Nothing but lies (some of them her own) and deceit have brought Chloe to Olympus for the Solstice Olympic Games. As the Oracle and the special guest of the King of Myth, Chloe becomes immersed in a life of unfathomable luxury, taunting history, and overwhelming excitement. Though scheming and untrustworthy, the gods remain on their best behavior as the tension and anticipation builds around the outcome of the Quest of the Twelve Labors, the deadliest competition of the Games. All seems well on the celestial front...until athletes start turning up dead and a philosopher missing for months returns with a most terrifying story...
But that’s not all.
As Strafford confronts his troubled past and more is learned about the Great Unknown Prophecy, Chloe grows close to another, setting off a chain of events that will bring her face-to-face with a truth that will rock both of her worlds to their core.
Prophecy of Solstice's End is the third book already in the Oracle of Delphi series and I must say that although it took me a whole week to read it, this is my favorite book so far. I might say that about every book in the series but Diantha's book just keep getting better and better with each one.
This book mostly centers in Olympus when Chloe goes there for the Solstice Olympic Games as Zeus' guest. Yes, it's just as exciting as it sounds and Olympus is just as amazing as I thought it would be. While Chloe gets preoccupied with her role as the Oracle and starts to really grasp what it means, Strafford is on his own quest, participating in the dangerous Twelve Labors. Between all of this, the Quad is falling apart, everyone is devided and Chloe learns more about herself.
Prophecy of Solstice End definitely felt more different than the other books. I don't mean that in a bad way at all because I loved this book. I couldn't get enough of it. It was so exciting with a lot of unexpected twists that gave me mini heart attacks and left me shocked, not knowing what to do with myself. That ending... damn, Diantha, why do you keep torturing us like this? And yet I devoured and loved every plot twists like they were chocolate cookies. Can't help but be amazing at how Diantha can still shock us with these unexpected events and her amazing writing after two books. But, yes, it felt very different. Things are absolutely kicked up a notch.
I love the gods, did I mention that before? Well, they are seriously awesome though some of them have evil plans. They are definitely entertaining to read about. And since this book is set in Olympus they are ALL there. Zeus, Hera, Apollo, Hermes, Aphrodite, and so on and on... Gotta love it. All the other characters are more on their own in PoSE. The Quad is kind of falling apart and it doesn't help that Chloe is growing really close to someone that is not Strafford. Dum, dum, duuuum... Who, you ask? Read the book and you'll know! ;) I still love Chloe though. She's never been more badass (I think it's Strafford's influence. lol). She's also getting more into her role as Oracle, giving Kismet to Heroes and even getting a philosopher of her very own! Strafford as always was swoon-worthy and amazing. Especially in his Quest of the Twelve Labours. I really enjoyed reading those scenes. Diantha kicks ass at writing action scenes and they're still my favorite together will the romantic scenes which are also amazing I might add. Chloe and Strafford's connection gives off fireworks even when they're fighting and things definitely get a little steamy every now and then. As for the rest of the Quad. I was so sad a lot of times for how they weren't all as close as they were, though in the end it's definitely better. Thank goodness... Still, a lot of stuff happens and not always good things. Be prepared, people!
Overall, Prophecy of Solstice's End by Diantha Jones was another sensational book in my favorite Greek Mythology series. Full of intrigue, unexpected twists, shocking events and a gasp-for-breath ending, it's the most exciting Oracle of Delphi book so far. And I can't wait to find out what else is in store for our heroes and the Oracle of Delphi!
I really enjoyed this book, I felt submerged in all the mythology and action. I thought it was a good continuance of the “Oracle of Delphi” series. There was plenty of action, suspense and wow moments. I really enjoyed getting to see what myth was like, all the beautiful scenery, the author was brilliant with description. Overall I enjoyed this book and look forward to seeing what else is in store for our favorite characters.
