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bookishjaybird's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I was pleasantly surprised by this! I started it initially and read a few pages and didn’t think I’d be a fan so I set it down for a few months but ended up picking it up against and finishing it in 3 days.
It was a fun mystery, even if that may not be the right word, and I loved the world and pantheon building. I wish we had gotten more pantheon building or more background on them at least, especially the situation with Iris and the sun god!
The only issue I had was the set up I think as far as the whole Episode 1, 2, etc but I got used too it after a while. Other than that, such such a good book and cannot wait for “season 2.”!
It was a fun mystery, even if that may not be the right word, and I loved the world and pantheon building. I wish we had gotten more pantheon building or more background on them at least, especially the situation with Iris and the sun god!
The only issue I had was the set up I think as far as the whole Episode 1, 2, etc but I got used too it after a while. Other than that, such such a good book and cannot wait for “season 2.”!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Drug use
dbguide2's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I absolutely loved this book – actually looked just now to Amazon and Goodreads to see when the second book is coming out, couldn’t find anything, so I went to the author’s website. Apparently it’s available as an audio fiction podcast which I’m excited about! Now I can reread the first season (I suppose I could call it that?) before I listen to the second one.
The story is filled with action and quite a bit of humour, which I very much enjoyed. There’s mythology in, and honestly anything mythology is always going to get my attention – I’m just glad that it was well-written too. Iris and Andy were two fun characters to read, especially Andy. I feel like they played off of each other well and that they paired well with each other too.
kaa's review
3.0
Gods & Lies is a quick, fast-paced urban fantasy/mystery. I really enjoyed the world-building, but wasn't as much of a fan of the mystery or the developing romance. I'll consider reading the next season of the series, which finished recently.
I generally like secondary-world urban fantasy better than urban fantasy set in variations of our own world, and I really like what Vail has done with the development of her setting here. This was the best part of the book for me. The pantheon seems pretty clearly based on Greek and Roman gods, but with some interesting twists (I loved the idea of the Threemothers, for instance). Partially because of similarities to our world, it was pretty easy to grasp how things worked and what the rules were, generally. I felt the author was successful in creating a cohesive system of gods, humans, and other entities, and then examining the conflicts that might arise out of that system as it changed over time. I enjoyed the way those conflicts were used to support the main plot of the story.
Where I had more trouble was the plot itself. While I had fun racing around with Iris and Andy to try to solve the mystery, I found the actual solution predictable and disappointing. This was somewhat ameliorated because of other aspects of the resolution that I enjoyed - the way this case related back to the bigger picture of human-god relations, in particular - but at the moment of the big reveal I was seriously considering giving the book only 2 stars. Additionally, I found the romance boring. Iris and Andy are fairly shallow characters, although they both do have potential, but a romance between them seemed a bit out of character and not especially supported by anything in-text beyond the fact that it might be expected of this type of story/relationship.
The writing was, on the whole, engaging and easy to read. However, there was some annoyingly exposition-heavy dialogue in the middle that I would have preferred to skipped - the information could have been introduced much more gracefully.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC of this book.
I generally like secondary-world urban fantasy better than urban fantasy set in variations of our own world, and I really like what Vail has done with the development of her setting here. This was the best part of the book for me. The pantheon seems pretty clearly based on Greek and Roman gods, but with some interesting twists (I loved the idea of the Threemothers, for instance). Partially because of similarities to our world, it was pretty easy to grasp how things worked and what the rules were, generally. I felt the author was successful in creating a cohesive system of gods, humans, and other entities, and then examining the conflicts that might arise out of that system as it changed over time. I enjoyed the way those conflicts were used to support the main plot of the story.
Where I had more trouble was the plot itself. While I had fun racing around with Iris and Andy to try to solve the mystery, I found the actual solution predictable and disappointing. This was somewhat ameliorated because of other aspects of the resolution that I enjoyed - the way this case related back to the bigger picture of human-god relations, in particular - but at the moment of the big reveal I was seriously considering giving the book only 2 stars. Additionally, I found the romance boring. Iris and Andy are fairly shallow characters, although they both do have potential, but a romance between them seemed a bit out of character and not especially supported by anything in-text beyond the fact that it might be expected of this type of story/relationship.
The writing was, on the whole, engaging and easy to read. However, there was some annoyingly exposition-heavy dialogue in the middle that I would have preferred to skipped - the information could have been introduced much more gracefully.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC of this book.
marshd2's review against another edition
4.0
I recently received a copy of this as a Goodreads giveaway.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story. The characters were interesting and well-developed, especially for such a short story. It was a quick read and I'm looking forward to the next installment!
