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3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
???????? There’s something great here but hopefully the sequels do a better job of it
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I was interested in this book because of its themes: fantasy, urbanism, racial injustice, mystery, monsters in modern times! In many ways these are all present in No Gods, No Monsters, but what I feel isn’t is clarity and direction. Mind you, this book is a part of a saga, a trilogy I’ve recently learned and not a two parter (which saddens me), so I’m sure all will be revealed later, but wow did I wish more was given in the first book.
Turnbull goes for breadth vs. depth in his first novel in the Convergence saga, setting the tone for a world (or worlds?) spanning mystery surrounding monsters, magic, and humans through the lens of a large, diverse cast of characters. While this is really interesting in terms of worldbuilding, it’s almost solely for the purpose, in my opinion. You have to worldbuild in fantasy novels, I get this, but I feel this entire book might be setup for the rest of the trilogy. A major tool in the book’s narrator is introduced with no great effect and I currently consider a waste of time, but I suspect it’ll be explored further later. I was hoping for more payoff in a first novel to get me hooked for the rest of the saga, it feels like I’m rolling the dice on the rest of my reading experience.
Still, I’m open to read the next book as enough of the mystery has been intriguing enough for me to bite into and not completely abandon, but I won’t be jumping for it anytime soon. Turnbull does set up the promised themes of the saga well in his first novel, which I’m keen on generally exploring, but the next book better hit if I’m to see it through to the end.
Turnbull goes for breadth vs. depth in his first novel in the Convergence saga, setting the tone for a world (or worlds?) spanning mystery surrounding monsters, magic, and humans through the lens of a large, diverse cast of characters. While this is really interesting in terms of worldbuilding, it’s almost solely for the purpose, in my opinion. You have to worldbuild in fantasy novels, I get this, but I feel this entire book might be setup for the rest of the trilogy. A major tool in the book’s narrator is introduced with no great effect and I currently consider a waste of time, but I suspect it’ll be explored further later. I was hoping for more payoff in a first novel to get me hooked for the rest of the saga, it feels like I’m rolling the dice on the rest of my reading experience.
Still, I’m open to read the next book as enough of the mystery has been intriguing enough for me to bite into and not completely abandon, but I won’t be jumping for it anytime soon. Turnbull does set up the promised themes of the saga well in his first novel, which I’m keen on generally exploring, but the next book better hit if I’m to see it through to the end.
I got the hardback from the library and it's uncomfortably stiff
I had no idea what I was getting into. This started a little slow but quickly got wild at an endearingly breakneck attention deficit pace. I’ll definitely check out the next installment, and will probably have to reread this one before then.
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
No Gods, No Monsters by Cadwell Turnbull
4/5 stars
No Gods, No Monsters is a book that doesn’t hold back. It is striking and violent and complex, and if it held back at all, I don't think it would be nearly as great as it is.
What I Liked:
- The usage of multiple main characters is very well done here; Cadwell Turnbull says that the protagonist of No Gods, No Monsters is the community, and I think the book is as good as it is because of that. Each individual chapter is intriguing, and seeing all of the plot threads come together at the very end is so satisfying.
- The prose in this book is wonderful. Several other reviewers have pointed out that it feels like literary fiction with fantasy elements (rather than a full-on fantasy), and I have to agree. This is a good introductory fantasy for people who don’t typically read fantasy.
- I have found in many cases that using being a monster as a symbol for being a part of a minority can get dehumanizing very easily, and this book does not do that at all. The majority of the characters we read about are Black and/or queer in addition to being monsters; they are not monsters because they are Black/queer, being a monster is just another aspect of their identity.
- This book is painful to read at times (for multiple reasons) and I think that works in its favor. The section titled “Other Worlds and This One”, as well as the section that gives the book it’s title, both hit me particularly hard. It’s a good kind of pain, not cathartic, but the kind of pain that awakens something in you.
What I Disliked:
- While I think the fact that the story focuses on multiple characters ultimately works in its favor, there were times when it fell short. Oftentimes in books with multiple POVs, the lack of focus on one character means not all of the characters are fully fleshed-out, and this is true here. There were a lot of characters I wanted more from, and I had several questions that were left unanswered (although I assume at least some of those will get cleared up in the next two books.
Overall: this is the kind of book where you need to know what you’re getting into before you start reading; meaning, it’s a bit confusing at times and it gets very dark. If you’re prepared for both of those things, then I highly recommend No Gods, No Monsters. It’s one of the most interesting takes on the existence of monsters in 21st century society that I’ve ever read, and I cannot wait for the rest of the trilogy. It’s not an easy read, but it’s so worth it.
4/5 stars
No Gods, No Monsters is a book that doesn’t hold back. It is striking and violent and complex, and if it held back at all, I don't think it would be nearly as great as it is.
What I Liked:
- The usage of multiple main characters is very well done here; Cadwell Turnbull says that the protagonist of No Gods, No Monsters is the community, and I think the book is as good as it is because of that. Each individual chapter is intriguing, and seeing all of the plot threads come together at the very end is so satisfying.
- The prose in this book is wonderful. Several other reviewers have pointed out that it feels like literary fiction with fantasy elements (rather than a full-on fantasy), and I have to agree. This is a good introductory fantasy for people who don’t typically read fantasy.
- I have found in many cases that using being a monster as a symbol for being a part of a minority can get dehumanizing very easily, and this book does not do that at all. The majority of the characters we read about are Black and/or queer in addition to being monsters; they are not monsters because they are Black/queer, being a monster is just another aspect of their identity.
- This book is painful to read at times (for multiple reasons) and I think that works in its favor. The section titled “Other Worlds and This One”, as well as the section that gives the book it’s title, both hit me particularly hard. It’s a good kind of pain, not cathartic, but the kind of pain that awakens something in you.
What I Disliked:
- While I think the fact that the story focuses on multiple characters ultimately works in its favor, there were times when it fell short. Oftentimes in books with multiple POVs, the lack of focus on one character means not all of the characters are fully fleshed-out, and this is true here. There were a lot of characters I wanted more from, and I had several questions that were left unanswered (although I assume at least some of those will get cleared up in the next two books.
Overall: this is the kind of book where you need to know what you’re getting into before you start reading; meaning, it’s a bit confusing at times and it gets very dark. If you’re prepared for both of those things, then I highly recommend No Gods, No Monsters. It’s one of the most interesting takes on the existence of monsters in 21st century society that I’ve ever read, and I cannot wait for the rest of the trilogy. It’s not an easy read, but it’s so worth it.
dark
emotional
reflective
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
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated