Wow. Simply put, Godblind by Anna Stephens is a whirlwind. The first in a trilogy and Stephens's debut novel, this adult, dark fantasy novel is packed full of everything that I love in a fantasy novel: gods and magic, struggling with destiny, and epic battles. But before I get too far ahead of myself, here's a summary of the book from Goodreads:
"The Mireces worship the bloodthirsty Red Gods. Exiled from Rilpor a thousand years ago, and left to suffer a harsh life in the cold mountains, a new Mireces king now plots an invasion of Rilpor’s thriving cities and fertile earth.
Dom Templeson is a Watcher, a civilian warrior guarding Rilpor’s border. He is also the most powerful seer in generations, plagued with visions and prophecies. His people are devoted followers of the god of light and life, but Dom harbours deep secrets, which threaten to be exposed when Rillirin, an escaped Mireces slave, stumbles broken and bleeding into his village.
Meanwhile, more and more of Rilpor’s most powerful figures are turning to the dark rituals and bloody sacrifices of the Red Gods, including the prince, who plots to wrest the throne from his dying father in the heart of the kingdom. Can Rillirin, with her inside knowledge of the Red Gods and her shocking ties to the Mireces King, help Rilpor win the coming war?"
Like I said, Godblind has everything on my list when it comes to a fantasy novel: some magical element/gods, struggles with destiny, and epic battles. I actually finished it in about a week which is the fastest I have finished a book in a very long time!
First, the classic man vs. god aspects of this novel drew me in from the beginning. I have always enjoyed stories where the Gods get more involved in the lives of the humans around them, like in some of the Greek myths. Stephens takes it a whole step further. I hate spoilers, so I won't give anything away.
Second, who doesn't love a story where some of the characters struggle and brood a bit? I know I definitely do. What makes it even better in Godblind? The characters actually react to situations they are in like normal people. As a reader, I find that approach refreshing.
Third, the battles in this novel left me feeling breathless. Stephens really goes above and beyond when writing her fight scenes. Each one is detailed, intricate, and full of gore; you can almost taste the blood and dirt in your mouth when you read. I also loved that there are also a bunch of badass female warriors in this novel!
While it had a lot of things I did enjoy, Godblind was not perfect. There were a few instances were I felt that certain relationships were a bit rushed and didn't feel as organic as I would have liked.
And without giving anything away - I was totally thrown by the ending. It has been a day or two and I still don't know if I liked or hated the ending, so be prepared.
In all, I found Godblind to be a gripping, enjoyable read - if you can call a book about murder, a kingdom under siege, and such "enjoyable" - and I would highly recommend it to any fantasy lovers out there*.
7/10
*I will warn you, it is not a YA novel by any means. There is swearing, gory battles, and some explicit/graphic descriptions and possible triggers.
