The Hand of God

Dark Legacies #1

by Yuval Kordov

For fans of Dan Simmons’ Hyperion Cantos, Iain Banks’ Culture novels, A Canticle for Leibowitz and other classic metaphysical science fiction. This compelling new series explores questions of family, faith, and the human condition on the backdrop of a dark post-apocalyptic future. The world ended—twice. Once at humanity’s hand and a second time at God’s, according to legend. Only Esther, the Eternal One, saw it all happen. Chosen by the Messiah to redeem humanity, she heads a holy sisterhood that rules Cathedral, the Last City. Except Cathedral isn’t the last city, and the source of the Revenant Sisterhood’s supernatural power is far from holy. It’s the year 2500, give or take. The passage of time has become as blurry as the gray wastes that cover most of North America. No moon or stars light the night, and demonic hordes smash against the last outposts of civilization. Two reborn nations vie for humanity’s future. In the west, Cathedral unleashes its God-engines—ancient walking war machines—in a final bid to cleanse the earth. In the east, the struggling city-state of Bastion turns to the last living AI for salvation. Between them, a tribe of technological scavengers known as the Union unwittingly holds the balance of power. Hell is on the horizon. Who will survive?

Genres: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Dystopia, Post Apocalyptic, Fiction

374 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 13, 2023

About the author

Yuval Kordov is a chronically creative nerd, tech professional, husband, and father of two. Over the course of his random life, he has been a radio show DJ, produced experimental electronic music, created the world of Dark Legacies™, and designed custom mechs with LEGO® bricks.

Reviews

[Nick Borrelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would first like to mention that THE HAND OF GOD is set in the same universe as the Dark Legacies tabletop RPG which author Yuval Kordov created almost twenty years ago. Full disclosure, I'm not familiar with the game but I'm happy to say that it didn't affect my enjoyment of this book at all. So anyone who is concerned about that need not be, this is very much a self-contained story where no prior knowledge is needed to get the most out of the experience.

I haven't read a post-apocalyptic SF book in quite a while so I think this one hit at exactly the right time for me. My favorite thing about post apoc stuff is the underlying mystery as to what happened to cause the cataclysm and then piecing together those events through the present day narrative. Kordov does an excellent job of hinting at that mystery throughout this shattered world where the main factions are separated on opposite sides of the wasteland with a ragtag group of scavengers roaming the area in between. As events get closer and closer to a potential clash between the sisterhood of Cathedral and the military inhabitants of Bastion, it just might be the side who creates an alliance with the battle-hardened scavengers that could tip the scales in their favor.

This was an insane (in a good way) fast-paced read with some ultra cool world-building and lost technology aspects that I found incredibly gripping. It kept me reading well into the early morning hours on more than a couple of occasions. The story is broken up in such a way that we get a perspective from both Cathedral and Bastion, and there are multiple POV characters whose eyes we get to experience the action through. Oh and then there are the giant robot battle walkers. Yes, you heard me correctly - I said GIANT ROBOT BATTLE WALKERS. Let's just say you'll have a fun time getting acquainted with these menacing purveyors of chaos and destruction.

This book does not hand-hold in any way, you really have to get your bearings and figure out who is who without the aid of info dumps or a character glossary. I'll admit that this took me a while to get used to but once I gained a familiarity of the parties involved and who they represented, the story became a much more fluid and seamless read and I enjoyed it immensely.

THE HAND OF GOD took me on a wild ride that was intensely dark at times but also managed to counterbalance that with a very palpable message of hope and perseverance in the face of overwhelming fear and uncertainty. Kordov has set the stage beautifully for the next books in this series and I can't wait to see where he takes us next. I'm sure that if this book is any indication we will not be disappointed. A very emotional and thrilling start to the Dark Legacies series that I highly recommend for readers who enjoy their post apocalyptic SF with loads of mystery and imaginative world-building.

[Rachel (TheShadesofOrange) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.0 Stars
Post apocalyptic is a challenging subgenre to get right, especially post 2020. I feel like I've read so many similar stories before and it's challenging to find a fresh angle.

I found this one to be a fine post apocalyptic story but ultimately very familiar, leaning heavily into tropes. I would primarily recommend this one to readers who love this subgenre and are looking for more.

Disclaimer I received this one for review as a judge for the SPSFC.

[Andrew Gillsmith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll admit to having a slight advantage over (most) other readers of The Hand of God: I've gotten to know the author, Yuval Kordov through a network of like-minded writers of metaphysical sci fi. And so, before I read the first page, I knew I was in for a treat. He is a wildly original thinker with a generous and contemplative soul. To call him a mensch does not do justice!

I was not disappointed! The Hand of God is an outstanding first entry in his planned Dark Legacies series.

Thematically, it ticks all of my favorite boxes. There is faith and doubt (which need each other) and there are powerful human connections being formed, connections that cross generations, belief systems, vocations, etc. There are some much-appreciated nods to Frank Herbert (particularly w/r/t a sect called the Revenant Sisters). Like Herbert, Kordov excels at making a "place" into a character. In this case, it is the Deadlands, a physical and spiritual wasteland with a life- (or death-) force all its own.

Also like Herbert, Kordov gets deep into the promise and danger of Messianism. There doesn't seem to be any "black and white" here, as far as I can tell, and the story is much the better for it.

I think I can reveal the premise without spoiling anything. The book is set long after a nuclear apocalypse has all but ended human civilization. If that weren't enough, God has withdrawn from the world, leaving it open to literal demons as a chastisement for mankind's "mass suicide."

Kordov's prose is wildly imaginative and at times almost experimental. His place descriptions as well as his ability to convey the visceral, eldritch horror of the demons were particularly notable.

The world-building (gack, I'm coming to hate that term) is also extraordinary. This is a completely three-dimensional, complex ecosystem that Kordov has created. I have heard that he worked out some of the details by making it a setting for his own RPG, which makes complete sense. There are layers upon layers, and one is constantly straining to see just beyond the edge of the map.

But I am a simple man at heart. Much as I appreciate tight theming and innovative prose and meticulous worldbuilding, there has to be a *story* and characters that hold my interest. And here again, Kordov succeeds.

The characters are fully developed and distinct (especially the AI character!). And the plot cracks along with rising action and deliberately accelerated pacing right up to the climax. Once I got 15% in, I knew this was a book I would finish VERY quickly.

I would absolutely recommend The Hand of God for anyone who loves classic, metaphysical sci fi. Possibly even to some who don't!

I am very much looking forward to the next installment and will be reading anything Mr. Kordov produces in the future.

[Craig Bookwyrm · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book took me by complete surprise. It perfectly blurs the lines between sci-fi and fantasy, combining everything I love about post-apocalyptic, speculative fiction with dark fantasy horror.