Goodreads Summary:
Summer Solstice is here. Let the games begin. Nothing but lies (some of them her own) and deceit have brought Chloe to Olympus for the Solstice Olympic Games. As the Oracle and the special guest of the King of Myth, Chloe becomes immersed in a life of unfathomable luxury, taunting history, and overwhelming excitement. Though scheming and untrustworthy, the gods remain on their best behavior as the tension and anticipation builds around the outcome of the Quest of the Twelve Labors, the deadliest competition of the Games. All seems well on the celestial front...until athletes start turning up dead and a philosopher missing for months returns with a most terrifying story...
But that’s not all.
As Strafford confronts his troubled past and more is learned about the Great Unknown Prophecy, Chloe grows close to another, setting off a chain of events that will bring her face-to-face with a truth that will rock both of her worlds to their core.
And it’ll all happen before Solstice’s end...
Plot:
There was plenty of conflict and action in this book; the characters were tested to their limits and then some. The story was focused on the Olympic Games and Strafford’s quest for the games. The book’s world was filled with a lot mystery and scary creatures; there is definitely some creatures I would never want to run into in real life. The pace of the book was really fast, I had no problem reading it, the pages literally just melted away, I was definitely surprised at the ending, what a way to end the book, not really a cliffhanger but more of a truth that needed to be told. So overall, I enjoyed the complexity and freedom of the characters world and the creativity to it.
Romance:
So the romance was really just as well in this book than it was in the previous two books. Chloe and Strafford are just as adorable and cute as they always are. There are a few moments where their love is tested and I really enjoyed that we were able to see more of a realistic type romance, none of that perfect love relationship. So I really enjoyed the romance in the story and found it worth reading and definitely worth keeping.
Characters:
I really enjoyed the characters in this book; they were still the same feisty and lovable characters I grew to love from the previous two books. The new characters added to this story were perfectly integrated and added a texture to the book that really made the book that much more interesting. As for the characters fitting into the story, I didn’t find any that were misplaced or unnecessary. Each character had their own role to play in the book and I found it quite enjoyable to read right alongside them. I found it really easy to connect with the characters and their POV’s. So the characters really added a great texture and layer to this book’s world.
Transformation of the Character:
I felt that this wasn’t an important aspect to the story. Yes there was a little bit more growth of the characters but I didn’t feel that it was a major point in the book. I think if anyone did the most transforming it was Strafford, he really grew in this book and I liked seeing it take place slowly and gradually instead of all at once. So overall this wasn’t an important part to the book.
Description:
I really thought the description was beautiful and well described. I found the description of Myth to be creative and well written. The emotional description was good also, I could really get a sense of the characters feelings as the story played out. The scenery of each moment was well executed, there was always a beautiful description of exactly what was happening in each scene. So overall I enjoyed the description and thought the author did a good job on creating a fascinating world; one where I would like to visit if that were possible.
Style:
This was written in third person in multiple POV’s. I think this was wisely done in a way that allowed the reader to get multiple views on the story and better understand what was happening. The authors’ writing was just as good as, it was in the previous two books, I really found it easy to read. There seemed to me to be more dialogue than anything else but that was okay for this book because of all that was happening. So overall, I liked the authors writing style and her choice of multiple POV’s. As for the third person, it didn’t seem to affect the story in any particular way so I found no problem with it.
Quote of the book:
“…she turned her face upward and found that the sun felt wonderful. It was warm and comforting, yet animated and full of energy. She felt so alive.”
Last Thoughts:
I really enjoyed this book, I found it to be a quick and enjoyable read. So much happened in this book and I look forward to finding out what else is in store for our beloved characters. This was a book I’m sure I won’t soon forget, there was so much to take in and explore. I can’t wait to continue their story and see what happens next.
