Title: Antigoddess
Author: Kendare Blake
Series: Goddess War, book #1
Publisher: Tor Teen
Publication Date: September 10, 2013
Source: ARC (and finished copy) received from publisher
Purchase: Amazon |
Barnes & Noble
The Goddess War begins in Antigoddess, the first installment of the new series by acclaimed author of Anna Dressed in Blood, 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.
With the influx of mythology retellings in YA in recent years, I was terribly afraid that I'd spend half the time comparing this novel to all of the other recent additions to the genre as other reviewers have complained of doing. Fret not, my loves, for Kendare Blake makes this story her own, giving it her usual flair for the dramatic and making it wholly awesome in the process.
I'm going to share a little secret with you guys. I kind of really loved this book. So much so that whenever I needed to mark a favorite quote or passage in the ARC, I dog-earred the page! Yeah,
I know! I never do that, but I was thoroughly engaged by this story and couldn't even be bothered enough to get up and get a Post-It note to mark important pages. So unlike me, but there it is. Honestly, I think this is probably the best mythology retelling I've read lately, full of Kendare's usual humor and alluding in a much larger capacity to the original stories I've come to love.
"I've come to find out what the fuck's going on," he said.
"Might've been a better question to ask before you attacked me." Athena turned from the mirror and rested her hip on the counter. She'd changed into a different t-shirt and sort of wished she hadn't. She should have worn the blood like a badge.
If you've read
The Odyssey -- a personal fave -- or
The Illiad or even seen the movie
Troy, you'll probably recognize a large chunk of the cast of characters...maybe not at first, but all will be revealed in due time. I loved the modern versions of the gods and goddesses and even the mortal participants of the Trojan War, even if they weren't really themselves when we met them. It was interesting to see how the gods had adapted over the years, how they'd managed to keep a low profile while still maintaining some semblance of their past immortal lives. Some have not fared so well over the last few years, especially with their imminent deaths looming before them. But that's what this novel is about: finding the cause of their downfall and stopping it, by whatever means necessary. Even if it means a war against the rest of the gods.
I've kind of always loved seeing gods trying to destroy one another, in film and in books. There's just something about all of that power and the ability to cause such destruction. And despite the fact that the gods in
Antigoddess are all in a weakened state, they still manage to cause their share of devastation in our world. Innocent lives are lost. Sacrifices are made. And yet we still are no closer to learning the truth about the gods demise. I have a theory that it's something like when we were kids and were told that if we didn't believe in faeries, they'd cease to exist. Hera even alluded to something along those lines:
"He was a stepson, only. Another bastard put upon me by my husband. Yet I would've welcomed him, had he not forgotten what you've forgotten. That he was a god. That gods are not meant to die."
I'm probably wrong, but I don't think it's all that hard to believe that faith plays that large of a role in existence, at least for otherworldly beings.
Aside from all of the violence and infighting, I also loved that this novel comes with a pre-existent relationship for both of what I'm going to call the main characters. (This is more like an ensemble cast, but Cassandra and Athena are allotted a little more page time, and though the story is told from a third person limited perspective, it switches between these two characters before their paths officially cross.) For one, the romance is just beginning, though the sparks have existed forever; and for the other, it's been eons in the making, though it's only been a year in this mortal's life.
Resurrection. Betrayal. Love. Sacrifice. All the things you previously loved about mythology are in this novel, but they're infused with Kendare's awesome style of writing, her dry wit and humor. After that ending, I kind of want to throttle the author a bit, but only because I don't have the next installment in my hands, and
I need to know what happens!!! It's not a cliffhanger, not in the usual sense, but it's totally a WTF!?! kind of ending, where something so major has happened and you're just left with your mouth hanging open at the end. I almost want to taunt the author with, "
Oh, c'mon! Is that the best you can do?" but I'm afraid of what she'll bring to the table next. I've read the
Anna books, so I know she's not afraid to mess with my head or my heart, and so I'll leave her be...for now. But she is
seriously trying my patience. =)
Other posts relating to
Antigoddess:
Katie's interpretation,
teaser
About the author:
I tire of writing these things in the third person. So. I write fiction, apparently mostly YA. I didn't know this, but like Stephen King says, writers are the last ones to know what it is they've written. My first novel Sleepwalk Society is a college story. I guess it falls into that no man's land they call, "New Adult". Anna Dressed in Blood and Girl of Nightmares are teen horror. My short fiction can be found online in numerous places.
But enough about that. When I am not writing or reading, you can generally find me sitting around wondering what the hell I'm going to do with my life. That, or being a gastronome, plotting a new recipe. Perhaps on a run or hike, playing tennis or watching Big Cat Diaries with my feline. This summer I have saved a total of three turtles during attempted road crossings.