Overall, I really enjoyed this story. The characters were interesting and well-developed, especially for such a short story. It was a quick read and I'm looking forward to the next installment!
rbritt515's review against another edition
4.0
Percy Jackson for grown-ups! In a world where the patronage of a god or goddess is necessary to succeed, Iris, priestess of the goddess of Justice and the disgraced demigod son of the Seamother team up to solve the murder and transmorgification of a young woman found in the temple of the wind god. A thoroughly enjoyable story exploring agency in a world where humans are expected to obey the gods. Honestly, my main complaint is that I think it could've done an even better job of really digging into that idea with a little more length. Nonetheless, a really fun read.
quirkycatsfatstacks's review against another edition
5.0
Gods & Lies is the latest Serial Box adventure that I decided to dive into, and man was it worth it! Written by Elizabeth Vail, and narrated by a combination of Cary Hite and Sarah Mollo-Christensen, this is an iconic read (or listen, depending on what you decide to do).
Has there ever been a tale involving multiple gods where they didn't make things more difficult for their human worshipers? In this world, there are gods everywhere, and in order to survive, you generally have to pick one to primarily worship, and hope that they keep the other gods off your back.
Enter Justix Iris Tharrow. She believes in the Goddess of Justice, and it's her job to investigate human crimes and bring justice to them. It's a tough job, but it is also certainly her calling. As opposed to Andy, a demigod trying to go clean from his life of crime, and struggling to do so.
Yet thanks to a murder, these two unlikely allies are about to end up working together. It is never easy to solve a murder, a fact that could never have been more true when the gods and their faithful get in the way.
“I knew something was wrong the moment I stepped out of the car.”
Warnings: Gods & Lies does touch upon a few heavier subjects, but the larger (and more dominant) moments and themes include sacrifice and animal death.
Will I ever get sick of diving into a series full of mythology? No, I don't think I will. Gods & Lies is full to the brim of gods, goddesses, and the humans who worship them. It is without a doubt the most unique take on this world that I've ever seen, and I feel like that's saying something.
This is a world where the old gods of legend exist, yet. But there are plenty of other gods to deal with as well. The god of traffic for example, or the one that loves all things text or phone based. Any convenience humans are used to is helped (or hindered) by the gods.
It's impressive and fun, all at the same time. And that's without taking the murder mystery into account. That in itself is a whirlwind of an adventure, fitting in thriller elements into a world that should be full of magic and lore.
Iris and Andy are such unique characters with huge personalities. It took me a little while to really get (and like) both of them, but once I did, I found myself fully invested in their stories. So much so that I'm basically sitting here waiting for an announcement about season two (which I'm assuming will be a thing, but I don't actually know that for sure).
“If you can't trust a priestess of the Goddess of Justice, who can you trust?”
Gods & Lies was the shortest Serial Box series I've tried, and yet the punch didn't feel diminished at all. Actually, I almost feel like a shorter format was better suited to this experience. It was quick, fun, and easy to impulsively dive into. It fit the world quite nicely in that sense. Here's hoping that any future season sticks to that format as well.
Check out more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
Has there ever been a tale involving multiple gods where they didn't make things more difficult for their human worshipers? In this world, there are gods everywhere, and in order to survive, you generally have to pick one to primarily worship, and hope that they keep the other gods off your back.
Enter Justix Iris Tharrow. She believes in the Goddess of Justice, and it's her job to investigate human crimes and bring justice to them. It's a tough job, but it is also certainly her calling. As opposed to Andy, a demigod trying to go clean from his life of crime, and struggling to do so.
Yet thanks to a murder, these two unlikely allies are about to end up working together. It is never easy to solve a murder, a fact that could never have been more true when the gods and their faithful get in the way.
“I knew something was wrong the moment I stepped out of the car.”
Warnings: Gods & Lies does touch upon a few heavier subjects, but the larger (and more dominant) moments and themes include sacrifice and animal death.
Will I ever get sick of diving into a series full of mythology? No, I don't think I will. Gods & Lies is full to the brim of gods, goddesses, and the humans who worship them. It is without a doubt the most unique take on this world that I've ever seen, and I feel like that's saying something.
This is a world where the old gods of legend exist, yet. But there are plenty of other gods to deal with as well. The god of traffic for example, or the one that loves all things text or phone based. Any convenience humans are used to is helped (or hindered) by the gods.
It's impressive and fun, all at the same time. And that's without taking the murder mystery into account. That in itself is a whirlwind of an adventure, fitting in thriller elements into a world that should be full of magic and lore.
Iris and Andy are such unique characters with huge personalities. It took me a little while to really get (and like) both of them, but once I did, I found myself fully invested in their stories. So much so that I'm basically sitting here waiting for an announcement about season two (which I'm assuming will be a thing, but I don't actually know that for sure).
