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justgeekingby's review
4.0
Originally posted on Just Geeking by.
Content warnings:
At the end of Game of Strength and Storm Gen was faced with the shocking reality that the Olympian Empresses had set her up. Despite winning their impossible competition and defeating the hydra, a feat no one else had ever accomplished, they named her rival Castor the winner and denied Gen her prize; her father’s freedom. The Empresses give Gen another opportunity to save her father, another two tasks more impossible than the last. All she has to do is bring them the legendary golden apples of Hesperides and the monstrous Cerberus, both of which are in the Elysium Empire. The Olympian Empire has an uneasy truce with the Elysium Empire after a history of war, and Gen knows that her actions will undoubtedly provoke another war. But with her father out of prison and now in the Empresses “care”, she has no choice.
Meanwhile, Castor is not enjoying her win as much as she expected. Her father, the current Duke of Arcadia, is fighting her at every turn and refusing to pass power over to her despite the Empresses’ decree. When Cas’ actions from her competition with Gen in the previous book come back to haunt her she hatches a daring plan, one that aligns her path with her twin Pollux (Lux) and his girlfriend Gen. While Cas can’t stand Gen, and she’s never got along with her Lux, she needs them both if she’s going to pull off her plan and save Arcadia from financial ruin.
Joining these three in Clash of Fate and Fury are other characters we met in the first book; Bale, Lux’s servant who is much more than he seems, Adikia a mischievous pirate that helps them sail to the Elysium Empire and Flek, a Deaf MetalBender who’s metal magic is crucial to their quest. That’s the human characters, and there’s of course Gen’s animal companions; the grumpy and troublesome purple haired dog Chomp and her curious young whale Andromeda.
The stakes were high in the first book, and in Clash of Fate and Fury Menard has taken them even higher. Our unconventional group has to find a way to work together in unfamiliar territory where they know no one and have everything to lose if they fail. The result is a book filled with adventure, danger and great character dynamics. There’s more than one type of “clash” happening in this book, from the characters to the two empires and much more. All of which is set to the Geek myth inspired world that Menard has created. I loved her world-building in the first book, and in this one we get to see even more.
I sometimes find that sequels that promise higher stakes don’t necessarily deliver, however, Menard certainly does in Clash of Fate and Fury. There’s plenty of action, real risk and consequences that leaves even the most stubborn of characters shaken.
There’s a lot packed into this sequel, and I enjoyed the introduction of the new characters, Adikia and Flek as permanent team members. Both were interesting characters in the first book but only played brief roles, and their presence on the mission allowed Menard to explore a lot of different angles. Notable for me was Flek being from an Island where all living creatures were born without the ability to hear, an evolutionary response to the deadly shrieking caterpillars on the Island. He is asked to come on the mission because he’s the only MetalBender they know, and during their time together everyone learns how to lip-read and speak his language, Croecian (sign language). I was impressed in the first book that Menard had not just included a disabled character, but created an entire culture and civilisation that is disabled, and it was great to see more of Flek in this book.
Likewise, in regard to representation, Adikia appeared briefly in Game of Strength and Storm and there was some romantic tension between her and Cas. The synopsis already names her as Cas’ girlfriend, so it’s not a spoiler for me to say that the tension continues in Clash of Fate and Fury.
I didn’t realise that this was a duology, so the ending felt a bit abrupt to me at first simply because I wasn’t expecting it. On the one hand, I wish we were getting more adventures of these characters as I feel though there are many more stories to be told. However, I can see why Menard chose to end it where she did. Another set of quests, despite being true to the lore of Hercules, would have felt a little too ridiculous and tedious especially considering the situation.
Overall Clash of Fate and Fury had everything I wanted in it, and while I’m sad to see these characters go it’s a fond farewell and a thumbs up from me!
