Storm of the Gods by Amy Braun

An excellent book, and a great start to a new series!

Full Disclosure: Percy’s wife and site co-founder, Ivana, was an editor on this book (and absolutely loves it!). She receives no remuneration from sales.

Title: Storm of the Gods
Author: Amy Braun
Series: Areios Brothers, Book 1
Publish Date: September 2018
Cover: Deranged Doctor Design
Genre: Urban fantasy
Source: Purchased

Publisher’s Description: Thirty years ago, the gods of Greek legend returned to the world. Their return restored their powers, which had been spent in a cataclysmic battle with the Titans. With the ancient deities imprisoned in Tartarus, the Olympians now reside in Néo Vasíleio, formerly known as California.

Twenty-four-year-old Derek Aerios is a war scion, a descendant of Ares, the God of War. He and his brother, eighteen-year-old Liam, capture mythological creatures and rogue scions as part of Ares’s elite military force. As he struggles to cope with his violent powers and the scars of a traumatic childhood, Derek tries to keep the two vows he has made: protect his brother and never kill a human again.

But when Ares forces him to hunt and kill four rogue scions under Athena’s control—by threatening Liam’s life—Derek chooses to go after the scions in order to save his brother and keep his promise to himself.

Yet the closer Derek gets to the scions, the more he realizes that his orders are part of a deeper conspiracy that put him at odds with his mission and his conscience. Athena may not be the enemy, a traitor could be in their midst, and the Titans could be closer to freedom than ever before.

Possible spoilers beyond this point.

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Percy Procrastinator says…

This is an action book. It starts with the brothers returning from a hunt for a mythological creature that was running loose. However, they are attacked by other scions from another region and soon have many questions.

The battle scenes are so much fun. These are demigods using a lot of power, throwing around fire, lightning, and other abilities that have been granted from their heritage. However, when it comes to actual killing, all of the scions do hold back from actually doing that. Sure, they will blast each other with their fire or harden their skin for powerful blows, but they don’t fully kill. It becomes a big moment in the book when killing is considered. I liked that.

The action continues as they are quickly given a new mission from Ares, the god whose blood flows through them, giving them their powers: find out who attacked them, what they were after, and stop them. Recover anything they had taken. It’s a wild ride across all of the different gods’ domains.

The small complaint I have is that we never get into deep background. But instead of a negative, it makes me more curious about the area. Why did the Greek gods pick California to rule? Why limit themselves in that regard? Are the other pantheons real? Will we find more scions?

Derek and Liam find themselves crossing into the other areas, making uneasy alliances, and learning about themselves as they dig deeper and deeper into the mystery of why Athena did what she did, what the end game is, and what will happen to them if they go against Ares?

All during the read, I was pulled into the world. Again, I’m given just enough to hint a bigger picture and want to know more. I liked the brothers, and while it almost veered into some twenty-something angst, it never quite got to the point that I find annoying.

A solid five and I look forward to the next book!

Full Disclosure: Percy’s wife and site co-founder, Ivana, was an editor on this book (and absolutely loves it!). She receives no remuneration from sales.