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A review by librovermo
No Gods, No Monsters by Cadwell Turnbull
5.0
I want to review this book because I want to share it, but I don’t know how. I feel like I can’t possibly write a review that would do it justice. So I’ll just touch on a few things I liked and hope that’s enough.
If you’re looking for books with a broad spectrum of queer representation, you can add No Gods, No Monsters to the list. There are trans and non-binary characters. There are bi, gay, lesbian, and ace relationships.
Reading No Gods, No Monsters was a moving experience. The writing was truly beautiful. Some parts had me cackling with laughter while others had me crying because I felt such deep sorrow. Even though it was based in fantasy, with magic and monsters, multiverses/parallel realities, and ancient secret societies, the struggles of marginalized communities reframed as monsters struggling to be accepted and treated humanely mirrored our own world in a heartbreaking way.
There were a lot of people to keep track of in this story, and many of them could be counted as main characters. All the POVs were confusing at first, so it took me a little longer to really get into it than most books, but I never thought of stopping because I even when I was confused, I was too intrigued.
I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Dion Graham. I always listen to audiobooks at 1.75-2x speed because my mind wanders too easily if I listen at a speed lower than that. But Graham’s voice is so soothing and the writing is so wonderful, and together they were too beautiful to listen to beyond regular speed, so I didn’t increase it was surprised to find Graham kept my attention the way no other narrator has ever been able.
I’ll close with my favorite quote from the book and a suggestion that you go to Goodreads (sorry StoryGraph, I promise I will never suggest GR again) and read the review from Cadwell Turnbull himself where he’s written a letter to possible readers of No Gods, No Monsters. Read the letter, then read the book!
“As he walks with the crowd, he understands what he had forgotten: that a march is not just a voice against violence and trauma, but also a reminder that even in a cause that is stacked against them, no one is alone.”
If you’re looking for books with a broad spectrum of queer representation, you can add No Gods, No Monsters to the list. There are trans and non-binary characters. There are bi, gay, lesbian, and ace relationships.
Reading No Gods, No Monsters was a moving experience. The writing was truly beautiful. Some parts had me cackling with laughter while others had me crying because I felt such deep sorrow. Even though it was based in fantasy, with magic and monsters, multiverses/parallel realities, and ancient secret societies, the struggles of marginalized communities reframed as monsters struggling to be accepted and treated humanely mirrored our own world in a heartbreaking way.
There were a lot of people to keep track of in this story, and many of them could be counted as main characters. All the POVs were confusing at first, so it took me a little longer to really get into it than most books, but I never thought of stopping because I even when I was confused, I was too intrigued.
I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Dion Graham. I always listen to audiobooks at 1.75-2x speed because my mind wanders too easily if I listen at a speed lower than that. But Graham’s voice is so soothing and the writing is so wonderful, and together they were too beautiful to listen to beyond regular speed, so I didn’t increase it was surprised to find Graham kept my attention the way no other narrator has ever been able.
I’ll close with my favorite quote from the book and a suggestion that you go to Goodreads (sorry StoryGraph, I promise I will never suggest GR again) and read the review from Cadwell Turnbull himself where he’s written a letter to possible readers of No Gods, No Monsters. Read the letter, then read the book!
“As he walks with the crowd, he understands what he had forgotten: that a march is not just a voice against violence and trauma, but also a reminder that even in a cause that is stacked against them, no one is alone.”