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Content warnings:
Spoiler
There are scenes of violence, blood, gore and violent death in this book. This includes scenes depicting and discussing loss and grief, and a loss of a hand. There are several abusive relationships in this book; one is an emotionally abusive father towards his two children (on page and shown in flashbacks during childhood) and the other is an emotionally and physically abusive relationship between a master and a servant. Other themes in this book include depression, alcoholism, misogynist attitudes, and trauma.At the end of Game of Strength and Storm Gen was faced with the shocking reality that the Olympian Empresses had set her up. Despite winning their impossible competition and defeating the hydra, a feat no one else had ever accomplished, they named her rival Castor the winner and denied Gen her prize; her father’s freedom. The Empresses give Gen another opportunity to save her father, another two tasks more impossible than the last. All she has to do is bring them the legendary golden apples of Hesperides and the monstrous Cerberus, both of which are in the Elysium Empire. The Olympian Empire has an uneasy truce with the Elysium Empire after a history of war, and Gen knows that her actions will undoubtedly provoke another war. But with her father out of prison and now in the Empresses “care”, she has no choice.
Meanwhile, Castor is not enjoying her win as much as she expected. Her father, the current Duke of Arcadia, is fighting her at every turn and refusing to pass power over to her despite the Empresses’ decree. When Cas’ actions from her competition with Gen in the previous book come back to haunt her she hatches a daring plan, one that aligns her path with her twin Pollux (Lux) and his girlfriend Gen. While Cas can’t stand Gen, and she’s never got along with her Lux, she needs them both if she’s going to pull off her plan and save Arcadia from financial ruin.
Joining these three in Clash of Fate and Fury are other characters we met in the first book; Bale, Lux’s servant who is much more than he seems, Adikia a mischievous pirate that helps them sail to the Elysium Empire and Flek, a Deaf MetalBender who’s metal magic is crucial to their quest. That’s the human characters, and there’s of course Gen’s animal companions; the grumpy and troublesome purple haired dog Chomp and her curious young whale Andromeda.
The stakes were high in the first book, and in Clash of Fate and Fury Menard has taken them even higher. Our unconventional group has to find a way to work together in unfamiliar territory where they know no one and have everything to lose if they fail. The result is a book filled with adventure, danger and great character dynamics. There’s more than one type of “clash” happening in this book, from the characters to the two empires and much more. All of which is set to the Geek myth inspired world that Menard has created. I loved her world-building in the first book, and in this one we get to see even more.
I sometimes find that sequels that promise higher stakes don’t necessarily deliver, however, Menard certainly does in Clash of Fate and Fury. There’s plenty of action, real risk and consequences that leaves even the most stubborn of characters shaken.
There’s a lot packed into this sequel, and I enjoyed the introduction of the new characters, Adikia and Flek as permanent team members. Both were interesting characters in the first book but only played brief roles, and their presence on the mission allowed Menard to explore a lot of different angles. Notable for me was Flek being from an Island where all living creatures were born without the ability to hear, an evolutionary response to the deadly shrieking caterpillars on the Island. He is asked to come on the mission because he’s the only MetalBender they know, and during their time together everyone learns how to lip-read and speak his language, Croecian (sign language). I was impressed in the first book that Menard had not just included a disabled character, but created an entire culture and civilisation that is disabled, and it was great to see more of Flek in this book.
Likewise, in regard to representation, Adikia appeared briefly in Game of Strength and Storm and there was some romantic tension between her and Cas. The synopsis already names her as Cas’ girlfriend, so it’s not a spoiler for me to say that the tension continues in Clash of Fate and Fury.
I didn’t realise that this was a duology, so the ending felt a bit abrupt to me at first simply because I wasn’t expecting it. On the one hand, I wish we were getting more adventures of these characters as I feel though there are many more stories to be told. However, I can see why Menard chose to end it where she did. Another set of quests, despite being true to the lore of Hercules, would have felt a little too ridiculous and tedious especially considering the situation.
