Tagged: oracle of delphi
Novella: Hero, Cursed by Diantha Jones
(Cover picture courtesy of Goodreads.)
Before he knew the Oracle.
Before he knew the Quad.
Before the Great Unknown threatened his world.
He was a hero, cursed forever.Shunned by a family that doesn’t understand him, demigod Lenka Tahile aka “Swindle” is a complete loner and he likes it that way. Then he meets the hero, Ace Remedy, the brother of an infamous demigod Prince, and his life goes from bad to worse. Ace is loud, rude, and disruptive to his peaceful existence in every way. He’s also hilarious and daring, and Swindle ends up finding a friend just when he thought he’d never have another.
But little does he know, becoming friends with Ace was all part of the Fates’ plan. Now his past is slowly coming back to haunt him and there’s nothing he can do to stop it. Nothing but try not to bring to light the lost love, the failed hopes, and the cursed existence that he would kill to keep in the dark.
[Full disclosure: I requested and received a free ebook from the author in exchange for an honest review.]
Just as a side note, this is book #3.5 in the Oracle of Delphi series so you do have to read Prophecy of Solstice’s End first unless you want to be disappointed by massive spoilers.
One of the characters that has always intrigued me the most in the Oracle of Delphi series (other than Chloe and Strafford) has been Swindle. He’s the son of Hermes but was cursed because of Hermes’ decisions. Lots of awful things that have happened to him are not his fault, but in Hero, Cursed we learn some about some awful things that were his fault and see how he carries the guilt around.
I loved not only getting to see how Swindle got involved in the Quad prior to the main series, but also some of his other lives, including as a member of the Argonauts with legends like Jason, Caster, Pollux and Atalanta. His adventures with them were fascinating and when you compare how he was then to how he is in the modern era, you can definitely see that he is not the same every time he’s reincarnated. He’s a totally different person but he retains some of his memories from his past lives, just enough to torture him. I particularly liked seeing how he initially reacted to the curse; he took things far better than I would, that’s for sure.
Not only did we get to see Swindle fleshed out way more than he is in the main series, we get to learn a lot more about Apollo’s nefarious plans and how Swindle actually got involved in Chloe’s bodyguard. I don’t want to give too terribly much away but needless to say that he’s not necessarily the most willing participant in Apollo’s schemes. It will be interesting taking that knowledge into the fourth book Prophecy of the Betrayed Heir if only to see whether or not Swindle will defy Apollo and ignore his threats or keep his secrets and potentially harm his friends.
The plot was fast-paced and although the time frames jumped because of Swindle’s different lives, it was a very logical and clear flow. We didn’t suddenly jump from Jason and the Argonauts to Swindle’s fateful dream as Inis. No, the different time frames were clearly marked and the order they were put in was logical. (I know I keep emphasizing that but logical flow is something that seems to be lacking from a lot of POV-swapping books.) The plot advanced quickly but we were given information in little chunks throughout the novella so as not to slow it down. There was no sudden info-dump anywhere, thankfully, and the cliffhanger at the ending was very intriguing.
Basically, Hero, Cursed is a great addition to the main Oracle of Delphi series and it has whetted my appetite for book four. I can’t wait!
I give this novella 5/5 stars.
The Month in Re-Reads (#1)
In addition to reading 14 new books this month, I had quite a bit of time to re-read some old favourites. It’s rare that I have enough time to actually read books more than once so I took advantage of it and re-read 10 awesome books, 1 short story and a novella. Here are the ones I read again here in January:
1. Prophecy of the Most Beautiful by Diantha Jones
I loved the first three books of the Oracle of Delphi series so much that I made a concerted effort to re-read all three. The first time around Prophecy of the Most Beautiful was awesome, but it’s even better as a re-read because I saw all the little hints Diantha Jones planted in the story for the later books. With Prophecy of the Betrayed Heir coming out in September I needed to re-read the series anyway to remind myself who everyone is.
2. Prophecy of the Setting Sunrise by Diantha Jones
This is another book that was even better the second time around. The end had been just a little confusing the first time around because I read the first book and this one so far apart. But after refreshing my memory I really appreciated all the plot twists of this novel as well as some of the foreshadowing for the third book.
