aball's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
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? Yes
5.0
furythephoenix's review
4.0
Slow burn, but great read
I absolutely loved the rich, complex world Shel had created, fleshed out by richly detailed characters and factions. A world of intrigue, mystery and dark enigma that scream further storytelling, I cannot wait to read the follow-up "Sin-Eater".
"Aching God" is very slow burn, a bit dragged out in the middle setting up, but the climax was well worth it. I did feel the ending was a tad abrupt ( without being a cliffhanger) but I am still very excited to continue this series. Highly recommend.
I absolutely loved the rich, complex world Shel had created, fleshed out by richly detailed characters and factions. A world of intrigue, mystery and dark enigma that scream further storytelling, I cannot wait to read the follow-up "Sin-Eater".
"Aching God" is very slow burn, a bit dragged out in the middle setting up, but the climax was well worth it. I did feel the ending was a tad abrupt ( without being a cliffhanger) but I am still very excited to continue this series. Highly recommend.
thetravelingpages's review
adventurous
dark
funny
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
preacher's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
feelingferal's review against another edition
5.0
I was a bit skeptical, as I usually am when a book becomes the darling of r/fantasy. But this lived up to the promises. Well written, epic but still character driven and with a solid dose of creeping lovecraftian horror.
anam13's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars - slow in the middle and supporting characters were a little weak/I didn’t care what happened to them. Fun story overall
veronica_b's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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? No
4.5
jonholdship's review
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I picked this up because it appears on a lot of recommendations for fantasy-horror. It has the fairly generic feel of someone's D&D game transcribed to a book - complete with obvious character classes, a bunch of standard fantasy trappings, and a bit of the map where the dungeons are.
I initially figured this was deliberate, giving the reader an easy setting so we could focus on the horror instead of the fantasy world building. However, the author spent a great deal of time sketching out the world so what we're left with is a passable work of fantasy with a touch of horror.
The horror parts themselves are solid. A fantasy setting does a lot to dispel any sense of terror because it's all just too far removed from real life but the scene setting and descriptions really work to make you horrified by what you've read even if you're not tense beforehand.
All in all, it's fine. It's a compelling read about likeable characters in a generic fantasy world. It's action packed and has a touch of horror for those into that specific mix.
I initially figured this was deliberate, giving the reader an easy setting so we could focus on the horror instead of the fantasy world building. However, the author spent a great deal of time sketching out the world so what we're left with is a passable work of fantasy with a touch of horror.
The horror parts themselves are solid. A fantasy setting does a lot to dispel any sense of terror because it's all just too far removed from real life but the scene setting and descriptions really work to make you horrified by what you've read even if you're not tense beforehand.
All in all, it's fine. It's a compelling read about likeable characters in a generic fantasy world. It's action packed and has a touch of horror for those into that specific mix.
thelauramay's review
3.0
I read this book after the author implored the world at general to do so, because it was his birthday and he deserved it.
This book reminded me strangely of the Zagor Chronicles (e.g. [b:Firestorm|1975237|Firestorm (The Zagor Chronicles, #1)|Ian Livingstone|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1217767451s/1975237.jpg|1978532]), which were, from what I recall, my intro to the 'dungeon'-type fantasy genre. Man I loved those books.
The Aching God didn't grab me quite the same way. This is possibly partly because it's a good 25 years later, and partly because I didn't find any character to connect with. I like that the protagonist is in their 50s, as opposed to 16 (seriously, enough with the 16yo fantasy protagonist trope!), but I didn't really *like* him. I found that there wasn't 'enough' to the other characters to really like them, either, with the possible exception of Belech. The novel just didn't get me emotionally engaged (and NOT because I need a romance plot, in case that needs making clear).
I also found that there wasn't a sense of urgency dragging you from chapter to chapter. Now on the one hand, that's good, as it means it's easy to put the book down at the end of the chapter and go to sleep. On the other, it means it's easy to put the book down--and I cared less about picking it up again.
The structure and world-building were good, with a particular shout-out to what seems to be a lurking mythology and history waiting to be discovered. However, the lack of connection with the characters, and low investment I felt due to the relaxed pacing, means I won't be in a hurry to pick up the second book.
3.5 stars.
This book reminded me strangely of the Zagor Chronicles (e.g. [b:Firestorm|1975237|Firestorm (The Zagor Chronicles, #1)|Ian Livingstone|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1217767451s/1975237.jpg|1978532]), which were, from what I recall, my intro to the 'dungeon'-type fantasy genre. Man I loved those books.
The Aching God didn't grab me quite the same way. This is possibly partly because it's a good 25 years later, and partly because I didn't find any character to connect with. I like that the protagonist is in their 50s, as opposed to 16 (seriously, enough with the 16yo fantasy protagonist trope!), but I didn't really *like* him. I found that there wasn't 'enough' to the other characters to really like them, either, with the possible exception of Belech. The novel just didn't get me emotionally engaged (and NOT because I need a romance plot, in case that needs making clear).
I also found that there wasn't a sense of urgency dragging you from chapter to chapter. Now on the one hand, that's good, as it means it's easy to put the book down at the end of the chapter and go to sleep. On the other, it means it's easy to put the book down--and I cared less about picking it up again.
The structure and world-building were good, with a particular shout-out to what seems to be a lurking mythology and history waiting to be discovered. However, the lack of connection with the characters, and low investment I felt due to the relaxed pacing, means I won't be in a hurry to pick up the second book.
3.5 stars.
sylum's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0