This Book was reviewed via Xppresso Publicity

 

Oppression is the first in Therrein’s ‘Children of the Gods’ series. It starts off with Elyse working to settle into a new place. That it is San Francisco delighted me, and she’s absolutely right. San Francisco is a place to come to be yourself. There’s an abundance of eccentric people wandering around.

 

We learn Elyse is a special sort of person, a near immortal. She ages in what seems like elven time, so that 85 correlates to a standard 18. Elyse’s friend, and surrogate mother, passes away, having lived to her eighth decade. Elyse is all ready to start a new life, with a new SS card, new driver’s license, and everything else needed to begin again. This isn’t the first time she’s begun a new life somewhere else thanks to her odd condition.

 

It is here, in San Francisco, that Elyse learns who and what she is. She, and her family, are Descendants, lineages spawning from the first of their kind who were considered the original Greek gods. They weren’t gods, but rather merely evolved humans, subject to death, though a natural end comes after many centuries. It is even pointed out that there might be other lineages still hidden, given that it is recorded in the Christian Bible that there were very long-lived people such as Methuselah. It seems a logical conclusion that the gods of cultures such as the Celts, the Norse, or Native American, are also in actuality other progenitors of Descendent lineages.

 

Elyse is heralded as the child of prophecy, as the one who will free the Descendants from the oppression of the Council. Oh, and if that weren’t enough, she learns that she is to be the mother of the next Oracle. Added to all this craziness she’s tumbled into, Elyse learns her closest friend is dying of cancer. Elyse herself is descended from Asclepius, and has the dual gifts of healing and killing with her blood alone. Loyalties are tested and boundaries pushed, when Elyse realises that she can heal her best friend so that she is still around to watch her child grow up.

 

This was a rather well-written book that kept me hooked til the end. Looking forward to reading the next two in the series. Okay, I love the fact that Anna used the phrase ‘No shit, Sherlock’. It’s a favourite of mine.

 

The lineages and abilities were explained in ways that made sense, and I was actually prompted to look further into myths and legends of some of the more unusual gods mentioned. I like that there are strong female characters. Not just Elyse, but Kara as well. Kara has had things so rough. I hope they begin to improve.

 

The only thing was, I didn’t care so much for how angsty Elyse got over her choice to save Anna vs be with William, the destined father of the next Oracle. Those times, I kinda wanted to smack her. And, though Elyse certainly didn’t seem to mind, William began to come across as too needy and smothering towards the end, at least to me.

?????Highly recommended, especially if you enjoy the following: Vampire Academy, anything by Rick Riordan, Harry Potter