IMMORTAL SUN (Dark Olympus 1) by Rachel Van Dyken-review tour

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 25, 2025

There isn’t a lore that doesn’t exist around Mt. Olympus, and nobody is safe from the wrath of the immortals who watch.

My only goal: Beat him at his own game. His: Save the world and himself.

Thousands of people have disappeared from this world by way of his hand and the universe breathes for only one more drop of blood–mine. He promised he would help me find my brother.
He lied.

I don’t know why I immediately trusted Cyrus. He was stunningly gorgeous, nice, and so accommodating that maybe I felt too safe—maybe that was the first red flag. The second was that he always said my missing twin was fine, that he’d come back when he was done traveling and that I should stay put until his return. Looks are deceiving. And I forgot.

Now I’m completely screwed. I’m trapped here until the eclipse and the great Sun God says I’m the last sacrifice he has to make in order to ascend to Olympus. I have so many questions about the mixed mythology and each answer that crawls out of Seattle has me more terrified and confused than the first.
I’m surrounded by fallen angels, demons–basically every terrifying yet perfectly normal looking creature on the planet and working at a bar called Styx, counting the days until two of the very coins I take on a daily basis will be used to cover my travel.

Anubis seems nice enough but I don’t want to die. There has to be a way and I’m hellbent on finding it even if it means I join the other side.

••••

REVIEW: IMMORTAL SUN is the first instalment in Rachel Van Dyken’s contemporary, adult DARK OLYMPUS dark, erotic, mythology series focusing on Cleo, and Cyrus, the Sun god Ra.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Cleo and Cyrus) IMMORTAL SUN follows Cleo as she searches for her twin brother Jake, an archeologist who was last seen near Mt Olympus, Seattle, Washington but all is not as it appears to be, and Cleo will discover she and her brother are the last surviving descendants of Chaos, and her death will free our story line hero. Cyrus, the Sun god Ra, is the god of creation and light, and in order to ascend to the heavens, he is tasked with destroying the human descendants of Chaos, including the woman with whom he will fall in love but Cleo is unlike anyone he and the other gods could have ever imagined, and in this, Cleo’s death threatens the stability of all who survive.

The world building is detailed, complicated, complex and cryptic. Nothing and no one is who they appear to be. Alliances are made, line are drawn, the gods prepare for war as Cyrus goes in search of the woman who controls his heart.

The relationship between Cyrus and Cleo is unique. Cyrus owns the nightclub Styx, and Cleo is working for the man she believes can lead to her brother but Cyrus is determined to ascend to Olympus, and Cleo is the only human standing in his way. Cyrus finds himself falling for the woman he must destroy, a fall his is unable to comprehend or deny. The $ex scenes are provocative and intense without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

There is a large ensemble cast of powerful, questionable and charismatic gods and goddesses including the gods who are task with preparing Cleo for her death. We are introduced Tyrell, Daggon, Apep, Inti, as well as Bast, Rat , Cow and Anubis.

IMMORTAL SUN is a story of power and control, secrets and lies, mythology and lore, acceptance and love. The slow building premise is elaborate, dramatic and edgy; the characters are dynamic, hypnotic and larger than life. IMMORTAL SUN ends on a cliff hanger-you have been warned.

My only complaint / concern is the blurb. It is a bit misleading, and only by mention, there is very little effort or exposure to vampires, werewolves, fae etc.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

To learn more about Rachel & her books, visit here!

Rachel Van Dyken is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of regency and contemporary romances. When she’s not writing you can find her drinking coffee at Starbucks and plotting her next book while watching The Bachelor.

She keeps her home in Idaho with her Husband, adorable son, and two snoring boxers! She loves to hear from readers!To learn more about Rachel & her books, visit here!

She keeps her home in Idaho with her Husband, adorable son, and two snoring boxers! She loves to hear from readers!

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