You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
abby_ace_of_books 's review for:
The Gods Below
by Andrea Stewart
If I had a dollar for every time an older sister is incredibly protective of their younger sister with destructive tendencies, I'd be rich by now.
The Gods Below is the first book in a new epic fantasy series that takes the Fold from Shadow and Bone and mixes with the Thanos snap and also (un)dead gods and eating rocks for magic powers. The worldbuilding was absolutely incredible. The aether (basically magic mist) is spreading across the realms, and everything it touches has a 50% chance of disappearing or being "restored," or changed to better match the gods. Gems harvested from rapidly appearing sinkholes filled with aether can be harvested and, if swallowed by a mortal, can be used to temporarily unlock magical powers.
Like most of the best epic fantasies, this story follows multiple POVs, which can be a bit confusing at times. Hakara is a miner who lost her sister, Rasha, to the restoration 10 years ago. After getting caught smuggling gems, she finds herself involved in a rebellion against the god of the restored world, Kluehnn. Rasha has been changed by the restoration and is now on her way to becoming an acolyte of Kluehnn. Sheuan's family has fallen out of favor with the Sovereign, but she intends to regain her status by reinventing trade between the realms. Mull is determined to journey below the earth to find the gods and ask for a boon to save the woman he loves. There are also some past sections with Nioanen, one of the gods, as he watches the world around him shatter. The book is relatively fast-paced, with a few slower sections in the middle. I found some of the plot twists predictable but was completely blindsided by others. The book definitely sets up an intriguing sequel, and it's clear that this trilogy is one to follow along with.
I'll stick with the main characters for the sake of keeping this review relatively short (also, this book could totally benefit from a dramatis personae section). I found Rasha's POV to be my least favorite, surprisingly, just because her sections felt slower, and I just didn't connect to her. I liked Sheuan as a character, but I also found her chapters to be a bit dull. Hakara, on the other hand, had interesting chapters, but I didn't love her character, mostly because she seemed to pick fights for no reason. I really liked Thassir, and I hope he has a POV in the next one. Mull's chapters were heartbreaking and I will not be recovering from them emotionally...ever. Similarly, Nioanen's chapters were my favorite and they were also incredibly painful. I'm going to be sad for a while now.
The Gods Below is a promising start to a new epic fantasy trilogy about gods, change, and sisters stuck on opposite sides of a war.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC!
4.25/5
The Gods Below is the first book in a new epic fantasy series that takes the Fold from Shadow and Bone and mixes with the Thanos snap and also (un)dead gods and eating rocks for magic powers. The worldbuilding was absolutely incredible. The aether (basically magic mist) is spreading across the realms, and everything it touches has a 50% chance of disappearing or being "restored," or changed to better match the gods. Gems harvested from rapidly appearing sinkholes filled with aether can be harvested and, if swallowed by a mortal, can be used to temporarily unlock magical powers.
Like most of the best epic fantasies, this story follows multiple POVs, which can be a bit confusing at times. Hakara is a miner who lost her sister, Rasha, to the restoration 10 years ago. After getting caught smuggling gems, she finds herself involved in a rebellion against the god of the restored world, Kluehnn. Rasha has been changed by the restoration and is now on her way to becoming an acolyte of Kluehnn. Sheuan's family has fallen out of favor with the Sovereign, but she intends to regain her status by reinventing trade between the realms. Mull is determined to journey below the earth to find the gods and ask for a boon to save the woman he loves. There are also some past sections with Nioanen, one of the gods, as he watches the world around him shatter. The book is relatively fast-paced, with a few slower sections in the middle. I found some of the plot twists predictable but was completely blindsided by others. The book definitely sets up an intriguing sequel, and it's clear that this trilogy is one to follow along with.
I'll stick with the main characters for the sake of keeping this review relatively short (also, this book could totally benefit from a dramatis personae section). I found Rasha's POV to be my least favorite, surprisingly, just because her sections felt slower, and I just didn't connect to her. I liked Sheuan as a character, but I also found her chapters to be a bit dull. Hakara, on the other hand, had interesting chapters, but I didn't love her character, mostly because she seemed to pick fights for no reason. I really liked Thassir, and I hope he has a POV in the next one. Mull's chapters were heartbreaking and I will not be recovering from them emotionally...ever. Similarly, Nioanen's chapters were my favorite and they were also incredibly painful. I'm going to be sad for a while now.
The Gods Below is a promising start to a new epic fantasy trilogy about gods, change, and sisters stuck on opposite sides of a war.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC!
4.25/5