THE IMMORTAL GAMES

A mortal girl and a Greek god fight for the future of their world.

Sixteen-year-old Ara has spent the five years since her sister Estella’s death training to exact revenge on the one responsible: Zeus. Estella was killed during the Immortal Games, a competition between the Gods where mortals are used as tokens for their entertainment. Ara’s only hope of fulfilling her oath to Estella is to be chosen as a token herself. When Ara almost dies while saving her mother from a fire, Hades rescues her and selects her as his token. She’s plunged into the trials with 11 other mortals, including childhood friend Theron. While Ara loathes the Gods, Hades is not what she expected, and their relationship quickly grows. As the competitors find themselves in increasingly dangerous situations, Ara must decide if her newfound relationship with Hades is more important than vengeance, and Hades must determine whether his love for Ara matters more than the fate of the world. Told in Ara’s and Hades’ alternating perspectives, the novel is compelling, with riveting action sequences. Mythological elements, from the gods to lesser-known monsters, are seamlessly included. While the character development is rushed at times, resulting in some relationships feeling shallow, Ara’s and Hades’ motivations ring true throughout. Characters are diverse in appearance, with skin that is variously described as “sun-bronzed,” “almost translucent,” and dark, “with a deep luster.”

A fun, fast-paced tale set in the perennially popular world of Greek mythology.