Daughter of the Underworld - Brimming with broody betrayals and thieving attempts to defy fate

 OMG! where do I even begin?

This book blew me away with so many layers - starting with the Houses of Gods - Soul Severers belonging to the Underworld's divine ruler Hades. Children are caught with the sigil of the Gods on their forehead and sent into the Houses to train and with each feat clear time off their indenture. The Thebean kingdom is rules by Orpheus who is seeking a band to bring back Eurydice, his beloved queen. Hoping to earn their freedom, a rag tag group, comprising of a bard, a warrior, a thief, a thinker and a stowaway, make their way across the Underworld.

This premise was so gripping! and the tale absolutely held sway! The themes of Orpheus and Eurydice, the nature of Godhood and the rivalry and competition of the Hunger Games are brought to fore in this wily, blood thirsty tale filled with twists. The characters are nuanced and all shaded grey, led by a feisty heroine who is determined to defy fate itself! The tale reminded me of Lore, in bringing humanity to the powers divine, and extolling it.

I am eagerly awaiting the sequel and if you haven't already - do pick this one up, especially if you enjoy Greek myths, tee Hunger Games and Lore - this one is certainly for you!

Many thank yous to Netgalley and Candlewick Press for the Arc! The Book releases Sep 9th!

To the authors, Katherine and Elizabeth, please write faster - i definitely want to sail into the sequel and sever ties with suspense!

I, Medusa - greek tragedy at its best!

 This was a spectacular and spell binding rendition of Medusa. Ayana weaves a tale of a curious child born to power hungry parents who are attention starved of the Gods. Caught between escape amd finding her own experiences to shape her destiny, Medusa evolves from novice to expert while still struggling with whether she wants to be maid or monster.

The descriptions of Acropolis and the islands resonated a lot with me, as did Meddy's awe of God's before releasing that in power lies truth. The angst and stifled Meedys journey was an absolute pleasure to read, especially for fans of Circe. Thank yous to Random House and Natgalley for the ARC! Ayana Gray has become a new must read on the auto buy authors list for Greek retellings! Brava!!