Scan barcode
wyvernfriend's review against another edition
4.0
Despite some of it's problems I did enjoy this.
We start with the worldbuilding, the author treats you as if you know what's going on and then works from there. With the complicated world she has built this is a stretch for the reader, even me, however I liked Justin March and was curious about the Ravens in his head, Horatio and Magnus, and I got a lot of the clues well before he did. Then again I know a lot about a variety of European Gods and Goddesses and had a fairly good idea what was going on with a lot of the issues. The idea of a world where religion was rigidly controled and that one of the investigators had a supernatural episode that caused him to be exiled was interesting and made me want to read more to see how well his life can be messed up by the god war that seems to be looming and how this will change the society he's in.
I also liked Mae, she's a mess, outwardly she's perfect but inside at the beginning she has berserk moments (that no-one seems to notice) but by the end everything she thought she knew is messed up. She and Justin are going to have to do a lot to fix their lives, if they can.
I was caught up by the story, if you need more/any worldbuilding in a story to start avoid like the plague. Even at the end there was a lot I wanted to know about the society and I have a sneaking suspicion that a lot of it will remain unanswered.
We start with the worldbuilding, the author treats you as if you know what's going on and then works from there. With the complicated world she has built this is a stretch for the reader, even me, however I liked Justin March and was curious about the Ravens in his head, Horatio and Magnus, and I got a lot of the clues well before he did. Then again I know a lot about a variety of European Gods and Goddesses and had a fairly good idea what was going on with a lot of the issues. The idea of a world where religion was rigidly controled and that one of the investigators had a supernatural episode that caused him to be exiled was interesting and made me want to read more to see how well his life can be messed up by the god war that seems to be looming and how this will change the society he's in.
I also liked Mae, she's a mess, outwardly she's perfect but inside at the beginning she has berserk moments (that no-one seems to notice) but by the end everything she thought she knew is messed up. She and Justin are going to have to do a lot to fix their lives, if they can.
I was caught up by the story, if you need more/any worldbuilding in a story to start avoid like the plague. Even at the end there was a lot I wanted to know about the society and I have a sneaking suspicion that a lot of it will remain unanswered.
cosy_beans's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
earem001's review against another edition
3.0
So I finished this the other day and it’s just been sitting in the back of my mind ever since.
I just don’t know how to feel about it entirely. It was such a cool concept and such and great world! But that was the problem I think? The world was so amazing that the actual story fell short. Maybe there just wasn’t enough action but I just wasn’t excited about what was going on. I was 10000% sold on the world but that was kind of it.
I’ll admit I’ve never really been a fan of changing point of views either… Sure it was in third person but it was obvious it was focused on the characters at separate times, it may as well have been in first person if you get me? That and the fact that I though Tessa’s presence was relativity pointless in the book. Maybe that’s just me, I just didn’t feel like she added all that much and I was way more interested in Mae and Justin to really care.
I just don’t know, there is probably more to it than that. But that’s just my general consensus. I just really wanted to love it, it could have been great, but it wasn’t. I mean I still enjoyed it don’t get me wrong! I just can’t help thinking about how much better it could have been somehow. So much potential.
I just don’t know how to feel about it entirely. It was such a cool concept and such and great world! But that was the problem I think? The world was so amazing that the actual story fell short. Maybe there just wasn’t enough action but I just wasn’t excited about what was going on. I was 10000% sold on the world but that was kind of it.
I’ll admit I’ve never really been a fan of changing point of views either… Sure it was in third person but it was obvious it was focused on the characters at separate times, it may as well have been in first person if you get me? That and the fact that I though Tessa’s presence was relativity pointless in the book. Maybe that’s just me, I just didn’t feel like she added all that much and I was way more interested in Mae and Justin to really care.
I just don’t know, there is probably more to it than that. But that’s just my general consensus. I just really wanted to love it, it could have been great, but it wasn’t. I mean I still enjoyed it don’t get me wrong! I just can’t help thinking about how much better it could have been somehow. So much potential.
palomien's review
3.0
I loved Mae. I like Justin. I loved their relationship.
Everything else was... not that exciting. It was really hard for me to understand the world setting, and even after finishing the book I would not be able to explain this world and RUNA's history to anyone since I do not understand it myself.
There were some interesting action and suspense parts, but mostly the book seemed boring to me, with lots of not needed scenes. And I really do not understand why Tessa's POV was needed.
All in all - I could see Mead's style there, but she can do a lot better (*khem* VA&Bloodlines *khem*).
Everything else was... not that exciting. It was really hard for me to understand the world setting, and even after finishing the book I would not be able to explain this world and RUNA's history to anyone since I do not understand it myself.
There were some interesting action and suspense parts, but mostly the book seemed boring to me, with lots of not needed scenes. And I really do not understand why Tessa's POV was needed.