Find Kendare
Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Wednesday, March 16, 2016
{WOW} THREE DARK CROWNS by Kendare Blake
"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.
This week's WoW selection is...
's Pick:
Author: Kendare Blake
Series: untitled series, book #1
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: September 20, 2016
What are you desperately waiting for this Wednesday? Let us know in the comments or share a link to your own WoW post!
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Cover Reveal + Guest Post: Mortal Gods by Kendare Blake
And now for the awesome cover for Mortal Gods, formerly Aristeia, book 2 in the Goddess War series:
Isn't it fabulous?!? Doesn't it look great next to the paperback cover for Antigoddess?
I can't wait to have it in my hands!!! Aaaaaaahhh! Like I was just telling Kendare, she kind of broke me with the ending of Antigoddess -- partly why we've decided her nickname going forward is The Punisher and why she's now going to "paint a white skull on one of my many black t-shirts". And though I haven't seen the descriptive copy for Mortal Gods yet, I'm expecting it to make my heart hurt.
To help with the imminent sads, I shall remember when my Katiebug gave us her interpretation of the original cover for Antigoddess. I hope that once she's out of school, she'll start doing those for me again. =)
Big thanks to Kendare for stopping by and allowing me to help reveal the cover for her newest novel!
Monday, September 9, 2013
Review: Antigoddess by Kendare Blake
Author: Kendare Blake
Series: Goddess War, book #1
Publisher: Tor Teen
Publication Date: September 10, 2013
Source: ARC (and finished copy) received from publisher
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
With the influx of mythology retellings in YA in recent years, I was terribly afraid that I'd spend half the time comparing this novel to all of the other recent additions to the genre as other reviewers have complained of doing. Fret not, my loves, for Kendare Blake makes this story her own, giving it her usual flair for the dramatic and making it wholly awesome in the process.
I'm going to share a little secret with you guys. I kind of really loved this book. So much so that whenever I needed to mark a favorite quote or passage in the ARC, I dog-earred the page! Yeah, I know! I never do that, but I was thoroughly engaged by this story and couldn't even be bothered enough to get up and get a Post-It note to mark important pages. So unlike me, but there it is. Honestly, I think this is probably the best mythology retelling I've read lately, full of Kendare's usual humor and alluding in a much larger capacity to the original stories I've come to love.
If you've read The Odyssey -- a personal fave -- or The Illiad or even seen the movie Troy, you'll probably recognize a large chunk of the cast of characters...maybe not at first, but all will be revealed in due time. I loved the modern versions of the gods and goddesses and even the mortal participants of the Trojan War, even if they weren't really themselves when we met them. It was interesting to see how the gods had adapted over the years, how they'd managed to keep a low profile while still maintaining some semblance of their past immortal lives. Some have not fared so well over the last few years, especially with their imminent deaths looming before them. But that's what this novel is about: finding the cause of their downfall and stopping it, by whatever means necessary. Even if it means a war against the rest of the gods.
I've kind of always loved seeing gods trying to destroy one another, in film and in books. There's just something about all of that power and the ability to cause such destruction. And despite the fact that the gods in Antigoddess are all in a weakened state, they still manage to cause their share of devastation in our world. Innocent lives are lost. Sacrifices are made. And yet we still are no closer to learning the truth about the gods demise. I have a theory that it's something like when we were kids and were told that if we didn't believe in faeries, they'd cease to exist. Hera even alluded to something along those lines:
I'm probably wrong, but I don't think it's all that hard to believe that faith plays that large of a role in existence, at least for otherworldly beings.
Aside from all of the violence and infighting, I also loved that this novel comes with a pre-existent relationship for both of what I'm going to call the main characters. (This is more like an ensemble cast, but Cassandra and Athena are allotted a little more page time, and though the story is told from a third person limited perspective, it switches between these two characters before their paths officially cross.) For one, the romance is just beginning, though the sparks have existed forever; and for the other, it's been eons in the making, though it's only been a year in this mortal's life.
