Long Story Short: The Games Gods Play by Abigail Owen
Long Story Short? We yapped about The Games Gods Play by Abigail Owen (and we even discuss The Things Gods Break at the end!) and we're excited to tell you why this book should be moved to the top of your TBR!
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Transcript
Foreign.
Speaker A:Welcome to the Other side of the Page, a bookish podcast where we yap.
Speaker B:About the books we love and the songs that give us main character energy.
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Speaker B:That is our TBR and to let you know why a book might just be your next favorite read.
Speaker A:I'm Britt, dramatic plot twist lover and champion for MMCs needing to be more pathetic and down bad.
Speaker B:And I'm Hannah, reader of at least five books at once and a detailed fantasy map enthusiast.
Speaker A:Every Wednesday, press play on a brand new bookish episode.
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Speaker A:Yes, and don't forget to follow rate and review the podcast on your preferred platform with a shining five stars because it helps us so incredibly much with visibility.
Speaker B:Yes, and this week we are flying on a pink Pegasus to talk about the Games Gods Play by Abigail Owen.
Speaker A:Yes, we will be talking about our song choices alongside of the plot and chatting about our favorite moments.
Speaker A:So grab an iced coffee or iced chai and let's turn the page together.
Speaker B:Dear reader, here is the synopsis of the games the games gods play.
Speaker B:A lot of S's there.
Speaker B:The gods love to play with us mere mortals, and every hundred years we let them.
Speaker B:I have never been favored by the gods.
Speaker B:Far from it.
Speaker B:Thanks to Zeus living as a cursed office clerk for the Order of the Thieves.
Speaker B:I just keep my head down and hope the capricious beings who rule from Olympus won't notice me.
Speaker B:Not an easy feat given San Francisco is Zeus's patron city.
Speaker B:But I make do.
Speaker B:I survive until the night I tangle with a different God.
Speaker B:The worst God, Hades.
Speaker B:For the first time ever, the ruthless, merciful, mercy Mercurial.
Speaker B:Guys, I'm a reader.
Speaker B:I do not.
Speaker B:I don't know how to like pronounce words.
Speaker B:I just kind of.
Speaker B:If I don't know a word when I'm reading, I just like skip over it.
Speaker B:Or I like make something up.
Speaker B:So what is it?
Speaker A:Mercurial.
Speaker B:Mercurial.
Speaker A:Mercurial.
Speaker B:We're just going to skip it.
Speaker B:For the first time ever, the ruthless king of the underworld has entered the Crucible, the deadly contest the gods hold to determine a new ruler to sit on the throne of Olympus.
Speaker B:But instead of fighting their own battles, the gods name mortals to compete in their stead.
Speaker B:So why in the underworld did Hades choose me, a sarcastic nobody with a curse on her shoulders, as his champion?
Speaker B:And why does My heart trip every time he says I'm his.
Speaker B:I don't know if I'm a pawn bait or something else entirely to this dangerously tempting God.
Speaker B:How can I when he has more secrets than the stars and the sky?
Speaker A:Sky.
Speaker B:Because Hades is playing by his own rules and death will win at any cost.
Speaker B:Dun dun dun.
Speaker A:Yay.
Speaker B:And glad we got through that.
Speaker B:And we think you should read this book if you want a high stakes Greek mythology retelling where Hades is hot as the flames of the underworld.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker A:And you might want to avoid this book if any of the following are potentially triggering for you.
Speaker B:Death.
Speaker A:Lots of death.
Speaker A:Violence.
Speaker A:Lots of violence.
Speaker A:Sexual content.
Speaker A:Blood.
Speaker A:Grief.
Speaker A:Cursing.
Speaker A:Abandonment.
Speaker A:Vomit.
Speaker A:Cancer.
Speaker A:These are high stakes trials.
Speaker A:Lots of monsters.
Speaker A:If that's not your vibe, do not enter this one.
Speaker A:Because this book is so fast and these trials are insane.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker A:Are we ready to talk about our song choices?
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:Side note, I am on a Taylor Swift loop in these next few episodes.
Speaker A:We shop at Lord and Taylor.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:Got Lord last week and now you got a string of Taylor.
Speaker B:So please send me your song recommendations because I'd like to get out of this loop eventually.
Speaker B:But the song that I chose for this book is ready for it by Taylor Swift.
Speaker A:Love it.
Speaker A:I also picked a Taylor Swift song and there was one song that came to mind immediately and I had to go with it.
Speaker A:And I picked False God by Taylor.
Speaker B:Swift, one of my favorite Taylor Swift songs.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker A:Now we are heading into our pages turned in Bridges Burned section.
Speaker A:Now here's the thing.
Speaker A:We have read both books that are out right now.
Speaker A:We are going to keep this as close as humanly possible to this first book and we will warn you ahead of time if and when we start discussing things from the second.
Speaker A:Just fair warning, if we slip, we're so sorry.
Speaker A:However, we're going to be discussing the games Gods play cover to cover in great detail.
Speaker A:So we highly recommend pausing and coming back if you have not read it yet and you would like to before we dive on in.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:Let's start by going over our theme lyrics for our songs and explaining why we picked them.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:My theme lyric, simple, basic, is just, baby, let the games begin.
Speaker B:I mean, because iconic, the Crucible, the games.
Speaker B:And it's like.
Speaker B:Like that first when he picks her, it's like legit.
Speaker B:Just like, all right, baby, let the games begin.
Speaker B:Like, what is happening?
Speaker B:Like, that's just how I felt every time there was a labor, every time they were doing anything and just like the vibes.
Speaker B:And yeah, the first time we Were introduced to this song was for ESPN promo.
Speaker B:So I just like associate it with sports and.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:Challenges.
Speaker A:I love that.
Speaker A:My theme lyric is a little bit more about the romance of it all.
Speaker A:And it's.
Speaker A:But we might just get away with it.
Speaker A:Religions in your lips.
Speaker A:Even if it's a false God, we'd still worship.
Speaker A:And we will get way more into that later.
Speaker A:But like, if you've read the book, you know why I picked false God.
Speaker A:You know why.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:So a little fun fact.
Speaker B:When I started college, my major was classics Greek.
Speaker B:So this being like only one of two Greek mythology retellings I've ever read is surprising because I was obsessed with anything that is so shocking to me years ago.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:So.
Speaker A:Yeah, because you started as that and then you did religious studies.
Speaker B:I went into archaeology and then ended.
Speaker A:And then religious studies.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker B:But they did.
Speaker B:Yeah, they created religious studies like my end of my junior year.
