Challenge Corner discussion

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.
Long ago, Lore Perseous fled that brutal world in the wake of her family's sadistic murder by a rival line, turning her back on the hunt's promises of eternal glory. For years she's pushed away any thought of revenge against the man--now a god--responsible for their deaths.

Yet as the next hunt dawns over New York City, two participants seek out her help: Castor, a childhood friend of Lore believed long dead, and a gravely wounded Athena, among the last of the original gods.

The goddess offers an alliance against their mutual enemy and, at last, a way for Lore to leave the Agon behind forever. But Lore's decision to bind her fate to Athena's and rejoin the hunt will come at a deadly cost--and still may not be enough to stop the rise of a new god with the power to bring humanity to its knees.

Starting now!

You are flying through these buddies! This one I can't get on audio so it will be a couple days before I start

Ch 12 - (view spoiler)[I like the idea of the Gods being mortal for seven days but I feel like I would enjoy this book more as a physical or ebook but I have the audio so I'm going to finish it that way (hide spoiler)]

Aly wrote: "You are flying through these buddies! This one I can't get on audio so it will be a couple days before I start"

Ahah thanks, I have a lot of audios for BRs so I'm going through those quickly but the rest are eyeing me because of how late I am ^^

Ch 25 - (view spoiler)[I'm starting to get into it but I still kind of feel detached. I hope she gets revenge on her family's killer. It's so gross that guy wanted her as his bride to have a child with her at 12 years old... so sick. (hide spoiler)]
Ch 30 - (view spoiler)[I liked how he brushed her off and told her to kiss him again when she'll mean it and not to distract him ahah (hide spoiler)]
Finished - (view spoiler)[This was too long for my taste and I didn't care about anyone or anything (for the most part) I'll have to do a re-read in another format as I feel like I could have loved it more. (hide spoiler)]

I'm going to listen to this today since I magically found the audiobook

Kelly wrote: "Ch 12 - [spoilers removed]"

I agree, the info dump might have been easier to understand if I were reading instead of listening

End of part 1/ch 15 (view spoiler)[ Too much information, I don't quite understand who all the gods are. But I do like Lore and Castor's friendship and I get why he would try to become a god so his cancer wouldn't kill him. (hide spoiler)]

Aly wrote: "I'm going to listen to this today since I magically found the audiobook"

"magically" ?? Tell me your secret! I want to find audiobooks like that too ahah

Kelly wrote: "Aly wrote: "I'm going to listen to this today since I magically found the audiobook"

"magically" ?? Tell me your secret! I want to find audiobooks like that too ahah"

LOL I don't know if I was searching wrong before, but I wasn't seeing it on Audible. Then I check again and BAM! there it is

End of part 2/ch 28 (view spoiler)[ Hermes was her friend Gil? I wonder what part Lore plays in all this that everyone wants her? (hide spoiler)]

Kelly wrote: "Ch 25 - [spoilers removed]
Ch 30 - [spoilers removed]
Finished - [spoilers removed]"

@ch 25 Yeah super gross, ugh

Kelly wrote: "Ch 25 - [spoilers removed]
Ch 30 - [spoilers removed]
Finished - [spoilers removed]"

@ch 30 LOL yes! Great moment

End of part 3/ch 38 (view spoiler)[NOOOO! Please be okay Castor! Athena said something was different about him, so don't die :( (hide spoiler)]

End of part 4/ch 43 (view spoiler)[ Who didn't see Athena being evil coming? (hide spoiler)]

Finished (view spoiler)[ this was okay but didn't live up to my expectations. It was long and dragged out. I wish Lore was more likeable (hide spoiler)]

Kelly wrote: "Ch 25 - [spoilers removed]
Ch 30 - [spoilers removed]
Finished - [spoilers removed]"

@finished (view spoiler)[ totally agree. Not much to care about and the plot could have been simpler and shorter. (hide spoiler)]

Aly wrote: "Kelly wrote: "Ch 25 - [spoilers removed]
Ch 30 - [spoilers removed]
Finished - [spoilers removed]"

@finished [spoilers removed]"

I thought I was going to be the only one to feel this way :/

Aly wrote: "End of part 1/ch 15 [spoilers removed]"

Same!! I had a really hard time figuring out who is who/what and what powers they had. I feel like the author could have done it better.

Kelly wrote: "Aly wrote: "End of part 1/ch 15 [spoilers removed]"

Same!! I had a really hard time figuring out who is who/what and what powers they had. I feel like the author could have done it better."

Maybe a family tree/flow chart? lol

Maybe but that wouldn't help for the audiobook ^^

True. I do have 2 copies coming in book boxes this month, maybe one of them will have something?

***************************************************************
***************************************************************

RESTARTING APRIL 1ST, 2021

*******************************************************************
*******************************************************************

Finished chapter 6
(view spoiler)[It's pretty cool story so far. I like this idea as well and I'm glad we got a little backstory in last chapter. I like that new gods are using their power in world events and they're making money that way. But I didn't expect to have two separate worlds. I don't know why but I thought everyone would know about these gods and Agon. But the way Alexandra Bracken wrote it makes more sense. (hide spoiler)]

Finished chapter 21 + 7 years ago
(view spoiler)[I had to google a few thinks because I didn't know what they meant :D I really like these flashbacks but Aristos is disgusting! He wanted to marry a 10years old girl! (hide spoiler)]

Finished chapter 37
(view spoiler)[So apparently Hermes is Gil. I'm still not sure if I like this revelation or not. I think it depends if we found out about his motives. At this point it can go either way. (hide spoiler)]

Finished
(view spoiler)[I really like this overall but I don't get that last chapter. They are mortal again! It's kind of anticlimactic. (hide spoiler)]

***************************************************************
***************************************************************

RESTARTING MARCH 15TH, 2023

*******************************************************************
*******************************************************************

Yay! Looking forward to this - thanks Aly :)

I'm going to start it on Monday

Oh my goodness, I had totally forgotten we had this to buddy! I'll try and start on Monday too - many apologies!

It's okay! I'm still finishing up a few other BRs so I get it

Phew! I'm thinking I might not get to it tomorrow if I'm honest, so if you want to hang on then please do! I understand if not :)

It's okay! I may get to it later in the week too. I'm reading three other books right now

I'm desperately trying to finish a few books for challenges, so still haven't got to this, sorry! Shall we plan a new date?

Ellen-Arwen wrote: "I'm desperately trying to finish a few books for challenges, so still haven't got to this, sorry! Shall we plan a new date?"

Sure! When works for you?

Change of plans. I have the audiobook and the physical book so I started it today. It may take me a few days to finish, which may give you some time to catch up and read.

27% (view spoiler)[ I don't think I really understood the book from the synopsis. I find the discussions about the discrimination against women interesting, since it shows how much of a hold patriarchal ideas have in these families.

Castor is an unexpected character-- from him being an old friend to the new Apollo. I'd love to find out more about that.
(hide spoiler)]

***************************************************************
***************************************************************

RESTARTING OCTOBER 9th, 2024!!

*******************************************************************
*******************************************************************

Part 1

(view spoiler)[ I wasn't expecting this to take place in Manhattan, or even the modern world, so I was especially shocked when the book is talking about gods and dead bodies after seemingly a battle, and suddenly two SUVs arrive.

It took a bit for me to get into the story, especially with the greek mythology, but now it seems like things are going to start happening.

I thought Lore's assumption about whose room she went into was stupid. If it was really Philip and Acantha's room, then why was Castor's dog there?

How did Castor kill the god? Did the god let Castor kill him?

How will they convince Athena not to kill him?

I like the sound of Castor, Lore and Van's childhood, or at least their dynamics. I want to see more. Also, I like Miles so I'm hoping that he's shown more too.
(hide spoiler)]

Part 2

(view spoiler)[ Gil was Hermes?! How did Lore steal the aegis? Where is it now? How are they going to find out how Castor killed the god?

I like seeing them try to work together as a group but I don’t think the book as a whole is going to be for me. Sure, there’s action, but it seems like the whole book is going to happen over the course of a few days.

Lore mentioned that she might use the poem to make sure that Castor is the only god left alive but then doesn’t that mean that she’ll also die since she bound herself to Athena?
(hide spoiler)]

Part 3

(view spoiler)[ He’s dead?? I didn’t particularly care for him, but I was not expecting that… unless he’ll somehow survive with his power.

I didn’t like Castor’s reaction to what Lore did to Belen. I agreed with Athena’s take on the situation, even though it’s possible that she’s going to betray them somehow.

I didn’t like Van’s reaction when they found Miles either. He’s only known Miles a few days, if that, and yet he feels he’s more concerned than Lore, who’s known him for years, and blames her for what happened.
Of course, now that Castor’s dead (or at the very least injured), he might go rogue and betray them all.
(hide spoiler)]

Part 4

(view spoiler)[ Athena is working only for herself, which was expected, but I wasn’t expecting her to be the one who killed Lore’s family.

How is Castor still alive? Did Apollo somehow figure out how to pass on his power without losing it himself and now he’s in hiding? Did he maybe merge with Castor?

If Lore dies, so does Athena. I’m assuming that Lore has to live so is it possible for them both to die but Castor does some sort of magical reviving for Lore? OR if Lore dies, does that mean that she technically kills Athena? Meaning she'll become a new god and live?

Could that be what happened with Castor?
(hide spoiler)]

Part 5

(view spoiler)[ I don't really understand Iro's change in perspective/side. Athena's sudden good decision at the end made me roll my eyes.

Lore has only just inherited (Athena's?) power and yet she immediately knows how to use it while it took years for Castor. Yes, he was a child, but there still should have been some sort of learning curve.

How did they lose their powers at the end? The plea seemed too simple.
(hide spoiler)]

Ela (Mouse333) wrote: "Part 1

I wasn't expecting this to take place in Manhattan, or even the modern world, so I was especially shocked when the book is talking about gods and dead bodies after seemingly a battle, and ..."

I was also a little surprised about it being set in modern New York and i don't really like the mix quite yet...
I also find (view spoiler)[ that the godly characters are really not that interesting to me ? I don't feel like they're as "strong" as they'd supposed to be... And it's quite slow so far. (hide spoiler)]

Ela (Mouse333) wrote: "Part 2

Gil was Hermes?! How did Lore steal the aegis? Where is it now? How are they going to find out how Castor killed the god?

I like seeing them try to work together as a group but I don’t th..."

Facts... i'm also not really into the book yet although we're already so many pages in :(
I didn't expect (view spoiler)[Gil to be Hermes but rather Miles, idk why ? (hide spoiler)]