spiritedstardust's review against another edition
4.5
this was WILD son!
the world building is really unique with an interesting array of species, gods & characters.
definitely an adult novel - didn't particularly like that the FMC was already in a relationship - its giving love triangle but there's really only one MMC you want her with.
I stayed up late to finish it as I have honestly not read a story like this and had no idea where it was going. There is a LOT going on. It's kinda hectic. But I dug it this time around.
Read the trigger warnings.
the world building is really unique with an interesting array of species, gods & characters.
definitely an adult novel - didn't particularly like that the FMC was already in a relationship - its giving love triangle but there's really only one MMC you want her with.
I stayed up late to finish it as I have honestly not read a story like this and had no idea where it was going. There is a LOT going on. It's kinda hectic. But I dug it this time around.
Read the trigger warnings.
bookish_satty's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend to others if you want to read something unique in the fantasy genre. This is my first foray into the sub genre of Steampunk Fantasy and I was really nervous at the beginning that I won't understand the world building properly but let me assure you that the author did a phenomenal job in explaining the world in easily digestible prose without any info dumps. We learn about the mechanics of this world along with our characters so I felt very connected to the story throughout my reading experience.
The characters were well fleshed out in my opinion and I loved the descriptions about the powers and appearance of various species that resides in various domains and their respective Gods. Quen and Jinx are my favorite characters and I hope we get to see more of them in the next installment. I loved all the members of the Godless team and am excited to read more about their upcoming adventures.
The pacing was okay but I think if the book was 50 to 100 pages shorter especially the middle part then it would have enhanced the overall reading experience for me.
The characters were well fleshed out in my opinion and I loved the descriptions about the powers and appearance of various species that resides in various domains and their respective Gods. Quen and Jinx are my favorite characters and I hope we get to see more of them in the next installment. I loved all the members of the Godless team and am excited to read more about their upcoming adventures.
The pacing was okay but I think if the book was 50 to 100 pages shorter especially the middle part then it would have enhanced the overall reading experience for me.
allyens's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
llmacrae's review against another edition
5.0
I apologise for how long it’s taken me to read this. This is purely a failing on my part and is in no way a reflection of this book’s quality or enjoyment - which are excellent.
Thirteenth Hour is listed as Gaslamp fantasy, which was something new for me. Think urban fantasy but with a strong flavour of victorian steampunk. There are tea shops, there are brass pipes, there are machines, and there is plenty of magic.
Set in Chime, a city where the 12 (somewhat ruthless and mostly cruel) gods cannot tread, it’s a melting pot of people from all 12 domains where their various gods rule. You know it’s a good book when you can recognise each race of people without having to think “wait, who/what is that again?”
Each of the 12 races have a distinct appearance and set of powers - Diviners can stop time (or slow it down/speed it up), Vesper control shadows, Glimmer control light, Fauna can transform into various animals etc. It’s wildly different, and while a few races are more typical fantasy fare, there are a lot of new spins on them. I was excited to discover each and every race, and learn more of them and their powers.
Fantasy books can be intimidating. There are whole new worlds to learn, people’s names, magic systems, the setting of the story. This is masterfully written. There are no infodumps, no exposition to drag things down. Need to know information is fed through in a natural way that never became overwhelming. There is a lot to get through in this book - it’s quite a chunk! - but at no point did I feel hit over the head with an onslaught of “and so this is how the world works” which was refreshing and greatly appreciated.
The book holds some familiar tropes - an upper city vs an undercity; found family; amnesia (sort of); and things being far more than they appear. There’s a thread of a murder mystery running through it, which is the driving force for much of the book, before it shifts gears into something altogether more sinister. The last quarter or so of the book charges forward at breakneck speed, making me desperate to read one more page - one more chapter! There are some dark things that happen, so be prepared for some parts that are difficult or uncomfortable to read.
