While The Gods Sleep is the first standalone instalment in the Perilous Gods series, written by L. D. Colter, published by Solaris Nova. A novel that blends historical elements with Greek mythology to deliver a high-stakes urban fantasy proposal, reimagining Athens really vividly, while we follow the literal odyssey of our main character, Eustychios (Ty), through Erebus, the mid-world.

Ty, a 29-year-old locksmith, gets himself into a tricky situation after gambling more than he could afford in an antique bone-throwing game; now his debtor demands him to retrieve an object from the mythical Erebus, the shadowy mid-world the ancient Athenians believed. A journey that will also serve as the key for Ty's change, a quest that will also put him in contact with mythical demigods, shapeshifters and a big dose of chaos.

Colter's choice of Ty as the main character is a rather interesting one: we have an almost normal person who is forced to meddle in the business of creatures he thought to be an ancient belief; a person that is lost in life, despite having some priorities, but who soon proves that he's prepared to change and grow.
The rest of the cast predates the intricate Greek mythology, putting a special emphasis on painting formidable female characters, powerful and implicated into the politics and schemes that are ruling Erebus (incidentally, female characters tend to be the great forgotten/unfairly treated in the OG mythology).

The worldbuilding masterfully blends together 1950s Athens with its own ancient mythology, slowly introducing those uncanny details that give Ty the hints that this is a different world.
The pacing tends to be fast, with the plot being structured into two clear parts, gifting the reader with vivid imagery and propulsive scenes that keep you glued to the page.

While The Gods Sleep is a great dark fantasy novel, a perfect read if you like fast-paced and high stakes fantasy while being a lover of mythology; a first instalment (standalone) of a series that promises to continue exploring other mythologies, something I'm totally in for!