Audiobook Review – Antigoddess (The Goddess War, Book 1) by Kendare Blake, Narrated by Kate Reading (3/5 stars)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Paranormal
Length: 10 hours and 28 minutes (352 pages)
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Release Date: September 11, 2013
ASIN: B00F4ATXU4
Stand Alone or Series: 1st book in the Goddess War trilogy
Source: Audiobook from Audible.com
Rating: 3/5 stars
“Old Gods never die…
Or so Athena thought. But then the feathers started sprouting beneath her skin, invading her lungs like a strange cancer, and Hermes showed up with a fever eating away his flesh. So much for living a quiet eternity in perpetual health.
Desperately seeking the cause of their slow, miserable deaths, Athena and Hermes travel the world, gathering allies and discovering enemies both new and old. Their search leads them to Cassandra―an ordinary girl who was once an extraordinary prophetess, protected and loved by a god.
These days, Cassandra doesn’t involve herself in the business of gods―in fact, she doesn’t even know they exist. But she could be the key in a war that is only just beginning.
Because Hera, the queen of the gods, has aligned herself with other of the ancient Olympians, who are killing off rivals in an attempt to prolong their own lives. But these anti-gods have become corrupted in their desperation to survive, horrific caricatures of their former glory. Athena will need every advantage she can get, because immortals don’t just flicker out.
Every one of them dies in their own way. Some choke on feathers. Others become monsters. All of them rage against their last breath.
The Goddess War is about to begin.”
I really enjoyed “Anna Dressed in Blood” so I picked this book up a couple years after reading that one. This is the first book in The Goddess War series, there are three books in that series. This book was okay, but not great. I never really understood the driver behind the main characters and their story.
I listened to this on audiobook and the audiobook was well done. I would recommend if you enjoy audiobooks.
This book is told from two different character’s POV. The first is Athena and the second is Cassandra. Athena is dying and wants to figure out how to stop it, she’s been told Cassandra holds the key to her survival. Cassandra is a high schooler who can do neat tricks predicting things; she doesn’t realize that she is the prophetess Cassandra reborn.
The story jumps back and forth between the two characters until they eventually come together. The story is set in modern day and most people don’t know about the Gods.
My main issue with this story is that we never really find out why the Gods are dying or if there is a larger reason they shouldn’t die (aside from Athena just not wanting to die). Not knowing these things makes it really hard to see the point of the story; there’s just absolutely nothing driving the story forward. I mean why should mortals sacrifice themselves for a God that is dying? Especially when the God hasn’t been all that helpful? What’s in it for humanity?
Overall this was okay but not great. I had a hard time understanding what the point of the plot was and why it wasn’t a bit more complete. I don’t plan on continuing the series.
This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
– Goodreads Reading Challenge
– Mount TBR Reading Challenge
