The Immortals by Jordanna Max Brodsky

Manhattan. The city sleeps. Selene DiSilva walks her dog along the banks of the Hudson. She is alone -- just the way she likes it. She doesn't believe in friends, and she doesn't speak to her family. Most of them are simply too dangerous. In the predawn calm, Selene finds the body of a young woman washed ashore, gruesomely mutilated and wreathed in laurel. Her ancient rage returns. And so does the memory of a promise she made long ago -- when her name was Artemis. Much like Lev Grossman's The Magicians spoke to a generation of adults who grew up with Harry Potter, THE IMMORTALS will enchant anyone who loved American Gods or Percy Jackson.

Selene DiSilva fights bad guys. Abused women call her, and she takes care of their problems. Lately, she doesn't heal as fast as she used to. She's also not as fast as she used to be. That's because she is no longer Artemis. When she finds a woman's body, it has ancient ritual written all over it and brings her past rushing back. This was a good book, but I got bored every time Theo started talking.

While this book began with promise and had many positive things to say, it fell hard at its finish line. I have to dock it to a two-star. I was disappointed because this book really raised my hopes.

Something was infuriating about the portrayal of Selene, aka Artemis. Using ancient Greek mythology's most potent female icon, the writer turned her into a sexually frustrated woman. She was constantly going between irrationally angry and shamefully horny emotions.

The writer turned mythology into a self-inflicted punishment by changing Artemis' chastity from being a punishment to an intentional decision. Artemis' virginity seemed to be more critical to the writer than her other attributes. A Greek god was transformed into a whiny friend who obsesses and complains about never having a boyfriend.

Another main character in this novel is a bit more likable than the overly irritable and sexually frustrated Selene. Soon, Theo became a caricature, spouting ancient mythology with unrealistic ease and declaring ride-or-die love for a woman he hadn't known for a week.

Even though I figured out the killer within the first five chapters, I enjoyed the sleuthing and learning about ancient Greek history. Characters and insta-love were what made me lose interest in the story. I dislike Insta-love, especially when it involves people who profess their love within a few days of meeting each other.

Would I continue the series? No, the lack of character development and the unrealistic portrayal of relationships overshadowed the otherwise intriguing plot. I prefer stories with more depth and authenticity.