The Games Gods Play by Abigail Owen (ARC Review)

Title: The Games Gods Play
Author: Abigail Owen
Type: Fiction
Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Romantasy
Publisher: Entangled: Red Tower Books
Date published: September 3, 2024

A complimentary physical copy of this book was kindly provided by Kaye Publicity and Red Tower Books in exchange for an honest review.

The gods love to toy with us mere mortals. And every hundred years, we let them…

I have never been favored by the gods. Far from it, thanks to Zeus.

Living as a cursed office clerk for the Order of Thieves, I just keep my head down and hope the capricious beings who rule from Olympus won’t notice me. Not an easy feat, given San Francisco is Zeus’ patron city, but I make do. I survive. Until the night I tangle with a different god.

The worst god. Hades.

For the first time ever, the ruthless, mercurial King of the Underworld has entered the Crucible—the deadly contest the gods hold to determine a new ruler to sit on the throne of Olympus. But instead of fighting their own battles, the gods name mortals to compete in their stead.

So why in the Underworld did Hades choose me—a sarcastic nobody with a curse on her shoulders—as his champion? And why does my heart trip every time he says I’m his?

I don’t know if I’m a pawn, bait, or something else entirely to this dangerously tempting god. How can I, when he has more secrets than stars in the sky?

Because Hades is playing by his own rules…and Death will win at any cost.

⤖ My Review ⬻

I was very intrigued by the premise of The Games Gods Play by Abigail Owen! While the idea of a mortal and a god being paired up isn’t exactly novel, it sounded to me like a very fun mix of romance and action, so I couldn’t wait to dive in. I had high hopes for an exciting, fast-paced read.

Having read The Games Gods Play now, I can say that there was definitely a lot of action (which I was happy about considering the emphasis on “games” in the book title, and also the emphasis placed on all of the challenges the champions have to participate in). The tournament-style structure really delivered in terms of tension and excitement, and if you’re a fan of books where characters face off in various creative challenges, this is absolutely the book for you!

I also enjoyed the settings used in the story. I could picture the environments vividly, which added a lot to the overall reading experience. That said, I would have liked a little bit more romance woven into The Games Gods Play. The chemistry between the main characters was definitely there, but I found myself wanting it to take up a bit more space. However, I understand why the pacing was what it was (I’ll say no more to avoid spoilers!).

All in all, I had fun reading The Games Gods Play and will definitely be reading the sequel when it comes out! The mix of thrilling challenges and an intriguing dynamic between the leads has me curious to see where the story goes next. If you’re in the mood for a fantasy full of high-stakes games with a dash of romance, this is one to check out!