Mortal Gods
Written by Kendare Blake
Narrated by Kate Reading
4/5
()
About this audiobook
As ancient immortals are left reeling, a modern Athena and Hermes search the world for answers in Mortal Gods, the second Goddess War novel by Kendare Blake, acclaimed author of Anna Dressed in Blood.
Ares, god of war, is leading the other dying gods into battle. Which is just fine with Athena. She's ready to wage a war of her own, and she's never liked him anyway. If Athena is lucky, the winning gods will have their immortality restored. If not, at least she'll have killed the bloody lot of them, and she and Hermes can die in peace.
Cassandra Weaver is a weapon of fate. The girl who kills gods. But all she wants is for the god she loved and lost to return to life. If she can't have that, then the other gods will burn, starting with his murderer, Aphrodite.
The alliance between Cassandra and Athena is fragile. Cassandra suspects Athena lacks the will to truly kill her own family. And Athena fears that Cassandra's hate will get them all killed.
The war takes them across the globe, searching for lost gods, old enemies, and Achilles, the greatest warrior the world has ever seen. As the struggle escalates, Athena and Cassandra must find a way to work together. Because if they can't, fates far worse than death await.
Kendare Blake
Kendare Blake is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Three Dark Crowns series. She holds an MA in creative writing from Middlesex University in northern London. She is also the author of Anna Dressed in Blood, a Cybils Awards finalist; Girl of Nightmares; Antigoddess; Mortal Gods; and Ungodly. Her books have been translated into over twenty languages, have been featured on multiple best-of-year lists, and have received many regional and librarian awards. Kendare lives and writes in Gig Harbor, Washington. Visit her online at www.kendareblake.com.
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Reviews for Mortal Gods
29 ratings3 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I'm really enjoying this series...I've always been fascinated with the Greek gods and I love the way the author has brought them to life in the present day. Fast-paced, great writing, intriguing characters. Definitely recommended.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5For more reviews, Cover Snark and more, visit A Reader of Fictions.November is Greek mythology month for me. I’ve been working on the Heroes of Olympus and then, since apparently even that wasn’t enough, I decided it was time for Mortal Gods. You’d think reading two books with the gods roaming around the US at the same time would be confusing, but the world building and personalities and tone of the books are so different that I didn’t have a problem at all. Mortal Gods has everything I’ve come to expect from Kendare Blake’s novels: pain, lush description, and badass heroines.How much do I love that this series is Goddess War and not God War? This series is boss ass bitches fighting and it’s completely bamf. There are strong men, too, but, across the board, it’s women calling the shots. That does not happen often enough in fiction. All of the main characters are strong, but the women have this fiery determination to keep trying against the odds. They also happen to be the better strategists. Yeah, Odysseus can do strategy, but he also worships at Athena’s alter, so he’s a bit behind her on that. Also, when I say women fighting, I mean war.Circumstances were bleak in Antigoddess, but things have only gotten worse. The gods continue to die, in their own unique torturous fashion. Athena and her feathers are still the worst, because I cannot even handle those descriptions of them popping out of Athena’s skin. Hermes is wasting away too quickly, despite eating tons of Chinese food and making me very hungry. Ares bleeds from past war wounds, doomed to die from battles he won. Aphrodite goes the way of Hamlet’s Ophelia, losing grasp of her sanity while maintaining her beauty. They’re all fighting, hoping that somehow killing some will save the rest. What makes this especially dark is that there’s really no guarantee that all of this death will grant anyone life, especially since I wouldn’t put it past Blake to end her series with everyone dead.The role of the humans expands in Mortal Gods. I struggled a bit with the purpose of the reincarnated humans from the Trojan War, but they’re starting to matter. They’re also interesting in how they interact with the world, some entirely devoted to the past and others living mostly in the present. The dynamics between these teens, knowing who they once were but also new people, are so interesting. For example, Andromeda and Hector were married, but Henry thinks that Andie’s his sister’s annoying friend. If the feelings change, is it Andie he likes or Andromeda?I really like most of the cast, with the exception of Cassandra. She didn’t bother me as much in Mortal Gods, since she wasn’t in a goopy romance with Apollo, who I really don’t want to call Aidan, anymore. Actually, I