Doomed: Göttlich verboten

Starcrossed #4

by Josephine Angelini, Simone Wiemken (Translator)

Unsterbliche das heißersehnte Göttlich-Prequel. Hast du das zu hoffen gewagt? Die Göttlich -Trilogie hat einen vierten Teil bekommen. Ein Prequel, Anfang und Fortsetzung zugleich. Und es spielt auch noch in New York! Vor allem verbotene Liebe unter Todfeinden und griechische Götter.
Daphne zieht nach New York und damit mitten hinein in einen seit Jahrtausenden währenden Krieg. Doch zunächst einmal ist ihr Problem die exklusive neue Privatschule am Central Park, auf die sie nun gehen muss – mit ihrem "echten" Gesicht, dem Gesicht …. Denn Daphne ist die Tochter von Zeus, ihr Gesicht das berühmteste der Menschheitsgeschichte und gleichzeitig ein Sie trägt das Antlitz von Helena. Helena von Troja, Auslöserin von Krieg und Verdammnis. Umso gefährlicher ist es, als Daphne eines Tages ein Graffiti entdeckt, das sie magisch anzieht – und das ihr Gesicht zeigt. Der Künstler ist kein anderer als Ajax, der Sohn Apollos – und damit eigentlich ihr Todfeind. Eigentlich …
Zwei Paare, ein Nach Helen und Lucas nun Daphne und Ajax.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Mythology, Romance, Greek Mythology, Fiction, Urban Fantasy

408 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 4, 2022

About the author

Hi! Thanks so much for stopping by my Goodreads page. I only check in on it occasionally, so if you’d like to send me a message please use the contact form on my website: http://josephineangelini.com.

I can also be found on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook, and I love connecting with readers. Check out the Linktree url above for more info.

I am a #1 international bestselling author, a Massachusetts native, and the youngest of eight siblings. I graduated from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts in theater with a focus on the classics and now live in Los Angeles with my husband and daughter.

Reviews

[Josephine Angelini · Rating 5 out of 5]

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[Amy Plum · Rating 5 out of 5]

This binge read will give you all the feels. An epic romance that captured my heart and kept me glued to the page.

[Snug_BookTalks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Update:


Disclaimer: I was fortunate enough to receive an arc. This opinion is not biased from that fact.

Starcrossed has been a trilogy that no matter how much time has gone by, it will forever have a place in my bookish heart. It’s the first book I patiently waited for the sequels. When I heard the the story would be continued with Scions, a prequel to Starcrossed, I was worried because it’s easy to have high hopes and be let down. Safe to say my fears were unfounded. It made me happy and nostalgic. We get to see bits of the Daphne we know but also this whole other side that shows just what she dealt with. It’s enemies to lovers with well written characters, amazing references to Greek mythology and captivating right from the start. Ajax will have you swooning. The 90’s New York City setting a makes the story a Hulu show you’ll want to binge.

[Becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I need this book ASAP! Starcrossed was my absolute favourite series growing up, I can’t believe we get more in 2022!

[mads · Rating 1 out of 5]

ARC provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

TW: death of a loved one, gun violence, incest (from a parent), pedophilia, rape, sexual assault, sexual content, suicide/suicide attempt.

This review is going to be rather brief because I have nothing positive to say about this book and none of us need an essay of me ranting.

With that being said, had I not been reading this as an ARC, I would have dnf'd fairly quickly - a decision that was reinforced the further I got into the book. Beyond my own personal opinions on the book, like hating every single character, I had several major issues with it.

First (and most importantly), put trigger warnings in your fucking book, especially if it includes parental incest/assault (as a recurring theme). It is 2022. There was absolutely no reason to not have a warning for this, especially in a YA novel. I hate the idea of how triggering this could be for some people, specifically young teenagers.

Next, this book reads like it was written in the early YA days and, in this instance, that is not a compliment. I felt like I was being slapped in the face with the continuous not-like-other-girls misogynistic crap on every page. I know the book took place in 1993 and it could be argued misogyny is realistic for that time, to which I say... if you can say there are demigods, equality isn't that far of a stretch.

I could go on and on about how stupid the characters were, how unrealistic every relationship felt, how juvenile the writing was, how angry I am that this book exists but I won't. Instead, I shall try and end this review on a positive note.

I haven't read the original Starcrossed trilogy this book is a prequel to, but I understood everything going on with the Houses and demigods pretty well for this being my first introduction to the story. On that front, the author did a good job.