Metaphysical and cerebral, the author covers themes of self preservation, existentialism, and theological questions in the face of ultimate doom.

The world is bleak and dark, where post nuclear apocalypse merges with the supernatural. The author creates an uneasiness and menace to the landscape that is often hallucinatory and nightmarish.

World building is great, with the separate factions and characters, from the industrious scavenger Union, to the religious militant Bastion, and the cult-like Sisterhood of Cathedral, provide a dystopian element, exploring the varying lengths humanity will go to survive.

The greatest achievement in this book is the character work, particularly the non or pseudo-human characters. The AI war machine and the child symbiote, Rebekah-6. Their stories of self discovery are intriguing, thought-provoking, and truly astounding at times.

The story handles multiple POVs and timeliness. The author handles the complexities of this structure very well, and the payoff, when everything clicks into place, is well worth a little head scratching at times.

The Hand of God is a book that is thematically strong, ambitious in scope, and complex without being inaccessible. It had me transfixed throughout. This is a book that will linger in your mind long after putting it down. A surprise (and strong) contender for one of my favourite reads of the year. I look forward to more.

[Charles Cavendish · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’d been hearing a lot of hype surrounding Yuval’s debut novel and so I was eager to jump in and experience it for myself. I’m pleased to say that my expectations were exceed and then some!

The author really throws his readers into the action with very little handholding or explanation. I have seen a few comments that some readers may have struggled with this and the multiple POVs. However, whilst this can make things a little tricky to start with, but I quickly found that I was able to get a handle on this and in my view, this allowed for a better chance to peer into the different aspect of the world Yuval has created. Whilst can be a little complex at first, I think the book is all the better for this approach.

And what a world we find ourselves in – the remnants of human society living in a sort of Mad Max like existence alongside a militant theocracy, warrior nuns, demons, and giant mechanised battle walkers (yes you read that right). The Hand of God contains some of the most incredible world building I have encountered. It really has that rare quality of successfully blending elements of both fantasy and sci-fi genres.

Make no mistake The Hand of God delivers a violent and broken world that has been subjected to not one but two apocalypses. The first a nuclear war and the second (we are told) was Gods punishment for the sins of man. This hellscape is literally that, a world of desolation where the last human remnants are clinging onto survival alongside a religious order with supernatural undertones as well as actual demons and the vestiges of the former world in form of last AI. There are hints as to cause of these cataclysmic changes and I’m really hoping we will learn more about these as the series progresses.

Throughout The Hand of God, Yuval treats his readers to both highly descriptive and evocative writing. The deadlands for instance has a truly ominous and disturbing quality to them. The way the landscape impacted those attempting to cross it or work within it had a very visceral feel and a sense of wrongness stuck with me long after I finished reading the book. During the course of the story, we see characters literally driven mad as a result of the environment they are forced to endure. Additionally, scenes involving the Sisterhood drip with sinister overtones and were definitely some of my favourites.

In part, what made The Hand of God stand out for me was that two of our main POV are non-human, A11 (the last working AI) and Rebekah-6 (well I can’t say more without spoilers). Yuval skilfully manages to weave real feeling and an emergence of self-discovery into these characters, something I’m sure that will continue to evolve through this series. I was surprised how much these two characters stuck with me long after my time with the book had ended

As we move from POV to POV we slowly gain a picture two very different societies that have emerged from the fires (literally and metaphorical) and the lengths they will go to in order to survive. We also get glimpses of the demonic threat that both groups are also contending with, as surviving a nuclear war wasn’t bad enough!

If you are ready for a story that will challenge your imagination and engage your emotions, then I would highly recommend giving The Hand of God a go.

[Esmay Rosalyne · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Hand of God was pitched to me by the author as ‘a blend of 11 sci-fi and fantasy spices’. And yeah, that pretty much sums up this incredibly compelling and imaginative post-(post?-) apocalyptic sci-fi novel. Filled with demon hordes, militant theocracies and giant AI battle walkers, this book will take you on a wild ride unlike anything you could ever have imagined.

The premise of this book is quite intriguing. That is, the world has ended not once, but twice. The first part of this book, which makes up roughly 20% of the entire novel, introduces us to Esther and serves as a sort of prequel to the rest of the story. She is suffering and struggling to survive after the first apocalypse (WW3), but then things only get worse when a second apocalypse seems to be around the corner, caused by none other than God himself this time.

I found the start of this story to be incredibly strong and captivating. Heck, I wasn’t even planning on reading this book yet, but I sampled the first few chapters and before I knew it I had read 60 pages. Esther’s fight for survival is so incredibly compelling and I was immediately intrigued by the bleak yet captivating world that we are dropped into.
But then, the author makes some bold storytelling decisions and we jump forward 450-ish years. Following a diverse cast of characters made up of humans, robots and something nebulous in between the two, we discover what’s left of humanity after the second apocalypse has struck. What follows is a fast-paced yet intellectually engaging story exploring deep themes of religion, survival, familial duty, AI vs. humanity, the importance of society and, of course, hope.

Now, I am going to have to admit that I personally struggled quite a bit with this book while reading. If you decide to give this a shot, you just have to go in knowing that this is not an easy or light read. There’s zero hand-holding and you will have to pay close attention to figure out how the eight separate POVs and the fragmented timeline will come together in the end.
Also, the prose itself is not exactly what you’d call approachable. Maybe it’s because English is not my native language, but the dense and descriptive writing style was definitely a struggle for me. Seriously, I even started to question my own command of the English language because of all the confusing and unfamiliar terms that were used.
All that said, I think the ‘advanced’ prose is actually perfectly fitting for this type of story and I have a feeling that the ‘advanced’ prose will actually be a big highlight for many readers. The sense of atmosphere that is established is absolutely astounding and will no doubt keep you immersed from start to finish.

Needless to say, this story challenged me in a way I wasn’t prepared for and left me feeling utterly lost at times. But then I also have to say that I can appreciate and respect the story a lot in hindsight.
While I like my stories to be a lot more character- and/or emotionally-driven, I can also acknowledge that that is not the type of story the author set out to write here. This is much more of a thematically-driven story and there’s no denying that Kordov accomplished something absolutely magnificent here. The post-apocalyptic world building is super impressive and I can only respect the author for telling such an ambitious and layered story that is filled to the brim with mystery and intrigue. Also, while the themes are the main focus of the story, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t plenty of brutal and thrilling action scenes. This book will no doubt be super exciting and gripping if you are on-board for the confusing yet intriguing ride.

So, even though this wasn’t really the book for me, I can’t recommend it highly enough if the premise sounds interesting to you. This is without a doubt one of the most impressive, inventive and unique SFF stories that I have read in a long time and I can really appreciate it for that. Sci-fi, fantasy, dystopia, mystery, horror… this book has it all!
If you like the idea of reading a relentlessly dark story that will challenge you with its unconventional and intellectually engaging storytelling, then The Hand of God is the perfect book for you.

