The Woken Gods

by Gwenda Bond

The more things change…

Ten years ago, the gods of ancient mythology awoke all around the world.

The more things stay the same…

This morning, seventeen-year-old Kyra Locke was late for school.
But that’s not out of the ordinary in a transformed Washington, D.C., dominated by the embassies of divine pantheons and watched over by the mysterious Society of the Sun that governs mankind’s relations with the gods. What is unusual is Kyra’s encounter with two trickster gods on her way home, one offering a threat, and the other a warning.

Kyra escapes with the aid of young operatives from the Society, who inform her that her scholarly father has disappeared from its headquarters at the Library of Congress and taken a dangerous Egyptian relic with him. The Society needs the item back, and they aren’t interested in Kyra’s protests that she knows nothing about it.
Now Kyra must depend on her wits and the help of everyone from a paranoid ex-boyfriend to scary Sumerian gods to operatives whose allegiance is first and always to the Society. She has no choice if she’s going to clear her father’s name and recover the missing relic before
the impending summer solstice.

What’s at stake? Just the end of the world as Kyra knows it.

From the author of Blackwood comes a fresh, thrilling urban fantasy that will appeal to fans of Neil Gaiman, Cassandra Clare, and Rick Riordan…

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Mythology, Urban Fantasy, Fiction, Gods, Paranormal

320 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Gwenda Bond is the New York Times bestselling author of many novels, including the first official Stranger Things novel, Suspicious Minds, the Lois Lane YA series, and the romantic comedies Not Your Average Hot Guy, The Date from Hell, and Mr. & Mrs. Witch. She has a number of forthcoming projects, including a magical art heist book, The Frame-Up. Her nonfiction writing has appeared in Publishers Weekly, Locus Magazine, Salon, the Los Angeles Times, and many other publications.

She co-founded and chairs the nonprofit Lexington Writer’s Room, and lives in a hundred-year-old house in Lexington, Kentucky, with her husband, author Christopher Rowe, and a veritable zoo of adorable doggos and queenly cats. Visit her online at www.gwendabond.com or join her newsletter at www.gwendabond.substack.com.

Reviews

[Khanh, first of her name, mother of bunnies · Rating 2 out of 5]

While nothing was glaringly bad within this book, it just wasn't entertaining. I didn't enjoy reading it, I didn't have fun with it. However, with all its faults put together, and just the lack of enjoyment that I got out of this book, I can't give it anything more than 2 stars. It doesn't rank as "good" in my eyes. I really wish we could give half stars, because this book is a prime example of one that completely necessitates it. I have a pretty long list of complaints about this book that I will go into further detail along the way.

The background was really poorly developed; the premise was interesting, but was never really backed up by solid details and a good history to feel like this wasn't some bullshit pulled out of thin air. The characters were never annoying, but I found them altogether dull, and lacking in personality, and---broken record here, but the romance is utterly forced and indelibly stupid, and the events that transpired, and the credibility of the actions of the people involved were completely unconvincing.

The mythology: We have many, many pantheons of gods within this book, from many different cultures and nationalities (although lacking in any Far Eastern gods....sadface). As some of you may know, I am the gatekeeper of mythological accuracy (AS IN DON'T FUCKING SCREW AROUND WITH MYTHOLOGY AND FUCK IT UP BEYOND BELIEF, GODDAMMIT...) *ahem*, and I have very few complaints on how the gods are portrayed within this book. They were accurately depicted regarding their personality and roles. Although I felt that at times, some of the gods' inclusion stretches belief a little bit, they were never completely out of character, and I cannot find much to criticize about their presence and portrayal within the book. The seven major Houses of gods that control the US are composed of trickster gods (and in some cases, messenger/interpreter gods), most of whom fit the role quite well.

As far as the gods' houses, we have:
- Set: Egyptian god of chaos
- Loki: Norse trickster god (red-haired and bearded, and so disappointingly un-Tom Hiddleston, but I'm just projecting my bias a wee bit here)
- Coyote: Native-American-based figure, usually represents a troublemaker, a trickster
- Tezcatlipoca: Aztec god of discord
- Legba: in Haitian voodoo, the voice and intermediary of the gods, can be a trickster, depending on the version of mythology
- Enki: Sumerian god of mischief
- Hermes: in some versions of mythology, he can be considered a trickster god, but he's more widely known to most of us as the messenger

BUT. BUT. Let's make one point clear before you guys start squeeing at the many gods within the book as well as their accuracy: most of the gods do not play a role within this book. The majority of the gods, with the exception of two, barely have a presence in the book at all. I don't even know why I bother to mention and list them when their presence is passive, at best. It's just the myth geek in me talking.

I'm so sorry for bringing your hopes up.

Here are the problems I have with this book:

The plot: I've said it so often this week, but deus ex fucking machina, man. Plots are unfolded too easily, it does not unwind at a credible, reasonable, rational pace. Kyra makes guesses that seems like grasping at straws, and they turn out to be true, with almost absolutely no background information whatsoever. She solves whatever she sets out to solve, and is only foiled at the very end, as she is at the final stages of her plan. Her instincts are all so absolutely perfect. It is just not a believable plot.

The romance: Utterly lacking in credibility. Let's get one thing straight: Oz and Kyra are not on the same side. Oz was partly responsible for capturing Kyra's dad, for bringing him in so he can be convicted as a traitor, as a treasonous agent. Kyra's dad (Henry Locke), once captured, will stand for a trial that is with absolutely certainty will see him convicted and put to death for his alleged crimes. Despite knowing that, despite knowing who Oz is as an agent, Kyra falls for him. It is inexplicable, not only because Oz has no personality, as I mentioned above, but because of 1) his role in Kyra's dad's capture, 2) his role as her grandfather's (who also responsible for Henry's capture) ward and protegé, and 3) their absolute lack of a credible connection. They do not bond. They do not have an emotional spark. There is no attraction between them that is anything but telling, anything but words on a page. Their growing affinity are composed of awkward, completely unemotional retellings of their respective families' tragedy. Their interactions were absolutely dispassionate and completely detached. I could see no evidence of a tangible attraction at all, much less the buds of a relationship.

The premise: The US, as depicted within this book, is interesting, but the background is thoroughly poorly explained. It is extremely vague, as are the majority of the other elements in this book related to the new world in which these awoken gods rule. In a nutshell, about 5 years ago, the gods awaken. Suddenly, we don't have certain technologies anymore, while others still exist. Cameras still work, so do TV. Cars and planes no longer work, supposedly because they might stop functioning at any moment, but it took a long fucking time for that fact to be---very vaguely---brought up. Meanwhile, I was left ripping my hair out as I wondered what the fuck we are doing using carriages (are they even horse-carriages? 200 pages later...oh, yeah, they are), and why the fuck do we no longer have ice cream (still unclear, by the way).

A lot of people are supposed to have died. I didn't get a sense of the devastation, I didn't get a sense of the imminent danger. Everything is stated so vaguely and matter-of-fact, and so little background were given that I just didn't know enough to care. The explanation of what actually transpired (again, FUCKING VAGUELY), were summarized like....200ish pages into the book, within 2 pages, by the lovestruck Kyra and Oz angsting it out with each other.

I have so many fucking questions that remains unanswered. There is no indication of what has transpired in the world. It is so very insular, and not even insular within Washington D.C. I don't know if I missed a certain sentence that mentions it within the book, but where the fuck is the president? The Senate? Congress? This is fucking Washington, D.C., people. It is a huge fucking area, and the central seat of the government. What the fuck happened to all those people? What has happened to the US as a whole? What is going on in the US right now? What is the fucking scale of destruction? Why are certain areas of the city abandoned? Why and HOW did the region change so much in socioeconomic status and in belief within the past 5 years.

It is not only the past that went unexplained, still, so many things remain unanswered and deliberately vague as to the present governing structure and society after the Gods have awoken. I still don't know what the fuck the Societies do. I still don't have a good, solid answer as to the gods' presence in the world besides their role and presence to inspire fear and worship. I don't know their mentality, I don't know their purpose. They are but figureheads, gods, vague images that I cannot believe in. They still remain mythical.

I have to say it, and I fully recognize the irony of this statement: to me, the gods do not feel real and I don't know what the fuck is going on besides the chaos that is Kyra's self-absorbed little life.

The characters: It doesn't bode well for the book that the two most likeable characters in it aren't even the main characters within the book. They are Kyra's best friend, and ex, respectively: Bree and Tam. Bree is the spunky best friend, she skates a fine line, but her character never treads the border into annoying territory for me, and I was rather fond of her. Tam is Kyra's other best friend, and interestingly enough, her ex-boyfriend. I have to admit being a little biased about Tam, because he's half Asian, half Vietnamese, to be specific. He's cute, certainly, and he likes Kyra, but their relationship post-breakup is uncomplicated, and sweet. I really loved how Tam confronted his situation with Kyra and cleared away the awkwardness between them so that they remained friends.

“When I told you… you know…” he says, and I fill in silently, I love you. He said it and I froze. I broke up with him the next day. “…it wasn’t true. Not yet. You weren’t in this as much as I was and I could tell. So it was a test. I wanted to see if you’d lose it. I know it wasn’t fair.”
When Tam said those three words to me I couldn’t imagine saying them back to him. I couldn’t imagine saying them to anyone. I panicked just thinking about being in love with someone, having to worry about losing them too. I can’t be that girl, that starry-eyed girl who falls in love. Anyone I ever love will leave.
“You didn’t break my heart,” he says. “You could’ve though.”
I am beyond glad I didn’t. Because I do care about Tam, which means we can only be...“Friends, though?”
“Friends. Definitely.”