“If you can't trust a priestess of the Goddess of Justice, who can you trust?”
Gods & Lies was the shortest Serial Box series I've tried, and yet the punch didn't feel diminished at all. Actually, I almost feel like a shorter format was better suited to this experience. It was quick, fun, and easy to impulsively dive into. It fit the world quite nicely in that sense. Here's hoping that any future season sticks to that format as well.
Check out more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
directorpurry's review against another edition
5.0
I received a free Kindle copy of this book via Goodreads giveaway. All opinions are my own.
If detective noir fiction and the Percy Jackson books had a baby, this would be it - in all the best ways. I immediately fell in love with both Iris and Andy's characters and narrative voices. The writing was great - there were so many funny lines and the plot flowed super smoothly. I love the new pantheon created; the original gods and their symbols were really fun and believably implemented.
There are a few formatting errors, possibly due to the digital publishing, but nothing significant enough to impact the star rating! I cannot wait to read more from Vail in the future. Extremely excited for the sequel!
If detective noir fiction and the Percy Jackson books had a baby, this would be it - in all the best ways. I immediately fell in love with both Iris and Andy's characters and narrative voices. The writing was great - there were so many funny lines and the plot flowed super smoothly. I love the new pantheon created; the original gods and their symbols were really fun and believably implemented.
There are a few formatting errors, possibly due to the digital publishing, but nothing significant enough to impact the star rating! I cannot wait to read more from Vail in the future. Extremely excited for the sequel!
emilypon's review against another edition
3.0
* I got a free ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a review*
This was a quick-paced and entertaining read. I read this while listening to the audiobook (which has some pretty cool sound effects btw) and that really enhanced the experience. The audiobook is free in podcast form, so for anyone who is able, I definitely recommend checking that out. I love urban fantasies and stories based on mythology but I really wish that the book had been a bit longer. I really wish could have been more time spent on world-building in the beginning and that we had spent more time building up the characters' personalities and chemistry because I struggled to get invested in their issues and the chemistry fell a bit flat for me.
3. 5 stars overall and I would definitely consider checking out episode 2.
This was a quick-paced and entertaining read. I read this while listening to the audiobook (which has some pretty cool sound effects btw) and that really enhanced the experience. The audiobook is free in podcast form, so for anyone who is able, I definitely recommend checking that out. I love urban fantasies and stories based on mythology but I really wish that the book had been a bit longer. I really wish could have been more time spent on world-building in the beginning and that we had spent more time building up the characters' personalities and chemistry because I struggled to get invested in their issues and the chemistry fell a bit flat for me.
3. 5 stars overall and I would definitely consider checking out episode 2.
puppetdicator's review against another edition
4.0
I received this book for free in exchange for an interview.
Thank you Netgalley and Publishers.
I enjoyed it. The worldbuilding was pretty fun. The dialogue was kind of goofy at points but I think that added to the charm.
Its a quick read. My only issues is with the constantly shifting povs in first person when they are in the same area. It made it very confusing and hard to keep track of who was talking.
Thank you Netgalley and Publishers.
I enjoyed it. The worldbuilding was pretty fun. The dialogue was kind of goofy at points but I think that added to the charm.
Its a quick read. My only issues is with the constantly shifting povs in first person when they are in the same area. It made it very confusing and hard to keep track of who was talking.
dariamerr's review against another edition
3.0
Gods & Lies was an enjoyable book, but not one that will stay with me . I really liked the writing style and the mythology. The author has a lot of imagination that I would like to see put into practice in a full novel. I liked the world that was constructed and the examination of how society would work if gods were real entities who freely got mixed up in the business of humans. Also, the mystery was interesting. It had a lot of twists I didn’t expect and the ending was truly surprising.
As much as I think the ending was a surprise, I didn’t like the execution. It’s probably a me thing but I would’ve liked for our detectives to find out who the criminal is, instead of the criminal showing themselves in an attempt to kill them. It’s a pet peeve of mine regarding mysteries.
I also didn’t really connect with the characters. They felt like your stereotypical badass and punk duo. And while they were fleshed out to an extent, I didn’t feel like they were actually three dimensional, well-crafted characters. So I think that’s something the author needs to work a bit on.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley, in exchange of a honest review.
As much as I think the ending was a surprise, I didn’t like the execution. It’s probably a me thing but I would’ve liked for our detectives to find out who the criminal is, instead of the criminal showing themselves in an attempt to kill them. It’s a pet peeve of mine regarding mysteries.
I also didn’t really connect with the characters. They felt like your stereotypical badass and punk duo. And while they were fleshed out to an extent, I didn’t feel like they were actually three dimensional, well-crafted characters. So I think that’s something the author needs to work a bit on.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley, in exchange of a honest review.