Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead

Gameboard of the Gods (Age of X, #1)

by Richelle Mead

The truth is, when you banish the gods from the world, they eventually come back—with a vengeance.
 
In the near future, Justin March lives in exile from the Republic of United North America. After failing in his job as an investigator of religious groups and supernatural claims, Justin is surprised when he is sent back with a peculiar assignment—to solve a string of ritualistic murders steeped in seemingly unexplainable phenomena.
 
Justin’s return comes with an even bigger shock: His new partner and bodyguard, Mae Koskinen, is a prætorian, one of the Republic’s technologically enhanced supersoldiers. Mae’s inexplicable beauty and aristocratic upbringing attract Justin’s curiosity and desire, but her true nature holds more danger than anyone realizes.
 
As their investigation unfolds, Justin and Mae find themselves in the crosshairs of mysterious enemies. Powers greater than they can imagine have started to assemble in the shadows, preparing to reclaim a world that has renounced religion and where humans are merely gamepieces on their board.

Reviewed by wyvernfriend on

4 of 5 stars

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Despite some of it's problems I did enjoy this.

We start with the worldbuilding, the author treats you as if you know what's going on and then works from there. With the complicated world she has built this is a stretch for the reader, even me, however I liked Justin March and was curious about the Ravens in his head, Horatio and Magnus, and I got a lot of the clues well before he did. Then again I know a lot about a variety of European Gods and Goddesses and had a fairly good idea what was going on with a lot of the issues. The idea of a world where religion was rigidly controled and that one of the investigators had a supernatural episode that caused him to be exiled was interesting and made me want to read more to see how well his life can be messed up by the god war that seems to be looming and how this will change the society he's in.

I also liked Mae, she's a mess, outwardly she's perfect but inside at the beginning she has berserk moments (that no-one seems to notice) but by the end everything she thought she knew is messed up. She and Justin are going to have to do a lot to fix their lives, if they can.

I was caught up by the story, if you need more/any worldbuilding in a story to start avoid like the plague. Even at the end there was a lot I wanted to know about the society and I have a sneaking suspicion that a lot of it will remain unanswered.

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  • Started reading
  • 28 July, 2014: Finished reading
  • 28 July, 2014: Reviewed