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trueperception's review
4.0
First of all, I received a free copy (Advanced Uncorrected Proof) for free, through Goodreads Giveaways, for an honest review.
Going in to this, I didn't know what to expect. I've read a lot of the Forgotten Realms novels (particularly those of R.A. Salvatore), but I had no knowledge of the Pathfinder world, aside from it being another Pen & Paper RPG. I was interested to see that the main characters were a lesbian couple. I cannot think of any alternative sexuality in Forgotten Realms, so it's nice. I have no stake in the LGBT community, but variety is always nice. I also liked that their relationship was in a long term/steady position, rather than being earlier in. I did find it a bit weird that most of the cast was female, and even, and the level of technology seems to be a bit wonky (drill presses, table-mounted circular saws, and band saws, but everything else seems to be 1400s tech level, and then we get ); these are just minor gripes, however. The characters were fairly well fleshed out. Action, while not at the top levels, was decent enough. A few spots seemed to have info missing, but I'll assume this was a mistake, and will be corrected before release. All in all, a good story, and I look forward to reading more from the author and world.
Going in to this, I didn't know what to expect. I've read a lot of the Forgotten Realms novels (particularly those of R.A. Salvatore), but I had no knowledge of the Pathfinder world, aside from it being another Pen & Paper RPG. I was interested to see that the main characters were a lesbian couple. I cannot think of any alternative sexuality in Forgotten Realms, so it's nice. I have no stake in the LGBT community, but variety is always nice. I also liked that their relationship was in a long term/steady position, rather than being earlier in. I did find it a bit weird that most of the cast was female, and even
Spoiler
one of the male characters turned out to actually be female-bornSpoiler
a group working on an automaton?!hollylynnca's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
carriegessner's review
5.0
This just had everything I was looking for in a book right now. It's high fantasy with magic and action, but not sprawling. And that suits me because more and more, I'm looking for standalone fantasy instead of series.
I really enjoyed the two main characters, Zae and Keren. Zae is a gnome and a cleric of Brigh, so she works on clockwork mechanisms and cool things like that. She's also optimistic and friendly, which I love. Keren is a human knight, follower of Iomedae (I think?). She's more broody and trying to find her place in her order, which is an archetype I can't say no to, haha. They're just nice characters, which I need every once in a while, and they're fun to read about separately or together. They're also romantic partners. I liked that their relationship is shown as a source of comfort and strength for both, and it was refreshing that it was accepted in the world. There's also a secondary character who's trans. I can't speak to whether it was good representation, but I like that the book was pretty effortlessly inclusive.
The plot is maybe a little thin, but again, I wasn't looking for a sprawling epic. Big thanks to Chris at B&N for suggesting this because I never would've picked it up otherwise. Looking forward to reading some more!
I really enjoyed the two main characters, Zae and Keren. Zae is a gnome and a cleric of Brigh, so she works on clockwork mechanisms and cool things like that. She's also optimistic and friendly, which I love. Keren is a human knight, follower of Iomedae (I think?). She's more broody and trying to find her place in her order, which is an archetype I can't say no to, haha. They're just nice characters, which I need every once in a while, and they're fun to read about separately or together. They're also romantic partners. I liked that their relationship is shown as a source of comfort and strength for both, and it was refreshing that it was accepted in the world. There's also a secondary character who's trans. I can't speak to whether it was good representation, but I like that the book was pretty effortlessly inclusive.
The plot is maybe a little thin, but again, I wasn't looking for a sprawling epic. Big thanks to Chris at B&N for suggesting this because I never would've picked it up otherwise. Looking forward to reading some more!
aidanmoher's review
3.0
Gears of Faith is a flawed book. It does what a lot of Pathfinder Tales do well—which is wrap likeable characters into a tight Sword & Sorcery package—but it's brought down by structural, plotting, and pacing issues. Dissecting these issues would delve far into spoiler territory, so I'll avoid it here, but they begin at the novel's core concept, and extend through character motivations, too many coincidences, and the plot happening *to* the protagonists, rather than being drive forward by Zae and Keren.
Fortunately, the floundering plot is buoyed by characters that are simply fun to spend time with, and there's a well-supported cast of LGBTQ+ characters that are uncommon in similar novels. Harbowy is obviously invested in these characters, and the love she has put into crafting the romance between its lead protagonists is welcome. I'd like to see more stories about Zae and Keren—I just hope they're a little better constructed than this one.
Fortunately, the floundering plot is buoyed by characters that are simply fun to spend time with, and there's a well-supported cast of LGBTQ+ characters that are uncommon in similar novels. Harbowy is obviously invested in these characters, and the love she has put into crafting the romance between its lead protagonists is welcome. I'd like to see more stories about Zae and Keren—I just hope they're a little better constructed than this one.
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