Books for YA!: Book Review: Antigoddess (Goddess War #1)

Title: Antigoddess (Goddess War #1)
Author: Kendare Blake
Genre/s: Young Adult, Fantasy, Mythology, Romance, Horror
Released Date: October 3, 2013
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Synopsis:

The acclaimed author of ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD returns with an incredible story about ancient gods, modern love and an epic fight for survival

He was Apollo, the sun, and he'd burn down anything that tried to hurt her... Cassandra and Aidan are just your average high-school couple. Or so Cassandra believes. Blissfully unaware that she was once a powerful prophetess, Cassandra doesn't even know thats god exist... Until now.

Because the gods are dying - and Cassandra could hold the answer to their survival. But Aidan has a secret of his own. He is really Apollo, god of the sun, and he will do anything to protect the girl he loves from the danger that's coming for her. Even if it means war against his immortal family...

Sexy, irresistible characters; romantic and mythological intrigue; relentless action and suspense - ANTIGODDESS is the YA novel you've been waiting for.

My Thoughts:

Antigoddess is a one of a kind story about dying gods and reincarnated souls. And as expected, Kendare Blake was superb in giving us a vivid and engrossing narration that will keep us glued to her book.

The twilight of the gods is finally happening and the Greek gods are slowly and painfully dying. But do you think these self-centered, power-hungry immortals will let that happen without putting up a fight? Damn right, they wouldn't! Athena and Hermes teamed up to find out if there is a cure or remedy for their bizarre conditions, while the others gods has gone rogue and turned to the Titan's way of self-preservation by eating lesser gods and creatures.

On the other side of the state, high school couple, Cassandra and Aidan were living like a normal teenagers, tricking freshmen students with their coin toss game which they always win because of Cassie's psychic ability. But her visions were turning from weird to scary and she can feel that something is happening but she doesn't know what exactly. Soon she will find out what it is, including the truth about her and Aidan's true identity.

Kendare Blake's Anna Duology is one of my favorite book series of all time. So when I heard that she has a new book coming out and it's about Greek mythology(which I adore), I'm more than excited to read it. I had to admit, I wasn't looking forward to the dying part of the Greek gods but knowing Kendare's creativity and writing skills, I know she can pull it off. And she totally did! She didn't only reached my expectation but she exceeded it.

Kendare somehow made the concept of dying Greek gods sounds appealing to a Greek fanatic like me. She made the gods and goddesses still has their powers but she limits it to make them vulnerable and more human. We can now symphatize and relate to them because they now know what it feels like to become a mortal - to get wounded, to feel helpless and to be afraid to die at any second, any day, and anywhere.

Athena, my favorite Greek goddess aside from Artemis, is as badass as I expected her to be. She's tough and smart, but sadly, she's also harsh sometimes and cold-hearted. She kept on pushing the only person who admire her and I think, I can understand where she's coming from. She's one of the three virgin goddesses and she doesn't know how to give affection. She lived for millennia without it and even though she wouldn't admit it, it scares the crap out of her to not be in her comfort zone. But things are different now and I truly believe that she'll warm up to him, eventually. Because I ship Odysseus and her so much!

Sadly, I didn't have the same reaction to Cassandra and Aidan's loveteam. I didn't like how Aidan disguised his selfish acts and decisions and make it look like he did it for love. It's sickening! Because that love, that undying love that he waves like a free pass for all the wrong things he did, is the same selfish love that caused Cassandra's curse and death.

“A thousand times I opened my mouth to tell you.”

“To tell me what?”

“Everything. Who you were. Who I was. What I’d done. But then I’d look at you. And I knew no matter what I did, I would lose you anyway. To death, or disease, or a fucking car accident..."

See how selfish he is. Since he's going to lose her anyway, he decided she'd rather not know the truth. Oh, that's reasonable! Who the heck is he to make that choice? It was unfair for Cassandra and considering that he has been living with that guilt for over two thousand years, I was expecting a better apology than that. My feelings for Apollo (or to be more precise, the lack of it) is also the reason why the twist in the ending didn't affect me that much.

Overall, this book is still an AMAZING read regardless of what I said about Apollo. Antigoddess is another new series from Kendare Blake to watch out for. If you like her Anna Dressed in Blood and Girl of Nightmares, you will, most likely, love this book, too. I would recommend it to mythology fanatics who likes to see a fresh and definitely unique new take on the Greek Mythology genre.

My Rating