A review by stephxsu
Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead

Did not finish book.
This was an odd disappointment. I've always rather admired Richelle Mead's world-building in genres that sometimes seem to inexplicably put world-building second to romance, when in fact it is those very genres (paranormal/urban fantasy) that require some of the most thorough world-building. But GAMEBOARD OF THE GODS simply failed in that regard for me. It's not that there is no lack of trying; it's that, somehow, the various elements of this world--religious, technological, socioeconomic, racial--never congealed in that deceptively effortless way that I require for an immersive read.

To make matters worse, I totally couldn't feel the romance. A couple that
Spoilerhas sex within 30 minutes of their first meeting
gives me no motivation to read on to see how their relationship develops.

Oh, I'll still give any of Richelle Mead's future books a try. But this one did not work for me, because of the awkward way in which it tried to make a bunch of parts into a cohesive whole.