Characters The Games Gods Play Abigail Owen

Lyra Keres: From Cursed Clerk to Queen of the Underworld

Overview

Lyra Keres is the mortal protagonist of Abigail Owen's The Games Gods Play (2024). She begins as a nameless clerk for the Order of Thieves, burdened by a divine curse that makes her unlovable. Her life is one of shadows and survival—until the god of death, Hades, chooses her as his champion in the Crucible, a brutal divine contest that determines the next King of the Gods. Across the story, Lyra evolves from a woman who expects nothing and trusts no one into a fierce, loyal goddess who builds a family of her own. Her arc is driven by the tension between her curse and her growing belief that she is worth more than the gods decreed.

Plot Role

Lyra serves as both Hades' champion and the moral center of the Crucible. Where other champions seek victory at any cost, Lyra repeatedly chooses compassion—helping rivals, refusing to sacrifice others for personal gain, and even sharing solutions to Labors. Her actions reshape the contest's dynamics and ultimately win her the title of champion not through brute strength but through loyalty and cunning. She is also the key to Hades' hidden plan: freeing Persephone from Tartarus. By the end, Lyra dies, is resurrected as a goddess, and becomes Queen of the Underworld, forcing a new order among the gods.

Motivations and Traits Shown Through Actions

Lyra is driven by a core desire for freedom from her curse and a deep need for belonging. She acts defiantly even when terrified, as shown when she refuses to kneel before Hades during their first meeting (chapter 4). Her intelligence emerges in the Trial of Gifts, where she deciphers crypticode clues under pressure (chapter 14). She is fiercely independent, frequently challenging Hades' orders—for instance, she insists on seeking allies despite his warnings (chapter 31). Yet beneath her prickly exterior lies a profound empathy: after Isabel's death, Lyra refuses Aphrodite's offer to erase her grief, choosing to "earn the sadness" (chapter 32). This willingness to feel pain rather than escape it defines her growth.

Her upbringing in the Order of Thieves makes her pragmatic and secretive—she lies about her name initially and hides her past. But as the story progresses, Lyra learns to trust others, notably forming a genuine alliance with Zai Aridam (chapter 35). Her greatest trait is loyalty: she protects fellow champions, defends Hades even when he pushes her away, and ultimately sacrifices herself to free Persephone, hand-picking Boone as a god to ensure he is safe (epilogue).

Chronological Arc

Lyra's journey can be divided into four phases:

  1. The Cursed Clerk (chapters 1–5): Lyra lives a hidden life, managing pickpockets for the Order. She is publicly humiliated by Chance, which forces her to confront her curse's pain. She storms toward Zeus' temple to demand an end to the curse, only to be intercepted by Hades.

  2. The Reluctant Champion (chapters 6–15): Hades announces Lyra as his champion. She is terrified and begs to be released. Under duress, she accepts his deal: if she wins, he will remove her curse. She struggles with her role, distrusts the gods, and learns the Crucible's deadly nature.

  3. The Alliance Builder (chapters 16–60): Lyra begins forging bonds. She allies with Zai, helps Meike, and even saves Dex despite his hostility. She wins her first Labor (Apollo's puzzle) by accident but then deliberately shares the solution, creating a truce. Her relationship with Hades deepens into love, but his secret agenda strains their trust.

  4. The Queen and Liberator (chapters 110–epilogue): Lyra dies during the final Labor and is resurrected as a goddess by Hades, who transfers his crown to her. She wins the Crucible—her virtue officially "Loyalty," not Survival—and becomes Queen of the Underworld. She uses her boon to make Boone a god and later helps Hades attempt to free Persephone, only to be pulled into Tartarus with Boone as the story closes.

Relationships

  • Hades: The central relationship. Initially, Lyra views Hades as a capricious, dangerous god. He is drawn to her defiance—"you didn't back down or cower, even from a god" (chapter 19). Their dynamic evolves from power imbalance to mutual respect and love. Hades is affected by her curse (he cannot feel lasting emotion) yet still chooses her. Lyra's trust in him grows despite his secrecy; she realizes his coldness is often a shield. His final act of giving her his crown proves his devotion.

  • Zai Aridam: A fellow champion and Lyra's closest ally. He saves her life with his EpiPen, and she returns the favor by hiding his gifts. They form a platonic bond based on mutual survival. Zai's family trauma mirrors her isolation, making their alliance emotionally resonant.

  • Boone Runar: A master thief Lyra secretly admired. He is kind but oblivious to her. After Lyra becomes champion, Boone helps her; she later makes him a god out of loyalty. Their relationship represents her past life and her desire to lift others.