All in all - I could see Mead's style there, but she can do a lot better (*khem* VA&Bloodlines *khem*).
sharonsm_28's review
3.0
This was an okay read. I wanted to read this series after the Vampire Academy series and the Bloodlines series. The story had a lot happening at once, but I did like it. I just thought the story dragged out a bit too much. It could have been shorter if I could be honest. Hence, I had to put the book down at times because I was getting a bit bored. The characters were intriguing and different. Justin and Mae were interesting characters to read. The ending was good. I am going to continue the series to see what happens next. Overall, an alright read.
beaundarrows's review
4.0
I was pleasantly surprised with this book. I actually quite enjoyed it. It's a good example of how an author can grow and actually get better. Or possibly it's simply because the main POV character isn't Rose. Mae, Justin and Tessa are pretty fun to follow around.
There weren't too many times where I really felt like I was bumping my nose on the page. There was one instance that stands out, only because I particularly thought to myself 'was that really necessary?' It was where Mae used a Finnish swearword - only there'd not been a previous instance of it, so I wondered 'why bother?' What's the point of putting this one in? It couldn't have been to get away with harsh swearing, because there's plenty of times 'fuck' is used.
This book and story certainly seem more adult, more mature than Vampire Academy. The premise also is something I'm fairly interested in knowing more about. The old gods are returning to the world and picking their representative teams. I want to see where this goes.
Overall, this is a good, enjoyable book. A solid 4 out of 5. I will read the rest of the series :)
There weren't too many times where I really felt like I was bumping my nose on the page. There was one instance that stands out, only because I particularly thought to myself 'was that really necessary?' It was where Mae used a Finnish swearword - only there'd not been a previous instance of it, so I wondered 'why bother?' What's the point of putting this one in? It couldn't have been to get away with harsh swearing, because there's plenty of times 'fuck' is used.
This book and story certainly seem more adult, more mature than Vampire Academy. The premise also is something I'm fairly interested in knowing more about. The old gods are returning to the world and picking their representative teams. I want to see where this goes.
Overall, this is a good, enjoyable book. A solid 4 out of 5. I will read the rest of the series :)
emleemay's review
3.0
I've been a fan of Richelle Mead for a few years now and her latest novel - one which differs quite a bit from her previous work - still manages to shine through with Mead's trademark humour, sexiness and morally questionable characters. Despite the rather average rating, I do see a lot of potential in this series and I'm fairly certain I will be returning to see what future installments will present us with. The reason for my not so great rating is entirely to do with the plot and the way this novel of nearly 500 pages had so very little of it for the most part. But more about that in a second.
This is definitely Mead's most ambitious work to date. Never before have I seen her delve into such complex world-building and deep character development. In this wild and exciting futuristic setting, two great powers split the world - RUNA (Republic of the United North America) and EA (Eastern Alliance). Other areas are merely the provinces, looked down upon and seen as barbaric and backwards in comparison. Mead deserves some applause for the way she seems to have thought out every aspect of this future society, incorporating many different elements and exploring the effect they would have: religion, education, the status of women... it's absolutely fascinating, if a little mind-boggling in its density at times.
The characters are exactly the kind I would expect Mead to create, but I don't mean that as a negative and I'm not saying she constantly produces exactly the same. What I am saying is that Mead always seems to deliver characters that are flawed, badass and almost unlikeable if it wasn't for the fact that they're simultaneously charming and hilarious. Dr Justin March is a heavy-drinking, drug-taking, womanizing guy who gets laid first and asks questions later. Mae Koskinen is not much better: often mean, occasionally violent and always afraid of commitment. I'm sure in real life I would run in the opposite direction from the individuals Mead likes to write about, but in her novels these characters make for one interesting show. Nothing has changed on that front here, apart from the fact that there are more central characters than she usually has. And a lot more character development than plot.
And we arrive at my main problem with this book. There's a murder mystery going on here and occasionally I remembered to remind myself of that fact, but most of the time I thought this book was about a group of characters doing various small things that were a really great "show not tell" of who they are and the part they play in this world... but contributed nothing to the overall plot. The overly dense world-building and character development could easily have been forgiven if it had been well-balanced out with a dynamic and exciting plot. As it was, there were huge parts in the middle that were a struggle to get through. In the past I have devoured Richelle Mead books in a day, two at the very most, but I've been inching through this at a snail's pace since the release date.
Maja's excellent review said it plain and simple what a reader must have to fully appreciate and enjoy this book: patience. I find mine comes and goes.
amberw1989's review
3.0
This didn't start too well for me tbh. There was an awful lot of info thrown in but no explanations about what on earth of going on. I liked Justin and Mae's POV but I don't think we actually needed tessas input at all.