Hallelujah! No love triangles! Both Tam and Bree are fiercely protective of Kyra, and they remain steadfastly by her side, despite her faults, despite her many, many faults, which I love.

My problem is Kyra: she doesn't deserve their friendship.

Kyra and Oz can be lumped together in one word: dull. They may have adventures together, but at their tender ages, their combined personalities feel like that of the married couples who have been together for 20 years and end up watching certain shows on certain nights of the week, doing the Sunday crosswords together over their morning oatmeal, and power-walk in the park wearing red-and-blue-windbreakers with matching headbands.

I couldn't bring myself to give a fuck about Kyra. I didn't even feel bad for her and the admittedly horrible situation she has unwittingly been thrown into. Most of it is due to her reaction to things, and her attitude. I feel like Kyra is an altogether self-absorbed character, a special snowflake with a special destiny that's just completely undeveloped and unexplained besides her biological heritage. Her narration has a distinct lack of emotion, of empathy. It is all me, me, me. Poor me, poor me for having a crazy mom. Poor me for having a dad who works too much. Ok, I get it. It's a pretty shitty life, but you know...in context and all, the world being what it is...Kyra seems more than a little self-centered. Her parts of the book are narrated in first-person, and it is due to her faults that I did not get a clear sense of the world, of the chaos, of the supposed horror. It is her lack and her failure as a narrator to make me empathize with Kyra's plight. I don't care about anything that happens to Kyra.

Oz is Osbourne, the British love interest, the super-special secret Society agent. At age fucking 18. It is incredible. It is completely unbelievable, and yet another detail that the book fails to clarify so that I can't even begin to justify his presence and his high-ranking role in the book. We are just expected that he's this really, really special fucking snowflake agent without any explanation, because of his heritage? Please. There is a distinction between Oz and other love interests in various YA genres: his absolute lack of a personality. Other male leads in books sometimes suffer from your usual tropes that make me roll my eyes, they're super broody, they're super handsome, they have some SHUPER SPESHUL QUALITY THAT MAKES THE HEROINE FALLS IN LOVE WITH THEM. With Oz, I can't remember anything about him besides the fact that he is a character in the book. He is just that dull, lacking in any quality, good or bad, that makes him memorable. I can't even remember the color of his hair or his eyes. I remember he looks good without a shirt because Kyra says so. That's pretty much it.

The major adult characters in the book, like Kyra's dad and her grandfather, are utterly ludicrous. They act irrationally stupid, and it is made even more foolish by the fact that they are both revered, high-ranking Society scholars, as well as their previous work as field agents. I found Kyra's dad's actions particularly foolish, he's trying to protect her, but meanwhile he is hiding so many things from her. As someone intelligent, he should know, of all things, that knowledge is power. Leaving his daughter alone in the dark, without any knowledge regarding her past and his actions, and expecting a teenager to listen to him seems incredibly stupid in so many ways. I cannot comprehend the actions of the adults in this book, and their ridiculous and too-easily-come acceptance of whatever their children say, regardless of the little background information they provide. The adults so rarely question the children's explanations and unreasonable behavior. It is the equivalent of a parent buying a child's explanation of crashing a car because there was a deer in the road, while disregarding the alcohol on their breath.

90% of the way through the book, there is a huge need for outside assistance: 3 of the teenaged characters call upon their respective (and very powerful) parents or guardian for help. Within one page each, they get it done. It is fucking dumb how gullible the adults act within the book.

One godly character within the book that I loved remained sadly undeveloped.

Whatever I was going to say next is stolen by the appearance of the winged creature. It launches out of the temple’s entrance and into the air. Brown and black wings spread wide as it circles above us in lazy swipes. The body belongs to a giant eagle but the head… That’s all lion.
“Holy crap,” Bree says.
“Tam,” I say, “would that be a chaos monster?”
Tam lifts a hand to shade his eyes. "Nah. Anzu. He’s the son of a bird goddess. Part eagle. Enki likes to keep him close. He’s not supposed to be one of the good guys.”
Anzu roars loud enough to wake a god.

Anzu is assigned to be Kyra's guardian, and this might be a stupid complaint, because he's not even a character that can even speak, but to me, he felt like a character that had the potential to be so much more. No. He remained an uncommunicative monster, a beefcake, a babysitter, instead of being developed into something beyond that. Maybe I'm just seeing things and wishing for something that was never there, but there was a quality about Anzu that I loved that was never strove to be reached.

This was an interesting book that had a lot of potential, but failed to engage the reader. The characters were uninteresting to the point of being bores, and the mythology, while interesting and factual, didn't play as much of a major role in the book to make it worth reading.

[Experiment BL626 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ancient gods, a secret society, and the end of the world; I expected to be wowed. I was not wowed.

The book described how bad things were (really bad) and how high the stakes were (really high) but I scarcely felt it. Despite all the danger and how any moment they could die, or at least get maimed, if they did not tread carefully, I was never scared for Kyra and her friends like I should have been.

+ the characters

The most I ever felt in the book was some sympathy for Kyra’s situation and annoyance with her father and mother (mostly with her father since it was mostly his fault) for contributing to her predicament. I understood her parents’ reasons but keeping Kyra in the dark was a giant mistake and put her in greater danger. Given her feisty attitude, her father should have known she would go rescue him come hell or high water instead of leaving town like he asked her to. While her parents didn’t make smart decisions, the silver lining was that they were present and had an important role given Young Adult fictions’ proclivity for the Disappearing Parent Syndrome.

In regard to the heroine, I didn’t really care for her. Nothing about Kyra was annoying or proclaimed her a special snowflake, but simultaneously nothing about her was remarkable. I could not decide if she was courageous or foolish, but I did like how determined and decisive she was. Other than that, the girl was bland as can be. Without her equally courageous (or foolish) friends and some luck, Kyra would have achieved very little if anything. I did not have much faith in her.

One of the few things I did like about the book was how her friends, Tam and Bree, stuck by her every step of the way as much as possible. With Tam, I loved how quickly and firmly the book resolved the issue of his failed romance with Kyra and turned their pre-plot breakup into an amicable one with no lingering feelings. I almost thought there was going to be a love triangle between Kyra, Tam, and Oz but the idea was stomped out before any stupid romantic issue could arise. Not to say the book did not have a love triangle; it just didn’t include Kyra. Thank heavens. Furthermore, the romantic interests between Oz and Kyra was low-key. So low-key I can’t firmly call it a romance, and I liked it that way because I needed Kyra and Oz to attend to priorities.

While Tam and Oz and even Justin, Oz’s friend and a secondary character, were useful, Bree was not equally so. I didn’t like how she was treated like a third wheel and at best a cheerleader for Kyra. Attempts to make her relevant and an individual fell a couple steps short of success.

However, she was nowhere near a great disappointment that was Bronson, a leader of the Society, and the gods, supernatural sovereigns the Society protect humanity against. Bronson’s motives and desperation weren’t pushed far enough to a convincing point. The gods, except for Enki and his cohort, were not as awe inspiring and terrifying as they should have been. They were GODS yet their presence was that of the ubiquitous vampires and werewolves from a typical Young Adult paranormal — ordinary.

+ the world building

Enter another issue, one with the world building. I found the world building too simple to be believable. I found it ludicrous that the fear of permanent death is what stopped the gods from ruling the world like they used to and forced them to make peace with the humans and that somehow all of the gods were in agreement. Also ludicrous was how trainees of the Society like Oz and Justin could go head to head against the gods and how relics, as powerful as the objects may be, were all that was necessary to fight them.

Immortal beings with mighty magic and centuries of experience versus mere mortals with relics that have limited functions, the book did a very poor job of persuasion that humans were a sufficient threat to the these supernatural sovereigns. If I wasn’t a staunch reader of Urban Fantasy and seen similar world buildings (e.g. the Kate Daniels series & the Iron Druid Chronicles), I wouldn’t have accepted this world building as plausible. In sum, the world building didn’t hold up to scrutiny.

I did like that the world building strayed from popular mythologies like Greek and Celtic and aimed towards more obscure ones like African (by Legba) and Sumerian (by Enki). The world building had issues but staleness wasn’t one of them.

+ the plot

The issue of plausibility also gushed into the plot. When Kyra joined the Society they never kept her under close watch and regarded her with great suspicion considering recent events where both parties knew that their interests and goals contradicted each other and oh yeah, the tiny little fact that her father betrayed them. It should have been obvious to them, especially to Bronson, that she only joined to infiltrate and betray them too. Yet I saw members of the Society telling her their secrets and hiding place of their relics as if revealing classified information was a weekly function next to Casual Friday.

The Society did not properly act like a secret society and a global NGO with rules and bureaucracy. In another example, I struggled to understand why Bronson was allowed to lead the hunt for Kyra’s father and continued to dictate the Society’s agenda when the betrayer was a member of his own family. No matter how high and influential Bronson’s position was in the Society, there was no way he could have completely avoided incrimination and political implications. The Society should have benched Bronson and conducted an internal investigation like a competent NGO. I was hard pressed to believe that this was the same organization that mightily restrained the gods from taking over the world.

Good thing the book read fast because this was not a good book to have long moments that would allow the reader to ponder and test for foundation problems.

In Conclusion

I rate The Woken Gods 2-stars for it was okay. Pros: the book read fast, avoided YA cliche, which is easier said than done, and strived for mythological freshness. Cons: the book suffered emotional impotence, mediocre characters, and plausibility issues. The book aimed for awesomeness but ended up being dismally average. That said, the book is definitely worth a read. If readers check their expectations the book can be considerably entertaining.

