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thepiqht's review against another edition
3.0
- I don’t really connect with any of the characters
- I would say that I’m reading it for the plot, but even that is uninteresting to me
- I think that I expected more politics
- Instead, it reads like an adventure action movie
- The most interesting character is Lanta, The Blessed One, but she has the least amount of chapters
- I also like Tara and Crys
- There is no foreshadowing (explicitly stating that something is going to happen is *not* foreshadowing)
- I am curious about what happens next, but not enough to read the next book
- I think I just don’t care enough about the characters or the political intrigue
- Things are just happening
- I would say that I’m reading it for the plot, but even that is uninteresting to me
- I think that I expected more politics
- Instead, it reads like an adventure action movie
- The most interesting character is Lanta, The Blessed One, but she has the least amount of chapters
- I also like Tara and Crys
- There is no foreshadowing (explicitly stating that something is going to happen is *not* foreshadowing)
- I am curious about what happens next, but not enough to read the next book
- I think I just don’t care enough about the characters or the political intrigue
- Things are just happening
milabeille's review against another edition
3.0
So, this is a really good book but after trying, I think grimdark is not really my thing.
I tried [b:Beyond Redemption|23287202|Beyond Redemption (Manifest Delusions, #1)|Michael R. Fletcher|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1422215578l/23287202._SY75_.jpg|42803230] by Michael R. Fletcher, and it was just too "graphic" for me, and even though Godblind isn't quite like it, it's still too rough for my innocent little soul (ha!). I'm not ready to give up the genre completely but my expectation will stay low from now on.
So, like I said, this is a good book. The beginning is a little bit confusing, there was just too many POV, too many names, and I had a hard time keeping up, but after a while I got used to them, and I was able to enjoy myself enough, alright, maybe not enjoy but I wasn't bored.
I have a hard time to say I liked it, it just feels so hopeless and filled with impending doom, and I prefer my books to have more of an happy note.
Anyway, "happy" reading everyone! :)
I tried [b:Beyond Redemption|23287202|Beyond Redemption (Manifest Delusions, #1)|Michael R. Fletcher|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1422215578l/23287202._SY75_.jpg|42803230] by Michael R. Fletcher, and it was just too "graphic" for me, and even though Godblind isn't quite like it, it's still too rough for my innocent little soul (ha!). I'm not ready to give up the genre completely but my expectation will stay low from now on.
So, like I said, this is a good book. The beginning is a little bit confusing, there was just too many POV, too many names, and I had a hard time keeping up, but after a while I got used to them, and I was able to enjoy myself enough, alright, maybe not enjoy but I wasn't bored.
I have a hard time to say I liked it, it just feels so hopeless and filled with impending doom, and I prefer my books to have more of an happy note.
Anyway, "happy" reading everyone! :)
fitzsbeloved's review against another edition
1.0
DNF at about 50%
I really tried with this book. But the flat characters and lack of world-building made it really hard to even look past the juvenile writing. This isn’t grimdark; it’s just edgy torture porn.
I really wish I had something positive to say about this book, but unfortunately I really didn’t like anything from what I read.
I really tried with this book. But the flat characters and lack of world-building made it really hard to even look past the juvenile writing. This isn’t grimdark; it’s just edgy torture porn.
I really wish I had something positive to say about this book, but unfortunately I really didn’t like anything from what I read.
aeirana's review against another edition
4.0
4.5/5⭐️
In my opinion this book is extremely underrated— on Goodreads and in general. Not a lot of people talk about this series and they should! It’s incredible!
I must say this book has everything I love: politics, war, religion and brutality (so much damn gore)!
Being a grimdark writer and lover, I think this book has it all. I love the banter, characters and pacing and I cannot wait to read the next instalment!
My only nitpick is that some chapters are very short and there are a LOT of POVs. I’m saying there’s like 100 chapters (all alternating POVs) in this barely 400 page book! That’s a lot.
It took me some time to remember all the characters as well, but maybe this is just me being an idiot. About 1/3 way through the book it really didn’t bother me anymore.
This book is incredible and you should definitely give it a try!
In my opinion this book is extremely underrated— on Goodreads and in general. Not a lot of people talk about this series and they should! It’s incredible!
I must say this book has everything I love: politics, war, religion and brutality (so much damn gore)!
Being a grimdark writer and lover, I think this book has it all. I love the banter, characters and pacing and I cannot wait to read the next instalment!
My only nitpick is that some chapters are very short and there are a LOT of POVs. I’m saying there’s like 100 chapters (all alternating POVs) in this barely 400 page book! That’s a lot.
It took me some time to remember all the characters as well, but maybe this is just me being an idiot. About 1/3 way through the book it really didn’t bother me anymore.
