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“My name is Lena. I’m not a God. I’m not even a hero. But this is my adventure: Through the Valley of the Kings to retrieve Pandora’s Box - stolen by the Seven Deadly Sins. Into the Evenfall Mansion to wage battle against a Fire Elemental. To the Akropolis to burn the awoken Nightmares. Through the Underworld to retrieve my soul from the rings of Chaos. Into Mount Olympus to face the big 12.

“At least I have the help of my friends who are gods.”

This isn’t your typical story about Greek gods. If you’re expecting to read about how a girl was fated for a god who will now love only her for the rest of eternity, or perhaps a goddess who had been waiting hundreds of years just to fall in love with that single boy and now her life is complete… well, this is not that story.

These gods are beautiful and they know it. They’re promiscuous and find no reason to hide it. They stay angry for hundreds of years, plotting their petty revenge for even the most insignificant of slights. If you’re a means to an end, they have no qualms about manipulating you to obtain the outcome they desire. That includes your death. Humans, as fun as they are for the gods, are disposable since their life only registers with a god for less than a heartbeat in their eternity.

Join Lena as she navigates her way through the world of the gods with all their beautiful temptation and frightening adversaries. She adventures through the deadly and enchanted. By her side, and sometimes in her bed, are her friends, an array of terrifying, gorgeous beings. And, increasingly, as she journeys through each book, her eyes are opened a little more to the truth of what the gods are: savage, unforgiving, fickle, and ridiculously promiscuous.

Except that, in the end, gods don’t actually have friends. They don’t trust each other or any other soul. So who Lena can trust in a world that has turned her life upside down is never really clear.

This is a full-length, 110,000 word, mature high school/new adult paranormal romance/urban fantasy (and a budding reverse harem) with the introduction of a variety of many different sexual orientations and situations that will be further expanded upon and explored in later books. This book contains plenty of WTF moments, friendship, sins, battles with swords and fire, traversing through hell, magic, gods, and a smidgen of MM. There is alluded to not fully consensual sex that the reader might not pick up on until book 2. This is book 1 in a (currently) 6 book series. The first three books are partially an origin story for the FMC. You may not see the harem for several books, but do not fret! It’s definitely coming. There will not always be a happy ending for many characters. Can be read as a stand alone and does not end with a cliffhanger but does leave unresolved plot points that will be picked up in future books.

495 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 15, 2020

52 people are currently reading
179 people want to read

About the author

Crea Reitan

116 books1,132 followers
Crea lives in upstate New York with her dog and husband. She has been writing since grade school, when her second grade teacher had her class keep writing journals. She has a habit of creating secondary, and often time tertiary, characters that take over her stories. When she can't fall asleep at night, she thinks up new scenes for her characters to act out. This, of course, is how most of her meant-to-be-thrown-away characters tend to end up front and center - and utterly swoon-worthy! Don't ask her how many book boyfriends she has...

When not writing, Crea is an avid reader. Her TBR pile is several hundred books high (don't even look at her kindle wish list or the unread books on her tablet). Sometimes, she enjoys crafting; sometimes, exploring nature; sometimes, traveling. Mostly, she enjoys putting her characters on paper and breathing life into them. Oh, and sleeping. Crea loves to sleep!

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5 stars
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14 (15%)
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 34 reviews
Profile Image for SJ.
2,422 reviews15 followers
October 30, 2023
This is the first book I have read hy this writer and let me tell you I was absolutely blown away. I love the genre of the gods, such a unique and interesting story within this genre. The worldbuilding storyline are well executed drawing me in from the first chapter, I am absolutely in awe and cannot wait to dive into book two
341 reviews1 follower
October 10, 2020
Refreshing

This is a refreshing take on the gods. I thoroughly enjoyed the amount of action and character development. I can’t wait to see what happens next.
Profile Image for Michelle VanDaley.
1,705 reviews5 followers
April 9, 2021
A good story featured around Gods & mythology. I found it to be confusing at first because of all the characters but once you get a handle on that it was smooth reading. Lena's journey is interesting and she is a relatable character. I look forward to more in this series
Profile Image for Karissa Kirk.
442 reviews9 followers
September 12, 2020
Gods galore!

