The Games Gods Play BY Abigail Owen

The gods love to toy with mortals, and every century, they remind us of our insignificance through the Crucible—a deadly contest to determine who will rule Olympus. As for me, I’ve always kept a low profile, just another cursed office clerk in the Order of Thieves, trying to avoid the wrath of the gods. Especially here in San Francisco, Zeus’ patron city, where keeping my head down is the only way to survive.

But my luck runs out the night I cross paths with Hades, the King of the Underworld. Unlike the other gods, Hades has never cared for the games of Olympus—until now. For the first time, he’s entered the Crucible, but instead of choosing a powerful warrior or a seasoned strategist, he picks…me. A sarcastic nobody cursed by Zeus.

Why would the most feared god in existence choose me as his champion? And why does my heart skip a beat every time he claims I’m his?

Thrown into a contest where death is the only certainty, I’m forced to confront the possibility that Hades sees something in me that I don’t understand. As I battle for survival in a game rigged by gods, I can’t shake the feeling that I’m more than just a pawn in Hades’ hands. But with his secrets and his own rules, one thing is clear: in this game, the stakes are life, death, and something far more dangerous—my heart.

Hades’ Champion is an electrifying tale of gods, mortals, and forbidden desires, where every choice could mean victory or doom.