This was such a great book! I absolutely loved it. Theodora , the Goddess of War, loses her temper and and destroys a ship that is trafficking young girls, but she doesn't realize that there are girls on board the ship when she destroys it. When one of the girls dies, she calls upon her sister, the Goddess of Death. Death tells her that the girl can be saved if Theodora promises to trade the girls soul for one that Theodora will love in the future. Theo believes that she is incapable of love, so this seems like a great deal to her. She takes the deal with Death, but comes to regret it later. Years later, Theo is forced to compete in a tournament as a mortal as a punishment for killing too many wicked men. In the tournament she is paired with Prince Kellyn, whom she can't stand. Tension grows between the two, and they soon become closer than Theo ever thought they would. However, Theo always has it in the back of her mind that Death is waiting to collect from her at anytime. The tension between Theo and Kellyn is soooo good in this book. It's that perfect enemies-to-lovers tension. Their banter is phenomenal, if that's something you love in a book couple- Theo and Kellyn won't disappoint! I also loved the balance of the action of the tournament with the emotional relationships between the characters. The worldbuilding is fantastic. I loved that this was a world where gods could be fallible and make mistakes, making them a bit more human that what you normally see in books. The characters felt real, and I quickly became invested in their stories. Some of the tropes in this book are enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, only one bed, and forbidden love. I absolutely recommend this book to anyone, if you're a fan of mythology-esque stories you'll really love it.

This book wasn't for me I DNF'd I'm sure it will be liked by others the writing style just wasn't for me

Im a sucker for a good strong standalone, and I was so intrigued to dive into a historical fgantasy.
The world building in this was fun, and I can only expect the author to get better and better with each new release.

Enjoyed the trials plotline and twist on the usual immortal male vs mortal female dynamic!

I am always in search of standalone fantasy novels, and I had high hopes for this one. The premise sounded really interesting and fun. However, the book was not for me. I had a hard time wanting to pick the book up to read it. I felt like there were a lot of redundancies in the writing that just made it feel very tedious to read.I do think it had redeeming qualities, though. The FMC was morally gray, and I always enjoy that reversal of roles. The world building was very easy to understand, which is great for readers that are new to fantasy. I do think this would be a good book to read for someone who is just getting into fantasy.

I do think the author has potential, so I look forward to seeing what she comes up with next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

Dual POV this book was good. The story of struggles and learning that although hurting your family in different ways throughout the years growing up. Harming them is not. I loved the aspect of the struggles and disabilities of the characters. I think the author did a wonderful job with it all.

Rating: 3.5/5

I wish the world building was a bit better, it felt very simplistic and lacking in some parts (please note that at the time I read this, I was reading heavy epic fantasies and craved that over the top world building that those novels tend to have) but overall, I did find it to be an enjoyable, easy to read fantasy!

3.5 rounding up

Courting War is a Historical Fantasy, full of mythology and romance. It has enemies to lover and forced proximity trope, disability representation, and the plot mostly focuses on the trials. Some gods and goddesses, as well as some of the monsters are really well known and some I am unfamiliar with. It was exciting, magical and I loved all the backstories and new twists for the characters in this book. One of the perspectives we are following is the Goddess War. She is very dark and angry at the beginning of this book and based on her past I can see why, but I really think she takes it out on the wrong people. She hates humans, especially the men which I get because she can’t really go after the person she really wants to punish. The book also follows the perspective of Kellyn. I really liked his character, he was more laid back, determined, he worked hard even when things seemed impossible, even with War working against him at first. The romance in this book was just ok for me because it happened pretty fast with some spice. I would have liked it drawn out a little more. I loved the games and challenges, they were so exciting, suspenseful and you really got to see Kellyn and Thedora work together to help each other overcome certain obstacles. I don’t see why each player had helpers and not just like teammates based on their roles in the games. Some of the gods' behaviors and actions did not make sense, they would have certain rules and expectations and then just did not follow some, I found this mostly true for the leader of the gods, Wars Mother. I did have a great time. The plot was interesting, romance was ok, and I had a great time with the different character dynamics. I would recommend checking this book out.
I received an advance ebook, via Netgalley. This review is my own honest opinion.

Thank you Netgalley and author Hazel St. Lewis for the copy in exchange of my review.

The number one rule in life: never make a deal with Death … even if Death is your sister.

Theodra, Goddess of War, knows not to break this rule. But like all arrogant gods, she does just that. Unable to hold back, she destroys a ship full of traffickers, unaware there are girls on board. When one of them dies, Theo trades with Death for a soul she will someday love. A soul for a soul. A good deal, in her esteemed opinion, since she is incapable of falling in love.

Unfortunately, Theo might have been mistaken.

