This book was reviewed as an E-Book Advanced Reader Copy with NetGalley. I would like to thank the author, Caitlyn Battelle, for letting me review and read her work.

”She’d found that love inspired a fear deeper than any other. A fear that caused an instinctive, irrational desire to protect. She sometimes wondered if that was the force behind her parents’ actions. Love soured by the need to protect.”

The Undead Gods by Caitlyn Battelle is a well-developed, extensively thought out fantasy world of Kava in this late 18th Century period of royalty, secrets, and lies. In this Hades x Persephone inspired tale of death, ruin, and love, there are so many pieces shared throughout that constantly makes you wonder, and yet, the truth ends on a surprising, unexpected cliffhanger.

Taken place in Kava, a magic-less land after the calamity that was The Fall, those who still have rememants to magic and partake in its use are sentenced to death. And as we begin to understand how this occurrence came to be, we start to really see through the hidden lives of the people in this world.

We follow Elysia Parker, a member of the Crown, who has tried to put as much distance between her and her royal connection that has tainted everything she holds. Except for one thing, the prince. We see this interesting tango between Elysia and the prince, Topp Bltaz, as she slowly descends away from his crown, when her hidden magic grows more interesting, and Topp trying to gain any sort of trust from Elysia. Yet, she has suffered from abuse of her body and her power from the ambition of her father, paraded as a loving daughter when truly, she is locked within her parents control.

In this soot filled tale of Kava, and a place of plagued lands, what Elysia brings to this world is not only the pull of secrets and reveal of lies but also… food? Yup! To me I had to express this really interesting attention to food as a large connection of the city and Elysia in some strange way. That and flowers, since flowers were a rarity after the event. I feel that this attention either is a connection to Elysia’s desire of life and freedom of magic, or it could mean something else entirely, with the clear connection to the Greek Myth we might see later in a book 2.

And while this was a great read, I did find myself sometimes not fully invested, or bits had draged on for a moment especially when it came to moments in between big events and the discovery of information. But these weren’t huge detriments that made this book bad in anyway, mostly just personal preference of storytelling.

I truly enjoyed this book with great writing, bringing me right to the places and tunnels that the author illustrated, to the developed friendships and questionable alliances. And the schemes were definitely a favorite as well, as I loved Elysia’s older sister, Beatriz, and this development into a true older sister filled with love and protection.

thank you to NetGalley, the publisher ‘Twelfth House Publishing’, and the author for allowing me to read an E-arc of this book early.

i feel so bad, as i hate leaving negative reviews, but unfortunately this book wasn’t for me.

the synopsis sounded like something that’d be right up my alley. the first couple chapters were very interesting and i was immediately intrigued, but after the initial 50 pages i felt like we were just going in circles.

the world-building, premise, and overall vibes of this book were incredible - everything was so well explained. yet, i couldn’t connect with any of the characters. that caused me to not want to pick the book up and get bored with the story.

on top of that, i didn’t vibe with the writing style at all. while i love stories with simple writing, here it felt like there was just something missing.

The only reason I'm giving a 4 for this book is because of the ending - I would have loved more Aidan in the story! But that's personal preference. The rest of the story was well written and engrossing. I felt as if myself and Elysia were the same person at points, just from how immersed I felt in her story line. I enjoyed the fact that we got to see different sides of some characters, and could understand them a little more. Overall would read again and I can't wait for the next!

It took me some time to get into this book, but once I did, I devoured it, I couldn’t put it down.

The hardcore romance girlie in me wanted more scenes of Elysia and Topp but I understood that this story needed to be told in this way. The book was a bit over detailed but in a way I appreciated it since this is a fantasy and we needed the information to understand their world. You can tell the author put some thought into this.

At first I thought Elysia was stubborn as hell but I grew to love her character as well as the side characters.

The book ends in a cliffhanger which was honestly a shock to me and I’m curious about how the story will continue. I’m curious about the death realm, which is why I signed up for this arc originally, because it was inspired by Hades and Persephone.

Interesting premise and world building. The angst between the protagonist and her male lead was spicy. I like how Elysia was questioning everyone around her, and how the scars from her childhood shaped her character. It was great seeing Elysia connect with her life long friends and build trust.

