leandrathetbrzero's Reviews (412)

Some humorous moments, the haunted rhumba specifically, but the actual possession of Liz was a bit underwhelming. We rarely saw Liz; the strange events that happened just kept being attributed to her even though she was never physically present. 

Plus, the whole "women supporting women" and "moms unite" was pretty much thrown out the window in the end, which was not surprising but still disappointing.

I easily read this book within 48 hours! It's definitely a book I would recommend as a buddy-reading or book club experience. My time was enhanced tenfold by having a friend, Brittany Loves Reading, to discuss the book with. The most impressive part of this book is how much it contains within so little pages: a complex system of (new and wild) gods; strong world-building using geography, culture/religion and languages; a group of well-developed characters; gorgeous language and descriptions; and an impressive climactic end that brought the book full circle!

I adored Kissen, Inara, and Skediceth; and Elo, the group's fourth, offered a nice balance to their ragtag team. I was SO invested in Kissen's backstory, and she provided great representation as a bisexual, disabled character (an amputee). The way in which this author incorporates Kissen's prosthetic into the story was seamless, as was the common use of sign language by hearing and deaf characters. I could talk all day about Inara and Skedi's relationship. I loved how they struggled to be individual, independent of each other, even as they have a physical tether and as they truly loved each other.

There are so many great themes in this book, but my favorite was how Kaner developed a mirror image between gods and humans, how each craved to be remembered, to be loved, to be praised. A strong second was the question posed about whether anyone--god or human--can become powerful without then also becoming corrupt and greedy for more.

Ugh, Godkiller is perfection.

I can see that I am the odd one out when skimming through others' reviews, but I do want to point out a major error I am seeing. Many reviewers are upset that "this book is NOT a horror," and I am left thinking...well, yeah, duh. In the blurb's first line, it states that it is a thriller. In fact, I think there is an argument to be had that this is a mystery thriller. To give this book 1 star because you went in weirdly expecting a different genre, that does seem odd to me.

Speaking on the book, I enjoyed the main character's appreciation and numerous mentions of horror films--as she is a film buff and wants to go to college for film studies--and the classic trope of "don't open the door" was quite fun for me. I enjoyed solving the mystery that surrounds this thriller setting: who is the person our characters shouldn't have let into their home? The ending was a bit predictable/typical of thrillers, but I liked that there was one or two spins to the major reveal. It was a fun, very quick read!

I read Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands less than a month after finishing book 1 in the series. I loved returning to these characters and the strange world of the faeries. And I was over the moon when we got to see Poe once more because I was pretty heart broken when Fawcett didn't give us a proper goodbye on page last time. Speaking of adorable side characters, the introduction to Snowbell was a glorious addition. I was obsessed with the creature's adorable viciousness.

Having read both books one after the other, I will say that my criticisms for book 1 were easily noticed in book 2 as well: the repetition of details, and the rapid conclusion without much closure after a slow-paced narrative. With that said, I enjoyed the solution/cleverness of Emily in this one when facing the book's main baddie far more than the scenario painted for us in book 1.

book 1: 4.25
book 2: 4.50