This is nothing at all like Mead's other work and although it took a while to get into I did like it. I can't wait to see what happens next
This is nothing at all like Mead's other work and although it took a while to get into I did like it. I can't wait to see what happens next
heathenpenguin's review against another edition
Look, I think I gave it a fair shot, stopping at the 50% mark. The pacing is slow and the main characters are either utterly unsympathetic (no matter how much I tried not to factor that to my over-all enjoyment of the book), stupid or boring. I found that I did not like that there is more telling than showing. How am I supposed to believe the things characters claim about others when I cannot see the proof of their claims? Another thing on the writing: I really thought this book was YA. I really did. I only realized it was Adult when I got to Justin's POV.
On the matter of world-building, I am reminded again of the quality of world-building in the past Dystopian fiction I've read. They were unsatisfactory, to be honest. They put things like factions and oppressive governments and Bronze Age-era like female subjugation because shock factor/for the Evulz. In this book, it's all about racism. Like, I really, really wanted to throw my Kindle hard against the wall while I read the Panama scenes. I know it's in the future and there was the plague and half the world died and everything, but really? Panama regressed back to the 19th century? Because, what, they're Latinos or something? And somehow, the USA became more secular than the communists Russia and China. And Europe pretty much got wiped off existence when it's almost as multicultural as the US. How did that happen? And why pattern the new state from the Ancient Romans? Why? There were other, bigger empires that have lasted longer than theirs, honestly. Racism will bite you in the ass in the end. But what bugged me big time about the race issue is that somehow being mixed-race made you more resistant to the killer virus. How? Which "race" in particular is more resistant to it? I just...ugh. I don't want to say this, but I think the race thing is just a device to create racism in the book. I dunno.
So, anyway, because this is sci fi, I cannot suspend my disbelief very much. I really do want my whys or hows answered because the world, to some extent, should still be...plausible using our current knowledge of the world. I am not as strict when it comes to fantasy, but I also expect it to be grounded in realism. Just like when I tried Divergent, the implausibility of their world put me off and I didn't enjoy it that much. Unlike this book, though, I might finish Divergent in the future.
On the matter of world-building, I am reminded again of the quality of world-building in the past Dystopian fiction I've read. They were unsatisfactory, to be honest. They put things like factions and oppressive governments and Bronze Age-era like female subjugation because shock factor/for the Evulz. In this book, it's all about racism. Like, I really, really wanted to throw my Kindle hard against the wall while I read the Panama scenes. I know it's in the future and there was the plague and half the world died and everything, but really? Panama regressed back to the 19th century? Because, what, they're Latinos or something? And somehow, the USA became more secular than the communists Russia and China. And Europe pretty much got wiped off existence when it's almost as multicultural as the US. How did that happen? And why pattern the new state from the Ancient Romans? Why? There were other, bigger empires that have lasted longer than theirs, honestly. Racism will bite you in the ass in the end. But what bugged me big time about the race issue is that somehow being mixed-race made you more resistant to the killer virus. How? Which "race" in particular is more resistant to it? I just...ugh. I don't want to say this, but I think the race thing is just a device to create racism in the book. I dunno.
So, anyway, because this is sci fi, I cannot suspend my disbelief very much. I really do want my whys or hows answered because the world, to some extent, should still be...plausible using our current knowledge of the world. I am not as strict when it comes to fantasy, but I also expect it to be grounded in realism. Just like when I tried Divergent, the implausibility of their world put me off and I didn't enjoy it that much. Unlike this book, though, I might finish Divergent in the future.
narteest's review against another edition
4.0
3.8 to 4 stars!
This is a futuristic scifi crime mystery novel. There's a bit of romance. But it's not at ALL like Richelle Mead's other books. I've only read her [b:Vampire Academy|18660669|Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy, #1)|Richelle Mead|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1381459853s/18660669.jpg|335933] and [b:Bloodlines|8709527|Bloodlines (Bloodlines, #1)|Richelle Mead|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1297199431s/8709527.jpg|13582374] series, and had my reservations about her writing, but always, always, I enjoyed the story I read. Her Age of X series is looking to be something very, very different to those two.
Firstly, there is a lot more detail in comparison. Secondly, it's told from switching povs. Thirdly, it's more Adult Fiction than YA.
WHAT I LIKED
I liked a lot about this. See, while I was reading this, I was also reading [b:A Court of Thorns and Roses|16096824|A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #1)|Sarah J. Maas|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1460846517s/16096824.jpg|21905102], and for those who care, and wonder why I ranted just a little about Maas' worldbuilding abilities over in ACOTAR, this is why. My absolute favourite part of Gameboard of the Gods, is the worldbuilding. It's complex. Each detail is finely tuned. You aren't just thrown a bunch of terms, you are assimilated into it. And it's wonderful. I loved it. It was just to detailed. I have seen more complex worldbuidling, but Mead seems to do really well with creating her worlds. Even in Vampire Academy, the worldbuilding was pretty strong. Maybe if I'd read a different book at the same time, one with even stronger worldbuilding, then I might have thought this was pretty weak, since a lot of terms are thrown at you and explained later. But it also, felt more real. See that's the thing with language, it should come naturally, and naturally doesn't mean info-dumping asap. SO I liked Mead's approach. (Though I won't lie, it could get a little confusing).
