Barbara's Booky Blog

This is the most confusing story I have ever read. It starts out in 1080 AD with warring factions of Gods. We have Abaddon, Siena, Theria, Cerberus and Pandora. Pandora is Cerberus' wife but she is sleeping with his brother, Abaddon. Abaddon has the hots for Theria (his sister). Theria has the hots for Cerberus, her brother. The only one not included in all this incestuousness is Siena.

The story moves to Australia in 2001 with Grace and her family. We get a quick introduction to Grace and her imaginary friend, Hope, an angel and not imaginary at all. And of course, her parents Kate and Brian. The story leaps forward in time three years when Grace is 12 and her father is dead. Enter officer Wade who comes to tell the family that Brian has been killed in a mining accident. Now there is absolutely no build up to Wade, he just appears, gives the news and apparently moves in and makes himself at home, comforting Grace and fixing breakfast each morning while Kate suffers her grief quietly. WTF! I understand that Wade is some kind of angel but where did he come from and how does he seamlessly join this family without any question from either Grace or Kate. It almost seems like they are spellbound or hypnotized.

There is absolutely no obvious connection between the two story lines and they never converge. The story starts with the Gods, switches to Grace and ends with an interesting incestuous encounter between the Gods.

Oh I almost forgot to mention the two instances where someone reminiscences about two past lives in the 1700s where she and her family dies horrible deaths. Some female morphs into these dream sequences(?) and I assume it's Grace but who really knows. Again no connection to either story line.

Grace is an interesting character but the story is way too confusing for my little mind. I don't have the wherewithal to continue this series. Though I don't want to leave you with a totally negative view of this book, so I will say that I loved the imagery. The author described things in such detail that it was almost like being there. I also liked Grace and her story just not how it was presented - all choppy and disjointed. And of course, there was absolutely nothing to like about the self-serving Gods but that's not really a revelation.