I think this was a good debut, and I think this author has tons of potential and will definitely be following her works in the future.

This book got a little clunky, and the pacing got a little touch and go here and there, but for the most part I had a really great time!

I didn’t realize I had been approved for this arc otherwise I would’ve dived into it ASAP. I had been hoping for approval and really missed the ball on this one. I will be purchasing on my own as I’ve missed the window to download and review the arc I had been originally sent. I apologize.

Love that it was a Hades and Persephone retelling!! The characters were okay, Topp’s miscommunication really got to me! Loved the Banter though! The fantasy aspect definitely outweighs the romance which I was okay with but the plot just seemed a bit slow paced in my opinion.

This book was a thrilling ride from start to finish! The world-building was immersive, and the plot was packed with action, intrigue, and supernatural twists. The characters were strong and well-developed, each adding something unique to the story. The pacing was perfect, keeping me hooked the whole way through. A fantastic read for fans of dark fantasy and urban fantasy alike!

The plot was intriguing but the story itself felt a bit slow to me. I enjoyed the banter between topp and elysia but for some reason had difficulty connecting much to the characters.

Another Hades and Persephone retelling? Sign me up. I love that story, and for the most part I enjoy the retellings. Battelle has created a retelling that is interesting and just a bit dark. The fantasy element in this book outweighs the romance part - which for me is fine, and it is a bit different from the other retellings of this classic tale of twisted and forbidden love. I found the world building to be done very well, beautifully descriptive.
I can't wait for more.

Such a good read! I enjoyed this book a lot. The characters were compelling, and so many secrets were there! Elysia was a firecracker, and I loved it! I even started to enjoy the banter between the two sisters, Elysia and Beatriz. Topp, on the other hand, kind of frustrated me at times. If he had just COMMUNICATED, things would have been so different! But of course, he's a guy, soooo.. The ending is what really got me going. It really started picking up and getting tense! Now I can't wait for the next book to come out!

I will be honest....I almost DNF'ed this book at about 39% in. Instead I set it aside for a couple weeks and then finally made myself come back to continue reading and I am glad I did. The entire second half of the book had me hooked. The first half of the book was mostly world building and character introduction. While I enjoyed the writing style of the author and our main character it was hard to stay engaged in the book when I wasn't even sure what the plot was. By about 50% in it becomes more clear and more plot driven. You start to root for characters and understand the mystery some more. It is a shame that it has such a slow start because I do think that will discourage some people from reading it but I am here to say stick with it. All the build up is worth it and the author has definitely set up for a strong sequel.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This book is effing amazing. love the story line and the world building and the concept about magic. it was so good.
Elysia is such a character. The book hooked me from the first sentence. the situation was complex deadly and epic at the same time. Amazing Read!!!

Love this dark fantasy retelling and the worldbuilding.
It had great themes of forbidden magic, secrets, hidden Identity, and feminine rage.
Loved that the pacing increased with the action too, the twists and turns, and the foreshadowing.
I enjoyed Elysia's complexity, strength, and magic, and her interactions with love interests.
This had great tension, conflicted feelings and kept me intrigued.

Started off really interesting and I honestly thought I was going to love it. It just 75% of the way through wasn't for me. I couldn't get through it and it just felt like it was going in circles.

I was lucky enough to receive an advanced copy of this book. I gave this 3.75 stars.

I really enjoyed the story and the cliffhanger made me so excited and anxious for the next book. The story started off pretty slow and due to all the details I honestly considered “soft” DNFing because I wasn’t in the mood for a long detailed fantasy. I’m glad I stuck with it. At 50% the story really picks up and the last 20% of the book is packed full of action. I’m interested to see what direction the series will go in. Thank you for the ARC

the book was slow to get into but in the last 35% i was hooked!! i loved the political drama and all of the morally grey characters.

Undead Gods was a definite page turner for me. Elysia Parker is such a great main character—flawed but strong, with so much depth. The world of Kava is gritty and dark, and the story is packed with twists that kept me guessing.

