As with many of Julie Berry's books, this was beautifully layered. The Trial of Aphrodite provided a beautiful cover for the plot which emphasized WW1--a war that few young adults know about. Characters are fully fleshed and complex. This is not a book that will appeal to the masses, but those who read it will not forget it.

Wow, this was super interesting! It's certainly not what I expected, given the Greek god angle, but it's definitely interesting. I might look for the finished copy in future.

Lovely War is a novel unlike anything I've read in a long time. Utterly captivating, witty and cleverly penned. With mythical gods as narrators, Berry blends together myth and historical fiction so artfully that without both ingredients, the confection that is "Lovely War" wouldn't be as fulfilling.

The tale begins in a posh Manhattan hotel, dripping with wealth and prestige, but with the backdrop of WWII looming like a dark foreboding shroud, there is a raw urgency to take advantage of every moment. The first characters to enter the scene are two guests checking into the hotel: Aphrodite and Ares, the goddess of Love, and the god of War.

Caught in their tryst, literally in a golden net, by Hephaestus, the god of forging and Aphrodite’s husband, Aphrodite must make her case before her spouse or be judged by the pantheon of gods on mount Olympus. Which apparently is far worse and far more humiliating.

Aphrodite begins her case with a story, a story of romance that is by her standards, her best work. Enter our two couples whose lives will be forever changed 25 years ago, during the first World War: darling Hazel, a pianist from London, who takes a chance that no one would ever expect and James, a young man who dreams of one day becoming an architect, but must first face the brutalities of war as a British solider. Aubrey, born in Harlem, whose musical genius gets him dubbed as the “King of American Ragtime” tackles the dangers and prejudices of being a black soldier and the lovely Colette from Belgium whose voice can be said was gifted by the Muses, but has a past that will leave you in tears.

All of these characters are intricately connected in the fabric of this story and Berry weaves a tale fusing together threads of every color to provide depth into each of the characters’ feelings and their surroundings: from the bright hues of discovering love, something fragile and new, to the colorless depths of war and destruction, where surviving is imperative.

Lovely War is a must read. I devoured every page of this breathtaking tale of love, passion, beauty, death and war.

Happy Reading ~ Cece

Rants, Raves, and Reviews
I’ll be honest, this book is not what I was expecting it to be. I thought it was a book about the Greek gods fighting in WWI and WWII, but instead the Greek Gods are used as the frame of two love and war stories, as well as the narrators. Nonetheless, this book is still a wonderful book.

So much of historical fiction takes place around world wars. They’re a bit of a romantic time period, I suppose. Kiss your girl good-bye, who knows when or if you’ll see her again! That being said, I don’t read many historical fiction books around wars (despite this review and my last one.) If it’s set against a war, I want the book to be realistic, and with that comes horrors and heartache I am not always willing to face, even in my fiction. But if the book shies away from these horrors, what’s the point? As the premise of the book states, Love and war are too intertwined. We are given two love stories: Hazel and James, and Colette and Aubrey. We are not guaranteed that anyone will live, and there is even less guarantee those who live will be intact both mentally and physically.
Maybe part of me felt I needed a good cry, potentially.

I think what I love even more about this book is the author’s willingness to share where she started her research, in case something is interesting to the reader. The book explores parts of World War I that I at least was not taught: why African-American soldiers chose to fight in the war, even when they had to deal with more risks, as it is portrayed in the book. It was a chance to prove to their country that they were men to be taken seriously to be considered equal with their white brethren.

Obviously you can tell how that’s gone in history.

Berry gives an extensive list of nonfiction books to check out for further information: on WWI in general, on these troops, and on the roles of women in the war. On top of dual beautifully woven love stories, there is a chance to learn more.

Final Thoughts
This feels like a quick review for such a beautiful book, and perhaps it is. If you love historical fiction, especially in WWI, then give this book a shot. It is not necessarily a book about the Greek Gods, though I truly enjoy their role in the book. And really, give the audio book a try. I have had 1920s and 1940s music on far more frequently since I read this book.

I am definitely interested in reading more of this novel after that amazing sneak peek! I know it can do it last year but I want to get my hands on it ASAP!

I usually don't read excerpts. I made an exception for this book since I've wanted to read it since the first time I saw it and read the blurb. I seldom read YA books. However, I do make exceptions now and then if I find the plot to be interesting. And a historical fiction novel with Greek Gods in the plot made me both eager and curious to read it.

Verdict: I liked the writing style, the story had a great flow thanks to it. I liked the idea of the book. Now, this is a book about romance and romance books are not my cup of tea. Not that I'm against romance, I like it in books, but I don't want it to be too saccharine or boring. It's hard to say about this book since I only read a couple of chapters. But, I felt that it's a book that I would have finished, but I don't feel like it's a book that I wanted to go out and buy. However, I would read it the whole book if I got the chance.