Speaker B:So I was like, where was this when I first started?
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:But here I am.
Speaker B:Here we are.
Speaker B:So.
Speaker B:But let's meet our FMC Lira Lyra.
Speaker B:Second guess that after that whole synopsis.
Speaker A:I know, listen, it's okay.
Speaker A:We all have those moments.
Speaker A:It was if.
Speaker A:Listen, there were a lot of words in there.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:So Lyra Kiras, she is in the order which is under the patron God Hermes.
Speaker A:And the order is made up of thieves.
Speaker A:Now her backstory is actually wackadoodle from the get go.
Speaker A:Her, she was sent to the order of the thieves at the age of three to pay off her parents debt.
Speaker B:Like wild.
Speaker B:So not only was she sent to the order at the age of three, she has a curse that makes her unlovable.
Speaker B:Correct.
Speaker B:And her parents said, bye, see you.
Speaker B:And then the book starts out like it's time for the Crucible to take place, which the synopsis kind of talks about it.
Speaker B:It's where the gods all like pick.
Speaker B:Pick a mortal to represent them in like Hunger Games style.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Now before we start with the Crucible, I do want to mention this book was like urban fantasy.
Speaker A:So it was like in modern times.
Speaker A:And so there were a lot of like blended moments where I had to remember, yes, we're talking about like Greek gods, but it's set and like they're talking about San Francisco, their cell phones.
Speaker A:I think she mentions TikTok in the second book and like it was like a very weird mashup.
Speaker A:But I kind of loved it with the writing style.
Speaker A:Like I think it made it feel like more bingeable and more.
Speaker A:I don't know.
Speaker A:But I just wanted to point that out early on in case we forget to talk about it later.
Speaker A:Good call.
Speaker B:So the city is hopping with people, anxiously waiting to see if the gods are going to, like, choose to represent them in the challenge.
Speaker B:And.
Speaker B:And there is, like, fed up with all this.
Speaker B:She's like, okay, I'm done.
Speaker B:She like, sneaks away.
Speaker B:Cuz all her, like, thieves are, you know, their little missions and they're at like Zeus's temple.
Speaker B:And she's like, you know what?
Speaker B:F this guy.
Speaker B:I'm going to go throw rocks at his temple, okay?
Speaker B:And like, one of her fellow thieves is like, threatening to like, reveal her.
Speaker B:Her crushes on Boone and she's just like, f all this, like, I'm going to go, yeah, throw rocks at the king of the gods temple.
Speaker A:Honestly, slay as she should, you know, Zeus kind of sucks.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:And then there she meets a mysterious man who she knows is a God, but not just any God.
Speaker B:Who is he?
Speaker B:Hades.
Speaker B:And they exchanged some words, but he lets her go.
Speaker B:And she's like.
Speaker A:I know.
Speaker A:She's like, let go.
Speaker A:Interesting.
Speaker A:Odd choice, but thanks.
Speaker A:And then she runs into Boone, which is the thief she has a crush on in the crowd.
Speaker A:And they start walking back to the order.
Speaker A:And Boone is watching again, the live stream of the gods choosing their champions because they're live streaming.
Speaker A:And when their champions are chosen, they like, like, like in.
Speaker A:Into thin air.
Speaker A:And then they arrive at like the pantheon, basically, like where they're supposed to be.
Speaker A:And so this is a shock because Hades appears on the screen.
Speaker A:And Hades does not compete in the Crucible.
Speaker A:He surely does not.
Speaker B:And he's got his own underworld to take care of.
Speaker B:He doesn't need anything else.
Speaker A:He sure does.
Speaker A:And he picks none other than Lyra Kiraz.
Speaker A:So she gets, I think her reaction in the moment, I think, was like an oh, fuck.
Speaker A:And like, she's like disappearing in front of Boone's eyes.
Speaker A:And Boone's like, what?
Speaker B:Right?
Speaker A:Like, how is this, first of all, how is this happening?
Speaker A:So she gets, poof.
Speaker A:Plucked from thin air, taken to Olympus.
Speaker A:And the other gods and goddesses are like, excuse me, Hades, what the fuck are you doing?
Speaker A:The other gods are like, there's a lot of trepidation that surrounds Hades because he doesn't compete.
Speaker A:And also, like, he is the God of the underworld.
Speaker A:And so people are like.
Speaker A:Like, they think that he's not going to play fair and he's not going to play by the rules, which none of the gods do because they're immortal beings who are petty, first of all.
Speaker A:Anyway, the daemons, these creatures that are like kind of the rule keepers.
Speaker A:Like, they.
Speaker A:They're like.
Speaker A:They keep watch of everything that's happening and they enforce the strict policy of no cheating, no interfering, all of that stuff.
Speaker A:They introduce the rules of the Crucible and then the games begin.
Speaker A:There's like.
Speaker A:No, that's the one thing about this book that makes it so bingeable is that there is never a second to breathe.
Speaker B:Ever.
Speaker B:No.
Speaker A:And there are also these chapters, if you like, short chapters, baby, this is the book for you.
Speaker A:Let me tell you.
Speaker B:And it's a. I love that they have chapter titles too.
Speaker B:And it's not just like chapter one.
Speaker A:Like, God, I love a good chapter title.
Speaker B:They're so good.
Speaker B:And I think in like, the second book, they're even better.
Speaker A:I agree.
Speaker A:And they had.
Speaker A:This book has.
Speaker A:Let me see.
Speaker A:Of course, I picked the one chapter 111 chapters in an epilogue.
Speaker A:And the book's like 500 pages, so it's nothing like egregious for a fantasy, but it made everything feel like it was moving at warp speed.
Speaker A:And I.
Speaker A:Every time I.
Speaker A:Like a chapter would end.
Speaker A:The one thing that Abigail did so phenomenally is end every single chapter on a hook where I had no choice but to keep going.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:That's why I read this, like, so quick.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Hannah read this in.
Speaker A:In egregious time frame.
Speaker A:Like jail, immediate jail.
Speaker B:So quickly.
Speaker B:But.
Speaker B:So the Crucible started after a war because the gods destroyed the city, mostly Hades.
Speaker B:After, after, after.
Speaker B:The other gods kind of destroyed everything.
Speaker B:But now they have mortals fight on their behalf so, like, they don't destroy a city again.
Speaker B:Zeus is the current king.
Speaker B:And, like, each God or goddess is in charge of creating a Labor for the champions to compete in.
Speaker B:And the champion with the most Labors wins.
Speaker B:Is the winner.
Speaker B:Blah, blah, blah.
