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beautifuldissonance's review
4.0
After reading some of the reviews on here I was expecting this book to be complete rubbish but now that I've finished it I'm puzzled by the bad reviews. I did find the pacing to be a little slow in the beginning of the book, but it does pick up. Mead doesn't hand everything to you on a silver platter, so if you expect to have everything about this world spelled out for you you'll be disappointed at first. Give it time, enjoy the world for what it is, think a little, and hopefully you'll enjoy this book as much as I did.
keberwick's review
4.0
Holy. Fuck. This was amazing! I fell in love with Richelle Mead through the Vampire Academy (still one of my absolute favorite series in the history of ever), and have read most of her other series and loved them. Except Bloodlines. That was a flop for me, but that's not the point of this review.
Gameboard of the Gods was so amazingly constructed. The world building was on point, I really can't describe it better than that. The intricate way that mythology and government were woven together left me speechless, and honestly, I can't wait for the next book because I have a feeling it'll be just as fabulous and well written as the first.
Gameboard of the Gods was so amazingly constructed. The world building was on point, I really can't describe it better than that. The intricate way that mythology and government were woven together left me speechless, and honestly, I can't wait for the next book because I have a feeling it'll be just as fabulous and well written as the first.
smalltown_librarian's review
4.0
I picked this book up in my local library because the title intriqued me. I am happy to say I really liked the premise and the characters, and look forward to reading the next book in the series!!
jessicaalexander95's review
5.0
This series was perfection.utterly loved it, the characters, the myths and the world. I am beyond devastated that they aren't going to finish it.
samrushingbooks's review
5.0
Yet another stunning novel by Richelle Mead. I absolutely loved it and will probably write more on this review closer to release day. Let's just say that I loved the mythological aspects and the characters remind me in many ways of some of Mead's other much beloved characters. Mae is as kick-ass as Dmitri from Vampire Academy but with the cool detachment of Rose's mother. Then there is Justin, who honestly does seem like a perfect Sydrian (that is Sydney and Adrian mash-up). I am seriously addicted to anything by Richelle Mead and I will definitely be purchasing this book in hardcover the day it is released and reading it again.
wagesof's review
The writing is terrible. The story has been done to death and the Mary Sue protagonist is obnoxiously mundane.
lamom77's review
4.0
Quite a different story for Richelle Mead. There were parts I loved and other parts were sort of meh. There is definitely potential for this series, looking forward to seeing where Mae and Justin go.
patchworkbunny's review
5.0
Mae is a praetorian, an elite soldier in service of the RUNA. Attending the funeral of a close friend, she is provoked into attacking another praetorian resulting in punishment. She must travel to Panama to deliver a message. Exiled for reasons he won’t reveal; ex-servitor Justin spends his time gambling, drinking and picking up women at Cristobel’s parties in Panama. Previously tasked with auditing religion, he now has the voices of two ravens in his head; Horatio and Magnus. Is it possible that the supernatural, something servitors stand against, is real?
I came to this book not having any expectations. I haven’t read any of Richelle Mead’s other books and I had the assumption that it was YA. It’s not YA. In fact the story starts rolling with a one-night-stand. I ended up absolutely loving this tale which combines mythology with a science fiction setting. He world-building is excellent for starters and I ended up so involved in Justin and Mae’s lives and pasts.
The RUNA (Republic of United North America), dependant on your viewpoint, is a utopian society rather than an oppressive dystopia. Organised religion has caused so many wars and crimes, so it makes perfect sense to regulate it, allowing small groups to form and worship but disbanding any religions which gain power and influence. The RUNA is a country without belief in the supernatural, instead creating the Church of Humanity to replace the structure previously provided by religions. But really, citizens don’t think much about religion of any kind and get on with their lives in relative peace.
But we are not left wondering why there was a radical change in the world. The Decline followed Cain; a virus which attacked at the genetic level. One way to defeat the virus was widespread dilution of genes. The majority were forced to breed across race creating plebians. Those with money or power, were allowed to keep their genetic heritage in exchange for assisting with the solution. However, outside these two great nations, religion still continues to exist and the borders are under strict control.
I loved how aspects of the story were driven by drunken revelations. That’s something that seems so true to life; oversharing when drunk. It’s also refreshing to see a gay couple in a story without their presence being there to explore issues on sexuality. They’re gay and they’re married and they’re just two other people in the world.
The title gives a clue to one of the themes of the books. In Greek mythology, the world was often seen as the gods’ game board, moving their favourite humans around as if a game of chess. I love the idea that perhaps in a world that has quashed all modern day religions, that perhaps the gods of old can rise from the ashes. Do gods need to be believed in in order to exist? Justin prides himself on his ability to read people and solve problems quickly, yet he doesn’t work out the significance of the ravens. And at the moment of realisation, I too went, why didn’t I make that connection?
Tessa’s presence seems to be solely for the purpose of an outsider’s viewpoint on the RUNA. I’m not sure she’s entirely necessary to the plot but she didn’t halt the pace or get in the way too much. Perhaps she will have a bigger role in future books. One thing that was a slight annoyance was the oversharing of Justin’s “I’m going to pretend I’m a jerk” strategy. It’s third person narrative from both perspectives and I think it could have been a bit more subtle…but there was so much I loved about this world that I didn’t care in the end. I was very sad not to be able to jump straight into book two.
I came to this book not having any expectations. I haven’t read any of Richelle Mead’s other books and I had the assumption that it was YA. It’s not YA. In fact the story starts rolling with a one-night-stand. I ended up absolutely loving this tale which combines mythology with a science fiction setting. He world-building is excellent for starters and I ended up so involved in Justin and Mae’s lives and pasts.
