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Lost Gods
A young man descends into Purgatory to save his wife and unborn child in this gorgeous, illustrated tale of wonder and terror from the mind of master storyteller and acclaimed artist Brom.
Fresh out of jail and eager to start a new life, Chet Moran and his pregnant wife, Trish, leave town to begin again. But an ancient evil is looming, and what seems like a safe haven may not be all it appears . . .
Snared and murdered by a vile, arcane horror, Chet quickly learns that pain and death are not unique to the living. Now the lives and very souls of his wife and unborn child are at stake.To save them, he must journey into the bowels of purgatory in search of a sacred key promised to restore the natural order of life and death. Alone, confused, and damned, Chet steels himself against the unfathomable terrors awaiting him as he descends into death’s stygian blackness.
With Lost Gods, Brom’s gritty and visceral prose takes us on a haunting, harrowing journey into the depths of the underworld. Thrust into a realm of madness and chaos, where ancient gods and demons battle over the dead, and where cabals of souls conspire to overthrow their masters, Chet plays a dangerous game, risking eternal damnation to save his family.
Fresh out of jail and eager to start a new life, Chet Moran and his pregnant wife, Trish, leave town to begin again. But an ancient evil is looming, and what seems like a safe haven may not be all it appears . . .
Snared and murdered by a vile, arcane horror, Chet quickly learns that pain and death are not unique to the living. Now the lives and very souls of his wife and unborn child are at stake.To save them, he must journey into the bowels of purgatory in search of a sacred key promised to restore the natural order of life and death. Alone, confused, and damned, Chet steels himself against the unfathomable terrors awaiting him as he descends into death’s stygian blackness.
With Lost Gods, Brom’s gritty and visceral prose takes us on a haunting, harrowing journey into the depths of the underworld. Thrust into a realm of madness and chaos, where ancient gods and demons battle over the dead, and where cabals of souls conspire to overthrow their masters, Chet plays a dangerous game, risking eternal damnation to save his family.
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First published October 25, 2016
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About the author
Brom
60 books6,791 followersBorn in the deep dark south in the mid-sixties. Brom, an army brat, spent his entire youth on the move and unabashedly blames living in such places as Japan, Hawaii, Germany, and Alabama for all his afflictions. From his earliest memories Brom, has been obsessed with the creation of the weird, the monstrous, and the beautiful.
At age twenty, Brom began working full-time as a commercial illustrator in Atlanta, Georgia. Three years later he entered the field of fantastic art he’d loved his whole life, making his mark developing and illustrating for TSR’s best selling role-playing worlds.
He has since gone on to lend his distinctive vision to all facets of the creative industries, from novels and games, to comics and film, receiving numerous awards such as the Spectrum Fantastic Art Grand Master award and the Chesley Lifetime Achievement award. He is also a national best-selling author of a series of award-winning illustrated horror novels: Slewfoot, Lost Gods, Krampus the Yule Lord, The Child Thief, The Plucker, and The Devil’s Rose. Brom is currently kept in a dank cellar somewhere just outside of Savannah.
At age twenty, Brom began working full-time as a commercial illustrator in Atlanta, Georgia. Three years later he entered the field of fantastic art he’d loved his whole life, making his mark developing and illustrating for TSR’s best selling role-playing worlds.
He has since gone on to lend his distinctive vision to all facets of the creative industries, from novels and games, to comics and film, receiving numerous awards such as the Spectrum Fantastic Art Grand Master award and the Chesley Lifetime Achievement award. He is also a national best-selling author of a series of award-winning illustrated horror novels: Slewfoot, Lost Gods, Krampus the Yule Lord, The Child Thief, The Plucker, and The Devil’s Rose. Brom is currently kept in a dank cellar somewhere just outside of Savannah.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,511 reviews
June 11, 2018
Actual Rating: 2.5 Stars
”Too many Heaven borne souls find out too late that eternal bliss comes at a price. Their scriptures and verses never illuminate just how one can be in joyous rapture while their mothers, fathers, children, burn for all eternity.”
This book had no right to disappoint me as much as it did.
It centers around Chet Moran, a man recently out of prison & determined to get his life back on track for the sake of his pregnant girlfriend & unborn child. But circumstances find him forced to navigate through the depths of Purgatory to find the soul of his murderous grandfather & save all that he loves.
You wouldn’t think a story about a man fighting his way through a terrifying rendition of Purgatory could manage to be boring, right? Well. Think again.
While I quite enjoyed the beginning & ending, the middle 60%-70% of this book is an absolute snooze-fest.
