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kolymaarasto's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
bellaob's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
This felt like the book of a new author who wanted to go for gritty adult epic fantasy but had no idea how to actually achieve that beyond making things gory and graphic, and upping the word count. Everything about it felt very half baked and the overall effect read more like YA despite the darker elements.
Firstly, the characters are extremely flat. Telling the story from 10+ POVs is extremely ambitious, and here really worked against the book. The chapters from each POV were so short and so bitty that we don't really get the chance to know or particularly care about any of the characters. Their voices are also not all distinct enough from each other to give much differentiation between who is narrating at a given time.
There appears to be no particular motivation for anything/anyone except unrestrained religious zeal. This would have been off-putting even if the religions were complex and fleshed-out, which astoundingly they were not at all, despite being the only topic of conversation and conflict for the entire book. There is the "bad, dark, blood" religion and the "good, kind, light" religion, and we really never get much more insight than that.
The world-building is rudimentary. There are 3 main groups of people, but we don't really learn much about their culture, history, traditions, dress, mythology, or really anything about them apart from who worships which religion. In terms of settings, we don't get much description of any of the places. The only thing I can conjure up in my mind after reading is that the main city in the "good" country is composed of concentric rings. There are certainly no evocative or interesting details about any of the settings to set the mood of the world.
The short chapter structure and rapidly shifting POVs also have a wider effect on the book, beyond the lack of connection with the characters, in making the pacing extremely strange. The whole story is told at essentially the same pace, whether the chapter is detailing a kiss between two of the characters, a major plot reveal, or a battle. There is no variation, leading to no peaks and troughs in tension, and the strange sense that the 'real' story has yet to begin, despite being most of the way through the book and multiple major plot points having occurred. All of the reveals fall flat because they are very much told rather than shown. The lack of a real sense of who the characters are also makes it less shocking when they are revealed to be on the 'bad' side, and the lack of any motivation for this switch makes them uninteresting one-dimensional 'baddies', as if in a children's story.
The fast pace and inability to stick with any one POV also means that the romance storylines have absolutely zero development, managing somehow to be both predictable and spring into life from absolutely nowhere. This is another example of the extreme showing rather than telling, and if anything makes the characters even less compelling and believable.
Honestly the only part of this which was actually well-written was the fight scenes. This coming from someone who has never punched someone let alone been in a battle so take with a pinch of salt. But the variety and severity of injuries sustained seemed a bit more realistic than some I have read before.
Finally, I think it is in quite poor taste to leave every plot point/character on a massive cliffhanger at the end of the book. I don't think it is worth my while to finish the series so it feels like I have just ended up wasting my time reading a whole lot of nothing. It's a thumbs down from me. Just goes to show that a lot more goes into writing a good book than an idea and the ability to string sentences together. I feel that the overall impression here is of something at the amateur end of the grimdark fantasy genre, which is missing a lot of necessary editing and restructuring.
Firstly, the characters are extremely flat. Telling the story from 10+ POVs is extremely ambitious, and here really worked against the book. The chapters from each POV were so short and so bitty that we don't really get the chance to know or particularly care about any of the characters. Their voices are also not all distinct enough from each other to give much differentiation between who is narrating at a given time.
There appears to be no particular motivation for anything/anyone except unrestrained religious zeal. This would have been off-putting even if the religions were complex and fleshed-out, which astoundingly they were not at all, despite being the only topic of conversation and conflict for the entire book. There is the "bad, dark, blood" religion and the "good, kind, light" religion, and we really never get much more insight than that.
The world-building is rudimentary. There are 3 main groups of people, but we don't really learn much about their culture, history, traditions, dress, mythology, or really anything about them apart from who worships which religion. In terms of settings, we don't get much description of any of the places. The only thing I can conjure up in my mind after reading is that the main city in the "good" country is composed of concentric rings. There are certainly no evocative or interesting details about any of the settings to set the mood of the world.
The short chapter structure and rapidly shifting POVs also have a wider effect on the book, beyond the lack of connection with the characters, in making the pacing extremely strange. The whole story is told at essentially the same pace, whether the chapter is detailing a kiss between two of the characters, a major plot reveal, or a battle. There is no variation, leading to no peaks and troughs in tension, and the strange sense that the 'real' story has yet to begin, despite being most of the way through the book and multiple major plot points having occurred. All of the reveals fall flat because they are very much told rather than shown. The lack of a real sense of who the characters are also makes it less shocking when they are revealed to be on the 'bad' side, and the lack of any motivation for this switch makes them uninteresting one-dimensional 'baddies', as if in a children's story.