Caitlyn Battelle wrote an incredible novel with an amazing world filled with twists and turns and so much that made me stop and take a moment. Elysia was a fantastic character, but it wasn't one sided, all the characters are multifaceted. The world is amazing. AND THAT ENDING. I refuse to spoil anything. But how very dare you, Caitlyn! Hoping that the next one is coming soon! I can't wait! Thank you to Netgalley and Caitlyn Battelle for the ARC that I was gifted, this was amazing and I will be rereading this again and again.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5

This is one of the most beautifully written books I have read in a while. The world-building was so incredible that Kava felt tangible at times.

I adore how real Elysia felt, she was such a loveable FMC. Her hidden magic and how she navigates her love life with the crown prince, Topp, was just delicious. Now, that being said, I did want more scenes with the two of them, but I understand why it was so limited given Elysia's powers. The side characters were so much fun and everyone is so morally complex that at times I didn't know whose side I was on.

And that cliffhanger??? I NEED to read the second book!

Thank you NetGalley and Caitlyn Battelle for an ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts and review.

The cover looks amazing and the titel sounded so cool. When I got the chance to arc read this book I took it and didn't regret it.
The worldbuilding and the magicsystem are really great! I also liked how the characters and their relationships developed over time. I did miss the dialogue. For me the story flows a little bit more if there's a little more dialogue but that's a personal preference.
I did really like this story and the very different characters in it!

3.75 rounded up/5

The title and the cover grabbed my attention and made me want to read this book...and I was not disappointed (yes, I do judge books by their covers - we all do it, don't lie).

Something VERY random of me to notice was the amount of dialogue. It seemed like this book did not have that much dialogue at all. I tend to really like dialogue and find it to be a good way to show a lot about a character (being able to compare what they know and how they verbalize it or what they decide to tell another character). Some people might not care about that kind of thing (I have no idea why I noticed it so much), but I thought I'd share in case someone else cares about that kind of thing.

This was such a cool fantasy world! In this world, people have either lost their magic or have to hide it because the royalty are being absolute weirdos about magic. AKA they will kill you. Typical. And, of course, our main character is one of those people that has magic and has to hide it. But she just so happens to be involved with the crown prince, so you can imagine that will cause some issues. Love that.

Super engaging and interesting world-building, I never found myself lost in how this world worked. It was very well flushed out and explained! Maybe some elements of the magic could be explained a bit more in-depth, but I didn't mind that too much because of how magic is viewed in this world (maybe it was intentional, maybe it wasn't, but it worked for me).

If you're looking for a new romantasy, I would definitely recommend giving this a go!

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My review is up on Goodreads and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly wrap-up.

Undead Gods by Caitlyn Battelle is possibly one of the best books I have read this year. Set in Kava, a world where magic has been ripped away and King Garrison has any individuals cursed with magic executed, the setting masked in pain and suffering sets the story up to have unexpected twists, betrayals, and moments of joy. The characters are exquisite; I am personally obsessed with morally grey or villainous characters in my books and Caitlyn does this perfectly. Every character has hidden motivations that blur the lines between what is right and what they want. And god the cliffhanger. I need the next book immediately. Like. Today please. I am so excited for this book to be available in physical copy because I will be buying it. And I’m so excited for the sequel. Thank you so much for trusting me with your book, and giving me the opportunity to review it.

The world-building was incredible, it was detailed without feeling overwhelming. Elysia is a strong FMC yet morally grey which I really loved.

The banter was hilarious and helped keeping the pace up. The magic was elusive, it's the best way I can describe it. It's mysterious which adds another level of intrigue to the book.

I hope the hardback version comes with a map because the artwork should be amazing because the author painted the picture of Kava so well throughout the book not just bombarding with information it was like I could see the city in my mind.

Even though I predicted the ending I was still gasping in disbelief and can't wait for book 2.

Good gracious, I wish I could read this book for the first time over and over again. It roped me in from the beginning and I couldn’t put it down. I literally read it every spare moment I had, which isn’t a lot as a mom going back to school.

I need more Maya, first of all. I can’t wait to read more about her in book two. Please for the love of the undead gods tell me there is a book two!

I loved the aspect of Elysia’s magic being more of an energy magic than an actual manifestation. It was such a fresh take on how magic manifests. I also like that it reflected what it was. Her magic of secrets is pretty secretive through the book. You never really understand how it works, I feel which added an extra layer of intrigue to it.

