NEWSFLASH, classics are usually classics for a reason.

(Maybe my most annoying review to date lol) The Odyssey to me, with all of its characters, mortals and gods alike is such a testament to what humanity is, can be, and has been. There is something so beautiful and, at times, heartbreaking that a story as old as this one can pull at every human emotion I have. Thousands and thousands of years after its original orators have passed, we are still reading this epic.

While in a modern sense we may never sail across the Mediterranean or fight in epic battles, many of the struggles and experiences of the characters within the Odyssey; reflect the human experience. And most certainly nothing I saw here hasn’t already been said before, and that makes me weirdly emotional in a strange and cathartic way. Even though seemingly ancient life has strayed so away from our modern existence, Odysseus’ hubris is not unlike many others, Telemachus must grow up and learn what it is to become a man all while coming to grips with the fact that his parents are fallible, they are just ‘mortal beings’ like him, and women like Circe (and other women in poem), are scorned and may do bad things but because they are in a society that has limited them to world of less choice and so they take advantage of the space they can find. ALL OF THIS IS RELEVANT NOW.

We currently exist in an age of war and suffering, with many people wanting to find their way home (literally and figuratively) and it’s amazing we can still look back at an extremely old text and find new meanings for ourselves today.

How can anyone possibly RATE Homer? That alone is a comedic idea. But I will lol. Ancient stories certainly may be old but they are not at all archaic.

Lmao may the gods strike me down if a MAN no… A BOY ever comes in between my sisters and I the way it did Dara and Nick.

I think I picked this book up from a free little library a while back and once I finally cracked it open I and saw the actual written out emails, ‘photographs’ and ‘dairy’ entries my first thought was “holy shit this book HAD to have been written around 2015-2016”… and my thoughts were confirmed when I read the line “in my gladiator sandals.”

Oh gladiator sandals, the hold you had on teens in 2016, a simpler time.

But I for a YA book I was decently into it but the reveal, was so frustrating because I have seen it a million times and started to potentially believe that it was going down a different route. It made the whole story kind of a cop out in my opinion. Never mind some of the questionable lines throughout the book, but i GUESS it was 2015????

Also why are these teenage girl SISTERS thinking about each others sex life so much???? Like why is Nick thinking about what guys have their hands down her sisters pants????? Look maybe I’m weird, or a prude, but I RATHER THINK ABOUT ANYTHING ELSE THAN WHAT MY SIBLINGS ARE DOING WHEN THEY ARE ALONE, HELLOOOOO???

The end was peak “I’m 16 and this is deep” which is okay because it is YA, but this book definitely had me giggling at the 2015-2016 of it all.

I remember reading the Legend Series by Lu as a middle schooler and it was around the time I was reallllyyy getting into reading. I consumed all of them and I think I have Warcross sitting on a shelf in my parent’s house. And a mystical, magical, and kinda criminal world was exactly what I needed in this moment.

At first I had no idea it was an adult novel (but that is 100% on me I didn’t read reviews and just assumed it was YA like Lu’s other books) and was a bit surprised during a few scenes. BUT AFTER THAT I WAS LOCKED IN.

I love the way Lu uses the parallels between her characters and the dichotomy of their experiences to carve out each character. They were experiencing SIMILAR moments but it wasn’t EXACTLY the same. Their motivations made sense and helped explain who they are. The pacing is quick but explains the world well. I wouldn’t say it’s a series that goes SUPER in depth on the magic system, I think it makes sense but it’s not as in depth, so keep in mind if that’s what you are really towards

I think the writing is at times can be slightly juvenile? For example the shorter, quick sentences you see in YA were there sometimes. It makes the reading really fast and it’s not always a bad thing but it’s to be somewhat expected from her first Adult Novel after writing so many YA books (OF WHICH I STILL REALLY RECOMMEND!!)

The two main characters have enough yearning for each other but it didn’t consume the plot. There is A PLOT other than just their romance, which I REALLY APPRECIATE. So I look forward to the other books in the series!