  • Aphrodite: A complex, mostly benevolent goddess. She gives Lyra secrets (including that Hades has a hidden agenda) and offers comfort, but Lyra refuses to numb her pain. Aphrodite ultimately helps Lyra contact Demeter regarding Persephone.

  • The Other Champions: Lyra's decisions shift her from target to protector. She saves Dex's group in the Lost Cave (chapter 52) and vocally defends them. Her refusal to let any champion die underlines her morality.

Key Decisions and Consequences

  1. Choosing to help rival champions in the Trial of Gifts (chapter 14): Lyra reveals how to identify symbols despite Hades' displeasure. Consequence: She gains allies but loses Hades' token (destroyed by Ares). This establishes her fairness.

  2. Alliance with Zai (chapter 35): She agrees to combine their strengths. Consequence: She survives the riddle Labor (chapter 38) by sharing information. This bond later saves her life.

  3. Using a forbidden pearl to save Meike (chapter 53): She teleports Meike to safety despite the risk. Consequence: Hades is taken by Daemones and tortured. Lyra feels immense guilt but also realizes the depth of Hades' sacrifices for her.

  4. Spreading the solution to Apollo's Labor (chapter 57): She tells all champions to hum. Consequence: A truce forms, and she wins the Labor first. This act of generosity becomes a turning point in her moral leadership.

  5. Accepting Hades' offer of the Underworld crown and resurrection (chapter 110): She chooses to become a goddess. Consequence: She wins the Crucible, becomes Queen, and later risks everything to free Persephone. In the end, she is trapped in Tartarus, but her choice solidifies her transformation from victim to ruler.

Theme and Symbol Connections

Lyra's story is a direct exploration of the book's major themes. For a deeper look, see the sacrifice and redemption and identity and self-worth pages.

  • Sacrifice and Redemption: Lyra repeatedly sacrifices safety and personal victory for others, redeeming her sense of worthlessness. Her willingness to die for Persephone's freedom echoes the theme that true redemption comes through selfless acts.

  • Trust and Betrayal: Lyra struggles to trust Hades, whose agenda is hidden. Aphrodite warns her that "nothing is ever as it seems" with him (chapter 32). Yet Lyra learns to trust her own judgment, a key step in overcoming her curse.

  • Identity and Self-Worth: The curse of unlovability is a literal obstacle to identity; Lyra believes she is "nothing" (chapter 39). Her arc reclaims her name (Lyra Keres) and her value. Her virtue is ultimately "Loyalty"—a self-chosen identity.

  • Power and Divine Games: The Crucible is a corrupt system where gods treat mortals as "butterflies." Lyra's defiance and survival challenge this power imbalance, ultimately making her a goddess who redefines the rules.

  • Love and Vulnerability: Lyra's deepest fear is love because her curse prevents reciprocation. Her relationship with Hades forces her to be vulnerable. The final kiss in front of the gods (chapter 112) symbolizes her triumph over the curse.

Book-Specific Questions and Answers

  1. Why does Hades choose Lyra as his champion?
    Hades chooses Lyra because she did not cower or back down when they first met, even facing the god of death. He tells her: "I picked you because when we met, despite being afraid, you didn't back down or cower, even from a god" (chapter 19). He also has an ulterior motive related to freeing Persephone.

  2. What is Lyra's curse, and how does it affect her relationships?
    Zeus cursed Lyra at birth, making her unlovable. No one can feel genuine lasting affection for her. This curse isolates her, prevents her from forming deep bonds, and drives her to hide her emotions. It even affects Hades, who admits he "cannot feel real lasting emotion" because of it (chapter 31).

  3. How does Lyra win the Crucible?
    Lyra is not the champion with the most wins in the standard sense. The Daemones rule that Lyra was still mortal when she crossed the finish line of the final Labor, died due to something unrelated (Poison from Athena's trap), and thus qualified for resurrection as the winner. Combined with her earlier points, she has the most overall. Zeles announces her as the champion (chapter 112).

  4. What is Hades' hidden agenda?
    Hades entered the Crucible to win the ability to open Pandora's Box, which serves as a one‑use portal to Tartarus. His goal is to free Persephone, who is not dead but imprisoned there. He kept this secret from Lyra until after the coronation (epilogue).

  5. What happens to Lyra in the epilogue?
    Lyra becomes Queen of the Underworld and a goddess. She and Hades attempt to free Persephone using Pandora's Box. Boone grabs Lyra and they are both sucked into Tartarus, where Lyra faces the Titan Cronos. The epilogue ends with Hades' frantic shouts, implying he will burn down the world to save her, fulfilling Rima's prophecy. The story ends on a massive cliffhanger.