This book is incredible and you should definitely give it a try!
thebookwormsfeast's review against another edition
3.0
I think I'll give this another go, but not as an audiobook. Grimdark is one of my favourite genres so this is so promising - but with the quick flitting of chapters, I just got a little lost.
One thing to note though, this is not for the faint of heart. This book is brutal.
One thing to note though, this is not for the faint of heart. This book is brutal.
scrollsofdragons's review against another edition
2.0
Relationships -2 There is romance though I can barely call it that and the characters other relationships with one another felt weak to me.
Characters -1.5 Too many of them and they have such short chapters between them all that you're constantly flicking back and forth, not getting a read on anyone because the moment there's any characterization it switches to another character. There's no time to get to know them, none of them stood out as someone to care about much and whatever happens to them I will be indifferent towards them because I know nothing about anyone.
Enjoyability -2.5 It took half the book for me to start to enjoy any of this. I put the book down, read some others and when I went back to it, I started getting into it but it's a little too late to take half the book and even then, without caring much it's a very basic level of enjoyment to be had.
Plot - 2.5 The gods want a foothold in this world and religious zealots will bring war for that to happen, a little different that the gods are being the reason but it's still a war that doesn't differentiate itself from others.
Writing -2 Bland, choppy and found lacking.
Originality-1.5 Basic grim dark with nothing to make it stand out at all.
World Building-1.5 Where was it? The only thing ever explained was the gods and they were barely developed well at all. The setting was generic. The two nations in this novel were hardly described other then the bare basics with a cliché medieval culture. There is zero world building in this book. I love reading about new worlds yet I was given nothing about this one and it was disappointing, especially considering this is supposed to be an adult fantasy.
For a total of 1.92, rounded up to 2. The first half of the book was a 1 star but the second half picked up enough for this book not to be awful.
The romance. Alright so there's Dom and Rillirin, they spent quite a bit of time together, their relationship was given time to progress, just enough so that them liking one another was believable. I didn't care for it because this novel I can't care about much but at least it was somewhat decent.
Ash and Crys. They had like two scenes. The first was Crys freaking out that Ash came on to him, a scene we did not see, we just saw him freaking out after the fact where Ash convinces him that he's not a rapist, that if Crys doesn't want him, he's not going to do anything but Ash does like him. Then they're alone together and Ash convinces him by saying we're going into war let's fuck which okay cool I get that but then the next moment Crys is like where's Ash, is he okay, I just want to hold my lover.
Lover? You fucked once, you've barely any time whatsoever together, it was literally-don't touch me- to yeah okay why not let's fuck- to all I care about is that you're save. It's ridiculous, it's not even insta love because they had one short scene where they fucked so like insta lust is the best you can call it because insta love though it involves two people falling in love quickly, at least in other novels they spent time together but these two did not.
And that one scene where they fucked it started off quite lovely actually, when they first hold hands then kiss it was quite sweet and I was like can we continue but then it ends. They probably could have been a couple I could have got on board with if they had but they barely talked before fucking, there was no moments with them in order for them to feel that way for one another. If you're not going to show their relationship I'm just giving to look at it and be why? There is nothing to it, not a thing!
There's no motivation for why some of these characters, like the Prince would just straight up kill his family for the gods and it's like where did that come from? Like there has to be some conflict if you're going to kill your family to welcome these gods (like the other nation who have a strong belief in these gods, they were brought up in it, it makes sense) but the prince just switches with nothing given as to why he would.
The best motivation was from the tribe like outcast people when they were like we're not fighting for the king, we're fighting because this is our home. And them joining up with the army despite on not agreeing to each others way of life was made believable but other motivations were so clearly lacking.
Characters -1.5 Too many of them and they have such short chapters between them all that you're constantly flicking back and forth, not getting a read on anyone because the moment there's any characterization it switches to another character. There's no time to get to know them, none of them stood out as someone to care about much and whatever happens to them I will be indifferent towards them because I know nothing about anyone.
Enjoyability -2.5 It took half the book for me to start to enjoy any of this. I put the book down, read some others and when I went back to it, I started getting into it but it's a little too late to take half the book and even then, without caring much it's a very basic level of enjoyment to be had.
Plot - 2.5 The gods want a foothold in this world and religious zealots will bring war for that to happen, a little different that the gods are being the reason but it's still a war that doesn't differentiate itself from others.
Writing -2 Bland, choppy and found lacking.
Originality-1.5 Basic grim dark with nothing to make it stand out at all.
World Building-1.5 Where was it? The only thing ever explained was the gods and they were barely developed well at all. The setting was generic. The two nations in this novel were hardly described other then the bare basics with a cliché medieval culture. There is zero world building in this book. I love reading about new worlds yet I was given nothing about this one and it was disappointing, especially considering this is supposed to be an adult fantasy.
