Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Undead Gods is very well written in terms of the detail of the setting, characters and overall plot is well established; I am able to imagine what the world looks like and the characters. I love the hidden dangers of magic being presented and how Elysia has been treading on light water to keep her secret from being revealed.

However, I am halfway through the book and having a hard time finishing it. I think it may be that I am having a hard time following the story line or it just is not the book for me. I was really excited about this read. This is definitely a book that I will come back to and try again but for now this is all the feedback I have.

Even though Undead Gods has not been the read for me so far, I am still going to recommend this books to others as I see the potential and I am sure others will love the story.

I will not be posting a review on my socials as I do not want to cause any dislike for a book I haven't completely finished, and I do not think that is fair to the author and readers.

3.75

Thank you to author Caitlyn Battelle and NetGalley for the opportunity to ARC read Undead Gods!

I enjoyed reading Undead Gods! The magic was interesting and the world building was detailed. I loved the dark & moody gaslamp vibes.

I was a bit confused/lost in a few parts of the book, as I wasn’t really sure what the main point of everything was. However, I think this first book was really to set everything up, and I can see where hopefully the next book will have more answers and action.

Undead Gods was a good start to what I think will be a great series. I’m looking forward to what’s to come with the next book!

dnf at 38%

I’ve never liked dnf-ing books but one of my goals this year was to be more picky and not force myself to read something I’m not totally enjoying. And I really really thought this one would be right up my alley! But alas, this one just didn’t do it for me.

I couldn't bring myself to really care for any of the characters and the plot moved so slowly. By the time I finally decided to dnf hardly anything had happened even though I was nearly halfway through. I also couldn’t stop laughing at some of the character names, which is not a big deal but with the pacing and lack of character depth, I unfortunately couldn’t get into it.

Thank you to NetGalley for the free ARC of this book! This review is my own opinion.

Wow!! That was such a rude cliffhanger to end on 😭. Guaranteed to make you feral for the next book.

This gaslamp fantasy was heavy on worldbuilding (which I personally like!). The hidden magic was very well done, and I've never seen a character have secrets as magic power but I LOVED IT!

The main character, Elysia, is very stabby and doesn't always make the best choices (relatable lollll!), and she was so fun to see this world through. I also love Beatriz and Jessa! The prince too, although he pissed me off many times 😤.

I will say this book is very light on the romance, I can see that there will be more in book 2 and I am ready for it!

I loved this book!!! The characters were really well written and the world building was awesome. The plot was a little slow but I am very curious to see where it's headed with a sequel!! I will be sharing my review on Instagram (bookcase.by.laur) and goodreads as well :)

A Fantastic Start to an Epic Adventure!

The Raccoon !! I absolutely loved the raccoon, it stole every scene it was in. But in all seriousness, this book was a fantastic read from start to finish. You can really tell it's setting the stage for a much larger, more epic journey to come. I'm thrilled to have had the chance to read the ARC, but now the wait for book two feels painfully long!

Elysia, while a complex and sometimes difficult character to love, is deeply compelling. She’s so firmly rooted in her ways after enduring a lifetime of hurt and holding on to secrets, that it's understandable why she’s so guarded. Her character development has a lot of potential, and I'm eager to see how she continues to evolve.

I’m particularly invested in her dynamic with Topp. Their banter and the way they challenge each other added a layer of lightness and humour to the story. Their relationship was one of the highlights for me – the back-and-forth between them felt natural and sexy, and I'm excited to see how it progresses or not… in future books.

This is a great introduction to what promises to be an unforgettable series, and I'm already counting down the days until the next instalment!

DNF at 20%

I really hate DNFing ARCs but I just couldn’t continue reading this one. Undead Gods sounded really interesting and I run to sign for an ARC, but as soon as I started reading, there was something off. The writing style was really descriptive and while I liked that, it was sometimes overly so without enough dialogue. There was a lot of information just appearing without really explaining anything that I was confused about it. The characters were quite interesting, but I couldn’t connect with any of them and at 20% I still didn’t really knew what was the point anything was happening. I’m a fast reader and a book this long should take me about 5-6 hours to read and I spent this much to read just the 15% so I’m not going to continue, so I saw many people enjoying this book so maybe it gets better or maybe it just wasn’t for me but I’m not going to finish it.

Superb world building and beautifully styled writing.

Lower rating because I had a hard time connecting with the characters. There is a large chunk of the book where nothing seems to be happening. I loved the writing style but was bored by the pacing of the story.

Overall, it’s a good book worth reading if you’re looking for a fantasy romance!

Undead Gods is a dark, gripping fantasy that pulls you into a world of cursed magic, danger, and morally grey characters. Elysia Parker is a standout protagonist—complex, strong, and navigating life-threatening secrets within Kava’s royal court. The world-building is vivid and gritty, with a steampunk-gothic vibe that completely captivated me.

Battelle's storytelling is immersive, and I loved the unpredictable twists. If you enjoy rich fantasy with forbidden magic, political intrigue, and complex characters, this is a must-read!

In a shadowy, magic-laden world, this story blends a moody atmosphere with a plot full of rebellion, forbidden power, and a dangerous pact with a death god.
The plot revolves around a restless FMC, whose hidden identity adds tension as she navigates a world on the edge of chaos.
With dark secrets lurking in every corner, the world-building and rich atmosphere keep you immersed from start to finish!

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

A very refreshing take on the Hades and Persephone myth with an intriguing magical system, filled with rich world-building and complex politics.

The premise is largely driven by our morally gray protagonist, Elysia, as she tries to break her curse, in a Kingdom where magic is is dead and illegal. I found that although we had sprinkles of spice in some chapters, there was actually little focus given on the romance. Furthermore, who is our darling Hades? I spent the majority of the book being confused, especially with every red herring thrown my way. Don't get me wrong, it was nice and refreshing not being told immediately who the love interest is.

The pacing of the story was incredibly slow, which might not be everyone's cup of tea. There were also areas in the plot where it felt like we were going nowhere/round in circles. I'm not too sure if this was intentional, as it did intensify Elysia's conundrum. Despite this, I think the pace does really set the scene well for future installments in the series and hooks you to want more!

3.5 ⭐️

A riveting new romantasy! The worldbuilding of Relclave is astounding and highly descriptive without being dumped in chunks into the story and interrupting the flow. The characters were all very lifelike, with flaws, quirks and strengths. You occasionally want to unalive them for doing something stupid, always the sign of a great character for me!

Elysia is morally grey, in fact most of the main characters are murky, having to do horrible things to protect herself from her odious father. She has a real love/hate relationship with her sister but when it counts they support each other. Topp, I'm still confused over whether I'm rooting for him or not to be honest, lol. Gage is wonderful as the assassin/big brother-esque character and he loves rattling people! The Doorman was an unexpected ally and I found myself rooting for her and the rebellion.

There is strong LGBTQIA+ representation as a number of characters are clearly proud of who they love and some are still in the undeclared category.

There are still some secrets to be revealed so there is a bit of a cliffie, I'm now having to tether myself waiting for the second book!

10 ⭐️ out 5 ✨
1737377/10

🥀 Top tier of books, I don’t know how else to express this.🫶

Caitlyn Batelle, this book captured my undivided attention immediately and I couldn’t put it down till I finished. I cried and might of screamed a lil once it did come to an end, and I pray on all the fates and gods that I don’t have to wait long for book 2. I Haven’t had a book hangover this bad since Empire of Storm by S.J. Maas

Readers, The ABSOLUTE HONOR and problem lies that I am arc reviewing for a book that is just coming out and so I have to wait longer for the second book to be published. I need it immediately because the book hangover has me by the throat. The FMC is badass, stubborn, selfish and oblivious but that makes the story even more addictive. The powers that reside and the tales are unlike what I have had the opportunity to read and I loved every second of discovery. Also all the strong characters she is surrounded by made me love this story even more, even the 3 legged critter has my heart. 🫶🥰

If you don't read this book immediately... you are absolutely making poor choices, on the wrong path indeed, so do better and allow yourself to be swept away by this brilliant tale of survival and love.

In all seriousness, Caitlyn Battelles' writing is beautifully done, her creative mind Brilliant, and I absolutely love that it's not predictable. Thank you so much for the opportunity to ARC read for you, for having courage to switch career paths and sharing this absolute gem of a story with us. My bookish brain is purring and my big book adventurous heart filled ✨🫶💕

I absolutely loved the overall plot of the story! At times, it felt like certain scenes were not necessary, but it all comes together perfectly. The world building is great, and not overwhelming or too much. The characters are well-developed and I hope we know more about their stories in future books.

The ending was "predictable", but I still gasped because it's a huge cliffhanger and amazing. The Hades & Persephone retelling is subtle, but I think more will happen in book two.

I love the modern-day feeling mixed with the fantasy old-time feeling. Castles with light bulbs! The book cover is beautiful & captures the vibe of the story.

I don't know if I want more Elysia & Topps, or more Elysia & Aiden, but I am ready for more of everything in book two!!

DNF 20% :(
Thank you to Netgalley and the author for sending me this arc in exchange for an honest review.
Unfortunately, I just could not get into this. The writing was very descriptive and truly painted a picture, but I found that my mind would wonder so I would get taken out of it.
I think it's more of me problem. The story and the world sound very interesting!

