Courting War by Hazel St. Lewis is a wonderful book.

This book is perfect for a tragic love story fan such as I am. This book got a little bit of enemy turn to lover, slow burn, high sexual tension, action packed, suspense, angst, secret, betrayal, heart breaking moments and lots of tears. I was bawling at the end of the book. As the author said, the book got spicy scene but a mild one which is 2.5 chili pepper level.

I loved how refreshing every characters are such as Kellyn have a dyslexia which is my first time encounter which such a character and it is a good awareness. The deadly tournament called Sacrifice make me feel a Hunger Game vibe while reading this book which brings the suspense and thriller. And I loved how this story got a lot of family secret and every plot twist.

I'll definitely be looking forward towards Hazel St. Lewis and waiting for the next book.

Great kickoff of what looks like will be a series of books in this world!

Courting War is primarily the story of Kellyn and Theo, but I loved the extended world that was build around their friends and other relationships! Cecile and Destruction were my favorites, I want more from them in the next book please.

What I loved:

I loved Kellyn as a character. I’m a fan of non-toxic men who aren’t afraid to have friends and care about people in their lives! He also isn’t afraid to ask for help once he gets over his parent’s expectations. His disability was portrayed very well and it was great to see him grow and accept himself!

Friendships between Kellyn, Cecile, and Emmett, I love a good trio, and I appreciate that Cecile wasn’t a romantic interest for Kellyn or Emmett. She’s got her own story to tell here, so I’m glad she didn’t get a romantic subplot in this book.

Destruction. Loved her whole arc!

What I liked:

The relationships between the gods. I loved seeing the gods play off of each other. Especially the sisters. Their motivations are desires are so complicated, I wish we had more time to dive into the ins and outs of why they are behaving the way that they do. I hope this is expanded on in future books!

Medusa’s storyline was a nice touch of growth for Theo, I’m glad that whole arc happened to help humanize her a bit more!

What I hope to see in the next book:

The plot flew by in this book, 300 pages didn’t feel like enough to have the depth I craved so badly in this story! I want more! Tell me more about Kellyn’s family, I want to really hate his parents, give me more time with those emotional moments with Theo and Kellyn! More little moments to flesh the world and story out will really help breathe additional depth into the world. I really hope we get that in the next book!

NetGalley Note: I also would love to see a couple edits to the beginning of the book, I think Gallagher gets introduced twice at the beginning? It adds a bit of confusion to the start but that goes away through the book.


Overall, a strong debut into a world that I’m curious to explore even more.

I love the premise of the book and the characters. It was difficult to get into at first but we did it. There are a few times there is a disconnect wither with characters in a room then suddenly somewhere else with no explanation or conversations happening with ppl in a room who shouldn't be overhearing it and suddenly those ppl are gone.

I wish it would have been longer. For real connections between reader and book. But as a short story it's good.

I will absolutely read more to see how the story continues because I love it and I'm interested in watching this author grow.

I received this book as an ARC and I leave this review of my own honest opinion. First I absolutely love reading books about gods and their powers. This book delivered in spades on that. It was a wonderful read with an exciting world and different take on the trials experience. It has multiple POVs that really allow you to see how the characters truly feel and interact. Enjoyed the story and would recommend!

Thank you NetGalley and Hazel St. Lewis for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review. If you are a lover of Mythology, Throne of Glass, and/or The Hunger Games, then look no further Courting War should definitely be your next read. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The pacing was a bit slow at first, mostly as a consequence of world building, but once the story found its footing it was impossible to put down. There were lots of jarring plot twists and turns throughout the book. I found the characters super interesting and I was really invested in their fates. Theo is such a great morally grey female protagonist, who goes through a ton of character development from the beginning of the book to the end. The story had a great balance of adventure and romance, and felt equally character driven and plot driven. I love that this book works as a stand-alone. I think it sets a great foundation for future stories set in the same world and I look forward to seeing what Hazel St. Lewis has in store!

Thank you for providing this ARC through NetGalley. This book was absolutely incredible. I will be recommending this one to my friends when it releases. I really liked how the FMC was the one thousands of years old, I loved Theo’s growth, and the ending left me wanting the next book already. I will definitely be reading Hazel St. Lewis’s next book!

Fun and fast paced, I do wish it would be told in the blurb that there is multiple pov since I thought it were single.

3.5 stars that I’ll round up. The Greek mythology in this book was really fun and well-done. It’s not something I’m usually into, but the book made me enjoy it immensely. The FMC was fabulous… strong-willed, deeply flawed, and troubled. Her path to retribution was so lovely and heartfelt to read. I love that this was a standalone within a greater series… the 5 book romantasy series gets really tiresome. I wish the book had been grittier at times but overall I thoroughly enjoyed it and absolutely would recommend. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

This. Was. Excellent!
First: The dedication at the front of this book is absolute gold.
Hazel St. Lewis‘s writing is incredibly descriptive, and such a joy to read.

This is one seriously epic story, the plot was so clever and well-developed, and flowed well.
I loved the concept of ‘The Hunger Games’ with Gods thrown in (along with other mythological influences).
The slow burn, enemies-to-lovers tropes were executed so well. The ‘forbidden love’ element added an extra layer to the main characters that I didn’t know I needed, too.
I would recommend Read the authors note in its entirety before proceeding, it includes all TWs and reasons for some language used.
I would wholeheartedly recommend this book.

I can’t wait for it to be released, and I’m fully up for reading the rest of this series. It’s epic!

I finished this in just a few hours, I couldn’t stop reading it!

Dual POV- Enemies to Lovers - Disability Rep - Spice

I mean COME ONNNN. The perfect mix of tropes and the author did an incredible job with them. I didn’t find myself bored or trying to skim at any part.

This was a great spin on Gods and Goddesses and for once the female lead is morally grey and a thousand years old compared to the male lead who is young and morally sound. The tempo was perfect as was the length. The one thing that bothered me was the word "drawers", not panties, underwear, lingerie...drawers. I picture a specific non-sexy clothing item when I read that. That aside, though, the book was really good. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys Greek God myths or the like.

I really enjoyed this book. It started out a little slow. But it picked up quickly and I really enjoyed it. The main characters were really enjoyable and I can’t wait it read more.

I really enjoyed this one! I was apprehensive in the beginning but then the story just kept evolving and I couldn’t stop reading. It’s a very unique storyline and I feel like it was a breath of fresh air, of something I hadn’t read before. I enjoyed the goddess of war and her character development throughout the book. I also appreciated the classic Greek elements scattered throughout that made it feel raw.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great fantasy novel. It was a great start to a new series. The gods in this book were very interesting and I cannot wait to read more.