Antigoddess (Antigoddess #1)

Thanks to Kendare for holding that giveaway on her blog!!! Woot woot!

I went into this books with a lot of expectations. Because Anna Dressed in Blood was so brilliant, I expected this one to be no less, especially since the plot was so intriguing. Dying gods? That’s a first, keeping in mind that they are dying in weird ways, sprouting feathers, becoming monsters and so on.

You’ve probably seen the star rating above, but let me say it. BLAKE HAS DONE IT AGAIN.

From the story, to the writing style, to the characterization, everything is absolutely spot on. I love the way Kendare Blake is able to switch moods from humor to grim and back so effortlessly. There were moments in this book that had me smirking, laughing and others had me feeling incredibly sick.

I don’t know if it’s the way she writes or my weird imagination, but I could actually feel feathers inside my mouth and elsewhere:
“The feathers were starting to be a nuisance. There was one in her mouth, tickling the back of her throat. She chewed at it as she walked, grabbed it with her molars and pulled it loose. Warm, copper-penny blood flooded over her tongue. There were others too, sprouting up inside of her like a strange cancer, worming their way through her innards and muscle.”

Even if the reader has little knowledge of mythology, the story wouldn’t be difficult to follow. Since I had studied Greek mythology in my last semester, the family tree of the gods was still fresh in my mind. But even if it hadn’t been, I wouldn’t have had a problem following the character relations.

Antigoddess has taken these gods of ancient times and placed them in a modern setting. They are facing death, and they will do anything to stop it. At the story’s center is Athena, the virgin goddess of war and strategy and with her is Hermes, the light-footed Messenger/god of thieves. Together they go on a search to look for the prophetess who will be their weapon and will help overcome death and the bitch supreme, Hera.

Athena was never my favorite goddess, but Blake’s Athena, though rough on the edges, is someone you’ll grow to love. Hera, on the other hand, is a firm believer in ‘once a bitch, always a bitch.’ You’ll hate her at the very first instance when she enters the scene.

All the characters are well developed and believable. They all have their faults and reasons to be loved too. Hats off to Kendare for making me see some of the gods in a new light without really deviating from the hard facts.

Since this was Book 1 of a series, I knew something would go terribly wrong in the end. And I was right. The ending is a sucker-punch, but it’s the kind that has you wanting more.

Final Words:
If you have even the slightest interest in mythology, you should read this book. It may be a bit slow-paced, but that’s for a reason, it helps you understand all the characters and their motives.
Blake has a knack for witty dialogues and they make for an interesting read when combined with such a solid plot-line. I loved every moment of this book, and wasn’t bored for a second.

Antigoddess was a unique and different take on the Olympian gods.
It was definitely fascinating to see Athena and Hermes as very modern teenagers.
The plot was captivating and well written with great characters. I liked Cassandra and Aidan's relationship. Henry, Andie and Odysseus were also interesting.
This novel was exciting and filled with adventure and I'm eager for the next one!

It only seems fitting that the Greek gods are dying in today's world, and Kendare Blake takes that idea and runs with it in Antigoddess. Hermes' body is consuming itself, Athena is growing feathers internally, and the other gods are in equal decline. Even the Greek heroes of old have been reborn, but they have no memories of their past lives or knowledge of their identities. As a mythology nerd and a huge fan of Anna Dressed in Blood, I was immediately drawn to the novel.

The concept of Antigoddess was intriguing, but it was the execution of it is what made it shine. Every time Athena pulled a feather through the skin in her mouth or Hermes was even described, I would cringe. Blake was able to open my imagination, and I could almost feel the feathers and emaciation. The pacing did drag some through the middle, but the ending was glorious. Blake does not hesitate in killing her characters off most gruesomely, and that is exciting in itself. There was also the mirroring of the events regarding the Trojan War that rocked my socks.

Antigoddess' characters were just as interesting as the concept. Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom and warfare, had not been worshipped in years and looked very like the typical teenage girl, right down to the purple streaks in her hair. She knew that she was dying, but was not willing to die - or even allow her brothers to, for that matter - without a fight. Watching her step minisculely away from her hardened virginal stance to open her heart was sweet to watch. Hermes was a good balance to his sister Athena's hardened nature and was much more human. Cassandra and Aiden were an abnormally well adjusted couple who were happily in love on the other side of the country. He was fully aware of her psychic abilities and supportive of them, though he was a bit boring. When these characters were brought together, it did not seem forced, and the story-lines melted together nicely.

However, despite all of these great things about Antigoddess, I never really got into it. I did not realize this until the end. The scenes at the end were well-written and exciting, but I found myself not caring about the outcome overmuch. I have been crying at the drop of a hat while reading lately, and I did not get emotional at all during the last battle in the book. This was surprising to me because I was one hundred percent into Anna Dressed in Blood.

Even though I was not caught up in the events and characters of Antigoddess, it was still an enjoyable read. I think fans of Blake's previous work and Greek mythology in general will eat up this novel. As for me, I am still interested in seeing what comes next in the Goddess War series.

- 3.5/5 Stars -

To satisfy FTC guidelines, I am disclosing that I received an advance copy of the book briefly for reviewing purposes through Around the World ARC Tours in exchange for an honest review. The book was likely provided to the tour by the publisher or author, which has in no way affected the outcome of my review. All opinions expressed are rambling, honest, and completely my own.

Antigoddess was a bit of a wildcard pick for me. I really knew nothing about the story, but I've really been wanting to read Kendare Blake's other novels, Anna Dressed in Blood and Girl of Nightmares. I've heard so many wonderful things about her writing so I jumped on the chance to get a copy. I went in to the story almost completely blind, with only the small amount of knowledge about Greek mythology that I was taught in school. What turned out to be an excellent aspect of the novel was that you don't really have to know anything about Greek mythology. The story is so well crafted that it works and flows together and it all makes sense.

However, the story went at a very slow pace. I had some trouble focusing on what was happening and it took me a while to get through. The problem most likely stems to the amount of characters the novel holds. Jumping between different characters and story lines can be time consuming and so by the time we got to the climax of the plot, the book was over. The lead up took about 17 of the 20 chapters and we only get a taste of the battle that is just beginning. I feel like there was too much time spent talking and not enough time spent doing. That being said, it was incredibly well written. Good writing can make up for so many things, and in this case, it made up for the slow pacing. The writing was very descriptive and especially gory. The author definitely did not shy away from giving us all the details. (A lot of them made me wince while reading.)

Another redeeming aspect was the overall story. It was completely original. We're not getting a retelling of a story or myth. Instead we are getting modernized and dying gods, fighting against each other to ensure their survival. Each god had an affliction that was just so creative and fitting for each iconic figure. And speaking of iconic figures, I absolutely loved that Athena was one of the main protagonists. She is hands down my favorite figure in Greek mythology. She's a goddess of battle, but she's been separated from her original world, as are all the other gods. I thought it gave her more depth and more conflict to her. The idea of setting all these gods in a modern setting and being able to see what they would have become after thousands of years is absolutely fascinating to me. And Kendare Blake did a wonderful job of reimagining each god and the other characters. The only ones I didn't care much for were Cassandra and Aidan, but I got over it. They were essential to the story.

In the end, I enjoyed the overall story and characters. The pacing is something I can look past now that the story is set up and ready for the sequel, which I will most certainly be reading along with the author's other novels. (Her gory and sometimes frightening descriptions in this book have me excited to see what she does with the horror genre.) This series definitely has promise.