Zeus Is A Dick by Susie Donkin

In the beginning, everything was fine.* And then along came Zeus.
*more or less

Ahh Greek myths. Those glorious tales of heroism, honour and... petty squabbles, soap-opera drama and more weird sex than Fifty Shades of Grey could shake a stick at!

It's about time we stopped respecting myths and started laughing at them - because they're really very weird. Did you know Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty, was born of some discarded genitals? Or that Hera threw her own son off a mountain because he was ugly? Or that Apollo once kidnapped a boat full of people while pretending to be a dolphin?

And let's not even get started on Zeus - king of the gods, ruler of the skies and a man who's never heard of self-control. In fact, if there's one thing most Greek myths have in common, it's that all the drama could have been avoided if SOMEONE could keep it in their toga...

Horrible Histories writer Susie Donkin takes us on a hilarious romp through mythology and the many times the gods (literally) screwed everything up! Stephen Fry's Mythos by way of Drunk History, Zeus is a Dick is perfect for those who like their myths with a heavy dollop of satire.

You can tell that Susie Donkin writes for Horrible Histories – the narrative style was very informal, crude and honestly like a soap opera. If the ancient Greek gods mingled with the cast of “Geordie Shore”, I wouldn’t be surprised, or be able to tell the difference!

This was a quickfire rundown of Greek mythology, giving a brief and speedy recap to the major players and how they related to each other – spoiler, they are all in fact literally related to each other! I really appreciated this format; it was nice to have a timeline to the random myths I’d always been aware of. And like the cast of “Geordie Shore”, the Greek gods were insane, horny and irresponsible. Donkin did an OK job of highlighting the wrongness of many of their actions, although I did tire of the writing style quite quickly. This is definitely a book to dip in and out of.

My understanding of the origin of myths is that ancient society used the stories to explain the world around them; the sea, the land, our relationships, even death, are controlled by the gods and that is who we need to appease so we don’t die from disease or famine. This is also why, I believe, so many myths are misogynistic and often involve rape: because the society that created them viewed women as lesser, so the gods did too.

Of course, this is my understanding and may be entirely wrong, but from my perspective, I can somewhat understand why Donkin wanted to write in this style: because the gods did do weird and stupid things and the subject matter lends itself to campfire stories. I can also understand why some readers didn’t appreciate Donkin’s assumptions of ancient Greeks’ motivation, because obviously there is no way to know why these myths were created.

Anyway, although the writing style took some getting used to, I actually liked this collection of myths. It was quite simplistic, assumed too many things and definitely brushed over a lot of details, but for an overall history of the Greek gods and goddesses, I thought it was good.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

White Hot Kiss by Jennifer L Armentrout

Seventeen-year-old Layla just wants to be normal. But with a kiss that kills anything with a soul, she's anything but normal. Half demon, half gargoyle, Layla has abilities no one else possesses.
Raised among the Wardens—a race of gargoyles tasked with hunting demons and keeping humanity safe—Layla tries to fit in, but that means hiding her own dark side from those she loves the most. Especially Zayne, the swoon-worthy, incredibly gorgeous and completely off-limits Warden she’s crushed on since forever.
Then she meets Roth—a tattooed, sinfully hot demon who claims to know all her secrets. Layla knows she should stay away, but she’s not sure she wants to—especially when that whole no-kissing thing isn’t an issue, considering Roth has no soul.
But when Layla discovers she’s the reason for the violent demon uprising, trusting Roth could not only ruin her chances with Zayne…it could brand her a traitor to her family. Worse yet, it could become a one-way ticket to the end of the world.

I don't know what it says about me but the possibles flaws in this book, from it stereotypical slutty best friend to world-revolves-around-me heroine, from the (again) typical almost-love triangle to the more-sexual tension-than-plot, I don't care, this book was hilarious and adorable and so dramatic it verges on soap opera. I'm a sucker for dark romance and this, with it's demon powers and gargoyles being the guardians between good and evil, I just loved it.

Layla was sort of-almost spoiled and her "I must make up for having demon blood even though that's not my fault" thing was admirable if naive and a little stupid. However, she was quite easy to like, despite having nothing that makes her stand out. Apart from the demon blood of course, but let's not go into that. She was having sort of a rough time of it at the moment, with more and more demons coming topside and apparently having a thing for her. Then she meets Roth, an Upper Level demon with amazing strength and incredibly good looks, who should be a bad guy but saves her from another demon trying to nom her face.