Overall, I'm so done. I can't recommend this to anyone, because I think it may be the worst book I've ever read. It's just... really frustrating.
I'm thankful for the chance to read it, but I wish I hadn't.

[apolimia · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Tell me your favorite color, Daphne, and I’ll paint the sky with it."

3.5

Si le decían a mi yo de 16 años que la mismísima Josephine Angelini iba a mandarme su libro tres meses antes de que salga oficialmente para que lo lea... elevadísima estoy.

Este es el cuarto libro en la saga y sigue a Daphne y Ajax, la historia es una precuela, si o si se tiene que leer en orden. Al principio no me interesaba mucho la historia de ellos dos porque te la explican en los tres libros anteriores y en si tienen su "cierre", yo quería libros enfocados en otros personajes... *cough* hector *cough* cassandra y orion. Pero me termino gustando... teniendo en cuenta que desde el momento cero sabemos que su historia de amor es una tragedia.

La ultima vez que leí un libro de esta saga tenia alrededor de 16 años y estaba OBSESONADA, la autora mezcla historia griega con mitología griega y otros elementos mágicos, mas que nada se enfoca en la historia de Helena de Troya y la guerra de Troya (básicamente esta saga me dio todo el romance que no conseguía en percy jackson) estos libros siempre van a tener un lugar en mi corazon porque me acuerdo que me re marcaron de chica y los amaba, hasta el día de hoy me siguen pareciendo buenísimos (son un poco cringe pero DEL BUENO)

El libro en si me gusto, sigo un poco confundida de porque lo puso como un #4 en vez de un #0.5 pero quiero creer que es porque los acontecimientos de este libro pueden afectar los siguientes (si, es una precuela técnicamente pero cuando lean el libro me van a entender porque digo lo que digo) hay un par de cosas que no me terminaron de cerrar, puede ser porque hace mucho leí estos libros o la autora lo hizo apropósito para los demás libros... tendré que pegarle una releída a la trilogía principal.

Hubo muchas cosas que me molestaron, pero nada malo en si, también tengo en cuenta que es un ARC y probablemente la autora termine de pulir el libro para cuando salga oficialmente.

Estoy super emocionada por el libro que viene, después de un montón de años sin contenido y de repente BOOM VA A VER MAS LIBROS!!! lo único que pido es que Hector my boy tenga mas protagonismo POR FAVOR JOSEPHINE ANGELINI ESTOY DE RODILLAS

[♥Milica♥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Back when I first read this series all those years ago, I wished that it had more books, and finally my wish was granted. We got not only one, but two new books!!!

This one follows Helen's mother Daphne and her love story with Ajax, so it's sort of a prequel to the original trilogy.

You can read it before or after the main series. If you choose to read it before you'd have no trouble getting into the world because everything is explained well and the mythology is compact.

But I'd still recommend you read it after, because some things happen in Scions that also happen in Starcrossed, so if you read the former first you won't be as surprised when you read the latter.

Also, I think this book is even better when you already know most of the characters and have an existing attachment to them, but feel free to do whatever you feel is right for you.

I'm really glad to see that Josephine Angelini hasn't lost her touch when it comes to this series, and that this book feels natural. It's as if she started writing it immediately after finishing Goddess. Perhaps she did?

The writing style was so beautiful at times that it made me cry (in combination with my love of the characters). There was this description of the light reflecting off of Daphne that really got me. Seems silly when I say it, but you'll know it when you get to it.

Scions is darker than the other books, due to the themes present, so please do check the trigger warnings, in case you need them. I actually wasn't expecting it to be so dark? I knew Daphne had a hard life but all those things with her father...

And the way that it ended is making me hope we'll get a sequel to the prequel? Because there are still some unanswered questions. I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED NEXT. Even though I know what happened next-next BUT YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN.

I enjoyed this book so much, and I absolutely cannot wait for the next one. KEEP 'EM COMING MRS ANGELINI UNTIL I'M OLD AND GRAY. OKAY? OKAY.

