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A review by scrollsofdragons
Godblind by Anna Stephens
2.0
Relationships -2 There is romance though I can barely call it that and the characters other relationships with one another felt weak to me.
Characters -1.5 Too many of them and they have such short chapters between them all that you're constantly flicking back and forth, not getting a read on anyone because the moment there's any characterization it switches to another character. There's no time to get to know them, none of them stood out as someone to care about much and whatever happens to them I will be indifferent towards them because I know nothing about anyone.
Enjoyability -2.5 It took half the book for me to start to enjoy any of this. I put the book down, read some others and when I went back to it, I started getting into it but it's a little too late to take half the book and even then, without caring much it's a very basic level of enjoyment to be had.
Plot - 2.5 The gods want a foothold in this world and religious zealots will bring war for that to happen, a little different that the gods are being the reason but it's still a war that doesn't differentiate itself from others.
Writing -2 Bland, choppy and found lacking.
Originality-1.5 Basic grim dark with nothing to make it stand out at all.
World Building-1.5 Where was it? The only thing ever explained was the gods and they were barely developed well at all. The setting was generic. The two nations in this novel were hardly described other then the bare basics with a cliché medieval culture. There is zero world building in this book. I love reading about new worlds yet I was given nothing about this one and it was disappointing, especially considering this is supposed to be an adult fantasy.
For a total of 1.92, rounded up to 2. The first half of the book was a 1 star but the second half picked up enough for this book not to be awful.
The romance. Alright so there's Dom and Rillirin, they spent quite a bit of time together, their relationship was given time to progress, just enough so that them liking one another was believable. I didn't care for it because this novel I can't care about much but at least it was somewhat decent.
Ash and Crys. They had like two scenes. The first was Crys freaking out that Ash came on to him, a scene we did not see, we just saw him freaking out after the fact where Ash convinces him that he's not a rapist, that if Crys doesn't want him, he's not going to do anything but Ash does like him. Then they're alone together and Ash convinces him by saying we're going into war let's fuck which okay cool I get that but then the next moment Crys is like where's Ash, is he okay, I just want to hold my lover.
Lover? You fucked once, you've barely any time whatsoever together, it was literally-don't touch me- to yeah okay why not let's fuck- to all I care about is that you're save. It's ridiculous, it's not even insta love because they had one short scene where they fucked so like insta lust is the best you can call it because insta love though it involves two people falling in love quickly, at least in other novels they spent time together but these two did not.
And that one scene where they fucked it started off quite lovely actually, when they first hold hands then kiss it was quite sweet and I was like can we continue but then it ends. They probably could have been a couple I could have got on board with if they had but they barely talked before fucking, there was no moments with them in order for them to feel that way for one another. If you're not going to show their relationship I'm just giving to look at it and be why? There is nothing to it, not a thing!
There's no motivation for why some of these characters, like the Prince would just straight up kill his family for the gods and it's like where did that come from? Like there has to be some conflict if you're going to kill your family to welcome these gods (like the other nation who have a strong belief in these gods, they were brought up in it, it makes sense) but the prince just switches with nothing given as to why he would.
The best motivation was from the tribe like outcast people when they were like we're not fighting for the king, we're fighting because this is our home. And them joining up with the army despite on not agreeing to each others way of life was made believable but other motivations were so clearly lacking.
Characters -1.5 Too many of them and they have such short chapters between them all that you're constantly flicking back and forth, not getting a read on anyone because the moment there's any characterization it switches to another character. There's no time to get to know them, none of them stood out as someone to care about much and whatever happens to them I will be indifferent towards them because I know nothing about anyone.
Enjoyability -2.5 It took half the book for me to start to enjoy any of this. I put the book down, read some others and when I went back to it, I started getting into it but it's a little too late to take half the book and even then, without caring much it's a very basic level of enjoyment to be had.
Plot - 2.5 The gods want a foothold in this world and religious zealots will bring war for that to happen, a little different that the gods are being the reason but it's still a war that doesn't differentiate itself from others.
Writing -2 Bland, choppy and found lacking.
Originality-1.5 Basic grim dark with nothing to make it stand out at all.
World Building-1.5 Where was it? The only thing ever explained was the gods and they were barely developed well at all. The setting was generic. The two nations in this novel were hardly described other then the bare basics with a cliché medieval culture. There is zero world building in this book. I love reading about new worlds yet I was given nothing about this one and it was disappointing, especially considering this is supposed to be an adult fantasy.
For a total of 1.92, rounded up to 2. The first half of the book was a 1 star but the second half picked up enough for this book not to be awful.
Spoiler
The romance. Alright so there's Dom and Rillirin, they spent quite a bit of time together, their relationship was given time to progress, just enough so that them liking one another was believable. I didn't care for it because this novel I can't care about much but at least it was somewhat decent.
Ash and Crys. They had like two scenes. The first was Crys freaking out that Ash came on to him, a scene we did not see, we just saw him freaking out after the fact where Ash convinces him that he's not a rapist, that if Crys doesn't want him, he's not going to do anything but Ash does like him. Then they're alone together and Ash convinces him by saying we're going into war let's fuck which okay cool I get that but then the next moment Crys is like where's Ash, is he okay, I just want to hold my lover.
Lover? You fucked once, you've barely any time whatsoever together, it was literally-don't touch me- to yeah okay why not let's fuck- to all I care about is that you're save. It's ridiculous, it's not even insta love because they had one short scene where they fucked so like insta lust is the best you can call it because insta love though it involves two people falling in love quickly, at least in other novels they spent time together but these two did not.
And that one scene where they fucked it started off quite lovely actually, when they first hold hands then kiss it was quite sweet and I was like can we continue but then it ends. They probably could have been a couple I could have got on board with if they had but they barely talked before fucking, there was no moments with them in order for them to feel that way for one another. If you're not going to show their relationship I'm just giving to look at it and be why? There is nothing to it, not a thing!
There's no motivation for why some of these characters, like the Prince would just straight up kill his family for the gods and it's like where did that come from? Like there has to be some conflict if you're going to kill your family to welcome these gods (like the other nation who have a strong belief in these gods, they were brought up in it, it makes sense) but the prince just switches with nothing given as to why he would.
The best motivation was from the tribe like outcast people when they were like we're not fighting for the king, we're fighting because this is our home. And them joining up with the army despite on not agreeing to each others way of life was made believable but other motivations were so clearly lacking.