The Grimrose Path by Rob Thurman

The Grimrose Path is very twisty. Despite all the twists, I feel like the plotting is actually quite tight. That Trixa is a pretty awesome protagonist definitely helps. The stakes are... interesting. I do feel like actual stating them here would be a spoiler, so I'll just leave that for you to discover.

I liked this interpretation of Cronus. It was different from the few others I've encountered. Definitely a good different. He's honestly pretty terrifying, but less in a creepy way, I think, and more in a "OMG how's anyone, let alone the newly human Trixa, going to be able to stop him?" kind of way. It's nice to follow Trixa's thought-processes to get her to that point. I'm also glad she was able to out-source a certain part of her plan. It was an interesting way to use more Greek mythology.

As usual, Thurman's way of incorporating world-building was fun. I enjoyed Trixa and Leo semi-reminiscing about the Auphe, knowing how terrible those buggers were. I liked the creation of a race that was so weirdly technologically advanced humans would never find out they existed... kind of a deus ex machina thing, but done well enough I didn't have a problem with it. I find Trixa and Ishiah's relationship interesting... I don't know why, exactly, but Ish seems like a different person taken out of the New York context. Probably the lack of Cal making him on-edge.

I'm honestly not sure what else to say about The Grimrose Path. It was fun. It was twisty in the best ways. There are bits and pieces that just make the whole Vegas setting feel authentic and truly part of a working universe. But yeah... definitely one to experience for yourself. I will also say, The Grimrose Path ends on a satisfying enough note to be the end of Trixa's story but also open-ended enough for a continuation... which it doesn't look like we'll be getting so... yeah.

Favorite Lines

"Geese feared and respected no one. No ankle, human or otherwise, was safe. It could be even Titans like Cronus bowed to their pure, feathered evil." - Trixa Iktomi

"About time that slice of the population had the blame dumped on them for some fake crime. I was happy to even the score a bit, although good luck narrowing down 'two pasty white men' in Vegas where the tourists primarily came in two colors -- alabaster and fake-tan orange." - Trixa Iktomi

"He's listened to you for all his life" -- all the one he could remember -- "so now I think it's time you listened to him for a while." I held up a finger. "Except on running over grandmas driving tiny ecofriendly hybrids with your big satanic bus. Listen and lean, but there are limits." - Trixa Iktomi

"If you can save someone, do it. If you can save someone and in turn have them save everyone and everything, do that too." - Trixa Iktomi