Speaker B:There.
Speaker B:God becomes the king.
Speaker B:And nobody wants Hades to become king.
Speaker A:They're like, go nothing.
Speaker B:Hades is just like a misunderstood guy.
Speaker A:You know, honestly, I think, like, it's just so clear that no one gets Hades.
Speaker A:Like, we get Hades, right?
Speaker B:I mean, the God of death, like, how can he not be an onion that just needs to be peeled back to reveal his layers?
Speaker A:Like, and there's so many layers.
Speaker A:Like, I'm.
Speaker A:I'm just saying, like, that that man, like, give him an onion boil and get all of that seasoning in all of the crevices.
Speaker A:Like, that's what we need to do.
Speaker A:And, like, obviously we know that, like, Hades picks lira and there's this like, romantasy element, blah, blah, blah.
Speaker A:But like, I actually did think it was really cool as we were learning more about Hades himself and as we explored pieces of the underworld to see how humane he was in comparison to the other gods and goddesses.
Speaker A:Yes, because he ushers souls and because he's the only one that truly deals with mortals in that capacity.
Speaker A:His humanity was so intact for an immortal being.
Speaker A:And I don't know, that's what, like, I think made me fall in love with him as an mmc.
Speaker A:Like, because as quote, unquote, morally gray as he was, he was the most green flag God of all of them, a hundred percent.
Speaker B:And I thought it was cool.
Speaker B:Like, each champion is given gifts from their, like, patron God.
Speaker B:And Lira gets these, like, magic tattoos from Hades and he, like, also gives her a kiss that like, puts a mark on her that she'll be safe in the underworld like any time that like, she's down there and everything.
Speaker B:But then the Labors start.
Speaker B:Yep.
Speaker B:And the Labors are wild.
Speaker B:So if you had to compete in a Labor, which one do you think you could win?
Speaker B:And which one would have broken you?
Speaker A:I think all of them would have broken me.
Speaker A:The only one that I think I would have had a shot at is Hermes.
Speaker A:And it's the one with.
Speaker A:They were standing on like, the platform up in the sky with the Fates.
Speaker A:And like, I think that, like, I could have Nancy Drewed my way out of that.
Speaker A:The only problem is I have big ass boat feet.
Speaker A:And the minute that platform starts going, I have.
Speaker A:There's.
Speaker A:There's gonna be a problem.
Speaker A:We're gonna have a problem.
Speaker A:And I don't have done like.
Speaker B:Yeah, like the Fates part.
Speaker B:I think, like, okay, cool.
Speaker B:But like the heights and that.
Speaker B:I'd be like, nah, I'm done.
Speaker A:I know.
Speaker A:But then like, the.
Speaker A:The sea monsters for Zeus would have been like, I feel like with swimming at least, like, I'm a little bit stronger with swimming.
Speaker A:I feel like that might have been okay for me.
Speaker A:However, I would have died every.
Speaker B:Every month.
Speaker B:I would not have survived Apollo's.
Speaker B:Like, the harp.
Speaker B:I think maybe I could have like, figured that out.
Speaker B:Like the singing.
Speaker B:But I don't know.
Speaker B:Yeah, all of them.
Speaker B:I think like Artemis's or the one.
Speaker B:If you could see how I typed him.
Speaker B:But the one that's like the.
Speaker B:Where they go up where like Boone dies.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker B:That one I think would have just like crushed me.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:I also think.
Speaker A:Yeah, I think the last one too, with the demented spiders that like, that would have sent me into a coma.
Speaker B:The Sirens too.
Speaker B:I would have been done.
Speaker A:I.
Speaker A:The Sirens would have.
Speaker A:The Sirens probably would have also killed me, however, if we were cursed though.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:You know, but if we were Lyra's curse.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:But to get to this through the Sirens, they had to get through like the Alaskan fucking bull worm and like so many other things that like again, the only one that I think that I would be even like 3% capable of is Hermes.
Speaker A:And even then I still think I would have plummeted to my death.
Speaker A:But I do believe that I would have had the best shot at that one.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Well, I think Aphrodite is though too.
Speaker B:Maybe like you know, telling the person.
Speaker A:I love, I love them.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:I.
Speaker B:But like getting out in time and everything.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:That's the thing.
Speaker A:Like.
Speaker A:Okay, you're.
Speaker A:I'm not gonna lie.
Speaker A:I did forget about hers because I have the second book.
Speaker A:So like, for.
Speaker A:Okay, I'm gonna.
Speaker A:You know what I'm gonna say.
Speaker A:Aphrodite.
Speaker A:I feel like I could have do the Aphrodite one in Hermes.
Speaker A:Those are the only two that I would have had like a fraction of a shot at.
Speaker B:You know what?
Speaker B:One would be kind of cool.
Speaker B:I don't think I would have done well, but I don't think it would have broken me.
Speaker B:Is harrows that we didn't get to like see because it was like the constellation 1.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker A:100, but.
Speaker A:But we didn't get to see it.
Speaker A:And it was like the coolest sounding one.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker A:Anyway, moral of the story is we would not survive.
Speaker B:No, we would not survive.
Speaker B:Don't.
Speaker A:Don't pick us as a champion.
Speaker A:Listening.
Speaker B:Do not pick me.
Speaker B:Do not pick me.
Speaker B:Do not unless like sleep secretly like angry God and I need to compete for him.
Speaker B:Sure.
Speaker B:But anyway, we do find out bits and pieces about like Hades motivation and why he's joining the Crucible after so many years.
Speaker B:Persephone died a while back and it's believed that like she was Hades lover.
Speaker B:But we find out that she's more of like a sister best friend to Hades.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:And like Hades doesn't really say much.
Speaker B:He doesn't really talk much, you know.
Speaker B:But later like Charon.
Speaker B:Charon.
Speaker B:Charon.
Speaker A:Sharon.
Speaker B:I think Sharon spills that she's not dead, that she's trapped in Tartarus.
Speaker B:And Hades believes that winning the Crucible will help free her.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker A:Now along the way in the Crucible, Lira dies nearly a million times.
Speaker A:Now if you win a Labor, you're able to be healed by the healer.
Speaker A:And Lira wins one labor early on and she's able to be healed.
Speaker A:Lira also, like, tries to form an alliance with people they like.
Speaker A:No one likes her because she's tied to the God of death.
Speaker A:And then the other gods don't like her because she was giving hints to other champions, even though she would, like, directly help theirs too.
Speaker A:Very bizarre.
Speaker A:But the gods never.
Speaker A:The gods cannot interfere.
Speaker A:But there was never any rules that they couldn't help each other during it.
Speaker A:There was also no rules that, like, they couldn't objectively not help each other.
Speaker A:You know what I mean?
Speaker A:Now here's the thing, though.
Speaker A:There was one time that Lira got hurt so badly when she didn't win.
Speaker A:And Hades may or may not have torn apart the entirety of the underworld and the sticks, finding all doctors available to help her.
Speaker A:And then at one point, because of this, Katie ends up giving her his blood and heals her with the river sticks, which, you know, very chill and casual.
Speaker B:Someone I just meet, like, here's my blood.
Speaker B:But there's like, definitely, like a little romantic spark between them.
Speaker B:And I just wanted to tie in, like, one of my other lyrics from my songs.
Speaker B:Yes, from my song.
Speaker B:And the lyric is, knew I was a robber the first time that he saw me stealing hearts and running off and never saying sorry.
Speaker B:But if I'm a thief, then he can join the heist and we'll move to an island.
Speaker B:And.
Speaker B:And one.
Speaker B:Because when they, like, meet, right?
Speaker B:Yep.
Speaker B:You didn't see my eyes there.
Speaker B:When they meet, she's like a thief, right?
Speaker B:And, like doing her little thiefy things.
Speaker B:And I just feel like, you know, it's like her being like, you know, but if I'm a thief, like, come on, you can join the heist.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:And like, we'll go somewhere like, once they, like, start, like, having the spark, it's like.
Speaker B:Okay, yep, let's keep going.
Speaker B:Let's let the games begin.
Speaker A:I love that.
Speaker B:But I loved when Cerberus.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:Met Lyra because he only talks like Hades and Charon.
Speaker B:Charon.
Speaker B:But like, he warms up instantly to.
Speaker A:Lyra and is like, for those that are sticking around that like, have not read this and don't know Greek mythology too.
Speaker A:Like, Cerberus is Hades, three headed dog, the.
Speaker A:The vicious guarder of the underworld.
Speaker A:Three headed dog and oh, God, he's so cute.
Speaker B:I know.
Speaker B:And like, Charon is, like, friendly and he is so angry mythology too.
Speaker B:Like, he's the one that, like, escorts the bodies.
Speaker A:Yeah, he's like the ferryman.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:He's friendly, but he's, like, also suspicious of, like, what Hades intentions are, but, like, in a good way.
Speaker B:Like, just kind of in, like, a. Hmm.
Speaker B:Like, he must really like you, because.
Speaker B:Why?
Speaker B:Why is he doing xyz, Right?
Speaker B:Yep.
Speaker B:But then our boy Hades knows all the loopholes of the game and, like, gave Lyra a gift of pearls that would, like, take her anywhere she wanted to go.
Speaker B:And Hades ends up actually getting punished for her use of this because he, like, discovered the loophole to give her, like, an extra gift.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:As the Laborers continue, one of them is, like, Aphrodite's, where you have to, like, go find a person that you love.
Speaker B:And Lero is, like, worried that it's going to be Hades, so you have to, like, go.
Speaker B:But then it turns out to be, like, Boone and who is, like, her crush from earlier that we talked about.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:And so on the next labor after that, like, you can compete with your person, or, like, they can be safe or whatever.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:And so they compete together.
Speaker B:And then Boone ends up dying, and.
Speaker B:Which is, like, sad.
Speaker A:But it was so sad, you know?
Speaker B:And then along the way, like, l does become friends with some other champions, like Zay.
Speaker B:Zay or Zai.
Speaker A:I think it was Zai in the.
Speaker B:The audio, who's actually the son of the Last champion from 100.
Speaker B:From the Last Crucible 100 years ago.
Speaker B:And like you said, too, like, Lira One is, like, helping people.
Speaker B:Like, she's just, like, has a good heart.
Speaker B:Like, she just.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Essentially.
Speaker A:Like, because if they make it through the Labors, like, even if they don't win, they don't, like, die automatically.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:And so she, like, has this, like, sense of teamwork throughout all the Labors.
Speaker B:And she almost dies again and is out of commission for, like, the next few Labors.
Speaker B:And they, like, don't care, and they just carry on.
Speaker A:Yep.
Speaker A:And then when she comes to, she is able to compete in the last two Labors, which, if she wins them, would give them a chance of winning the whole thing.
Speaker A:She has this idea to, like, basically make a deal with the devil.
Speaker A:I know that she's with Hades, but the devil is the other champions, because, again, she's really only good with, say, and maybe, like, one other.
Speaker A:And one of the girls that she originally connected with very early on, like, died during Zeus's one in, like, one of the most horrific deaths.
Speaker A:And so any of her allies withering away to nothing, and she says, basically, if you let me win the God of The Underworld will bless your families and take care of you and blah, blah, blah.
Speaker A:And, like, as this was happening, I was like, this is a fucking stretch.
Speaker A:Okay?
Speaker A:First of all, you have to convince them that Hades is not awful.
Speaker A:And, like, when there's been a narrative for so long that this man is awful, it's really, really hard to change people's minds, especially when it's written.
Speaker A:When it's written into the mythology and the culture.
Speaker A:And so when something is widely accepted, whether or not it is empirically true, they believe what they're told, what they've gleaned from information that they have.
Speaker A:And so she also said that she wanted to make Boone a God.
Speaker A:And then Boone can go, like, fuck off and live his life in the Underworld.
Speaker A:And ultimately, all of the champions end up saying no.
Speaker A:Because one of the gifts being.
Speaker B:That's what I said.
Speaker B:I said Boon can go f. Off.
Speaker A:And live in other world.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:I was like, oh, yeah.
Speaker B:Because I'm just like, girl, please.
Speaker B:Like, why are like.
Speaker A:Like.
Speaker A:I just.
Speaker A:I read that as one sentence, and I was like, yeah, for sure.
Speaker A:But I'm just like, why do these.
Speaker B:People care about Boon?
Speaker A:Yeah, I.
Speaker A:He was also.
Speaker A:He does.
Speaker A:He has a Southern twang in the audio books.
Speaker A:Really?
Speaker A:Yeah, because when he calls her.
Speaker A:Oh, what's her nickname?
Speaker A:Lyra Lou.
Speaker A:Yeah, maybe that's where my Southern accent's coming from.
Speaker A:And he's like, oh, Lyra Lou.
Speaker A:Like, full Southern twang.
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker A:Anyway, she wants to make Buna God so he can, like, you know, come back and live.
Speaker A:Now, one of the champions has prophecy, and it shows that Hades is burning the world down as the king of the gods.
Speaker A:So they say for off, we will not be doing that.
Speaker A:Now, Lira and Hades finally given to their romantic tension, but then he tells her that he can't give her what.
Speaker A:What she wants, but he wants to.
Speaker A:Now, this does tie into one of my lyrics, and I have the.
Speaker A:I know heaven's a thing I go there when you touch me Honey, hell is when I fight with you but we can patch it up good make confessions and we're begging for forgiveness Got the wine for you and I just think that, like, the way that.
Speaker A:I don't know.
Speaker A:I don't even know how to, like, describe this song, but I feel like the lyrics and the vibes of the song just, like, speak for themselves.
Speaker A:And that was, like, my little tie into their romantic tension.
Speaker A:But here's the thing.
Speaker A:He's distant as fuck after this.
Speaker A:He ices her out like the.
Speaker A:The God of death has returned.
Speaker A:And he is there with his steely like gunmetal eyes.
Speaker A:His one quaffed light like lock in the center of his hair.
Speaker B:Now.
Speaker A:Sharon.
Speaker A:Charon.
Speaker A:Sharon.
Speaker A:Sharon.
Speaker A:Sharon.
Speaker A:I don't remember what I said anymore.
Speaker B:I think he said Sharon.
Speaker A:Sharon.
Speaker A:Yeah, cool.
Speaker A:So Sharon does reassure her that he wouldn't just sleep with her if it didn't mean something.
Speaker A:Also, I did this.
Speaker A:Correct me if I'm wrong.
Speaker A:This was one moment I went, hold on, is it.
Speaker A:She was a virgin, right?
Speaker B:Do we think he.
Speaker B:Do we think he is too?
Speaker B:We can discuss later.
Speaker A:We can discuss later.
Speaker A:I.
Speaker A:Interesting question.
Speaker A:We can discuss, but the way that she like strips herself and like opens herself up to him.
Speaker A:I said this is very bold for someone who is cursed to be unlovable and has never experienced anything like this before.
Speaker A:Yeah, now I understand, given everything that's to come with that.
Speaker A:But I did feel like that one moment was like mildly out of character.
Speaker B:Yeah, I. Yeah, I thought that too.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:But not like, not in a way.
Speaker A:It didn't remove me too far from the story.
Speaker A:I wasn't like fully out of it.
Speaker A:But in the context of everything, especially now, knowing everything that we do through book two, it still feels like it was just a.
Speaker A:Just a tinge out of what we know lira of this moment to be.
Speaker B:Yeah, no, I agree with you there.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:And to make like a big deal of her like being a virgin and then.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker A:Because it, it was heavy.
Speaker A:Yeah, it was like heavy handed at the beginning where she's like, I've never been with anyone and it's like, okay, no worries girl.
Speaker A:Like, yeah, no big.
Speaker A:So that, that was one of the moments where I was like, wait a minute.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:Was I mad at the events that happened after?
Speaker A:Absolutely not.
Speaker B:No.
Speaker A:I surely was not upset about that.
Speaker A:So just know that was a short lived moment for me.
Speaker A:But it did.
Speaker A:I quirked one eyebrow, you know, one eyebrow went up a little bit.
Speaker B:But our girl loses the first labor.
Speaker A:She sure does.
Speaker B:And loses to an ally and an opposer.
Speaker B:So.
Speaker B:And at this labor at the end, she like calls out Athena and all hell breaks loose.
Speaker B:Like, not literally because like Hades does have a good grip grasp on his domain.
Speaker B:But like the demons like come for Lyra, but like we find out they're actually like trying to keep her safe, like trying to keep her away from Athena and keep her away from Hades.
Speaker A:But they did.
Speaker A:She called out Athena though, because Athena or whatever ended up happening, her champion was glamoured in some way to be.
Speaker A:It was like when Peeta was, like, had, like, was hijacked by the Capitol and was trained to solely want to kill Katniss, he was, like, reprogrammed, and his sole responsibility was to try and kill Lira.
Speaker A:And he ended up losing his life because of this, when he could have just completed the task as her champion and potentially won.
Speaker A:And instead, there was that moment of glamouring that made him a complete and utter weapon designed to take Liryre down.
Speaker A:And that was the only purpose that he was serving in that moment.
Speaker A:And that's why she ended up calling Athena out also, because she's, like, slightly insane.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:But that's fine.
Speaker B:And then we have good old Zeus's labor last.
Speaker B:And they are in the desert.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker B:And they have to go through, like, three gates with monsters in between each.
Speaker B:Each one.
Speaker B:I liked this labor from a reader, not wanting to be in it, but it had, like, three of the monsters.
Speaker B:Like, I associate, like, the most with Greek mythology.
Speaker B:We have, like, the Minotaur, then they do the Kraken, and then finally the Sirens.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker B:Which I think was, like, a cool way to tie in those.
Speaker B:Those stories.
Speaker B:And when we get to the Sirens, like, they all have to work together to get through these gates.
Speaker B:Because once everybody gets through the gates and they close and they move on to the next one.
Speaker A:Yep.
Speaker B:So they get to the Sirens, and Lira, Jackie, and Samuel are on all unaffected by the Sirens at first.
Speaker B:Jackie can see through glamours.
Speaker B:That's one of the gifts that she was given.
Speaker B:So she can, like, see through kind of what's happening.
Speaker B:She ultimately gets taken, and Samuel is Zeus's champion and seems to have been glamoured by his patron God, Zeus, to help him with the challenge.
Speaker B:But he falters, too.
Speaker B:But yep.
Speaker B:So then they all get, like, taken, like, whoop, whoop.
Speaker B:And so Lira's, like, left alone.
Speaker B:And then that's when she figures out, like, her curse is actually, like, helping her out a lot here.
Speaker B:Because the Sirens, like, prey on love.
Speaker B:And so since she is unlovable or for her curse.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:But she, like, is going through all this, too.
Speaker B:Like, as she is, like, thinking about this, she's realizing, like, when the realization hits her that, like, Hades, like, pushed her away so she would realize her curse and, like, it would get her through.
Speaker B:So, like, somehow Hades knew about the Sirens and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:Helps her get through, and she makes it through to the last gate, but she cannot leave her fellow.
Speaker B:I almost can't do it.
Speaker B:Her fellow.
Speaker A:Her fellow traitors, traders, yeah.
Speaker B:She can't leave her fellow faithful.
Speaker A:She can't leave the faithfuls behind.
Speaker A:Once a faithful, always a faithful.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:She is not at the secret traitor.
Speaker B:And so she uses her, like, escape pearl to go save them.
Speaker B:Because she's like, all right, where would they be taken?
Speaker B:Like, where are they?
Speaker B:And so she, like, has ideas.
Speaker B:She rescues them all, but she can't take everybody at once.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:And so she, like, takes them back in sections, and she's, like, fully expecting not to win the slaver.
Speaker B:Because also, if you win the saber, it counts as three.
Speaker A:Three.
Speaker A:Yeah, I was gonna say wins.
Speaker A:She wins because she couldn't win without this one counting as three.
Speaker A:So when Zeus did this one, he did it so Samuel could win.
Speaker A:So it would be like, was it Samuel?
Speaker A:It was Samuel, right?
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:So Samuel could win because that's his champion.
Speaker A:And he's like, I'm gonna design this and I'm gonna win.
Speaker B:But so then she brings the last few champions back, and the other champions are waiting for her outside the gate.
Speaker B:I cried.
Speaker B:I. I'll admit, I cried.
Speaker B:I was like, what?
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:Because I was like, seriously, Like, I thought Samuel was just gonna, like, go for it.
Speaker A:Go.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:But they waited for her so that she could win because they're like, we wouldn't have.
Speaker B:We would have not survived without you.
Speaker B:Like, we would have been stuck with the Sirens.
Speaker B:Yep.
Speaker B:And so goes through the gate.
Speaker B:And Cerberus is there.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker A:And Cerberus is glamoured in that PETA like, way to kill the mortal.
Speaker A:And he is enchanted because it's not like Cerberus.
Speaker A:And in the audiobook, the three heads had very distinct, like, talking voices.
Speaker A:Then Cerberus gets injured and snaps out of the trance because he's dying.
Speaker A:No.
Speaker A:Zeus, this is an absolute asshole and is like, I need to win, not my dumb brother over here.
Speaker A:So he kills Lira with lightning.
Speaker A:And before he does that, Lira shoves her last pearl into Cerberus's mouth to send him to go save himself.
Speaker A:Hades appears, saves the day.
Speaker A:And then he says he's giving up his crown and Lira is now quite queen of the Underworld.
Speaker A:And they have a moment, and then it's time for the winner of the Crucible to be crowned.
Speaker B:Yep.
Speaker B:And so all the surviving champions arrive with their patron gods.
Speaker B:And the demons reveal the winner.
Speaker B:And surprise, surprise, it's Lyra.
Speaker B:And so that means that Hades is crowned king of the gods.
Speaker B:And he decides to grant all the champions a boon and blessings for their family.
Speaker A:Yep.
Speaker B:And so Lyra, for Her boon asks for Boone to be turned into a God.
Speaker B:And he takes Hermes title as God of the thieves and Hades for his boon.
Speaker B:Asked for Pandora's box and makes a comment.
Speaker B:I'm sorry, Lira.
Speaker B:And I.
Speaker B:When he said that, I was like, f. I don't trust him.
Speaker A:I know.
Speaker B:Do I trust him?
Speaker A:Like, I didn't trust the gods and goddesses.
Speaker A:So, yeah, I thought that was so interesting because obviously we got, like, a really intimate version of Hades.
Speaker A:But even though I trusted him in the way of, like, taking care of Lyra, because of the way that he showed up, I didn't trust a singular one of the gods or goddesses across the board.
Speaker A:So when that happened, my stomach plummeted straight to my butt.
Speaker A:It was gone.
Speaker B:Yep.
Speaker B:I was like, this is not happening.
Speaker A:Yep.
Speaker B:And so then Hades explains everything to Lira.
Speaker B:Not to us.
Speaker A:Certainly not to us.
Speaker A:Why would he explain anything to us?
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:And then they go to use Pandora's box to open Tartarus, to feed Tartarus.
Speaker A:Tartarus, yeah.
Speaker B:To free Persephone.
Speaker B:So then they're standing outside the door of Tartarus.
Speaker B:And so Tartarus.
Speaker B:I've said that way too many times.
Speaker B:I hate it.
Speaker B:Is like a prison that the gods built to keep out, like, the bad criminals.
Speaker B:All the bad guys are there, including their parents, the Titans.
Speaker B:So, like, nobody wants them to open up.
Speaker B:This.
Speaker B:Because the Titans are supposed to be these big, bad, like, extreme gods and goddesses and everything.
Speaker B:Yep.
Speaker B:But, so.
Speaker B:Demeter.
Speaker B:Demeter, Demeter, Demeter, Demeter.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:I've always said Demeter, but I know it's Demeter, Charon, Hades and Boone.
Speaker B:I just.
Speaker B:Boone annoys me anyway.
Speaker B:And they are all standing there, and Pandora's box is open and the door to Tartarus is open, and Lyra is.
Speaker A:Sucked in, and she's trapped inside Tartarus now.
Speaker A:And that's how the goddamn book ends.
Speaker B:That's how it ends.
Speaker A:Poof.
Speaker B:All right.
Speaker B:There's one more, like, lyric in my song, too.
Speaker B:It kind of is in the same vein of the other one that I.
Speaker A:Talked about, but it's.
Speaker B:Knew he was a killer the first time that I saw him.
Speaker B:Wonder how many girls he had left and left haunted.
Speaker B:And I feel like that's like Lira looking at Hades like, you know, she's like, this is the God of the Underworld.
Speaker B:He's, like, a killer.
Speaker B:I wonder, like, how many people he's, like, you know, hurt, right?
Speaker B:Like, not necessarily, like, loved and left haunted.
Speaker B:But, like, how many people has he, like, Gone through and just like done.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:And then like if you listen to Ready for It, it's like, baby, let the games begin.
Speaker B:Which was my theme lyric.
Speaker B:Repeats that a lot.
Speaker B:And I just feel like that's just the vibe of the song.
Speaker B:Like it just keeps going and going.
Speaker A:Like, all right, let's go.
Speaker A:Yep.
Speaker A:My last lyric is about the end of the book and it's.
Speaker A:They all warned us about times like this.
Speaker A:They say the road gets hard and you get lost when you're led by blind faith.
Speaker A:And so when Haiti says, I'm sorry, lira, Pandora's box and she gets trapped like they are, their relationship is fully blind faith.
Speaker A:Because she, as much as she believes and trust in his intentions, this is an immortal God who is clearly had picked her for very personal reasons and with personal gain in mind.
Speaker A:And so I thought specifically the blind faith part of this and then also the prophesizing of Hades burning the world down.
Speaker A:They all warned us about times like this was like a really good tie into false God.