*Huge thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review*

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️ rounded up because goddamn it feels good to read new material set in this world 😭 I went into this expecting it to tug on my heartstrings as any prequel featuring doomed lovers would - however I did NOT expect the ending to be as absolutely insane as it was.

the cameos from the characters I know and love so well???? the foreshadowing??? the insight into Daphnes character??? AJAX?????? i am obsessed and very much unprepared to read the rest😭😭😭😭 it is going to ruin me

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not so long ago, when I had lost my love for reading after having to read stuffy Dutch classics in high school, my mom was the one recommending me great YA books to read. Nowadays it's the other way round. However, she read the original Starcrossed trilogy, fell in love and told me to give it a go. I fell in love too and when I saw this fourth book I had to request it on Netgalley and I was so happy I got it! Now I hope that it will be translated to Dutch so my mom can read it too!

Angelini created one of the most original Greek Mythology inspired worlds in history. I've read a lot of retellings over the years and not one reaches this level of uniqueness. And there are only a few with as many endless possibilities for heartbreaking and tragic stories and romances. Because that's what this mythology does: it sets people up for heartbreak. And this book, just like the original trilogy, was not an exception.

I loved how this book shed some new light on the burden of having to wear the pretty face that launched countless ships into war, the war that eventually ended the old Greek society. At times it was sickening, at times it was crossing countless moral borders, but it makes incredibly much sense. On top of that it's a great way to show disgusting behavior by men, even when those men DO believe that whatever they do or say is out of love.

Since this is basically a prequel I believe it's totally possible to read it without ever having read the original trilogy. You miss a few easter eggs and of course you miss out on some dramatic irony and comments that do come and haunt characters later in life, but you will still be able to fully enjoy this heartbreaking romance. Because it does have the full package. Greek Gods, monsters, prophecies, oracles, furies, fate and a few young characters trying to break free from their destiny.

I'm incredibly excited that there's gonna be a fifth book too!

[Anastasia Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

NO SPOILERS.

I was lucky enough to win an ARC of this book and I was over the moon excited to read it.

I have loved this series and re-read it countless times over the years. As always, Josephine's writing brings all the characters to life and you feel like you're with friends and would hurt anyone who would do them wrong.

I absolutely love Daphne and Ajax story, it explains so much of why Daphne is who she is later in the series. Getting to know even more about the Delos family and know who Ajax really was, is beyond amazing. Do you think the Delos clan would adopt me?

I felt the love in this book, it literally pours out of it. I got through the book quite quickly, I literally could not put it down and ended up doing a Joey from friends and put the book down because I didn't want it to end, but it did and now I feel lost, sad and happy all at once. Why Josephine, must you be so talented to make me feel like this.

For anyone who has read the starcrossed series, you will not be disappointed. I am so pleased the series was given a prequel and I cannot wait to read Timeless, the fifth and final book in the series due out next year.

[chev ۫ ꣑ৎ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley, publisher and author for sending me a copy for an honest review.
Firstly, I am really excited to get this ebook on my ereader- for several reasons. Firstly, the Starcrossed series is one of my favourite series. It follows a modern day Helen of Troy. And what I feel this series has done better than the rest of the fantasy series is the main character has human faults and she faces something that we all can relate - what is her purpose here? While Scions follows another main character, the character still shows human faults, which is something I love to see. Genuine and trying to figure who she is today. A solid 5 stars.

[Athena · Rating 5 out of 5]

The way I can't wait for this to come out🙏🏾♥️😍

[Yasmin :) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for giving me this arc! So, I haven't read anything by Josephine Angelini before but after reading this (prequel to her series books) I'm 100%
encouraged to read her other books!!

It was thrilling and the characters really caught my attention especially Ajax hehe. Would definitely recommend to everyone when this book come out :)

[Bookish Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

How do you start a review for a book you've been hoping to get for so long, which exceeded all your high expectations?

Okay, first up: The Starcrossed series is one of the series that have started my passion for reading, as cheesy as it sounds, so I may be a bit biased in this one (though I think rightly so).

Scions is the beginning of the story of Daphne, the mother of the protagonist in Starcrossed. I had very strong - and very negative - feelings towards her in the original trilogy; she's kind of a morally grey character if you think about it. But since I love morally grey characters, this set up the foundation for me loving the book.

Going into it, I didn't have any idea of what the plot could be like - it was just the vibes. But Scions wouldn't be a Josephine Angelini book if there wasn't an intricate plot, well thought out characters and precious character relationships which make you fall in love with them.
And I did, I did so much. I went straight from "oh, maybe I can accept Daphne" to "I will protect this girl with my life" and don't even get me started on Ajax. Because I get it now. I get why everyone in Starcrossed loves him so dearly. I've drawn so many little hearts around his name and underlined to many of his quotes, but here's the one I've shared the most so far: "Tell me your favorite color, Daphne, and I'll paint the sky with it."

