Review: Filthy Gods - R. Scarlett

Filthy Gods (American Gods #0.5)
R. Scarlett
Published: May 15, 2018
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance

Prelude in the American Gods series.

Young. Wealthy. Elite. Attractive. The gentlemen’s secret society at Yale was filled with them.

And Nathaniel Radcliffe, the bane of my existence, was one of them.

As the right hand of the American Gods, he was conceited and arrogant. A dangerously handsome man in a tailored custom suit and shiny black oxford loafers.

The classroom was our battlefield. We made a sport out of arguing and debating, ready to do anything in order to win over the other.

Deadly opponents, deadlier minds.
I'd sworn I'd never give him the upper hand, until...
The secret I’ve been hiding for the last three years?
He just discovered it… and now he has all the power.

*35k Novella

Amazon | Goodreads

Review

5 Stars

Everyone, and I mean every single person I am friends with who is a fan of indie authors and the romance genre, has suggested this novella to me. Even before it released they were fawning over Nathaniel Radcliffe and gushing about R. Scarlett's portrayal of a smart female heroine who gives in to desire and lust. I apparently can't help but give in to pressure, so I picked up Filthy Gods on release day and saved it for a quiet evening. Oh. My. Gosh. I get it, after reading it all in one sitting, I get it.

I would be better than him. I would be stronger than him. But I felt naked, exposed to him.

R. Scarlett has given us Filthy Gods as a prequel, setting up the stage of what is sure to be a wild ride with the three American Gods. Set over the summer with main character Juliette narrating we learn about the three Gods from the sidelines, only seeing their interactions with Juliette and her love interest, Nathaniel, right hand man to the Gods and member of the elite secret society. They are nemesis' at Yale, their debates long remembered by fellow students and the reason for Juliette's well fed hatred. She wants to hold the power he has, to be better, but she shows her cards and Nathaniel does what he does best, takes control.

I was a mess—he was perfect. Like always.

I am not, at all, a novella or prequel fan usually. I don't like the stage to be set for me early, especially in so few words when I know a full length novel is coming, but R. Scarlett hooked me in. Filthy Gods is set in the same world, but the story clearly does not fit in to the three American Gods' stories that are to come. We are given glimpses of the men, we absolutely have already picked our favorite as a reader, but we are also given a complete, complex story that engages us and absolutely tempts us to read on in order to see more from these characters we have fallen for. Juliette and Nathaniel's story is off-campus, the Yale world still foreign to us and the true power of the men not yet revealed in complete detail. I loved the roles Juliette and Nathaniel had in this novel, the power-play between them was so excellent. I really like a feisty, female heroine who is considered lower in rank, but manages to hold her own among those who do lead. Nathaniel, on the other hand, is every bit of handsome and sexy as I like. He can dirty talk with the best, but he also shows a great deal of respect for others and I appreciated it that considering his role in the secret society.

There was something untouchable, something holy and unholy about the boys. Sacred and sinful all at once. Bastards of Grace. Fame, wealth and power poured out of them. They were the things of legends and myths.

Yes, the tropes in this novel have been done before and we will continue to see them in the future, but R. Scarlett gives us something fresh. The secret society and the men's maturity are vastly different from recent similar novels that I've read. Nathaniel is powerful, rich, and sexy, but he also is loyal, hard working, smart, and respectful. He's the entire package, the bad boy girls desire and the good one they stick with. Just the taste of him and the sneak peaks we saw about the individual Gods' stories was enough to suck me in. I can't wait to see how Gabe, James, and Arsen are similar and different. As for Juliette, she is excellent and this novella was the perfect length for both her downfall and her rise from the ashes, because boy did that girl end up with the true power. I highly suggest Filthy Gods and cannot wait for the remaining novels in the American Gods series to release.