[Milo · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Review: http://thefoundingfields.com/2013/08/....

“A great, fast paced and fun novel that puts a new spin on the “Gods Are Real” storyline that fans of the Percy Jackson series and other similar titles will love.” " ~Bane of Kings, The Founding Fields


Okay, let’s get this straight right off the bat. Every so often, a cover sells me on a book. I picked up Douglas Hulick’s Among Thieves because of its cover, and many others were purchased on that basis. And the main reason why I requested The Woken Gods by Gwenda Bond to review was because of that Cover – it’s just awesome, isn’t it? Plain and simple in a thriller-kind of way, whilst allowing for the hint of the otherworldy. Whilst it sadly isn’t perfect, the novel itself allows for some great development, and action, all moving along at a lightning fast pace. If you enjoyed Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series, Eoin Colfer’s Artemis Fowl, or Derek Landy’s Skulduggery Pleasant, or other similar titles, then you’ll find something to enjoy here. The Woken Gods is a great read, and one of the finest Strange Chemistry novels that I’ve read so far.

"The more things change…

Five years ago, the gods of ancient mythology awoke all around the world.

The more things stay the same…

This morning, Kyra Locke is late for school because of an argument with her father.

Seventeen-year-old Kyra lives in a transformed Washington, D.C., dominated by the embassies of divine pantheons and watched over by the mysterious Society of the Sun that governs mankind’s relations with the gods. But when rebellious Kyra encounters two trickster gods on her way home, one offering a threat and the other a warning, it turns out her life isn’t what it seems. She escapes with the aid of Osborne “Oz” Spencer, a young Society field operative, only to discover that her scholar father has disappeared with a dangerous Egyptian relic. The Society needs the item back, and they aren’t interested in her protests that she knows nothing about it or her father’s secrets.

Now Kyra must depend on her wits and the suspect help of scary Sumerian gods, her estranged oracle mother, and, of course, Oz–whose first allegiance is to the Society. She has no choice if she’s going to recover the missing relic and save her father. And if she doesn’t? Well, that may just mean the end of the world as she knows it. From the author of Blackwood comes a fresh, thrilling urban fantasy that will appeal to fans of Neil Gaiman, Cassandra Clare, and Rick Riordan."

The book is told mostly through the eyes of seventeen year old Kyra Locke, who is – as to be expected, the main protagonist of this novel and takes up most of the page time. Her character develops strongly and unlike certain Young Adult novels that I’ve read in the past that I’ll not mention here, is actually likeable and rootable, coming off as a pretty strong female lead who gets plenty to say and do, as well as being fleshed out. Her character is easily the most well defined of the novel, but others, such as Osbourne Spencer, nicknamed “Oz” – also mentioned in the blurb, get plenty to do and say here – even if some of them such as Kyra’s friends, Bree and Tam don’t get much depth to them. Kyra however, is of course the standout – and Gwenda Bond’s novel is great for readers who want an awesome young, female protagonist.

The Woken GodsThe setting is pretty interesting – whilst some authors who go down the whole “Gods Are Among Us” route choose to adopt to one Pantheon or draw inspiration from multiple Gods, Bond isn’t afraid to get stuck into the whole lot, meaning we get a wide element of characters, with the Egyptian Pantheon being the most notable one here. But the richness of the world that the author has created for us brings up a whole new problem – there needs to be more worldbuilding. It was one of the main problems that I had whilst reading this novel was that there wasn’t enough of it, and I felt that given the concept it needed to be fleshed out a lot more.

Of course, as is common with pretty much a vast majority of Young Adult novels these days, expect romance. Whilst it’s there, it takes a while to develop, rather than happening instantly – allowing for a large focus to spent on moving the plot forward and there is little let-up in the brisk pace that this novel moves along at. I mentioned earlier that this will appeal to readers who enjoyed Artemis Fowl, Percy Jackson and/or Skulduggery Pleasant, and that’s largely because it handles pace just as well as those novels have done. It’s original and doesn’t fall into the trap of being a clone of Percy Jackson only with a female protagonist, which is what I feared at first when starting this novel.

Another slight problem, but not a major one that didn’t bother me (although it may bother some) as I’d encountered it before, namely in James Patterson’s novels, the switch from Kyra’s first person narrative to third person to other characters. Whilst this may have been done to advance the plot in ways that Kyra’s chapters could not, I would have rather Kyra be the sole POV character if it was told in first person, rather than having a split.

Overall then, The Woken Gods is a pretty solid read with some strong themes and several key elements running through it that help it stand above the average crop of Young Adult novels that we get thrown at us by so many authors nowadays – providing something that’s fresh, unique and interesting, even if the lack of more worldbuilding/discovery harms it a bit. Kyra’s character is strong and awesome, and when this book hits shelves next month, you should certainly pick it up if you can. Young Adult readers will love this one.

VERDICT: 4/5

[Kara Babcock · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Woken Gods has a wicked premise: what if the deities of various ancient mythologies were real entities, but at some point in time, for reasons lost to us, they were put asleep or fell asleep? What happens, then, if they wake up and return with a vengeance, and the only people who can stand against them are a shadowy secret society called the Society of the Sun that just happens to have made it its mission to collect relics and artifacts that can fight back?

In the middle of this epic landscape, Kyra Locke discovers that her father isn’t just a librarian for the Society. He’s a full-on operative, and her mother is the daughter of the Society’s director. When her father disappears, Kyra dives into a this world of secrets and myths to discover the truths hidden from her for so many years. In so doing, she uncovers a plot that stretches back to when the gods awoke five years ago, and if it comes to fruition, it could spell the end of humanity entirely….

So, yeah, Gwenda Bond has made sure the stakes are high. This is an intense novel, and there’s a lot of good, suspenseful moments in it. Bond provides no shortage of various antagonists and allies for Kyra, each of whom has their own quirks and quarrels. Nevertheless, I couldn’t help but feel there were some things missing from this book, or just a little off, which it less enjoyable.

Mostly, I think it comes down to characterization, and a little bit of the narration. I can appreciate Kyra’s character: she doesn’t take shit from anyone, and when her dad tries to keep secrets from her and just tells her to skip town with a bunch of money, she decides to go after him instead. I can respect that. Yet there were times when she seems to make plans on the basis of very little information. She literally discovers this massive conspiracy and in the space of a few days tries to come up with a plan to stop it almost entirely single-handedly and with very little research, training, or preparation. Mix that in with some prophecy stuff I don’t want to spoil and you essentially arrive at a quasi–Chosen One situation, and that makes Kyra much less interesting.

Similarly, the supporting cast is unimpressive. There’s a half-hearted stab at a love triangle among Kyra and her two best friends, which is resolved kind of hurriedly at the end of the book. The two friends kind of recede into the narrative background for the middle acts, re-emerging when needed towards the end—yet there are occasionally shifts in perspective, chapters inserted that follow these characters, or others, in the third person, when Bond wants to show us something Kyra isn’t privy to. These seem to happen somewhat at random, though—obviously they aren’t without intention, but I’m not sure they really add much to the story.

Oz and Justin aren’t any more interesting either. Oz is an entirely-too-credulous and entirely-too-young-to-be-an-operative love interest for Kyra, but the romance, as with the aforementioned love triangle, seems to be more of an afterthought. He’s just generically attractive enough, apparently, but he’s mostly just there to play against Kyra, either as an ally or an obstacle. It’s rare that he gets much of a chance to show any agency of his own. Justin is supposed to be the more scholarly equivalent, and I do like that he takes against Kyra and still doesn’t like her at the end of the book, working with her rather out of necessity. That’s an interesting characterization choice.

(Also, at one point Justin says, of the timing of a ritual being midnight on the day of the June solstice, “That’s right at the exact moment of the solstice, when the sun is at its furthest point”. That’s … not how solstices work? The sentence is a little vague but seems to conflate the solstice with aphelion—not the same things—but I guess we could chalk this up to Justin being a little vague on how solstices work, or at least just bad at explaining them. Anyway.)

Everything about the gods in The Woken Gods is fascinating and fun, and I loved those scenes. Bond draws from a rich set of mythologies, referring to some of the more well-known gods, like Hermes and Set, but foregrounding some of the more obscure or less commonly referenced pantheons, like the Sumerian Enki and Nigerian Legba. Again, more interesting choices here.

I wish the human counterpart, the Society of the Sun, was more fleshed out. Bronson’s trip into the Locke family crypt and the little history lesson he gives Kyra provides us with some ideas. It’s just incredibly vague, the whole position of the Society in post-awakening society. Is it a paramilitary organization? An arm of government? It definitely isn’t secret anymore. We keep hearing about “operatives” and training, but there’s no real outline of the hierarchy. One might argue that none of these details are important to the plot at hand, that Bond is leaving out extraneous exposition, and I might be sympathetic to that. Yet I can’t help but feel like we’re missing enough to see this world working in a practical way, humans and gods at this awful, suspenseful detente.

That brings me to the plot, I guess. It’s … all right? Like I think I like it because it fits in the general mould of contemporary urban fantasy that plays with myths in this way. Think Tomb Raider (the movies): humans messing about with ancient artifacts and god-like powers to do something they really the hell shouldn’t, and it falls to a plucky protagonist to stop them. None of the themes or even the conflicts that The Woken Gods trades on are refreshingly original, but they’re done well enough that the story moves at a nice pace.

So I enjoyed reading this book, but when I reached the end, I just kind of shrugged. It’s all right. But I didn’t love the characters, and it feels pretty anticlimactic in places. It functions well enough as a standalone, which is appears to be. There are tantalizing threads left over for future books—but I’m not sure I’d actually want to read them.