The fast pace and inability to stick with any one POV also means that the romance storylines have absolutely zero development, managing somehow to be both predictable and spring into life from absolutely nowhere. This is another example of the extreme showing rather than telling, and if anything makes the characters even less compelling and believable.
Honestly the only part of this which was actually well-written was the fight scenes. This coming from someone who has never punched someone let alone been in a battle so take with a pinch of salt. But the variety and severity of injuries sustained seemed a bit more realistic than some I have read before.
Finally, I think it is in quite poor taste to leave every plot point/character on a massive cliffhanger at the end of the book. I don't think it is worth my while to finish the series so it feels like I have just ended up wasting my time reading a whole lot of nothing. It's a thumbs down from me. Just goes to show that a lot more goes into writing a good book than an idea and the ability to string sentences together. I feel that the overall impression here is of something at the amateur end of the grimdark fantasy genre, which is missing a lot of necessary editing and restructuring.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Sexual violence
Minor: Sexual content
ashleighbeanxo's review against another edition
5.0
What a book!
Godblind is a violent, dark, twisted fantasy story AND I LOVED EVERY SECOND OF IT! 994 years ago, the Red Gods were exiled from Rilpor and their followers, the Mireces were forced out to live in the Gilgoras mountains in shame. But when the Mireces' Blessed One, Lanta, has communication from the Dark Lady herself foretelling of the destruction of those who worship the Light Gods, the Mireces plan to go to war with Rilpor, and win back control for the Red Gods.
This book is about bloodthirsty Gods, so obviously it's violent and filled with sooo much blood. This book is definitely not for the faint-hearted. I read a lot of violent books, and even I was feeling a bit queasy at one particular scene (all I'm saying is sacrifice!).
The epilogue left me dying to pick up the second book, and also left dark twisted images in my head. Truly terrifying! Really loved this book and I have high hopes for the rest of the trilogy!!!!
Godblind is a violent, dark, twisted fantasy story AND I LOVED EVERY SECOND OF IT! 994 years ago, the Red Gods were exiled from Rilpor and their followers, the Mireces were forced out to live in the Gilgoras mountains in shame. But when the Mireces' Blessed One, Lanta, has communication from the Dark Lady herself foretelling of the destruction of those who worship the Light Gods, the Mireces plan to go to war with Rilpor, and win back control for the Red Gods.
This book is about bloodthirsty Gods, so obviously it's violent and filled with sooo much blood. This book is definitely not for the faint-hearted. I read a lot of violent books, and even I was feeling a bit queasy at one particular scene (all I'm saying is sacrifice!).
The epilogue left me dying to pick up the second book, and also left dark twisted images in my head. Truly terrifying! Really loved this book and I have high hopes for the rest of the trilogy!!!!
theatrejoel's review
4.0
It is a good fantasy book. Just wished it wasn't just the first part, I want to know how it ends!! Interesting ideas, realistic world and good characters. The gore part was a bit too much for my taste, but that's just me heh :D I'm not sure if I'll read the next one, but you never know :)
andreaway's review
4.0
I would like to thank Harper Collins UK and Netgalley for the chance to review and give my honest opinion.
This book is not the faint hearted at all. This is a grimdark novel that is brutal and bloody. But I did not mind this as I enjoy my fantasy with a little kick to it. Also, the characters in this book are at times not likeable and definitely you are unsure who is good and who is bad. There are not simple troupes in here. Please be advised there are many trigger warnings in the book due to the graphic content. As I said before this is not a book for the faint hearted.
The female characters in this book are kickass and at times I found them witty and sassy. I loved the friendships portrayed in the universe.
If you want an exciting read then this is for you. I can't wait to get a physical copy to put on my bookshelves and in the near future, delve back into this amazing world. Bring on the battle for the dark and the light and most definitely bring on book two. Well done Ms Stephens on an excellent debut novel. Can't wait to read more by this amazing new voice.