Speaker B:Yep.
Speaker B:I love that.
Speaker A:A couple of quotes, right?
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:So one of my quotes is just I hate nicknames.
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker B:I hate like little pet names.
Speaker B:I just think they're like whatever.
Speaker B:But I did love Hades calling Wera my star.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:Cuz it felt like very natural.
Speaker B:Like it didn't feel like out of place.
Speaker B:So I did love that.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker B:And then one of my other favorite quotes, it was after Artemis's trial where they have like all the flags for like their heart, their head, whatever.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:And the Urisa at the end of the trial, she like goes to Hades and they have to present their God with like the flags they have left.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:And she says, I only have my heart left to give you.
Speaker B:I tell him I'm talking about the flag, but he makes a sound.
Speaker B:Hades makes a sound that might be a laugh or a groan, says, I know, that's all I need.
Speaker A:I love it.
Speaker A:I have a couple.
Speaker A:I have like a longer one that's seems to me that love can calm storms and wars, make fools of smart people, and bridge the gap between life and death.
Speaker A:Doesn't that make it the most powerful?
Speaker A:And then my next two are of course the God of death.
Speaker A:Kisses like a demon.
Speaker A:I loved that one.
Speaker A:And then of course, just like my star you made me burn for you.
Speaker B:Love it.
Speaker A:All right.
Speaker B:All right.
Speaker A:Now, sir, the next part.
Speaker B:Yep.
Speaker B:So please stop here if you have not read the second book in the series.
Speaker B:And next week we are going to be taking our winter break.
Speaker B:But don't worry because in two weeks we are warming up with our February month of love, chatting about romance book adaptions on February 4th.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker A:Now, if you have read the things God's break, stick around.
Speaker A:We have some thoughts because we have finished it.
Speaker A:And then we're waiting for the third book to come out now in I think it's November of this year.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker A:We don't have to wait too long.
Speaker A:But spoilers ahead for book two in this series.
Speaker A:Warning.
Speaker B:Yep.
Speaker B:So do not enter Tartarus with us if you do not want spoilers, because we will be spoiling.
Speaker B:Spoiling it because we are doing a quick thought dump that will end.
Speaker B:We'll go into the ending right away.
Speaker B:So catch us in two weeks if you haven't read it yet.
Speaker B:Catch up.
Speaker B:See you then.
Speaker B:Perfect.
Speaker A:Otherwise I need to know, coming to Tartarus.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:Who is your guess at the end?
Speaker A:That's also Aphrodite.
Speaker A:Because I think, okay, if it were someone else, it would be a huge red herring for how involved Aphrodite has been through the process.
Speaker A:I think that Aphrodite specifically in the way that she spoke to Lira in the middle of the Crucible when she was like, in the.
Speaker A:When she was like out in the alley and like she was out and about on her own when this happened, my brain went, wait a minute, wait a minute.
Speaker A:She hasn't had any interactions with any of the other gods or goddesses to this extent.
Speaker A:And that's the only one that makes sense to me.
Speaker A:Unless there were breadcrumbs for something else that we missed.
Speaker B:But like, I think this is supposed to be a trilogy, I believe.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker B:So it wouldn't make sense to me, like, to throw somebody else in there.
Speaker B:And like I went like on a deep Reddit thread when I finished this book because I loved the second book.
Speaker B:I thought the second book was a great sequel.
Speaker B:Like, I was invested.
Speaker B:So when it ended, I was like, oh my gosh, deep diving, went into my Reddit thread rabbit hole and people were saying that it's boon.
Speaker B:And I don't believe that at all because they're like, their evidence was like, you know, when one of the time breaks when she like sees Boone, like talking to her parents or whatever, you know, like glamoring them.
Speaker B:But it's a different type of glamour.
Speaker B:And I just think Aphrodite has the, like, the motivation because the Titans stripped away her powers.
Speaker B:So she's like, f them.
Speaker A:I have evidence to support you in that.
Speaker A:The last chapter in the Audi book was read by the female narrator.
Speaker B:Perfect.
Speaker A:Thank you.
Speaker B:So I just thought I was like, boon does not make sense.
Speaker A:No.
Speaker A:And I. I also thought Boone and Persephone's relationship was quite intriguing.
Speaker A:I thought that was interesting.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:And I feel like I don't trust Persephone.
Speaker B:Like, I feel like there's something still off about it.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:Now, I did have this, like, wackadoodle kooky theory that Boone was Hades in human form and Lira was Persephone in human form before we got, like, more details as, like, the story went on.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:But, like, I had this idea just, like, the way that they reacted to each other and the way they reacted to Hades and Persephone that, like, there was something about that in, like, a time travel way.
Speaker A:I don't think that that theory has any weight to it, but it was a thought that crossed my mind as we were going through these, like, multiple.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:Stages of things.
Speaker A:But, like, time travel plot was cool.
Speaker B:Like, I just thought it was, like, done.
Speaker A:I. I got lost in it.
Speaker A:Like, I. I don't know if it's because I did not do this in, like, one sitting.
Speaker A:Like, if it was really disjointed.
Speaker A:So, like, I ended up really liking it at, like, the end.
Speaker A:Pulled everything together for me.
Speaker A:But there was like, 30 to 40% in the middle.
Speaker A:That.
Speaker A:And I know this was intentional because that was the whole plot device, but, like, I felt like we were making no momentum and I know they were going in this, like, time loop, but it just felt like I felt like I had no purchase in the story anymore.
Speaker A:Like, I felt like I couldn't get my legs.
Speaker A:And that also could have been an audiobook.
Speaker A:Like, I listened to the audio versus reading it.
Speaker A:Um, and I didn't.
Speaker B:I read this book in, like, three days.
Speaker B:So.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:And I listened to it, like, over quite a few days time and, like, kind of spaced out.
Speaker A:So I wonder if that just, like, contributed to that a little bit more.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:But I also did, like, you have here, like, the Titans in Kronos and all of that.
Speaker A:Like, I.
Speaker A:What I really, really love and appreciate about this series is that she relies on the reader having a base level of knowledge for Greek mythology.
Speaker A:And so there is very minimal world building happening.
Speaker A:So if you don't know Greek mythology, I feel like you do kind of just get, like, thrust into it.
Speaker A:But I think she just runs under the.
Speaker A:Under the assumption that everyone has enough knowledge about Greek mythology that you can put the threads together on your own.
Speaker A:So getting a little bit more of, like, what the quote, unquote, you know, her version of the true backstory, like, is through it, I thought was really cool, especially through book two.
