The Crucible #1 : The Games Gods Play - Paperback

The Games Gods Play is the inaugural novel in Abigail Owen’s The Crucible series, blending Greek mythology with high-stakes competition and romantic tension. The narrative follows Lyra, a young woman cursed by Zeus to be "unlovable," leading a solitary life as an office clerk for the Order of Thieves in San Francisco. Her existence takes a dramatic turn when Hades, the King of the Underworld, selects her as his champion in the Crucible—a deadly contest held every hundred years by the gods to determine the ruler of Olympus.

As Lyra navigates the twelve perilous trials designed by various gods, she grapples with her curse, her growing feelings for Hades, and the manipulative nature of the divine beings. The story delves into themes of identity, power, and love, set against a backdrop of divine politics and mortal endurance.