Overall Clash of Fate and Fury had everything I wanted in it, and while I’m sad to see these characters go it’s a fond farewell and a thumbs up from me!
sarei's review
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
jlreadstoperpetuity's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
OH.MY.GOD! Thank goodness for Netgalley, was able to obtain a copy of this book. At first, I requested for a copy because of the cover and the blurb. Diiving into the book without any expectations, I was blown away by how awesome this was!
Second book on a series (but can be read as a stand alone), takes us on the adventures of Gen, 17 year old Mindbender heroine all the way from Olympia to Elysium in order to obtain the legendary golden apples of Hesperides and the monstrous Cerberus. Soubds familiar? This series referenced the 12 Labors of Hercules and more...
1. I like the fact that the Hercules was an Amazonian -strong willed, family oriented and just simply loves fiercely
2. Castor and Pollux - I really love how the author took these 2 mythology personas and shaped in as driving force characters on the series.
3. The addition of magic system + mythological aspect is the bomb. It was written delicately and deliberately at the same time.
4. The storyline was just
Second book on a series (but can be read as a stand alone), takes us on the adventures of Gen, 17 year old Mindbender heroine all the way from Olympia to Elysium in order to obtain the legendary golden apples of Hesperides and the monstrous Cerberus. Soubds familiar? This series referenced the 12 Labors of Hercules and more...
1. I like the fact that the Hercules was an Amazonian -strong willed, family oriented and just simply loves fiercely
2. Castor and Pollux - I really love how the author took these 2 mythology personas and shaped in as driving force characters on the series.
3. The addition of magic system + mythological aspect is the bomb. It was written delicately and deliberately at the same time.
4. The storyline was just
bubblewombat's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
WHAT DO YOU MEAN THIS IS THE END? I REFUSE TO PART WITH THESE CHARACTERS, YOU CAN'T MAKE ME!!!
When I was at 70% I was like "no way is this ending in this book", same thing when I hit 80%, 90%, then I got to the author's note and saw it was supposed to be the end of their journey and I'm just so????? THIS CANNOT BE THE END, I NEED MORE!!!
Although, the ending did leave room for another book, either following these characters or not. But I'd of course prefer to read countless books about our heroes, I could never get tired of them.
Clash of Fate and Fury is just as amazing as the first book, if not more. I even started to like Castor (but I still don't forgive her for what she did to that poor whale).
I feel like someone put me in a washing machine and tumbled my whole life around, just because I cycled through so many emotions while reading this, and trust me THERE WAS NO TEAR SHORTAGE EITHER.
Rachel Menard somehow managed to pack all the feels into these two books, I don't know what to say except wow.
Gen and Pollux (and Chomp and Andromeda) are my faves still, but like I said Castor is kinda okay to me now, and I'm even more attached to Bale, Flek and Adikia than I already was.
I like Castor and Adikia together, I do however wish that we saw even more of them. Because while I want to believe they'll last and be happy together, I don't feel their love for one another like I do Pollux & Gen's. But maybe they're not in love YET and will be in some future book? This is me campaigning for another one, mhm.
I also didn't get my circus wish. So once again BOOK THREE, PLEASE. And it's okay to end this series on a happy note, but it feels incomplete, there's so much more for the characters to do.
For example if we had seen the main reason the empresses sent Gen on all her labours actually come to pass, then perhaps I'd feel differently. But it's been looming in the background the whole book, and now it's over? I don't think so.
Either way I will be sticking with Rachel Menard, and will read absolutely anything she writes, whether in this world or another.
*Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review*
When I was at 70% I was like "no way is this ending in this book", same thing when I hit 80%, 90%, then I got to the author's note and saw it was supposed to be the end of their journey and I'm just so????? THIS CANNOT BE THE END, I NEED MORE!!!
Although, the ending did leave room for another book, either following these characters or not. But I'd of course prefer to read countless books about our heroes, I could never get tired of them.
