Author: Abigail Owen
Published: October 21, 2025 by Entangled: Red Tower Books
Format: Kindle, 673 Pages
Genre: Fantasy
Series: The Crucible #2
Recap: After a disastrous clash with the gods, Lyra finds herself imprisoned in Tartarus—the harshest realm in existence, where monsters thrive and the Titans wait behind seven ancient seals. She soon discovers she is the key to those seals, an unwilling prize in a divine struggle that reaches far beyond her own fate.
Surviving Tartarus means enduring trials designed to break even immortals, and each step forces Lyra to confront the power awakening inside her. Above, Hades is prepared to defy the entire pantheon to reach her, risking a war that could upend the balance between gods and titans.
But Lyra’s escape carries a dangerous cost. If she rises from Tartarus, the Titans may rise with her and their return would reshape the world in ways no one can control.
My Opinion: Diving into The Things Gods Break took me a moment, mostly because I did not reread the prior book, and this series drops you right back into a crowd of gods, goddesses, and titans without much hand holding. I spent the first few chapters doing a mental roll call, trying to remember who was who and how they all fit together.
Once that part of the plot settled in, I realized the central storyline is one I don’t usually enjoy. It leans into a genre element that just isn’t my thing, and if you feel the same way, you’ll know exactly what I mean once it appears. That said, the humor and banter are genuinely enjoyable. Those little sparks of wit kept me turning pages even when the pacing dragged.
And it does drag. The book feels longer than it needs to be, with stretches that repeat beats we’ve already covered. More than once, I caught myself wondering if the banter alone was enough to keep me invested. With the first book, I couldn’t read fast enough. This time, I could set it down for days and not feel the pull to pick it back up. When Lyra says, “I’ve lived over a hundred days since then”, I feel you, Lyra; it feels like I have been reading this book for that long.
Then there’s the ending. It comes out of nowhere, not in a twisty, clever way but in a “wait, what just happened?” way. It doesn’t change my overall opinion of the book, but it does make the direction of the final installment clear. But then again, with this author, anything is possible.
In the end, this sequel didn’t capture the same energy or momentum as the first, though the humor kept it from losing me entirely. I’ll still read the third book, but I’m hoping it brings back the spark that made the series start so strong.
Surviving Tartarus means enduring trials designed to break even immortals, and each step forces Lyra to confront the power awakening inside her. Above, Hades is prepared to defy the entire pantheon to reach her, risking a war that could upend the balance between gods and titans.
But Lyra’s escape carries a dangerous cost. If she rises from Tartarus, the Titans may rise with her and their return would reshape the world in ways no one can control.
My Opinion: Diving into The Things Gods Break took me a moment, mostly because I did not reread the prior book, and this series drops you right back into a crowd of gods, goddesses, and titans without much hand holding. I spent the first few chapters doing a mental roll call, trying to remember who was who and how they all fit together.
Once that part of the plot settled in, I realized the central storyline is one I don’t usually enjoy. It leans into a genre element that just isn’t my thing, and if you feel the same way, you’ll know exactly what I mean once it appears. That said, the humor and banter are genuinely enjoyable. Those little sparks of wit kept me turning pages even when the pacing dragged.
And it does drag. The book feels longer than it needs to be, with stretches that repeat beats we’ve already covered. More than once, I caught myself wondering if the banter alone was enough to keep me invested. With the first book, I couldn’t read fast enough. This time, I could set it down for days and not feel the pull to pick it back up. When Lyra says, “I’ve lived over a hundred days since then”, I feel you, Lyra; it feels like I have been reading this book for that long.
Then there’s the ending. It comes out of nowhere, not in a twisty, clever way but in a “wait, what just happened?” way. It doesn’t change my overall opinion of the book, but it does make the direction of the final installment clear. But then again, with this author, anything is possible.
In the end, this sequel didn’t capture the same energy or momentum as the first, though the humor kept it from losing me entirely. I’ll still read the third book, but I’m hoping it brings back the spark that made the series start so strong.
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