instead shocked with a great little cliffhanger on the last few pages.

I really enjoyed it. Mythology books often lean heavily into 5 chili pepper smut, which isn’t really my thing, but this one struck a nice balance. There’s some spice, but it’s not overwhelming and perfect for someone like me who prefers the story to take the lead.

[Krysta ꕤ · Rating 3 out of 5]

➛ 3.5 ☆

“𝙎𝙚𝙚𝙢𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙢 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙨, 𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙨, 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙤𝙡𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙧𝙞𝙙𝙜𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙖𝙥 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝. 𝘿𝙤𝙚𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙞𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙥𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙪𝙡?”

i had so much fun with this book, mainly because i didn’t take it too seriously. i always love trials and this one had plenty of them, the fmc Lyra gets roped into these deadly trials when Hades chooses her as his champion. i didn’t find the romance that believable tbh, i did think they had a connection but it was also missing something for me. i liked Lyra and Hades well enough as individuals though, it was easy to root for Lyra cause she had enough determination and compassion to be a good lead to follow. i always tend to gravitate towards Greek mythology, so that was also a plus with this one.

“𝙄𝙛 𝙜𝙤𝙙𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙗𝙚 𝙠𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙙, 𝙮𝙤𝙪'𝙙 𝙗𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙚, 𝙢𝙮 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧.”

i was wondering how Persephone would be perceived in regards to Hades and I’m glad this took a different route than the usual. no one wants Hades to be crowned and it was confusing me cause he didn’t even seem that mean or evil whatsoever? if anything, he was just guarded. i liked the side characters as well and the ending definitely has me very inclined to read the next one. i liked this one, but i just think the romance could’ve used some work. sometimes you just want to be entertained and this did that, so can’t complain.

[Panic!_at_the_Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the characters, and I always feel for a MC who has come from nothing. The FMC is a professional thief who unknowingly runs into a God (Hades). The two have a somewhat Twilight-esque relationship as Hades always gives her the tools she needs to survive (and she’s poor and he’s rich, and supernatural, and so on).

This book also has a Hunger Games-like feel since all the normal characters are competing on behalf of the Gods. Just like in HG, there are alliances, players only out for themselves, etc. And not everyone will survive.

Perhaps the most exciting part is the relationship with the FMC and Hades 🔥.

So, here is a book that kind of has it all.

I hope the sequel lives up to how good this book ended up being!

[Kezia Duah · Rating 3 out of 5]

These books about gods will probably never get old. There's always something cool about reading about these beings doing the most stupid, awful, childish things. Hades is a character that pretty much every book reader has heard of. I want to say the last book I read with Hades in it was A Touch of Darkness by Scarlett St. Clair. I could have read something else with him in it, but I can’t remember. However, enough about gods. This one is actually about our lovely Lyra. Lyra has a pretty shitty curse placed on her, and I immediately just felt terrible for her. Usually, when I tell myself, "No one loves me," I don't actually believe it. But that shit is actually true for her. Throughout the book, you can tell she’s smart. Her intelligence was not out of this world, but just enough. Of course, we also have a million other characters who are both exciting and boring simultaneously. Please don’t ask me to explain.

Lyra and Hades…..yeah, no. The chemistry was not chemistrying. It was still entertaining enough. There was just not much that I felt they had in common. They are one of those couples that makes you ask yourself, "Hmmm, I wonder what they talk about.”

Didn’t learn anything particularly new from the book. It felt pretty average as if it were something I had read before. Don’t get me wrong, I love reading the same tropes repeatedly, but I am always looking for that unique element somewhere added to it. I feel like most fantasy books get to a point where it just feels like so many words, but this book didn’t feel like getting through all those words was worth it.

The ending…….. expected? Surely, we need something to motivate us to read the next book. I will be ending the journey here though.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

without a shadow of a doubt I can confirm that this gives Percy Jackson older ✨spicier✨ sibling vibes 🫡 and I did in fact devour it! shocker!

the trials & found family aspects were so much frickin fun and I loved Hades (duh), I just feel like a few key aspects + side plots were almost skipped over?? I ended this book feeling still 45% confused but I also could just be dumb <3

incredibly beyond excited for book 2 because that last page was FKING CRAZY? BYE?

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

My brain is still trying to process the fact that I have to wait to find out what happens, because that ending was brutal, the audacity of that ending. How could you?

[Lorem Ipsum]

Percy Jackson + Hunger Games but for adults. I'm in.

[VelarianReader · Rating 1 out of 5]

abandon all hope ye who enter here. it should be criminal to make even HADES boring. H A D E S.

finishing this was borderline sisyphean—and that’s a better mythology reference than what exists in these brutal 631 pages. I endured it all rather than DNF so I could fully endorse the following warning: don’t be wooed by gorgeous edges. don’t allow the high ratings to fool you. save yourselves from the 47,000,000 uses of “my star” and the ever-impactful prose such as “even my shivers have shivers.”

it’s giving a first effort at AO3 gone abysmally wrong. for a bit I thought maybe it was aiming for campy, but alas, I fear not. one-dimensional characters, dialogue that’s painful (understatement of the century), pacing that’s nonsensical, and stakes truly nowhere in sight.

pls don’t get me started on the “how could? a man? possibly be attracted? to me? the person? who ticks the box? of every? manufactured beauty standard?” manicpixiedreamgirl “i simply can’t stop humming hehe” status of the FMC. it’s all a naur from me.

rating: cartwheel into tartarus > this.

[Julezreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dieses Buch ist für mich ein Highlight, obwohl ich es nicht rundum perfekt fand. Was mich aber überzeugen konnte, sind die Originalität, Kreativität und Recherchearbeit, die in dieses Buch geflossen sind. Da ich mich selbst gut in der griechischen Mythologie auskenne, konnte ich umso mehr wertschätzen, wie viele verschiedene Elemente & Details eingearbeitet und originell verknüpft wurden. Zentral ist das Turnierformat, wodurch das Buch eine große Sogwirkung innehat. Die einzelnen Prüfungen sind Spannung pur, durchweg gefährlich - nie weiß man, was als Nächstes passiert. Sie haben auch das Potential geboten, über sie unsere Protagonistin sowie die Dynamiken der anderen Crucible-Teilnehmenden kennenzulernen. Die Protagonistin war für mich ein weiteres Highlight: Sie war rebellisch, mutig, cool, gleichzeitig hat sie sich für andere eingesetzt und sich aufgeopfert. Ihr Verhalten sowie ihre Backstory haben es mir leicht gemacht, mit ihr zu fühlen. Was ich hingegen leider nicht fühlen konnte, war die Liebesgeschichte - weil schnell Gefühle entstanden & weil ich den Love Interest leider zum Teil unsympathisch fand/ zu wenig greifen konnte. Wen ich wirklich toll fand: Boone & Zerberus! Am Ende habe ich das Buch nicht wegen der Liebesgeschichte gerne gelesen, aber was zählt: Ich hab's GERNE gelesen😍

AB HIER SPOILER:
Für alle, die es interessiert, gehe ich noch einmal im Detail darauf ein, was mich an Hades gestört hat. Er hat sie ins Crucible gebracht - auch wenn er später über seine Gründe aufklärt, hab ich ihm das nie wirklich verziehen. Weil: Er hilft ihr zwar, irgendwie aber auch nicht genug, damit sie sicher überlebt? Wir erfahren über ihn persönlich fast nichts. Tatsächlich hatte ich die ganze Zeit die Vermutung, dass der Plottwist am Ende wird, dass Lyra die Reinkarnation von Persephone ist. Und nur dann hätte es für mich gepasst, dass die beiden sich so SOFORT seelenverwandt fühlen. Ich sehe sonst nämlich nicht, was die beiden verbindet, was er an ihr schätzt, was ihn an einer Sterblichen interessiert.
UND TROTZ ALLEM HIGHLIGHT😮‍💨😂😍!

[Miranda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book a while ago, and I am still thinking about it! It's definitely an infinity star read for me this year!

Hands down one of the best trials I've ever read! I loved (almost all lmao) the contestants and the found family in this book. Don't even get me started on Hades. Gawd damn. 🔥

[Izzy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is bad. Plain and simple. I had to hate read the last 30% of it. Why do all the gods act like whiny teenagers? When they’re ANCIENT GREEK GODS?? Why does this read like a ya book that came out 10 years ago? Seriously Lyra is special and different because she swears at gods and doesn’t want to hurt anybody, also everyone is in love with her. It was so unbearable cringey and even made me mad and frustrated at times.

[Zoë · Rating 3 out of 5]

it’s giving wattpad. it’s giving horny hunger games but make it greek gods. it’s giving wait is hades hot 2018 obsession era

[Maeghan &#x1f98b; · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think the main problem I had with this book was that it was misgenred. It was advertised as NA but it’s severely on the YA side. There’s only one weird sexual scene that was entirely misplaced but other than that, it was more YA than anything else. The characters were acting like 15-17yo.

Before I go on with my things, I think I’m going through a weird reading transition and I’m severely struggling with 1st person POV. So this mixed with the writing didn’t help me get through this book.

And I’m a little bit sick of books being filled with words like ‘fucking’ ‘fuck’ ‘fucked’ etc… every few sentences. It just sounds very juvenile to me and takes away the good reading vibes.

I will say that overall, the plots were predictable and convenient. But I admire the creativity on the Greek mythology.

[peyton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Red Tower is really testing my patience. Here's a list of things I noted while reading that made this bad- overuse of a pet name, mc trying to be too cheeky/silly, nearly dnfed on page 12 bc of "poppin off," I think he uses "my star" bc he forgot her name, THIS IS SO CRINGY THIS DIALOGUE IS AWFUL, the tender sweet moments feel unearned and out of place, I've never seen a book try harder to have banter, watch out "velvet wrapped steel" bc "silk covered iron" is making it's way through (somehow totally new but also unoriginal), and immediately after a beloved side character dies- "[character] was a bitch, but they were our bitch." Literally wtf.

[Emily Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

why did I not read this sooner??

[meggy (readsinbloom) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was a big part of my reasoning for buying this book the sprayed edges? Yes. But I enjoyed it a lot! It was a quick, captivating read. I cannot wait to read the next one. I need it to have come out yesterday!