What a unique story involving gods and mythology. At first I had a hard time getting into the story only because I was confused with all the gods. It was a little overwhelming trying to keep them all straight and to remember who they were. About halfway through the book I was pretty hooked needing to know what was going to happen to Lena. Then there’s the whole situation with Atti and Shant. I was a little annoyed with the constant Love mentioned when she was around Shant until I figured out why and what it meant. At least I’m assuming I know. As the story came close to the end, I already had my mind made up a little about who I want to see Lena with. I have my mind set on three for sure but I’m not sure I’m going to like a certain friend of Lena’s being around and possibly making things more complicated. We shall see and I will definitely be reading the next book!
Profile Image for Natalie Preston.
71 reviews
July 8, 2020
An excellent story

I had the pleasure of reading this book as part of an ARC. I loved the story then and I still love it now. I have read the book twice now and I will read it many more times. I love the character build up and the fact there is more going on in the background that isn't just rushed to be explained. The fact that this book is the first in the series gives great hopes for the rest of the series. I will definitely be reading the rest when they are released.
1 review
July 6, 2020
Great book. Fast paced; there's always something happening. A lot of complex characters with complex relationships. Can't wait to see where it goes next!
Profile Image for Carol Rupprecht.
783 reviews17 followers
October 31, 2020
After reading Reitan’s Chronicles of Blood series, I decided to start on another of her books. This was a great start to a series and yes, it is definitely a slow burn at its finest. Sometimes I feel like books sort of rush into the relationship and romance even before we get to know the characters, but this book definitely focuses on the characters quite a bit. With this first book and probably several after this being more of an origin story for the main character, Lena, we really get to focus on the people involved, get to know them and their motivations, and slowly be introduced to every intriguing aspect of this word. We are, in sense, wine tasting and not chugging at a frat party. Sit back, relax, and enjoy all of the little bits and pieces that Reitan is giving us as we read, the little hints and fragments of history that we will collect along the way. There is no rush to get to the end, but there is certainly an enjoyment in trying to piece together the puzzle as we read. Some of my favorite things about Reitan’s writing is that she never gives anything away fully at first. Even the harem at this point is completely up in the air. It is hard to guess who will be with Lena by the end of this series, but this also adds to the fun of the story--the guessing game. It could really be any of the characters; we don’t know. The relationships in this story are pretty interesting to follow along with as well as the rules they have set in place. Although I’m sure those will backfire or even get challenged at some point as the series continues. I’m hesitant with my feelings about a certain god of love. Something feels fishy and forced there and I’m hoping Lena doesn’t get over her head with that one. Compared to some of the interactions she has had with other gods, this one seems more forced. There’s less of a connection and familiarity there. I’m excited to continue on with Lena’s story and find out the truth about everything--her ancestry, these instant connections she is having, and why she seems so different.
Profile Image for Taylor O  Dyrda.
95 reviews4 followers
September 1, 2020
This is a great telling of the Gods, Greek specifically, but there are mentions of Egyptian and Christian gods. This is a semi-fast paced book, with many things happening, in other words, there’s not a dull moment.
I love the way the author introduces Lena into the world of the gods. The way her reaction is, is totally relatable, and completely normal, it’s easy to create a connection. I love Lenas progression into the world, how quickly she adapts and becomes apart of it the best she can.
I have my theories on who will be in her harem, and what’s going on with the Love God. So I can’t wait to continue reading the series to see if I’m correct!
Profile Image for Roxanne Glawson.
145 reviews1 follower
May 26, 2021
Review by Roxanne

Wow ,Lena goes to a school a makes some friends that's about to blow her mind. Her world is about to be changed in ways she never could have imagined. She learns sometimes things you think aren't real are. In a world of highschool, gods and Chaos!
Profile Image for Mrs. Clare.
128 reviews5 followers
February 22, 2021
Firstly, I was happy to go in to this book knowing that, while it is a part of a series, there is an HEA at the end.

This is a wonderful, story-building, slow romance burning, intriguing story that hooked me right from the beginning. While it is the first in a series, and has a lot of set-up work to do, it was by no means just a filler book with no action. The unique take on mythology was really great, and made the story continuously engrossing, because I just wanted to know what everything meant!

I loved the slow burn with Lena and Shant. I'm excited to see where the reverse harem story line takes us in later books. This has been a new favorite trope for me, but it can be hard to find relationships that actually have substance, rather than just lust and lots of sex. I can already tell we won't have any problems in this series, because the way Lena and Shant's relationship developed, as well as the underlying tension with the other characters, already shows tat there will be plenty of depth as the story progresses.

