A review by sleepycharlene
The Gutter Prayer by Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan

4.0

3.75 stars  

★★★★

☞ Trigger warnings: **contains spoilers**

Spoiler

ableism, blood & gore depictions, body horror, body shaming, body modifications, burns, building collapse, chemical warfare, classism, cults, captivity & confinement, death, dead bodies, drugging, death of a parent, disappearance of a loved one, drowning, depersonalisation, dissociation, earthquakes, estrangement, exile, explosions, eyeball trauma, fire, gentrification, grief & loss depictions, gun violence, hanging, home invasion, homelessness, hostage situation, imprisonment & incarceration, intrusive thoughts, knife violence & stabbing, loss of autonomy, medical experimentation, mind control & possession, murder & attempted murder, needles & syringes, nightmares, physical assault, physical injuries, parental abuse & neglect, panic attack, poverty themes, religious persecution, riots, poisoning, shipwreck, indentured servitude, loss of limb, torture, war themes & military violence

.

The hype surrounding this book a few years ago made me excited to pick it up. The sequel has come out but I haven't heard a peep. Knowing what I know now, I am not picking up the sequel. Personally I am pretending this is a stand alone and that makes me feel better.

This is a story about three thieves. Rat the Ghoul, Cari the runaway and Spar the Stone Man. This story starts with a heist. Me, I love a heist. This heist goes wrong, fast. Cari is injured, Stone Man tries to save her but they are both captured.

I am not as versed in grimdark fantasy but I had an expectation of amazing worldbuilding with amazing characters. This book as such a unique world, with a distant Godswar that affects this neutral city. The worldbuilding felt like the main character. It was incredible and intricate but felt like the main focus. I was more interested in what was happening with the three thieves, as they all became 'more'. The author seemed aware of the fact that he wanted to focus on worldbuilding in the author interview at the end, with character writing being hard for him. I can feel it when Cari mainly operates on one emotion, and doesn't learn from her rash decisions. She says she does better when she doesn't plan but I see no evidence to the contrary. Rat is pushed to the back burner as a side character which is a shame as I was intrigued by his relationship with the surface and his connection to the elders. Spar was primed to be the most heartwarming of characters and then the author did him so dirty.

Cari's cousin was the most annoying character and makes my list of characters that I hate. Her self-absorption makes my blood boil and her character has little development, just trauma responses.

Overall, this was an exciting grim dark fantasy with a heavy use of religion that was new and creative. I wish it was a standalone with a definitive ending. I wanted a better ending for the characters and the next book doesn't focus on Cari or Spar but Cari's annoying cousin. Pass.

☁︎  Would I recommend this book? 
Maybe, if you like grim dark fantasy and are more interested in worldbuilding and plot than characters

☁︎  Will I re-read this book? 
I don't think so. It was a good book but I have no need to revisit the world.

☁︎  Will I read the rest of the series?  
Again. I'm not compelled to continue as the series focuses on different characters. Also what they did to Spar makes me mad.

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