Amy Braun . Blitz . By Subgenre . Not A Romance . Urban Fantasy

Hunt of the Gods – Review and Giveaway

On June 4, 2019 by

Hunt of the Gods by Amy Braun

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Blurb

Two months have passed since Derek Areios—war-scion and heir of Ares—and the band of rogue scions he’s aligned with recovered both the Thunderbolt of Zeus and the Heart of the Devourer and returned them to the Gods. During the battle, Derek discovered he could control not only the element of fire, as all war-scions can, but also the dark element “aether,” making him the only scion alive to wield two types of elemental magic.

Commanded by Zeus to retrieve the Trinity Weapons and the Shards of Cronus, Derek and the rogue scions are thwarted in their goal by a gang of water-scions with a grudge against one of the rogues—Thea, heir of Poseidon. Both groups travel to an uninhabited island to recover one of the Shards––the Eye that belonged to Cronus, King of the Titans. But what they encounter will lead them down a path of brutal betrayals, hard truths, painful memories, and desperate actions.

With angry and impatient gods breathing down his neck, a curse that allows Ares to control him, a prophecy he’s desperate to avoid, a magic spear corrupting his thoughts, and two forms of elemental magic, Derek has a lot of baggage—and a lot of power. Will the price of using that power to satisfy the Gods be too much for him to pay?

Mythological monsters, explosive magic, and devastating truths take center stage in the second novel of the action-packed AREIOS BROTHERS series from Amy Braun.

Review

I had some concerns going into this one.  I hadn’t read the first book, so I worried I’d be lost.  I was also a Classics major in undergrad* and like many of my classmates, I sometimes find myself getting a little pedantic about mythology. It’s an instinct, I can’t help it.  None of us can.

While the beginning of the book had a little bit of info-dumping, I got past it pretty quickly and found my concerns allayed. The early info-dumping was grating but it helped me to understand what was going on in the world Braun created. The divine characters definitely “felt” right within the generally understood context of their origins, warts and all.

Derek was the perfect POV character for this story. If it were told from another character’s point of view, I think I’d dislike him. He’s not a chatty Cathy, and without his point of view on why he does some of the things he does (and why he hides some of the things he does) I’d probably write him off as an emotionally stunted cannon fodder type, and that would annoy me both in- and out-of-world.  Because we can see the rich and honestly sad inner world Derek lives in, we can understand the struggles Derek endures. 

The side characters are vibrant and amazing. I even feel sorry – sort of – for the antagonists. 

There is a surprise character who shows up near the end of the book.  I can’t give you any spoilers, but I was beyond happy to see them present in the book and presented the way they are.  They are one of the most compelling figures in Greek myth and I love to see their story continued in this way.

Once the action starts in Hunt of the Gods, it does not stop.  It’s like a summer blockbuster, but in book form.

Author Bio

Amy is a Canadian urban fantasy and horror author. Her work revolves around monsters, magic, mythology, and mayhem. She started writing in her early teens, and never stopped. She loves building unique worlds filled with fun characters and intense action. 
 
When she isn’t writing, she’s reading, watching movies, taking photos, gaming, struggling with chocoholism and ice cream addiction, and diving headfirst into danger in Dungeons & Dragons campaigns. 

Author links: 

https://www.instagram.com/amybraunauthor/

http://amybraunauthor.com/

https://www.facebook.com/amybraunauthor/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8452020.Amy_Braun

Giveaway

Amy Braun is giving away a signed copy of Hunt of the Gods (INT winner will get $20 gift card for Book Depository).  To enter, click here.


* Dear parents: I have finally used my degree for something other than heckling The 300. 

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