The author painted the picture of Kava so well throughout the book, adding different layers to the city as you go instead of bombarding you with information at the beginning. I felt like I could see the soot covered buildings, was trudging through the mud, and dancing in the forest. It was a very unique world and I appreciate that.

My only qualm with the book is that the 🌶️ scene didn’t make sense where it was. It felt kind of like the author was just trying to prove she is a spicy author. I felt like the building tension lended itself better to the story instead of having them bang it out one more time.

First, thank you to Caitlyn and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC. I did not want to put it down, but alas, reading with a toddler on vacation is a bit of a challenge.

First, the world building was *chefs kiss* and had a very gaslamp, steampunk, romantic vibe that I haven’t read before, but it was detailed without feeling overwhelming. I was completely captivated by Elysia’s journey as she navigated politics, familial obligations, love, and a world without magic.

The characters that Caitlyn created are morally complex, each with their own traumas and motivations that keep the story moving at a steady pace, I didn’t feel like the plot was dragging at all at any point, and the banter was hilarious.

The ending had me gasping in disbelief, because Elysia was ten steps ahead of everyone else and I cannot wait to read the rest of her story and find out more about Aiden, his deadliness.

This was a solid start to a new series. The world building was dense but I whole heartedly appreciated it. The fmc was likable and I enjoyed her having to hide her magic. The world being dark and grim was such a great vibe .

Undead Gods by Caitlyn Battelle is a must read! There are books that you read every day and then there are books that you read that become a part of you. This book will pull you in and hold you hostage until the very last word. Undead Gods is such a gem! Meet Elysia, a fiercely independent young woman on a journey to find her true self, living in a colorless land drenched in secrets, passion, and intrigue..... As she journeys through her world and the next you will find yourself one minute holding your breath and the next laughing out loud as this author takes readers on a journey that you'll pray doesn't end any time soon!

Don't wait to try this one! I am counting the days to find out what comes next for Elysia.

Oh my god this book was so good. It was a unique fantasy book, which is hard to do since every plot imaginable has been overdone. I really cannot wait for the next book and hope it comes out soon. The one downfall of being an ARC reader is having to wait a bit longer for the sequel.

I would like to thank the author for giving me a chance to read this book despite not having reviewed anything on netgallery yet.

I am very fortunate I couldn't get into this book. I loved the premise of the book but, I couldn't get into it.

This book follows Elysia, a magically cursed girl, in the country of Kava where the cost of being magically cursed is death. Elysia has played a role, with her father, in bringing out "justice" to those who possess magic since she was a child and her father discovered her ability to find out people's secrets. She and the crown prince of Kava, Topp, have an ongoing love affair with each other, and the kingdom expects them to one day rule together. When Elysia's magic starts changing as she gets older, her life with the prince gets more complicated. Elysia isn't the only one keeping deadly secrets in the dark romantacy.

This drew me in from just the description alone. Elysia is fiercely independent. Because of the situations she is put in, it is hard to know whether to side with her or not. Her upbringing is rather graphic and I definitely do feel for her either way. The one thing I wish for was a bit more description of her magic to make sure I understood it completely. I was very weary of her love interest, especially knowing he may be her demise. I can't really tell you whether that opinion changed or not without giving spoilers. It was interesting to see the web of lies between the two though. I have questions about the ending and really hope this is setting us up for a second book. 🙏

Thank you Caitlyn and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this as an arc.

Thank you NetGalley and Caitlyn for allowing me the absolute pleasure of reading this book!

I could not put this down and I read it in two days, I needed answers, I wanted to spend time with the characters and I was absorbed by the world 🫡

This is one of the best books in this genre I have read for a while. The focus was definitely on the fantasy element and I was completely captivated by Elysia's journey. She's morally grey, she's strong and I laughed out loud so many times with some of the dialect between her and multiple other characters. The way the author weaves together a rustic fantasy setting with modern feeling characters was *chefs kiss*.

The magic was intriguing and elusive, I hope we get more information and demonstrations in future books 👀 I genuinely could not tell at points which way the plot was going to go, I had no idea who to trust and my nerves were in tatters.

Although there is a certain point towards the end of the book where you sort of know what the ending is going to look like, the way it was delivered had me out of my seat and gasping for more.

ALSO LINA 😍 iykyk