Roth was your typical bad guy with a good heart: hot, a tough guy, always around to save the day. He was incredibly sarcastic and would have been annoying if he wasn't so funny. I adored their relationship, as basic as it was. Although Layla had no actual skills of her own, she wasn't about to let Roth, a guy she had the hots for but shouldn't trust, swoop in and save her every time. 

As for the plot, it was your typical good girl and bad guy team up to save the world. The mythology behind the gargoyles/Wardens and their eternal battle with Hell was very cool; I always appreciate how it was slipped into the plot when and where it was necessary so it wasn't an overload of information. The demon blood in Layla becomes a major plot point - of course it does - one that I sort of saw coming but really liked the detail and complexity behind it. 

Armentrout's novels are something of a guilty pleasure of mine; the flowing plot, the hot romances, the dark and sometimes gritty twist on mythology, I loved it all. The ending was especially surprising and gripping and I can't wait to see what happens next in this series.

Published 4th March 2014 by MiraInk. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

Antigoddess by Kendare Blake

He was Apollo, the sun, and he'd burn down anything that tried to hurt her... Cassandra and Aidan are just your average high-school couple. Or so Cassandra believes. Blissfully unaware that she was once a powerful prophetess, Cassandra doesn't even know thats god exist... Until now.

Because the gods are dying - and Cassandra could hold the answer to their survival. But Aidan has a secret of his own. He is really Apollo, god of the sun, and he will do anything to protect the girl he loves from the danger that's coming for her. Even if it means war against his immortal family...

I'm sure by now it isn't a secret that I'm a history geek, and that fascination extends to mythology; the basics I know from Disney's Hercules, but I love all their stories, the gods and goddesses complicated family, their powers - but I still learned things from this, about the Trojan War and the gods relationships with humans, especially Apollo and Cassandra. I loved seeing them all in a different, modern setting, when no one believes in them any more, and how they've survived all this time, or not as the case may be. 

Athena, the goddess of war, and Hermes, the messenger and god of thieves, are on a mission to find out why they are dying, slowly and painfully. Little snippets of their past were slipped into conversation alongside clues to their future. If they have one. The balance between finding out friends and new allies was dramatic and, if I may say so, educational. From my studies, I got a little thrill when I recognised a story or a character, especially Odysseus. It was fun to see how they interacted now, having such a long history together.

The synopsis gives the impression that it is a dramatic love story, and I'm glad that it didn't completely resolve around the love story, it was much more involved; the horror of Cassandra's visions, the truth of who she and Aiden are, the unknown mastermind behind it all made for great story telling and I'm impressed with how Blake balanced it all. 

While it might be helpful to do some homework before reading this, I didn't find it necessary to enjoy it. The history is a big part of the story but as there is subtle explanations, it didn't feel bogged down with details or completely brushed over. Again, nice balance. I loved this for the mythology, but anyone else will love it for the drama, the love story, the action, or all of the above!

Published 10th September 2013 by Orchard Books. Thank you to the publisher for my copy in exchange for an honest review. 

Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson

Fifteen-year-old Tiger Lily doesn't believe in love stories or happy endings. Then she meets the alluring teenage Peter Pan in the forbidden woods of Neverland and immediately falls under his spell.

Peter is unlike anyone she's ever known. Impetuous and brave, he both scares and enthralls her. As the leader of the Lost Boys, the most fearsome of Neverland's inhabitants, Peter is an unthinkable match for Tiger Lily. Soon, she is risking everything—her family, her future—to be with him. When she is faced with marriage to a terrible man in her own tribe, she must choose between the life she's always known and running away to an uncertain future with Peter.

With enemies threatening to tear them apart, the lovers seem doomed. But it's the arrival of Wendy Darling, an English girl who's everything Tiger Lily is not, that leads Tiger Lily to discover that the most dangerous enemies can live inside even the most loyal and loving heart.

I have always loved Tiger Lily and thought we really should see more of her. So a book all about her side of the story? Yes please! I adored Tiger Lily, she is a fantastic character with all her odd quirks, not fitting in with the girls but not allowed to hunt with the boys, not to mention her glaring imperfections like her internal struggle with traditions and what she wanted, and her unconventional and forbidden love for Peter. But above all she was achingly loyal and this really came across in her relationships with her tribe, and with Tink and Peter. 