[Mieneke · Rating 4 out of 5]

After her successful debut with Blackwood last year, Gwenda Bond is back with a new book in a new setting. Having really enjoyed Blackwood, I was very much looking forward to The Woken Gods, with its multitudes of pantheons and a secretive society, whose mission is to keep humanity save from the not-that-benevolent gods using the relics they've hunted and gathered over the years. It sounded like it would be a blast. And it was. I was completed sucked in by Kyra and Oz's tale and I had a great time with this book.

The book is written in the present tense, which is always a bit of an adjustment, but I must be getting used to this narrative form, because I settled in far quicker than I usually do. We get several points of view, mostly Kyra and Oz's but also those of their close friends, Justin, Bree, and Tam. Kyra's point of view is told in the first person, but the others are in the third. I've discovered reading this book that I have far less of a problem with the present tense if it is first person than if it is third. Especially the first time we shift from Kyra's first person to Oz's third when we go from the first to the second chapter I was really jarred out of the story and I couldn't figure out why until I realised it was the third person present. Still after that second chapter I didn't really notice it, but if you really hate present tense narratives, be warned.

Our leading lady, Kyra, is a resourceful protagonist, who I very quickly came to like quite a bit. Somewhat rebellious to gain her somewhat absent single father, she forms a tight unit with her best friends Bree and Tam, though lately things have been a bit strained between the three of them, because Kyra and Tam took their friendship further and then broke up, leaving the balance between the three a little out of true. Kyra is your prototype 'still waters, run deep'-hero, as no matter how close she is to her friends neither of them knows Kyra's biggest secret—her mum is a seer on Oracle Circle. Similarly, Kyra doesn't know her father isn't exactly the librarian he claims to be. I like how Kyra deals with the emotional upheaval the spilling of these secrets causes, she acknowledges it, but consciously compartmentalises it so she can do what she has to do. It's still there in the background, but it doesn't cripple her ability to act. Oz is a great foil for Kyra. Where she's mistrustful of the Society, he is the Society's golden boy and believes in their mission. He's also a lovely bloke, with a suitably tragic past and a fun sense of humour. The sparks between him and Kyra fly thick and fast, though this isn't a case of insta-love soul connection. Like Kyra's, his world is turned upside-down by the things that are revealed during the story and I loved the way he handled himself and the situation.

Kyra and Oz are supported by their best friends. Bree is a kick-ass friend. Even if Kyra kept secrets and regardless of the fact that she might have more than friendly feelings for Tam, even before he and Kyra got together, Bree has Kyra's back no matter what. She decides it makes more sense to help Kyra and yell at her later than lose her altogether out of spite and I loved her for that. Tam is a more ambiguous character. At the start I didn't really like him, Bond makes him out to be a bit of a thoughtless dick, especially where Bree is concerned, but during the book he gets better and while not my favourite of the three sidekick characters, I did come to admire his loyalty. Justin, Oz's best friend was adorable. Not in a cutesy fashion, but I loved his studiousness and that his first instinct is to open a book and research to solve difficult situations. He rather reminded me of one of my favourite TV characters, Dr Spencer Reid from Criminal Minds. But Justin is another friend that has his heart in the right place and who is loyal to Oz to a fault.

The other characters in the story are fantastic as well. I really liked the main adversary in the book, because even if his actions are insanely bad and ill-judged, I could understand his motivations, however misguided. The various gods and divine and demonic creatures we encounter were great and there were a lot of gods from pantheons I hadn't seen used before. I especially loved Anzu, a giant lion-eagle who is charged to be Kyra's protector. But protector or no, Kyra isn't sure he won't eat her half of the time and it is only gradually that they learn to trust each other and communicate. Still, by the end of the book I wanted an Anzu of my own!

The plot of the book is a mix between mystery-solving and action and really quite fun. I loved the world Bond created with the various pantheons and the political and diplomatic solutions she came up with to make it work. And of course I loved the fact that the Society's main headquarters were at the Library of Congress. The pace of the novel was great, with enough space between action to breathe, but never so much room that the narrative began to drag. The writing was as assured as ever, managing to convey some pretty dark scenes and emotions with a light touch, so they never overwhelm the momentum of the narrative.

The Woken Gods is a fabulous sophomore effort for Bond and my one major beef with the book is its ending. It's a great ending, don't mistake me, but there are still many strands left untied and there is at least one god that needs to be brought down a peg or two. Plus I want more Kyra and Oz. Unfortunately, while the author has indicated she has more left to tell, so far there are no plans to write it yet. It all depends on the reception of The Woken Gods. So go and buy it, read it and recommend it to all your friends! If you like a great supernatural tale with some original divine and demonic beings and great action, The Woken Gods is a great read. So go and buy it, read it and recommend it to all your friends, because I need to know what happens next!

This book was provided for review by the publisher.

[A · Rating 2 out of 5]

With promises of Egyptian mythology and sudden disappearances, the wait for this book was a difficult one. I find mythology in general to be a fascinating thing, and that combined with plot elements and characters would make this a wonderful read...Which was why, by the end of this, I was even more disappointed.

Gods, the Society of the Sun, relics...these are features of the new Washington, D.C. Features that are a part of Kyra's world, but that she has no direct experience of until she's approached by two tricksters one day after school. That one encounter marks the start of a new life, one that consists of searching for her father and the relic he stole, working with Society operatives and actively getting involved with the gods. The consequences of not finding her father and getting that relic back don't bear thinking about.

My difficulties with this novel began almost as soon as I started. To begin with, I wasn't sure if it was the book itself or simply me, but as I progressed further I realised these problems weren't going away. That's not to say it still isn't me; I have been known to hold black sheep status on several occasions, after all. But one of the big issues for me was the world-building. For something so central to her plot, Bond's world-building was unfortunately lacking. While there were numerous mythological gods, their presence for the most part felt static; I didn't get a sense of who they were individually, nor did I understand their relations with Kyra's society. This confusion then fed into my reaction to the actual plotline. That in itself was not particularly impressive, either.

Added to this was the fact that a lot of it seemed flat. To give credit where credit is due, and aware as I am of how critical this review has become, there were scenes and sections that Bond wrote quite well, actually enabling me to connect with what I was reading; passages that stood out and had me sitting up with renewed interest. Sadly, though, this wasn't enough for me to truly enjoy it. My feelings toward Kyra were non-existent. I didn't love her, hate her, or anything in between. I thought Oz sweet enough, Ezra intriguing enough, but ultimately the line separating them from everyone else was very thin. The interactions between the characters, too, felt flat and awkward, as did the different POVs. It was just quite jumpy and ill-flowing, and it all left me feeling somewhat dissatisfied.

For all my criticisms, The Woken Gods wasn't unbearably bad. There were parts well-written, and it was engaging to a point. I can't deny, however, that I did not get on with this novel, and that I am disappointed given the amount of potential it has. Other people have had better luck than I (including my awesome reading buddy and blogging friend, Rebekah at Reflections of a Bookworm), so do go and see what they have to say. For my part, I won't be revisiting this world anytime soon, unfortunately.

This review is also posted on my blog.

[AH · Rating 4 out of 5]

Initial Thoughts: This was a fun read set in Washington, DC after "The Awakening." The world is overrun by all sorts of ancient gods from many different backgrounds. These tricksters wreak havoc and cause technology to falter. I really enjoyed this and I am glad that I picked this book up.

The Review: There’s a lot to like about Gwenda Bond’s The Woken Gods. Set in Washington D.C. five years after “The Awakening,” when ALL the gods of ancient mythology rose, The Woken Gods is an action-packed adventure. I never would have thought that mixing up mythologies would work. In my mind, I thought I would get confused by all the different mythologies, however in The Woken Gods the different gods and their “entourages” were a rather intriguing if not tricky lot.

The author uses the differing ancient mythologies to bring these gods to life, so to speak. Each god has his own personality and strengths. Some are more devious, others are more bloodthirsty. They all are imposing figures and very powerful and scary. The humans in this world are merely pawns to play with, though some of them are just as power hungry as the gods.

Washington is a very different place since The Awakening. The gods’ magic interferes with technology so people rely on horses and carriages and other non-tech modes of transportation and communication. The gods live in their own “houses” and there are seven houses in the area: Set, Hermes, Loki, Tzecatlipoca, Legba, Coyote and Enki. The gods do not get along and they are at odds with each other.

I especially enjoyed the world inside The House of Enki. I was fascinated by the sages and by the world accessed through water. The god Enki was very interesting as well. My favorite had to be the god Anzu, who was assigned to protect Kyra. Anzu was a flying lion griffin-like god and he was very protective of Kyra, especially after she helped him out.

I loved the main characters. These kids are very resourceful and worked hard to help free Kyra’s father.

The writing style was a little different. Kyra’s part of the story is told in her point of view. The remainder of the story is told in the third person. The switch between the two types of narrative was a little odd to me but it did not diminish my enjoyment of the book.

This is a book that should appeal to fans of the Percy Jackson series. I’m glad that I had the opportunity to read this book and I am looking forward to more books by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Strange Chemistry for a review copy of this book.

Review posted on Badass Book Reviews. We have 1 copy of The Woken Gods to give away to 1 lucky reader in the US/Canada. Click here to enter.

[Saz · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

It's been quite some time since I actually sat down to write an honest to God book review so forgive me if this one is a little disjointed, alas I am rusty.

