Enamored in Death

Enamored in Death
By Molly Tullis

Summary
Deep in the underworld, Thanatos God of death, works hard despite his reputation as a fearsome villain who takes life and the loneliness that comes with it. When Nyx creates a new Goddess out of a priestess who has served her faithfully her entire mortal life, she assigns her to work with Thanatos. The pair don’t exactly get off on the right foot and it takes them a while to find common ground. Makaria must prove her worth as a goddess to earn her newly granted immortality and Thanatos agrees to help her, even though he loathes the idea of having a partner. They are forced to put aside their differences and work together to save the mortal world from a god that makes chaos his pastime.

My Review

I was one of the lucky few to have the opportunity to read this book as an ARC (advance reader copy) and I am excited to report that it was AMAZING, and you should read it.

In the author’s note, Molly mentions how “the beauty of mythology is how it transforms as it is retold” and I couldn’t agree more. I have been a mythology nerd for as long as I can remember, and I am in awe at how seamlessly she weaves her fiction into the existing mythos. It is beautiful and serves to add layers of depth to characters that we can see in the stories from ancient times. Imagining how these untouchable characters would react when put in the real-world scenarios of adventure and romance is a talent that Molly has in spades. She really knows her mythology and she has a knack for villainizing the standard pantheon and making the darker, misunderstood gods and Goddesses into the heroes. I love it so much and I cannot get enough. Molly will forever be an instant-buy author for me.

The characters in this series are literally GODS, and they are somehow still always relatable. They have flaws, they make mistakes, and they struggle to know and accept themselves. Thanatos has an awful reputation because of the nature of his work collecting souls, and after centuries of this reputation beating him down, he honestly believes that he isn’t worthy of the kind of love that is being presented to him. Their love grows slow and steady. It starts out a little rough between them as Thanatos’ solitary lifestyle is threatened by her presence, but he warms up to her after a bit and their blossoming friendship is adorable.Watching him crack himself open to let Makaria in was a beautiful mess that broke my heart and then stitched it back together again. I recommend it to everyone.

“At their core and in their hearts, Thanatos and Makaria
were two halves of the same soul”

The book was deep and soulful while also finding a way to make me giggle until tears came to my eyes. The banter is fun and the way that gods always somehow get exactly what they deserve is just *chefs kiss*. But if you all don’t mind an out of context spoiler: THE CABINET! OMG! I laughed out loud and tried to explain to my husband why I was laughing, and he just looked at me like I was nuts. I am always a sucker for a scene with Hermes, but this one was next level.

The best part of this series is the cameos! All our favorite big names from Mythology and even some smaller ones are summoned to the scene whenever the stories call for their presence. I love the way that even the cameo characters have fully fleshed personalities and bring their own flavor to the plot. In this story, she gives us a little bit of Orpheus and Eurydice, which is one of my very favorite myths, and teasing a future book in the series. Hephaestus is also climbing up the ladder of my favorites and I can’t wait to read more of him. I love how she uses one book to set up the foundation for the next and give us a sneak peak of the characters before we get their POV.

A little unorthodox for a review but let’s just take a second admire her dedication:

“For everyone who struggles to love their shadow self.”

It is like a sigh that releases all your worries. You know that this book will take the darkest parts of yourself, hold them close and make them feel a little lighter in your chest. This story is that and more. It is a journey for the characters to learn to accept themselves, face their loneliness and make room for each other in spaces they have always occupied on their own.

Pros: Greek mythology retelling, underworld Gods/Goddesses, self-love and discovery, forced proximity romance.
Cons: I honestly cannot think of one… I tried. Read this book.

Overall, I give Enamored in Death 5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

-Jacqui

Spice Level 3/5
Romance 5/5
Characters 5/5
Plot & Themes 5/5
Author: Molly Tullis
Genre: Mythology Retelling
Trigger Warnings: graphic violence, death, swearing, and sex
Tropes: Mythology retelling, forced proximity
Age Recommendation: 18+
Length/Page Count: 312 pages
Format & Source: Kindle eBook, ARC
Publishing Info: September 9th, 2022