✨NetGalley ARC Review✨

Before I get into my review I wanted to say thank you to Caitlyn Battelle, Twelfth House Publishing, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of Undead Gods!!!

Now onto my review. First thing I want to mention is the book is written in 3rd person POV, which is not my favorite style of writing. If you’re not a fan of 3rd person POV’s this might not be the book for you. Second thing I would like to mention is that I was so close to DNFing this book, which would have been disappointing because I was so intrigued by the synopsis. The beginning was hard to get through. It was really slow and felt kind of repetitive. Mostly about Elysia’s secret and about how controlling her dad was. However around chapter 14 it seemed to pick up. I feel like if we could have been inside the characters heads rather than from a 3rd person POV it would’ve been so much better. The story was a little hard to follow (at least for me). I felt like it jumped a lot. I will say that I was surprised by some of the characters. Characters that I had written off as nothing more than background characters. All in all I am giving this book 3 stars. I liked it but didn’t love it. I’m glad I given the opportunity to read it and I’m also glad that I decided to keep reading.

I knew I was going to enjoy this book, but I had no idea I was going to love it as much as I did. I flat out devoured this book! And when I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about it and wishing I could be reading it. Caitlyns writing style is nothing short of phenomenal!

Elysia is such a relatable character. She's fierce and a total badass, but she's still human and falls prey to wanting nothing more than to be loved. Her sister is even more intriguing, and I hope we find out more about her in the next book. Don't even get me started on Aidan... he was only in a couple of scenes, and I'm completely obsessed! Each character was so well written and fleshed out. The story itself was an absolute page turner! And that ending 🤯 How dare you?! I seriously can't wait to see what comes next!

“Welcome to Kava, where the undead Gods neither hear nor care.”

Beautiful and brilliant debut novel by Caitlyn! This book had me hooked from the beginning. All the dark, moody and perfect things you want in a fantasy novel. The world building, secrets, adventures and betrayals will keep you wanting more.

I laughed out loud for some of this banter it was so fun! And the world building was great! And was unlike anything I’ve read before! Kind of gave me steampunk vibes!

Every character in this book felt so complex and I just wanted to get to know them more!

There was a couple times the writing felt a bit awkward and difficult to understand but not enough to stop me from reading! Was definitely a fun read! 😊

I really enjoyed this book, especially after all hell broke loose and everything started hitting the fan. If you like cat and mouse chases between lovers, turned enemies, then this book is for you! So. Much. Conflict.😮‍💨 My feelings are all over the place right now. I don’t know what’s going to happen and this is one of those books where there’s really no sense in me attempting to guess because I’ll probably be wrong. I LOVED it!

I think Powerless fans would enjoy this!

It has all of this: 👇
🖤 Hades and Persephone Inspired Romantic Fantasy
✨Dark and Moody Gaslamp Vibes
🔪 Practical But Stabby FMC
✨ Magical Deal
🩸 Twist on Touch Her & ☠️
✨ Forbidden Magic
🥷 Hidden Identity
🤐 Secrets & Betrayal
⚔️ Lovers to Enemies to ???

This miscommunication here is front and center, but it makes so much sense given the GRAVITY of the situation and what’s at stake. I wanted to punch the Prince so many times, but like on another note, he’s kind of sexy and I’m not even mad. I can sympathize with Topp and everything he has been through. I look forward to his character growth in the next book! His soft spot for cute little woodland creatures is freaking adorable! 🦝

Elysia is a bada$$ with nothing to lose! She may be the WORST at poison making, but she’s cunning and likely stronger than we realize. Her upbringing and the abuse of her powers by those that should love her is awful! I’d have trust issues, too. You have to keep that in mind when you see the reckless way she behaves.

I can’t wait to see what kind of deal she brokers with His (dark and broody) Sexy…I mean…Deadliness! 😉

The side characters here are all mostly lovable once you get past their harsh exteriors. It’s a tough world and they are doing their best to survive. Caitlyn did such a wonderful job giving them all depth. I care about them all.

This book ends on a BRUTAL cliffhanger, so be prepared. The action was swift and wild and I cannot wait for the sequel!

Okay. The world building in this?? Absolutely PHENOMENAL. I loved learning each detail about every little nook and cranny of Kava. I adored Elysia’s relationships with her friends, even as she had to deceive them. My heart ached for Topp, who was doing his best to save himself and protect the woman he loved at the same time.