Thank you to the author for providing me with a free ebook for review. All opinions are my own.

[Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book as a judge on the Wayward Stars team in the SPSFC3 (third annual, self-published science-fiction competition). This is my own personal review and does not represent the views of the team or any other individuals other than myself.

I had my eye on this book before I'd even heard of the SPSFC competition and had purchased the paperback on my own to read. I was pleasantly surprised when I joined the competition as a judge to find that this book ended up in my team's group of books (and there were 8 other teams it could have ended up with!). This book was selected by our group as both a quarter finalist and then also a semifinalist in the competition, where it is currently being read by the other groups.

I was intrigued immediately when I read the book blurb on the back of the book which talked about the world ending twice, once at humanity's hand and a second time at the hand of God's (according to legend). There was talk of a Revenant Sisterhood with supernatural power, God-engines (ancient walking war machines) and the last living AI. This all sounded like something I would really like.

And it didn't disappoint! All of the elements mentioned are there and I enjoyed the arc that led to each as part of the overall story. I was hooked right away. There are some good, relatable (and a couple unrelatable) characters here that I enjoyed. And the setting is very well described leaving me feeling like this was a real world this was happening in.

I will note, the first half of the book is a little bit disjointed. Some of the things that are happening kept me guessing if I was reading about reality, or something more dreamlike, or esoteric. This bothered some others I know who read this, but for me, it did feel that it was intended to be that way as part of the overall storyline. Ultimately, it did not end up taking anything away from my enjoyment. And, when you get to the second half of the book, that feeling changes to something much more solid and easier to keep your footing upon.

This is the first book of a trilogy I believe, so while this does have a resolution, it really sets the hook for continuing the story in the next book. I've already picked up book 2 and will certainly be continuing. My hope is that this author continues with the great story that has begun here.

Overall, I rated this 4.25/5.0 stars (8.5/10). If you enjoy epic fantasy or sci-fi, or if you enjoy post-apocalyptic worlds, then definitely give this a shot!

[Jamedi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full text review: https://jamreads.com/reviews/the-hand...

The Hand of God is the first novel by Yuval Kordov, and the initial installment in a new post-apocalyptic sci-fi series, Dark Legacies. And honestly, I'm really glad of picking it, because it has so many elements and vibes that I love; the world pulls you out of your comfort zone, with elements that draw you to Evangelion, Warhammer 40k, DOOM, or STALKER.

World has ended, but not once, but two times. One by the hand of man, in a nuclear war; a second by God, literally unleashing hell of Earth. We get to live the chaos of those days through the eyes of Esther, a young girl that is living with her family; and that after the catastrophe will survive and fight for it, will be chosen by the Messiah to redeem humanity.
The atmosphere in this section is outstanding, doing Kordov an excellent job of transmitting the tension and desolation of the apocalyptic situation.

400 years after, humanity still survives, being part of different settlements. In this climate, Kordov weaves different stories about the difficulties those groups are experimenting, in a constant battle against hell.
In the West, the Cathedral, with Esther as the angular stone of it, is unleashing its God Engines in order to finally settle the war against demons; Sisterhood acts as a theocracy whose force is based on their mothers, warrior nuns.
In the East, the city-state of Bastion looks for secrets of ancient technology in order to break the equilibrium, and stop the eternal struggle to survive; and they might have found it, as in a scavenging expedition they gain control of what might be the last AI battle mech. However, this AI has spent the last 400 years examining Internet archives and its stability might not be ideal.

With this climate, we get multiple POVs (counted 8) in a loose timeline, that will slowly but firmly take us in a plot that excels at transmitting post-apocalyptic vibes, and that as said, by the times, it remembered me so much of how I felt while playing DOOM and STALKER. When humanity as a whole is at risk, do individual lives have any kind of value? We can appreciate an extensive labour of worldbuilding, with several original elements that honestly, I loved. From the mothers at the Sisterhood, to the soldiers of the Bastion; the scavengers of the union, or the fathers in Bastion; each one is unique.

The pacing suffers sometimes with the number of POVs that are used, and I feel on some sections it might drag a little bit; especially until we understand that the timeline is fragmented, and that not everything is happening at the same time. Said that, I feel all the build gets a great payoff, but it lefts us on a cliffhanger that only makes me want more book 2.
I only have another gripe with this book, which is mainly that sometimes the prose might feel a little bit too wordy. At some points, this is a reason why the pacing slows too much; but I have to add that this prose is the same reason Kordov creates some scenes that are extremely vivid.

Not gonna lie, even with those problems I mentioned, I loved The Hand of God. It is a great debut, and sets up a great foundation for what can be an excellent sci-fi series; and honestly, if you are a fan of Warhammer 40k, or The Stand (Stephen King), I would totally recommend you to give it a try.

[Douglas Lumsden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading The Hand of God is akin to examining a darkly beautiful painting from the inside out.

Combining elements of post-apocalyptic science fiction and horror-fantasy, The Hand of God begins with enthralling episodes from the life of Esther, a young girl with a guilty secret who has (through divine intervention?) survived a man-made holocaust. Along the way Esther encounters both giant high-tech battle bots and Lovecraftian monsters before finding herself transformed into a messianic savior figure.

Esther's tale is the prologue for a fascinating story of a world that has ended twice and might be headed for a third world-ending event, as literal demons from Hell threaten the existence of three human refuges: the military fortress of Bastion, the ultra-religious and oppressive city-state of Cathedral, and an outpost in the sandblasted Deadlands, where scavengers live so close to the entrance of Hell that most will eventually succumb to madness.

Kordov drops the reader into the midst of this world with no explanations beyond what the reader can glean from the experiences of eight very different protagonists, including Philippe Baptiste, an angst-filled military officer plagued by self-doubt; A11, a self-aware daydreaming A.I.; and Rebekah-6, a young girl who is being radically and tragically altered so that she can form a symbiotic relationship with a giant war machine (called a God-engine).

The Hand of God is not a page-turner (at least it wasn't for me). It requires its readers to be actively involved in the storytelling, to patiently explore this amazing world through a number of perspectives and allow the world to fully reveal itself in its own time. It is most definitely a trip worth taking, and, in the end, readers are rewarded with a fascinating painting of a shattered world they'll be unlikely to forget.

[Sarah Balstrup]

Why did I read this?
Spec fic + religious themes - say no more!

My Impression:
This book has its own kind of magnetism. A gravitational pull that draws you in.
Like Dune (2021), The Hand of God (Dark Legacies: Book 1) introduces a world of grand proportions, gets you invested in the key players, then sets the stage for battle. Also like Dune (2021), the real magic happens at the level of mood, creating a sense of mystical weight, each event portentous and consequential in a grand narrative that is yet to reveal itself.

