I enjoyed Escaping Exodus so much that I knew I had to read more from Nicky Drayden, and seriously this cover is just beyond captivating, so here I am!

A lot of what I loved about Exodus I also loved here — the joyously, spectacularly weird world building, the blend of fantasy and science fiction elements, the ties to traditions unfamiliar to me but that feel grounded and weighty. PlusExodus — certain scenes almost feel like you're watching them unfold on the big screen.

Some of the characters I did not particularly enjoy spending time with — there is real evil in this book. But it never got to a deal-breaking point for me, and I was definitely always invested in where it was going.

More people should be talking about Nicky Drayden. ( )

There are a considerable number of things happening in this book and the plot went a little out of control in the end but it was still an interesting and entertaining read. ( )

Loved it, so damn entertaining - http://www.susanhatedliterature.net/2018/01/the-prey-of-gods/ ( )

This was a complex sci-fi that had notes reminiscent of other authors/works, and yet is fully its own.

I originally said "Its American Gods in a cyberpunk Africa" but that's an over-simplification. It reminded me of a lot of different things - American Gods, Gunnerkrigg Court, Oryx and Crake, Parasite Eve, Ghost in the Shell, Perdido Street Station, Magic: the Gathering, Impossible Creatures... the list goes on. Its easy to see that list and go "So its just a derivative pile of tropes, huh?"

No, its not. That's the thing. It takes these common, common tropes you find in sci-fi/fantasy, breaks them down, and then rebuilds them. There were some surface similarities in a few cases, sure, but most of the resemblance was emotional resonance. The cast is incredibly diverse. I appreciated the representation, but also just the unique variety of their voices and perspectives, making for a genuinely more interesting story. The story moves quickly and builds up naturally. The mythology is original and the magic system was explained enough without being overly mechanical or ambiguous. The ending is satisfying.

This was just a great damn book and I recommend it highly. ( )

I loved this!
I found the beginning to be a seamless mix of so many genres: fantasy, sci fi, horror, mythology, incredible.
Towards the end a few places in the narrative snag a bit.
I liked the ending a lot and I think how reviewers feel about the ending probably weights reviews ( )