I enjoyed the back and forth romance and the way it tied into her curse, but there are sooo many questions I have that I can't wait to find out more. The side characters really added so much to the story, too. It’s a perfect mix of danger, magic, and mystery. If you’re into dark, moody fantasy with great characters, you’ll love this one!

The Undead Gods by Caitlyn Battelle has a solid premise and interesting characters but something about the pacing feels off throughout the tale. I couldn't really put my finger on it but it was keeping me from getting fully invested

I do think that this will be a good read for those who enjoy Hades and Persephone retelling where there is a medium level of spice.

I love the premise but don't think this was for me. I don't mind miscommunication as a trope but it infuriated me here. I also felt like we were going in circles a lot.

This book!!!
This is the perfect mix of dark & moody fantasy with the added allure of forbidden magic!
Filled to the brim with secrets, lies & magic, Undead Gods is everything you want a dark Romantasy novel to be and more.
The world building was gorgeous and the politics really added to the tension of the story.
Learning about Elysia’s past was gut wrenching and definitely allowed you as a reader to better understand her decision making surrounding her curse.
The friendships in this book are everything! (get yourself a friend that will capture the sun for you)
Talk about a cliffhanger!

Memorable Moments
🗝️ Welcome to Kava, where the undead gods neither hear nor care, but you'd best pray to them anyway lest they curse you with their gifts.  
🗡️ She collected secret after secret with no one the wiser. Because no one pays attention to sweet, soft girls in the corner.  
🗝️ Because Elysia Parker never did things by halves.
🗡️ “Hello, sweet liar”

Undead Gods started so strong, and the synopsis sounded like something I would love. The premise is so interesting and I loved the gas lamp fantasy elements. The main issue for me was that the story and the characters felt like they didn't go anywhere. There was no motivation to like any of the characters. The way the story was structured made all the characters feel unbelievable for me. The first fourth of the book felt like I was just meeting characters that I was supposed to feel for and just supposed to believe in a complex relationship that they had with Elysia instead of it being shown through the story. I felt this issue a lot with the love interest, Topp. Their fighting didn't really have any emotional impact because you never see why they fell in love or are genuinely invested in their relationship. I really liked the premise and the magic system, but the characters were lacking. There were also pacing issues for me as well. I felt like nothing happened in this book except in the first and last 50 pages. Overall, this book had a great premise but it didn't work for me.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 🌶️🌶️

I was hesitant when I saw miscommunication listed as a trope. This trope has always bothered me, because it is so easy to fix. However, in this book, when Caitlyn says miscommunication done right, it makes complete sense as you read the story. The miscommunication is needed to stay alive and keeps secrets hidden until ready to be revealed.

Inspired by Hades and Persephone, this story has a fresh take on this beloved couple. I went through so many emotions while reading this book, I still don’t know how to sort them all. The ending of this book has stuck with me! I think about it all the time and want book 2 asap. A debut novelist who knew what she wanted to say and said it!

Elysia holds magic inside of her, but in a world where magic is forbidden. She is used by her father as her magic allows her to sense secrets and then compel them to reveal them. She knows the risk this puts her in as it could cost her life if the right person found out. Why magic has disappeared is a mystery though. Elysia does everything she must to survive and to just keep going. She is strong, resilient, fierce, and someone I definitely want in my corner.

Although not heavy on the physical romance, there is romance between our FMC and the crowned prince of the kingdom. Topp cares for Elysia and is sweet to her, although I can’t wait to get to know him more as this series continue. I believe he truly cares for Elysia, but will that care stay once he knows all her secrets?

As always, review any author notes before reading.

Tropes:
💀Dark Fantasy
💀Hades x Persephone Retelling
💀Forbidden Magic
💀Hidden Identity
💀Dual POV

I do enjoy Hades and Persephone retelling and Undead Gods was a hit! A great storyline, interesting characters, and a quick pace.