Speaker A:Because book one was so heavy in this trial that, like, we kind of got some grounding into who these other characters were.
Speaker A:And I loved that Kronos, like, softened toward her as time went on.
Speaker B:Me too.
Speaker A:And Hera as well.
Speaker A:Like, I just thought it was not Hera.
Speaker B:Who is it?
Speaker A:The R. It does.
Speaker B:Whoever Hades mom is.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Hades mom.
Speaker A:I can't remember.
Speaker A:There are so many people in this story.
Speaker A:But, yeah, I did.
Speaker A:I.
Speaker A:The next book.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:I do think it's Aphrodite.
Speaker A:And then I have a weird suspicion about Boone as well.
Speaker B:I don't.
Speaker B:Like, like, when people were talking about, like, him being this, I was like.
Speaker B:I just.
Speaker B:I feel like it's.
Speaker B:He's a weird character.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:In the sense of, like, when Kronos is like, well, he's new because, like, you know, Lira like, looped through that so many times.
Speaker A:So many times.
Speaker B:And so, like, why.
Speaker B:How is Boon wrapped in.
Speaker B:And that's where I think, like, Aphrodite somehow got Persephone in on it and brought Boone in and then boom.
Speaker A:Well, I don't know, because Persephone was in the order and, like, she did, like, the stuff with, like, the thieving and she, like, had something of Boons and they had, like, a volatile and also sexual relationship.
Speaker A:And, like, very bizarre.
Speaker A:Very interesting.
Speaker A:But, yeah, the end.
Speaker A:I. I still think I would have thought it was Aphrodite, but because it was the female voice, my immediate thought was Aphrodite.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:I just thought, like, when they went and, like, told about, like, how she was born and how she's basically a Titan because she was born out of whatever.
Speaker B:Corona's dad's.
Speaker A:The castration.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Just in the sea and there she goes.
Speaker B:And that the Titans were like, we gotta, like, you know, stunt her growth, basically cap her powers.
Speaker B:And so, like.
Speaker B:Yeah, I'd be pissed, too.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:And also, like, hers just makes the most sense.
Speaker B:I don't think anybody else has that much stakes.
Speaker A:The lowly goddess of love.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:So positive.
Speaker A:And all this stuff, like.
Speaker A:But, yeah.
Speaker A:I just think that it wouldn't.
Speaker A:In my opinion, it would not make sense to have anyone else after how involved she was with Lira through the first book as well.
Speaker B:But.
Speaker B:But real quick, I think Hades yearning for.
Speaker B:So earlier, I was like, do we.
Speaker A:Think Haiti is a virgin?
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:Because I just think, like, Hades was, like, yearning for her this whole time.
Speaker A:The Whole time.
Speaker B:Like, because he wouldn't know, like, when she would show up, but what she would, like, do, like, would she kiss him this time?
Speaker B:Would she not?
Speaker B:Like, what, like, what was going on?
Speaker B:And so, like, he's just like, this poor tortured soul.
Speaker A:I know.
Speaker A:And, like, just like.
Speaker A:Oh.
Speaker A:And I also feel like false God works for this too, because there are so many, like, through the locks, there's, like, the.
Speaker A:The piece of his soul that comes off in, like, the hologram that she's talking to.
Speaker A:And, like, considering that, like, a false God and then she is technically a false God, like, she was created through mortality and through this competition, but she was not born of the gods.
Speaker A:And, like, I think that that song just kind of ties into everything.
Speaker A:But I. I do think this book did Hades a little dirty.
Speaker A:Like, I do think he deserved, like, a little bit better.
Speaker A:And I hope that there's a little bit better of an arc for him in book three.
Speaker A:I. Yeah, I just.
Speaker A:I didn't love how much time we had with Boone, which means that Boone has to be so critical in, like, a seismic way in book three.
Speaker A:And, like, by the end, I think it was like, the last probably two hours of the audiobook is where I feel like all of the pieces, like, shifted in for me.
Speaker A:And I feel like I. I had like, a.
Speaker A:A moment of, okay, I'm.
Speaker A:I can do this.
Speaker A:Like, we're here.
Speaker A:I was locked in.
Speaker A:But I love this series for what it is.
Speaker A:Like, I think this is such a fun, bingeable, easily digestible series.
Speaker A:Like, I just had one of my friends, Sam, who has never read fantasy.
Speaker A:The.
Speaker A:The most fantasy that she's read is Phantasma and Enchantra, which is like a paranormal, like, romantic kind of.
Speaker A:Not even romantic, but paranormal fantasy.
Speaker A:And she reads, like, some sci fi horror and stuff.
Speaker A:And she blew through the games gods play.
Speaker A:And I think this is, like, if you have people in your life that are, like, new to fantasy, I would introduce them to, like, this or fourth wing or something that is, like, high action, high octane, never lets off the gas, full throttle sort of situation.
Speaker B:And I think, especially, like, if you read, like, it gave me, like, Hunger Games vibes based on, like, you know, the trials and all that kind of stuff and the stakes there.
Speaker A:Yep.
Speaker B:So, like, depending on what you read, like, early on, too, like Percy Jackson, any of that stuff is pretty Agreed.
Speaker A:It did.
Speaker A:The first book gave me the, like, brain high that, like, Divergent gave me and that fourth wing gave me.
Speaker A:Um, it's that high that I've been trying to replicate, but, like, doesn't I feel like I, I come very close.
Speaker A:Like, I think Fourth Wing is the closest that I've gotten to replicating that high I had as like a young adult in college reading Divergent for the first time.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:But that's, that's the crucible.
Speaker B:That's our thoughts on book one and two.
Speaker B:Thank you for sticking around for this episode.
Speaker B:We haven't done the episode this long in a while.
Speaker A:We surely have not.
Speaker B:It was so much fun.
Speaker B:So thank you so much for turning the pages with us this week.
Speaker B:Be sure to follow us on Instagram, TikTok, Patreon and join our newsletter to keep up with everything on the other side of the page.
Speaker A:Yes, and please, please, please drop a review and a five star rating of the podcast on your preferred platform.
Speaker A:Spotify, Apple, Amazon, wherever you listen and share it with your bookish besties.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:And like we said earlier, next week is our winter break, so we will not have a new episode, but we will see you on February 4th to talk about romance book adaptions that we love and.
Speaker B:And maybe some that we wish would happen one day.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker A:So after the amazing people we meet on vacation adaptation, we cannot wait to see more.
Speaker A:So forever and always keep reading with kindness.
Speaker A:Bye everyone.
Speaker B:See ya.
