One of The View’s Summer Picks, 2017 Manhattan has many secrets. Some are older than the city itself. The city sleeps. Selene DiSilva walks her dog along the banks of the Hudson. She is alone — just the way she likes it. She doesn’t believe in friends, and she doesn’t speak to her family. Most of them are simply too dangerous. In the predawn calm, Selene finds the body of a young woman washed … predawn calm, Selene finds the body of a young woman washed ashore, gruesomely mutilated and wreathed in laurel. Her ancient rage returns. And so does the memory of a promise she made long ago — when her name was Artemis.
“The Immortals is a lively re-imagining of classical mythology with an engaging premise, a page-turning plot, and an eye for the arresting and uncanny in contemporary urban life.”
–Deborah Harkness, New York Times bestselling author of A Discovery of Witches
Jordanna Max Brodsky’s wide-acclaimed debut, The Immortals, sets Greek Gods against a modern Manhattan backdrop. Look out for her next novel, Winter of the Gods, in February 2017.
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Can be enjoyed at two levels – action-packed Urban Fantasy and brainaic exploration of literary theme, historical myths, and emotional connections overriding better judgement creating an amazingly refreshing solid worldbuilding base. … Read it for the Urban Fantasy fun. It’s worth it.
Urban Fantasy based on incarnations of Greek Gods that seems meandering…but then pulls all the disparate threads of the plot together in a satisfying way.
Also, the main character is complicated and mature. Selene is reinventing herself, and this becomes a direct look at what it means to be feminine and a woman. The tension between Artemis and the constraints that role puts on her, as opposed to being caring and tender and experiencing love, are pretty interestingly explored here.
New York sites (including cool ones like hidden Central Park springs, abandoned subway lines, etc) are an integral part of the story, as well as the way modern man interacts with myth and religion.
I love to read. I finished this book in 2 days. I would have finished it sooner but I had other commitments. I found myself thinking about Selene whenever I put the book down which is rare for me. I liked the twist regarding the identity of the murderer. The author fleshed out the supporting characters. I wish the editor had put the cast of characters with their various identities at the front of the book, rather than at the end. It would have helped me keep track of some of the minor characters.
The Immortals wasn’t quite what I expected, but that’s not a bad thing. First, let me say that it is very well-researched and I learned a heck of a lot about the myths of Artemis and Greek cults.
The story revolves about Artemis, the Virgin Goddess of the Hunt, who now basically roams New York City as a vigilante to protect women from abusers. She comes across a murdered woman, Helen, and through investigating that death with Helen’s ex Theo, uncovers a rebirth of a Greek cult. The kicker is that Artemis and many of the other gods are fading as they no longer have worshippers (sort of like American Gods by Neil Gaiman) and Artemis gets strength from the cult’s evil activities even as she tries to fight them. The tone is more serious than other urban fantasies I’ve read. Not a lot of snark, if that’s your bag. I think this is a result of having Artemis, who is not usually celebrated for her wittiness or humour, as the main character.
If you are a person that likes a lot of information about Classics scholarship and in your fiction, then this is absolutely the book for you. Theo at one point refers to his “pedantry” and he very much improves as a character as the book progresses. He explains Greek myth to a legit Greek goddess, which is all you need to know about Theo at the start. Selene—aka Artemis—also goes through a shift in character as she leaves behind her old traits and grows past them. The ending was fairly action-packed and quick. These days, a book automatically gets a 3 if I read it to the end (so much choice in the world) and this gets an extra half-star for originality of concept and half out of respect for the research.
Despite containing a cult and murders I found The Immortals really slow. The ending wasn’t satisfying considering the build-up. Theo is an annoying know-it-all and every time he’s arrested it’s strangely satisfying. Selene does nothing but jump to conclusions. With two unlikable leads The Immortals was a bit of a drag.