The Greek gods have dispersed from Greece and now live unworshipped throughout the world. Artemis aka Selene DiSilva walks the streets of New York City. Her goal? To protect the innocent, particularly women it seems.
In the predawn hours, Selene is walking her dog and finds the body of a woman wreathed in laurel. Someone has made a sacrifice of her.
She meets Theo Schultz, a classics professor and friend of the deceased. Together they begin to look into the mystery of what happened. They find there is more to it than meets the eye. Someone is trying to recreate the Eleusinian mysteries with a cult using human sacrifice to give them more power. Who is it? And why does it seem to be giving Selene more power than she's had in years even as her mother fades?
Selene is a strong female character. She is a little awkward, insensitive, and not quite human. What would you expect from a former goddess who has been fading from her glory for years? Theo makes a good counter to her, opposite to her in so many ways. He is for a minimum more empathic and more human. And yet, there is a growing attraction between the two of them.
The Immortals by Jordanna Max Brodsky is first and foremost a mystery, a bit of a thriller. It is the first book in a proposed trilogy and can be read as a standalone. It is also urban fantasy since the gods and goddesses are an important part of the book. I've seen it recommended for adult fans of Percy Jackson. It is definitely an adult book based on the goriness of the murders, especially the first one.
The romance portion is mostly a subplot. There is interesting information about the character of Selene and bits of history of New York shown through how she has spent her time in the area since she arrived. It's interesting too to see what attributes the other gods and goddesses have retained as they fade.
At the end of the book, the author has several sections devoted to information about what she's covered in the book. There is information about which New York sites are real and whether or not they are available in the author's note. And in the appendices there is information about the greek gods/goddesses and the Eleusinian mysteries. There is also a glossary of Greek and Latin terms used in the book.
It's a solid start to the Olympus Bound trilogy. The characters are interesting. I actually liked Theo a little better than Selene, but both are good. The mystery of who is sacrificing the innocents and why is a good one. It has twists. There are a few parts towards the beginning that are slow, but then it speeds up. I gave this book 4 stars. It's due out February 16, 2016 from Orbit.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
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