Friday, September 27, 2013

Book Review: Antigoddess by 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.

As a newly formed Kendare Blake "groupie" (check out my review for Anna Dressed in Blood), I could not wait to get my hands on Antigoddess, her newest release. And I was even more excited when the hardcover version came to my door as I've developed a renewed love in reading paper vs digital. The cover is not only beautiful, but it does an excellent job of capturing the story.

I devoured Antigoddess in just a few days. For a good portion of the book there are two stories being told, one of Cassandra, a high school girl who has premonitions into the future; and the other of Athena and Hermes, two dying gods trying to figure out a way to live. I loved the paranormal aspect that accompanied the gods, like a woman stretched out across the desert so they were standing near her eye, a god who could get owls to do her bidding suddenly choking to death on their feathers, and Nereids (Poseidon's minions) who are able to clone humans. I also loved the relationship between Cassandra (the telepath) and her boyfriend Aidan, although it didn't go the way I was hoping.

But I found myself more drawn to the story of the high school girl as at times I got lost when the gods were referencing so many different names. If you're up on Greek mythology, you probably won't have as hard of a time. I was vaguely able to keep up because of my love for Percy Jackson. Regardless, Kendare's prose was just as spot on as it was in the Anna series, and did not disappoint. While I didn't like this one as much as Anna Dressed in Blood, I still enjoyed it immensely, and look forward to the sequel. Honestly, I would like to give 4.5 stars to Antigoddess, but I set my ratings at solid numbers, so I'm stuck with giving it four. Just picture another head lying at their feet...
Rather tragically, I will not be able to attend her book signing taking place tonight only a couple of hours from where I live. It about killed me as I was really looking forward to meeting one of my newest favorite authors in person. But since Kendra once lived in Minnesota, I'm hoping there will be another chance down the road for me to shake her hand, and most likely gush about what a big fan I've become of her writing.

Kendare Blake is an import from South Korea who was raised in the United States by caucasian parents. You know, that old chestnut. She received a Bachelor's degree in Business from Ithaca College and a Master's degree in Writing from Middlesex University in London. She brakes for animals, the largest of which was a deer, which sadly didn't make it, and the smallest of which was a mouse, which did, but it took forever. Amongst her likes are Greek Mythology, rare red meat and veganism. She also enjoys girls who can think with the boys like Ayn Rand, and boys who scare the morality into people, like Bret Easton Ellis.


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4 comments:

Sheena-kay Graham said...

I really need to start reading Kendare's books. Cool review and the premise is enticing.

Cathrina Constantine said...

What a great cover, Kendare. And Antigoddess sounds amazing!!!

Unknown said...

Obviously I think they're awesome! :)

Unknown said...

Her books are amazing!

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