The problem with sequels is that more often than not they do not live up to their original counterparts. The second book in this series managed to be just as good but the third has exceeded them both. Book three carries on quickly after two ended with Strafford training for his Olympic quest. The quest had always intrigued me so this was a promising start for me. I was worried for a second that we wouldn't see much of the Olympics but luckily for me Chloe was also invited so I got fully involved in all the action the quest brought forth. Add to that the fact that the gods may be approaching war and Chaos is threatening to destroy Myth and you have the perfect plot line.
I always go on about how much I love the characters in this book. Chloe, although badass, just can't live up to the amazingess that is Ace Remedy. I love Strafford also of course but Ace is just... incomparable. My thoughts about the main characters are literally the same as in the other two books so I will not bore you with repetition but will instead tell you about my newly found loves. The first being Torrent. Yes, I know he was the villain of the last book but there is something about him that intrigues me, something good and brave in him. I may be totally wrong but his tortured soul vibe makes me believe there is something deeper to him. The other character that surprised me was Apollo, again he's played off as the villain but I do sense that he's not as bad as everyone makes out. I believe he really does care but his need for power often gets in the way - he may be cold hearted but I don't believe his soul is totally corrupt.
This series is a favourite of mine partly because of the many dimensions of the characters but also the amazing world building. The rich detail that's put into the mythology that is always in the background is astounding and the authors ability to give the many characters individual personalities that reflect their original myths or heritage is hugely admirable. I am a huge fan of Greek Mythology but most books I read on the subject are let downs using the myths as a basis for undeveloped romance. I can truly say that the Oracle of Delphi series is not one of these books and if you're going to read a mythological book it should be this one.
The day I started Prophecy of Solstice's End...was one of the best days ever!
Excited to finally find out what happens after Prophecy of the Setting Sunrise I jumped into this a few days after receiving it. The book starts off three weeks after the ending of Prophecy of the Setting Sunrise as Chloe Clever and friends travel to Olympus at the request/order of Zeus. During their stay, demigods are being murdered, the war of the gods is coming to a head and Chloe is stuck in the middle of it, trying to save them all. Complete with her usual action, romance and the Greek mythology that I love, Ms. Jones kept me glued to my Kindle. With rich detail and fun characters, there is never a dull moment. I can't really say much about the story without giving away the first two books but the mystery continues from book to book as Chloe works to solve the Great Unknown Prophecy and save the ones she loves.
Even though I love all of the Oracle of Delphi characters I must mention my favorite first, Ace Remedy. To me, Ace Remedy is one of the best characters in the history of book boyfriends and he really got to take a lead in Prophecy of Solstice's End. Issues with his brother Strafford cause him to act out a bit and in the end I got to see how strong their relationship really is which made me love the Irish boys even more. Then there's Swindle, aka Lenka Tahile. DUDE. What I learned of Swindle's history completely blew my mind and some of his actions have me wondering what the heck is up with him lately but he's pretty kick-butt with his new attitude. In Prophecy of Solstice's End we're finally introduced to the well-known gods of Greek Mythology. Zeus, Hera and Poseidon make first appearances and Apollo, Hermes and Athena are back keeping things interesting.
I pretty much love every single one of Diantha's characters whether they're nice or evil and you can't help but find something to love about them.
I absolutely loved this book and it's the highest I've rated one in the Oracle of Delphi series. With a fun and adventurous plot, characters you root for and a brilliant world to disappear to, Prophecy of Solstice's End does not disappoint.
I can't write an "official" review, because I edited this book and worked too closely with the writer to feel objective. Still, I did read it and I loved it. The third book (fourth story, if you include the first Mythos novella) is still engaging and gripping, and Jones has has rather certainly secured a spot as one of my favorite authors. I cannot wait until the next book!
Wow... This was a seriously epic roller coaster...
Let's just say a ton of stuff happens in this book. It's massive! Everything is ginormous and ridiculously insane, but this book rocks. So many secrets are revealed and so many more clues are given for future secrets. Clearly, Diantha knows what to give her readers, but unfortunately rations her servings. There was so much that I wanted and received, but just felt needed more by the end. It has been some time since a book has consumed my soul like this. I NEED MORE!!!
