Feisty Frederica Fitzgerald is just one day shy of her sweet sixteen when she’s nearly run over by a tall, dark dreamboat on a big black horse. Freddy can deal with the running over part—no harm done. The problem is the rider, Mr. Sex Bomb himself: Polydegmon, son of Hades and heir to the Greek Underworld.
Freddy’s hooked on Polydegmon from the start (although dude, togas went out of style several thousand years ago), being near him is enough to make her tingle down to her toes. He’s got secrets he isn’t sharing, though, and trouble follows him closer than his own shadow: rabid dogs running around the suburbs, insane crows stalking Freddy and, worst of all, the feral fairies of the Wild Hunt trolling her hometown for their next bit of human game.
The closer Freddy gets to Deg, the weirder her life becomes, until Freddy discovers something about her own past that changes everything she ever thought she knew about herself. And her world…
This wasn't the book for me.
I feel, after just recently finishing two books/series involving Gods in the modern day, that this story lacked a solid mythology. I kept wondering how do these Gods have power? What powers do they actually have? How do they still exist? We get a very short explanation three-quarters through the book, just stating that the Gods exist in a sort of stasis, not moving forward or changing without mortals believing in them anymore. But, again, I never really got a good idea of how or why they were there.
Which was a problem I had with the entire story and cast. Why were Freddy's parents dreading Saturday? What did Polydegmon want to do with his life? Why, after eons of existence and romances, did this God feel so strongly for this one mortal after only two meetings? What did Freddy want to do with her life? Hell, what was Kore forced to be in the Underworld that she didn't have to be with Cernunnos - a virgin?
I never cared about Freddy. She was snarky, she was trained in swords and bows and general combat, she loved her family, she was hot for Deg. But what did she care about? She didn't particularly enjoy her combat training (and never used it besides a grapple or dodge here and there). She wasn't knowledgeable about Greek or Celtic mythology, so didn't care about anything happening around her (other than what specifically pertained to her). She wanted to escape to her family, even though that would have cost them their lives. And she was rightfully pissed at Deg for most of the story, yet still irresistibly drawn to him (after TWO meetings).
Did she want to go to college? Did she want to work Renaissance Fairs like her dad? Did she want to marry a hottie and be waited on hand and foot for the rest of her life? Did she want to run away and join the circus? WE'LL NEVER KNOW! Freddy is completely defined by her parentage and her romance, not by her wants, actions, or her achievements. Yet everyone continually acts like she's the chosen one, even though she hasn't DONE anything!
Deg wasn't much better. He is the titular Heir to the Underworld, so you'd think the story would center more on him. Nope. Even though he does things and is the only proactive protagonist in the story, all we hear from him is how much he wishes he could help Freddy, how much he loves Freddy, how he's such a failure for putting Freddy in this situation. He's (seemingly) only pissed at his family because of how they treat Freddy, and the Celts because of kidnapping Kore and Freddy. What is he even God of?!
I think, of all the characters, I wanted to know the most about Kore and Clymenus. Sure, both of them were horrible people from Freddy and Polydegmon's POVs, but it would have been fascinating to see their motivations. They seemed the most complex characters, wanting to help Freddy somewhat but ultimately choosing their own goals. What was Kore's upbringing like that she longed for another life? How did Clymenus feel being dragged on the heels of his brother to the feast in the Otherworld? So much more interesting!
Then again, Clymenus did try to rape Freddy, so maybe not the best person to explore. Yeah, the rape scene in this book was not that great. Not only was it hard to read, but there weren't even any repercussions afterwards. You could argue that Freddy is in a perpetual state of shock throughout the story, but for her to literally be cuddling on horseback and kissing another guy less than an hour after her attempted rape, I call BS.
So, yeah, I had a lot of issues with this story. Ultimately, I wished for more complex characters that shaped the story instead of being led along by it. There was a lot of exposition that felt like a lecture instead of essential for the characters to know. And don't even get me started on the Deus Ex Machina. The story is readable if you're looking for a romance with darker elements, but I can't say I enjoyed it. There were just too many questions left open, too little character motivation, and too much plot but not enough story.
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
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