Inkslinger
'The Immortal Game' by Talia Rothschild and A.C. Harvey tells the story of Galene, a daughter of Poseidon. When unexpected violence brings death to Mount Olympus, she is exiled for the crime. Separated from the home she loves, Galene's only hope of vindication lies in proving she's not to blame.
On a self-imposed mission to clear her name, the goddess discovers a far more sinister plot that threatens all she holds dear and could see even the most powerful Olympians lost. With a group of friends who follow her willingly into exile, she just might stand a chance.
This story is basically a classic mythology quest in the vein of the Labours of Hercules. The goddess and her group face a long journey with many trials along the way and it's questionable if all will survive through the end. Somewhat less traditional, it moves a bit more like an Indiana Jones film, whereas it's pretty fast-paced and something is always happening. If they're not trying to escape death or capture, they're trying to work their way through some other challenge.
With the possibility of war looming, there are others moving around on the proverbial board as well and that turns the journey into a bit of a race against time. The book was actually a quick read because it was so easy to get invested in the hopeful outcome for the characters and there's always so much going on.. I didn't really want to put it down.
Complicated relationships between some of the party members made for some intriguing dynamics. There's so much tension at times it seems the group might just implode and never see the quest to its completion.
Galene is a likeable character and a strong, female protagonist. It was nice to see a truly supportive female friendship, rather than having to watch them try to rise above one another amongst the others. Overall, I was a big fan of Kostas and Braxtus, but the latter especially has a lot of layers to him and I always appreciate a good substory.
I will say, the storytelling itself is a little choppy at times, but I feel like that's because the authors were trying to accomplish so much in a relatively short novel. It also suffers a little from conveniences allowing characters to easily know or learn what they need to in every moment and I felt like I got a bit too much of Kostas main ability, but ultimately these are minor criticisms.
Some of the elements employed, particularly within the magic system were very interesting. I absolutely loved the concept of the Decks of Fates, but I won't go into detail.
There's a ton of adventure and betrayal to be had here, so if you're looking for something that will keep your interest and you have a fondness for the Greek pantheon, this will probably do it. If on the other hand, even something like 'Lore' had too much mythology for your liking, you're going to want to pass. This book is very mythology heavy and that worked great for me.
(I received this title as an ARC, but also purchased a copy. All opinions are mine and freely given.)
