Not yet published – Publication date 3rd September 2013
Angry Robot Ltd
Recently I joined www.netgalley.com, as I mentioned in a previous post, and this is one of the first books I have had the pleasure of reading and reviewing. It, like most of the books on Net Galley, is an ARC, or advance reader copy. Therefore I shall restrict this review to the plot and characters, and not discuss any perceived faults in the text, just as the author has asked. I’m nice like that.
‘The Woken Gods’ is set in Washington D.C. in the near future where all the gods have been woken from an eons long sleep. The Society of the Sun, which effectively rules the world now, as they were the ones who subdued the gods, keeps everything under control, with the help of magical relics.
Kyra Locke’s father is distant, a librarian, her mother has disappeared, driven mad by visions. She trusts no one, loves her family dearly and feels completely alone. Until the Trickster’s decide to interfere in her life. They have their own agenda, of course, and none of them are telling the truth. Kyra, her best friend Bree, ex-boyfriend Tam, and new acquaintances Oz and Justin, are drawn in to the Society’s intrigues. All they have to do is survive, rescue Kyra’s dad and prevent apocalypse. Not much really for a bunch of teenagers.
I really quite enjoyed this book, a YA fantasy adventure. The author has clearly done her research in to Trickster Gods (I wouldn’t believe a word of it! The lying gits will tell us anything but the truth!) and their mythologies. It is slow to start and I found Kyra a bit self-pitying, but then most people are at that age; but as the story continued and the complexity of the plot surrounding Kyra and her family deepened, and I learnt more about their past, I came to sympathise with her. The other characters developed as the plot did.
A very enjoyable book.
Everything Is Better With Dragons 