Elysia grew up in a country that lost its magic. Other countries still had magic, but she is stuck in a Silent Hill-esque world, where it’s constantly raining ash and the sun never shines. The king is always on the hunt for any sliver of magic found within the people there, snuffing them out. But Elysia was born with magic. And her father works closely with the king. Better yet? She’s in love with the crowned prince. Throughout this story we meet interesting side characters that have all helped her in some way, from training her, to helping hide her secrets, or simply just helping her escape and then murder someone. She makes her way through underground tunnels, secret pleasure houses, and eventually, her dream world come to life, the land of the dead. Will she make a deal with the god of death though?

The ending of this was absolutely epic. I cannot WAIT for the next book. I’m on the edge of my seat just anticipating where the story will go next.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Yes you counted that right 6 stars! If it was possible I would award this book with more stars than possible!
If you didn't get it from the amount of stars I absolutely loved this book! Thank you Caitlyn for choosing me as a reader through Netgalley!

This book follows Elysia Parker who lives in Kava, the land where magic just disappeared with no reason. However there are still people left with some magic, but when discovered they are hunted and killed. Elysia, who possesses magic herself, grows up in the palace because of her parents and has been in a relationship with the crown prince. Her father knows about her magic and abuses his knowledge of her powers and threatens to reveal it to the king if she doesn't do his bidings. Elysia is done with the secrets and feeling like a puppet of her father and goes on an search to find likeminded people, figure out where the magic went, and try to restore the land back to its former glory!

Can she keep her magic a secret? Is the prince trustworthy? Will she win over the favor of the Undead Gods?

I also adored the writing style! And I'll share one favorite quote:
"Today was a day for gaining secrets and bringing grown men to their knees."

This book contains all my favorite things! Magic, secrets, court intrigues, strong and sassy FMC, betrayal and lies. What else does a girl need?!

Undead Gods is a compelling moody debut romantasy that had me entranced and violently flipping through pages to see how the book ends. The world that Caitlyn Battelle has built is unique and beautiful in its own dark and grimy way. The writing is stunningly atmospheric, transporting you straight to the soot-covered and grey-skyed land of Kava - a land that has been stripped of its magic and seemingly abandoned by the gods. I fell in love with Elysia: the badass, stabby heroine for whom duelling is a love language. I was on the proverbial edge of my seat reading about how Elysia navigates possessing magic that refuses to hide in a land where it is forbidden.

The worldbuilding is wonderfully immersive but that comes at a price: the book starts off a tad bit slow. I love love love worldbuilding so this was not an issue for me personally but if you are finding the beginning to be unfolding too slowly, I urge you to stick with it. Trust that the story that is unfolding is worth the wait because it 100% is!! I am so happy I read this book and I am DESPERATELY waiting for the next instalment.

Thank you so much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for an e-copy of this book. This is my honest review.

4.5 stars!!

I really struggled to get through this one. To me it didn't really get interesting until the last bit of the book and the new character introduced. The main character was hard to relate to and it felt like the story was very drawn out and could have been simplified more. I will read the second book because I was intrigued by the story as a whole.

(All opinions are my own. Review to be published on publication date)

Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Undead Gods is very well written in terms of the detail of the setting, characters and overall plot is well established; I am able to imagine what the world looks like and the characters. I love the hidden dangers of magic being presented and how Elysia has been treading on light water to keep her secret from being revealed.

However, I am halfway through the book and having a hard time finishing it. I think it may be that I am having a hard time following the story line or it just is not the book for me. I was really excited about this read. This is definitely a book that I will come back to and try again but for now this is all the feedback I have.

Even though Undead Gods has not been the read for me so far, I am still going to recommend this books to others as I see the potential and I am sure others will love the story.

I will not be posting a review on my socials as I do not want to cause any dislike for a book I haven't completely finished, and I do not think that is fair to the author and readers.

3.75

Thank you to author Caitlyn Battelle and NetGalley for the opportunity to ARC read Undead Gods!

I enjoyed reading Undead Gods! The magic was interesting and the world building was detailed. I loved the dark & moody gaslamp vibes.

I was a bit confused/lost in a few parts of the book, as I wasn’t really sure what the main point of everything was. However, I think this first book was really to set everything up, and I can see where hopefully the next book will have more answers and action.

Undead Gods was a good start to what I think will be a great series. I’m looking forward to what’s to come with the next book!

dnf at 38%

I’ve never liked dnf-ing books but one of my goals this year was to be more picky and not force myself to read something I’m not totally enjoying. And I really really thought this one would be right up my alley! But alas, this one just didn’t do it for me.

I couldn't bring myself to really care for any of the characters and the plot moved so slowly. By the time I finally decided to dnf hardly anything had happened even though I was nearly halfway through. I also couldn’t stop laughing at some of the character names, which is not a big deal but with the pacing and lack of character depth, I unfortunately couldn’t get into it.

