Lovely War

The Greek gods are at odds. Hephaestus has caught his wife, Aphrodite, with Ares. Hephaestus tells her she will be brought before the Greek gods to determine her fate–or she could accept the judgment issued by him. She takes his offer and shares a story about war, love, patience, and acceptance to sway his opinion and prove her innocence. This story is about Hazel and James, who meet shortly before James goes off to war, and a story about Collette and Aubrey, who both have their own trials they must face. Aphrodite’s story is ultimately about the changes brought about by war and the love that remains through it all.

The narration by the Greek gods provides an original style of storytelling. Just seeing Ares, the god of war, or Hades, the god of the underworld, causes such anxiety at the beginning of a chapter. The horrors of the time and the ends to which the characters strive to maintain something wonderful in their lives attest to the research the author completed to weave such a heart-achingly beautiful story. This book is for anyone who has loved historical fiction by Ruta Sepetys or Alan Gratz. It’s just gorgeous.