First things first, is this a series? I haven't found anything that says it is, which is disappointing. It ended in a very series sort of way. If there's not going to be another book I'm going to be seriously bummed out (and it also might force me to deduct a half star...you'll see why as I ramble)

The main thing I am pleased to report about this book is that it is not a cliche romance dressed up to look like it has an interesting premise. It's actually very much about what the summary suggests. A strange, unique sort of dystopia where every God from every religion is party rocking in our world. Weird. And scary. There is a bit of a lack of world building, but sometimes I'm not too bothered by that sort of thing. I mean, there's definitely information scattered throughout, but to be honest, when it comes to book like this....*whispers* I kind of would just rather have a massive info dump. I'm sorry, blasphemous talk, I know. But when it comes to such a world as the one in this book, I want to understand every little thing about it. There were times when I found myself confused as to what exactly this world even was. I would have liked to know more about The Society and how it was founded, the actual awakening of the gods, more about what it was like when that first happened. But, perhaps that's just me, craving information where it actually isn't necessary.


I was pretty pleased with the inclusion of the gods themselves and their characterization. Of course I would have liked an even deeper, more detailed look into the Trickster's Council and its members, but again this might just be me and my own weirdness.

The plot, for me, was medium paced but steady, I didn't really feel like it was a drag to read at any point and I don't even think I skimmed, which is a miracle for me. I'm an olympic skimmer. The characters, while all diverse and interesting, were disappointingly a little bit underdeveloped. As I've said a million times over, I read books for the characters. Even if your book lacks plot and backstory (not saying this one did, I'm just making a general point), if you get me to fall in love with your characters then that's the end of it. In this book I was so close to falling in love with them. I actually did a little bit. But I didn't fall as hard as I like to. Kyra is a very realistic, entertaining depiction of a young girl in an unfathomable situation. She's sassy and rebellious, a little clueless, and doesn't seem to have any idea what she's doing until she's about to do it. I really liked Kyra, a lot. At times she was like a mini female Dean Winchester, which is about the highest praise I can give any YA heroine. Her cleverness, her snark, her unwavering loyalty to her loved ones and heartbreaking insistence to put her life on the line while pushing others out of harms way...Kyra's quite the character.

The minor characters: Kyra's friends Tam and Bree and then Society boys Oz (*whispers* love interest) and his best friend Justin. All of which have chapters included from their pov. I still don't know if I liked the way this was done. I understand why the author chose to do it, but it just missed the mark with me. Now back to what I was saying about character development. Aside from Kyra, I don't really feel like there was all that much? I adored Oz but I feel like I don't really know much about him. I mean, I know enough. But it's not...Enough. That could be said for pretty much all of Kyra's entourage. Don't get me wrong, the characters were perfectly interesting and engaging, but I don't really feel like I understand them on a deep level. You know? Now, if there's going to be another book I don't really have a problem with this. Plenty of time to give me tons of charactery goodness in the next one, if it exists. If not...I'm taking back that half star. *pouts*

This book is good, bordering on great. I sincerely hope you choose to pick this one up, because it's something fresh and different and exciting and awesome. I'm very picky and critical in my reviews, even with books I like, so I hope you don't take that as me not enjoying this book, because I absolutely did. Just take a gander at my status updates while reading. So many feels.

[Miranda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating: 3.5

I’ll admit to being a little hesitant in reading YA books--or any books, really, but especially YA ones--that deal with gods. All too often they aren’t written well, to be honest, and no matter how good the rest of the book is I’m always going to be highly irritated at bad writing of gods.

Thankfully, I didn’t need to worry with The Woken Gods. The gods here--specifically, the tricksters--act like actual gods. And yes, that means that they more or less don’t really care about humans and see them mainly as playthings, annoying gnats at worst. It’s hard to like them and stupid to trust them, because they could simply be using you for their own ends without much care about what happens to you in the end. I especially liked the focus on gods we don’t often seen in fiction, the Sumerians.

Now, that said, the world-building around the return of the sleeping gods is a little scant and thrown together. Sometimes it’s even a little unclear. They more or less are the main positions of power in the world now, except the President is also still around and able to do some of the things he was before. They act as go betweens for the gods and mortals, since they’re usually the figures in myth most sympathetic to humans (which isn’t saying much), and for now they’re playing nicely because the humans have found a way to kill them. There’s a secret society that’s apparently not so secret anymore, and they... collect mythological relics and keep the gods contained, maybe?

Yeah, see what I mean about a little unclear? I never really got a good feel for the world, though we do see how it affects the characters who have to live in it. Kyra, for her part, is a great main lead who takes action and is actually competent, though I’m not certain how much she actually grows over the course of the novel. Her barriers do come down a little, but overall I thought she more or less remained the same. Still, it was nice to read a YA heroine who got stuff done instead of reacting to events happening around her and letting others take command for her.

Unfortunately some of the side characters don’t get as much depth, especially Kyra’s friends Tam and Bree. Kyra’s love interest Oz does, and her grandfather Bronson to an extent, but otherwise the rest just exist as the plot needs them to, though I did appreciate Bree and Kyra’s friendship.

There was a slight stylistic issue of having Kyra’s chapters be in first person POV, but the novel occasionally switching to third person POV for other characters in other chapters. Granted, this was done to keep the plot moving and to reveal things Kyra herself couldn’t know, but I did question it. It didn’t overly bother me, but it was a bit strange at first. The pacing and plot are good, though, and the writing does occasionally have some really nice moments, though there was a problem of it feeling distant and unconnected to the characters at times.

My biggest complaint is that there was a rushed open ending, and while mostly everything, especially Kyra’s story arc, are tied up, there’s still a lot of room to expand on the world and figure out what happens next. I’m not sure if it’s part of a series or not, but I hope so, otherwise the ending does bring it down a tad.

But overall I really did enjoy The Woken Gods, despite some failings. I might look into Bond’s Blackwood novel now as well.

See more of my reviews at On The Nightstand. I received a copy of this novel for review from the publisher via NetGalley.

[Rebekah · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC received from publisher in exchange for an honest opinion. Find more reviews at The Reflections of a Bookworm

What worked: When I first received The Woken Gods to review, I let it sit on my shelf for a little while and in that time I completely forgot what the blurb said. So when I eventually got around to reading it, I threw myself in with wilful abandon. Granted that sometimes this can backfire but for me, it was the best decision I made.

I wasn’t overly impressed with the plot (which I’ll get to in a minute) so the characters were what kept my interest. Kyra is a great protagonist and I LOVE that Justin is a bit of an awkward turtle compared to ass-kicking Oz. Let’s not forget Kyra’s trusty sidekicks: loyal ex-boyfriend, Tam and adorable best friend, Bree. The banter back and forth between our characters is pretty funny but it isn’t overused, thank goodness! I’m looking at what I’ve written and thinking to myself “Is that ALL that I liked about The Woken Gods?”. I mean I did like it but there was a lot that I took issue with so let’s get on with it.

What irked: First, we’ll take the blurb. It makes it seem like Kyra will be spending her time on the run from the Society which doesn't actually happen until right near the end of the book.

Secondly, I spent a LOT of time confused. What was going on? What would be the repercussions? Who is that? Why are they doing that? Where am I? What day is it? Too many questions and not enough answers for me. If you’d asked me to explain the characteristics of the seven gods, I could give you Loki and that’s about it.
The last couple of chapters are supposed to be all kick ass and amazing but with all of the confusion….yeah….if I can’t even work out what’s happening in a fight scene, don’t expect me to know the politics of it all.

Thirdly, I felt like I was kept at arms length from the book, do you know what I mean? We never actually see what the Society get up to on a daily basis because Justin and Oz spend their time at Branson's house and Branson's off.....doing whatever the heck he does. And it's a bit disconnecting when the POV changes with the chapters from first person to third and back again.

Fourthly (I swear we’re almost done!) everything was a bit too convenient if you catch my drift. A secondary romance just so happened to develop, Kyra makes a big decision that should have been explored further when really we only see the inside scoop it gives her and none of the work that should have been put into it.

Reflecting on The Woken Gods: 3 Stars – It was good but a couple of things irked me.

[Luna's Little Library · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm going to try coming back to this in a few months, really enjoyed Gwenda Bond's previous book but not getting very far with this one.

[Courtney Schafer]

Loved the premise; just wish I'd liked the characters a little better.

[Ria Bridges · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bond showed us her imaginative talent first in Blackwood, and has now given us yet more to love with The Woken Gods.

The story is told primarily from Kyra’s point of view, using the first-person viewpoint, with brief breaks into third-person limited to show the perspectives of other characters integral to the plot. Far from being a series of jarring transitions, they actually serve very well to add additional — and often vital — information to the plot, and come across more like the camera panning back for a moment instead of unnecessary word-padding. And when we’re seeing things from Kyra’s point of view, the narrative is very much as someone would think, complete with slang, Buffyspeak descriptions, and the skewed perspective of a teenager in a very bizarre and tense situation. Bond seems to have quite the talent for writing interesting and believable teenagers. Kyra’s sarcastic commentary and observations do wonders to put the reader into the proper mindset of a suitably rebellious teen.

And I do mean ‘suitably.’ Kyra has her rebellious streak, but she’s not the kind of self-righteous brat often seen in portrayals of rebellion. She knows exactly why she acts out. Her mother is absent, her father is gone more often than not and doesn’t seem to have much interest in Kyra, and what she wants more than anything is to get him to admit that she matters. Negative attention being better than no attention. But it’s not a “pity-me” fest, either, as we see that habits have formed and even she admit she needles him pointlessly sometimes. Tremendously realistic, and Kyra’s self-realization is not outside the realm of possibility, either.

