Stone Heart (Dark Olympus, 0.5)

Rating: 4 out of 5

"You're strong. You're clever. You're ruthless. Those things are beautiful."

In the city of Olympus, people only speak about Medusa in whispers. She's Athena's knife hand, the one sent when Athena wants someone to disappear. No one asks Medusa what she wants, but she owes Athena her life, and if staining her hands with blood is the only way to repay the debt, it's a small price to pay. Until Athena sends her after Calypso, the mistress of the rich politician Odysseus. Calypso is beautiful and cunning and she'll do anything to keep her life--including seducing her would-be assassin. What starts as a ploy to escape quickly spirals into genuine interest. But it doesn't matter that they've finally found something special together. Athena will have her blood, and this time not even crossing the River Styx will save them...

First thought on this is that I wish it had been longer because it was an interesting plot. I wanted more of Medusa and Calypso's backgrounds. I'm not usually a fan of insta-love, but to be honest this story didn't feel like a romance at all. It just kinda felt like an introduction to the world of the 13. I think it would have been nice if the romance element had been explored more in depth. It just felt rushed for me given how much focus was put on all the world building stuff. That being said I deeply enjoyed this one.

I think both characters were likable and had a lot of potential to be explored more. I mean Medusa is this hired gun, who is starting to struggle with the killings, but isn't going to walk away... Until she meets Calypso, a woman who isn't above seducing her assassin in order to stay alive. I honestly appreciated that both of these women were strong and able to take care of themselves. I just was expecting a little bit more in the spicy department. However, it was a cute fast read.