Every hero has their monsters.

And Alexis is bound to hers: tied eternally, irrevocably to the Underworld’s dark heirs in a marriage that has shaken the foundations of Olympus – and everything Alexis once believed. Reeling, she enlists in the Assembly of Death with her mentors, set on wrecking vengeance on her husbands and uncovering the truth behind her deadly powers.

She will soon teach them all that a god can’t be manacled. And a monster can’t be caged…

I think I have mixed feelings about this book because It did greatly enjoy it but the plot felt like it had finished too quickly. Like it could have gone into more depth, more emotion and be spread out across three books but instead it was almost like the easy route was taken.

For me, this book centred around three things. The trials of labour. The relationship between Alexis, Kharon, and Augustus. And finally, Alexis’s past.

The relationship between Alexis, Kharon, and Augustus was not looking good at the end of book one and honestly, I was struggling to see the bigger picture. The emotional element of their relationship couldn’t even be classed as rocky. It was almost apocalyptic. I knew that there would be a long road to recovery in terms of them finding a path that would benefit them and cohesively draw them together as a trio. I actually wasn’t sure it was completely possible.

Both Kharon and Augustus are very morally grey, vindictive characters who have been forged by the blood spilt and the mistreatment of the Olympians and their own families. Everything about them is chaotic. It’s intense. It’s powerful and all consuming. They don’t do things by halves but they try to be better for Alexis. They learn to show her what she means to them and they learn to trust her.

Alexis is not street smart when it comes to romantic relationships. She describes herself as a prude, she is innocent with a capital I. Her willingness to be the partner of Kharon and Augustus comes from years of having to look after and protect herself. She doesn’t cope well with their all consuming personas. It suffocates her. She has to learn that their love for her is absolute, that they would literally cut the world in half to keep her safe. It’s a dynamic that is constantly changing between the three of them and a relationship that gains as much ground as it loses.

The Trials of Labour, are barbaric. It is a show of proving the Olympic elitism and humiliating the Chthonics. The Olympians get to fight cyclopes. The Chthonics have to fight viscious creatures and then face the agonising trial of someone they love. It’s not a fair fight and through it all Zeus towers over all with a devious glint in his eye. There are thirteen days of the trials, for the thirteen Chthonics. Alexis – Hercules – goes last.

I remember talking about Alexis’s ability to survive in my review of the first book. That level of resilience, to push through despite all that has been sent her way is magnificent to behold. It’s not something that ever leaves the character. She carries it with her always and her labours are not easy, they are not quick, they are not fair. She handles them with a level of grace which is unmatched. It is still shocking to read about.

The level of neutrality between the Olympians and the Chthonics is nonexistent. That I am sure of. They have always been one step away from war – definitely in this book – and obviously in the myths of ancient Greece. I have always taken great irony in the war between Zeus and Hades. Originally Hades was born first and Zeus last but when they were reborn out of the mouth, they came back in the opposite order, making Zeus the oldest and Hades the youngest. It is poor irony.

I think it is the point of Alexis’s past that I think deserved more exploration, more depth. Because it is something that is prevalent throughout the two books and something deeply shrouded in mystery. When the reveal came, it wasn’t one I was looking for but it also felt too easy, too expected. I felt that it did the character a disservice, moulding her trauma to fit the narrative the author had chosen rather than the narrative that spoke of the character. Ancient Greek mythology is something I have always been interested in, so during the reveal in this book I almost felt like I’d been led down by the events, like they somehow sullied the rest of the reading.

I think I just expected more, especially with the first book being so consuming. It did remind me of the duo book I read just before this, though this at least ranks higher. I suppose it was more like an open and shut case. It did the job correctly. It just wasn’t enough to sate me.

With the reveal over, I could clearly see everything that was going to happen and the setup was obvious. Again, this was irritating because it lacked the spark of creativity that had been so present in the first book. I can clearly see what story the author will next attempt in this world.

Having said that, though this has been my first foray into this author’s work, it hasn’t put me off. I actually have the first book in her six book series waiting in my kindle library. It’s been there for half a year. I’m loathed to judge an author by a single book or series – unless it is atrociously unavoidable – so I will put a cork in my thoughts of this author and see if this other series will change my mind.

There was also little spice in this book…

In other non review related news, it’s snowing outside my window, which was first a cause of joy but then I realised it was doing the horrible snow rain known in the South of England, so none of it settled and it just looks a bit slushy now outside. Bummer.