Reading With Tyler

Name: The Games Gods Play
Series: The Crucible #1
Author: Abigail Owen
Publisher: Entangled: Red Tower Books
Format: Hardback
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Mythology (Greek)
Noted Tropes: Games and Trials, Curses, Enemies to Lovers, Touch her and Die
Steam or Spice: Spice

Rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Review:

I struggled to get my hands on a copy of The Games Gods Play in the UK, but when the stars aligned and I was finally able to get a copy I knew I was going to be diving into it as soon as I could. I only regret the fact that I had a couple of books I wanted to read first and so I didn’t get to read this in November when I got the book.

Mythology provides the base of Abigail Owen’s story, as you’ll recognise the Gods from Greek Mythology – but the author gives them and everyone else a personality which will have you cheering for multiple people all at once. And that’s despite the fact that you know only only one can win the game.

The game of course is The Crucible. An event that happens every 100 years and it is to see which of the Greek Gods will be the King of the Gods for the next 100 years. The Crucible is a selection of labors, each one designed by a God with the ultimate goal of one of the mortals winning enough points to make their patron God, King of the Gods. This time around, Hades shows up and delcares that he is entering – something he doesn’t do – which throws a spanner in the works. But of course the Gods themselves don’t play – that would be too easy. They choose a mortal to play for them.

He chooses our FMC Lyra to represent him in the game. And I really liked Lyra – she was cursed by Zeus as a baby for a reason out of her control, to mean that no one would ever love her. Left with little choice, Lyra enters The Crucible on behalf of Hades and her goal is just to survive it… At first.

I really liked Lyra and Hades, I’m a sucker for a Hades romance apparently because this was right up my alley. I loved their relationship – how it went from reluctant allies to allies to more felt very believable to me. Not only were our FMC and MMC great but Owen created a whole cast of characters (I adore Charon and Cerberus with my whole being) for us to love / hate / tolerate. It’s an impressive feat, to have a cast of characters as big as this. Whilst some fell to the wayside as they weren’t really explored all that much, the ones that were I really enjoyed.

I wasn’t able to give The Games Gods Play a 5 star rating purely down to the ending. I don’t hate the ending at all, I’m so hyped for Book 2 but therein lies the problem. I actually didn’t know this was a series when I purchased it nor when I was reading it… Something start to feel off in the last 50 pages and so I checked Goodreads (properly… as I have a habit of not checking it fully!) and saw that this was in fact the first book in a series (or possibly dulogy?). The sad thing was the last 50 pages were totally rushed and it felt as though the reasoning for book two was shoe-horned in at the end.

Now like I said, I’m still totally hyped for book 2! I included The Things Gods Break in my 2025 releases I’m excited for post over on Instagram because I legit cannot wait! But the rushed ending did pull me out of things a bit and ruin the satisfaction and good feelings I was experiencing up until the reveal at the end. It’s sad, but that’s just how it went.

“If gods could be killed, you’d be the death of me, my star.”