In Kyra’s world, the gods have awoken. All of them. From all times, places, and pantheons. And are interacting with humanity once more. The ones most sympathetic to humanity are the tricksters, the ones who have historically been untrustworthy and unpredictable in order to teach lessons to gods and mortals alike. Between the gods’ own plans, the Society, and Kyra’s own family, she has her hands full. Her father has been branded a traitor, her mother is an insane prophet, and multiple gods seem to have their eyes on her for reasons of their own.

The story is fast-paced, interesting to the end, and full of twists that kept me turning pages. Bond played with some very interesting concepts here, and did so tastefully, with thought-provoking detail. I won’t deny that there were some slightly awkward infodumping now and again, but those moments were few and far between, and did at least serve a purpose when things wouldn’t necessarily have been clear to the reader. (We’re not all very familiar with Sumerian myths, after all.)

And since it must be mentioned, the romance was very well done here. It added to the story rather than distracting from it, providing interest and enhancing character dynamics rather than just drowning the reader in obsessive mush. Characters had feelings for each other, but didn’t spend chapter and chapters dwelling on them, and were more than capable of putting them aside when the moment called for it. This is how I prefer my romance in fiction, and the author may as well have tailor-made this thing for me in many ways.

Between the diverse cast of interesting characters, the creative plot, and the engaging writing style, The Woken Gods has a guaranteed place on my shelves for a long time to come. YA fans who enjoy a departure from standard material, female protagonists who can stand on their own two feet, and a wild creative ride will do well to check this one out.

(Book received in exchange for an honest review.)

[Julie Witt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love everything about mythology, so I was really excited to read this book. I was thrilled when I read that the gods of many different pantheons were included, and this was certainly true, but the majority of them were just "background characters," if you will. Only a few were really explained and had big parts in the story. This is where I think the length of the book (it's a relatively short, quick read) could have worked against it. What I did read, though, I really enjoyed.

I've heard that this book is for fans of Percy Jackson, but I honestly didn't get that vibe off of it. I loved the world building here, and the characters were well written, but I could have used more back story.

All in all, though, this story has more going for it than against it, and I ended up enjoying it very much.

4/5 stars.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars.
This wasn't perfect and it dragged in some places, but overall I really enjoyed it. I thought the mythology and world building were really interesting (although they could've been better developed), and I liked the characters. I do wish there hadn't been a cliffhanger ending though

[Timothy Pitkin · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book has a great idea for a setting where the gods of mythology have different embassies in Washington D.C. based on their pantheon but it unfortunately does not fully use this setting. As it really does not focus on the gods or how they interact with the modern world. But instead on a girl and a secret society.

[Andrianna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excellent world-building and so creative, but the action itself felt dull. The prophecy wasn't interesting and didn't feel impactful. And most of the characters felt flat. I'd love to see a whole new set of characters and action take place in the setting of this book.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

I couldn't ever really get into this book, hopefully i can come back and try again at some point because it was an interesting plot even though it never pulled me in

[Jdecarlo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much like some of the other reviews I have read, I feel a little let down. There were interesting characters and a great premise. Something was just a little off.

[Allison Pennington · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a keeper but a good read. A lot of loose ends at the end that makes me wonder if she's going to return to this story someday. Not as satisfying an end as I was expecting.

[Sarah Likes Robots · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Red Pyramid intensifies*

[Katrina Fox · Rating 3 out of 5]

More adolescent than I typically read, I had a hard time wanting to read this. It had some errors in the Kindle version I was reading and it made it harder to enjoy.

[Nerine Dorman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seventeen-year-old Kyra Locke’s world is very different from our own because five years ago the ancient gods woke, and since then things have been a bit chaotic for humans.

Washington D.C. where Kyra lives is the epicentre of all the action and is where the gods have their headquarters. Kyra’s truly in the thick of things due to the fact that her father works for the Society of the Sun, which acts as an intermediary between gods and mankind. Mostly, the Society has access to relics that help them keep the gods in line.

Kyra’s not exactly a happy camper because things between her and her parents aren’t all that great. Her father is absent most of the time and her mom – an oracle – has left the family for unknown reasons.

Things truly go south for Kyra when the trickster gods take an unhealthy interest in her, and she finds herself in a race against time to rescue her father from execution for treason.

Okay. Deep breath. I wanted to like this book a lot. From the outside, it has all the elements that I treasure, BUT, try as I might, I just couldn’t follow the storyline or understand the characters’ motivations, which seemed to shift continuously. By the time I was done, I was as confused as when I started, and I pride myself on keeping things straight. Not good when I continuously ask, BUT WHY? while I’m reading.

I get the idea that Kyra, due to her bloodline, is somehow the centre of a prophecy, and her parents are desperate (to the point of sacrificing all semblance of a normal family life) to try protect her, but their efforts don’t strike me as being all that effective. If she really was in so much danger then why not just leave the city entirely? Why allow her to grow up ignorant of the danger she’s in?

The presence of all those gods was a nice touch but I gained the impression that most of them were just waiting in the wings as set dressing for a convenient (and literal) deus ex machine at the grand finale. Anzu, Kyra’s “pet” monster is pretty neat, but I don’t get *why* Kyra is so important to deserve this special attention from a deity.

My biggest gripe with the story is the choppiness of the writing. For the most part we’re in Kyra’s first-person point of view – that is fine, perfect. The genre calls for a sassy heroine who’s doing her thing against great odds and Kyra has a lovely voice and she’s not going to take things lying down. Big thumbs up for a strong female lead.

BUT.

Her storyline is somewhat diluted by the introduction of secondary viewpoint characters (in third person) that get introduced quite far in, so that the shift in point of view is jarring. I’d just gotten used to Kyra when suddenly I must get invested in someone else?

I understand *why* the author has done this because the plot calls for her to show what else is happening behind the scenes but then I feel it only serves to weaken the pacing and steals some of Kyra’s thunder. In the end she gains her outcome largely due to the efforts of others.

The romance elements feel forced – there simply isn’t enough time to develop romantic attachments but it’s there. However, I’m almost tempted to say this would have been a stronger novel if there’d been more focus on the conflict between Legba, Kyra and her grandfather, and dispensed entirely with the secondary characters (and the romance).

Then a word too on some contradictions. A fair amount of emphasis is placed on how technology doesn’t really function properly around the gods due to their innate magic, but then why does a television crew bristling with cameras and technology, go into the heart of things to cover breaking news? They end up riding in a horse-drawn carriage because cars don’t work, but their cameras are fine… I just had to point that out because it jerked me right out of the narrative at the time.

I’d have liked to have seen further development of the gods themselves as characters. There is so much potential there. Why are the tricksters banding together? Surely they themselves wouldn’t all be in agreement? What about plots within plots? I wanted to see more of their personalities, wanted to see them interact and be more active. Then we might also have gained a better idea of why Kyra was the lynch pin to the entire saga, and also sympathise more with her plight.

All this being said, this is not a bad book. If you’re looking for fast, on-the-edge-of-your-seat urban fantasy with a female lead who totally kicks ass, and that offers a nod to Neil Gaiman’s American Gods then yes, you’ll enjoy this. But, if you’re like me and you wanted a story that digs a little deeper, you might feel the same way I do.

[Kimberly (Book Swoon) · Rating 4 out of 5]

With THE WOKEN GODS author Gwenda Bonda has created an exciting world populated with vibrant characters straight out mythology. The gods of world mythology have literally stepped down into our world realm and taken up residence.

SETTING AND SUMMARY: Imagine seven of the worlds Tricksters gods moving into Washington D.C. and taking over the embassies there and calling it home. Now imagine a secret society bent on controlling the gods, a dangerous relic that is missing which could open up the realms between man and gods permanently. What stands in the way is our heroine Kyra and her teenage friends, who are about to learn how to battle gods and monsters. For Kyra, the hardest lesson of all will not be how to battle the gods, but how to learn to trust and open her heart to others.

CHARACTERS: KYRA LOCKE is a wonderfully realistic teenager, with both strengths and weaknesses that makes her a surprisingly great heroine. Kyra has had to practically raise herself since the gods have woken up. She intense, wild and independent with no one to tell her what to do, nor has any set rules. Her mother has left the family and joined a mysterious cult and her father is always a way involved with the Society of the Sun. The moment she realizes her father is in trouble, she takes matters into her own hands, and shows great strength and bravery as she fights the gods in order to protect her family. She is willing to face unknown danger and risk everything, including herself if it means saving those she loves. Fighting feelings of insecurities about her self worth and being loved, Kyra shows a lot of emotional growth in the story. She learns to accept her feelings for Oz, to accept his help, and that it's okay to rely upon others. She realizes sometimes you have to open yourself up emotionally and risk being hurt, but what may be on the other side is worth braving. Watching Kyra battle her insecurities all the while she battled the gods was amazing.

Oz ( Osborne Spencer ) is the perfect hero for the story and Kyra. Ready to save the day, Oz is more comfortable fighting battles against the gods as an Society Operative than studying books and hanging out like most teenagers. Physically handsome, cunning and quick in battle, yet with Kyra he’s patient and caring, a perfect counterpart to her personality. It was obvious how much he cares for Kyra as he risks everything as an Society Operative in order to help her save her father. I thought Oz was the perfect combination of hero and teenager in the story, and enjoyed the interaction between Kyra and him as well as all the fantastic battle scenes.

SWOON LEVEL: Crush

THE ROMANCE: The story is mainly an action and adventure type story involving four teens, with Kyra as the protagonist leading most of the action. There is some nice romantic interest that develops between Kyra and Oz. There's no love-triangles to worry about, just a nice friendship that has the possibilities to grow into something more.

