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A review by majaingrid
Godblind by Anna Stephens
3.0
2020 reread
Not sure about the rating, but going to keep it at 3 stars for now.
Many of my thoughts stayed the same after reading the book a second time, though I was able to appreciate it more than the first time. Maybe because I had already read the first two books, but it was much easier to follow than the first read. I’m very happy I decided to reread this one (and to reread Darksoul as well) before I get to Bloodchild because I really needed a refreshment of the characters and the plot.
I still think the cast is too big for this short a book, and that the chapters are way too short, so it still felt a little fragmented. The book has ten different PoV characters spread about 485 pages which are just too many. And I only cared for 3-4 of these. I still think the book could have benefit greatly if it was longer and the chapters were longer, or if it was fewer PoV characters to follow. Dom and Crys were definitely my favourite characters to follow. I do love the broken, tormented ones (Dom) and the more screwed ones (Crys). Crys is introduced as someone cheating at cardgames and drinking buddy for the prince and someone who could never keep his rank at the military for doing stuff he shouldn’t (both good and bad). But he’s loyal and has his heart in the right place.
After years of slavery Rillirin kills the king of Mireces, Liris and escapes. She’s saved by Dom and his fellow Wolves. The Wolves are a group of civilian warriors watching the west boarder of Rilporin, keeping watch over it for Mireces. Dom is a seer and in visions he saw Rillirin as someone important, a messenger.
Meanwhile the Mireces crowns Corvus as their new King. The Mireces worship the Red Gods: The Dark Lady and Gosfath. These gods are all about blood and torture and all that good juicy stuff. Some thousand years ago the Mireces and their dark religion was cast out of Rilpor exiled to the mountains of Gilgoras, and they have a mission. The Gods are coming back to the human world, and want to take over Rilpor.
In Rilpor they worship the Light Gods: The Dancer (Light Lady) and the Fox God (trickster etc). But the Rilporian King, King Rastoph, is sick with mourning his late wife (who was killed in suspicious events), leaving the kingdom vulnerable for attack. And high persons in the kingdom’s own court are turning to follow the Dark Lady, and joining the cause of the Mireces.
Thanks to Rilillin’s knowledge of the Mireces, and to Dom’s vision, the Wolves and the Watchers have an idea of what the Mireces are up to, but will that help them save Rilporin from them?
The writing is good. It’s descriptive with only a couple of typos. The world Stephens has created is dark, brutal gory. It got lots of brutal and unforgettable scenes (everyone who’s read the book knows exactly which particular scene I’m thinking about here). This book is grimdark and comes with stuff like violence, rape, attempted rape, bodily mutilation and dismemberment. In a graphic way.
-
2017
I was prepared to love this book. It felt right up in my alley. But I didn't love it.
The concept in the book is great! Execution however is not. The book follows no less than ten different point of views, which is A LOT seeing that this book is not the longest one, my version being 485 pages long. The chapters are short and each chapters follows a different character. But in those short chapters not much is happening and the constant character swaps made it jumpy and it was difficult to get a real grasp of any of the characters or the plot.
Not sure about the rating, but going to keep it at 3 stars for now.
Many of my thoughts stayed the same after reading the book a second time, though I was able to appreciate it more than the first time. Maybe because I had already read the first two books, but it was much easier to follow than the first read. I’m very happy I decided to reread this one (and to reread Darksoul as well) before I get to Bloodchild because I really needed a refreshment of the characters and the plot.
I still think the cast is too big for this short a book, and that the chapters are way too short, so it still felt a little fragmented. The book has ten different PoV characters spread about 485 pages which are just too many. And I only cared for 3-4 of these. I still think the book could have benefit greatly if it was longer and the chapters were longer, or if it was fewer PoV characters to follow. Dom and Crys were definitely my favourite characters to follow. I do love the broken, tormented ones (Dom) and the more screwed ones (Crys). Crys is introduced as someone cheating at cardgames and drinking buddy for the prince and someone who could never keep his rank at the military for doing stuff he shouldn’t (both good and bad).
Spoiler
and later also turns out to be the Fox God in human form.After years of slavery Rillirin kills the king of Mireces, Liris and escapes. She’s saved by Dom and his fellow Wolves. The Wolves are a group of civilian warriors watching the west boarder of Rilporin, keeping watch over it for Mireces. Dom is a seer and in visions he saw Rillirin as someone important, a messenger.
Meanwhile the Mireces crowns Corvus as their new King. The Mireces worship the Red Gods: The Dark Lady and Gosfath. These gods are all about blood and torture and all that good juicy stuff. Some thousand years ago the Mireces and their dark religion was cast out of Rilpor exiled to the mountains of Gilgoras, and they have a mission. The Gods are coming back to the human world, and want to take over Rilpor.
In Rilpor they worship the Light Gods: The Dancer (Light Lady) and the Fox God (trickster etc). But the Rilporian King, King Rastoph, is sick with mourning his late wife (who was killed in suspicious events), leaving the kingdom vulnerable for attack. And high persons in the kingdom’s own court are turning to follow the Dark Lady, and joining the cause of the Mireces.
Thanks to Rilillin’s knowledge of the Mireces, and to Dom’s vision, the Wolves and the Watchers have an idea of what the Mireces are up to, but will that help them save Rilporin from them?
The writing is good. It’s descriptive with only a couple of typos. The world Stephens has created is dark, brutal gory. It got lots of brutal and unforgettable scenes (everyone who’s read the book knows exactly which particular scene I’m thinking about here). This book is grimdark and comes with stuff like violence, rape, attempted rape, bodily mutilation and dismemberment. In a graphic way.
-
2017
I was prepared to love this book. It felt right up in my alley. But I didn't love it.
The concept in the book is great! Execution however is not. The book follows no less than ten different point of views, which is A LOT seeing that this book is not the longest one, my version being 485 pages long. The chapters are short and each chapters follows a different character. But in those short chapters not much is happening and the constant character swaps made it jumpy and it was difficult to get a real grasp of any of the characters or the plot.