I was not expecting what I ended up reading, for great reasons and some less-than-stellar reasons. In this book, the 'Gods' are actually humans with Elemental powers who have been given names based on those powers. Zeus is our main character, a superhero with lightning abilities, while the LI and other MC, Prometheus is (ironically) ice-leaning: he can create ice. But in reality, they're both just Danny Grant and Malcolm (Mal) Cho, open rivals and secret lovers who are so suited together despite being on opposite sides of the 'good vs. evil' spectrum in Olympus City. Even greater threats loom for the two of them, though, when a new dark-leaning god sets their sights on Danny and Mal. But they're both already breaking at the seams, can they find a way to hold themselves together before its all too late and they lose not only each other but their lives and the home they both love?



Knowing what I know now about this book, would I still read it if I went back in time?
Yes!


 See below for the four criteria I use to decide whether and when to read a book



CHARACTERS: I felt this book ended up being more of a character study than an action/superhero book. While I of course wished for more action, the characters are absolutely a highlight and worth the read. Danny, like his powers, is a spark upon the page. He's fierce, intense, under constant pressure from being a detective by day and superhero by night. On every page you can see his simmering emotions and how liable to blow he is at any given moment. The way he's written is utterly dazzling and one of the best parts of this book. Every time we see him it's breathtaking trying to keep up with him, what he'll do, how he'll react, what he'll say, how quickly he'll spark and fizzle out only to ignite again. I was truly dazzled reading him. Not only that, but he's vulnerable and he can't help but be vulnerable, both with his friends and even with his rival, Mal. He's mesmerizing to read. Mal, though having a few more years beneath him than Danny, feels so brilliantly opposite to Danny. Sure, they aren't quite fire and ice, but there's a steadiness to his character that allows Danny to spark and spark and spark against him and he's fireproof against Danny. Except he isn't. Even Mal lets his vulnerabilities out, whether he chooses to or not. I adored reading the scenes with both of them on the page, especially the manner with which they both chose to come together as more than just rivals, but secret lovers.



PLOT: There's a lot less action in this book than I'd imagined, which I'll admit was a bit disappointing. As such, this book is more on the slow- to medium-paced side, rather than fast. The intensity comes from the characters and their interplay. For example, Mal is planning a heist that takes most of the book for us to actually see, whereas I would have expected to see him and Danny both out in the field a lot more. The scenes will also jump timelines (a bit like Danny when he lightning-jumps in the story), so it feels rather backstory heavy at the beginning. It took me a little bit to get through the first 50 pages. Ultimately, Danny is trying keep himself together, uncover a new evil lurking in their city, and decide how he wants to handle his hatred and passion for Mal all at the same time. Meanwhile, Mal, who only cares about taking care of his portion of the city, finds himself inextricably linked into it all because of his ties with Danny. In the end of this first part of a duology, the heroes barely escape knowing that there is so much worse more to come.




EMOTIONAL INTENSITY: There is no good/bad here. Sometimes I just want a low-investment entertainment read whereas other times a high-stakes 'I need a therapist to recover' is what I need.

3:5:/medium. Although I did feel that by the end we'd moved up to 4:5/high. Especially with the internal tension in Danny's character as he struggles with depression and anger issues that are all too real.




CATHARTIC FULFILLMENT: Is the emotional journey worth it? Do I finish this book feeling that I've crested the wave of the climactic moment and everything has been settled, leaving me settled and fulfilled? 

90%. I wanted just a wee little bit more from the end, but I'm grateful that we didn't have any scenes where we had to fade to black, because we have my favorite dual POV (technically triple) because we end up with the omniscient POV for the antagonist as well every now and then. But otherwise, wow did it deliver. At one point I whooped aloud and said "now we're talking!"