So I still haven’t read the first book in the series since reading Urban Heroes, but Nature of Gods has just come out and I was there for the launch, so I had to pick it up. That makes sense, right? We’re going to go with it.
Nature of Gods is the prequel about the Generals who came to earth and divided the land up to rule different areas in their own ways. There was peace of a sort for a long time, but old rivalries have come back into play and the Generals are being targeted and taken out one by one.
And the book is really interesting! It’s slim for having such a large cast, but you really do get a good understanding of where each of the characters is coming from. She does a very good job of weaving the backstory into the interactions between characters, making many conversations feel almost timeless.
Also I need to make a mention of how detached they sound, but in a good way. The Generals are meant to be ancient and apart from humanity while ruling1 their countries. The fact that many of them don’t think of themselves like the humans at all comes across in their dialog, both inner and outer. And those that do consider themselves closer to humans than their parents? They sound different and I really appreicated that detail.
Overall, I really enjoyed it! Because it’s a prequel, you kind of know what’s going to happen in the end, but I don’t think that hinders the book at all. The characters are interesting and the universe feels robust and just a little dissimilar from our own. If you’re in the mood for gods at war, this would be a great one to check out.
- Or not ruling, depending on how they decide to manage their countries [↩]