Clash of Fate and Fury is just as amazing as the first book, if not more. I even started to like Castor (but I still don't forgive her for what she did to that poor whale).
I feel like someone put me in a washing machine and tumbled my whole life around, just because I cycled through so many emotions while reading this, and trust me THERE WAS NO TEAR SHORTAGE EITHER.
Rachel Menard somehow managed to pack all the feels into these two books, I don't know what to say except wow.
Gen and Pollux (and Chomp and Andromeda) are my faves still, but like I said Castor is kinda okay to me now, and I'm even more attached to Bale, Flek and Adikia than I already was.
I like Castor and Adikia together, I do however wish that we saw even more of them. Because while I want to believe they'll last and be happy together, I don't feel their love for one another like I do Pollux & Gen's. But maybe they're not in love YET and will be in some future book? This is me campaigning for another one, mhm.
I also didn't get my circus wish. So once again BOOK THREE, PLEASE. And it's okay to end this series on a happy note, but it feels incomplete, there's so much more for the characters to do.
For example if we had seen the main reason the empresses sent Gen on all her labours actually come to pass, then perhaps I'd feel differently. But it's been looming in the background the whole book, and now it's over? I don't think so.
Either way I will be sticking with Rachel Menard, and will read absolutely anything she writes, whether in this world or another.
*Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review*
bookstarbri's review
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
tbh I’m always nervous going into second books after I love the first ones. But YALL. THIS BOOK. Rachel Menard owes me compensation for the emotional turmoil she put me through!! this series has been just such a wonderful ride. I loved the first book and I’m so happy to say that the second one was even better! The stakes were higher, the adventures were wilder, and the relationships grew even deeper. it was so beautiful to read this story and I’m really going to miss this series and these characters (though…the ending did leave room for a third book! maybe someday I’ll see my loves again!?!)
My favorite character in the last book was Pollux and im pleased to say that has not changed at all. I will protect Pollux with my life. We must make sure no harm ever comes to that angel!!! In this book, his relationship with Gen really deepens and it was one of my favorite parts of reading this. Watching them grow closer while dealing with all these obstacles was nothing short of beautiful. I love them. As for Gen, tbh I think maybe Pollux does have competition for being my favorite character bc I LOVE GEN!!! she might be one of my favorite characters ever? I feel so seen sometimes reading her chapters. She’s just amazing and I love her.
As for Castor, that girl is an absolute demon but somehow I found a way to love her??? I loved her character arc a lot and if you like evil characters who are secretly maybe not as evil as they pretend to be, you will adore castor and her demonic ways haha. I also want to say just how much I love the side characters too. Flek and Bale and our lovely animal characters are so much fun and the story wouldn’t be the same without them. Ugh I want them all to be happy forever.
Lastly, I have to say that I really admire this duology for how unique it is. It’s inspired by Greek mythology obviously but it’s done in the most unique way. I was a Percy Jackson kid growing up and reading this series reminded me of what it felt like to read PJO for the first time. These books are so much fun and if you’re looking for a cool adventure, amazing found family, and cool magic, definitely read these!!
Thanks soooo much to Flux Books and NetGalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
My favorite character in the last book was Pollux and im pleased to say that has not changed at all. I will protect Pollux with my life. We must make sure no harm ever comes to that angel!!! In this book, his relationship with Gen really deepens and it was one of my favorite parts of reading this. Watching them grow closer while dealing with all these obstacles was nothing short of beautiful. I love them. As for Gen, tbh I think maybe Pollux does have competition for being my favorite character bc I LOVE GEN!!! she might be one of my favorite characters ever? I feel so seen sometimes reading her chapters. She’s just amazing and I love her.
As for Castor, that girl is an absolute demon but somehow I found a way to love her??? I loved her character arc a lot and if you like evil characters who are secretly maybe not as evil as they pretend to be, you will adore castor and her demonic ways haha. I also want to say just how much I love the side characters too. Flek and Bale and our lovely animal characters are so much fun and the story wouldn’t be the same without them. Ugh I want them all to be happy forever.
