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roadtripreader 's review for:
The God Engines
by John Scalzi
challenging
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The Gods have Gods, and mine is afraid of his. - Captain Tephe
How strange it is, to feel sympathy for a god. Gods are benevolent, prideful, immortal, vengeful, vindictive merciful generous magical. And yet, here I am yet again, feeling sympathy for a God (yes looking at you K.J Parker, Pulling The Wings of Angels).
It is a curious evocation - there have been many Godkiller stories and they always manage to pull the reader/viewer's allegiance to them, the killer of the Gods. It's not that hard, people without power finally standing up to those with power and in this case, the ultimate being of power - it's almost a given siding with Godkillers in literature.
In The God Engine this is not the case. I found myself highly pissed off at whoever this "Our Lord" was; the one who enslaved the Gods and gave space humans talents to rule them.
Plot/Storyline: a tightly woven space horror because honestly Religion (fanatical or otherwise)and the Military working together is a horror show that has played out in our timeline for generations with eager bloodshed to show for it
Characters: The God, The Engine, The "Defiler" - I don't want to pray to you but I do want to mourn you.
Of course the Priest Andso is a colossal asshole high on "righteous indignation". He's giving me Bishop of Tsargoviste (Castlevania) flashbacks and we know how that went.
Significant scene: Scalzi came out swinging with the torture of a God. I must admit, "It was time to whip The God" set such a visceral image in mind that I actually sat up and braced myself for hell. Wait, can it be called hell if a God is experiencing it? Hell is a concept for humans. Well whatever the equivalent for an omnipresent being is.
Significant Quote/Concept:
●Using a God as an engine. The God knows space and time in an intimate way.
● God-Given Talent something intangible with real world power in space, placed inside a tangible, solid talisman.
●The humiliation parade to the Godhold at Bishops Call. Copper and trash exchanging space. People are malicious.
●"There is no name for this place. Names have power. Names call attention. We choose not to call attention to this place.” The Three Bishops
StoryGraph Challenge: 1800 Books by 2025
Challenge Prompt: 150 Horror books by 2025
How strange it is, to feel sympathy for a god. Gods are benevolent, prideful, immortal, vengeful, vindictive merciful generous magical. And yet, here I am yet again, feeling sympathy for a God (yes looking at you K.J Parker, Pulling The Wings of Angels).
It is a curious evocation - there have been many Godkiller stories and they always manage to pull the reader/viewer's allegiance to them, the killer of the Gods. It's not that hard, people without power finally standing up to those with power and in this case, the ultimate being of power - it's almost a given siding with Godkillers in literature.
In The God Engine this is not the case. I found myself highly pissed off at whoever this "Our Lord" was; the one who enslaved the Gods and gave space humans talents to rule them.
Plot/Storyline: a tightly woven space horror because honestly Religion (fanatical or otherwise)and the Military working together is a horror show that has played out in our timeline for generations with eager bloodshed to show for it
Characters: The God, The Engine, The "Defiler" - I don't want to pray to you but I do want to mourn you.
Of course the Priest Andso is a colossal asshole high on "righteous indignation". He's giving me Bishop of Tsargoviste (Castlevania) flashbacks and we know how that went.
Significant scene: Scalzi came out swinging with the torture of a God. I must admit, "It was time to whip The God" set such a visceral image in mind that I actually sat up and braced myself for hell. Wait, can it be called hell if a God is experiencing it? Hell is a concept for humans. Well whatever the equivalent for an omnipresent being is.
Significant Quote/Concept:
●Using a God as an engine. The God knows space and time in an intimate way.
● God-Given Talent something intangible with real world power in space, placed inside a tangible, solid talisman.
●The humiliation parade to the Godhold at Bishops Call. Copper and trash exchanging space. People are malicious.
●"There is no name for this place. Names have power. Names call attention. We choose not to call attention to this place.” The Three Bishops
StoryGraph Challenge: 1800 Books by 2025
Challenge Prompt: 150 Horror books by 2025