Book Review: "The Shadow of Gods": Book 3 of the Godling Chronicles by Brian D. Anderson

The Shadow of Gods review
Author: Brian D. Anderson
4 out of 5 stars

Book Info: Genre: Epic Fantasy
Reading Level: Young Adult
Recommended for: fans of epic fantasy
Trigger Warnings: a person determined to split up a pair of lovers, murder

My Thoughts: Like the 2nd book in the series, this is much better edited than the first one, but there are still some issues that remain, mostly having to do with the tense. Here are a couple examples to illustrate the problem that was throughout the book: “Selena sat in her chair and motion for Salmitaya to sit across from her.” and “I simply did not want to cause you more grieve so soon after so much tragedy and bloodshed.” These sorts of issues were throughout the entire book. That said, the story is engaging and fast-paced enough that I didn't end up overly distracted by it, instead shrugging it off and moving along to see what would happen next.

Aaliyah really upset me. Like many people, the idea of infidelity is anathema to me, and her initial attempts to come between Gewey and Kaylia had me infuriated. She had noble reasons, but still. She reminded me of the character Mata Hari from Scott Rhine's book The Redemption of Mata Hari.

One thing I've never understood is villains that want to destroy the world. At one point, someone says that the Dark Knight wants to “see the world burn.” I have never understood why these sort of maniacs want to take over the world just to destroy it—like bringing eternal winter or whatever—because what is the point of putting in all the time, effort, and power to take over the world simply to rule over a barren wasteland? Even villains have to eat, and if they've destroyed everything, on what will they survive? What is the point? Am I the only one who is driven nuts by this question?

Well, I'm really rambling on this one. This is my final day on the Godling Chronicles' blog tour—and my final post—so be sure to check all the links below to see what you've missed. This is not the end of the series, but I'm not certain how many books the author ultimately intends to write. Things are kind of drawing to a head here, but I imagine he could string things out for a few more books if he really wanted to. This is the sort of epic fantasy that I tend to really enjoy, so I'll likely be watching for future stories in the Godling Chronicles to see what happens next. If you enjoy epic fantasy, then you should take a look and see if this might be a good choice for you as well.

Series Information: The Shadow of Gods is book three in the Godling Chronicles.
Book 1: The Sword of Truth (or on Smashwords here) (review here where formatting allowed)
Book 2: Of Gods and Elves (or find it on Amazon here) (review here where formatting allowed)
Also, see this author's guest post on my blog, linked here (where formatting allowed).

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from Great Minds Think Aloud Publishing in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis: Valshara has fallen, and the forces of Angrääl are advancing. For the first time, human and elf must shed blood as one, in order to stem the tide of evil. But new hope has arisen. across the Western Abyss, a people long forgotten have returned. However, hope comes at its own price. Gewey must choose between his bond of love, and his duty to the world he is struggling to save.

Guest post from Brian D. Anderson, author of The Godling Chronicles

To kick off my reviews of the Godling Chronicles in this blog tour, hosted by JKS Communications and Great Minds Think Aloud Publishing, today I have a guest post by Brian D. Anderson. Watch this blog for the next three days as I bring you the reviews for the first three books of the Godling Chronicles, The Sword of Truth tomorrow, Of Gods and Elves on Saturday and The Shadow of Gods on Sunday (all links are for Smashwords; you can also find the books on Amazon).

Without further ado, here is Brian!

Why Fantasy?

When I tell people that I write fantasy, often their first question is, “why fantasy?” I suppose I could write suspense, mystery, or even contemporary fiction. It isn’t such a stretch for me to imagine myself seeking a story beyond the fantasy genre. But to me, fantasy brings to light the very things that make us who we are.

The ability to contemplate fantasy, is what makes us human. Even as small children, once we’ve learned who mommy is and how to crawl, we are exposed to the fantastical realm of the imagination. Our first stories are of magical creatures, gallant heroes, beautiful maidens, and far away kingdoms. Through fantasy, we learn honor, perseverance, bravery, and love. The noblest aspects of the human character is taught to us through make-believe and flights of fancy.

As adults, we often times forget these beginnings, and choose to leave “childish” things behind. We ground ourselves in stark reality, and set in our mind the bare facts of day to day living. We no longer believe that Snow White was brought back to life by the kiss of true love. We understand that dragons are not real. We fail see the magic that once was as factual as the air we breathe. 

With fantasy, we can revisit the part of us that still wants to believe. Sure, I could choose a different genre, but for me, the wonder I find in fantasy fills my heart with delight. And when I am able to share it with others, I feel as if I have made the magic of childhood come back to life. For a few hours, I have rendered the wicked world of adulthood powerless, and allowed someone to forget how cruel life can be.