This book is not the faint hearted at all. This is a grimdark novel that is brutal and bloody. But I did not mind this as I enjoy my fantasy with a little kick to it. Also, the characters in this book are at times not likeable and definitely you are unsure who is good and who is bad. There are not simple troupes in here. Please be advised there are many trigger warnings in the book due to the graphic content. As I said before this is not a book for the faint hearted.
The female characters in this book are kickass and at times I found them witty and sassy. I loved the friendships portrayed in the universe.
If you want an exciting read then this is for you. I can't wait to get a physical copy to put on my bookshelves and in the near future, delve back into this amazing world. Bring on the battle for the dark and the light and most definitely bring on book two. Well done Ms Stephens on an excellent debut novel. Can't wait to read more by this amazing new voice.
thiefofcamorr's review
3.0
I wish I could have said I loved it. I'm a massive fan of Scott Lynch, but I didn't find that this had the same wit or humour, or ease of writing. There were far too many characters that sounded the same, so it was hard/impossible to tell them apart or get to know them - and hence, care for them. The POVs were too many and too short, changing constantly. The gore and violence was great - it made this hectic place seemed all the more real and dangerous.
It just doesn't stand up in the current slew of quality hard fantasy for me.
It just doesn't stand up in the current slew of quality hard fantasy for me.
bemerson's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
grvhppr's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This book has one of the most graphic and gory scenes I've ever read in a book. The author doesn't shy away from any aspect of the word grotesque.
I wish the POV's were either less people or more included per chapter. The execution of the story feels choppy because of the writing style.
I wish the POV's were either less people or more included per chapter. The execution of the story feels choppy because of the writing style.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Body horror, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: War, Rape, Animal death, Blood, and Misogyny
Minor: Slavery
pagesofash's review against another edition
4.0
Well that was a really fucken good book. I mean a reallllllly fucken good book.
Okay, where do I start?
First a structure note; this book is made up of multiple short POV chapters. Now personally I LOVE short chapters, I'm a slow reader and short chapters make me feel like I'm eating up the distance in a book's pages but obviously short chapters are not for everyone so consider yourself warned. On that note, I'm a bit hesitant when it comes to multiple POV's, especially when there are as many as this book has. Let's see, there's Dom, Rillirin, Crys, Mace, Durdil, Tara, the Blessed One, Corvus and Gilda, did I miss anyone? Probably! Even if I didn't miss anyone that's a whopping nine, count em' NINE, POV's to follow. Oh wait I did miss at least one, Galtas so lets crank that number up to ten. Now I don't know about you but I have a love-hate relationship with books that go back and forth between several different POV characters. I often feel like I've just gotten into one character's tale and I've just started to care about them when I'm pulled out of it and forced to observe another character, I almost resent it. BUT, that doesn't mean I don't appreciate what multiple POV chapters can contribute to story telling so much of the time I just suck it up and deal with it. Well guess what!? I didn't have that issue with this book. I know right? Gasp, shock and horror, how is that even possible!? Well I'll tell you how, in addition to the chapters being short the POV's are often also grouped. Genius right? I certainly thought so. What this means is that sometimes when you move from say Dom to Rillirin or Crys to Tara you're carrying on with the exact same scene and characters just through another's eyes. Sometimes you're jumping across country but as the story goes on and our characters form ranks (both so to speak and literally) this happens with decreasing frequency.
Beware cliffhangers you will not get a nicely wrapped up ending, I mean, talk about being left in the lurch! Luckily I only have a couple of months to wait for Darksoul.
Right, enough babbling, on with the show!
Characters, flawed, 3 dimensional not-always-your-classic-good-guy-bad-guy-divide here. It's brilliant! Will your favourite character do the 'right' thing, the 'selfish' thing or the 'bad' thing? Mwhahaha, that's just it you don't know, you'll have to read on to find out! I read somewhere recently that one of the definitions of grimdark fantasy is just fantasy with more realistic characters. I feel like that's exactly what we got here and I loved it. Fair warning, be careful whom you get attached too!
Setting, good not great. It's worth noting though that I read this on my kindle which is an older touch screen, great e-reader but REALLY shitty for maps! So I might feel differently about the setting when I get a physical copy of the book and can track the story's progress across the map. I did like the sound of Rilporin but we don't get to see that much of it in this book. Overall, with the vast plains, the high mountain passes and the vast rivers I got the feel of a high fantasy setting, especially when you throw in the walled Watcher town and the border forts. For me that's a good thing and it works in this story, which I'll be honest, I wasn't sure it would.
