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No Gods West of Here
Not yet published
Expected 30 Jul 26A people-pleasing scholar. A dangerous cult leader. Good luck picking sides.
Talia Salaren is a brilliant scholar and obedient eldest daughter with a bright future decided by everyone but her.
Then she finds a dead god's salacious journal.
The secrets inside could unravel four centuries of empire. The gods were jerks, and their power was stolen, claimed by five families who built legacies on a lie. Families like hers.
With her life's work outlawed, Talia flees to Gateway, a frontier boomtown where divine magic is clawed from the earth like gold. She walks straight into a trap — a dangerous expedition led by a cult leader who is very good at making people want things they shouldn't. He has no interest in studying the gods. He plans to become one.
As their uneasy company pushes deeper into godforsaken territory, the myths she was raised to believe begin to fracture — along with the careful version of herself she's always performed.
The cult leader is wrong. She knows it.
For once, she wants to be wrong too.
If Talia doesn't choose what she stands for — and who she's willing to lose — she won't just have her heart broken. She'll become someone else's weapon.
Talia Salaren is a brilliant scholar and obedient eldest daughter with a bright future decided by everyone but her.
Then she finds a dead god's salacious journal.
The secrets inside could unravel four centuries of empire. The gods were jerks, and their power was stolen, claimed by five families who built legacies on a lie. Families like hers.
With her life's work outlawed, Talia flees to Gateway, a frontier boomtown where divine magic is clawed from the earth like gold. She walks straight into a trap — a dangerous expedition led by a cult leader who is very good at making people want things they shouldn't. He has no interest in studying the gods. He plans to become one.
As their uneasy company pushes deeper into godforsaken territory, the myths she was raised to believe begin to fracture — along with the careful version of herself she's always performed.
The cult leader is wrong. She knows it.
For once, she wants to be wrong too.
If Talia doesn't choose what she stands for — and who she's willing to lose — she won't just have her heart broken. She'll become someone else's weapon.
384 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2026
About the author
Hanna Gaard
1 book10 followersHanna writes romantic fantasy books about messy people who think they're the heroes. A lifelong fantasy reader, she adores character-driven plots, unique magic systems, and twisting popular tropes.
No Gods West of Here is Hanna's debut novel. It follows Talia, a people-pleasing scholar who has to get sharp to survive in a frontier world where shards of divine magic are mined like gold, and a dangerous cult leader would turn her into a weapon.
No Gods West of Here is Hanna's debut novel. It follows Talia, a people-pleasing scholar who has to get sharp to survive in a frontier world where shards of divine magic are mined like gold, and a dangerous cult leader would turn her into a weapon.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 5, 2026
“No one here knew her name, let alone what she was running from. The laugh that escaped was half sob, unsteady and hers. It felt like something cracking open inside her. She was twenty-six years old, and for the first time in her life, no one was telling her who to be.”
✨ Villain origin story
✨ Enemies with benefits
✨ Love rectangle
✨ Forced proximity
✨ Gold rush vibes
I ate this book up. It was so good I inhaled about 60% of it before I even realised how much I’d read.
Talia is a scholar trying to uncover secrets that were never meant to see the light of day, and in the process she more or less walks straight into Lore’s orbit. Lore happens to be a cult leader with ambitions that are, frankly, concerning, and from that point on things just keep escalating.
“A cage is a cage… even if the bars sparkle.”
The plot is packed with secrets, twists, and discoveries that constantly change what you think you know. The deeper Talia digs into the history of the gods, the messier everything becomes, and I was completely invested in seeing where it would all lead.
“Survival is just another language, and you’re already learning it… You have remarkable potential. That’s more interesting than perfection.”
Dawn was easily my favourite. I loved her relationship with Talia, and her own story ended up being one of the most compelling parts of the book. Every time she was on the page I wanted more.
Riven brings a steadiness to the group that balances out some of the chaos. He has that dependable protector energy that makes him impossible not to like.
“Safe was an illusion. She couldn’t afford to pretend.”
Then there’s Holloway, Talia’s childhood best friend and ex-fiancé, who spends a good portion of the book yearning, trying his best, and finding himself wildly out of his depth. Watching him get dragged further and further into everything was honestly great.
And Lore, who somehow manages to be charismatic, manipulative, dangerous, and impossible to ignore all at the same time.
“Three men. Three different versions of who she could be with each of them.”
It’s got humour, it’s got spice, it’s got queer rep, it’s got dragons, and it has characters making increasingly questionable decisions. Basically all the ingredients for a really good time.
“What’s the point of surviving if you have to be a monster to do it?”
Chaos, vibes, and opinions are all my own ✨ please give credit if you share.
✨ Villain origin story
✨ Enemies with benefits
✨ Love rectangle
✨ Forced proximity
✨ Gold rush vibes
I ate this book up. It was so good I inhaled about 60% of it before I even realised how much I’d read.
Talia is a scholar trying to uncover secrets that were never meant to see the light of day, and in the process she more or less walks straight into Lore’s orbit. Lore happens to be a cult leader with ambitions that are, frankly, concerning, and from that point on things just keep escalating.
“A cage is a cage… even if the bars sparkle.”
