This book was a slow start for me. I went into it knowing it was probably book 1 of a series, and there would be a lot of world building. This was true, much more than I expected. The writing is very well done and the author spends a good portion of the book building Kava and developing the characters in it. And though I say it was very slow for the first half of the book, once the plot started to drop I was all in. I would still recommend this book to my fantasy loving friends. This book gave any future books for this world great structure.

Elysia is cursed, her forbidden power used solely for the gain of others. She has a plan however, protection through marriage. Topp is witty and clever but victim to his own arrogance. A relationship without trust is doomed, trust being a 2 way street and the ommitance of truth is straining. I found myself frustrated wishing for them to just talk to eachother instead of dancing around the inevitability of their third act breakup. I was kinda rooting for Topp ngl... I really wonder what will become of him in book 2.

This is not a Hades and Persephone retelling, instead this is an inspired by story. The elements are there but it's too early to tell how deep the influence weaves through yet. There's love and games a plenty in this dying land. There is little drops that tease at the tale.

The ending of this book had me ready to throw my kindle, because just as events start ramping up, your falling over the edge of the final page. Book 2 is set up perfectly after this and cannot come fast enough.

Gosh, I wish the rest of the series was also out already! Feel so empty after reading the last chapter – so so good.

With a dark and moody worldsetting, Undead Gods, has you hooked from the get-go. The FMC, Elysia, is well written with a morally grey side and there's one (maybe two;) ) morally grey MMCs as well, that adds a little banter to the mix. I especially liked how the world building and magic system is - Kava being void of magic as the country is decaying and how it seems like it's a phenomenon only happening in Kava and not the sorrounding kingdoms. It's also an intriquing way of seeing magic as the small things. How filtering out lies from truth or having healing abilities is a power on its own instead of always having 'the whole package'.

I give this 4 stars, as some of the build up could have been cut-out to make the plotline sharper as the start/middle was a bit long. Not that I minded but I can imagine that for some, it would be too long before 'the action' was happening.

Can’t wait to read the continuation of this series because I’m definitely hooked – and that cliffhanger, wow!

Thanks to NetGalley and Twelfth House Publishing for this ARC.

I enjoyed the author's style and the gloomy atmosphere. Characters are complex (and mostly morally grey). World building here was great. The magic system is quite interesting.
Overall it was a nice read, but something in this book did not work for me to love it. I had a hard time getting into it and then got bored a couple times in the process of reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and Twelve House Publishing for this ARC.

Undead Gods takes you into a world where magic is illegal and keeps you guessing who is good and who is evil. Elysia is always doing what she must to make the best out of tough situations and Topp tries to enjoy his time with Elysia while they both keep secrets from each other. You will like Undead Gods if you like secrets, morally grey characters, and politics

I wanted to love it more but not only did I struggle to get into it, but also to finish. Battelle uses a lot of words to describe emotions and situations (often repeating herself) but not a lot actually happens and I struggled to make sense of what did happen (and then to care). I didn’t feel an anchor to any one character, or the connection to Persephone/Hades, and I LOATHE miscommunication as a plot device at the best of times, so when it’s the source of almost all the plot, I despair. All in all a bit disappointed.

WOW! This was an incredible book. The writing was beautiful and I was quickly swept into the world of Kava.
I was completely expecting a different route for this book to go (a much more generic romantasy route) and was relieved when I realized that I had no idea where this plot was going. I loved the female friendships that developed throughout the story as well as the complex stories of the secondary characters.
The romance was also written in a way that was much different than I was expecting, and I loved the book for that! It was fun to keep wondering and switching what I wanted for Elysia.
Book 2 cannot come soon enough!

