HOL

Name of the author: Eric Nierstedt
Main genre: Fantasy, Mythology
Main audience: Young Adults

Main books:
The Lightrider Journals
Silent Pantheon, Shadow Pantheon

Short summary of the author:
Eric Nierstedt loves myth and legend, which are heavily featured in his books. He also manages to throw in pop culture references. My neighbor suggested that I read his books, saying that they seem like the type of books I would enjoy. (He is her nephew.) I'm still struggling to get into The Lightrider Journals, mainly because there are so many characters, but I did enjoy Silent Pantheon.

Title of the book: Silent Pantheon
Series: In the works? (Shadow Pantheon is the sequel.)
Genre: Urban Fantasy

Short summary of the story:
Five gods from different cultures (Balder, Athena, Anubis, Kali-Ma, Coyote) made an agreement to live among mortals in New York City as a silent pantheon. They meet up once a month and also check in with the angel Joshua. However, when Joshua is called away unexpectedly and the world descends into chaos, the silent pantheon must make themselves known again to save humanity.

Good points / bad points:
Having the gods live in the mortal world is a really neat concept. I liked how they were each introduced individually. The story was mainly told through the perspective of the gods. It was nice to see familiar mythological figures, like Athena and Anubis. Reading this immediately after The Serpent's Shadow by Rick Riordan was rather amusing because Anubis is so different in Silent Pantheon. There's a little bit of everything - lots of fighting, a little romance, and a plot twist. The major themes of faith and belief are woven into a well-crafted story.