Scan barcode
erikbergstrom's review
4.0
Set between Mars and Earth, Gods of the Black Gate offers whole new settings to explore in serial killer/sci-fi fiction hybrids! I loved Sale's handling of Mars, where it felt lived-in but also exotic, dangerous, isolated and cold, all at the same time—like the murderer Craig Smiley himself.
Once transported back to Earth on his escape, Smiley enters the woods—one of my favorite settings in horror. We go from futuristic settings to something ancient & unsettling as he holds his captive there like a regular Buffalo Bill (though he has the mind/vocalisms of Hannibal Lecter himself).
The book's on the shorter side, and for a new Universe of Gods I was yearning for more. Of course, it could be the case that Smiley's just delusional (which I don't mind musing on, I love the open-endedness of it). The book's fast-paced as well, which is important, think I just needed more on the mythology somewhere in the middle to make the ending that much more impactful! (And yet, what a final confrontation!)
Digging into the next part of the series, Beyond the Black Gate immediately to find more. For now, I'll just say from what I've read of Sale, this is the kind of rich, detailed, character-driven work to expect each time. Go dig up his other works right now!
Once transported back to Earth on his escape, Smiley enters the woods—one of my favorite settings in horror. We go from futuristic settings to something ancient & unsettling as he holds his captive there like a regular Buffalo Bill (though he has the mind/vocalisms of Hannibal Lecter himself).
The book's on the shorter side, and for a new Universe of Gods I was yearning for more. Of course, it could be the case that Smiley's just delusional (which I don't mind musing on, I love the open-endedness of it). The book's fast-paced as well, which is important, think I just needed more on the mythology somewhere in the middle to make the ending that much more impactful! (And yet, what a final confrontation!)
Digging into the next part of the series, Beyond the Black Gate immediately to find more. For now, I'll just say from what I've read of Sale, this is the kind of rich, detailed, character-driven work to expect each time. Go dig up his other works right now!
chelleyrenee's review
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Criminal minds in space lol.
I really enjoyed book 2, Smiley had me wanting to throw my kindle across the room.
Im very interested in how everything will tie together
I really enjoyed book 2, Smiley had me wanting to throw my kindle across the room.
Im very interested in how everything will tie together
lezlie's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Serial killer Craig Smiley is in prison. ON MARS. You read that right. His ritualistic murders were so heinous that they put him in prison on Mars. Smiley claims his work is because of his religious beliefs - beliefs that say he's doing what needs to be done to help the human race. One scary commonality of well known serial killers is their charisma and Smiley is no exception. If he talks to you, he gets in your head, starts making sense.
So you may be thinking, no worries, the joker is locked up in prison on Mars. In space. Did I forget to mention he's escaped?
GODS OF THE BLACK GATE is the second book of Joseph Sale's series, Book of Thrice Dead. I read a snippet referring to Smiley in the first book and hoped like crazy this next installment would be his story and I was not disappointed. Though to be fair, Sale is an author I've read many pieces of literature from and I always know three things are going to be in his books:
1. Outstanding character development
2. Intricate plot mechanics
3. Somewhere along the way the story will give me a good mental screw. (Gotta keep it PG so
Amazon won't reject my review, lol)
There is a tagline I saw about this book, comparing it to the show, True Detective , but set in space and I would heartily agree with that - except I think Sale does it better. At least in regards to the first season of the show, it was a bit slow and that is not the case with GODS OF THE BLACK GATE. The plot has a lot of action, a lot of intense scenes regarding logs of meetings that took place and dialogue between characters that gives insight to the characters Detectives Marvin and Rogers, as well as Craig Smiley.
While the book weighs in a little under 200 pages and has a plot that moves at a fast clip, it's not a fast read. It's intelligently written with small tidbits that tie into the first book of the series and a few others that I believe will tie in to the next book and/or future books. I've read so much of Sale's work that I take it slow and look for all that's hidden there in plain sight for readers to discover.
I'm at a loss as to what the third book in the series may have in store for me because there are so many different threads that can be picked up and pulled. When you throw in the added bonus of dealing with the multiverse, the possibilities are only limited by the mind of the author - and well, that seems boundless!
The author did contact me with the blurb of this series to see if it was something I would be interested in reading and reviewing, to which I accepted IMMEDIATELY. Spoiler alert: I will always say yes to this author. I did receive a copy of this book to review from the author, for which I am grateful.
So you may be thinking, no worries, the joker is locked up in prison on Mars. In space. Did I forget to mention he's escaped?
GODS OF THE BLACK GATE is the second book of Joseph Sale's series, Book of Thrice Dead. I read a snippet referring to Smiley in the first book and hoped like crazy this next installment would be his story and I was not disappointed. Though to be fair, Sale is an author I've read many pieces of literature from and I always know three things are going to be in his books:
1. Outstanding character development
2. Intricate plot mechanics
3. Somewhere along the way the story will give me a good mental screw. (Gotta keep it PG so
Amazon won't reject my review, lol)
There is a tagline I saw about this book, comparing it to the show, True Detective , but set in space and I would heartily agree with that - except I think Sale does it better. At least in regards to the first season of the show, it was a bit slow and that is not the case with GODS OF THE BLACK GATE. The plot has a lot of action, a lot of intense scenes regarding logs of meetings that took place and dialogue between characters that gives insight to the characters Detectives Marvin and Rogers, as well as Craig Smiley.
While the book weighs in a little under 200 pages and has a plot that moves at a fast clip, it's not a fast read. It's intelligently written with small tidbits that tie into the first book of the series and a few others that I believe will tie in to the next book and/or future books. I've read so much of Sale's work that I take it slow and look for all that's hidden there in plain sight for readers to discover.
I'm at a loss as to what the third book in the series may have in store for me because there are so many different threads that can be picked up and pulled. When you throw in the added bonus of dealing with the multiverse, the possibilities are only limited by the mind of the author - and well, that seems boundless!
The author did contact me with the blurb of this series to see if it was something I would be interested in reading and reviewing, to which I accepted IMMEDIATELY. Spoiler alert: I will always say yes to this author. I did receive a copy of this book to review from the author, for which I am grateful.
More...