I really liked how we saw Tiger Lily's village and their stories of Peter Pan before we met him. It was a nice introduction to the world, especially since it was a new take on the story. Even though I recognised little bits, like the Lost Boys' burrow and Hook's missing hand, I liked how it was different and original. Speaking of original, I was not expecting Tinker Bell to be narrator but it worked so well! I loved that Tink was this all-seeing narrator that couldn't speak but played a huge part in the story, even if she was just hovering in the background. I also deeply appreciated that Tinker Bell was not portrayed as jealous and mean like she normally is, but as caring and just as loyal as Tiger Lily to her and the boys. 

As Neverland was an island in a remote, mostly unexplored part of the world, occasionally there were visitors. Some were pirates, which is how Hook gained his crew; some were Englanders and though they were welcomed into Tiger Lily's tribe, I really disliked how they, Phillip especially, pushed their beliefs onto the island. This escalated into something awful for Tiger Lily's father Tik Tok and I felt so ashamed of my race at that moment. Wendy was part of one of these explorer ships and if I had moments of dislike in the Disney movie, then I really hated her in this! Both Tink and Tiger Lily feel threatened by her, not just because she is incredibly beautiful, but because she is poised to ruin the dynamic they had with Peter and the lost boys. They were everything to Tiger Lily but to see them throw her away for the prettier model was heartbreaking. I could completely understand Tiger Lily wanting to get a little revenge. 

Tiger Lily was a romantic and enthralling re-telling of Peter Pan which stands in its own right as part of the legend. 

Published 3rd October 2013 by Orchard Books. Thank you to the publisher for my copy in exchange for an honest review. 

Scarlet by AC Gaughen

Posing as one of Robin Hood's thieves to avoid the wrath of the evil Thief Taker Lord Gisbourne, Scarlet has kept her female identity secret from all of Nottinghamshire. Only Robin and his band know the truth. As Gisbourne closes in, helping the people of Nottingham could cost Scarlet her life, but her fierce loyalty to Robin-whose quick smiles have the rare power to unsettle her-keeps Scarlet going and makes this fight worth dying for.

The story of Robin Hood is not new to me, to anyone really. The outlaw giving money to the poor is an amazing story and while re-tellings can be a bit hit-and-miss, I loved this one. I've always been fascinated with the tale of Robin Hood, especially after the Disney movie and then the BBC series. And Scarlet was no exception!

I adored Scarlet. Considering the character is supposed to be male, I thought Gaughen did a great job in distancing her from other versions. And yet remained very loyal to the "original" story, with Much and Little John and Gisbourne, the Crusades and Richard the Lion Heart, etc. Anyway, back to Scarlet. I thought she was very tough-skinned and had every reason to be. I liked how we got little drips of her background, to be kept guessing and to prepare us (and Robin) to the truth. I liked how she didn't like to stick around to get thanked for her work; unlike Robin, whom I've always believed to have a hero complex. And I loved her relationship with the boys, as weird and sometimes awkward as it was! Especially Rob, as he was the one who "saved" her from her previous life. 

It took a while for me to get into, mostly I believe due to the bad English. I mean, once I got used to it, I really appreciated the colloquialisms that poor country folk typically use, but it took a while to get my head round it. But I loved how the language and the story intertwined to pull together the legend of Robin Hood, with his gang and his hide outs, and Tuck's place. Plus, you know, Scarlet was a girl, which meant that hiding that fact was rather fun, if sometimes a little awkward because Little John had a thing for her! 

There was so many things I loved about this book. I loved how it seemed very loyal to the traditional one yet had its own story to tell. I loved Scar with her tough attitude and secrets, and her interactions with the rest of the gang who had their own stories to tell, all having been hurt by Nottingham in one way or another. I loved how Maid Marian and Gisbourne were woven into the story, especially how unexpectedly - but I won't say anything more, you'll just have to read it to find out! 

Published 26th Febuary 2013 by Walker Childrens. 

Skulk by Rosie Best

When Meg witnesses the dying moments of a shapeshifting fox and is given a beautiful and powerful stone, her life changes forever. She is plunged into the dark world of the Skulk, a group of shapeshifting foxes.

As she learns about the other groups of shapeshifters that lurk around London – the Rabble, the Horde, the Cluster and the Conspiracy – she becomes aware of a deadly threat against all the shapeshifters. They must put aside all their enmity and hostility and fight together to defeat it.

Although this is about shapeshifting, don't be fooled into thinking it was childish or that's all it's about. It was so much more and I loved it for that. I loved how it was dark and a little creepy, I loved the introduction of sensitive topics like abuse and I especially loved the blending of the gritty underworld and the up-scale City life. 

I fell instantly into the under world of London, and can I just say that setting it in London is brilliant! The city is basically perfect for the creepy and secretive shifting world, with dank Tube stations and the Tower of London. Now, back to shape shifting, I really liked the mystical element of shifting. Even if it wasn't completely explained, some blanks were filled in and the bits that weren't, it wasn't because the author couldn't be bothered, it was more that it was a lost secret to the characters. That, to me, made it brilliant: as confusing and weird as it was to the reader, Meg had no more idea than we did and we found out what we could together. I also liked the variety of animals, although who would want to shift into a spider I have no idea!

I adored Meg. She was very real; she fought with her weight, didn't like the social scene her friends did, suffered terribly from emotional and physical abuse at the hands of her mother. Considering the amount of crap she has put up with, I loved how sweet and empathetic she was. She was quite tough skinned, but also very vulnerable and needed the freedom that shifting gave her. I especially liked how she gained more confidence from shifting as it allowed her to have a secret life away from her awful home life. 

Finally, I greatly appreciated the secondary characters. Addie was so amazing, considering her lot in life; James was incredibly funny in a well-spoken Artful Dodger sort of way; Suzanne was lovely and a charming mother figure that Meg desperately needed; and Mo was so very talented and ladish in a funny way. Speaking of which, the romance slipped in there was very sweet, it didn't shift focus from the main plot and as much I love a good love story, I really liked that it wasn't exaggerated and allowed to grow naturally. Or as naturally as a budding romance can grow as they're fighting for their lives against a power-hungry sorceress. 

Publisher 3rd October 2013 by Strange Chemistry. Thank you to the publisher for my copy in exchange for an honest review. 

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

In general, Karou has managed to keep her two lives in balance. On the one hand, she's a seventeen-year-old art student in Prague; on the other, errand-girl to a monstrous creature who is the closest thing she has to family. Raised half in our world, half in 'Elsewhere', she has never understood Brimstone's dark work - buying teeth from hunters and murderers - nor how she came into his keeping. She is a secret even to herself, plagued by the sensation that she isn't whole.

Now the doors to Elsewhere are closing, and Karou must choose between the safety of her human life and the dangers of a war-ravaged world that may hold the answers she has always sought.

The story of Karou's past is very complicated one, one that even she isn't sure about. All she knows is that her adoptive family are lovely but monstrous. They are, after all, chimera: a mixture of human and animal. I was instantly attracted to Karou's story and her strange family, the seductive and detailed prose flowing so naturally, I could swear I was in the streets of Prague with everyone! Not to mention the "magic door" that transports Karou all over the world.

This novel was purely endless fun and magic. I loved how Taylor flawlessly blended the mythology of the chimera and magic wishes with the threat of being found out in the real world, and then the danger that sought Karou out. I loved the mystery and the fairytale-esque dual world, with its sort of familiar mythology built up around this one girl that linked the two. And the history of the chimera was fascinating, especially their endless war with the serephs, the angel-like creatures like Akiva.

Karou was this endless amazing young girl. I mean, she could draw, she had blue hair, she didn't give up on her family and was even strong enough to trust her supposed enemy if it meant finding the truth about herself. But under this tough exterior was a girl not sure in herself and desperate to find happiness and love. As for Akiva, he'll certainly make you think twice about the angel's all-good image! Not to mention get your heart racing!

 All in all, an amazing and practically perfect blend of magic and danger, mythology and history mixing to make Karou's incredible past the most enjoyable read. And I for one cannot wait to find out more about her past, her family, the world that sits just beyond a door to ours. 

Published 29th September 2011 by Hodder and Stoughton.

The Weight of Souls by Bryony Pearce

Sixteen year old Taylor Oh is cursed: if she is touched by the ghost of a murder victim then they pass a mark beneath her skin. She has three weeks to find their murderer and pass the mark to them – letting justice take place and sending them into the Darkness. And if she doesn’t make it in time? The Darkness will come for her…

She spends her life trying to avoid ghosts, make it through school where she’s bullied by popular Justin and his cronies, keep her one remaining friend, and persuade her father that this is real and that she’s not going crazy.

But then Justin is murdered and everything gets a whole lot worse. Justin doesn’t know who killed him, so there’s no obvious person for Taylor to go after. The clues she has lead her to the V Club, a vicious secret society at her school where no one is allowed to leave… and where Justin was dared to do the stunt which led to his death.

Can she find out who was responsible for his murder before the Darkness comes for her? Can she put aside her hatred for her former bully to truly help him? 

I went into this with no expectations. In fact, I could barely remember what it was about! But anyway, I think that was good, it meant I had no anticipations of what I thought should happen, the book just washed over me. And boy was it good! It was thrilling and dark and utterly addictive with its mythology and curses and a cute dead boy. 

Taylor, the protagonist that can see dead people, was an interesting character - feeling the pressure of her curse, no longer had her mother to help her and her dad didn't believe her at all and instead thought she was ill. And mixed race, and though this wasn't really a big deal, I liked the diversity. Taylor was surprisingly easy to relate to, considering her responsibilities with avenging the dead. And of course she's bullied. Quite badly actually, which after you learn more about them all, is not surprising at all. Her best friend Hannah was really cool, with her colourful hair and friendly attitude. But we didn't see a lot of her which is disappointing; and I did feel sorry for her as she was kept out of the loop and this mistrust nearly ruined her friendship with Taylor. 

Finally, I truly despised James's gang. James was a massive douche, the standard bad-boy bully; Tasmin was the typical pretty girl with a tough shell, and Justin was presented as just the same as James. But then he died and as Taylor tries to figure out the reason for his death, he slowly reveals more of himself. And himself was gorgeous!

Of course it wasn't just about her weird curse of being able to see dead people. Pearce added this great secondary layer to her family curse to include Egyptian mythology! Not to mention the surprising romance and a secret society with its sticky fingers in her school. I loved all this blending of themes, it really added something special to the story. I flew through this novel; I loved practically everything about it, all the ghosts and mysteries and budding romance, it had everything that makes a great book, and even though the ending was a bit off for me, it really was a great book. 

Published 6th August 2013 by Strange Chemistry. Thank you to Netgalley for my e-copy. 

Ink by Amanda Sun

Katie Greene is lost in the wake of her mum's death. Sent to Japan, she meets gorgeous but aloof artist Tomohiro, whose tough attitude intrigues and scares her. Then things get really strange. When they're near each other, Tomohiro's drawings start to come to life…

Soon the wrong people begin to ask questions, and Katie and Tomohiro must risk everything to protect the truth.

First off, I have to start with the excellent description of Japanese culture. The story dived right in so I was left a little confused as I have next to no experience with Japanese culture, but it was full of gorgeous descriptions and odd pieces of language that it was still enjoyable. 

The story follows Katie as she struggles to fit in at a new school in a new country and as she becomes intrigued by strange boy Tomohiro. But more on him later. I really felt for Katie. Bad enough that she was half way across the world, away from home in a strange country, but having just lost her mum, she was lost and sad and could only wander along and try to cope. I really liked her perspective as we learnt about Japan and its mythology as she did. This did mean the mystery behind Tomohiro wasn't solved for ages and I feel it was strung along for a bit too long and it wasn't quite worth the wait because I already guessed that his drawings came to life, I just wanted to know how!

Yes, Tomohiro. He was one of those bad guys with a heart of gold. He had an image to protect himself and only Katie managed to see the real him. I liked them together and although it wasn't insta-love, Katie's fascination with him felt a little weird straight away, almost stalker-ish. Sorry Katie but you were! Anyway, there was another guy, Jun, who I didn't realise was going to be important when we first met him, but was a nice distraction for Katie in a 'oh, there's a kind boy talking to me even when most avoid me because I'm foreign' sort of way. I didn't believe the love triangle that was portrayed but I liked Jun as a character fair enough. Plus, I really liked the twist with his role in the story. 

Now don't believe I didn't enjoy the book. The language barrier and the Japanese name thing confused me quite a lot which left me disconnected from the story. But the writing was great, dialogue was easy to follow, the illustrations were amazing and even if I didn't quite connect with the characters or get all the answers I wanted, it was a really good story line with a great balance of contemporary and mythology. 

Published 5th July by Mira Ink. Thank you to the publisher for my copy.