I'm actually rating this a strong 3.5 stars. It took me a while to get used to the writing style but honestly, I think I was just suffering from a slight book hangover because once I was 35% of the way through the book I was into it. An once I was 50% of the way through, I was really loving it! This book is so moody and full of morally grey characters, I love it. An the ending...by the GODS...the ending, was so freaking good, an ends on a freaking cliff hanger, I'm obsessed! I literally can't wait to read the 2nd book!
Hopefully I'm blessed enough to read an ARC for that as well, fingers crossed 🤞

A solid 4 star read from Caitlyn Battelle! Undead Gods has complex, incredibly descriptive world building that will appeal to fantasy readers who need a bit more fantasy than romance out of their TBR. At times I thought it was a little too long in places and should have moved faster so that the pace matched the energy of the situation, but I think there are absolutely readers who will appreciate the slower pacing. Elysia was a complex FMC who struggled with her moral greyness much of the book which felt realistic and fresh. I wish there had been more of Topp’s perspective throughout the first half as I found it to be a good break in the story to see a different view. I’ll be interested to see what Caitlyn does next!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher Twelfth House Publishing and the author Caitlyn Battelle for providing an e-ARC copy of Undead Gods in exchange for an honest review.

I usually rate a book on the actions I take after completing a read. A good job in this case as it took a good 40% of the book for me to become fully invested.

The world building was captivating from the beginning, however it did take me some time to connect with Elysia and untangle her relationships with magic and the other characters that feature.

I'm glad I perservered as the second half of Undead Gods picked up momentum and my unaswered questions were answered and events ramped up.

Im left wanting to know what happens next! Ive popped the author on my Goodreads follow so I can eagerly await her next installment.

Overall, an entertaining read with a sassy stuborn female protagonist who may or not become a heroine. We shall hopefully see more of the Undead God and his realm!

I adore a good Hades/Persephone retelling and this one was no exception to that rule! I loved the world building and characters. Twists and turns, loveable side characters and a morally grey FMC?! Sign me RIGHT up! I"m looking forward to continuing on with reading this series and seeing where Elysia's story goes. The cliff hanger?! EXCUSE ME?! I definitely recommend this book!

The premise of this book drew me in. I liked the idea of magic that must be hidden or else you will die, as I have read other books with this plot and liked most of them. Starting this book, I had such high hopes for it.

Most of my expectations were met or were exceeded, however, I will say that this book was longer than it needed to be. There were times where I found myself getting bored and wondering when the next thing would happen that would grab my attention and would pull be back into the story and wouldn't be filler content. There was so much filler content, meaning words used to describe things, feelings, what is happening, but nothing was actually happening if that makes sense? I'm pretty sure I started skimming at some point when I got really bored just to get to the next plot point or event. The descriptions were great for world building, but not so much for keeping my interest in the story itself.

The world building and plot were well done and there was plenty of information added to this book so that the reader could get an idea of what had happened prior to the start of this story, and the history of why magic must be hidden. I will just note that I think a little more information on the magic system would be fantastic and would really round it out.

Elysia was an ok FMC, but I wasn't emotionally invested in what happened to her, as much as I should have been. She's definitely got a depressingly terribly back story which explains why she acts the way that she does. On the other hand, Topp was a good MMC, where you couldn't tell if you could or should trust him or even like him, which was very intriguing and always made me wonder what he would do next.

Now the next point, the reason why I rated this as 4 stars instead of 5, is the dang miscommunication. I will never like miscommunication in a book and will stand by it when I say that adults need to act like adults and learn how to communicate, and everything will be so much easier. Even the slow pacing and extreme, unnecessary length of the book didn't bother me as much as the miscommunication. I get it to a degree, not saying anything because you don't really trust them, but if they just talked about it, then the book would not have dragged on for so long and the issues would have been solved a lot faster.

The ending was fantastic, the last portion of the book had be on the edge of my seat waiting for everything to be out in the open and for everything to pop off like I knew it would, and it sure did, and left on one heck of a cliffhanger. I will be waiting (im)patiently for the next book in the series, because I really want to know what happens next. I'm hoping there will be less filler content, and more plot to keep my interest.

Thank you to Caitlyn Battelle, Twelfth House Publishing, and NetGalley for the eARC of this book. This is my honest opinion.

What a fantastical premise!

With the future promise of some Hades and Persephone Greek mythos, just a little twisted.

If strong, scrappy, tortured and quick-witted heroines are your vibe, then Elysia is sure to delight. Caitlyn Battelle weaves a poignantly grim world of precarious circumstances, political machinations, outlawed magic, mystique and the scramble to survive with some entertaining banter and a pinch of the morally grey thrown in. It was giving darkly desolate steampunk/gaslamp moodiness and I’m intrigued.

