The Games Gods Play by Abigail Owen

Here is a summary with spoilers of The Games Gods Play

Every century, the gods of Olympus hold a deadly contest known as the Crucible. In this epic battle, each god selects a mortal champion to compete in a series of grueling trials, inspired by the Labors of Hercules, to determine who will ascend as the new ruler of Olympus.

The story unfolds in modern-day San Francisco, where we meet Lyra, a young woman living in the Den. Run by the cunning Felix, the Den is a refuge for those without families, where orphans train together to become warriors and thieves. Lyra, however, is neither. She works as an office clerk and spends her spare time sneaking around, observing the warriors’ training sessions. Her lack of combat skills and her outsider status set her apart from the others—something she attributes to her curse.

As a child, Lyra was abandoned by her mother at the temple of Zeus. The god took her in but placed a cruel curse upon her: she would never be lovable. Though she has learned to live with this burden, it has made her bitter and rebellious, especially toward Zeus, whom she despises. Despite her disdain, Lyra harbors a secret crush on Boone, a hardened warrior and skilled thief. Yet, she believes her curse makes any hope for love impossible.

One fateful day, Lyra’s resentment drives her to the temple of Zeus, intent on defiling it in an act of defiance. Before she can act, she is interrupted by none other than Hades. The enigmatic god warns her against causing harm and sends her away, leaving her unsettled and intrigued.

Soon after, the Opening Rites of the Crucible begin, and Lyra, like many others, comes to watch. The gods descend to choose their champions, and as expected, they select powerful, skilled mortals to represent them. But this year, the ceremony takes an unexpected turn. For the first time in centuries, Hades joins the contest. Even more shocking, he chooses Lyra—an untrained mortal—to be his champion. The crowd is stunned: why would Hades, of all gods, select someone so seemingly ordinary and unprepared?

The following are the Gods and their Champions

Zeus – Samuel Sebina

Hera – Emir

Poseidon – Isabel Rohas Arnies

Ares – Nev Buchard

Aphrodite – Jackie Murphy

Apollo – Rima Patel

Artemis – Kim Day Young

Athena – Dex

Hermes – Zai Aridam

Demeter – Diego

Hephestus – Tamika

Dionysus – Mika Besser

Hades – Lyra Keres

Hades takes Lyra to his home in preparation for the Crucible. There, she discovers that he is still mourning the loss of Persephone, though he refuses to answer any questions about her. Early on, Hades proposes an alliance: if Lyra wins the Crucible, he will remove her curse. They strike this deal just before the other gods and tributes arrive.

When the gods convene, they announce the rules and the first trial: each tribute must locate a hidden token on a platform. Finding their token will allow them to advance deeper into Olympus with their patron deity. Upon reaching their god, tributes will be awarded two gifts. During the trial, Lyra proposes that some tributes work together to help each other, and a few agree. However, Ares’s tribute finds Lyra’s token and destroys it. Lyra must find another way forward, and through determination, she succeeds.

As her gifts, Hades transfers his sleeping spirit animals to Lyra; they will now accompany her and can awaken to assist her when needed. He also marks her with a kiss, granting her safe passage between the Underworld and the Overworld.

Later that night, Boone sneaks into Hades’s house to deliver a tactical vest outfitted with tools from Felix and himself, along with his relic of dragon teeth. He also reassures Lyra that she was never hated at the Den—she simply kept people at a distance.

The next trial, hosted by Poseidon, binds tributes to poles over water. They must escape their bonds and plunge into the icy depths without falling to their deaths. Once in the water, survival becomes a race against time due to the freezing temperatures. While most tributes survive, a sea monster attacks, and Isabel, Poseidon’s tribute, doesn’t make it. Lyra is deeply shaken by the trauma, breaking down afterward. Hades comforts her, promising Isabel will find peace in the Underworld.

