The GateKeeper's Sons (GateKeeper's Saga #1) by Eva Pohler

Fifteen-year-old Therese watches her parents die. While in a coma, she meets the twin sons of Hades—Hypnos (the god of sleep) and Thanatos (the god of death). She thinks she's manipulating a dream, not kissing the god of death and totally rocking his world. 

Than makes a deal with Hades and goes as a mortal to the Upperworld to try and win Therese's heart, but not all the gods are happy. Some give her gifts. Others try to kill her. 

The deal requires Therese to avenge the death of her parents. With the help of Than’s fierce and exotic sisters, the Furies, she finds herself in an arena face to face with the murderer, and only one will survive.

Release Date: Out Now

It appears i'm still on a mythological kick in my reading. This time it relates to the stories of the Greek Gods and instead of the top ranking Gods we have the "minor" ones in the Gods of Death and Sleep. This story follows Therese as she comes to terms with the death of her parents and having met the Gods of Death and Sleep while in a coma she brings light into the darkest place of the Underworld and changes Thanatos life. 

Thanatos is ancient. Literally. Yet while he is knowledgeable in all that goes on with the Gods and with death, Therese's little trip to the underworld has left him reeling and wanting more than what he has always known. Throughout the book we see his cunning, self belief and blossoming love for Therese come to ahead when her life is in danger and he has to learn to trust other people as well as himself. 

For me, Therese was a bit of an enigma, she has just witnessed her parents horrific deaths, coming close to death herself but is otherwise alright. She grieves very little for them in the waking world - sleeping the days away to be with them only to remember that dreams aren't real - then pestering Hypnos into where Thanatos is, knowing that she cannot be near him. However she is a plucky character that stands by her morals no matter the consequences for herself - and too an extent those around her - which is admirable. 

The Greek mythology in this book is really good. There is character development of the main Gods and a rudimentary background of each god that is built upon in the further books. This is important to understand the power dynamics and know why some Gods have more power and sway than others - and just why some gifts are better than others. I particularly enjoyed the emphasis on the Underworld, not usually shined upon and somewhat abhorred by writers, Ms Pohler makes it inviting and not a place of death so much as a place of peace which in Greek Mythology is an important distinction. The addition of the characters present here is important. 

Overall I enjoyed this book due the mythological themes if not the somewhat insta-love that is so prevalent in the Young Adult genre. Picking up this book should not be for the romance element but rather the character building and mythology elements that to me, are much more interesting and diverse. Never the less this book is a solid 4/5 read.
Talia