Brom presents to us a Purgatory where souls are reformed without their earthly afflictions, where dying for a second time means being absorbed by the invisible winds of chaos, and gods both past & present command, enslave, and kill souls unlucky enough to wander into their domain.
It’s grim & imaginative, and at times a more frightening take on the grey limbo space between Heaven & Hell than my little heart was ready to process.
Brom’s talent for macabre description really speaks to his talent as a gothic fantasy/horror artist. He pens his grotesque imagery in a way that provokes a visceral revulsion in the reader.
Unfortunately, there isn’t much else here that I truly enjoyed.
Once Chet establishes himself & his mission in Purgatory, we’re treated to a small host of side characters & a handful of distracting secondary plots that do next to nothing for me.
On his journey Chet gets wrapped up in so many different aspects of the political situations unfolding in Purgatory, when all I wanted from him was to focus on his primary objective.
There exists a faction of what I imagined to be rough-riding vigilantes called “Green Coats” who police the realm & advocate for the abolition of the gods’ powers. There are weapons shops & saloons & production facilities all set up in makeshift towns where copper is the most valuable currency. There are gods submitting champions to Roman-style gladiator competitions.
As I mention, quite imaginative. But with it being set in Purgatory, the existence of all these different dynamics felt a little... pointless?
I know, I know. What did I expect? Purgatory to just be a roiling mass of blackness? No, I didn’t.
But with everyone already being dead & the continued existence of souls in a manner much the same as you’d expect when they were living, alongside literal gods squabbling for territory & believers, and the only real outcomes being varying levels of suffering...
I just kept thinking ”What is the real point of all this?”
There is a bit of talk about souls “finding themselves” & the concept of souls being damned to Hell & hiding from Lucifer’s hellhounds, but even by the end of this book a soul’s existence in Purgatory doesn’t end up feeling very consequential.
On his journey, Chet is continuously derailed by all these different aspects of Purgatory to the severe detriment of his primary goal. Several times I felt as though Chet had completely forgotten about his girlfriend & baby back in the living world because he actually does that much dicking around.
When Chet finally resumes his original cause, it becomes a mash up of smaller conflict resolutions that I had no investment in as he makes his way toward the final confrontation.
I’m happy to report at least that this book does not conclude with a cop out rainbows & flowers happy ending. Something this consistently terrifying would not have been served well if everyone made it out unscathed, which I can very much appreciate.
There are teases of philosophical discussion that I would’ve died to see more of, and Chet definitely experiences character development. But alas, there just isn’t quite enough here for me to say I enjoyed my reading experience.
But I wish Lost Gods would have dedicated more page space to the finer details of the mythology & tightened up the plot, and maybe spent less energy trying to shove in a ton of shocking scenarios, as it would be much better equipped to capitalize on its interesting premise.
”Too many Heaven borne souls find out too late that eternal bliss comes at a price. Their scriptures and verses never illuminate just how one can be in joyous rapture while their mothers, fathers, children, burn for all eternity.”
This book had no right to disappoint me as much as it did.
It centers around Chet Moran, a man recently out of prison & determined to get his life back on track for the sake of his pregnant girlfriend & unborn child. But circumstances find him forced to navigate through the depths of Purgatory to find the soul of his murderous grandfather & save all that he loves.
You wouldn’t think a story about a man fighting his way through a terrifying rendition of Purgatory could manage to be boring, right? Well. Think again.
While I quite enjoyed the beginning & ending, the middle 60%-70% of this book is an absolute snooze-fest.
Brom presents to us a Purgatory where souls are reformed without their earthly afflictions, where dying for a second time means being absorbed by the invisible winds of chaos, and gods both past & present command, enslave, and kill souls unlucky enough to wander into their domain.
It’s grim & imaginative, and at times a more frightening take on the grey limbo space between Heaven & Hell than my little heart was ready to process.
Brom’s talent for macabre description really speaks to his talent as a gothic fantasy/horror artist. He pens his grotesque imagery in a way that provokes a visceral revulsion in the reader.
Unfortunately, there isn’t much else here that I truly enjoyed.
Once Chet establishes himself & his mission in Purgatory, we’re treated to a small host of side characters & a handful of distracting secondary plots that do next to nothing for me.
On his journey Chet gets wrapped up in so many different aspects of the political situations unfolding in Purgatory, when all I wanted from him was to focus on his primary objective.
There exists a faction of what I imagined to be rough-riding vigilantes called “Green Coats” who police the realm & advocate for the abolition of the gods’ powers. There are weapons shops & saloons & production facilities all set up in makeshift towns where copper is the most valuable currency. There are gods submitting champions to Roman-style gladiator competitions.
