OF BLOOD AND LIGHTNING

A teenage girl and her friends must harness the powers of the Greek gods to save the world.

After Ophelia’s father dies unexpectedly, she leaves Austin and moves back to New River, North Dakota, to live with her aunt Cherice and uncle Janus; her mother’s identity has always been a mystery. Still grieving, high school senior Ophelia, who’s Black, meets new people and tries to settle in, though she starts to realize that her family may be harboring some secrets. When a series of unusual dreams plagues Ophelia and her racially diverse group of friends, they soon discover that they’ve each been given the power of a different Greek god. As they’re learning what this means, they learn from a mysterious messenger that not only are they in danger, but the future of humankind is as well—and they’re the only ones who can help. Armed with this information, they set off on a series of quests to stop a total apocalypse. Janae’s writing style is compelling but occasionally moves too rapidly, not allowing readers to fully digest the new information she’s introduced. Additionally, while fans of similar contemporary fantasies based on Greek mythology might enjoy this story and its many nods to classic tales, the lore, which contains many moving pieces, is difficult to follow at times.

A fast-paced debut.