Against All Gods: The Age of Bronze: Book 1

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For those who are fans of the author's earlier "Traitor Son" and "Masters and Mages" series, there are hints of linkage revealed late in the novel, and of course, if you read the protagonists' names carefully, some interesting hints of what might lie ahead. I fear a "here's the new boss, same as the old boss" outcome, if any of the humans manage to remain alive by the end of the series. Because, as we have learned throughout history, absolute power can corrupt absolutely (or "eternally" in the case of gods, as the cover of the book notes), as the saying goes. I love Greek Mythology. I have done ever since I saw the 1980s Clash of the Titans when I was 7 years old and I still love reading stories inspired by that time period so I was in my element reading Against All Gods. There’s just something about Gods meddling in the affairs of men that really interests me. Cold Iron is fantastic. It shimmers like a well-honed sword blade' Anna Smith Spark, author of The Court of Broken Knives You know what the storyline is, revenge against the gods but the plot throughout the book was non-existent for so long that many parts just felt sluggish to get through (on top of the huge chapters). There were honestly times I felt like I wanted to DNF this book but I pursued because the concept idea, The Boys meets Greek Mythology is brilliant! Unfortunately it just didn't pay off.

I love stories where its kind of difficult to decipher who the good guys are. Just when you think maybe someone has emerged that can fill that role, something happens that makes you question your assessment. And that's where Miles Cameron is truly great at blurring the lines, making you doubt every assumption, he really keeps the reader on their toes with every intense scene and passage of dialogue. There is zero predictability in a Cameron book and as someone who can't stand when plots are predictable, it's why he's always been a go-to author for me.There’s a real feel of the classic fantasy ensemble story, but with a fresh and engaging perspective on the genre which blends mythology, historical accuracy and a modern tone of voice. Mortals curse the gods, gods curse the ineptitude of other gods, and it’s all very mythological except it’s delivered in deadpan modern vernacular which somehow feels totally appropriate and often drily funny. Cameron’s deep love and knowledge of Bronze Age Greece comes through in incredibly detailed and utterly absorbing world building (everything from writing and cooking to sailing and fighting just feels so believable, a clear sign of a writer who genuinely understands this time period), tied together in a fascinating blend of historical fiction and fantasy. Cameron doesn’t pull any punches either, portraying the hardships of life in this sort of period in blunt, often gruesome detail – violence, slavery, death, human sacrifice, it’s all here, but balanced out by compassion and understanding too.

Against All Gods is simply gonzo. As a setting, the world is fresh and wonderful, uniting bits of Mycenean Greece with Mesopotamia, Old Kingdom Egypt, Mohenjo-Daro in the Indus Valley and the Moche of Peru into a single, cohesive whole, while very much having a modern vibe. Cameron writes here with a fast-paced, very modern voice -- gods and humans throw f-bombs around and speak in an easy, modern American vernacular. Although the subject matter are gods and heroes, if you think more of a modern caper/gangster story, you'll have a feel for what the author is up to here. In diesem Buch geht es drunter und drüber. Denn der sterbliche Elliot gab dem Totengott Thanatos die Chaossteine, mächtige Steine, mit denen man tun und lassen kann, was man möchte. Und das tut Thanatos auch. Alle Zeichen stehen auf Krieg! Krieg der Götter und Dämonen. Thanks to NetGalley & the publisher for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review! A world filled with extravagant, self-involved gods and the havoc they wreak on humans, who seek to overthrow them...The author tries to strike a balance between letting you know the different plots of the gods and keeping things mysterious enough to where there are twists, but the gods just argue and complain and call each other "fat" to the point where half the time I didn't know what was going on and what their motivations were. So by the time one of them breaks down everything at the end, it just feels like the author was throwing the final twist to make you go "wow!," but it doesn't succeed because you didn't know or care about what was going on by then. As Gamash’s quest continues, he is soon joined by an eclectic mixture of mortals, all of whom have their own issues with the current deities and who have been manipulated to fight against them. Faced with dangers at every turn and soon caught up amid multiple divine conspiracies, these reluctant rebels soon begin to understand the full extent of the danger they find themselves in. Determined not to be mere pawns in a cosmic game of immortal gods, the rebels will decide to do the impossible: go up against all the gods and win!

In his dreams a blue woman brought him bolts of silver lightning, and he gave them to the most unsuitable people: a slave with a bull's head tattoo, a dancing woman; a warrior; a scribe, but most of all a smith and his apprentice. Ending is, naturally, the mess of epic proportions and our group being broken up, so I expect some kind of reunion in the next one. On top of the gods, goddesses and demons, we also have constellations. The zodiac Council and most importantly young Virgo who is a brilliant character, she's completely optimal.While there was a lot of action and worldbuilding, the characters fell a bit short for me, as I found it difficult to connect with them. Even though some of them express their anger at the situation they find themselves in, they never do so to the extent that makes me feel their desperation or makes me want to root for their success enough to be invested. To me, the human element was what let me down, and ultimately made it hard for me to truly enjoy this book. In short, they are a mess, the lesser deities and demigods they have produced are spoiled children who will never be up to taking their place, and Enkul-Anu, Storm Lord and King of the Gods, knows it. Unfortunately, while his own powers and mind seem intact, he has few he can trust. Druku, one of the eldest of the gods, seems untouched but is the god of orgies and drunkenness really the guy you want to try and rely on to save your empire? The world-building was incredible, inspired by ancient Greek mythology, filled with magic, mythical creatures and diverse races, lofty temples, and sword and sandal heroes. Bronze age technology, marauding cannibalistic tribes, horrifying monsters, half-god / half-human offspring of the gods, indiscriminate liaisons with mortals running rampant, and hey – A REALLY DANGEROUS DRAGON, what more could you want? Pollon, a scribe and Atosa, a Chief jeweller whose honourable nature led to their imprisonment and punishment.

We got some Greek-style gods, a murder that sets a guy on an I'm-going-to-kill-all-gods spree, two sisters who're great-looking, iron that falls from the sky, a few godborn warriors, some pacifist sailors, and greedy baby gods who want to murder their daddy to take the throne. All the things a healthy growing fantasy series needs! Also, how did I forget about the sea and serpenty monsters?! It started a tad slow. The names were unfamiliar to me, and I had a little trouble discerning the various names, but it became apparent we have a "mediterranean" type sea surrounded by various city states and cultures. We get a slowly growing band of misfits from the mortals: Gamash (magician), Zos (godborn merc), Era (godborn "dancer"), Pollon (scribe), Hefa-Asus (smith). All have reason to hate the gods and have been mistreated in various ways. Among their stories we uncover a plot to unseat the gods with the aid of "star-metal" (iron - which is anti-magic and can kill gods and supernatural creatures) and some subtle influence by some among the gods who hate their brethren for being callous idiots... In a world where humans are the playthings of gods, a grieving father turns to the Enemy to rebel against them. She reveals how everything humans think they know is a lie, and shares the secret that will save and condemn them all. There is more than one metal - Star-stone, and it’s deadly to gods. Miles (Christian) Cameron never ceases to amaze me. I mean, the guy will bust out a brilliant heroic fantasy one year, release an outstanding space opera the next, and now he brings us a historical fantasy with mythology. There is no genre that is safe with Cameron as he deftly crafts each particular story with equally impressive mastery. AGAINST ALL ODDS is just his latest success story and here are my thought upon finishing the book late last night.

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The basics: There was a war in haven an age ago.. the new gods now have the world in their grip (but they are... arrogant and care nothing for mortals). Scattered mortals are slowly coming to hate their lot, and start to rebel against the gods - with the help of "the enemy"... but what is really happening? A conspiracy to reach the heavens, and take down the corrupt and aging gods . . . who are already facing troubles of their own . . . All in all, this is just so damn fun. It's the blood-soaked, monster-filled bonanza with the absurdity of Record of Ragnarok and it's not even attempting to be anything else. In der Aufgabe des Reading rush sollte es das erste Buch sein, das man berührt, und das war es. Bei den O.W.L.s ist die Aufgabe, dass man ein Buch liest, das Formwandlungen enthält. Da Nyx sich mehr als einmal verwandelt, zählt es als Formwandlungen. This was a change of pace though - Traitor Son was a psudo-europe high fantasy, Masters & Mages was a more late middle ages story of magic and metalsmiths, while Arcana Imperii was a full on space opera - all of them were great character books!