I could go on and on about every single aspect of the book, starting from Josephine Angelini's interpretation of Greek mythology, which is the best I've read so far, over the cover and the haptic of the book - but let's settle on the fact that it was an absolute highlight. All my very high expectations were met and surpassed, which makes this book the best prequel I’ve ever read.

I cannot recommend Scions enough and although I'm a fan of reading in order, you most definitely can read it before reading Starcrossed without being confused.

Must-read for all fans of Greek mythology, YA fantasy, powerful female leads, enemies-to-lovers, and captivating and endearing romances!

Thank you to Sungrazer Publishing for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Abby G · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was AMAZING! Being able to read Daphne’s story is so special. It not only gives the reader a great insight into the life she lived before Helen, it also shows how she wanted to change for Helen. I could not put this book down (technically my phone since I read it there) and for great reasons! This book contains so much more background information into Greek mythology and dives into the stories and lives of other greek characters. It was so fun to see some beloved characters as well!! I can’t wait to get my hands on the physical copy!!

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

SCIONS is the perfect prequel, letting us reconnect with a world we already know and love while at the same time adding more to it. Recognizing characters we've met before and getting to know new ones (maybe even making us fall in love with some we never would have considered before), it doesn't even matter that *technically* we already know what has to happen. This was just a lovely read and I am so happy to have been able to get my hands on an ARC - although it makes the wait for the next book of the series so much harder to bear...
In short: definitely worth the wait ;)

[Littlefroggg3 · Rating 4 out of 5]

The romance was sooo cute. That's all I have to say

[Keepreadingwithnina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, wer kennt noch die Göttlich Reihe? Das war früher eine meiner liebsten Jugendbuchreihen, und als ich erfahren habe, dass es dieses Buch gibt – die Vorgeschichte zur Trilogie, in der es um Helens Mutter Daphne geht – war ich sofort Feuer und Flamme. Ich konnte Daphne in der Trilogie nie leiden, aber nach diesem Buch? WOW!!! Ich habe so viele Fragen, und die letzten Seiten haben mich komplett fertig gemacht. Jetzt muss ich die gesamte Trilogie nochmal lesen – und auch die weiteren Bücher, die die Autorin Jahre später veröffentlicht hat!

[Gabby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scions is the prequel to the Starcrossed trilogy, telling the events of Helen’s mother before the original trilogy and in some ways continuing the story (no spoilers from me!).

It had been a while since I last read Starcrossed before going in to Scions, so in many ways I was reading Scions as a new fan — I remember bits and pieces from the original trilogy but not everything.

And I really enjoyed going back to this world. I loved how the prequel was able to stand on its own as its own story (in the larger fabric of the *whole story*) in the way that you didn’t need to read the trilogy to appreciate it/understand it. This really did transport me back to middle school, when I first picked up Starcrossed. It had the vibes (I don’t know how else to explain it lol).

I liked how there were different POV’s — in particular I loved Tal’s. I think some of Josie’s best writing was in those scenes.

Overall, I did really enjoy this. At times I struggled a bit with the pacing and all the names, but it wasn’t a large issue. I would also caution that this book does have some dark themes, and I know that Josephine will be adding in a trigger warning at the beginning of the book on the next print run.

TWs: abuse, assault (sexual), bullying, suicidal ideation & suicide (drowning - briefly described), incest (father is sexually attracted to his daughter), pedophilia (Daphne is perused by people much older than her when she was a minor), violence (some graphic descriptions), death of a parent / parental figure (on and off page), death during childbirth (mentioned)

[Asia · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

I have some thoughts and unfortunately not good ones, which is a shame because I was really excited about this book.



It's been many years since the original trilogy came out but let me tell you this, I LOVED this series. Reread it many times, even my besties read it and we were gushing so much about it!

I don't know if it's because I'm older but I was just cringing a lot when I was reading "Scions". Not a lot of mythology but a lot of drama! At some chapters I was just very uncomfortable with what I was reading her dad, her mom and the sexy stuff with his brothers sleeping in the room .



Also insta-love, again?

Some series need to stay untouched after they "finished". It's the same with TV shows, we don't need 20 seasons because at some point it will go downhill.



But who knows? There's a tiny chance that my mind will change. I'm going to read "Timeless" and hope for the best.