Resurrection. Betrayal. Love. Sacrifice. All the things you previously loved about mythology are in this novel, but they're infused with Kendare's awesome style of writing, her dry wit and humor. After that ending, I kind of want to throttle the author a bit, but only because I don't have the next installment in my hands, and I need to know what happens!!! It's not a cliffhanger, not in the usual sense, but it's totally a WTF!?! kind of ending, where something so major has happened and you're just left with your mouth hanging open at the end. I almost want to taunt the author with, "Oh, c'mon! Is that the best you can do?" but I'm afraid of what she'll bring to the table next. I've read the Anna books, so I know she's not afraid to mess with my head or my heart, and so I'll leave her be...for now. But she is seriously trying my patience. =)
Other posts relating to Antigoddess: Katie's interpretation, teaser
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Teaser Tuesday #73: Antigoddess by Kendare Blake & Monsters by Ilsa J. Bick
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
Author: Kendare Blake
Series: Goddess War, book #1
Publisher: Tor Teen
Publication Date: September 10, 2013
Source: ARC received from publisher
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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.
Uh oh! Sounds like somebody's got some 'splainin' to do! =) Enjoying this one so much already...so glad to read something else from Kendare Blake, even if it isn't about Cas Lowood. ;0)
Author: Ilsa J. Bick
Series: Ashes Trilogy, book #3
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Publication Date: September 10, 2013
Source: received from publisher via Edelweiss
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
When her parents died, Alex thought things couldn't get much worse-until the doctors found the monster in her head.
She headed into the wilderness as a good-bye, to leave everything behind. But then the end of the world happened, and Alex took the first step down a treacherous road of betrayal and terror and death.
Now, with no hope of rescue-on the brink of starvation in a winter that just won't quit-she discovers a new and horrifying truth.
The Change isn't over.
The Changed are still evolving.
And...they've had help.
With this final volume of The Ashes Trilogy, Ilsa J. Bick delivers a riveting, blockbuster finish, returning readers to a brutal, post-apocalyptic world where no one is safe and hope is in short supply.
A world where, from these ashes, the monsters may rise.
This book is long and there are so many points-of-view, even more than I remember in the last book, which was a lot even then. But I'm able to follow it with relative ease, despite how the galley cuts off and spaces things unevenly. I like it, but I'm almost wondering if I should have saved this for audio because I loved Katherine Kellgren as the narrator for Ashes, but I don't see a release date on Audible. :(
What are you teasing this week? Share it in the comments or leave a link so I can visit!
Friday, June 28, 2013
Judging a Book By Its Cover #29: A Kid's Perspective on Antigoddess by Kendare Blake
Okay, so I totally stole this idea from Sara at Forever 17 Books, who got the idea from an article on Babble called Judging a Book by Its Cover: A 6-year-old Guesses What Classic Novels Are All About. I just discovered her lovely segment, and I immediately
requestedforced my own five-year-old daughter Katie to provide me with some of her own cover art artwork and then asked her what she thought the book was about.This week, Katie gave me her take on the following book:
Have you read this book or do you plan to? What do you think of Katie's guess at the premise?
Did your little darling create a work of art based on a book this week? If so, be sure to link up with Sara over at Forever 17 Books.
Monday, October 29, 2012
Something Wicked Comes: Halloween Blog Tour/Giveaway Hop
Yay! It's finally my turn!!! =) So, I posted my giveaway earlier this month to get maximum exposure and give you guys extra time to enter. But now it's time for the guts of my post. ;-)
If you've visited the giveaway post, you know I'm featuring the Anna books by Kendare Blake. This series (can it be called that when there's only two books?) is an absolute favorite of mine. I don't think any other books have ever given me so many sleepless, nightmare-filled nights. But don't let that deter you from reading these awesome books. The fact that they can create that type of response in a reader is proof enough that they are Halloween-worthy reading material.
Chocolate. And that goes for Pebbles too. Cocoa is the way to go.
Books or Movies?
Books. Also, movies. One shouldn't have to choose.
Truth or Dare?
Dare. Truth is sort of irritating.
Reality or Fantasy?
I don't see the difference.
Fight or Flight?
Fight. Easy choice.
Fast or Slow?
Fast.
Home or Away?
Away. What is this "home" you speak of?
Glass half-empty or Half-full?
The glass has liquid in it. The liquid is probably vodka. I guess you could say I'm a realist.
Old or New?
Old, if it's magic. New, if it's...I don't know. Food.
Public or Private?
Private. So why am I doing this interview?
Black & white or Somewhere in the middle?
Black, white and everything in between.
Ketchup or Mustard?
On what? Bologna? Then mustard. Pretty much ketchup for anything else.
Country or City?
I see plenty of both, and either one can kill you.
Noisy or quiet?
Same answer as above.
Light or Dark?
Dark.
Love it! Thanks so much for stopping by, Cas!
Don't forget, guys, that I'm giving away both books in this series. You can check out my original post for details and enter below for your chance to win.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Something Wicked Comes Blog Tour: Giveaway!!!