The RUNA (Republic of United North America), dependant on your viewpoint, is a utopian society rather than an oppressive dystopia. Organised religion has caused so many wars and crimes, so it makes perfect sense to regulate it, allowing small groups to form and worship but disbanding any religions which gain power and influence. The RUNA is a country without belief in the supernatural, instead creating the Church of Humanity to replace the structure previously provided by religions. But really, citizens don’t think much about religion of any kind and get on with their lives in relative peace.
But we are not left wondering why there was a radical change in the world. The Decline followed Cain; a virus which attacked at the genetic level. One way to defeat the virus was widespread dilution of genes. The majority were forced to breed across race creating plebians. Those with money or power, were allowed to keep their genetic heritage in exchange for assisting with the solution. However, outside these two great nations, religion still continues to exist and the borders are under strict control.
I loved how aspects of the story were driven by drunken revelations. That’s something that seems so true to life; oversharing when drunk. It’s also refreshing to see a gay couple in a story without their presence being there to explore issues on sexuality. They’re gay and they’re married and they’re just two other people in the world.
The title gives a clue to one of the themes of the books. In Greek mythology, the world was often seen as the gods’ game board, moving their favourite humans around as if a game of chess. I love the idea that perhaps in a world that has quashed all modern day religions, that perhaps the gods of old can rise from the ashes. Do gods need to be believed in in order to exist? Justin prides himself on his ability to read people and solve problems quickly, yet he doesn’t work out the significance of the ravens. And at the moment of realisation, I too went, why didn’t I make that connection?
Tessa’s presence seems to be solely for the purpose of an outsider’s viewpoint on the RUNA. I’m not sure she’s entirely necessary to the plot but she didn’t halt the pace or get in the way too much. Perhaps she will have a bigger role in future books. One thing that was a slight annoyance was the oversharing of Justin’s “I’m going to pretend I’m a jerk” strategy. It’s third person narrative from both perspectives and I think it could have been a bit more subtle…but there was so much I loved about this world that I didn’t care in the end. I was very sad not to be able to jump straight into book two.
amym84's review
5.0
Gameboard of the Gods takes place in a futuristic world where years before everything was nearly destroyed by relgious extremists. Justin March's job was to evaluate different places of worship to make sure there is no threat of a religous uprising. When things don't go as planned on one of his jobs, Justin is exiled from the Republic of United North America (R.U.N.A.)
Mae is a praetorian. Basically she a super-human military officer imbedded with a chip that helps her fight faster, stronger, heal quicker and better, etc. Praetorians inspire fear in regular humans because they are known for their quick agression. Mae is assigned to bring Justin March back from exile to look into some strange ritualistic murders. Little do either of them know what the Gods have in store for them.
Richelle Mead has created a very interesting world. I'll admit the new terminology took a little time to get used to and there were times when I was very confused with some of the things happening in the story, but if this happens to you, all I can say is keep reading because everything will pan out in the end. All will become clear, along with more that becomes unclear, but I assume that will be dealt with as the series progresses.
I liked the incorporation of religion in the story. It plays a very big part of the overall picture and I think Richelle Mead did a great job with it. The different religious sects that worship varying dieties can get complicated and twisted, but Mead manages to make everything understandable. There's a prevailing theme that the Gods control more than the humans know or understand at this point making the world itself a "Gamboard of the Gods". We've only seen the very start of that game I believe.
To top it all off the virus that occurred years before that killed / disfigured much of the population brought about a change in genetics. This was done (at least as far as we are concerned) in order to prevent the virus from popping up again. The government strictly monitors breeding and contraception (at least they believe it's strictly monitored, we know however that there are always exceptions).
Suffice it to say there's a lot going on in this world. I feel like there will be a lot more rules and regulations showing up in order for groups to try to maintain control.
I am very interested to see where this new series goes. I like that Richelle Mead took a different turn from what she has written before and gone in more of a seemingly sci-fi direction.
Mae is a praetorian. Basically she a super-human military officer imbedded with a chip that helps her fight faster, stronger, heal quicker and better, etc. Praetorians inspire fear in regular humans because they are known for their quick agression. Mae is assigned to bring Justin March back from exile to look into some strange ritualistic murders. Little do either of them know what the Gods have in store for them.
Richelle Mead has created a very interesting world. I'll admit the new terminology took a little time to get used to and there were times when I was very confused with some of the things happening in the story, but if this happens to you, all I can say is keep reading because everything will pan out in the end. All will become clear, along with more that becomes unclear, but I assume that will be dealt with as the series progresses.
I liked the incorporation of religion in the story. It plays a very big part of the overall picture and I think Richelle Mead did a great job with it. The different religious sects that worship varying dieties can get complicated and twisted, but Mead manages to make everything understandable. There's a prevailing theme that the Gods control more than the humans know or understand at this point making the world itself a "Gamboard of the Gods". We've only seen the very start of that game I believe.
To top it all off the virus that occurred years before that killed / disfigured much of the population brought about a change in genetics. This was done (at least as far as we are concerned) in order to prevent the virus from popping up again. The government strictly monitors breeding and contraception (at least they believe it's strictly monitored, we know however that there are always exceptions).
Suffice it to say there's a lot going on in this world. I feel like there will be a lot more rules and regulations showing up in order for groups to try to maintain control.
I am very interested to see where this new series goes. I like that Richelle Mead took a different turn from what she has written before and gone in more of a seemingly sci-fi direction.