A review by _zara
No Gods, No Monsters by Cadwell Turnbull

slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

 
I wrestled with the urge to DNF this novel from the start, but the premise's promise kept me going. No Monsters, No Gods positions itself as a thrilling blend of X-Men-style powers and modern-day supernatural intrigue, with the added potential of exploring contemporary themes like racism and queer identity. On paper, that’s compelling. In execution, however, the novel buckles under the weight of its ambition. 

The most immediate issue is the sheer number of perspectives. The narrative juggles too many point-of-view characters, many of whom feel indistinct or underdeveloped. While a few, like Laina and Ridley, offer meaningful entry points into the world, others—Sonya, Sondra, Sara, Dragon—blur together with overlapping voices and redundant narrative beats. The similar-sounding names only added to the confusion. It becomes increasingly difficult to track who matters and why, especially when characters like Harry are introduced and seemingly forgotten. 

The absence of a clear guiding force or internal logic compounds the lack of narrative focus. We’re told there’s a secret society pulling the strings, but the story meanders without a central figure or clear narrative arc. Both the characters and the reader are left disoriented, searching for direction. 
This feels less like a fully-formed novel and more like the scaffolding of a larger series—a prologue masquerading as a main act. There’s rich thematic material here, and it’s clear the author has a vision, but the execution falters under too many competing ideas and not enough editorial restraint. It might have landed more powerfully if the story had been committed to three well-developed perspectives and saved some narrative weight for future installments. 

In the end, I walked away confused, disappointed, and emotionally disengaged. The potential is there, but as it stands, this reads more like an ambitious draft than a cohesive novel. I won’t be continuing with the series.