Thirteen years later, as a punishment for killing too many wicked men, she is sentenced to play as a mortal in a deadly tournament called the Sacrifice. The games are played in pairs, and her partner is the sinfully handsome Prince Kellyn. Even though they despise one another and can barely work together, sexual tension burns between them. But if their hatred turns to love, it will cost Kellyn his life, for Death is always waiting to collect.

i enjoy reading this book. I love the characters and their journey on how they overcome their struggles. I love reading their character growth.

Unfortunately I DnFd this book early on. The language was stilted and really hard to read and there was no fleshing out of the characters or logic behind their actions.

I’ve been on a trial book kick lately. Deadly trials are so fun!

Great character development, forbidden love, heavy world building but also solid plot. It’s hard to get all of those things in one but this one did it!

I think my fav thing about this one is that the female is the immortal and the male is the human. Unique in fantasy books these days.

The two of them quite literally chained together is everything!

Shadow mommy for the win!

I really wanted to love this, but this unfortunately fell really flat for me. I think the premise, world, and characters were really interesting, but I wasn't a big fan of the execution of this. This was a little too trope-heavy for me, and I wanted more of the "story" to come through.

This romantasy novel has all the makings of a great story but falls a flat on execution. The number of characters alone makes the concept feel overwhelming from the start. It’s a slow start for sure as Theo is just being introduced but there was no connection between the reader and the character.

The writing was not on par with Maas or Yarros, so the expectations were set a little too high.

The story was amazing and world building was beautiful. I experienced a lot of emotions while reading. I loved the gods and goddesses. The first chapter hooked me and I didn't stopped until the last word! My gods, it was so damn good and in love.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an opportunity to read.

This is a rollercoaster of emotions that keeps readers on the edge of their seats until the very end. As the narrative unfolds, it weaves a tapestry of shock, sadness, and ultimately, relief, leaving readers both emotionally drained and utterly captivated by Theo's tumultuous journey.

At its core, "Courting War is a testament to the power of resilience and the unyielding strength of the human spirit. From the outset, readers are thrust into Theo's world, a world fraught with uncertainty and adversity. As the story unfolds, Theo's unwavering determination to carve out her own path becomes a beacon of hope amidst the darkness that threatens to engulf her.

One of the most striking aspects of the novel is its unflinching portrayal of issues such as dyslexia and color blindness. Through Theo's experiences, readers are offered a poignant glimpse into the daily struggles faced by individuals living with these conditions. The representation is both authentic and sensitive, adding layers of depth to the characters and making them all the more relatable and admirable.

As the story hurtles towards its climactic conclusion, readers find themselves swept up in a whirlwind of emotions. The uncertainty surrounding Theo's fate looms large, casting a shadow of doubt over the narrative. Yet, amidst the chaos and uncertainty, there is a glimmer of hope, a ray of light that pierces through the darkness.

By the time the final pages are turned, readers are left reeling from the emotional onslaught that "Courting War" delivers. The resolution, though satisfying, is tinged with bittersweetness, a testament to the emotional depth and complexity of the characters.

In conclusion, Courting War is a triumph of storytelling, weaving together themes of resilience, redemption, and the enduring power of the human spirit. Through its compelling narrative and authentic representation, it shines a light on the struggles faced by individuals living with disabilities, while also celebrating the triumphs and victories that come with perseverance and determination. As readers eagerly await the next installment, one thing is certain: Theo's journey is far from over, and the road ahead promises to be filled with even more twists and turns.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity for the ARC.

My first note to make is that I very much disliked having this book come to me in the NetGalley app vs an epub to send to my Kindle. The reading was clunky and that may be effecting my review.

This premise of this book interested me a lot, and I was excited to read it. Once I began though, the writing was very difficult to get through. It seemed that it was very focused on getting all of the extra flourishes that didn't actually expand upon the story. There was no connection to the characters or the story and found myself forcing my way through, which isn't appealing as a reader.

I'm not particularly eager to read stories of gods and goddesses because it doesn't appeal to me. I requested this one because of the book cover and the name. It tugged something inside me and I wanted to read the story. It did not disappoint me and was a good read.
I will give it 4 stars. I hope the future books become more interesting.

This started very interesting but the dialogue lost me. Hopefully the next time I pick it up it will hit the spot but it was hard to get into the characters with the elaborate explanations of absolutely everything.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving this ARC, and this doesn't influence my review. This was a great read, and some tropes include: mythology romance, fantasy, hate to love, forbidden romance, and enemies to lovers. The plot was good, however I wish it was just FMC POV.

I really wanted to love this book but it just fell flat. I didn't like that the 'world building' was just a couple of pages listing different people, it felt really lazy. The story was a bit erratic - nothing made sense, it didn't flow well, and it felt like this should've been read after another book.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the eARC!