While recovering, Lyra receives a visit from Aphrodite, who has been flirting with Hades throughout the story. Aphrodite hints that her trial will focus on the person Lyra loves most and warns her of Hades’s hidden agenda. Later, a drunken Poseidon confronts Lyra, vowing to make her suffer. When Hades learns of the encounter, he ensures Lyra’s safety but kisses her impulsively—a gesture he immediately regrets.

Hermes’s trial takes place on a towering cliff, where tributes must solve a riddle while standing on planks that shorten with each question asked. Lyra teams up with Zai, using her animal tattoos to silently communicate, and they both succeed.

Back at Hades’s house, tension erupts as Hades disapproves of Lyra’s alliance with Zai. Their argument escalates, involving Cerberus, who surprisingly warms to Lyra. Despite Hades’s objections, Lyra insists on continuing her partnership with Zai. During a secret meeting, Lyra learns that Rima and Dex are actively plotting against her and Zai. Dex and his gang ambush them, forcing Lyra to leap into a waterfall that deposits her into the River Styx. Charon and Cerberus rescue her, and Charon shares insights about Persephone, suggesting she found solace in Hades’s company. He also hints at why Hades might favor Lyra. Using Persephone’s pomegranate seeds, Lyra escapes the Underworld.

Dionysus’s trial involves crossing a mile-wide doline while carrying as much vodka as possible. Before the trial, Dex stirs dissent among the tributes, suggesting they eliminate Lyra to weaken Hades’s chances. Lyra bargains for safety by offering information about Aphrodite’s labor. The trial is grueling, and Hades intervenes slightly, resulting in his temporary punishment by the Daemons.

While Hades is being punished, Lyra starts Apollo and Artemis’s joint trial. Apollo’s task is an escape room that leads to Artemis’s obstacle course, where tributes must protect four flags from monsters. Lyra helps others in the escape room but finishes the course last, narrowly surviving a dragon attack.

Back at the house, Hades opens up about Persephone, explaining that he loved her like a sister or daughter, not a romantic partner. Her loss still haunts him.

Aphrodite’s labor follows, requiring tributes to enter a dream state to rescue the mortal they love most before sunset. Lyra’s dream leads her to Boone, where she confesses her long-held crush. Boone reacts kindly and follows her back to Olympus.

Now paired, Lyra and Boone tackle Hephaestus’s obstacle course. During the trial, Boone falls to his death. Devastated, Lyra presses on, and Hades comforts her, promising to resurrect Boone if she wins. Gravely injured, Lyra collapses but awakens sporadically to find Hades deeply worried. In an effort to heal her, Hades feeds her his blood and poison from the River Styx.

When Lyra finally recovers, she learns the trials continued without her. Despite slim odds, she devises a plan to secure victory by allying with the remaining tributes. However, Rima, now gifted with prophecy, warns that Hades becoming King of the Gods will lead to destruction.

Athena’s trial is a maze with no relics or powers allowed. Lyra nears the end but is ambushed by Dex. Zai kills Dex to protect her, but the act leaves him distraught. Charon intervenes, taking Lyra to safety and revealing that Persephone is not dead but trapped in Tartarus—Hades’s true motivation for entering the Crucible. Feeling betrayed, Lyra confronts Hades, who coldly advises her to finish the trials and forget him.

The final trial, Zeus’s, requires tributes to pass through an arch first to win. Sirens lure competitors away by mimicking loved ones. Lyra realizes Hades chose her because her curse makes her immune to their allure. When Zeus attacks Lyra for nearing victory, Hades intervenes. In the ensuing battle, Lyra realizes she loves Hades, despite his calculated actions. Hades exposes Zeus’s cheating, but Lyra dies before the trial ends.

Hades revives Lyra by crowning her Queen of the Underworld, making her a goddess. She wins the Crucible and uses her favor to resurrect Boone as a god. Hades promises wealth and happiness to the surviving tributes but isn’t finished. He demands Pandora’s Box.

In the epilogue, Hades opens the box, in hopes that it will release Persephone. The act creates a portal, pulling Lyra and Boone into another realm where they face Cronos. Lyra recalls Rima’s vision of Hades destroying the world, leaving her uncertain of what’s to come.