This isn't a stand-alone novel, you will be left with more questions than resolutions. Instead, go into Undead Gods with the mindset that everything you read is foundational construction, setting the stage for something quite special to come. This one is all about the journey and not a rollicking steamy romance— yet. Hold tight, persevere through the early stages of some intricate world-building and appreciate the deep dive into this richly evolved fantasy scape.

The characters are developed just enough to wet one’s appetite and leave you craving the next instalment. I like to be kept guessing and there were times when I was taken by surprise and others in which I was comfortable in the knowledge of the projection. Either way, the storytelling is flowery and unique in style and I personally enjoyed it— even if it airs on the ambiguous.
I’m unsure how I feel about some characters as of yet, the MMC (I’m assuming) doesn't make an appearance until close to the end and at present hasn't left me with the best impressions. Regardless, I look forward to establishing a more in-depth affinity with these complex characters and their stories in the future and am curious as to how relationships will evolve— like I desperately need to know!

This book was neither here nor there for me personally.

Some of the writing style and pacing of the book had me struggling to connect with the story and the characters. I do feel like this might be up other readers alleys than mine.

That being said, I do know some of my friends and other book enthusiasts who would enjoy this and would suggest to them.

Oh my gosh, this was such a good book. I love how everything happened. The relationship between the two main characters is one that I truly enjoyed. The trouble they both have and yet is hard for them to figure out. There is some triggers that you need to make sure won't be upsetting to you, but man, this was such a great book. I am really hoping there will be another book to take this world further. I would love to have more of these characters.

📚𝔸ℝℂ ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨 📚
𝑼𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒈𝒐𝒅𝒔 by Caitlin
𝑹𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒆:10/1/24
𝑮𝒆𝒏𝒓𝒆:Fantasy romance
𝑺𝒑𝒊𝒄𝒆:1 open door scene
𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔/𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒕:
💀Dual POV
💀Dark, moody gaslamp vibes
💀Hidden identities
💀Feminine rage
💀Queer-normative world
💀Stabby FMC
💀Magic disappearing
💀Sexy death gods
💀Hot ax wielding princes
💀Miscommunication DONE RIGHT
💀Secrets & betrayal
💀Twist on touch her and unalive
💀Cliffhanger
GET👏THIS👏ON👏YOUR👏TBR👏NOW. I'm thrilled to have found a new debut indie author to obsess over because this book was amazing. The writing was superb which really transported you into the story and I could not put this book down. I found it so hard to pick one quote since I highlighted nearly the whole book because everything was pure gold. Everything from the world building to the side characters was flawlessly executed. The humor had impeccable timing that left me smirking often.
Elysia was such a tortured FMC who had to do unsavory things at the behest of her father. She made lying look as effortless as breathing as she bartered in secrets. Her entire life was spent in invisible chains and we got to witness her evolution. The feminine rage burned so bright that it was hot enough to extinguish all around her.
Topp is the prince MMC who hides so many things beneath the pretty boy exterior. His secrets haunt him as he has to do the king's bidding. His character was fascinating to observe as he straddled the line of morally grey and do gooder. His motivations were altruistic at times although misguided.
Every single side character was fleshed out so well with amazing personalities (both the good and evil ones). Their temperaments really jump off the page and you could feel the realness in their reactions and emotions. The plot weaved and bobbed and made you question everything and who to trust. So many twists and turns and unexpected revelations.
I am on pins and needles after the explosive cliffhanger and I need book 2 right now.

Thank you Caitlyn Battelle for this ARC!! I enjoyed this one a lot!!

This story starts off rather slow, but definitely keeps you intrigued as it builds up for all the mystery and tension!

I actually really loved how clever and headstrong all the characters were! There was such a great mix of people you rooted for, people you wanted to root for but they gave you reasons not to, and people you just absolutely despised no matter what. Added to the mix, the raccoon was also such a cute yet chaotic gremlin of a character that I absolutely adored!