Characters are one of Skies’ biggest strengths. Told from two first-person perspectives (a tricky ask at the best of times), Kayl and Quen lead the story. They are flanked by a colourful plethora of side characters, some major and some minor, and they all have vibrant personalities and are clearly distinct from one another (Sinder and Vincent were probably my favourites outside the leads). The story leads our cast down dark paths and into unexpected situations, and several times I was baffled as to how they’d get themselves out of trouble!
Also my advice is to have a snack with you while you read this (or eat a large meal before), because all the descriptions of tea and biscuits, scones and pastries, and other delicacies made me ragingly hungry for the most part!
So much of the world building and character behaviours - especially Quen - is quintessentially British. If you’ve spent any time in the UK, you’ll know what I mean, and that brought a flavour of comfort to the read in a way I didn’t realise I needed, but came to enjoy very much.
If you want something that truly feels different, unique, and original, I highly recommend The Thirteenth Hour. There are fresh ideas, brilliant worldbulding (Chime feels so lived in), exceptional characters, and an absolutely brilliant, beautiful writing style!
Thirteenth Hour is listed as Gaslamp fantasy, which was something new for me. Think urban fantasy but with a strong flavour of victorian steampunk. There are tea shops, there are brass pipes, there are machines, and there is plenty of magic.
Set in Chime, a city where the 12 (somewhat ruthless and mostly cruel) gods cannot tread, it’s a melting pot of people from all 12 domains where their various gods rule. You know it’s a good book when you can recognise each race of people without having to think “wait, who/what is that again?”
Each of the 12 races have a distinct appearance and set of powers - Diviners can stop time (or slow it down/speed it up), Vesper control shadows, Glimmer control light, Fauna can transform into various animals etc. It’s wildly different, and while a few races are more typical fantasy fare, there are a lot of new spins on them. I was excited to discover each and every race, and learn more of them and their powers.
Fantasy books can be intimidating. There are whole new worlds to learn, people’s names, magic systems, the setting of the story. This is masterfully written. There are no infodumps, no exposition to drag things down. Need to know information is fed through in a natural way that never became overwhelming. There is a lot to get through in this book - it’s quite a chunk! - but at no point did I feel hit over the head with an onslaught of “and so this is how the world works” which was refreshing and greatly appreciated.
The book holds some familiar tropes - an upper city vs an undercity; found family; amnesia (sort of); and things being far more than they appear. There’s a thread of a murder mystery running through it, which is the driving force for much of the book, before it shifts gears into something altogether more sinister. The last quarter or so of the book charges forward at breakneck speed, making me desperate to read one more page - one more chapter! There are some dark things that happen, so be prepared for some parts that are difficult or uncomfortable to read.
Characters are one of Skies’ biggest strengths. Told from two first-person perspectives (a tricky ask at the best of times), Kayl and Quen lead the story. They are flanked by a colourful plethora of side characters, some major and some minor, and they all have vibrant personalities and are clearly distinct from one another (Sinder and Vincent were probably my favourites outside the leads). The story leads our cast down dark paths and into unexpected situations, and several times I was baffled as to how they’d get themselves out of trouble!
Also my advice is to have a snack with you while you read this (or eat a large meal before), because all the descriptions of tea and biscuits, scones and pastries, and other delicacies made me ragingly hungry for the most part!
So much of the world building and character behaviours - especially Quen - is quintessentially British. If you’ve spent any time in the UK, you’ll know what I mean, and that brought a flavour of comfort to the read in a way I didn’t realise I needed, but came to enjoy very much.
If you want something that truly feels different, unique, and original, I highly recommend The Thirteenth Hour. There are fresh ideas, brilliant worldbulding (Chime feels so lived in), exceptional characters, and an absolutely brilliant, beautiful writing style!
clkipp103's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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? Yes
3.75
kylecat22's review against another edition
4.0
This was a very fun read! 1984 meets a gas lamp fantasy in this story about discovering yourself in a world dictated by fickle gods. Following a found family as they get wrapped up in an even deeper mystery of their world had me hooked nearly from the start.
kitvaria_sarene's review against another edition
4.0
This was a very delightful read!
I had no idea what to expect when I started it I just went by a friend's "you should read this", without even glancing at the blurb.