The plot, excellent! Oooooh, how to talk about this without spoilers? Um umm UMMM! You know what? The less you know the better, the Red Gods are coming, just read it!
Oh one last thing, dark fantasy caveat. Foul language is the least of your worries. The Mircese keep slaves, including bed slaves, whom they see as less than human; they worship blood gods who demand human sacrifice and torture, if you're going to read this book (and I think you should) come prepared for that.
Okay, where do I start?
First a structure note; this book is made up of multiple short POV chapters. Now personally I LOVE short chapters, I'm a slow reader and short chapters make me feel like I'm eating up the distance in a book's pages but obviously short chapters are not for everyone so consider yourself warned. On that note, I'm a bit hesitant when it comes to multiple POV's, especially when there are as many as this book has. Let's see, there's Dom, Rillirin, Crys, Mace, Durdil, Tara, the Blessed One, Corvus and Gilda, did I miss anyone? Probably! Even if I didn't miss anyone that's a whopping nine, count em' NINE, POV's to follow. Oh wait I did miss at least one, Galtas so lets crank that number up to ten. Now I don't know about you but I have a love-hate relationship with books that go back and forth between several different POV characters. I often feel like I've just gotten into one character's tale and I've just started to care about them when I'm pulled out of it and forced to observe another character, I almost resent it. BUT, that doesn't mean I don't appreciate what multiple POV chapters can contribute to story telling so much of the time I just suck it up and deal with it. Well guess what!? I didn't have that issue with this book. I know right? Gasp, shock and horror, how is that even possible!? Well I'll tell you how, in addition to the chapters being short the POV's are often also grouped. Genius right? I certainly thought so. What this means is that sometimes when you move from say Dom to Rillirin or Crys to Tara you're carrying on with the exact same scene and characters just through another's eyes. Sometimes you're jumping across country but as the story goes on and our characters form ranks (both so to speak and literally) this happens with decreasing frequency.
Beware cliffhangers you will not get a nicely wrapped up ending, I mean, talk about being left in the lurch! Luckily I only have a couple of months to wait for Darksoul.
Right, enough babbling, on with the show!
Characters, flawed, 3 dimensional not-always-your-classic-good-guy-bad-guy-divide here. It's brilliant! Will your favourite character do the 'right' thing, the 'selfish' thing or the 'bad' thing? Mwhahaha, that's just it you don't know, you'll have to read on to find out! I read somewhere recently that one of the definitions of grimdark fantasy is just fantasy with more realistic characters. I feel like that's exactly what we got here and I loved it. Fair warning, be careful whom you get attached too!
Setting, good not great. It's worth noting though that I read this on my kindle which is an older touch screen, great e-reader but REALLY shitty for maps! So I might feel differently about the setting when I get a physical copy of the book and can track the story's progress across the map. I did like the sound of Rilporin but we don't get to see that much of it in this book. Overall, with the vast plains, the high mountain passes and the vast rivers I got the feel of a high fantasy setting, especially when you throw in the walled Watcher town and the border forts. For me that's a good thing and it works in this story, which I'll be honest, I wasn't sure it would.
The plot, excellent! Oooooh, how to talk about this without spoilers? Um umm UMMM! You know what? The less you know the better, the Red Gods are coming, just read it!
Oh one last thing, dark fantasy caveat. Foul language is the least of your worries. The Mircese keep slaves, including bed slaves, whom they see as less than human; they worship blood gods who demand human sacrifice and torture, if you're going to read this book (and I think you should) come prepared for that.
hobbleit's review against another edition
4.0
Full review here: https://hobbleit.wordpress.com/2018/05/09/review-godblind-by-anna-stephens/#more-262
General thoughts: awesome characters. I mean really awesome. They are interesting, complicated and most of them very likeable.
Very good, solid plot but I just wish there weren't as many POVs and the chapters were longer.
I really enjoyed it, it was a great debut novel.
General thoughts: awesome characters. I mean really awesome. They are interesting, complicated and most of them very likeable.
Very good, solid plot but I just wish there weren't as many POVs and the chapters were longer.
I really enjoyed it, it was a great debut novel.