I am fully committed to the Dark Olympus series. But after Wicked Beauty, I wasn’t really sure what to expect with Radiant Sin. And while I enjoyed this one, I had the most mixed feelings about it in the series so far. Keep reading this book review for my full thoughts.
Summary
As a disgraced member of a fallen house, Cassandra Gataki has seen firsthand what comes from trusting the venomous Thirteen. But when the maddeningly gorgeous and kind Apollo asks her to go undercover as his plus-one at a week-long party hosted by a dangerous new power player…Cassandra reluctantly agrees to have his back.
On one condition: when it’s all over, and Apollo has the ammunition he needs to protect Olympus, she and her sister will be allowed to leave. For good.
Apollo may be the city’s official spymaster, but it’s his ability to inspire others that keeps him at the top. Despite what the rest of Olympus says, there’s no one he trusts more than Cassandra. Yet even as their fake relationship takes a wicked turn for the scaldingly hot, a very real danger surfaces… threatening not only Cassandra and Apollo, but the very heart of Olympus itself.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
Let me just start with the things I enjoyed. The steaminess is predictably steamy in true Katee Robert fashion. In relation to the rest of the series, this one might have less explicit spice than some of the previous books, but I think that’s because this book and pair is more focused on the romance from sooner on. For Apollo and Cassandra, they’ve spent years in each other’s orbit with the tension and chemistry bubbling. And for each of them, the chance to act on their desires does let off some steam, but their focus becomes more can this be real despite the danger and our fears?
And the trope of “this is going to be a temporary arrangement, oh no I actually have real feels” is one of my favorite tropes. You can see it coming a mile away, but, in true to life, we are often the last to know about our own feelings. For Cassandra she’s been so focused on leaving Olympus, the politics, the danger, and the shadow of her past. As a character, I liked Cassandra the best, mostly because I have a soft spot for over-protective and clever characters. Overall, I enjoyed their relationship and the romance part of the book.
But?
But I think I was a bit disappointed by two aspects. The first, and the easiest to overlook, is the mythology twist. I think based on what I knew about her, I was expecting bit more in terms of her references to the mythology – but, to be honest, the Dark Olympus is not a series known for a strict adherence to mythology. These are more like Greek archetypes or roles in a world, but without the necessity of following the roles or stories strictly. And secondly, the plot twist or the actual story structure. In terms of it advancing the world, I actually enjoyed that.
Wicked Beauty introduces a huge wrench into Olympus, Outsiders, who have been nothing but trouble from the beginning. So in terms of plot or overall world structure, Radiant Sin does an admirable job at continuing to follow those ripples outwards. It introduces a few too many side characters for my taste, but you can tell it’s going to become more important in the futrue. However, I think my largest peeve with Radiant Sin was just how predictable the twist was at the end.
I’m not normally one for disliking a book when I can predict the ending. I genuinely believe that there’s nothing wrong with that. But for me, I did not understand why none of our main characters who are like spy masters and extremely clever were not able to predict the fall out. I know that as people, and characters, we can become too comfortable in the way we think the world works. But it’s not even a thought flitting across their mind and considering the characters that become important – and some of their conversations – I was absolutely un-surprised and kind of disappointed in my favorites for not having an inkling.
Overall,
I enjoyed the characters of Radiant Sin and I appreciate the role it will play in the future of the series. But for me, the ending and the reactions to it, just felt a bit too unbelievable. That being said, I 100% am going to be eagerly awaiting the sequel because considering the implications of the ending, I need to find out what is going to happen next. Find Radiant Sin on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, Indiebound, Bookshop.org, & The Book Depository.