3. Prophecy of Solstice’s End by Diantha Jones
Reading the third book just makes me even more eager for book four! I stayed up late to finish this one even though I’ve obviously read it once before. The best books are even better the second time around and Prophecy of Solstice’s End is one such book. One of my favourite parts of the book was the portrayal of all the Greek gods, particularly Zeus.
4. Solar, Defeated by Diantha Jones
After finishing the first three books in the series I still had a craving for more of Diantha Jones’ fantastic world. Enter Solar, Defeated, which is the Oracle of Delphi #2.5. It fills in a lot of the gaps in Strafford’s story and makes his awful behaviour in the beginning seem a little more logical.
5. The Devil’s Concubine by Jill Braden
Remember how I absolutely gushed about this book? Well, I’m back to gushing again after re-reading it! This time around I really appreciated all the subtle hints Jill Braden gave about the Ravidians’ plot as well as about QuiTai’s past. The plot was just as suspenseful as it was the first time around and I think this will be a book I’ll re-read at least once a year from now on. It’s that good.
6. The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
The Iron Fey series is sort of my guilty pleasure now. I actually like the love triangle in this one and Julie Kagawa’s world of faeries is fantastic. I’ll admit that her book is not the most original but it’s still good and it’s one that I like to re-read from time to time since this was actually the first book I’d read featuring faeries. It brings back good memories.
7. The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa
Every once in a while I like to indulge my usually deeply buried romantic side and The Iron Fey series always hits the spot. Forbidden love, attractive men and a heroine who actually learns how to kick butt at a natural pace all make this one of my favourite re-reads.
8. The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa
This is probably my favourite one in the Iron Fey series that features Meghan. She really grows as a person in this one and Ash does as well. They start to overcome their differences and finally admit just how much they really love one another. And it has such a cliffhanger that you can’t help but read The Iron Knight as well.
9. Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence
Who can resist the snarky, ruthless and occasionally sadistic main character of Mark Lawrence’s debut novel? Jorg is at the top of my list of all-time favourite characters, even if he really is a horrible, broken human being. I finished the last book in his trilogy not too long ago so it was nice to go back now and see how much he really had changed by the end.
10. The Return Man by V. M. Zito
I read this book pretty much exactly a year ago so it was nice to re-read it for the first time and enjoy my favourite characters again. I had forgotten how much I loved Wu and Marco and their gory adventures through the zombie-infested Evacuated States. The Return Man is one of my favourite books of all time and I was glad I had time to read it again this month.
11. Kiya: Hope of the Pharaoh by Katie Hamstead
After reading Kiya: Mother of a King and still being anxious for the third book I decided to go back and read the first book. I liked it just as much as I did the first time around, but for different reasons. The hints that Katie Hamstead dropped for the rest of the series and the characterization were all good enough for me to overlook some minor historical inaccuracies.
12. Short Story: Feyland: The First Adventure by Anthea Sharp
I had to re-read this prequel to the Feyland series again because I didn’t review it the first time I read it. I didn’t want to rely so much on my memory from a few months ago, but I didn’t need to worry. It’s just as good the second time around as it was the first.
Cover Reveal: Hero, Cursed by Diantha Jones
Before he knew the Oracle…
Diantha Jones was born the day thousands of turkeys sacrificed their lives to fill millions of American bellies on November 22 which also happened to be Thanksgiving Day (Her mother says she owes her a turkey). She is a Journalism graduate who wants to be a career novelist (of books, not Facebook posts). When not writing or working, she is reading on her Nook, being hypnotized by Netflix or on a mission to procure french fries.
The Oracle of Delphi fantasy series is her first series. She is also the author of Mythos: Stories from Olympus, a companion series, and there is another fantasy series in the works. She also writes (new) adult fantasy/paranormal romance under the name A. Star. Invasion (An Alien Romance) is her first title released under this pen name. Future releases under A. Star include, Mythos: Gods and Lovers series, the Love & Steampunk series, the Purr, Inc. stories, and more.
Prophecy of Solstice’s End by Diantha Jones
(Cover picture courtesy of Goodreads.)
Summer Solstice is here. Let the games begin.
Nothing but lies (some of them her own) and deceit have brought Chloe to Olympus for the Solstice Olympic Games. As the Oracle and the special guest of the King of Myth, Chloe becomes immersed in a life of unfathomable luxury, taunting history, and overwhelming excitement. Though scheming and untrustworthy, the gods remain on their best behavior as the tension and anticipation builds around the outcome of the Quest of the Twelve Labors, the deadliest competition of the Games. All seems well on the celestial front…until athletes start turning up dead and a philosopher missing for months returns with a most terrifying story…
But that’s not all.