"God was absent, but Hell was ever on the horizon."
There is something so tragic and heart rending about the concept of God-as-absence. There is no evidence of God, no sign, no hope, and yet the heart remains open to the possibility.
The will of God is unknowable. And so humans create their own approximations of truth, their own laws of heresy and salvation, never knowing whether the path they have chosen is the right one.

If you are a fan of dark ambient music, I would thoroughly recommend it as the perfect soundtrack for this amazing book.

Craft-Related Notes:
-The Hand of God reminds me of some of my favourite (dark) stories: Between Two Fires, Dune, Raised by Wolves, Les Revenants.
-POV chapters span vast stretches of time and distance. Occasionally time feels hazy but the book's blurb clarifies things enough to know where you are. My favourite POV chapters were Esther's, Rebekah-6's and A11's as they are so strikingly unique. Sophus and Baptiste, while we get to know them, could have been further differentiated as they end up having similar personalities, both being military men exposed to the post-apocalyptic wastes.
-Mood and pacing were really nicely done. Kordov conjures just enough detail to bring a scene to life in short chapters that drip feed necessary info about the fascinating world he has built.
-Readers often want an indication of the editorial quality of a self-pub book. This one is A+ and indistinguishable from a traditionally published novel.

[Steven William William · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding

Kordov secures a place amongst my favourite authors with his unique, beautiful, expansive novel The Hand of God, which is equal parts Evangelion, S.T.A.L.K.E.R, 40k, and Lovecraft.

God has forsaken Earth for the sin of mass suicide in a nuclear war, and 400 years later the remains of humanity fight an endless war against the literal forces of Hell.

It is not going well.
If only there were giant AI battle mechs that could level the playing field.

I expected Pacific Rim and instead I got Philip K Dick. The battle walkers are eldritch beings themselves, caught daydreaming during battles, having spent 400 years alone reading the internet archives and gone a little bit mad.

We've got militant theocracies, war nuns with mechs, literal demons, Mad Max scavengers... And whilst I don't usually enjoy so many POV characters, the breadth and range of the cast is fantastic, as is the scale of their struggle - and I loved how it all comes together in the end.

Speaking of the end, I won't spoil anything except to say that I was crushed by the cliffhanger. Sequel soon please.

So let's talk good and less good.

Kordov indulges in some exposition during bad moments sometimes. The pace drops a few times as we switch POVs.

None of this put me off. Kordov's worldbuilding can take as much space as it likes, given how incredibly strong it is. This setting was designed for a tabletop RPG, and if you know me, you know how I adore the effort a good DM puts into their world.

Iv not even mentioned the writing yet. The prose is wordy, but I didn't skip a single line. Kordov manages to squeeze vivid imagery, clear direction, and emotional weight into every paragraph. The movie played seamlessly in my head the entire time.

The atmosphere is so bleak, the characters so vivid, and whilst the overarching plot takes a while to really get going, good golly is it a ride.

Let's not even start on the detailed political drama playing out behind "giant robots fight demons".

If I had any other complaints, it's that I wanted more. I wanna see the fruits of this tense and detailed buildup. The plot assumes an intelligent and invested reader to pick up on clues and motives.

I suspect that Kordov draws inspiration from many of the places I do.

Perhaps that's why I enjoyed it so much.

Kordov goes straight onto my "automatically read everything this author produces" list and I cannot wait for the next sequel.

Still mad about the ending, but I recommend this to anybody who enjoyed Icebreaker and it's sequels.

[E.L. Lyons · Rating 5 out of 5]

This opened with one of the most beautifully written prologues that gives hints about the world and how it works post-apocalypse.

It then dives into the character of Esther for... a long while. Esther starts out as a child, and I'm not really a fan of child PoVs. The prose in Esther's PoV was also a bit cumbersome, long sentences that perhaps just had too much going on. I nearly DNFed the book because of this, but I'm glad I didn't.

Once it left Esther's PoV and entered the other PoVs, the voices of those characters were much smoother and cleaner. The other PoVs were also just more interesting to me. I adored A11 and Rebecca 6, who had character voices, motivations, personalities, and quirks that won my heart with ease. I enjoyed them enough that it brought the rest of the book up to five stars for me.

Even the characters like Esther, that I didn't enjoy as much, were compelling and believable and grew on me from around midbook. With the revival of societies in fashions that leave humanity morally askew, these characters make decisions that are at times questionable but, largely, for the greater good. Maybe.

The relationships between the various characters were intriguing and felt authentic. I found myself cheering some on and suspensefully worried about others. AI characters typically do nothing for me except perhaps add flavor, but A11 was excellently written and one of his early chapters made me a bit teary.

As far as action goes, the book had plenty. There was blood and death and high stakes throughout.

If you find yourself tempted to DNF, skip ahead to Esther 4:3 and read from there. There is nothing particularly essential to the plot before that, though it does have a great deal of character development for Esther, I feel she's authentic enough even without the earlier section. You'll be rewarded with epic characters and engaging plot threads.

[Offer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me start by first saying "wow!"

I'm not usually drawn to stories of the post-apocalyptic ilk. It feels to me as if there's rather a plethora of these, and many are not so much done poorly as they appear to be repetitive of what's come before. Granted, it's not an easy thing to envision fresh chaos to the possible end of civilization as we know it.

That being said, gosh, there's a lot going on here in Yuval Kordov's "The Hand of God". There is a richness to the world he's built here, obviously time well-spent in his attention to detail and lore, with a full and vast history (back-story) that he draws effortlessly from to share as we progress through the novel's storyline. The characters are well-drawn and well-rounded, with back stories of their own and motivations that are not always what they seem.

The action takes a little time to pick up steam, but as it does, we're introduced to a landscape that is only marginally familiar, the world as we knew it having been altered dramatically--in fact, having ended twice! Oof! And to make the ground beneath our feet feel a little shakier, there's no attempt to lead the reader or ease them into the setting or the circumstance. We're right in the thick of it from the get-go, learning alongside the characters how to navigate this landscape without succumbing to it.

Kordov's prose is tightly packed, but not florid or wasteful in the way it conveys us from character to character, situation to situation, and always leaving us with the question "what happens next?"

I highly recommend The Hand of God, and I'm looking forward to the next instalment! Thanks for opening up another avenue of storytelling for me to explore further. Cheers!

[Isabelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Hand of God by Yuval Kordov is a book that’s been on my TBR ever since I first saw the cover (prior to its SPSFC entry). The blurb sounds equally epic so I was thrilled when this book was assigned to our team. My team members chose this as a quarterfinalist and despite some of the reservations I personally have about the book, I can definitely see why this one landed so well with them.