We begin with Chloe attending the Solstice's Olympic Games with many of the gods and demigods in attendance. With parades, parties, chariot races, and bonanzas, the Solstice's Olympic Games is an event that is rivaled by no other. However, underneath all of the fanfare that comes with this event, there are secrets lurking awaiting discovery. Each god has a hidden agenda just ready to send the world into oblivion. Cheery, isn't it?
Plot-wise and action-wise, this book rocks the world. There are so many conflicts and plot twists that occur that make Prophecy of the Solstice's End like no other. Chloe is constantly tested by the gods, who are the most irritating and beautiful people to ever exist. Constantly, the gods come in as the pretty and the soap opera characters. It's quite humorous, but also quite irritating. We get it, they have sex appeal. No need to keep repeating how magnificent they are. My new goal is to find one ugly thing in Olympus.
But really, the best aspect of this book would have to be the character relationships. Constantly, so many characters, whom we have deemed as the best buds that could never be torn apart, are forced to question their bonds with one another. Ace, who is extremely close to Strafford and Swindle, starts to question them when they start hiding secrets from him. Additionally, Chloe finds herself becoming best buds with Strafford's sworn enemy, further testing the bonds between Strafford and her. It's crazy, but so emotionally investing as a reader.
This book would probably have to be my favorite book yet of the Oracle of the Delphi series. Although this book received a lower rating than Prophecy of the Setting Sunrise, Prophecy of the Solstice's End was a fantastic book that is so unbelievably exciting and enjoyable to read. There definitely could have been less pretty descriptions, but thankfully they did not take away from the primary focus of the book: the impending doom of the world.... Dun dun dun...
[Full disclosure: I received a free ebook copy from Diantha Jones as part of her blog tour in exchange for an honest review.]
With the first two books in the Oracle of Delphi series achieving high levels on the ‘awesome book’ scale I thought it would be hard for Prophecy of Solstice’s End to measure up. Yet Diantha Jones keeps surprising me over and over again. Once again, this book is better than the last one! And considering how much I loved Prophecy of the Setting Sunrise, that’s even more of an accomplishment.
I love how Chloe and Strafford’s relationship intensity is cranked up to 11 throughout the book. They’ve sort of settled into the whole being in a relationship idea and what results is whole new levels of commitment on both their parts as well as more drama later on. I can’t go into much more detail without giving anything away, but let’s just say that with the passion comes doubt and misunderstandings when Chloe joins Strafford in Myth.
One of my many favourite parts of Diantha Jones’ whole series is how she portrays the gods and goddesses from the Greek myths. Apollo is manipulative even with his own children, Hera hangs on every display of affection from her husband, Zeus is a scheming letch, etc. They’re portrayed as essentially the same people they were in the myths only now they’re in the modern day and are a huge threat to Chloe as the new Pythia. I also like how the children of the gods reflect their parents’ personalities, especially in the case of Aphrodite’s daughters. What was more interesting than how the gods were portrayed was the dynamic between them and their children. Some of the demigods fully accept their roles as heroes while others like Strafford are obviously questioning them. It certainly makes for lots more tension in Myth.
As with her last two books, Diantha Jones kept throwing twist after twist into the plot that blindsided me completely. The Regalis Stella problem from the last book? That’s not resolved yet either and in fact the problem is cranked up to 11 in Prophecy of Solstice’s End. In addition to that, Apollo’s war with Zeus is looming and it’s not as simplistic as it would seem. To be fair, nothing is simplistic in Prophecy of Solstice’s End and that’s one of the strengths of the Oracle of Delphi series: it keeps you guessing as to what’s going to happen next. And with that massive cliffhanger at the end of the book in the epilogue I’ll be left guessing about what will happen in Prophecy of the Betrayed Heir, the next book.
