Review: Antigoddess by Kendare Blake

Antigoddess (Goddess War #1)

Author: Kendare Blake
Genre: YA Fantasy/Mythology
Release Date: September 10, 2013
Publisher: Tor Teen
Source: Hardcover from Publisher

Description:

The Goddess War begins in Antigoddess, the first installment of the new series by acclaimed author of Anna Dressed in Blood, Kendare Blake.

Old Gods never die…

Or so Athena thought. But then the feathers started sprouting beneath her skin, invading her lungs like a strange cancer, and Hermes showed up with a fever eating away his flesh. So much for living a quiet eternity in perpetual health.

Desperately seeking the cause of their slow, miserable deaths, Athena and Hermes travel the world, gathering allies and discovering enemies both new and old. Their search leads them to Cassandra—an ordinary girl who was once an extraordinary prophetess, protected and loved by a god.

These days, Cassandra doesn’t involve herself in the business of gods—in fact, she doesn’t even know they exist. But she could be the key in a war that is only just beginning.

Because Hera, the queen of the gods, has aligned herself with other of the ancient Olympians, who are killing off rivals in an attempt to prolong their own lives. But these anti-gods have become corrupted in their desperation to survive, horrific caricatures of their former glory. Athena will need every advantage she can get, because immortals don’t just flicker out.

Every one of them dies in their own way. Some choke on feathers. Others become monsters. All of them rage against their last breath.


The Goddess War is about to begin.  

Antigoddess is the outstanding first book in a new young adult fantasy series that brings Greek gods and goddesses into the 21st century. Gods are supposed to be immortal - so why are they dying? Athena is being slowing choked by the feathers of her owls and Hermes is withering away before her eyes. They don't understand what's happening to them or how to stop it, so they go on a journey to discover the truth. Along the way, they meet up with other gods and goddesses facing the same excruciating deaths. It appears that Hera, queen of the gods, has gone insane and has made an alliance with Poseidon and Aphrodite in an effort to kill the other gods in order to save themselves. A full on war between the Olympian gods is about to begin in the midst of unsuspecting mortals. The only hope that Athena and her friends have is the reincarnation of a powerful prophetess, Cassandra, who is much more than she seems. With Cassandra's help, will Athena and her friends be able to stop the war from happening or will they all end up dead?

This is the first book I've read by the author and it far surpassed any and all expectations I may have had for it. From the very first paragraph, it sucked me into its pages and didn't let up until the end. I loved that the ancient Greek gods and goddesses were updated and brought into the 21st century. It made them more fascinating and yet easy to identify with as characters. I enjoyed learning about their lives, both past and present, and the history of all the Olympians. The entire cast of characters was incredibly well written with distinct personalities, strengths, weaknesses, and hopes and fears. Each and every one of the characters in the book made an impression on me and I felt like I almost knew them myself. The plot was compelling and had me eagerly turning the pages to see what was going to happen. There's several story lines in the book that go on alongside the main plot, but these only served to enhance the story and gave it more depth. The idea of ancient Greek gods and goddesses waging war in the modern world was compelling and the author wrote about it with such finesse that it seemed like I was right alongside the characters throughout the story. The writing itself was phenomenal with a fast pace, vivid imagery, and detailed descriptions that had me enchanted from the start. There's so much going on and so many different directions that the series can take - I can't wait to see where the next book will take us. Highly recommended for fans of YA fantasy and mythology retellings as well as anyone looking for a great book that stands apart from the rest of the genre.

A Phenomenal New Series!!

A HUGE thank you to Tor Teen for sending me a gorgeous finished copy for review!