Disclaimer – I received an ARC copy of this book in return for an honest review.
Now that Fi knows the truth about the mysterious man she had been caring for and the uncle who raised her, she has to start coming to terms with the truth about herself. That will be easier said than done as she and her quasi-boyfriend Zeke are pursued by ancient gods, demons and monsters. But they have some gods on their side as well…
I was looking forward to this one a lot. The first book in the trilogy, Rise of Gods, was my pick for my favourite read of 2016. So needless to say, there was a high level of anticipation. And when the cover was revealed back in March, it went up another notch. Who wouldn’t want to read this when there is a man with two flaming swords and a giant cobra with matching scimitars front and centre?
So, did this live up to my expectations?
It was even better.
Freed from the constraints of having to set up the main character and the underlying logic of its world, Wrath of Gods starts from where the previous book left off, puts its foot down and barely lets up for 450 pages. And, although there is plenty of action, each sequence feels different enough to prevent any sort of boredom. Even then, some time is still devoted to developing the characters (and their problems, in some cases) and the world. It’s the first book I can recall that mingles magic & mysticism with quantum physics and multiversal theory. Plus, what I’m pretty sure was a Monty Python reference.
The majority of the book stays with Fi and Zeke, plus the collection of deities and the like that they have allied with, but there are some new characters given some stage time. Enough to give a sense that there is more than the one battle being fought but not enough for the reader to wish we’d get back to the main story, something which I felt happened once or twice in book one.
Similarly, there are still plenty of explanations and backstory involved, but it seems to flow even easier this time around. Having said that Zeke, still seems to act as a sounding board for whatever branch of mythology is currently being discussed.
But these are minor quibbles. Overall, Wrath of Gods is a great book and an enthralling read, especially for someone like myself who loves trying to place references and play who’s who with characters. I will be eagerly awaiting the finale, War of Gods.
The Scribblings 