Goddess War: Antigoddess - Softcover

Kendare Blake

Softcover

ISBN 10: 140833075X ISBN 13: 9781408330753

Publisher: Orchard Books, 2013

Synopsis

The Goddess War begins in Antigoddess, the first installment of the new series by acclaimed author of Anna Dressed in Blood, Kendare Blake.

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.

About this title

About the Author

KENDARE BLAKE holds an MA in Creative Writing from Middlesex University in northern London. Blake is the author of Anna Dressed in Blood, Girl of Nightmares, and Antigoddess. She lives and writes in Lynnwood, Washington.

Reviews

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, NYα(c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

“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. Grades 7-10. --Frances Bradburn

Edition details

• Publisher: Orchard Books
• Publication date: 2013
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 140833075X
• ISBN 13: 9781408330753
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 384