TENDER CRUELTY is book nine of author Katee
Robertβs Dark Olympus series and is the story of the
most recent Zeus and his wife/enemy, Hera. I wonβt go
into the formerly known as because I found it a bit
confusing β especially for those who are not familiar
with the series.
Basically, Olympus was a protected community ruled by 13
βgods and goddesses,β and they certainly act
better than thou in their elite little world. Trying to one-
up or even kill one another is, after all, everyday life. In
TENDER CRUELTY, the barrier that protected Olympus has
fallen, leaving a very frightened group of gods who have
never had to fend for themselves against an outside force.
This force is led by an angry former Hera β now known
as Circe β who they thought had been killed by the
former Zeus (the one in the hot seat, also known as Zeus,
was his actual son).
TENDER CRUELTY kind of felt like a prelude for the
finale. According to the author, there will be one more of
her Dark Olympus books that will end the series. Hera and
Zeus have a love/hate relationship where they are by day
trying to kill each other, but at night they are all over
each other. Now with the loss of the barrier, they have to
work together to save their world, and in doing so, they
find that their partner might not be so bad, and having
common sworn enemies, they put aside some of the anger.
Aside from the steamy hot nights, there is a lot of
backstabbing and political maneuvering β even with the
danger that could destroy everything they know and love.
With a more in-depth look into the mind of the harassed
Zeus, we begin to understand what drives him. While he is
trying to save his world, he is also hearing the voice of
his hated father and needing to outsmart his not so beloved
wife, it makes it interesting watching him work out a plan.
Hera plans on ending her husband but being forced in working
together, some of the hatred turns to something that will
allow her to see the man as he is. Not just Zeus, but a man
with some integrity.
After reading TENDER CRUELTY, I am very much looking
forward to the next offering. I cannot wait to see what
happens to Olympus. Will it survive as fans have come to
know it, or will others (Circe and her bunch) take over?
Will it be better or worse? Fans will have to wait and see,
but of course, reading TENDER CRUELTY is the perfect reading
pleasure for any time.
The barrier that's protected Olympus for generations has fallen. The enemy's breached the gates and the Thirteen are scrambling to protect themselves, their loved ones, and the city they've sworn to protect. At least they would be if they weren't at each others' throats instead.
Hera has no intention of letting her husband, Zeus, survive the oncoming storm. But despite the white-hot hatred burning between them, when Hera and Zeus are forced to work together, enmity crystalizes into something brighter. Hotter. Too powerful to deny or destroy.
Hera never bartered on falling in love with the man she married—the man she once swore to kill. But now, standing back-to-back in the ruins of Olympus, she may be forced to admit that she's been wrong about Zeus all these years…and there may be something about their marriage worth saving if they can survive long enough to turn sworn enemies into something more.
No excerpt available.
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