February 22, 2012

The Power of the Gods • Oppression

Oppression book cover
Oppression by Jessica Therrien
Series: Children of the Gods #1
Publisher: Zova Books
Publication Date: February 28, 2012
Source/Format: DAC Arc Tours (Thanks!) || ARC
[I received this for promotional purposes. This in no way affects my review.]

Elyse has been keeping secrets her whole life. Two, actually. First, that she ages five times slower than the average person. Second, that her blood has a mysterious power to heal. For Elyse, these things don't make her special. They make life dangerous. After the death of her parents, she's been careful to keep her secret as closely guarded as possible. Now, only one other person in the world knows about her age and ability. Or so she thinks. Elyse is not the only one keeping secrets. There are others like her all over the world, descendants of the very people the Greeks considered gods. She is one of them, and they have been waiting for her for a long time. Among so many of her kind, she should not be very remarkable--except for the prophecy. Some believe she will put an end to traditions, safeguarded by violence, which have oppressed her people for centuries. Others are determined to keep her from doing just that. But for Elyse, the game is just beginning--and she's not entirely willing to play by their rules.


I feel so incredibly spoiled to have received a second novel via the DAC Arc Tours that is BRILLIANT. I absolutely adored Oppression (as I made clear to many of my Twitter followers). From the moment I started it, I found I could not put it down until I found out what would happen (which resulted in me finishing it in one night!). It was just SO good - it combined a hint of mystery, a touch of mythology, some good old romance and wonderful characters into a neat little package.

Characters

Elyse was a heroine that I found quite relatable, especially in her longing to fit in and belong. As she is introduced into a community where that's actually possible, I could feel for her as she tried to adjust to the "new normal". I also felt for her as she struggled to deal with her new discoveries about herself and her abilities, especially since everyone seemed to have an opinion about who she was and what her purpose was. Though I enjoyed seeing her stand up for herself and be strong and fight, it was actually the teenager bits (hanging out with friends, falling in love, going to school) that I really liked for some reason. Headstrong, stubborn and independent - I definitely ended up really liking her.

I absolutely adored William. William was smart, headstrong and kickass, though he also fit into the mold of the boy-next-door type. I loved his genuine concern for Elyse, as well as his demonstration of his feelings for her. He was actually such a good guy, which makes a change from the whole “falling for the bad boy” plot. I’ve repeatedly said this on Twitter (and Jessica knows this as well) - I’m definitely Team William.

Apart from these two, there's a whole slew of interesting characters. Since they're all descended from the gods, there's a variety of abilities that are made known. This was fascinating to me, and also helped me remember who did what.

The Story

One thing I'm immediately drawn to in any book is the presence of mythology. Just about any work that integrates mythology will peak my interest. I enjoyed reading about the history of this particular group of people, as well as learning more about the present state of their community. Jessica Theirren does a wonderful job weaving mythology into a modern storyline, in a manner that's easy to accept.

I absolutely loved how the romance didn't feel in any way like insta-love to me, when it absolutely could have been (and you'll probably understand better why I said that if you read it). I loved how there was an evolution in their relationship, moving at a pace that made sense. There was a definite attraction, but it took time for them to build up their relationship. (Oh, and once again, TEAM WILLIAM!)

Though I did enjoy the romance, I think it's cool that the story did NOT revolve around the romance in general. The main focus was on Elyse's discovery of this world and figuring out what her role is in it. Because she's headstrong and intelligent, I like how she's weighing her choices, trying to figure out what she feels is the right move for her to make. I'm anticipating discovering more about things in the next book!

Personally, I say you should...

... definitely pick up Oppression if you're a fan of stories with a mythological twist. This one is pretty interesting, with a well-crafted story and awesome characters, and I'm definitely excited to find out what happens next!

28 Comments:

  1. I love it when the romance isn't the only thing the book is about. That is how I felt about Tris & Four, it just grew in the background. Ok. Now I have another for my wish list.

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  2. How did I miss A) you gushing about this book and B) the awesomeness that is this cover and premise???
    It sounds amazing! And yay for unputdownable books!! :) Who needs sleep right? ;) And yes, it would probably be refreshing to read something that doesn't have the romance as the main plot device.
    Am definitely adding this to my TBR-list!