Lastly, I have to say that I really admire this duology for how unique it is. It’s inspired by Greek mythology obviously but it’s done in the most unique way. I was a Percy Jackson kid growing up and reading this series reminded me of what it felt like to read PJO for the first time. These books are so much fun and if you’re looking for a cool adventure, amazing found family, and cool magic, definitely read these!!
Thanks soooo much to Flux Books and NetGalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
cakt1991's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
Clash of Fate and Fury is a solid sequel, following up on the excellent Game of Strength and Storm. I love this fun spin on Greek mythology, particularly the Labors of Hercules, and the story continues in that vein here. The magic alone gets a much deeper dive, further expanding on the world Rachel Menard created with the MindWorkers and StormMakers.
The characters are still quite interesting and fun. Gen remains a great protagonist, even with all the challenges that get thrown at her. Castor remains a nuanced character, being a bit of an anti-heroine who does terrible things, but also being fairly easy to sympathize with. And Menard creates great dynamics between the group of major characters overall, from the enmity and reluctant allyship between Gen and Castor to Gen and Pollux’s romantic relationship, and more.
With this book concluding the characters’ journey, I like how everything overall wrapped up with the final challenges that the group are tasked with. The stakes are high to the point I was invested, and that combined with my personal investment in the characters made the story rewarding.
This is a solid second book, closing out a brilliant debut duology, and I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys Greek mythology and/or YA fantasy.
shelves_by_sim's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
All Gen wants is to have her father be released from prison and given back his freedom, but his freedom comes at a price. In order for this to happen, Gen makes a deal with the Empresses of Olympia. She must enter enemy territory and steal the legendary golden apples of Hesperides and capture the Elysium Emperor's greatest possession, the beast who wins wars, the Cerberus.
Gen is a MindWorker and is able to control the beasts with a connection forced by blood or saliva, if anyone can bring that beast back, it will be her. Pollux, Gen's boyfriend and a StormMaker, sets out to join her on her quest. But when the Empresses force his sister's hand, Castor is forced to join the team. There's only one problem - Gen and Castor are enemies.
With a MetalBender that has a huge crush on Gen, Pollux's servant companion, Castor's pirate-thief girlfriend along with the three of them, the team embarks in a voyage to complete the Empresses' quest, a quest that was, as they soon come to learn, prophesized by an Oracle.
My thoughts:
I got this ARC from @netgalley and let's just say... I really enjoyed it! I soon realised that this is the second book in the series but it did not matter because the story was written so well, there were no gaps that needed filling. The world created was magical, the powers given to the characters were different and new. The characters were so different but wholesome. I loved the adventure and I loved all the magical creatures that were included in this story. It was emotional and impactful and such a good read.
Gen is a MindWorker and is able to control the beasts with a connection forced by blood or saliva, if anyone can bring that beast back, it will be her. Pollux, Gen's boyfriend and a StormMaker, sets out to join her on her quest. But when the Empresses force his sister's hand, Castor is forced to join the team. There's only one problem - Gen and Castor are enemies.
With a MetalBender that has a huge crush on Gen, Pollux's servant companion, Castor's pirate-thief girlfriend along with the three of them, the team embarks in a voyage to complete the Empresses' quest, a quest that was, as they soon come to learn, prophesized by an Oracle.