I loved this book so much and I can't wait to find out what happens next.

I received an ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Jenna Paavola.
98 reviews6 followers
October 25, 2020
Mortal Souls by Crea Reitan is the first book in a new series, Immortal stream: Children of the gods. It's a new adult reverse harem paranormal romance series.

You won't see much of the harem in this one yet because this book is more of an origin story for the FMC. But I still enjoyed reading this book, and it's fun to see more backstory for the main character. But I do hope we get to soon see all the men. I have some theories about who is going to end up in the harem.

This is a unique story involving mythology and gods. I like to read books about mythology, so this was right up my alley. I was hooked, almost from the beginning, and I wanted to know what happens to Lena.

There is much info at the beginning of the story and little less action, but as the story proceeds there is more action.
I have so many questions after this story, and I was left needing more.

I will definitely be reading the next book, and I can't wait for that.

I received a free ARC copy of this book, and I am voluntarily leaving a review. All opinions are my own.
Profile Image for Beatriz Patricio.
259 reviews8 followers
October 22, 2020
This book was really interesting and entertaining. At the beginning it's a bit confusing, with all the God names and relationships between them, but you get the hang of it after a few chapters. I really liked the author's comments throughout the book, they were entertaining and funny. It's a slow burn, so things take their time to happen, which I like a lot, but you can see things getting exciting in the last chapters. Its has an enigmatic element, like other books I've read from this author, wich I loved, it's full of riddles and mistery. Even though I enjoyed the book, Olena was not my favorite character. I found her to be bratty, spoiled and a bit selfish, getting upset when things didn't go her way or when people didn't pay her the attention she wanted, it was a bit disappointing. Despite that, I can't wait to know what adventures come next, and how Olena's relationships with the other sexy gods are going to turn out ♥️
Profile Image for Ashleigh.
391 reviews5 followers
October 12, 2020
Great start to series

I struggled with the first few chapters purely because of all the information being given but once you get past that first hurdle I really enjoyed this book, the family tree for the gods really helped although it did hurt my brain to look at it for too long.

This is a fast paced action packed paranormal romance with a little bit of everything thrown in. I’m pretty sure that Lena’s relationship with Shant is the work of his God powers and I’m getting ready to put him on my sh!t list for it.
Profile Image for BLT.
604 reviews3 followers
October 22, 2020
It took me a minute to get all the Greek God names strait, but once I got beyond the pronunciations I was fully immersed in Lena's adventure. Reading about Lena's misadventures and how it all happens really keeps you going, you just need to know WHY????? or HOW????? and has you questioning why she can't see it?
You will need to start reading to know what I am talking about. ;-)
This is what I love about Crea's writing, she definitely keeps you interested in the outcome of these characters.
171 reviews
October 28, 2020
What I find with this author is she likes lots of characters to surround the MC. You really have to pay attention to be able to figure out what is going on, but I like a book that makes you think and pay attention. The story is interesting the stream lines btw mortal and the god realms is something I've never seen before. The FMC is thoughtful and doesn't make rash decisions, she is dedicated to her course of actions while trying to understand what she is confronted with. This is definitely a so burn which just builds anticipation. Truly enjoyed it can't wait to read the next one.
172 reviews3 followers
December 28, 2020
Just finished reading this.

Mortal souls by Crea Reitan
Book 1 of The Immortal Stream: Children Of The Gods

I like mythology. I like greek mythology.

Mortal soul add an interesting spin to the mythologies I know with the introduction of godly children.
It sets up the series nicely and has questions that will no doubt be answered as the series progresses.

Some parts are fast-burn and others are slow-burn and will build up.

If you like Percy Jackson, give this series a go.
Profile Image for Sue Harbers.
1,424 reviews13 followers
March 26, 2021
Lots of action in this book! Things are fast paced and the transitions can be a little quick but there’s never a lull. There’s a lot of complicated characters and relationships in this book, it can be a little confusing at times to keep up with. Worth the read!
Profile Image for CJ.
251 reviews
October 27, 2020
Slow burn, adult RH Such a great start to the series. Love the unique story of the children of the gods. Lena is a strong female lead character with some fun men joining her on her journey. This book focuses on the world building
Profile Image for Jayah .
61 reviews1 follower
May 13, 2021
Very unique world. There are quite a few typos but it didn't ruin the story for me.
Profile Image for Miriam.
655 reviews13 followers
January 5, 2024
So, I have read several books of Crea Reitan by now. She is one of my favorite authors, but I never read all of her books, because for some reason or the other.