The plot is packed with secrets, twists, and discoveries that constantly change what you think you know. The deeper Talia digs into the history of the gods, the messier everything becomes, and I was completely invested in seeing where it would all lead.
“Survival is just another language, and you’re already learning it… You have remarkable potential. That’s more interesting than perfection.”
Dawn was easily my favourite. I loved her relationship with Talia, and her own story ended up being one of the most compelling parts of the book. Every time she was on the page I wanted more.
Riven brings a steadiness to the group that balances out some of the chaos. He has that dependable protector energy that makes him impossible not to like.
“Safe was an illusion. She couldn’t afford to pretend.”
Then there’s Holloway, Talia’s childhood best friend and ex-fiancé, who spends a good portion of the book yearning, trying his best, and finding himself wildly out of his depth. Watching him get dragged further and further into everything was honestly great.
And Lore, who somehow manages to be charismatic, manipulative, dangerous, and impossible to ignore all at the same time.
“Three men. Three different versions of who she could be with each of them.”
It’s got humour, it’s got spice, it’s got queer rep, it’s got dragons, and it has characters making increasingly questionable decisions. Basically all the ingredients for a really good time.
“What’s the point of surviving if you have to be a monster to do it?”
Chaos, vibes, and opinions are all my own ✨ please give credit if you share.
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June 5, 20265⭐️ | No Gods West of Here
This book was an absolute standout for me 🖤✨
A dark romantasy with gold rush vibes? Sign me up. ⛏️🌙
What I loved most was how naturally the story unfolded. The world, the characters, the history—you gather pieces as you go, which made every chapter feel like a discovery.
The character development was incredible. Every character had qualities that made me love them... and qualities that made me question them 😅 Which, honestly, made them feel real.
But Talia was the character who hit me the hardest.
"Talia had spent her entire life twisting herself to fit expectations. To play a role."
As the oldest daughter who often feels responsible for making sure everyone else is okay, that one landed right in the heart 💔
Watching her navigate those expectations while trying to find herself felt deeply relatable and beautifully done.
This is one of those books that feels genuinely unique. I haven't read anything quite like it, and I loved every minute of it.
Highly recommend adding this one to your TBR. 📚✨
This book was an absolute standout for me 🖤✨
A dark romantasy with gold rush vibes? Sign me up. ⛏️🌙
What I loved most was how naturally the story unfolded. The world, the characters, the history—you gather pieces as you go, which made every chapter feel like a discovery.
The character development was incredible. Every character had qualities that made me love them... and qualities that made me question them 😅 Which, honestly, made them feel real.
But Talia was the character who hit me the hardest.
"Talia had spent her entire life twisting herself to fit expectations. To play a role."
As the oldest daughter who often feels responsible for making sure everyone else is okay, that one landed right in the heart 💔
Watching her navigate those expectations while trying to find herself felt deeply relatable and beautifully done.
This is one of those books that feels genuinely unique. I haven't read anything quite like it, and I loved every minute of it.
Highly recommend adding this one to your TBR. 📚✨
June 4, 2026
Thank you, Hanna for this eARC!
4.5✨ WOW. I needed different and man, this was DIFFERENT in the best way possible.
Two FMCs, secrets, betrayals out the wazoo, twists that I didn’t see coming, gods, monsters, but also guns and power.
I couldn’t tell if I liked any characters for the longest time (and not in a bad way, I wanted to figure it all out so badly)
If anything happens to my sweet bby, Dawn, I will rage. She deserves the world.
After that epilogue, imma need book 2 like yesterday.
4.5✨ WOW. I needed different and man, this was DIFFERENT in the best way possible.
Two FMCs, secrets, betrayals out the wazoo, twists that I didn’t see coming, gods, monsters, but also guns and power.
I couldn’t tell if I liked any characters for the longest time (and not in a bad way, I wanted to figure it all out so badly)
If anything happens to my sweet bby, Dawn, I will rage. She deserves the world.
After that epilogue, imma need book 2 like yesterday.
Review of advance copy received from Author
ARC REVIEW
No Gods West of Here is a fast paced, world building story set in a pioneer-gold rush era fantasy world filled with magic, magical creatures, and flawed people. This is a villain origin story. This is the eldest daughter who is fed up with doing what is expected of her and wants to do what she wants even if it’s wrong. This is a found family story with dragons. It leaves you wanting more.
No Gods West of Here is a fast paced, world building story set in a pioneer-gold rush era fantasy world filled with magic, magical creatures, and flawed people. This is a villain origin story. This is the eldest daughter who is fed up with doing what is expected of her and wants to do what she wants even if it’s wrong. This is a found family story with dragons. It leaves you wanting more.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I just utterly devoured this book, initially felt a little slow then picked up speed rapidly! I loved/hated some of our love square and my god did the twists mess me up. The last hundred pages had me deeply hooked then crying then happy then deeply angry because the cliffhanger?!?!? I’m already dying to read book 2 and this will be highly recommended to my book club. I can’t wait to see wear this goes love Talia and dawn so much
June 2, 2026
ARC REVIEW ✨⚔️
This was such a fun, engaging read! I couldn’t put it down!
Loved the world-building and the character development. Very fast-paced without feeling rushed.
This was such a fun, engaging read! I couldn’t put it down!
Loved the world-building and the character development. Very fast-paced without feeling rushed.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews