Antigoddess

Starred review from August 5, 2013
Blake has a real affinity for the way history shapes the present. In Anna Dressed in Blood, a ghost from the 1950s touched an alienated teen in the present; here, the gods of ancient Greece are living out their final days in agony and war, and taking modern mortals down with them. Cassandra Weaver is an ordinary teenager, aside from her psychic abilities, and she struggles to understand the bloody visions that plague her. She senses a connection with the dying characters in them, but why? And why does her boyfriend, Aidan, so readily accept what’s going on? The action is riveting as tattooed and pierced incarnations of Athena and Hermes close in on Cassandra and Aidan; the more context one brings to the images, the eerier they become. Demeter as a leathery skin stretched across the American desert is creepy; in the context of climate change, she is tragic. Blake presents a gory, thrilling vision of the twilight of the gods, in all their pettiness and power, while letting readers draw their own messages and conclusions. Ages 12–up. Agent: Adriann Ranta, Wolf Literary Services.

This new series from one of the best up-and-coming horror/suspense writers around (Girl of Nightmares, 2012, etc.) updates Greek mythology but offers far more than a Percy Jackson retread. The ancient Olympians have lived disguised among the human population for millennia, but now most of them appear to be dying in ways appropriate to their natures. Athena is choking on owl feathers; Demeter is sinking into the earth; Poseidon has been corrupted with ocean pollution; Hermes' metabolism is eating him alive. Athena and Hermes, teamed up, learn that Hera and Poseidon intend to survive by murdering other gods rather as the Titans ate their children. They embark on a mission to find the reincarnated Cassandra, now a teenager in upstate New York. Unbeknownst to Cassandra, her boyfriend, Aidan, is actually Apollo, the only god not dying. In the course of the story, the gods will find other reincarnated figures from the Trojan War who they hope will aid them in their struggle. Blake's spunky and imaginative narrative illuminates the personalities of the gods, especially Athena, who's gone a bit punk and is endowed with wry humor: "It's a mistake she never would have made two thousand years ago." Athena begins to doubt her own powers, upping the suspense level. With little doubt about which side is stronger, can plucky Athena and her allies possibly win? This edgy first installment maneuvers forces into position; readers will want to stay tuned. (Fantasy. 12 & up) COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

September 1, 2013

Gr 9 Up-This exciting, supernatural thriller pairs ancient Greek mythology with contemporary American culture. A feather slowly tears its way through the roof of Athena's mouth. Despite the centuries of immortality she has shared with her family, the gods and goddesses of Olympus, a twilight has fallen upon them, stripping them of their power and their invulnerability. While there has always been animosity among them, the growing fear has amplified these tensions, and as the Goddess of Warfare, Athena knows what is to come. A world away, Cassandra has been experiencing premonitions throughout her entire life, but can sense that the visions are about to abruptly end when she turns 18. Athena sets off to find Cassandra, who she believes will be a weapon in the coming war, and soon realizes that she cannot escape the sins of her past and must rely on those she has hurt the most. One of the strongest features of the book is the use of alternating points of narration, with chapters switching between Athena's and Cassandra's perspective until they join together for a final confrontation with the forces that seek to harm them. This technique keeps readers focused on both of the heroines. Antigoddess is sure to be a high-interest title for fans of the supernatural.-Ryan F. Paulsen, New Rochelle High School, NY

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2013
Grades 7-10 We are more monsters than gods now, but some are worse than others, Demeter whispers, describing the chaos in the contemporary world as god after god begins dying horrifically. Athena's body is being overwhelmed by white and brown feathers invading her organs; Hermes is becoming weaker and gaunter. Both know another war is coming, this time with the two of them aligned against Poseidon and Hera, and other gods choosing sides in a battle to their deaths. But Demeter has told Athena that 18-year-old Cassandra (who lives in Kincaid, New York, and was once the prophetess Cassandra of Troy) will change everything. In alternating chapters, Blake gradually weaves the gods' painful journey to garner allies and understand their diseases with Cassandra's typical teenage life of good friends, supportive family, and a handsome, loving boyfriend. The gods' world, while contemporary, is violent and laced with bizarre circumstances and powers, but Cassandra's is a normal adolescence in spite of her clairvoyance. It is Cassandra's visions that align their two worlds, creating the series debut's ultimate drama and tension, which promises to play out in subsequent Goddess War adventures.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)