diego_chimendes's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
kelz31's review against another edition
4.0
What a complex and satisfying, wholly original fantasy!
I could barely understand the premise of this story from this blurb but it was unnecessary for complete enjoyment. It starts at a comfortable place to introduce the reader to an entirely new world before sucking in the avid reader.
Definitely recommend and looking forward to more in the series.
I could barely understand the premise of this story from this blurb but it was unnecessary for complete enjoyment. It starts at a comfortable place to introduce the reader to an entirely new world before sucking in the avid reader.
Definitely recommend and looking forward to more in the series.
fankidrachel's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
eoinmonty's review
adventurous
dark
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
cricklewood's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Setting/Worldbuilding: 9/10
Main characters: 8/10
Side characters: 7/10
Dialogue: 7/10
Plot: 6/10
Technique: 6/10
Prose: 7/10
Romance: 8/10
Ending: 9/10
Overall enjoyment: 7/10
Total: 74/100 (3.7)
A baeutiful book that could have been a 5/5 in my eyes but somehow fell to a very middling 3.5. I don't really know what it was. It had all the elements of a 5/5 story to me - really unique worldbuilding with an even more unique pantheon, a memorable cast and stellar women, a plot that is both political intrigue and mystery, a doomed romance and a cool magic system.
But gosh, the plot and narration and pacing was so all over the place I couldn't really sink into the book at all. It made understanding the worldbuilding so much harder and I couldn't appreciate many of the twists and turns as a result. I'm still trying to figure out which Divinity does what!
I'll probably continue with the series, but was more let down than I'd like to admit.
Main characters: 8/10
Side characters: 7/10
Dialogue: 7/10
Plot: 6/10
Technique: 6/10
Prose: 7/10
Romance: 8/10
Ending: 9/10
Overall enjoyment: 7/10
Total: 74/100 (3.7)
A baeutiful book that could have been a 5/5 in my eyes but somehow fell to a very middling 3.5. I don't really know what it was. It had all the elements of a 5/5 story to me - really unique worldbuilding with an even more unique pantheon, a memorable cast and stellar women, a plot that is both political intrigue and mystery, a doomed romance and a cool magic system.
But gosh, the plot and narration and pacing was so all over the place I couldn't really sink into the book at all. It made understanding the worldbuilding so much harder and I couldn't appreciate many of the twists and turns as a result. I'm still trying to figure out which Divinity does what!
I'll probably continue with the series, but was more let down than I'd like to admit.
theamazingmrg's review against another edition
3.0
7/10
Honestly, it was a good book. Great world-building. Sigrud was great. Mulaghesh was great. There was nothing wrong with the book, but it didn't leave me with that "WOW" factor that the books I love do. I will read the sequel though.
Honestly, it was a good book. Great world-building. Sigrud was great. Mulaghesh was great. There was nothing wrong with the book, but it didn't leave me with that "WOW" factor that the books I love do. I will read the sequel though.
a_verthandi's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars, but I'm intrigued enough to look for book 2.
nicolebonia's review against another edition
5.0
I loved everything about the experience of reading this book. Wonderfully complex world, politics, characters and plot.
clarissep's review against another edition
4.0
This book has many interesting ideas, woven into an intricate, multi-layered story. For instance, using the concept that people are becoming less and less connected to gods and the divine and using it to create this world where gods were slain and all but forgotten. Bennett applied it into a literal sense, juxtaposing the side that still blindly believe in the gods to be an alternate/overlapping sort of universe from the other reality where gods have officially become extinct. I’ve always been fascinated with these kinds of stories that touch on mythology and the gods, whether made up or existing. And the reveal at the end was a great choice to turn everything you thought you knew upside down. It makes me want to know more about the history of the Kaj and his own reasons why he decided to kill the gods of Bulikov.
Another thing I enjoyed is how wide Bennett decided to reach in terms of his world building. It’s clear that he had based his world to ours, choosing India, Scandinavia, and Europe (Russia mostly) to play with. And it works because he manages to create engaging conflicts that you want to keep peeling until you get to the core, plus he has an interesting and diverse cast of characters. It’s a lot of fun you guys.
Even though I didn’t personally connect with the characters, as sometimes happens with adult fantasies, I found them very entertaining. Each have a backstory worth exploring that have made them hilariously cynical. You can clearly see that their motivations and nature have been shaped by their painful pasts. I can say with certainty that these characters are unique from those I have read before. I especially love Sigrud. It helps that I keep seeing a bearded Alexander Skarsgård. Shara as well is an interesting protagonist. I feel like she’s never known anyone to truly be on her side, and so she threw herself into her studies to become someone by her own merits. Shara is not strong, she’s not a fighter, but she is smart and she is good at anticipating other people’s actions. She is the brain to Sigrud’s muscle, and I love the friendship the two of them have. It’s a platonic relationship but they care about each other deeply, and I think that’s nice to see every once in a while. The story is good enough that it works even if no romance between the leads occur. It doesn’t need it. Although to be fair, I want Shara to catch a break on that aspect. Another hilarious character is the expletive-shooting Mulagesh.
While this novel starts out as a murder mystery, we are slowly dragged into this crazy world of cracked realities where stairs disappear into thin air and pretty much nothing is as it seems. If you enjoy reading about intriguing fantasy stories that have engaging characters in it, there’s no way you wouldn’t enjoy this book!
Another thing I enjoyed is how wide Bennett decided to reach in terms of his world building. It’s clear that he had based his world to ours, choosing India, Scandinavia, and Europe (Russia mostly) to play with. And it works because he manages to create engaging conflicts that you want to keep peeling until you get to the core, plus he has an interesting and diverse cast of characters. It’s a lot of fun you guys.
Even though I didn’t personally connect with the characters, as sometimes happens with adult fantasies, I found them very entertaining. Each have a backstory worth exploring that have made them hilariously cynical. You can clearly see that their motivations and nature have been shaped by their painful pasts. I can say with certainty that these characters are unique from those I have read before. I especially love Sigrud. It helps that I keep seeing a bearded Alexander Skarsgård. Shara as well is an interesting protagonist. I feel like she’s never known anyone to truly be on her side, and so she threw herself into her studies to become someone by her own merits. Shara is not strong, she’s not a fighter, but she is smart and she is good at anticipating other people’s actions. She is the brain to Sigrud’s muscle, and I love the friendship the two of them have. It’s a platonic relationship but they care about each other deeply, and I think that’s nice to see every once in a while. The story is good enough that it works even if no romance between the leads occur. It doesn’t need it. Although to be fair, I want Shara to catch a break on that aspect. Another hilarious character is the expletive-shooting Mulagesh.
While this novel starts out as a murder mystery, we are slowly dragged into this crazy world of cracked realities where stairs disappear into thin air and pretty much nothing is as it seems. If you enjoy reading about intriguing fantasy stories that have engaging characters in it, there’s no way you wouldn’t enjoy this book!
reasonpassion's review
5.0
Trickled out a piece at a time, the history of the world slowly turns your judgments upside down and shows things to be far more complicated. There aren’t many ways of writing deities that work but this succeeds brilliantly, weaving a relationship of the divine and human that makes you think rather than bow to. And seriously, Shara and Sigrud are simply delightful characters.