I had seen that this story was "Hades and Persephone inspired" and went in expecting what one typically expects of any story that says it is something like Hades and Persephone: opposing lovers, light and dark vibes, yearning, realm hopping between somewhere decayed and somewhere thriving, etc. However as I read this story, I found it wasn't quite what I expected. Before I could say I was disappointed, I remembered and realised that it was advertised as "inspired" and not "Hades and Persephone vibes." What I had expected was the vibes, but what I got (and what was rightfully advertised) was inspiration. There were definitely elements that were reminiscent of Hades and Persephone, but not set in obvious tones that you'd usually read. That being said, I definitely saw the hints of inspiration Caitlyn Battelle was dropping and (hopefully rightly) assume the Hades and Persephone vibes are coming in book 2!

I really enjoyed this story and I am so looking forward to book 2!! I mean, how could I not with that ending and all the new threads just waiting to be unravelled!!!!

Overall I loved the atmosphere of this book! The world building was amazing and I felt fully immersed in it. I also loved the writing, it was the perfect balance of just enough details, inner thoughts, and dialogue. I was very interested in the romance and wished that we got more of it, but I am hoping that that is coming in the second book. The other relationships were very fun to see explored in this book, each character had their own unique personalities that were fun to see how they fit in to Elysia's life. I loved Elysia's personality throughout because she felt very realistic and we got to see her motivations & inner struggles fleshed out throughout the book.

Also that ending though?! I really did not see that coming & it is making me very excited for the next book!

Undead Gods was a book I was looking forward to from the moment I came across Caitlyn's first post about it! Then, it was a waiting game until it was in my hands, and now that I have finished, I honestly do not know what to do with myself...

The world-building was extensive, which I personally enjoyed as I want to feel fully immersed in the world the author creates and I absolutely felt like I was dropped right into the dreary grey world of Kava.

The forbidden magic, lies, deceit, and treachery brought with it so much intrigue that I was never entirely sure what was going to happen next.

The end left me utterly reeling, and I can't wait to see what other books Caitlyn brings to life.

This book was an absolute whirlwind, and I was pulled in from the very first page. Every chapter had me on edge, constantly wondering what would happen next. The world-building was top-notch, drawing me into a vivid setting that felt alive and teeming with energy. The plot twists kept me guessing, and the pacing was so gripping that I lost track of time while reading.

Elysia’s character was a force of nature, bold, layered, and unapologetically complicated. Her journey was one of the most thrilling I’ve followed in a long time, full of moments that had me questioning everything. The interactions between the characters felt natural, with the kind of sharp, clever exchanges that kept the story flowing effortlessly.

The magical elements added a unique depth to the story, and I’m eager to see how they evolve in future installments. Just when I thought I knew where the plot was heading, it took a completely unexpected turn that had me on the edge of my seat.

Without a doubt, this is one of the most exciting reads I’ve come across. Five stars, and I’m already counting down the days until the next book!

This book made me feel all sorts of feelings. I am reeling at that ending!

I was sucked in within the first few chapters. As with any fantasy, especially the first in a series, there was a lot of background and world-building at the start, but that didn't take away from the developing story. The world of Kava and Relaclave was dark, mysterious, frightening, and delightfully written. Magic has disappeared from the kingdom of Kava - but has it really? There are those that still maintain their magic, but they are hunted down and executed by the king.

Elysia, a daughter of the Crown, is feisty, scrappy, and trauma-ridden. Her motives aren't always noble, but she tries to do what's right for her and her kingdom. Topp, the Crown Prince and Elysia's beloved, has his own dark motives that start clashing with Elysia's. They both want to find the tuth about the magic disappearing, and find a way to return magic to Kava, but they go about it in very different, and deadly, ways.

The supporting characters are all delightfully written, and Beatriz is *chef's kiss*. They all bring their own elements to the table, and round out a ragtag cast of shadowy assassin, party-girl with darker intrigue, a Doorman to a pleasure house, childhood friends that see more than Elysia thinks, and *Lina*. I'll save that one for you to find out yourself.

Despite the solid world-building, the story did not feel slow at all; it moved at a steady pace, and revealed information at the right spots.

That ending though - I am irritated that I have to wait and find out what happens to Elysia after that cliffhanger! When is the next book coming out!?

Thank you to Caitlyn for the eARC of this book! All of my thoughts are my own.