I liked Mae. She's so kickass, yet she's vulnerable at the same time. She's beautiful and strong, and I like that she's more discomforted by her perfect genetic structure because of how much attention it attracts, than the fact that it makes her uncomfortable. She's a supersoldider by choice, and she's not just faux strong, she's really strong.
I loveeeed Justin. Well, when he's not mooning over how perfect Mae is (though it was completely understandable in the beginning) and he's slips into being more normal around her. He's awesome. He's like the ideal debauching, smartarse, really clever love interest/main male character. But he debauches a lot, so that to some could be off-putting. He's not bad looking either which is even better haha.
I also love the diversity - but this is kind of expected, we are talking about a futuristic world where genes are mixed etc.
Tessa was a cute side character.
Other characters were great. Not much to say, because I'd have to list them all and there are too many to list! But I have my suspicions about Dominic, and I think I'm right lol.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE
There's not much to say here. Except maybe what I didn't like was Justin's mooning over Mae at the start?
And also, although I got to see a bit of Mae's history, I feel just a tad bit unsatisfied with how things ended with Mae and Porfiro.
ANYWAY, a fuller, more detailed review later. Favourite highlight: Worldbuilding! But if you're expecting something like Vampire Academy or Bloodlines, then you won't get it. If you're expecting a heavy romance, this isn't it either. But if you want a science fiction, futuristic world, with mystery and a strong hint of romance, then this is your book :).
This is a futuristic scifi crime mystery novel. There's a bit of romance. But it's not at ALL like Richelle Mead's other books. I've only read her [b:Vampire Academy|18660669|Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy, #1)|Richelle Mead|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1381459853s/18660669.jpg|335933] and [b:Bloodlines|8709527|Bloodlines (Bloodlines, #1)|Richelle Mead|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1297199431s/8709527.jpg|13582374] series, and had my reservations about her writing, but always, always, I enjoyed the story I read. Her Age of X series is looking to be something very, very different to those two.
Firstly, there is a lot more detail in comparison. Secondly, it's told from switching povs. Thirdly, it's more Adult Fiction than YA.
WHAT I LIKED
I liked a lot about this. See, while I was reading this, I was also reading [b:A Court of Thorns and Roses|16096824|A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #1)|Sarah J. Maas|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1460846517s/16096824.jpg|21905102], and for those who care, and wonder why I ranted just a little about Maas' worldbuilding abilities over in ACOTAR, this is why. My absolute favourite part of Gameboard of the Gods, is the worldbuilding. It's complex. Each detail is finely tuned. You aren't just thrown a bunch of terms, you are assimilated into it. And it's wonderful. I loved it. It was just to detailed. I have seen more complex worldbuidling, but Mead seems to do really well with creating her worlds. Even in Vampire Academy, the worldbuilding was pretty strong. Maybe if I'd read a different book at the same time, one with even stronger worldbuilding, then I might have thought this was pretty weak, since a lot of terms are thrown at you and explained later. But it also, felt more real. See that's the thing with language, it should come naturally, and naturally doesn't mean info-dumping asap. SO I liked Mead's approach. (Though I won't lie, it could get a little confusing).
I liked Mae. She's so kickass, yet she's vulnerable at the same time. She's beautiful and strong, and I like that she's more discomforted by her perfect genetic structure because of how much attention it attracts, than the fact that it makes her uncomfortable. She's a supersoldider by choice, and she's not just faux strong, she's really strong.
I loveeeed Justin. Well, when he's not mooning over how perfect Mae is (though it was completely understandable in the beginning) and he's slips into being more normal around her. He's awesome. He's like the ideal debauching, smartarse, really clever love interest/main male character. But he debauches a lot, so that to some could be off-putting. He's not bad looking either which is even better haha.
I also love the diversity - but this is kind of expected, we are talking about a futuristic world where genes are mixed etc.
Tessa was a cute side character.
Other characters were great. Not much to say, because I'd have to list them all and there are too many to list! But I have my suspicions about Dominic, and I think I'm right lol.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE
There's not much to say here. Except maybe what I didn't like was Justin's mooning over Mae at the start?
And also, although I got to see a bit of Mae's history, I feel just a tad bit unsatisfied with how things ended with Mae and Porfiro.
ANYWAY, a fuller, more detailed review later. Favourite highlight: Worldbuilding! But if you're expecting something like Vampire Academy or Bloodlines, then you won't get it. If you're expecting a heavy romance, this isn't it either. But if you want a science fiction, futuristic world, with mystery and a strong hint of romance, then this is your book :).