For the Immortal Stream series it was, that I knew the series isn't finished. So, I did avoid reading it. It only came to my attention through the FB group for the author, that the books are kind of closed on itself, like episodes of a TV series, so that I will not miss anything or have a cliffhanger. Hopefully, this stays true for all books, because the author is still not finished with this. I don't know how many books she planned to write for this. But, for now, I can agree, that it didn't end on a cliffy. Which I appreciate.

And I started to read this too, because they started a read along in the group as well. I wanted to participate. Of course, I couldn't stop myself from reading ahead. 🙈😅 But when I start something, I have to know and can't just stop after a few chapters each day.

Now, back to the content. It is really noticeable, that this series is an older work of her. Her later works are far more refined. Which doesn't mean, I didn't love this one. You already see, that I gave it 5 stars. But it is far from perfect.

Something Crea let explain through a disclaimer, too. So, she said, while she was writing the first 3 books simultaneously, the plot changed multiple times, resulting in the books being rewritten a lot (which is probably why there are still issues and the strange editing in it). And the story was going from YA MF to a new adult, eventually why choose/poly setting. As a result of this, she’s never quite been satisfied with the quality of the first three books but is dedicated to the series and the characters having their story told.

This mindset, I find pretty amazing and love about her. But it really shows in the book.

Anyway, it was a captivating read so far. I was a bit surprised, because normally, the Greek mythology and all isn't my favorite world. Not many stories end happily for most of the people in them. And the nature of a god is difficult in general. But then I wasn't surprised, because Crea is an awesome author and I loved every book of her so far. She always puts twists in, that I can't predict. And she has a way to write characters so vividly and realistic, that I get invested pretty quickly. I got lost in the story and world.

Of course, there are some things I didn't like about the story. Mostly characterwise. For example, this starts out as a teenage story. I'm nearly 34 now, so, a story about a teenager is difficult for me. Though, I know the characters will develop over the books — as well as age.

Then there is Lena. I do like her as a character. And again, I know she has to learn and grow into her own, but I have issues with the mentality of her to ignore things and don't question her surroundings and others further. I don't see, how ignoring things and not asking anything risky is helping.

And Shant is another character, I did like sometimes and then not. For obvious reasons. I was annoyed with that “love” thing. And that Lena didn't realize anything, although a lot of the gods hint to it. For me, it's clear he is influencing her. I just don't know if it's with intent, or he just can't help himself. But he is dedicated to her. So, he has some good qualities. But he is not really flexible in his ways.

I do love Mady and Atti. They are truly there for Lena. And a lot of the other gods are amazing too. I have high hopes for Delete! 😆 I have a dedication for the dark types.

But we'll see. So far, the first adventure in the world of the gods was a success.
Profile Image for BooksBooksandmoreBooks69.
1,999 reviews39 followers
May 23, 2022
I’ve read a few books by this author before, and noticing these on KU (kindle unlimited) I decided to give them a go (there is nine books in this series so far)
I really liked the pictures Gods family tree and their domains, it’s something I kept going back too, and the back pages have it in more detail.

Book one sets the scene, Olena (Lena) comes from Rhode Island, she’s come to wherever this is to study (I’m thinking this could be the start of a bully romance?) not really knowing anyone is a little daunting , so when the resident hot guy volunteers to show her around she’s a little apprehensive!

The setting of the scenes are detailed and well thought out. The characters are either going to be the ones you root for, or your going to hate. And for a while I wasn’t too keen on any of them! Petty, spiteful and filled with self importance!
It did make for an interesting read, the gods don’t see monogamy or love important, they are only out for themselves.
There is a lot of information to process, but once Lena settles down and makes a few friends the characters are easier to follow.

Harry Potter/The Maze/Hunger Games all spring to mind (and I personally think the series would make a great tv series.)

I love Greek mythology, and love reading different spins on the stories we already know and love.

Am I looking forward to reading book two? I think I am.