I want to start with the things that didn’t quite work for me first. While I do love to see how authors incorporate religion into their SFF stories, I did really struggle with the more… abstract parts of this narrative. This was mostly an issue at the beginning of the book but still cropped up in small degrees here and there. Combined with the timeline structure that jumped back and forth quite a bit without making it clear when flashbacks were happening (this was happening more in the second half), I felt really disoriented regularly throughout the book. Every time I felt like I was getting a grip on the story, something happened to shake up that belief again. This might’ve been intentionally done, which I don’t always mind, but here it happened to a degree that did end up lowering my enjoyment of the story.

That being said, overall this feels like a story that the author put a lot of thought into in terms of structure, world-building, character line-up, and narrative voices. The range of POV characters as a whole felt like a good mixture with interesting strengths, weaknesses, and histories, though two of them didn’t feel quite as distinct from each other as I would’ve liked. I enjoyed the set-up and history of the world a lot and liked seeing the way technology was used in the present compared to the past, including the hopes and trepidations surrounding it.

Combined with the strengths of this story, even the things that didn’t work for me feel like they were done with a purpose rather than accidental confusion and I can appreciate an author taking those risks. The overall quality of the writing definitely makes it stand out from our original allocation.

[Kate Sibson]

Disclaimer: I read this as a judge for SPSFC#3, as part of the Wayward Stars team. However, the following is my own personal review and does not reflection on the team's score.

This is definitely a book of two halves. The first half occurs during the first apocalypse and follows Esther as she becomes the Eternal one. If I am brutally honest, I found this a little jumpy and confusing. However, it does set the scene beautifully and starts to build the grimy, dystopian atmosphere of what is to come. There are some heartbreaking scenes in this section (actually quite a few), especially when you remember Esther's age at the beginning. It does get a bit abstract, in my mind, at points but the build up is worth it.

The second half is the present day, following the second apocalypse (why have one when you can have two?), and the remnants of humanity are battling the hordes of hell. More traditionally structured that the first half, we are also introduced to more POV. Esther, in a way, becomes more background and others, such as Baptiste and the Rebekahs, come to the fore. Here, the dystopian landscape really ramps up, giving insights into the post-nuclear wastelands and the downtrodden folks that (try to) live there. The atmosphere to it is everything a dystopian sci-fi should be and more. Everything is old, rundown and filthy. The air feels grimy and gritty. I felt exhausted just imagining it! Extremely well written. I wouldn't say the characterisation and the prose are lacking, because they are not, but the atmosphere really takes it to another level.

But hey, Kate! You haven't mentioned the battlewalkers! Ooooooh, the battlewalkers. If you like mechas, you will love these. Some are your traditional, hulking war machines and others.... Well, that would be spoilers! There is a lovely play on a well-used trope here, expertly done, and it would be great to go into in depth but that really would be spoilers. I'll just say that it had me squirming in parts.

There is a current trend for genre-blending and I am here for it. This is a great example - a great mix of dystopian sci-fi and the fantastical; it blends really well. It might get a bit too abstract in the first half for some but if that's your thing or if you power through, you are in for a thrilling ride. I would have liked a bit more concerning the demon hordes but I expect we'll get to them as we carry on through the series. I look forward to starting All of our Sins to find out.

P.S. that cover is 🔥

[Bookish_Austin · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5

The Hand of God is the first entry in the Dark Legacies series by Yuval Kordov. It's a captivating read that pulled me right out of my comfort zone and has gotten me a lot more interested in reading sci-fi.

The overall atmosphere of the book shone for me, as I was drawn into this sort of futuristic yet post apocalyptic world. Various factions are all fighting for survival in a world wrought with various terrors, which gave me a sort of Mad Max vibe which I loved. There are horror elements in this story as well as that helped set the grim tone.

Multiple storylines are woven together in this tale of survival, and the way the author goes about this introduces us to deeper themes such as familial duty, hope, and the strength of society. Religion also plays a fundamental role in this story and I am curious to see where the author takes it in further installments. It gives me the impression that that we are seeing a look at the relationship between science and religion.

I did really enjoy the writing style overall. While a bit wordy at times (I found myself having to google definitions fairly often), the descriptive prose really helped immerse me into the world and story. I found that dialogue was written very well, especially since the author was jumping from human to AI point of views often. Really my only other negative is that I never got attached to a character or group. On one hand, I loved not directly knowing who is good and bad, but with the frequent character jumps, I never ended feeling any emotion for any of the characters.

The ending was brilliant. Having all the POV's and converging storylines come together was extremely satisfying, and it left me wanting more.

[Karen ⚜Mess⚜ · Rating 4 out of 5]

🤖🔥 This sweet ass book is finally on sale! .99 on Amazon Jan 18, 2024 🔥🤖

This book is often described as dark sci-fi. It's a fucking nightmare. I'm going to have find some Mary Poppins palate cleanser. This story is full of horrific and bizarre creatures. Kordov must have been dropping acid to reach this kind of mind trip.

I loved the beginning parts about Esther. Hopefully, I'll get a lot more of her in the next book.

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Hand of God by Yuval Kordov was another read in my top 20 priority list from my personal SPFBO-9 TBR. I knew going into this one it was going to be a bit different than my typical reads. Finishing it up, I think it lived up to that prediction as well.

This story did seem to lean a bit more into the science fiction side of things than the more traditional fantasy. I mean looking at the cover along should have eluded to this. There were certainly some fantasy aspects in it though. This is more along the lines of a post apocalyptic world where the survivors still have some technology but have also taken a step or two back with their societies.

Religion is a very strong aspect to this story. As with this topic in general I found it interesting how the author brings to light how perspective can play into religion. Who is to say what is good and what is evil and where to things fall in middle? This story and it's characters populate this entire spectrum.

The pacing was solid. Even though this one took me far longer than my usual visual reads I don't fault the book at all. Timing was just wrong for me. I have had so much going on while trying to read this book, I simply didn't get the chance to pick it up as frequently as I wanted to. With that being said, I got through the second half much faster than the first as I really force fed this read into my priority so I could try and enjoy it more. I'm happy to say it worked! The only issue I'll mention is the timeline was a bit confusing for me for quite some time. I was having some suspicions that things covered at the beginning might not all be current events. As the story progressed that suspicion grew more and more until I could finally confirm there was indeed some hopping around with the timeline on some chapters to fill details in. Reading this book more consistently might have helped with this and some readers might not have any issues at all with it. But it took me almost three quarters of the way through the book before I really understood this was happening.

The worldbuilding was really unique and enjoyable for me. I've been have a lot of fun with the post apocalyptic stories of late and this was another one. Yuval has painted a very dreary and ominous world for us readers to explore with some interesting characters. There is a decent amount of political intrigue with some espionage as well. As I mentioned above it's interesting to see who different factions with a strong religious aspect in leadership where they have drastically different views and ruling practices.