[Alaina]

RTC

[Lara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Parto premettendo che non ci sono spoiler!
Attendevo questo prequel dal 2013 quando Josie ne parlò al festivalletteratura di Mantova. Mi era piaciuto starcrossed city, che già anticipava la storia tra Daphe e Ajax, e prometteva molto bene. Unica pecca... tr corto. Volevo di più. Ed ecco finalmente SCIONS!
Ho finito il libro combattuta tra la voglia di finirlo per sapere come sarebbe successo e la voglia di Non finirlo per farlo durare di più!
Ho amato subito Ajax, impossibile non farlo. Ma la sorpresa ovviamente è stata una Daphne diversa da quella conosciuta nella trilogia. Una Daphne giovane e con un lato inedito, un carattere diverso e mille sfacettature. Lei ci mostrerà dettagli e particolarità di personaggi ed eventi accaduti prima di Starcrossed che potevamo solo immaginare: Tantalus e Castor mi hanno stupito. Molto bello anche il piccolo "cameo" che non vi rivelerò oggi ma vale tutto il libro!
Nel complesso... meraviglioso, ora mi manca tantissimo e non vedo l'ora esca il seguito!
❤
I start with the premise that there are no spoilers!
I've been waiting for this prequel since 2013 when Josie talked about it at the Mantua literature festival. I liked starcrossed city, which already anticipated the story between Daphe and Ajax, and promised very well. The only flaw ... too short. I wanted more. And finally here is SCIONS!
I finished the book torn between the desire to finish it to know how it would happen and the desire not to finish it to make it last longer!
I immediately loved Ajax, impossible not to. But the surprise of course was a different Daphne than the one known in the trilogy. A young Daphne with a new side, a different character and a thousand facets. She will show us details and peculiarities of the characters and events that happened before Starcrossed that we could only imagine: Tantalus and Castor amazed me. Very nice also the little "cameo" that I will not reveal to you today but it is worth the whole book!
Overall ... wonderful, now I miss it so much and can't wait for the sequel to come out!

[Wendy Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being a huge fan of the Starcrossed series and anything Josephine Angelini writes, I couldnt wait to get my hands on this book.
Daphne starts a new school and being "the face" has some troubles with the boys and the girls.
A forbidden love,
Crazy parents
A lovable Uncle
Can Daphne have a life of her own or do the fates really decide.
I wont give any spoilers as this book was truly epic! I loved every sentence written.
Thankyou to Sungrazer Publishing for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review.
Read this....you wont regret it

[Morëlle · Rating 5 out of 5]

My FIRST Starcrossed book and I can assure you that it most definitely won't be the last. I was honestly skeptical about requesting it but when I saw it was the prequel, I said screw it and went ahead with it.

I am honesty THRILLED to be one of the selected few who have read an ARC of this book because it is honestly fantastic.
I adored the world-building, the mythology, the plot, the characters, the scenes, just EVERYTHING I CANNOT EVEN WOW.

It was just straight-up amazing, not gonna lie. Now I'm planning to go read the rest of the series just because I can. Amen.

*** I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley ***

[Dana Al-Basha | دانة الباشا]

In few pages I was pulled into Daphne's world and I felt totally compassionate. I really wanted to see what would happen between Daphne and Ajax after the trains pull away.

[Yara · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Of course Josie knocks the ball out of the park with Scions :) Add this to your TBR’s! You won’t regret it :)

Contains minor spoilers.

I absolutely despised Daphne in the Starcrossed trilogy, so I was really weary of reading Scions (as a Starcrossed prequel starring the infamous Daphne), but within just a couple of chapters, I was already sympathizing with Daphne, and totally understand now why she’s the way she is in the Starcrossed trilogy. By the time Ajax comes in the picture, I’m totally loving Daphne, and her with Ajax? Pure magic.
Daphne grows so much as a character. She learns the importance of friendship and love- Deuce and Harlow, they were great in their own ways. Ajax being blessed by the muses- wow. Ajax’s art, swoon- sky scraper scene, cough cough :) The cameo from Helen and Lucas- perfection 🥰

The setting (mid 90’s nyc) made me feel so wistful. I lived in the city in the early 2000’s, so the city vibe was a bit different post 9/11, but this story setting still helped me reminisce about the good ole’ days :)

Favorite quotes:
Daphne: “It’s impossible for me to keep thinking about what he could meet for the world, when he means more than the world to me.”
Ajax: “Tell me your favorite color, Daphne, and I’ll paint the sky with it.”

