Blood Maiden by Crystal Carroll

Description

In the City, gods from all mythologies mashup with the every day. Monster infested fog sometimes sweeps through the lunch hour. Occasionally traffic backs up because the Blood river overflows. Bicyclists can shortcut through the Sumerian underworld to City park as long as they don’t mind a few desiccated zombies gumming them. That’s life in the City. Blood Maiden, a Mayan death goddess, is starting her senior year at Himinbjorg High, where her skin, hair, even the shape of her nose mark her as an outsider among the teenage Norse gods. While at home in the Mayan Underworld, anyone who is invited as a guest must face a series of trials. The winners will gain a boon from the Death Lords. Since the heroes never listen to Blood Maiden’s advice, they end up trapped in the underworld. Meanwhile, Blood Maiden's parents think that she'd be a great death goddess if she just had a little more self confidence. Her friends have their own problems. Blood Maiden's friend, P.D., swallows a pine needle and gives birth to Raven, who keeps trying to steal the sun, moon, and stars stored in the hope chest in the living room. The twins, Isis and Nepthys, can't get any respect. Coatlique is impenetrable and isn't that fun to bring up on a date. While Princess Danae, Danny, has been lojacked by her father because of the “curse” that she's under. If Blood Maiden can just figure out how to deal with Zeus perving on Danny, how to ask Danny to the winter dance, all the tangled prophecies everyone is under, and her parent's expectations, just maybe she'll figure out what she's supposed to do with her life without killing anyone. Or they could all decide to be heroes.