For a total of 1.92, rounded up to 2. The first half of the book was a 1 star but the second half picked up enough for this book not to be awful.
Spoiler
The romance. Alright so there's Dom and Rillirin, they spent quite a bit of time together, their relationship was given time to progress, just enough so that them liking one another was believable. I didn't care for it because this novel I can't care about much but at least it was somewhat decent.
Ash and Crys. They had like two scenes. The first was Crys freaking out that Ash came on to him, a scene we did not see, we just saw him freaking out after the fact where Ash convinces him that he's not a rapist, that if Crys doesn't want him, he's not going to do anything but Ash does like him. Then they're alone together and Ash convinces him by saying we're going into war let's fuck which okay cool I get that but then the next moment Crys is like where's Ash, is he okay, I just want to hold my lover.
Lover? You fucked once, you've barely any time whatsoever together, it was literally-don't touch me- to yeah okay why not let's fuck- to all I care about is that you're save. It's ridiculous, it's not even insta love because they had one short scene where they fucked so like insta lust is the best you can call it because insta love though it involves two people falling in love quickly, at least in other novels they spent time together but these two did not.
And that one scene where they fucked it started off quite lovely actually, when they first hold hands then kiss it was quite sweet and I was like can we continue but then it ends. They probably could have been a couple I could have got on board with if they had but they barely talked before fucking, there was no moments with them in order for them to feel that way for one another. If you're not going to show their relationship I'm just giving to look at it and be why? There is nothing to it, not a thing!
There's no motivation for why some of these characters, like the Prince would just straight up kill his family for the gods and it's like where did that come from? Like there has to be some conflict if you're going to kill your family to welcome these gods (like the other nation who have a strong belief in these gods, they were brought up in it, it makes sense) but the prince just switches with nothing given as to why he would.
The best motivation was from the tribe like outcast people when they were like we're not fighting for the king, we're fighting because this is our home. And them joining up with the army despite on not agreeing to each others way of life was made believable but other motivations were so clearly lacking.
firago's review against another edition
2.0
Damn I wanted to love this book. I wanted to love it so bad, I've been waiting for it for months. As a lover of Mark Lawrence, Joe Abercrombie, Scott Lynch and N.K. Jemisin I was craving a cracking piece of grimdark.
What do I get instead? The promise of interesting characters delivered flat, no immersion whatsoever I can barely tell you anything about the world this book is set in.
If you have multiple points of view you cannot make the chapters 3 pages long...it creates 0 connection with the characters. If I'm not connected, I just don't care.
The characters have such promise! Rillirin could of been such a strong character, from being stone cold enough to kill someone, then flinching and screaming like a damsel in distress in other scenes....it's like her character completely changed, it felt like something went wrong somewhere.
I'm actually quite angry, this book could of been double the size and would of deserved 4 stars then. It feels lazy and rushed and forced grimdark i.e. Gory death and rape rather than truly dark. You cannot connect with characters in 3 pages, I'm sorry you just can't.
Urgh so disappointing. 1.5/2 stars
What do I get instead? The promise of interesting characters delivered flat, no immersion whatsoever I can barely tell you anything about the world this book is set in.
If you have multiple points of view you cannot make the chapters 3 pages long...it creates 0 connection with the characters. If I'm not connected, I just don't care.
The characters have such promise! Rillirin could of been such a strong character, from being stone cold enough to kill someone, then flinching and screaming like a damsel in distress in other scenes....it's like her character completely changed, it felt like something went wrong somewhere.
I'm actually quite angry, this book could of been double the size and would of deserved 4 stars then. It feels lazy and rushed and forced grimdark i.e. Gory death and rape rather than truly dark. You cannot connect with characters in 3 pages, I'm sorry you just can't.
Urgh so disappointing. 1.5/2 stars
theamazingmrg's review against another edition
4.0
An excellent book, marred only by the inclusion of one chapter that felt like it was more about promoting modern values than adding anything to the book.
Not for the faint-hearted, though. There's some horrific things in there (but personally, they didn't bother me as much as they probably should have done. I shall seek help!)
Looking forward to the sequel.
Not for the faint-hearted, though. There's some horrific things in there (but personally, they didn't bother me as much as they probably should have done. I shall seek help!)
Looking forward to the sequel.
milili's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
colt_allen1068's review against another edition
5.0
This was my first book in the grimdark genre, and I was thoroughly impressed! I was a little hesitant at first, but I could not stop reading! There are a lot of POV characters, but I think it helps keep the story moving and really opens up the full narrative. This book is graphic, well written, and an epic story. I just got books two and three, and cannot wait to dive in!