This book is such a dark, moody ride that grabs you right from the first page!

Elysia is one fierce, fascinating heroine—totally ruthless but with just enough vulnerability to keep you rooting for her. She’s hiding some seriously dangerous magic, and every step she takes in Kava’s royal court is a gamble. Her ultimate prize? The crown… and the prince, of course!

Speaking of the prince, Topp is an absolute gem of an MMC. He’s not just some pretty boy; he’s an animal lover with a strong backbone, and his chemistry with Elysia? Fire. Their dynamic is one of the most unique I’ve seen in a romantasy!

The world-building is amazing! Every corner of this world feels alive and dangerous.

So, if you’re craving a romantasy packed with magic, intrigue, and an unforgettable slow-burn romance, this is your next obsession!

Thank you NetGalley and Caitlyn Battelle
for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’ll be honest, when I first picked this up, I was a bit worried about how I would find this book. I needn’t have worried though. It was amazing.

Firstly, let’s talk about the women of this book. Every single woman was complex, well-written and each a badass in their own way. The FMC, Elysia Parker, was truly morally grey. I loved how ruthless she was and yet she had a vulnerable side too. Her sister, Beatriz, reminded me of wildfire, chaos and cunning – I loved her. There were so many more brilliant women in this book and I could talk about them for days.

Topp was a very interesting MMC, a man who loves animals, is sexy, a prince but has a will of iron and a wily nature? Sign me up. Also shout out to the god of death. We might not have seen him much but he had… presence.

But nobody can top Lina the raccoon – absolutely flawless, no notes, perfect.

The plot of this book kept me hooked from the get go. The idea of magic being banned and gone in what appears to be a dying land added tension and intrigue to the story. It gave steam punk vibes with its Victorianesque setting and I gobbled it up.

My absolute favourite part of the book?
The feminine rage. It burned on the page and fuelled a fire within me. It was glorious.

Side note: I loved that there were so many female characters that you’d probably assume would be male until you met them… very clever.

Anyway, my only teeny, tiny quibble with this book is that I wanted to see more of the death realm… I’m sure that won’t remain a problem for long.

Overall, this book is amazing. The plot, the tension and the female rage makes this a rather special read. And the ending? Well, it’ll destroy you.

4.25 stars!!

WOW WOW WOW this was a unique one- from the interpersonal dynamics to the magical curses from undead gods to the slight phantom of the opera vibes to the insane character name Topp Blatz to THAT ENDING??!?!? I am obsessed, this had a little bit of a slow start but then we were OFF to the races and all across town in pleasure houses, undersea hidden chambers, tunnels through the castle, and even into other dimensions!!

Elysia Parker is cursed from the god of death to hear the siren song of secrets and lies, and her position in life has brought her to be used by the crown despite their hatred of magic. As her curse grows stronger and brings on new challenges, she's forced to step up her game of staying alive at all costs, which is especially tricky being the almost-fiancee of the crown prince!

The most fun aspect of this book to me was the inverted expectations of relationships between characters: Elysia and Prince Topp had one of the most unique romantasy dynamics I've ever read and it was fun to see the original love interest not just be a blah character we suddenly hate; Elysia and her sister Beatriz haven't been close in the past, but moments in the story bring them together and their roles in the relationship switch up in a beautiful way; Topp and animals- I mean LINA come ON!!

Every place I expected a zig in this book, I got a zag. Every place I thought it was going up, it was going down. I feel like I may have picked up on at least one specific thread (maybe a green thread?!?) that I anticipate being significant in the next book, but even that I know curveballs are coming our way. This was just an absolute breath of fresh air!!

Thank you so much to Caitlyn Battelle and NetGalley for a chance to read this in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley, Twelfth House Publishing and Caitlyn Battelle for this eArc

This review will have SPOILERS 🚨
I was going to rate this three stars, but the last 15% was fantastic.
I really enjoyed the authors writing style, though sometimes I felt like what was happening wasn't clear, or could be misinterpreted. But also, could just be me needing things simplified.

I really enjoyed the relationship between the FMC and the prince, that whole storyline was 💯

I had two main issues with the story, the FMCs two best friends felt like a dead end, they didn't really bring much to the story IMO

My main issue was I felt like the stakes were not high enough. Everyone secretly had magic and everyone always seemed to just know about it, so it wasn't this big deal… no one cared. It wasn't this shocking revelation.

LOVED the ending though, so well done and definitely made me want to come back to see where the story goes!

Incredible! I will absolutely be begging my friends to read this one!! 10000000000/5 stars!
I don’t know what to do with myself after this one.. I’m in a big reading slump 😅