The Games Gods Play By Abigail Owen

The gods enjoy their games, and every hundred years, mortals are dragged into their twisted contests. For as long as I can remember, I've managed to avoid their attention. As a cursed office clerk working for the Order of Thieves in San Francisco—a city under the dominion of Zeus—I’ve learned to keep my head down. The gods rule from Olympus, and I’ve always been careful to stay out of their way.

But my luck runs out when I cross paths with Hades, the most feared and unpredictable of the gods.

This year, Hades has entered the Crucible, a brutal competition the gods hold to choose a new ruler for Olympus. Instead of fighting themselves, they choose mortals to be their champions. I never imagined I'd be picked—let alone by Hades, the King of the Underworld himself.

Now, I'm trapped in a deadly game with no escape. Hades claims me as his champion, but I don’t know if I’m a pawn, bait, or something more in his dangerous game. His gaze sends shivers down my spine, and I can’t tell if it's fear or something else entirely. He says I’m his, but what does that mean when he’s a god with secrets darker than the night sky?

With every step in the Crucible, I’m drawn deeper into Hades’ world—a world where death is the only certainty, and survival means defying the gods. But Hades is playing by his own rules, and in this game, the price of failure is far more than my life.

Because in the end, Death always wins. 📚❤️