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Release Date: June 4, 2013
Publisher: Dutton Adult
464 Pages
In a futuristic world nearly destroyed by religious extremists, Justin March lives in exile after failing in his job as an investigator of religious groups and supernatural claims. But Justin is given a second chance when Mae Koskinen comes to bring him back to the Republic of United North America (RUNA). Raised in an aristocratic caste, Mae is now a member of the military’s most elite and terrifying tier, a soldier with enhanced reflexes and skills.
When Justin and Mae are assigned to work together to solve a string of ritualistic murders, they soon realize that their discoveries have exposed them to terrible danger. As their investigation races forward, unknown enemies and powers greater than they can imagine are gathering in the shadows, ready to reclaim the world in which humans are merely game pieces on their board.
Gameboard of the Gods, the first installment of Richelle Mead’s Age of X series, will have all the elements that have made her YA Vampire Academy and Bloodlines series such megasuccesses: sexy, irresistible characters; romantic and mythological intrigue; and relentless action and suspense.
Release Date: June 4, 2013Publisher: Dutton Adult
464 Pages
In a futuristic world nearly destroyed by religious extremists, Justin March lives in exile after failing in his job as an investigator of religious groups and supernatural claims. But Justin is given a second chance when Mae Koskinen comes to bring him back to the Republic of United North America (RUNA). Raised in an aristocratic caste, Mae is now a member of the military’s most elite and terrifying tier, a soldier with enhanced reflexes and skills.
When Justin and Mae are assigned to work together to solve a string of ritualistic murders, they soon realize that their discoveries have exposed them to terrible danger. As their investigation races forward, unknown enemies and powers greater than they can imagine are gathering in the shadows, ready to reclaim the world in which humans are merely game pieces on their board.
Gameboard of the Gods, the first installment of Richelle Mead’s Age of X series, will have all the elements that have made her YA Vampire Academy and Bloodlines series such megasuccesses: sexy, irresistible characters; romantic and mythological intrigue; and relentless action and suspense.
“We’re pieces on a gam board, Dr.
March, and some of us are more powerful than others.”
What a
very interesting and exciting start to this new series. Having only read Mead’s
Vampire Academy, I was very curious
to see what other genres she would explore. While keeping with the
paranormal/supernatural feel, Gameboard
of the Gods explores a different side of the paranormal, one that deals
with religion and the lore of old Gods and Goddesses that have been lost
through time.
The
world is very different from the world we live in. After falling from the
Decline, the government has divided the country into sectioned lands where the
citizens all have ID trackers under their skin and religion or belief in God is
frowned upon and most often banned. It is in this world that people are being
murdered by what looks like a supernatural being.
Justin
March is living in exile but is called back to his duty as a servitor – one who
regulates religious groups- when these murders escalate.
“He’s brilliant,” Francis
insisted.
“Yes.” Her words came grudgingly,
and she held up a hand to enumerate points on her fingers. “Also arrogant,
impertinent, and manipulative.”
Pretty
much true. Justin is a womanizer, who drinks obsessively. Oh, and he also has
two ravens living in his head. Yup, you read that right. Horatio and Magnus.
But he’s brilliant. He knows his job inside and out which is why they want him
back so badly.
Mae
Koskinen is a practorian. Basically a super solider for the government thanks
to an implant that gives her super speed, fighting skills, healing skills and
the need for no sleep. Following a scuffle at a funeral, Mae is placed on
probation and sent to be a bodyguard type for Justin. Thanks to some one night
stand loving with a little bit of mis-identity thrown in, Mae and Justin don’t
really get along.
I will
be honest, this book started off really slow for me and I didn’t know if I was
going to like it. There’s quite a bit of set up of the new world but really no
explanation as to how we got here. What happened in the Decline? How did the
Decline come about? Why is all religion banned? Around the halfway point, the
book finally hit its stride. My above questions weren’t answered, but the
mystery surrounding the murders and the gods kept me reading on.
Having
only read the Vampire Academy series,
I was expecting a romance to be at the main helm of the plot, but it wasn’t. It
was there, of course, but it was second to what was going on. And there’s actually
quite of bit of mystery surrounding the love story and why there necessarily
can’t be one. I don’t really want to spoil anything for the readers, but Mead
did a great job with bringing the story full circle with the facts surrounding
Justin’s mysterious God.
“The truth is, when you banish
the gods from the world, they eventually come back – with a vengeance. Humans
can’t stay away from gods, and gods can’t stay away from humans. It’s the
natural order of things.”
A good
start to what will surely be an interesting series. I look forward to seeing
where this will go.
I received a copy of this e-book
from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