The character development has been solid so far. We've seen some growth from Philippe as well as some of our leaders and even our "machines" up to this point. But this is one of the reads that I'm thinking we've only just scratched the surface with these characters and there is so much more to come!

As good as this read was, I was even more intrigued to see mention that this story came about as a tabletop RPG setting before the author turned it into a book. Now I'm thinking I need to get my hands on some notes from this campaign world so I can create some characters to run in it and see how things go!

[S. Pierzchala · Rating 5 out of 5]

The young survivor of a nuclear apocalypse is visited by an angelic entity and learns she is destined to save humanity. But five hundred years later, there are more questions than answers about Esther's long life and incredible powers: are they truly God-given, or is she a tool in a much darker conflict between universal forces?

The first part of “The Hand of God” is intense, detailing Esther's experiences as she scrabbles to survive alone in the rubble of civilization, while avoiding ravaging gangs and demonic monsters. These monsters are not radioactive mutants, but genuine demons apparently allowed by God to torment the remains of humanity in a second, spiritual apocalypse that followed closely on the heels of the first man-made disaster. This portion of the story is grim, gritty and fragmentary, almost stream-of-consciousness. It is also nightmarish to the point of being oppressive.

However, once Esther receives her powers, the tale unfolds in many directions. The action shoots forward in time and the reader is quickly introduced to the different enclaves and cultures that have arisen out of the nuclear devastation/demonic assaults, and to the players in the emerging power-struggles between these different interests. At the heart of these struggles is the race to secure and resuscitate the massive battle walker units, created by long-lost technology but still coveted by all sides in the fight against evil---whether that evil originates from Hell or lies within the hearts of humanity's remnant.

In this first installment of the Dark Legacies series, Kordov has crafted an impressive, intricate world with lots of characters and an intriguing underlying theological premise. The pacing is excellent and his skilled, vivid writing helps the reader stay on track while navigating the numerous players and locales. The world-building is detailed, awe-inspiring and immersive---all without being overwhelming. With a few powerful, expert strokes, the memorable characters leap from the page and immediately draw the the reader into their backgrounds and challenges.

Highly recommended for fans of rich, breathtaking epics in the tradition of “Dune” or “A Canticle For Leibowitz”, (with a dash of the Max Max films). I am eagerly awaiting the next book!

[Christopher Meyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fast-paced post-apcolyptic sci-fi

Excellent story that drags you right into the fray of this post-apocolyptic world. The characters and story are dynamic and deep. Can’t wait for the next story and future gaming adaptations.

[Eryn McConnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is beautifully crafted prose with a complex layered post - apocalyptic world. The author doesn't hand hold you, he throws you right in and expects you to keep up. There are a lot of POVs here, but they all are distinct from each other.
This story will stay with me a fair while.

[Joshua Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review originally published at joshse.com/the-hand-of-god
---

I often wonder what it is that makes me want to keep turning a page in a book. What hooks did the author sink into my skin that compels me to find out what happens next?

Ofttimes, it's a high-octane plot that relentlessly pushes the characters into one deadly situation after the next. This book isn't that – it's a bit more of a slow burn, though the characters are always in life-threatening circumstances. Sometimes it's the authorial voice, bleeding off the page. There's a bit of that here – Yuval's prose is stylized yet accessible, somewhat formal yet vivid and immersive.

What propelled me through The Hand of God was the atmosphere of the setting. It's like nothing I've read before. There are heavy religious undertones, and the book depicts its monsters like biblically accurate angels and demons. Body horror, despair, and insanity, like a blend of the Shimmer in the film Annihilation, Lovecraft's unknowable horrors, and utter desolation like Berserk's Midlands after the Eclipse.

This book isn't confined by genre, not at all. It's equal parts sci-fi, fantasy, and horror, and all of it is done impeccably. Intrigue is subtly woven into the narration as the full extent of the double-apocalypse comes into clearer focus. The details of the second apocalypse – the opening of the Hellmouth – are still unclear to me, and I really hope we learn more about it in the recently published book two, All Of Our Sins.

The story spans, I believe, several hundred years. The timeline is a bit fuzzy, and I suspect that's intentional. Regardless, we begin by following one girl's story before the end of the world, then jump forward to a new set of POV characters living in the last cities in the wasteland that was once North America. All of these characters are compelling, but my favorite was the battle walker A-11. That Yuval made me care so strongly for the whereabouts of a literal weapon of mass destruction speaks to his talents as a writer. A-11's chapters were equal parts poignant and hilarious while remaining philosophically interesting.

Despite jumping around in time and being thoroughly confused about events at certain points in history, at no point was I ever bored or disengaged by the story. The book even commits the sin of ending with a hard cliffhanger, normally something that would make me ragequit the series. Instead, here it has me chomping at the bit to continue with the next book.

Even if you've never picked up a fantasy/scifi/horror book before, I'd recommend you start with this one. The Hand of God truly something special, and I can't wait to see what horrors Dark Legacy has in store next.

5/5 ⭐

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book as a judge in the Self-Published Science-Fiction Competition 3. It's a semi-finalist and assigned to my team.

This book took me a while to get into, mainly because I’m not religious and found the focus on what I believe to be Christian mythos hard to grasp. In truth, I’m not interested in theology or metaphysical sci-fi (I thought A Canticle for Leibowitz, a book referenced in the blurb as being a comparable title, was extremely tedious). I’m not against people being religious, of course, it’s just not my interest. As such, I'm not the target market for this book, but I did find it interesting, enjoyable, and I'm glad I was "forced" to read it.

As such, because I have no background in this stuff, I had trouble understanding what was going on regarding the monsters and the setting. I got that it was post-apocalyptic, but I didn’t understand what caused it or what the monsters were. Yet, I want to stress that this book is very very good - I definitely enjoyed it once I got a bead on it. The novel’s only real downfall - and I’m just talking about it now to get it out of the way before the good stuff - is that it presupposes that the reader understands the theology the writer is working within. Words like Messiah and Hell are thrown around but without context.

As such, the novel really needed to provide some background for those of us who know nothing about Christianity beyond Jesus, because none of this is explained at all. We get vague references to some sort of rift opening, caused by (I’m presuming, as we’re never definitively told) some sort of human-set nuclear event, but I’m unclear how a nuke would open such a rift.

Yet, it’s not like I didn’t get the gist of the story or couldn’t enjoy it without knowing this, but it was a little hard to enjoy without understanding the world build. The basis of the first quarter of the story is that there’s a little girl, her family is dead, and she’s in a wasteland where monsters have run amok. (If you have children, especially young ones, and are triggered by a) kids in perils and b) children, well, dying, you should avoid this book.)