What I found was a wild mix of murder mystery, heist, revolution, a gang of misfits, cranky gods, aether fuelled technology and a lot of mystery.
Really, a whole ton of mystery, as even the main character doesn't have the slightest idea what she is, after one strange incident.
I loved the world, though at times it felt a bit rough around the edges. It's such a complex set up, that other pieces felt a bit lacking in contrast. Those weren't enough to rip me out of the story, just felt a bit too loose here and there.
What really made the book for me was the character! I loved the snark and the sarcasm that just felt right at home in a rather bleak and dark world. This made for a great balance between humourous and fun, and yet full of suspense and gritty. The main character(s? As she has a voice in her head) was easily my favourite, but I also enjoyed all her friends, and some of her enemies as well.
The gods were a bit too stereotypical for me, again with how amazing the rest of the book was, I expected a bit more from this part as well.
There's a bit of romance, but written in a way that even I, as a decidedly non romance reader, didn't mind. Warning for one short and well handled, but still hard to read scene of sexual assault.
The whole book was an "easy" read for me, but it's really rather dark in places. It has topics like social injustice, work houses, correction facilities, murder, violence, quite some death, some torture. It's not a fully Grimdark story at all, but it's also not at all fluffy!
I'll definitely pick up more by the author!
I had no idea what to expect when I started it I just went by a friend's "you should read this", without even glancing at the blurb.
What I found was a wild mix of murder mystery, heist, revolution, a gang of misfits, cranky gods, aether fuelled technology and a lot of mystery.
Really, a whole ton of mystery, as even the main character doesn't have the slightest idea what she is, after one strange incident.
I loved the world, though at times it felt a bit rough around the edges. It's such a complex set up, that other pieces felt a bit lacking in contrast. Those weren't enough to rip me out of the story, just felt a bit too loose here and there.
What really made the book for me was the character! I loved the snark and the sarcasm that just felt right at home in a rather bleak and dark world. This made for a great balance between humourous and fun, and yet full of suspense and gritty. The main character(s? As she has a voice in her head) was easily my favourite, but I also enjoyed all her friends, and some of her enemies as well.
The gods were a bit too stereotypical for me, again with how amazing the rest of the book was, I expected a bit more from this part as well.
There's a bit of romance, but written in a way that even I, as a decidedly non romance reader, didn't mind. Warning for one short and well handled, but still hard to read scene of sexual assault.
The whole book was an "easy" read for me, but it's really rather dark in places. It has topics like social injustice, work houses, correction facilities, murder, violence, quite some death, some torture. It's not a fully Grimdark story at all, but it's also not at all fluffy!
I'll definitely pick up more by the author!
bani's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
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? N/A
4.25
bonriki's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Wow, what an unexpected treat. I picked up this book a while ago as part of a charity fundraiser on r/Fantasy organized by a group of self-published authors and all I knew about it was that it had LGBT main characters. This is a gaslamp fantasy where twelve domains exist, each ruled by a different God. The gods can often be petty, cruel, and vindictive, demanding expensive tithes and killing mortals from their domain who have committed blasphemy. Mortals from each domain are unique and many seek refuge in a 13th world called Chime where they can live somewhat independently from their gods. Every domain has a theme and their mortals have powers related to those themes like the ability to control time and see a person’s past or the ability to see visions in dreams. The book revolves around a woman Kayl who is part of a resistance movement opposed to the tyranny of the gods and a warden Quentin who is charged with upholding Chimes laws and rooting out blasphemers to return to their gods for punishment.
This book packs a punch, the main theme of the book revolves around the dangers of religious extremism and how unjust it is to enforce one religion’s ideas of morality onto others who aren’t participants in that religion. It’s also got a lot to say about xenophobia and classism. Kayl is a fun character overall although she can be frustratingly naive and impulsive. Quen is a wonderfully nuanced character trying to be a decent person while employed in a thoroughly corrupt system. Fabulous book, highly recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Slavery, Gaslighting, Trafficking, and Genocide
Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual violence
Minor: Pregnancy and Suicide attempt