I'll start with Chloe and Strafford, because lets be honest they are one of the cutest YA couples ever. That's probably the only time Strafford Law could be called cute...hehe, though I don't think Chloe would mind. The chemistry between these two is off the charts, they are so in love you can't help but love them, too. Their relationship faced some pretty intense challenges in this novel and watching them grow, and grow closer was awesome. I find myself rooting for them and many other characters as thought they are real people.
I loved that author choose to alternate between different characters, it keep things interesting, especially when it comes of Strafford and Chloe. It helped that you could see into each character as their relationship unfolded rather than just the woman's side as most YA novels are.
This series is beautifully written, the mythology is expertly told and everything about the books draws you in and doesn't let go. That being said the mystery was upped in this novel and I just keeping 'turning the pages' of my kindle faster and faster. Slowly the secrets are revealed and enemies become friends and the reverse.
And Torrent, oh, Torrent. I predicted it in my review of the second book and it has come true. I love him and hate him. But he is definitely one of the most fascinating characters of the novel. Though Zeus, Apollo, the Fates, and practically every other character didn't disappoint either. ;)
Also I have come to the conclusion that Diantha is evil. The ending was just...crazy! I loved it and hated it all at the same time. Though the hate is only because I have to wait until next year for the fourth book. Noooooo.
But wait I will because this is a series too fantastic to miss!
~ This review was originally posted on runawaypen.com as part of the Oracle of Delphi Blog Tour
No worries: I more than made up for it when I found myself unable to put it down and staying up way past my bedtime to read just a little bit more. I read this on my laptop- on the train. When I say I couldn't put it down, I meant it.
Why? Because things come to a head when Chloe and her team answer Zeus' summons to attend the Olympic Games- the games her true love Strafford aka Solar aka The Sun Prince just happens to be competing in. Did you have some huge questions after the first two installments? Jones delivers on a lot of the answers, particularly those concerning Hermes' son Swindle, the all-seeing Thetans, that devilishly charming son of Zeus Torrent and- oh yeah- Chloe's father. (You'll want to say "apples don't fall far from trees"- but then you're going to start wondering which tree we're concerned with.)
Wouldn't it be nice if Chloe and her demigod friends could work out their family dramas in relative peace? Sadly, no. They still have the little matter of constellations falling out of the sky- and wait until you see the ones that fall out in this book- and Apollo and Zeus circling each other to see which one is going to throw down the gauntlet first. We learned in the last book that Apollo has help; don't worry- so does Zeus. No surprise that there are several attempted murders. What's more surprising is that not all of them are successful...yet another mystery for us to solve.
In the last book we saw Chloe come to accept her role as the Oracle; in this book we get to see her exercise her power, and it's awesome. It's about damn time someone reminded these obnoxious gods that they're not in charge, and she is just Oracle to do it. But maybe- just maybe- not all of the gods are as terrible as they seem.
Wow! What a roller coaster! This book was amazing! Ms Jones does an amazing job of creating a world of myth and legend! This story isn’t for the faint of heart! Not a simple quick read by any means. The story of Chloe is one full of secrets, lies, betrayals, great love and incredible loss. I truly enjoyed every aspect. The story was seamless and I was completely engaged and immersed throughout! This whole series has been incredible and I’m dying to find out more! I gotta have more like ASAP!
My Rating
4.5 Chimera, Thetans Premier, Titanian, Kismet, Olympic Games, rhombus of Valiance, Arke, Chaos promise, Mothers power Filled Stars!! If you enjoy Greek Mythology you will LOVE the Oracle of Delphi series! I am a HUGE fan of all these amazing characters I know you will be too!!
Interesting will be an understated word for this book. It has become an ambrosia to my mind. And as the story spun around the Oracle, The Gods and Godesses, The Demigods and the other mythical beings they meet along their journey, It has become more and more of a puzzle that needs to be solved. For curious minds.