3.75

A fun read with a story that keeps you reading. It was definitely the plot that kept me going as the writing and character depth could have been stronger. The different trials that the characters had to compete in were interesting and I liked the slow burn romance but wish there was more of it. Some of the events that happen at the end of the book were a bit of a let down for me, but I’m excited to see where the story goes in the second book. I still have so many questions that I’m excited to hopefully get answers to in the sequel.

Spice: 🌶️.5

I am absolutely captivated by this book. I will definitely read it multiple times. The portrayal of Greek gods in this manner is fascinating, and the character development is impeccable. Abigail's writing is truly flawless, drawing me in from the very first page until the end. This has become a new favorite book, a must-read for 2024.
Lyra's development throughout the book was executed perfectly, Hades is portrayed wonderfully and is so easy to adore. Cerberus is a unique character, and I urgently need a stuffed toy of this three-headed dog! Boone grew on me unexpectedly, and I was pleasantly surprised. Aphrodite has piqued my curiosity, while Zeus seems to be causing chaos that needs to be controlled. I can't praise it enough; there are so many aspects to rave about.
This book has my undivided attention and is now residing in my mind rent-free. I found myself gasping, laughing, crying, and completely enamored with many characters. At the end of each chapter, I was eager to uncover what would happen next; I simply couldn't stop reading. My immediate connection with Lyra was undeniable. I gradually fell in love with hades, and I have no regrets about it. Zai is someone I support wholeheartedly. Cerberus holds a special place as my favorite character. The final 11 chapters escalate in intensity, then slow down, before delivering a surprising twist that will leave you speechless. Simply superb.

New book added to favorites for sure. What a great story. It’s Greek Gods version of Hunger games and I loved it so much. Looking forward to book 2 for sure!!

This book is officially my top read of the year! I was hooked from the beginning and never wanted it to end. I loved everything about it from the beautifully depicted world to the diverse cast of characters. But especially Lyra, Cerberus and Hades who are of course my favorites!

The Crucible had me on the edge of my seat at times. I was wondering what would happen next with it's intense deadly games. I'm totally obsessed with this series and I absolutely can't wait for book two after that epic cliffhanger ending!

I highly recommend this book if you like romantasy! It's like Percy Jackson meets The Hunger Games for adults!

Thank you to NetGalley, Abigail Owen and Entangled Publishing for allowing me to read this book ahead of release in exchange for my honest opinion.

What in the Hades did I just read?
No seriously this is Hella good 😉
I loved this from start to finish. The plot is one that keeps you reading because you need to know what happens next. Who will survive? Who will win? What I thought was going to happen, isn't what happened at all. The set up for the next book.. 🤌
I do hope we get a bit more spice (what we get in this one is 🥵) and I hope Hades gets a little darker because I do feel he's a little too soft to be Hades.
This book will leave you wanting to know what happens next. I will definitely be reading more from Abigail Owen!

🧝🏽‍♂️🧝🏾‍♀️🧝🏻‍♀️🧝‍♂️🧝🏻‍♀️gods
🧌🧜🏽‍♀️🐙🐦‍🔥🦂🦟🐜🐲Monsters
🫅🏽🥵🐻👹A hot and possessive MMC
🌶 A bit of spice
👩🏻👅💪🏼❤️A sarcastic, strong willed, caring FMC
🧐 Intriguing plot and adventure
🤯 The Cliffhanger

The Gods love to toy with us mere mortals. And every 100 years, we let them.
Welcome to the Crucible.

When I first saw the blurb for this book months ago, I pre-ordered immediately. So,
It’s safe so say I went into this with high expectations and I was not disappointed.
At all.

Lyra, a mortal woman cursed at birth to be unloveable, finds herself the chosen champion of Hades in the Crucible - a contest held by the Gods to determine their ruler. She must navigate deadly trials, meddling Gods, and a battle within herself every step of the way in hopes of winning. And what a ride it is!

Even with her curse, Lyra is such an admirable and lovable fmc. She has courage in the face of danger, remains kind and loyal no matter the consequences, and is more resourceful than she gives herself credit for. It was so easy to believe and feel her emotions and reactions throughout the book and I just wanted to give her a hug a few times throughout the story. I hope in the next installments that she gets to unleash some rage though, my girl has it in her and deserves it.

The romance is a lovely slow burn, just the way I like it. Lyra and Hades have always been so misunderstood and while it takes time for them to open up, they are truly selfless in their love. Sprinkle in some “touch her and 💀” moments and a little spice and it’s just perfection.

You won’t just fall for Hades though. This story focuses not only on romantic love, but the love that comes from true friendship as well. So while the found family is unexpected, it will have you feeling all warm and fuzzy at times. Which is a nice balance to the high stakes and constant action of the trials. You’ll be on the edge of your seat unable to put this down, just trust me.

And just when you think there’s a moment of peace and a happy ending could be in sight - everything changes. As honored as I am to be an arc reader, knowing the wait for book 2 is even longer now is actually a little painful.

The Games Gods Play is available September 3 and the cover and sprayed edges are incredible - you will want this on your shelves!


Tropes include:
•Greek mythology
•Slow burn
•Forced proximity
•Deadly trials
•Found family
•Touch her and 💀
•Modern and fantasy settings