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  3. I've seen this cover around but haven't had too much interest in this book! Your review totally changed that though, I love that Elyse is relatable and William was a kick-ass boy next door! I think it's absolutely refreshing that the story doesn't involve on the romance, definitely picking it up now. I'm always keen on mythology but it usually falls flat to make way for romance!

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  4. It's great to know that the romance wasn't the main plot for this book and I LOVE the colour, it's gorgeous!

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  5. I've been seeing this book everywhere these oast few days, but yours is the first review I've read and I'm very glad it's positive and that I won't feel that I've been tricked (again) by the beautiful cover.
    I'm a little allergic to instalove by now so I'm very glad that's not present here. :)
    Maja @ The Nocturnal Library

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  6. I really enjoy books with mythology as well and I had no idea what this was about before now. I seen the cover but didn't really look into it. It sounds really interesting I'll add it to my wishlist! :)

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  7. Thanks for a wonderful review, Alexa!

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  8. SO glad this one is a win! Jessica is rad as all get out too, so that makes me even more excited to read this!

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  9. I would definitely pick this one up! I'm glad that you enjoyed it!

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  10. This sounds so good! I just went to Amazon to see about getting it, and it's not available on Kindle in the USA! LAME. And the paperback is pricey! LAME again, because now I want to read it! :P You know how much I love mythology! And I am SO happy to hear that there's no insta-love. I hate that. Thanks for the great review! :)

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  11. Wow - what a great review of what sounds like an awesome book! I love mythology too, so I will definitely be on the hunt for Oppression at my library. I'm hoping it will appeal to older students who once really liked the Percy Jackson books :)

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  12. Hi Jana! Oppression was just released for .99 cents for both Kindle and Nook. You can also get the paperback for 7.79 on B&N. http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/oppression-jessica-therrien/1108059347?ean=9780984035045&itm=1&usri=oppression+children+of+the+gods%2c+book+1

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  13. Victoria@FixatedonFictionFebruary 23, 2012 at 10:14 PM

    i love that cover, so gorgeous. i also love the way you split your review up. and speaking of review, what a great one. i will definitely have to check this out. :)

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  14. Lauren @ Hughes ReviewsFebruary 25, 2012 at 10:18 AM

    Eeek! This sounds soooooo good! Mythology is hot right now but a lot of books have been hit or miss for me. And I'm so sick of Persephone/Hades. This seems fresh and intriguing! I'll definitely check this out! (adding to Goodreads NOW!)
    Lauren @ Hughes Reviews

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  15. There is something I really, really love about this cover. I am trying to catch up on my overflowing google reader, and when I saw this picture amongst your posts, I had to stop and take note of this book (AND I wanted to leave you some comment love). Love your review - headed to Goodreads now to go add it! :)

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  16. Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh! I just bought this TODAY! I'm so excited to see how much you liked it, particularly with mythology on the inside. It just moved up on my TBR. Thanks Alexa!

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  17. YES. Read this one! I can wholeheartedly recommend it.

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  18. Isn't the cover gorgeous? I absolutely adored it. I think you will too!

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  19. This one has the romance, but that's not all that it's about. I really think it's a great story :)

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  20. The cover caught my eye first - it's really pretty!

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  21. I hope you feel the same way I did about the book! And I promise there's really no insta-love, although there may be insta-attraction ;)

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  22. I hope you get the opportunity to read it! It's pretty fun.

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  23. Yay! I hope you read it - it's really great :)

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  24. I hope you got to download this and read it. I LOVED it. So much.

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  25. Ooh, that might actually work out! It might actually cater to a completely new audience though.

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  26. Ah Persephone and Hades. I feel like that's the most popular Greek myth that's incorporated in stories. It's always refreshing to me too when I find a novel that isn't about that.

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  27. It's simple, but it definitely catches the eye! I hope you get to read this book :)

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  28. YAY! I can't wait till you get the time to read it :)

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Thanks for leaving a comment! I love seeing what you have to say, and will try to reply (here or on Twitter) as soon as I can :)