This book is bleak. The first quarter is the girl, Esther, trying to survive. It doesn’t spend too much time then, at least, jumping forward to when she’s older, and there are some top-notch action scenes in these parts. The monsters are hard to picture, but the action around them is super cool. I understood her problems and sympathized greatly with her.

Then, the book jumps forward 400 years without warning and gives us a new set of characters. There are three sects - some underground bunker dudes - also religious - another sect worshipping Esther as some sort of demi-god, and then these once-raider groups who have formed their own collective. The book also has an AI character and Battle Mechs, though we don’t really get to see either in action until the end and not for very long.

The characters are well done. Esther is very likeable, Baptiste was a sad sack but understandable. Rebecca was interesting, but the scavs, Sophus especially, were the most relatable and entertaining for me. I did in fact ship Basptise with Julia despite their limited scenes together, so Kordov is very good at minimal description carrying a lot of nuance and characterization.

Overall, this book, despite the lack of exposition, is quite entrancing. The author has a writing style that is very descriptive and polished, and while the religious themes of the book aren’t for me, I definitely enjoyed the novel and do recommend it.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

DISCLAIMER - I received a free copy of this book to review for the 2023 Self-Published Science Fiction Competition (SPSFC).

The Hand of God is the first book in Yuval Kordov’s series, Dark Legacies. Dark is a huge understatement. I’ve read quite a number of dystopian and apocalyptic novels but Cordon has, literally, put hell on earth.

This book takes place hundreds of years after the earth has been devastated by nuclear war. The dependents of the surviving humans have formed new clusters of civilization and are trying to survive in an inhospitable world. Each independent group has their own rules, mythology, and religion and are struggling to survive with technology gone, food scarce, and danger ever present.

As the title suggests, there is a lot about god and religion in this book. As the surviving humans stumble around the devastation they are focused on the hope that god will forgive them for destroying the earth. The war has not only left large swarths of land desolate but has lead to the evolution of hellish demons due to the lingering radiation.

The book shifts around quite a bit as the various groups and important players are introduced. The book is divided into different sections as new characters and surviving groups are introduced. With the introduction of these different parts of the new world order the storyline becomes more complicated but also more interwoven. In retrospect I might have had an easier time with the story if I had kept a score card of sects, groups, and individuals.

In the Afterword, Yuval Kordov explains that this series grew out of guide books he had started writing back in 2004 for Dark Legacies, a d20 role-playing game system. As he explains, “finding meaning beyond basic survival after the apocalypse” is the core of both the game and the books.

It took me a bit to warm up to this book as I struggled to understand the plot and storyline. As the various plots, subplots, groups, and individuals emerged I got a better sense of the world Kordov had created. By the time I got to the last page, I was well entrenched and pondering when I could find time to read All of Our Sins, the second book in the Dark Legacies series.

[Melody Kepler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Descriptive read!

Totally immersed in the book every time I picked it up. The descriptions are captivating and the individual stories were all intriguing in their own unique and different ways. Kordov has a real talent for world building and making you care about what's happening with the characters, along with trying to predict where they'll go next.

[Jon James · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE HAND OF GOD is an excellent addition to the incensepunk shelf that borders on grimdarkness except for the glimmer of hope the two main human societies of Bastion and Cathedral cling to.

Nothing about this book is stereotypical. It struggles to even be placed in a genre. Hordes of demons plague what remains of the earth wearing the faces of your loved ones on their chaotic, vile bodies.

A child survivor of the first time the world ended - before hell was unleashed to condemn humanity for their crimes against creation - has become the immortal protector of Cathedral. Ferocious sisters dedicated to the Messiah raise psionic clone children for one purpose: to pilot the titanic God-engines, or discard them if they are not of use. These mighty weapons give them the means to protect the Union, a ragtag group of Mad Max-esque scavengers that grow tired of tithing their greatest finds to the Sisters.

Across the deadlands, where merely straying too long can cause insanity, lies Bastion, a fortress against the legions of hell ruled by a triumvirate of church, state, and military. Here, political machinations rise as a religiously brainwashed nuclear battle mech from before humans nearly eradicated each other is recovered and restored.

The forces of hell are rising, and with it tensions between the two outposts. But if demons walk the earth, where is God in all this? He blotted out the stars, withdrew from the earth, and released the beasts of the adversary - but both factions of humanity claim to speak for Him.

HAND OF GOD is not an easy read, but I say that in a good way. It is written non-linearly and we are left to puzzle for ourselves the exact timeline as we receive more clues. It bounces from perspective character to perspective character, teasing information here and filling a gap there, never letting you settle into comfort. And why should the reader find comfort in a narrative where the nuclear apocalypse came and even that wasn't enough punishment for humanity?

It is a book that rewards readers that conjecture, wonder, readers that like mysteries to solve. And it is those constant mysteries (along with the action that churns along at a consistent, inevitable pace like the war machines themselves) that compel you to keep reading. The prose is detached yet thorough, and the world building is woven into it like a single golden thread in a tapestry. It is as bereft of exposition dumps as its sky is of stars. The dots exist to be connected, but they are not numbered for you.

The world of Dark Legacies (of which this book is the first) is as deep as it is brutal. It is the kind of world you could run a roleplaying game in (fittingly, as the setting first began as such, albeit in a very different format). Judgment has been rendered upon mankind and it was not in our favor.

And yet, it is not without hope. For both cities see a means of redemption for the race in their faith. Faith that is treated respectfully in the novel. For though both major cities are run by the church (fittingly, considering the Dark Ages parallels drawn), and though corruption exists among the individuals of the church, it is also a setting where literal demons walk the earth and one can look down upon the souls of the damned. It would be a disservice not to allow the characters in such a setting to take solace in their faith.

Those who struggle with nonlinear narratives, understated prose, or unexplained plots may find this a challenging read (though personally I find those aspects to be some of this book's greatest strengths). Those who dislike multiple points of view may also find that there are too many heads to get inside of (while I count myself among this group, I found THE HAND OF GOD unable to be put down once I got into the second half).

This book will be loved by fans of the aesthetic of Warhammer 40k and Blasphemous, by anyone who wanted to see what China Mieville would do if he wrote Battletech, and by those who want to flirt with grimdark but desire a hint of sunlight on the horizon rather than the cynical tendencies of the genre.

[Tom Mock]

This is not a full review. I read through the beginning of all 300 SPFBO9 contest entries. This was a book I wanted to read more of.

A young girl, all alone in a post-apocalyptic nuclear winter, hugs her stuffed cat close, and survives because of her trusty friend Mr. Claw, a can opener.

I don’t know yet just what the fantasy elements of this story will be, but the opening I find in ch1 (more on the prologue later) is immediately engrossing.

Our MC - heroic simply because of her ability to survive - and our setting leap onto the page. There is a wonderful sense of understated tragedy here, and perseverance.

Our MC feels like such an interestingly unlikely character to focus on surviving in this eerie world of roofless houses and summer snow. She is very young, but is written in a way that is both true and yet still engaging and inviting.

There is so much about this, from the deft introduction of the setting, the focus on character (and her departed family), and our MC’s childish names for the only things that are left to her, that remind me of Stephen King’s writing. It’s that good.

This girl has such a realistic, sad, quiet strength. This is just the way things are now. She hardly understands it. It is almost like a dream. But she’s hungry and so goes hunting for cans. This is precise and artful. It feels effortlessly interesting.

On the other hand, I understand essentially nothing in the prologue, which is written in a different, much more abstracted style than the beginning of the story in ch1. A void face … creature … being is born? Gendered? Tendrils? Dying sibling…

I’ve read other identical prologues in this blog-off - an entity born in the weird void space that exists more linguistically than anything. I think this prologue works less well than the others I’ve seen because I understand less and it doesn’t seem like it’s going anywhere.

This contrasts starkly to the grounded immediacy of ch1 that introduces character and setting and heaps of conflict in little over a page.

I don’t want to sound to harsh, but I don’t think I’ve encounter an opening in this blog-off that simultaneously is both so good and so bad. For me, the prologue has nothing. Ch1 has everything.

I fully recommend this book in spite of what I see as an initial misstep, and perhaps skewing more towards Sci-Fi. When this properly begins, it’s a knockout. I can’t wait to find out what will happen next! I’m in!

[Patrick S. · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book started out so strong. A post-apocalyptic setting with a sympathetic character who is struggling to survive and making tough decisions that turn out bad because of the dire straights she finds herself in. The ending of the first act really gave me a lot of hope for the rest of the book. Unfortunately, I ended up not liking anything past that and with the plot of an apocalypse caused by man and a second by God I had high hopes.

From there, the other two acts are slogged down in pacing from too many changes in characters. The story isn't straightforward because of this. I'm not a lazy reader and have enjoyed hidden details to enjoy a bigger plot reveal (e.g., The Shadow of the Torturer by Gene Wolfe) but I didn't follow this well at all. The story slogs through and the switching from inner character details to exterior plot to exposition makes it even more muddled. Action set pieces were very confusing as I wasn't sure who the military group was actually fighting to get into some hidden base in the outer areas no one has ever come back from. The other theocracy faction has some interesting reveals but when switching from them and coming back, their story has skipped and further reveals from the first don't really follow. The time from arc one to arc two, where the majority of the story occurs, just doesn't inform me of how the world has gotten this way and for what reason. The ending with a cliffhanger did not solidify even a good wrap-up where all the ties are pulled together even of any of the developed points in this book.

Sadly, with a great plot description and a strong start to the book the rest of the book fell flat. With unclear prose and a winding plot of confusion, I didn't enjoy this and won't be continuing with the next one. Final Grade - D-

[Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yuval Kordov's post-post-apocalyptic sci-fi, The Hand of God has to be one of the harder SPFBO books I've tried to categorize. Drinkly deeply of the Gothic, with dense, moody prose that blends with VanderMeerian body horror and Warhammer 40k-style military SFF, Hand is its own very particular narrative experience. Here and there were shades of Fallout and probably a wealth of other SF books that I missed. Despite the comparisons, however, I can't overstate what a unique experience the book really is.

While overall I'd characterize the novel as concept rather than character-driven, the strongest moments for me were its truly human ones (including those experienced by non-human characters). Part One's focus on one POV--a lone surviving human child named Esther--culminate in a sucker-punch of a revelation that Kordov nonetheless builds toward with a deft and subtle foreshadowing. Later in the novel, as the cast expands, the AI mech A11 was a stand-out for me, and I was particularly impressed by how Kordov calls back to elements of A11's narration throughout ("shit had gone sideways" for anyone who's read the book!).

One of my absolute favourite parts of Hand, however, was when Sophus (a group leader in a scavenger and clan-based society called the Scavrats) takes his team South in search of plunder, only to be met by a horrifying sea of eternally screaming bodies. Their was something of Bosch in the imagery, with a dash of VanderMeer's work in Annihilation and overall I found the Scavrats one of the most fascinating groups we encounter.

Kordov's depiction of a rich, apocalyptic environment is worth exploring if you love immersive writing that plunges you straight into the landscape.

[Abel Montero · Rating 4 out of 5]

Find an in-depth review on my YouTube channel:
https://youtu.be/FZQN-jGi-WA?si=LHz6G...

Few weeks back, I delved into the enigmatic realms of "The Hand of God" by the literary sorcerer, Yuval Kordov. This initial installment in the "Dark Legacies" series unfolds a post-apocalyptic tapestry, set a couple of centuries beyond our contemporary chaos. Picture this: civilization obliterated, humanity on the brink, and now we're trying to reassemble the puzzle of a new world.



As I navigated this dystopian landscape, it felt like trying to read by candlelight – perplexing yet strangely fascinating. Kordov weaves a narrative that's intentionally obscure. It’s not your run-of-the-mill sci-fi; this is more like a literary cocktail spiked with magical realism and sprinkled with experimentation. Think of it as a new-age symphony – unconventional, but oh, so riveting.

I had a delightful tête-à-tête with Kordov on Instagram, and he spilled the beans on his influences. His love for magical realism and penchant for experimentation shine through every page. This isn't your average science fiction; it's an artistic endeavor that paints with a different brush.

Now, let's talk about the prose. It has this dreamlike quality, thickening the atmosphere, making it eerie, and occasionally downright spooky. It's a dance between deciphering whether what's happening is real or confined to the characters' minds. The structure is peculiar, the setting is unique, and the narrative is character-driven.

The story kicks off with a vulnerable Esther, a young survivor in a desolate world. Kordov doesn't shy away from the harsh realities – young lives grappling with the unforgiving struggle for survival. Fair warning: the beginning can be heart-wrenching. But, oh boy, it’s done beautifully. You'll see Esther evolve, survive, and eventually unlock powers that herald her as the chosen one.

As the tale unravels, factions emerge – scavengers, militaristic societies, and a sprinkle of post-apocalyptic tropes. The narrative is rich with multiple perspectives, some characters more developed than others, but hey, it's a short book, and you've got to ride that literary rollercoaster.

The experience is challenging, and at times it feels like you're solving a puzzle. However, that's part of the charm. Trust the author to reveal just enough to let you absorb the world organically. This book is like an acquired taste – a satisfying struggle that becomes more enjoyable once you find your stride.

So, if you're tired of the usual space operas or post-apocalyptic clichés, give "The Hand of God" a spin. It’s strange, it’s original, and it's a literary cocktail that will leave you thirsting for more. I'm already eyeing Book Two before the year bows out – challenge accepted.