THE SWOON-WORTHY MOMENT:

"Kyra?" he asks.
Before I can give more excuses, he leans in and kisses me. I'm confused at first. Has this night really happened? Is this really happening?
This feels... new, like I expected a first kiss to feel before I had one.

WHAT I LIKED: Gwenda Bond did a great job creating a world in THE WOKEN GODS in which gods from a variety of different world mythologies lived and mingled with humans in our very on realm. I loved how she incorporated them into the story, and did an amazing job of describing them in detail, their houses, mannerisms, appearance- everything. I felt like I was there right along with Kyra, Oz and their friends as they fought and battled the gods.

WHAT I DIDN’T CARE FOR: Kyra's friends Bree and Tam seemed a bit flat to me, and I was never really able to feel very connected to them or their interactions with Kyra.

THE ENDING: I enjoyed THE WOKEN GODS and thought it was a fun read, perfect those who enjoy a bit of mythology mixed in with their stories. There was plenty of action and adventure in the book with a nice side of romance. The book is set as a stand alone, but the author leaves plenty of room for further stories set in the same world.

MY RATING: 4 Stars. I really liked it.

RECOMMENDATION: Lovers of books that incorporate myths, like action and adventure, with YA romance.

PLEASE NOTE: An ARC was provided by NetGalley/Publisher in exchange for my review. Thank you Strange Chemistry for the review opportunity.

[Abhinav · Rating 3 out of 5]

You can read the full review over at my blog:

https://shadowhawksshade.wordpress.co...

Shadowhawk takes a look at Gwenda Bond’s stand-alone second Young Adult novel from Strange Chemistry Books. This is the 14th in his Advent Review series and you can check out the details here.

“Mildly entertaining but not too exciting is the best way that I can sum this book up.” ~Shadowhawk, The Founding Fields

Continuing its trend of putting out novels that are as different from each other as you can get, Strange Chemistry published Gwenda Bond’s The Woken Gods a few months ago. This is a novel set in the near-future where all the gods of various cultural mythologies the world over have awakened and have taken Washington DC, USA as their homebase. This has caused some pretty major upheavals in all the different nations and now an uneasy truce exists between all the gods and the Society of the Sun, which is the organisation that manages all relationships between the gods and the mortals. Its quite an interesting premise, all things considered, where we have teenager Kyra Locke going on a journey to discover her true history and exposing some of the lies that she’s grown up with.

On the whole, this was a decent enough read, but I confess that I wasn’t too taken with it. The pacing of the book seemed to be all over the place right from the start. I just could not get into the characters all that much, aside from a few supporting characters like Kyra’s friends Bree and Tam, or some of the trickster gods who had great scenes in the novel. If the balance between advancing the story and still maintaining all the character drama had been better maintained, then this would have been a much better read, that’s for sure.

Being very much a coming of age story, there are certain beats that the author gets right, but there are a few that she gets wrong as well. One example of the latter is the way in which Kyra deals with the revelations in the second half. She seemed to be speaking by rote, with little passion in her voice. And she’s as being quite naive at times, which is acceptable to some degree but was taken to the extreme a few times. One of her best scenes however was in the first half, when she visits the compound of one of the mythological hierarchies. The entirety of the events that happen in that location are some of the highlights of the novel and they set a good tone that is met and exceeded several times, even though there are quite a few downer moments too.

Speaking of supporting characters, the ones I liked most were definitely Bree and Tam. Kyra’s love interest and an up-and-coming agent of the Society, Oz, was sadly too stereotypical with little in the way of helping him stand apart from the crowd. And this extended to his tech/geek friend Justin as well. Compared to the former pair, the latter pair comes off as clumsy and uninteresting. Bree and Tam get a fair bit of development throughout the novel, but Oz and Justin don’t, and this all ends of affecting the make-up of the team that Kyra puts together and all the shenanigans that the team finds itself in.

Something else that didn’t work for me was all the fuzzy world-building. We see a very little cross-section of the various cultures that are now represented in DC by their deities and the relationships between the gods and the mortals were not dealt in as satisfactory a manner as I would have liked. Sure, the climax depends almost entirely on these relationships, but it all comes too late and is too little unfortunately. And this goes back to the pacing of the book, which wasn’t all that good. I wanted more information on the religions that were represented and the ones that Kyra actually did interact with, but the story never went all the way like that, and this was a disappointment.

While I didn’t have high expectations from this novel, I did have a fair number of them, and few of them were met. I’ll reiterate that The Woken Gods isn’t all that good or bad a novel, its a decent one. The open ending, which isn’t something that I liked given how the story had gotten to that point, didn’t help matters either. Hopefully Gwenda Bond’s next novel is better. And I still have her 2012 debut, Blackwood, to read as well.

Rating: 6.5/10

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Rating – 3 Stars

*I recieved a digital copy of this novel from Netgalley on behalf of Strange Chemistry*

Another mythology adaptation. Sigh. My kryptonite.

Anyways….

Apparently five years ago humans learned that the gods of all religions are real. They were woken up and now they live among the humans. They live somewhat peacefully with the puny humans. Why? Because the Society of the Sun closed off the god’s access to the afterlife, meaning they can’t come back if killed. And the Society showed off their power by killing an Egyptian god (omg I’ve forgotten which one already).

Kyra has an absent mother and father. Her mother is an oracle who lives on the street and squats with other “unofficial” oracles. She thinks her father is a simple scholar for the society, who would rather spend time studying than with her.

Her father has stolen an important relic and the Society wants it back. The gods want it back too, which has put Kyra in danger. She suddenly has a very important grandfather she never knew about, gods are angry with her, a mythological monster as a guard, and an Oz (a.k.a. a new cute boy interest).

The survival of the entire world may in fact rest on Kyra’s shoulders. Scary.

So the problem with this book was it was just so bland. Kyra doesn’t stand out. None of her friends really stand out. Oz doesn’t even stand out that much. Even though you are in Kyra’s head for most of the book (though there are parts where you go into another character’s POV and I honestly, didn’t like it. Because it was random.) I found that she was just not that interesting of a character. The author tries to paint her as a rebellious teenager, but the worst she really does is spend the night at her friend’s house (she thinks without her dad’s knowledge) or occasionally sneaks out of the house.

Through most of the book, I felt like I was missing something and it was a huge distraction because I kept going back to reread things. The waking of the gods thing was barely explained and it kinda felt like I was coming into the second book of a series. That should have been the book, the Society waking the gods and the immediate aftermath because it seems really important to the story.
The dialogue seemed a bit off, I’m not sure if it was because I had an ARC that wasn’t the final version or what but sometimes there was a response or a comment to something and it made no sense. The banter wasn’t funny either, it felt really forced.

What I did like about the book was the mythology. None of the huge, well known gods were mentioned, (except Set) but there was a lot of talk about lesser known ones and even Loki was mentioned! (Though, clearly not the Tom Hiddleston/comic book Loki that the world is currently in love with). Everyone uses Zeus and Osiris, it was a nice change to have something a little different.

Also, there are no absent parents! Well, there are (Kyra’s parents however that is explained and part of the plot) but her friends parents are there, and they are supportive and when the kids tell them “hey, we need your help” they actually help! That was such a nice change in a YA supernatural type book. Parents that love their children and are actually in their children’s lives.

The relationship between Oz and Kyra was barely there, which was good. It was good because they weren’t falling all over each other in a completely unrealistic way and Kyra was focused on the task at hand, rather than trying to get some guy to kiss her.

It was an okay book. Not that impressed by it but also not completely disappointed. I haven’t found any information to indicate that it’s the first in a series but the way it ends makes me believe there will be more (To be honest, if there aren’t more books and it just ends like that, my rating is going to drop).

When I read a so/so book that is the first in the series, I always hold out hope for the second so I’d be willing to read a sequel to this book.

Read this review and more at Punk's House of Books

[Babel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Babel at http://torretadebabel.blogspot.com.es/

In The Woken Gods, we are taken into Washington, DC, a twisted and god-inhabited version of it, with Kyra as she races to save her father and the city from doom while trying to cope with her feelings of rejection and abandonment. One moment, she has friends, a day at school not to look forward to and many questions about her secretive mother who chose prophecy over family. The next, she is being attacked by gods, told her father is a traitor to the human race and she has to accept the help of a handsome operative who works for the Society of the Sun.
The very idea of ancient gods awakening in the middle of a modern city is too good to ignore. Can you imagine Egyptian gods, Sumerian gods, monsters and creatures of legend coming to life in your own neighbourhood? Thinking their mighty thoughts, beating their wings or roaring to the heavens right next to your school or your groceries, that's got to be awesome. Well, Gwenda Bond has imagined all this, and with a nice twist to it.
As soon as I knew about this novel, I felt this pull to read it. I needed to find out about a world where ancient gods were fleshed out for us mortals to see and interact with. Though this could mean a lot of trouble. Yay! That's good for me. And for the story too. It's got loveable characters surrounded by tricky, larger-than-life divinities who are forced to be civil to the world for the time being. It's got a dynamic flow of events that never cease to amaze with a balanced dose of action, soul-searching, conspiracies, family issues, menacing primitive gods, forgiveness, powerful relics, honour, and loads more.
Politicians are almost extinct whilst the Society keeps things in a precarious order by keeping the deities at bay. Strong-willed Kyra is the perfect heroine for a world where old magic runs rampant and human kind is at stake every tick of the clock. The author depicts creatures and monsters from ancient times in a very colourful way, some of these gods are quite disturbing.
What about romance? It's there but it's far from insta-love because it's not until after page 150 that Kyra starts noticing the wonders of the boy's bare chest. And his name is Oz. Isn't that fantastic? That gives us plenty of time to focus on the plot. And mind you, the plot is fast-paced, attention-grabbing and full of juicy details.
Much of the information is conveyed through the dialogue which is snappy and quick, and it always resonates well with the characters' psychology. The main point of view is Kyra's, though sometimes it changes to one of her friends. This helps deepen the reader's understanding of each character's inner motives. When the time comes for description, it never drags because everything that's happening and every character's train of thought is so well depicted that I just couldn't skip a line.
The only thing I missed was not being there when the gods awakened and the world was changed forever. It would have been awesome to witness the moral upheaval, the cataclysmic proportions of their presence among humans. We do get to see some of the consequences such as security measures taken to prevent godly domination or worse, and adoration from "religious tourists".
I absolutely loved two things: Anzu, a gryphon-like creature I hope to see more of in future installments, if there are any which would be great, and the relics. It felt like the whole history of mythology and legends was ripe for the taking of my imagination. Any kind of heroic piece wielded by Athena or Hercules or your favourite myth-tale could be rescued from oblivion and put to warrior use in the present. Oh, how I'd love to grab one of those and become a heroine myself. This is the kind of things Gwenda Bond has inspired me to think about. Shame on you, Ms. Bond ;o)
Behind an amazing cover lurks a well-crafted divine drama .If you like alternate realities and mythology turned true, you're guaranteed a heck of a good reading. This is my opinion, now what's yours? Are you going to read it or skip it? ;o)

[Books A-Brewin' · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book from Strange Chemistry in return for an honest review.

