Deus Ex Machina by Maria Aragon

For anyone passionate about Greek mythology, prepare for a fun romp with Deus Ex Machina. Stewart Dunk, a socially inept young man under the thumb of his overbearing (and lusty) mother, finds out that his new neighbors are none other than a group of the Greek gods. Ares, Hermes, Aphrodite, Athena and Medusa all play their respective parts and Aragon has clearly done her research (by stating Medusa's Libyan ancestry, for example). However, the Greek mythology scholar should also prepare for a hearty dose of suspension of disbelief as Athena and Hermes become quite an item through Aphrodite's meddling and manage to produce divine offspring. Full of a sense of what would happen if you let Aphrodite handle the cooking (fish soup, anyone?) and Ares handle home redecorating (provided you don't need any walls left), a mythology lover will have a lot of laughs along the way.

The writing itself, however, often speeds along at too fast a clip (much of the book is dialogue and slapstick comedy), and could have benefited from a better sense of pacing. But if you manage to lend the author some patience, you will find a gem of a story and a rip-roaring good time.