Okay, so my stop on the Something Wicked Comes Blog Tour isn't scheduled until the 29th, but I wanted to go ahead and put up my giveaway now so that you guys have as much opportunity to enter as possible. After all, I am giving away two fabulous books that you don't want to miss! I absolutely love this time of year, and it always puts me in a charitable mood. =) But even though you can enter the giveaway now, do be sure to stop back by on the 29th, as I have a little surprise featuring Cas, thanks to the awesome Kendare Blake.
Author: Kendare Blake
Series: Anna #1
Publisher: Tor Teen
Publication Date: August 30, 2011
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.
So did his father before him, until his gruesome murder by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father’s mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.
When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn’t expect anything outside of the ordinary: move, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he’s never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, but now stained red and dripping blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.
And she, for whatever reason, spares his life.
And then my friend April at Sim~Sational~Books made this trailer:
Author: Kendare Blake
Series: Anna #2
Publisher: Tor Teen
Publication Date: August 7, 2012
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
His friends remind him that Anna sacrificed herself so that Cas could live--not walk around half dead. He knows they're right, but in Cas's eyes, no living girl he meets can compare to the dead girl he fell in love with.
Now he's seeing Anna everywhere: sometimes when he's asleep and sometimes in waking nightmares. But something is very wrong...these aren't just daydreams. Anna seems tortured, torn apart in new and ever more gruesome ways every time she appears.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Good luck & happy reading!
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Review: Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake
Author: Kendare Blake
Series: Anna #2
Publisher: Tor Teen
Publication Date: August 7, 2012
Source: finished copy from publisher
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
His friends remind him that Anna sacrificed herself so that Cas could live--not walk around half dead. He knows they're right, but in Cas's eyes, no living girl he meets can compare to the dead girl he fell in love with.
Now he's seeing Anna everywhere: sometimes when he's asleep and sometimes in waking nightmares. But something is very wrong...these aren't just daydreams. Anna seems tortured, torn apart in new and ever more gruesome ways every time she appears.
Cas doesn't know what happened to Anna when she disappeared into Hell, but he knows she doesn't deserve whatever is happening to her now. Anna saved Cas more than once, and it's time for him to return the favor.
I think the fact that I have such physical reactions to what Cas is doing speaks volumes for the characterization, not to mention the writing as a whole. I feel like I know these characters…they have personalities all their own and they've grown so much in such a short period of time. Cas is pitted against a formidable potential ally and even though I never fully trusted her, I liked her, just as Cas did. It's not fair for the author to make me like the competition, but she did it anyway. That lady is one smooth talker.
And so even though this is a sequel, it's also the end, and a brilliant end it is. Some books are casual acquaintances and leave you feeling lukewarm towards them. Others you might actually date for a bit before forgetting about them. But this book? This book I'd marry. I could spend the rest of my life with this book and never look twice at another book. I would be completely monogamous with this book, ya'll. Yep, we'd have a very long and happy life together. Well, until that Antigoddess series is out. I can't make any promises then, not with the way Kendare writes for my soul.
Rating:
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Teaser Tuesday #18: Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
This week's teaser comes from the following book:
Author: Kendare Blake
Series: Anna #2
Publisher: Tor Teen
Publication Date: August 7, 2012
Source: finished copy from publisher
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
His friends remind him that Anna sacrificed herself so that Cas could live--not walk around half dead. He knows they're right, but in Cas's eyes, no living girl he meets can compare to the dead girl he fell in love with.
Now he's seeing Anna everywhere: sometimes when he's asleep and sometimes in waking nightmares. But something is very wrong...these aren't just daydreams. Anna seems tortured, torn apart in new and ever more gruesome ways every time she appears.
Cas doesn't know what happened to Anna when she disappeared into Hell, but he knows she doesn't deserve whatever is happening to her now. Anna saved Cas more than once, and it's time for him to return the favor.
My teaser:
Aw, poor, poor Cas. He is having such a rough go of it since the events that transpired in Anna Dressed in Blood. And things don't look to be getting any easier for Cas anytime soon. :C
Current Giveaways
A Starry-Eyed Prize Pack!
Subscribe by Email
Follow Via Bloglovin
Follow Jen on Instagram
Jen's Currently Reading
Sabrina's Currently Reading
2019 Reading Challenge
Followers
Search This Blog
Ratings
Twitter
Quotes We ♥
Blog Archive
Labels
About Me
-
starryeyedjen
- I work with numbers by day, and I'm a mommy and avid reader by night. I'm a self-proclaimed Spreadsheet Queen, and I'll read anything you put in front of me. I seriously love all the books! And I adore audiobooks, too!
View my complete profile