Radiant sin

The sizzling fourth romance in Robert's Dark Olympus series (after Wicked Beauty) rewards readers with another high-heat adaptation of Greek myth. Cassandra Gataki and her younger sister, Alexandra, have been treated as outcasts ever since their late parents attempted a coup against the Thirteen, the ruling council of the dystopian city of Olympus. Determined to flee Olympus, Cassandra reluctantly agrees to pose as the girlfriend of her employer (and longtime crush), Apollo, at a fraught weeklong house party at a political upstart's country home, if, in exchange, he'll help her to leave Olympus for good. Apollo, the Thirteen's spymaster, has been lusting after his beautiful assistant ever since he hired her, but his honor has prevented him from acting on these urges. Their fake relationship soon becomes all too real, however, even as Apollo uses it as a cover to investigate a rumored revolution. As the danger ramps up, the pair must work together to untangle deadly political intrigue. Exactly as spicy as Robert's regulars expect, this twisty romance will keep readers guessing from start to finish, and the irresistible leads are sure to become fan favorites. This addictive series is nowhere close to flaming out. Agent: Laura Bradford, Bradford Literary. (Feb.)

Cassandra's predictions of doom come true, though not for her own love life with Apollo, in a new Dark Olympus novel. Following the events of Wicked Beauty (2022), which introduced a new player to the oligarchy that runs the city of Olympus, this story spotlights Cassandra Gataki and her boss, Apollo. She's the oldest daughter of overreaching parents who tried to murder their way into the circle of the Thirteen who control the city. Haunted by the ignominy, she's focused on raising her younger sister, Alexandra, and keeping everyone at bay with her prickly personality, even the man who holds the title of Apollo--and with whom she's in love. Her goal is to save up enough to leave the city with Alexandra, but the plan is both accelerated and derailed by political events that put the ruling powers on high alert. When Minos, who clearly has plans to upend Olympus, invites Apollo to a weeklong house party, he asks Cassandra to accompany him under the cover of a fake relationship so she can help him snoop out information. Even as the high-stakes games commence, the tension and forced proximity lead them to give in to their feelings and have sex. Written in the present tense and from Cassandra's and Apollo's alternating first-person perspectives, the novel has a sense of immediacy. But the couple's emotional lives feel limited and the kink-light scenes, with some references to rope play and safe words, feel forced onto the narrative. The political coup plot is less of a whodunit than a when-will-they-do-it. Moreover, the high-concept idea that the Greek pantheon is made up of job titles that can be inherited/earned/stolen necessitates an explanation of which character is/was whom; keeping track of histories, past relationships, and alliances becomes taxing as the series progresses. The romance is quickly wrapped up even as the story ends on a cliffhanger regarding the longer arc of the series. For readers who might like Greek myth fanfic with a hint of BDSM and Survivor. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.