Review: Winter of the Gods by Jordanna Max Brodsky

In book 2 of the Olympus Bound trilogy, Selene and Theo are once again drawn into an investigation of murders that appear to be the work of a cult. There is a twist, though. Whoever is doing this isn't picking their victims at random. They are choosing them from among the Olympian gods.

The setting for the book is the Christmas season in modern-day New York City. Funny to set a book about the Olympians during a time period centered around celebrating the birth of Christ. But, the timing ends up playing a part in the story.

The mystery of the sacrifices has Selene, aka Artemis, distrusting even more than usual. She questions whether or not it could even be a member of her family performing the sacrifice in order to regain lost power. Overall, it's a good mystery.

Theo is trying to keep up with Selene and help solve the murders. Two of his close friends become involved in the investigation. I felt a little overwhelmed by all of the info given regarding circumstances and symbols during the investigation as a result of their research. It's all good information and impressive, but I felt like there was a little too much. It slowed the pace of the story even though it leads to an epiphany.

The characters are well drawn, particularly Selene and Theo. Their romance seems to suffer a little in this book. I think they aren't really listening to each other, which seems quite possible considering one is immortal-ish and one is definitely mortal. And I liked the addition of  Hephaestus to the story as more of an important character than in the last book.

I give the book 3.5 stars. Overall, it's a good book. Just a little slow in spots where there was a lot of information given.  If you're a fan of urban fantasy or the Greek gods, then you might enjoy this book. You might be able to read this as a standalone, but it would be better to have the background from book one. The ending definitely has room for things to continue in book three. I am looking forward to seeing where the author goes with Theo, Selene, and the rest of the pantheon.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Teaser Tuesday: Winter of the Gods by Jordanna Max Brodsky

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by The Purplebooker.
Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• 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 and author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

There was little anger in her voice - only sadness. "She's like me," Selene went on. "Broken. Twisted. She thinks she's doing the right thing. And because of that, she won't tell us anything more -  not if we tortured her or begged or threatened."

~ 81% through on my Kindle

Winter of the Gods (Olympus Bound #2) by Jordanna Max Brodsky was published February 14, 2017 by Orbit..

What's your teaser this week? Share it or a link in the comments. Are you enjoying your book? Let us know! Happy Reading!

Waiting on Wednesday #173: Winter of the Gods by Jordanna Max Brodsky

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event which has been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm also linking up with "Can't Wait Wednesday" hosted over at Wishful Endings.

Expected publication:
February 14th 2017 by Orbit

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Manhattan has many secrets. Some are older than the city itself. 
Winter in New York: snow falls, lights twinkle, and a very disgruntled Selene DiSilva prowls the streets looking for prey. 
But when a dead body is discovered sprawled atop Wall Street's iconic Charging Bull statue, it's clear the NYPD can't solve the murder without help. The murder isn't just the work of another homicidal cult -- this time, someone's sacrificing the gods themselves. 

While raising fundamental questions about the very existence of the gods, Selene must hunt down the perpetrators, tracking a conspiracy that will test the bonds of loyalty and love.

Winter of the Gods, the much-anticipated sequel to The Immortals, is the second book in the exciting Olympus Bound trilogy.

Why am I waiting on this one? Well, I read book one in this series and enjoyed it. I'm curious to see where the author will take the characters after the end of the previous book. I wonder what she will do with her mythology and how a human and a goddess in love works out. Winter of the Gods is due out February 14, 2017 from Orbit. You can see my review for The Immortals here.

What book are you waiting on this week? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists. Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!

Review: The Immortals by Jordanna Max Brodsky

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.