My thoughts:
I got this ARC from @netgalley and let's just say... I really enjoyed it! I soon realised that this is the second book in the series but it did not matter because the story was written so well, there were no gaps that needed filling. The world created was magical, the powers given to the characters were different and new. The characters were so different but wholesome. I loved the adventure and I loved all the magical creatures that were included in this story. It was emotional and impactful and such a good read.
sofiasshelves's review
4.0
i was provided an arc of this book via netgalley in exchange for a honest review. thank you to the publisher, the author and netgalley. all thoughts are my own.
this book is a sequel to game of strength and storm, and considering how much i had loved book one, i jumped at the possibility to keep reading their story. in this, we follow gen (and company) as she has to fulfill two extra tasks for the empresses in order to achieve her father's freedom.
i said it in for the first book, but i truly loved this series so much. my only complain is that at the start the pacing felt a bit too slow until things started moving (maybe at the 40 or 35% mark, i'd say? somewhere around there), but once it got moving, i could not put it down. i did want to clarify that first of all since that was my one complain and i dragged a bit during most of the start, only to read everything else in two days barely putting the book down. it might be a me thing, however.
the plot was very fun once the adventure itself started, and i especially liked the mix with the characters. i like them all as characters. gen is great, obviously, as is pollux, but castor is especially fascinating in how herself and not really a good person she is, and how invested i still am in her, how i root for her all the same. she does have a pretty good character arc in this book as well, so castor is kind of my favorite character of the whole series. the side-characters are also characters i enjoy, so overall, this was a great mixture of plot and character that i enjoyed so much reading about. and the ending? it worked so well for me. the relationships and friendships were so fun to read about.
and i said this for the first review, but i truly adore how menard grabbed greek mythology and shifted it to fit this world. i love how it's fun if you enjoy greek mythology, how you can clearly recognize everything that was used to base the characters or events, but also how different it is to the actual mythology. it feels like something that someone who wasn't very interested in greek myths could read with no problem because of the differences, and how original it is (and so it doesn't really require prior knowledge)
overall, i like this serie a lot. i've enjoyed both books a lot.
this book is a sequel to game of strength and storm, and considering how much i had loved book one, i jumped at the possibility to keep reading their story. in this, we follow gen (and company) as she has to fulfill two extra tasks for the empresses in order to achieve her father's freedom.
i said it in for the first book, but i truly loved this series so much. my only complain is that at the start the pacing felt a bit too slow until things started moving (maybe at the 40 or 35% mark, i'd say? somewhere around there), but once it got moving, i could not put it down. i did want to clarify that first of all since that was my one complain and i dragged a bit during most of the start, only to read everything else in two days barely putting the book down. it might be a me thing, however.
the plot was very fun once the adventure itself started, and i especially liked the mix with the characters. i like them all as characters. gen is great, obviously, as is pollux, but castor is especially fascinating in how herself and not really a good person she is, and how invested i still am in her, how i root for her all the same. she does have a pretty good character arc in this book as well, so castor is kind of my favorite character of the whole series. the side-characters are also characters i enjoy, so overall, this was a great mixture of plot and character that i enjoyed so much reading about. and the ending? it worked so well for me. the relationships and friendships were so fun to read about.
and i said this for the first review, but i truly adore how menard grabbed greek mythology and shifted it to fit this world. i love how it's fun if you enjoy greek mythology, how you can clearly recognize everything that was used to base the characters or events, but also how different it is to the actual mythology. it feels like something that someone who wasn't very interested in greek myths could read with no problem because of the differences, and how original it is (and so it doesn't really require prior knowledge)
overall, i like this serie a lot. i've enjoyed both books a lot.
p_gonza2's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Clash of fate and fury:
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me this e-arc. All opinions are my own.
After (winning) the trials from the empresses Gen and her friends have to first do more of the empresses bidding to get Gen’s father freedom. It was quite emotional reading the interactions that Gen had with her dad, it was so sad because I understand why she isn’t wasn’t so open to her father. I honestly think that Pollux is even better than the previous book. (Butttt Castor is still my favorite and I’m glad we got to see more of her in this book.) I loved the magic system and how the author added the mythology is well written. The author wrote each character so different that I never had a problem knowing whose pov it was.
Overall I recommend this series to anyone who likes mythology, amazing written heroines and different pov chapters.
Content Warnings
Minor: Classism, Confinement, and Death of parent
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