like Cassandra most when she lets her god-killing rage take her over and becomes a bit evil. Hermes might be my favorite, and I dearly wish for a gay ship for him before the series ends. Athena continues to be her infuriating, stubborn wonderful self, unable to admit to emotions and wanting to focus on practical things like staying alive. The ship between her and Odysseus is immensely frustrating and I really want to shove their faces and bodies together.Kendare Blake is one of the cruelest YA authors. Seriously, not only does she kill a bunch of characters, but they’re basically all constantly wounded and having every dream crushed. Of course, to cheer you up, there are fun pop culture references peppered throughout. I even spotted one that I do believe is a reference to Blazing Saddles; if it is, Kendare Blake may have my eternal devotion and my money for all future books.Questions remain, however. As much as I love the female gods running the show, I can’t help wondering where Zeus and Hades are. They’ve been referenced, but apparently have zero interest in this war. Considering that they’re often ranked the top gods, it seems odd for them not to be involved in some way. I’m also curious about the other big names from the Trojan War. This, too, has been raised, but not necessarily addressed. Before this all ends, I would like some explanation for why these specific people returned.After the dramatic cliffhanger, I need book three. There’s no stopping now. If you enjoyed Antigoddess, Mortal Gods is more bloody awesomeness.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I’m a mythology buff, so naturally I became drawn to Kendare Blake’s Goddess War series. The first book introduced us to the concept that the Old Gods of Greek Mythology have always existed, and that well-known deities such as Athena and Hermes have lived among us since time immemorial. But all of a sudden, the gods are losing their immortality, dying slowly in the most bizarre and most horrific ways. All eyes turn to Kincade, New York, home of Cassandra of Troy…or the reincarnated version of her, anyway. As the gods take sides and prepare for war, the psychic teen may hold the key to everything.After reading the first book, I could say I enjoyed it unequivocally. This second book, however, left me with mixed feelings. Issue 1: Pacing. It falls on the slower side, especially at the beginning. Looking back, the biggest criticism I had with Antigoddess was that it ended with absolutely nothing resolved, closing with a cliffhanger of sorts. Happily, Mortal Gods picks up right where it left off, but then spends an excessive amount of time just trying to build back up to the level of suspense and excitement that we experienced right at the end of book one. Issue 2: A book like Mortal Gods that has parts taking place in far flung and exotic locations across the globe should feel vast, epic, HUGE. At times, I sense this vibe struggling to come through in the narrative, but it never quite manages it. I love Kendare Blake’s writing style and she generally does a great job with her world-building, but for some reason the scenes that took place in the jungles of Malaysia or the outback of Australia felt rushed and glossed over. On the other hand, she seems to do a much better job with fantasy settings. I adored the scenes that took place in Hades’ Underworld or at Mount Olympus, they were amazing.Issue 3: The character of Cassandra. What happened? Granted, her life has been turned upside down and she’s experienced a lot of terrible things, including the loss of someone she loved deeply. All these events have shaped her, and while she’s a much deeper and well-rounded character now, she has also transformed into a downright bratty kid. Her anger and impulsiveness makes her say and do dumb things, and that makes it really hard to sympathize with her.The final thing I want to talk about isn’t really an issue, but might be something to consider if you’re thinking of picking up this series. This is a Young Adult novel and it really shows. Most of the main characters are teens, including the incarnations of the Greek Gods, and there’s practically no adult presence. For some readers, this is of little to no importance. For me, it does take away some of the realism and immersion. If you can buy (or don’t care) that a teen can go jetsetting across the world, miss school and disappear for days on end without her parents even getting a tiny bit suspicious – or alternatively, they’re actually okay with it – then you shouldn’t have a problem at all. I don’t want this review to sound too harsh though, because I did have a good time with Mortal Gods. My favorite part of it is still the unique and interesting take on the Greek Gods, and I really enjoyed how certain snippets of the story would play out like a very loose version of the Iliad, particularly when it involved the relationships between characters.Bottom line: a pretty good book and sequel, though I still liked the first book better. I’m looking forward to the next one.