I had been wanting to dig into this book for quite a while but with classes starting up and other review books taking priority I didn't get into it until now. Boy am I sorry I wasted so much time when I could be reading this book. It seems everything I have gotten from Strange Chemistry seems to be a really good read.

Imagine, if you will, a world in which magic is not just possible but a comfortable familiarity. Magic surges that cause electronics such as electricity, cars, and the like to go on the fritz and sometimes die completely is a common occurrence in Kyra's world. For some unknown reason, the gods of myth and legend are awake after an extremely long siesta. They come back with a vengeance and it is only the dutiful work of the Society of the Sun that keeps them in check. The Society makes an example of a single god by showing that the relics they had collected even before the gods awoke can not just wound them but send them into the Afterlife permanently. The immortal gods are no more it would see.

Kyra knows her father works as a library for the Society and that because of that his duties as a parent have become extremely lacking. Add to that a crazy mother who keeps her distance from her only daughter out of vision-driven madness. Kyra is utterly alone in her life, except for her close friends Bree and Tam.

She was accepting of her life and her mission to gain her father's attention, even if it is to be negative attention, comes to end abruptly when she is confronted by gods she has only ever seen on TV. Thankfully a ruggedly handsome Society operative, Oz, comes to her rescue. Kyra soon finds out that Oz's appearance was not as simple as a happy coincidence. He was sent to fetch her and bring her back to the Society. There Kyra learns of her father's thief of a powerful relic and his subsequent disappearance. Kyra feels she must get to the bottom of this mystery and find her father. With the help of Oz, Bree, and Tam she sets forth on a journey that will bring her face-to-face with horrific gods she never thought possible.

This book was easy to fall in love with from the start. Any book about mythology seems to intrigue me and draw me in. I found Kyra melancholy feelings toward the importance of her own life to be frustrating. I understand that with her parents never being there for her she has learned to be self-reliant but did she also have to learn to be so self-loathing as well. She was constantly blaming herself for everything, even sweating the small stuff that didn't matter in the end. She was a hard character to like. Fortunately, she had Oz to counter-balance her. Oz's faith in Kyra and the way he felt about her made me step away from her deputy downer personality and see her a little differently. I think that is artfully done for an author to take a slightly less appealing character and show them in a different light with the help of a well liked character. The book as a whole, dragged me into a world I want to read more of. I want to know what happens next. Sequel, please!

The Woken Gods will make it's readers wonder about the validity of such a world. Are there truly gods in reality? Are they just sleeping? Is there a chance they could awaken some day?

[Charlotte · Rating 2 out of 5]

This review is also posted on: Thoughts and Pens

Now, there were two reasons that I picked up this book: 1. It has the word gods in it and; 2. It’s Y/A which means that it most probably have the same elements that I love about Rick Riordan’s PJ series. Before you start making serious assumptions, The Woken Gods follows a very different route. If you are expecting to read about demigods, then be prepared to be disappointed. It integrates the modern world and mythology however… that you can expect.

The Woken Gods is an ambitious tale of almost all the mythological gods and goddesses (though most of the gods mentioned in this book were males) rampaging in Washington, D.C. When I said almost all the gods, then it’s not just about the Greeks but also the Celts, the Norse and the Sumerians. Instead of living a life in Mount of Olympus or somewhere similar or anywhere beyond the mortal’s prying eyes, these gods took residency in D.C. where they readily liaise with humans. Cool eh? But here’s the catch, when Kyra Locke’s father stole an important relic, the city was besieged not only with godly wars but also with human conflicts. And it may well be the end of the fragile peacefulness between the gods and the mortals.

The Woken Gods could almost have been one of my favorite reads for 2013, with its larger-than-the-gods world building and the impressive entourage of gods from the different mythologies. The story alone would more than attract the fans of Rick Riordan and Cassie Clare as it fuses modern day Washington and the bygone era of the gods. What’s more is that there was a very good account of the gods’ relics which really caught my interest. However, those things weren’t enough to make me a happy camper. As I journeyed through the world of The Woken Gods, I’ve come across a lot of disappointments along the way.

First and foremost, the plot becomes average as we go deeper into the story. It was predictable and wasn’t gripping like it was afraid to take the risk of introducing adrenaline-inducing scenes. Second, there were gods who didn’t strike me as that all mighty. They lacked the attitude that befits an immortal. Third, the characters including the main character (MC) in the person of Kyra Locke, were underdeveloped except maybe for Oz. Kyra’s friends seemed generic, the kind that you’d forget after 2-3 chapters. Kyra really annoyed me because there were instances that instead of focusing on the task ahead, she somehow falters and notice unessential things at the face of danger. The worst thing is, I don’t think she knows about remorse and redemption because her guilt at the end of the book after she’d done a very terrible thing wasn’t convincing (sorry for this slight spoiler). To simplify it, I don’t feel the spark between me and the characters. Fourth, the dialogues and interactions of the characters weren’t that engaging. The humor was half-baked, the drama was a bit off. The only thing that I’m glad about it was that the romance was kept subtle and to a bare minimum. Fifth, the book seems to take comfort in using the word OK that it was awkward and exhausting. What I mean is that why not use the other synonyms for that word because they’re totally free? And lastly, the battle scene in the book lacked heart and breathtaking performances from the ensemble of cast.

If not for the few good things about The Woken Gods, I would have described it as dull and dry. Would I recommend this? Sure if you want to meet other mythological gods and just get the feel of how life would be if the gods are almost next door neighbors. Or if you are suffering from the Percy Jackson withdrawal.

[Jaclyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Five years ago the world changed; the gods woke. And took over Washington, D.C.??? Hearing that description, I was unsurprisingly intrigued. I'm a huge fan of Rick Riordan, so I was expecting this to be similar but geared towards a older teen audience.

Seventeen-year-old Kyra Locke is dealing with the changes to D.C. the best that she can. Her mom's left her and her dad behind, she's just broken up with her boyfriend because she doesn't want to be more than friends, oh and she just discovered her absentee father is actually an agent of an important secret society (he's not the librarian she always thought he was) and is convicted of treason. Ahh to be a teen again. So much drama...

While struggling to keep up with her parents secrets, Kyra is determined to clear her dad's name before he's sentenced to death. Along the way she meets the young (and very cute) Society operative, Oz Spencer, who she's not sure she can trust. But, honestly, when you find out your parents are part of a secret society, who can you trust?

Overall, I liked this urban fantasy; however, there were a couple of things that I had reservations about. First of all, Kyra herself. I'm not saying every female character has to be strong and Katniss-like; however, I do feel like I need to understand why they act a certain way that could be described as flighty. Kyra's obviously been through a lot with her mom leaving and her dad not being around; but, I just didn't really understand how this translated into commitment issues at seventeen. It's not like you're expected to be totally committed to a romantic relationship at that age. Even when we did get a rationale for why Kyra was behaving in that way, I felt let down and I was hoping for a bigger reason as to why she pushes people away. I felt that there was a lot of lead up to this particular trait in Kyra, and I expected a more significant reason for it.

The other aspect of the book that I felt fuzzy with was the world building. Gods in present day, I was totally on board with that. However, I still feel unclear about the god's presence in D.C. Why gods from all cultures? Why D.C.? I feel like my questions have not been answered. Due to the rather open ending, I'm assuming that this is the start of a series, and I really hope that these issues are addressed in subsequent books.

What I loved best about this one was the side characters. Kyra's friends are great, and I loved the fact that we got to see things from their side of the fence periodically. Both Bree and Tam were extremely loyal to Kyra, and they were just plain entertaining. I also liked Oz's sidekick, Justin. Justin was a great character. He's a scholarly nerd, who gets to save the day! He was another loyal friend, and it was interesting to get his take on Kyra, since he was not impressed with her, something that's unusual considering Kyra is the hero of the novel. I loved these characters and I would come back to this world for them.

Overall, I enjoyed the book, but it wasn't what I was expecting. If you're looking for the humour of Riordan, The Woken Gods is probably not for you. The gods in Bond's novel are scary and she tackles some pretty dark stuff, considering the ending of the novel. As I said, I would probably come back to the world, if only to get some answers!

A copy of this review with read-alikes available here.

Review copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley.