The story, as I said, wraps up neatly by the end and while I at first was like waittttt, this was too easy??? I’ve been thinking about it more and I’m like nooo, girl. Lore has seen SO MUCH death. She needed an ending like that. I also liked the ongoing mention of the Fates and the talk and dwelling on what people are fated to become and how fate can’t be changed and how Lore at the end finally thinks to herself “There was nothing fated. Lore had not been chosen for this; she had chosen to come here herself. Every step she’d made, every mistake, had led her here.” I just think that was such a HUGE moment for her to realize that her life DIDN’T have to be ruled by these crazy ass gods/goddesses or the Agon. She made her own decisions and could be the person that she chose to be. Ahhh gives me shivers just thinking about it. Nine gods have betrayed me and now demand cruel revenge."Nine gods have been abandoned by Zeus as punishment for a rebellion filled with betrayal. Since the banishment, these nine gods are forced to walk among humans like mortals, while carrying out their bloodline. Yet, every seven years, the Agon takes place in a city for seven days, where all the descendants from all of these ancient bloodlines can kill the god they descend from and take their powers (and immortality) for themselves. And the start of a new Agon is finally here, and is going to take place in New York City, yet our main character is haunted by the last Agon where her family was brutally murdered. So, overall. I did really enjoy this but sadly my tender heart can’t take the violence anymore and I had to take a star off. Totally a personal preference (but it does also make me wonder if this is really being marketing for YA lolll).

This felt like a Superhero story and I was living for it. Towards the end, there are all sorts of surprising twists and reveals. So, so good! Can we talk about the interactions between Castor and Lore for a minute? This is how most of their conversations went: Every seven years, the Agon begins. As punishment for a past rebellion, nine Greek gods are forced to walk the earth as mortals, hunted by the descendants of ancient bloodlines, all eager to kill a god and seize their divine power and immortality. The strongest of his generation, gone in the time it took to blink, remembered forever by his kin as a blade traitor—and, as her own father believed, the true cause of the centuries-old animosity between the Houses of Perseus and Kadmos.” They sat in silence for several minutes after Lore had finished giving Miles a ruthlessly pared-down explanation of the Agon, the nine gods it had been created to punish—including the one whose wound she had seared shut in their living room—and the nine bloodlines descended from ancient heroes chosen to hunt them.

The characters were okay. You did root for them, but the thing is you never really formed a connetion with them. When reading I like to feel for the characters, to connect with them. I love stories with well fleshed out characters, but in here there wasn't really enough focus on how well they are developed. Lore was a cool main character but she didn't have anything unique to her. Just another YA main character that I've read hundreds of before. I'm sorry to say that. She was better than more than half of those girls, but that does not change the fact I want something new. I really liked Castor, but I cannot say I remember much about him at this point to be able to specifically say what I did like about him. Main characters aside, we did get a few interesting side characters, but I'm sorry to say that I do not remember their names. Just because I forgot tehir names does not make them bad characters. It's just me being horrible with names. Ok, I don’t feel like putting the goodies on my blog SO under the Owlcrate picture I will put up a spoiler tag with all of the goodies and the book cover 😉 The ending was interesting. I didn't really knew what direction is going to take and how everything will be resolved so I was very intrigued to see that. One complaint I have is that the book ended a bit abrupt. I would have liked to see more of the aftermath and how everyone was doing instead of being done with the book. Just an epilogue there or something. The author mixed greek mythology and urban fantasy in a very nice way. I have not read that many books about greek mythology, so it was really intriguing and interesting from the first chapter. This book has a hunger game vibe, but instead of being teenagers killing each other, it's hunters killing gods to take their powers. The setting also reminded me of The Mortal Instrument series. Both books are about a magical part of society that is hidden and known only by a handful of people (and both stories happen in New York). Stay with me.” Lore let out a choked cry, sobbing for breath and relief at the crush of it all. Don’t leave me…

Your ancestors carried the shield that bore her head,” Athena said. “They wielded her power until they lost her. If the shield should be carried by anyone, it should be you—you, the one who knows the darkness of men yet refuses to be afraid.” Then I just didn’t buy most of the character dynamics and relationships. These people are supposed to be close and I just don’t see it outside of maybe Lore and Castor and Lore and Miles. But other friendships Lore supposedly have fall so flat and unbelievable. Without substance. And any conflict between “good” characters just get resolved. One of them tries to literally kill another one and it’s forgotten a few chapters later. Characters: I LOVED THEM SO MUCH. Miles, the kind optimist (I wanted to be friends with him so bad). Van, the guarded tech master and protector of the group. Castor, the underdog and long lost love. And Lore, the fierce, determined, and ultimate embodiment of female power.Last Agon, Lore, the main character, lost everything she held dear. Ever since, she's decided to distance herself from that world and live her life free from the obsessive, cutthroat ways of the hunters. But blood calls to blood, and darkness is rising - and no one should count her out.