As Strafford confronts his troubled past and more is learned about the Great Unknown Prophecy, Chloe grows close to another, setting off a chain of events that will bring her face-to-face with a truth that will rock both of her worlds to their core.
And it’ll all happen before Solstice’s end…
[Full disclosure: I received a free ebook copy from Diantha Jones as part of her blog tour in exchange for an honest review.]
With the first two books in the Oracle of Delphi series achieving high levels on the ‘awesome book’ scale I thought it would be hard for Prophecy of Solstice’s End to measure up. Yet Diantha Jones keeps surprising me over and over again. Once again, this book is better than the last one! And considering how much I loved Prophecy of the Setting Sunrise, that’s even more of an accomplishment.
I love how Chloe and Strafford’s relationship intensity is cranked up to 11 throughout the book. They’ve sort of settled into the whole being in a relationship idea and what results is whole new levels of commitment on both their parts as well as more drama later on. I can’t go into much more detail without giving anything away, but let’s just say that with the passion comes doubt and misunderstandings when Chloe joins Strafford in Myth.
One of my many favourite parts of Diantha Jones’ whole series is how she portrays the gods and goddesses from the Greek myths. Apollo is manipulative even with his own children, Hera hangs on every display of affection from her husband, Zeus is a scheming letch, etc. They’re portrayed as essentially the same people they were in the myths only now they’re in the modern day and are a huge threat to Chloe as the new Pythia. I also like how the children of the gods reflect their parents’ personalities, especially in the case of Aphrodite’s daughters. What was more interesting than how the gods were portrayed was the dynamic between them and their children. Some of the demigods fully accept their roles as heroes while others like Strafford are obviously questioning them. It certainly makes for lots more tension in Myth.
As with her last two books, Diantha Jones kept throwing twist after twist into the plot that blindsided me completely. The Regalis Stella problem from the last book? That’s not resolved yet either and in fact the problem is cranked up to 11 in Prophecy of Solstice’s End. In addition to that, Apollo’s war with Zeus is looming and it’s not as simplistic as it would seem. To be fair, nothing is simplistic in Prophecy of Solstice’s End and that’s one of the strengths of the Oracle of Delphi series: it keeps you guessing as to what’s going to happen next. And with that massive cliffhanger at the end of the book in the epilogue I’ll be left guessing about what will happen in Prophecy of the Betrayed Heir, the next book.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
Solar, Defeated by Diantha Jones
(Cover picture courtesy of Goodreads.)
From the moment Strafford Law saw Chloe Clever, he knew he was destined to love her forever. But a dishonorable past and a bleak future threaten to destroy him before he gets the chance.
Looking back, he recalls his life before it came crashing down around him…a time when the one he now loathes most of all was the one he adored more than anything.
SPOILER ALERT: Read as Oracle of Delphi #2.5! YOU’VE BEEN WARNED.
[Full disclosure: I received a free ebook copy from Diantha Jones as part of her blog tour in exchange for an honest review.]
Ooh, we finally get to learn more about our tortured, broody Sun Prince! I won’t call myself a fangirl, but the fact that Strafford has changed so much by being in love with Chloe makes him one of my favourite love interests ever. I mean, in pretty much every YA book out there the dark, tortured love interest is still a jerk by the end of the book/series. That’s definitely not the case and Solar, Defeated provides a lot more insight into how Strafford fell into disgrace amongst other demigods and became said tortured, broody Sun Prince.
A lot of novellas that connect to series are boring and don’t really provide much of an addition to the story, but Diantha Jones has stayed away from that trap. We learn things we otherwise probably wouldn’t in the series and seeing things strictly from Strafford’s point of view is great. His decisions make sense from his point of view and his emotions feel more…real. It’s much easier to connect with him after reading Solar, Defeated because we get to see more of his flaws. (His main one being hubris, something we all suffer from occasionally.)
If you’re enjoying the Oracle of Delphi series and just can’t get enough of the moody, protective and incredibly attractive Strafford Law, I’d highly recommend this tie-in. It’s definitely worth your time.
I give this book 5/5 stars.