[Neela Urban · Rating 3 out of 5]

Die ursprünglichen Trilogie hat meine frühe Jugend sehr geprägt und mein Interesse an griechischer Mythologie erwachen lassen. Deswegen musste ich in dieses Prequel hier zumindest mal rein schauen. Die Vorgeschichte zu lesen war interessant und ich hatte eine gute Zeit. Aber ich weiß nicht ob mich der Plot genug abgeholt hat (oder um die Nostalgie stark genug ist) um jetzt auch noch die weiteren Teile zu lesen. Vielleicht ist es auch okay die Geschichte so in Erinnerung zu behalten wie ich sie als 14-Jährige abgespeichert habe.

[Savannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and the opportunity to get to know the background of characters from the original series. This leaves me incredibly excited and confused. Thankfully the next one is waiting to be read right next to me.

[Kerris James · Rating 5 out of 5]

As this is a prequel I thought it would be safe to read now and not end up crazily impatient for Timeless………I was wrong 😂😂😂😫😫😫

I was scared it wouldn’t live up to the original trilogy or I wouldn’t be able to step back into this world and love it in the same way now I’m older and I’m so happy to have been wrong about that too!

[Izzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have SO many thoughts on this book. Scions surprised me in a lot of ways. I honestly wasn’t expecting to like it to the degree that I did or grow as attached to the character as I did.

So, a teeny bit of background about me and the Starcrossed series: I read the first three books when I was in middle school. These books were like the Harry Potter series of my childhood. Not only did I read these books in middle school, but I continued to reread them throughout junior high, high school, and even once and a while in college when I was going through a slump or feeling nostalgic. I think it’s good practice to reread the books we loved as children. For me at least, it provides a healthy dose of perspective and reminds me of how I’ve changed and in some ways, stayed the same.

Because of my extensive history with this series and sentimental attachment to all its characters, I was pretty much prepared to love this book no matter what. However, I did have some reservations when I first received the ARC. I worried that the world wouldn’t be as I remembered it, that I wouldn’t be able to so effortlessly disappear into it the way I had as a child. I also worried that the characters and storyline wouldn’t be nearly as relatable or as interesting to me as an adult. With these warring thoughts in mind, I started this book and finished it the same night I got it. I read it a few more times after that in order to really immerse myself in the world and its characters and to fully flesh out my thoughts and opinions. And I LOVED it.
In my opinion this book is very different from the last three, aside from the fact that it features different main characters. In all honesty, I was actually prepared to like this book a little less due to the fact that the characters I had grown up with wouldn’t be taking center stage in this one. But in the end, I couldn’t be more glad for the change of pace. The change of characters really allows us as readers to gain more familiarity with the world that Josie had built in Starcrossed by seeing it through the eyes and perceptions of other characters and laying a stronger foundation of what that world looks like in our heads. The continued world building in this book really impressed me, however so did the overall tone of the book.
Daphne is our main character in this book and there was something about her view of the world and the people it contains that really touched me on more of an adult level. I really appreciated the differences between Helen (main character of the last three books) and Daphne as characters and how much of an impact their individual upbringings really had on them as people and shaped their outlooks on life. I thought it was very realistic. I also found myself more so relating to Daphne as a person after getting to know her. I really sympathized with her plight. I also really sympathized with and liked the way that she loved Ajax. Something about the way their interactions are written and the way their relationship is depicted makes me root for them in a different way than I had with Helen and Lucas (the previous couple in the last three books). Considering the fact that the series is generally focused on star crossed lovers, I was a little afraid that Daphne and Ajax’s relationship might just essentially be a copy of Helen and Lucas’ relationship with a few things tweaked here and there, but again, I was pleasantly surprised.
This book very much felt like an evolution of the series, from the tone of the book, to the world building, and even of the characters themselves. Despite this series being marketed more so towards a young adult audience, there are quite a few themes in this series that I think most people can relate to along the lines of family, love, and sacrifice. There were enough familiar faces in this book to inspire that comforting feeling of nostalgia for fans of the last three books in the series, however on the whole, I think Scions carries its own weight as far as plot and characters go. I was really blown away by this book and how well it lived up to and even exceeded my expectations. I am so excited to see the series continue!
Thank you to Sungrazer Publishing for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review.