I bought Starcrossed on a whim after seeing the Lauren Kate reccommendation on the cover, and I am so very glad I picked it up, I really enjoy this series and seem to have trouble putting the books down once I start them.
Once again, Angelini has me frustrated beyond belief that the next book isn't out yet as the book has another cliffhanger ending (oh how I love those *cough*). I enjoyed this book just as much, if not more, than the first. It was written wonderfully, with the short changes in perspective put in excellent spots in the plotline, it informs you of Greek mytholgy without making it seem like your just being funnelled information and it makes me hate certain characters, which I think is a mark of excellent writing. My favourite characters in this book were Zach and Orion. I know I always pick the love interest, but Orion was written so well, with the troubled background and kick ass powers it's very hard not to like him. I also really liked Zach's character because he was very relatable, and his inner struggle was conveyed really well throughout the novel. I would recommend this book to any paranormal fiction fans as well as any Percy Jackson fans.
To save you from reading the whole plot summary to find out, Helen and Lucas still think they're cousins at the end of this book.
This book kicks off a week after the end of Starcrossed and Helen has "descended" every night. When she descends time stops in the real world, but she can be stuck in the underworld for days or weeks, she is getting so tired and lonely that she cries for help and meets Orion. Orion is the Head of the House of Rome and heir to the House of Athens, he's an earthshaker and a son of Aphrodite so he can do weird mumbo jumbo on peoples feelings. He descends with Helen every night and soon they think to talk to Persephone who tells them they must bring the furies water from a river, but Helen can't remember which river. In the midst of a battle caused by Eris and Terror Helen descends and must get water from the river Lethe, which makes people forget, this causes her and Orion a lot of difficulty in knowing what their purpose is when they get to the river. But they work it out together and once the furies drink the water they forget who they are and what their purpose is. The houses can now interact freely without wanting to kill each other and outcasts are no more. However Automedon, a Myrmidon, has been waiting for Helen to complete this task so he can capture her between worlds when she is vulnerable and bring him to his master, Ares, the God of War. Ares plan once he's captured Helen is for both Orion and Lucas to come try to help her so he can spill all their blood and they all become blood brothers, uniting the houses, freeing the Gods and starting the war. His plan works perfectly except Zach changes sides in battle and is stabbed by Automedon, before he dies he tells Helen that Automedon is blood brothers with Achilles, so Helen stabs Automedon in the heel and he finally dies. Helen is then so furious with what Ares has done that she opens a portal to the underworld and curses him to live forever in Tartarus with the souls he's double-crossed. The book ends with Daphne helping them all plan for battle and seeming quite happy with herself.