Thank you to NetGalley for the free ARC of this book! This review is my own opinion.

Wow!! That was such a rude cliffhanger to end on 😭. Guaranteed to make you feral for the next book.

This gaslamp fantasy was heavy on worldbuilding (which I personally like!). The hidden magic was very well done, and I've never seen a character have secrets as magic power but I LOVED IT!

The main character, Elysia, is very stabby and doesn't always make the best choices (relatable lollll!), and she was so fun to see this world through. I also love Beatriz and Jessa! The prince too, although he pissed me off many times 😤.

I will say this book is very light on the romance, I can see that there will be more in book 2 and I am ready for it!

I loved this book!!! The characters were really well written and the world building was awesome. The plot was a little slow but I am very curious to see where it's headed with a sequel!! I will be sharing my review on Instagram (bookcase.by.laur) and goodreads as well :)

A Fantastic Start to an Epic Adventure!

The Raccoon !! I absolutely loved the raccoon, it stole every scene it was in. But in all seriousness, this book was a fantastic read from start to finish. You can really tell it's setting the stage for a much larger, more epic journey to come. I'm thrilled to have had the chance to read the ARC, but now the wait for book two feels painfully long!

Elysia, while a complex and sometimes difficult character to love, is deeply compelling. She’s so firmly rooted in her ways after enduring a lifetime of hurt and holding on to secrets, that it's understandable why she’s so guarded. Her character development has a lot of potential, and I'm eager to see how she continues to evolve.

I’m particularly invested in her dynamic with Topp. Their banter and the way they challenge each other added a layer of lightness and humour to the story. Their relationship was one of the highlights for me – the back-and-forth between them felt natural and sexy, and I'm excited to see how it progresses or not… in future books.

This is a great introduction to what promises to be an unforgettable series, and I'm already counting down the days until the next instalment!

DNF at 20%

I really hate DNFing ARCs but I just couldn’t continue reading this one. Undead Gods sounded really interesting and I run to sign for an ARC, but as soon as I started reading, there was something off. The writing style was really descriptive and while I liked that, it was sometimes overly so without enough dialogue. There was a lot of information just appearing without really explaining anything that I was confused about it. The characters were quite interesting, but I couldn’t connect with any of them and at 20% I still didn’t really knew what was the point anything was happening. I’m a fast reader and a book this long should take me about 5-6 hours to read and I spent this much to read just the 15% so I’m not going to continue, so I saw many people enjoying this book so maybe it gets better or maybe it just wasn’t for me but I’m not going to finish it.

Superb world building and beautifully styled writing.

Lower rating because I had a hard time connecting with the characters. There is a large chunk of the book where nothing seems to be happening. I loved the writing style but was bored by the pacing of the story.

Overall, it’s a good book worth reading if you’re looking for a fantasy romance!

Undead Gods is a dark, gripping fantasy that pulls you into a world of cursed magic, danger, and morally grey characters. Elysia Parker is a standout protagonist—complex, strong, and navigating life-threatening secrets within Kava’s royal court. The world-building is vivid and gritty, with a steampunk-gothic vibe that completely captivated me.

Battelle's storytelling is immersive, and I loved the unpredictable twists. If you enjoy rich fantasy with forbidden magic, political intrigue, and complex characters, this is a must-read!

In a shadowy, magic-laden world, this story blends a moody atmosphere with a plot full of rebellion, forbidden power, and a dangerous pact with a death god.
The plot revolves around a restless FMC, whose hidden identity adds tension as she navigates a world on the edge of chaos.
With dark secrets lurking in every corner, the world-building and rich atmosphere keep you immersed from start to finish!

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

A very refreshing take on the Hades and Persephone myth with an intriguing magical system, filled with rich world-building and complex politics.

The premise is largely driven by our morally gray protagonist, Elysia, as she tries to break her curse, in a Kingdom where magic is is dead and illegal. I found that although we had sprinkles of spice in some chapters, there was actually little focus given on the romance. Furthermore, who is our darling Hades? I spent the majority of the book being confused, especially with every red herring thrown my way. Don't get me wrong, it was nice and refreshing not being told immediately who the love interest is.

The pacing of the story was incredibly slow, which might not be everyone's cup of tea. There were also areas in the plot where it felt like we were going nowhere/round in circles. I'm not too sure if this was intentional, as it did intensify Elysia's conundrum. Despite this, I think the pace does really set the scene well for future installments in the series and hooks you to want more!

3.5 ⭐️