Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨ (4.5/5)

Hello my friends! If you are looking for another book to add to your winter reading list, I must recommend my latest read, Tender Cruelty by Katee Robert. This was another audiobook from NetGalley and Dreamscape Media that I received for review, but honestly, I would have picked it up anyway because I am a massive fan of the Dark Olympus series. Each book in this world focuses on one of the gods of Olympus in a modern retelling, and this one is Zeus and Hera’s story.​

Let me start off by saying it is essential that you read this series in order. Tender Cruelty is book 9 in the Dark Olympus series, and we are so close to the end you can feel it when you read this novel. If you jump in here without the earlier books, you are going to miss some key pieces of the larger plot and of Zeus and Hera’s dynamic. We have seen them over several previous books, before they assumed the titles of Hera and Zeus, so finally getting their full story felt very satisfying to me.​

By the time we reach this part in the series, Olympus is in the middle of open conflict. The barrier that once protected this part of the city has fallen, and the enemy is here, and some members of the Thirteen are fighting with each other almost as much as the outside threat.

It’s no secret that Hera has every intention of killing Zeus after their contract marriage; she has not been subtle about it after all. Only now they are forced to work together, when previously they were only compatible in one significant way, and the chemistry is scorching. While the war with Circe rages and alliances shift, Hera and Zeus start to realize that maybe the only people they can trust are each other.

This book brings us right up to the edge of the series finale and ends on a cliffhanger, which definitely left me counting the days until the last book releases. It is fast paced and full of tension, both political and romantic, and has emotional stakes. If you are already a fan of the series, you will want to clear your schedule, because it is very easy to stay up way too late reading or listening to see what happens next.​ I know I did.

In fact, I listened to the audiobook version, narrated by Zara Hampton-Brown and Alex Moorcock until 1am. Zara returns after taking a break in Sweet Obsession, and it was so nice to hear her voice Hera and many of the familiar characters again. Alex Moorcock balances Zeus’s power and vulnerability really well, along with many others in Olympus, and together they make this installment a very immersive listen.​

So friends, if you have not already started Dark Olympus, it is my recommendation that you pick up the series as soon as you can. If you are already a fan like me, you will not want to miss this penultimate novel. Add Tender Cruelty (or the entire series) to your holiday wishlist or pick it up on December 2, then make sure you also preorder Shattered Gods for what is sure to be a thrilling conclusion.​

The waiting is the hardest part. Happy Reading!