Radiant Sin: Book Review

Radiant Sin
by Katee Robert

I got a copy of this book through my library using the Hoopla app!

I discovered Katee Robert last year when Neon Gods popped onto my radar. After reading and loving that book, I thought Robert would become my new favorite author, but as it turns out, not all of her writing (or the bdsm elements included) works for me 100% of the time. However the Dark Olympus series is still one of my favorites, and I’ve been trying my best to keep up with these consistent new releases!

The most refreshing thing about this series was the new take on the gods and goddesses of Olympus. While they don’t exhibit magical powers, they do carry heavy wallets, run in an elite circle, and are the primary governing body of their city. The murder, deceit, and marital affairs from lore far and wide were adapted to these new characters, and their not so mundane human lives.

Radiant Sin is the fourth book in this series, following Apollo and his assistant Cassandra. After the tumultuous ending of book 3, I was very excited to see how these new characters would continue to disrupt the upper echelon of Olympus and the elite. As soon as Cassandra and Apollo got invited to an exclusive, week-long party, I had instant murder mystery vibes, which was something new for this series. While the other novels included mysterious murders, they didn’t follow the narrative formula of traditional murder mysteries to the extent that this story did.

This story included some of my favorite tropes, such as fake boyfriend, forced proximity, and the beloved one bed conundrum. Cassandra and Apollo were hot together for so many reasons, but what really sold me on them as characters, and a couple, was how deeply their feelings ran for each other. This union was a long time coming, and the suppressed emotion (that was finally allowed an outlet) was released in many explosive and sultry ways.

I think this might be my favorite book in the series so far. I’ve been itching to reread Neon Gods, just because of my love for Hades and Persephone as characters in any retelling, and until that time comes I cannot say for sure that Radiant Sin tops my list. I think the plot and the romance were incredibly well balanced, and the entire storyline was thrilling to read. Whether we were trying to wade through lies and omissions, or watching Apollo and Cassandra enjoying having to hide in a closet a little too much, all the scenes kept my full attention.

I feel like this series is truly just getting started, and there will be some explosive moments in the next few novels. Robert, if you’re reading this, please keep my favs safe if Olympus falls into chaos.