🦋
Profile Image for Lauren.
717 reviews
September 8, 2021
Fun opener

I will admit, the beginning had a lot going on that had me glazing my eyes at times. There were a ton of characters being introduced and a lot of explaining of the world of Gods happening. Once I made it through the first few chapters, the momentum of my attention train gained some steam and I was hooked. Even though there were lots of characters, Lena started to gravitate towards certain ones and develop relationships with them which helped me as a reader keep them distinguished from each other.

Take heed of the blurb because these gods don’t view love the same as mortals so they are promiscuous. I don’t quite trust Shant and I am interested to see what happens with the next book. Atti and Maden may be among my favorites along with Delete.

I am curious to the reason why Lena seems to have captured the attention of several gods. There has to be some type of divine or godly explanation.
Profile Image for Deborah.
95 reviews
February 20, 2021
I voluntarily reviewed this book after receiving a free copy.

I didn't really understand the motivation behind the main character Olena most of the time. She came off as selfish and wanting too much attention to me.

I liked Shant her love interest who was the god of love. He was kind with a temper.

I also really liked Atti and Mady her secondary love interests. I would have preferred that Atti be her main one.

This book had a lot of promise, but some flaws to me. I didn't like the author's view of Christianity. I didn't like how all gods coexist. I wish the author would not have bestowed so many gifts on Olena at the end, because it made her too powerful.

The things I did like were the humor and relationships between characters. I liked the Greek gods. I liked the Underworld part of the book. I liked when the charcacters were at Evenfall Mansion.
1,221 reviews3 followers
December 15, 2023
This book is written in first person and told from the perspective of the FMC, Lena, as she navigates life at Panthea Academy. This is a slow burn series so a lot of this book is meeting the characters and getting to know them and the world they are living in. One thing I really liked about this book is that the FMC, Lena, is as oblivious to the ways of the Gods as we the readers are. It was interesting to learn about everything along with her and it made her a relatable character straight away. I also loved that, whether intentional or not, I found that I instantly disliked a character quite early in. This is one thing I’ve noticed with books written by Crea Reitan, she is amazing at getting me to care about her characters from an early point in the book. Overall, this was an enjoyable read with a good story and plenty of characters to get to know. I would recommend giving it a read.
Profile Image for Ashley Clark.
760 reviews18 followers
April 26, 2022
This is my first book by Crea. I really enjoyed it. I will be picking up more of her books. If you love books about all different types of Gods and their children then this book is for you. Lena starts at a new school. This one is special because Gods go to this school. Lena becomes friends with the Gods. She even lands herself a God boyfriend. Pandora’s box is stolen and it’s up to Lena and all her God friends to get it back. Follow the adventure of Lena and friends as they travel around to get Pandora’s box back. It’s a epic adventure with some good battle scenes. Shan’t Lena’s boyfriend isn’t the only one gunning for her and her love. Read the book to find out how Lena fairs in the world of the Gods.
Profile Image for Taylor Loewe.
333 reviews15 followers
February 2, 2023
kinda confusing first half but worth it

Spice: 0/5 - mentioned it’s a slow burn

So. Many. Characters. I was totally lost to begin with. 1/2 way through it gets much easier and it’s focused on people better. It begins, though, like a very new author wrote the first few chapters. It did not flow well, but the second half is much smoother and you get addicted. I’m going to keep with the series because I think it’ll get smoother.
Profile Image for Lindsay Hamilton.
680 reviews20 followers
December 2, 2021
I don’t know how she does it, but Crea Reitan builds the most amazing worlds and characters. Granted she had the framework of the Olympian Gods, but woah. It’s a lot of characters and details to keep track of, but I loved Lena and the horde of Gods/Godlings around her. She’s already had an epic adventure and I’m sooo excited to see what (and who’s) to come. 😍
Profile Image for Angela.
2,526 reviews10 followers
May 31, 2022
Huh?

Ok so this book utterly confused me. It wasn’t until 50% that it started making sense and I could figure out who everyone is.
A mortal girl starts a new school. A god falls for her immediately and then they have to find Pandora’s box.
Not sure what to think. The amount of characters is confusing. Along with the formatting makes it hard to read.
Profile Image for Michelle Reopel.
177 reviews4 followers
January 8, 2024
Very adventurous book! There are quite a few characters and I did get confused who was who more than once. The primary characters are really interesting, even when you’re not quite sure what’s going on. If Lena doesn’t want to know, we don’t get to. Starting right into the next book. And let me just add that this only makes me want a hellhound more.
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