A gender bent Orpheus and Eurydice plus romantasy? Yes Please! I really enjoyed the world of the gods in The Younger Gods. Plus the romantic tension? Keep reading this book review of The Younger Gods for my full thoughts.
Summary
Iona Night-Singer thought she’d overthrown the gods. Her mortal rebellion eked out a painful victory by using the gods’ own powers against them—though she lost her betrothed, Taran, in a final battle with the god of death. Months later, the war doesn’t feel over. Not with Taran gone. Especially not when the gods still answer the prayers she sings.
Angry, grieving, and with a gnawing dread that the gods will return, Iona strikes a deal with her former patron if Iona can convince Taran to follow her home from the Underworld, he’ll be free to live again. If she fails, they’ll both be trapped there forever.
No sooner does she find him, she makes a horrible discovery. The dead gods have been reborn, they are plotting revenge—and Taran, it seems, was always one of them. This reincarnated trickster god with Taran’s face no longer remembers her or the war they fought together, and she doubts not just his loyalties but his love.
Determined to stop the next war without revealing her part in the last one, Iona enters her deadliest battle yet, one where she fights to bring Taran home without him even knowing it.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
Something I loved which was consistent throughout The Younger Gods was the depiction of the gods. Especially in the Greek God pantheon, we witness the cruelty, the ways that nothing phases them, and their disregard for humans. It’s something that remains the same throughout and gives The Younger Gods a firm grasp of setting as Iona struggles against their apathy and, in some ways, Taran’s new point of view. For immortals, there’s this sense of selfishness as they witness the coming and goings of civilizations, worship, and humanity. In The Younger Gods, an added aspect is the ways in which gods abuse their power, their obedience, and the worship.
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I enjoyed watching Iona make sense of this new version of Taran. To wonder if there’s a piece of him still within, something that will make him remember who he used to be. It makes you wonder how much of him was a lie, an illusion before. But even more so, we question how much of us remains when our experiences are different. While there are some plot points which definitely drag on too long – especially certain reveals – and pieces of the stories. Iona was definitely my favorite character as this reluctant hero who fights because she needs to, because no one else will. The world is my favorite element of The Younger Gods and I’m so excited for the sequel! The romance was also so good as Iona and Taran get to know each other again and Iona asks herself if they can ever go back to what they had.
Find The Younger Gods on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, Bookshop. org, Blackwells, & Libro. fm.