As I mention, quite imaginative. But with it being set in Purgatory, the existence of all these different dynamics felt a little... pointless?
I know, I know. What did I expect? Purgatory to just be a roiling mass of blackness? No, I didn’t.
But with everyone already being dead & the continued existence of souls in a manner much the same as you’d expect when they were living, alongside literal gods squabbling for territory & believers, and the only real outcomes being varying levels of suffering...
I just kept thinking ”What is the real point of all this?”
There is a bit of talk about souls “finding themselves” & the concept of souls being damned to Hell & hiding from Lucifer’s hellhounds, but even by the end of this book a soul’s existence in Purgatory doesn’t end up feeling very consequential.
On his journey, Chet is continuously derailed by all these different aspects of Purgatory to the severe detriment of his primary goal. Several times I felt as though Chet had completely forgotten about his girlfriend & baby back in the living world because he actually does that much dicking around.
When Chet finally resumes his original cause, it becomes a mash up of smaller conflict resolutions that I had no investment in as he makes his way toward the final confrontation.
I’m happy to report at least that this book does not conclude with a cop out rainbows & flowers happy ending. Something this consistently terrifying would not have been served well if everyone made it out unscathed, which I can very much appreciate.
There are teases of philosophical discussion that I would’ve died to see more of, and Chet definitely experiences character development. But alas, there just isn’t quite enough here for me to say I enjoyed my reading experience.
But I wish Lost Gods would have dedicated more page space to the finer details of the mythology & tightened up the plot, and maybe spent less energy trying to shove in a ton of shocking scenarios, as it would be much better equipped to capitalize on its interesting premise.
October 31, 2016
Lost Gods doesn't fit neatly into any one genre. Purgatory being its main setting, there are demons and gods and whatnot, but here in the real world on Moran Island live both a witch and a Lilith, (all in one), as well as a fallen angel and the demonic ghosts of children. I guess Dark Fantasy would be the closest one could come to an accurate label.
Young Chet, fresh out of jail, sells the automotive love of his life to claim the actual love of his life, who is pregnant with his child. He breaks her out of the jail her home has become and heads to the home of his grandmother who he hasn't seen for years. However, his grandmother is not who she seems, and Chet soon finds himself in the depths of purgatory, faced with the challenge of getting back to Moran Island, his wife and child. Will he be able to make it? You'll have to read this to see.
The world-building in this novel is outstanding. Not only did Brom create a world using all kinds of religious and mythological touchstones, he created monetary systems and a grand quest. At times, this novel feels like a western and at others, a horror story. With hints of Neil Gaiman's American Gods and Clive Barker's version of Hell, somehow Brom makes it all work. The only issues I had with this story were the pacing, (which slowed down to glacial once or twice), and the length, (it could've been shortened a bit, I think, without losing anything truly important.) Those are the only negative things I can say about this book.
Even though my digital advance review copy did not have them, I would be remiss if I did not mention the incredible illustrations within. I've seen them online and they're flat-out GORGEOUS.
Lost Gods was my first Brom, but it won't be my last. It was imaginative and the author's knowledge of all of these gods, mythologies, and religions is just...impressive. The way he weaves it all together is even more so. Recommended for fans of dark fantasy, Neil Gaiman and horror/fantasy/quest mash ups.
Buy your copy here: Lost Gods: A Novel
*Thanks to Edelweiss and Harper Voyager for the e-ARC in exchange for my review. *
Young Chet, fresh out of jail, sells the automotive love of his life to claim the actual love of his life, who is pregnant with his child. He breaks her out of the jail her home has become and heads to the home of his grandmother who he hasn't seen for years. However, his grandmother is not who she seems, and Chet soon finds himself in the depths of purgatory, faced with the challenge of getting back to Moran Island, his wife and child. Will he be able to make it? You'll have to read this to see.
The world-building in this novel is outstanding. Not only did Brom create a world using all kinds of religious and mythological touchstones, he created monetary systems and a grand quest. At times, this novel feels like a western and at others, a horror story. With hints of Neil Gaiman's American Gods and Clive Barker's version of Hell, somehow Brom makes it all work. The only issues I had with this story were the pacing, (which slowed down to glacial once or twice), and the length, (it could've been shortened a bit, I think, without losing anything truly important.) Those are the only negative things I can say about this book.
Even though my digital advance review copy did not have them, I would be remiss if I did not mention the incredible illustrations within. I've seen them online and they're flat-out GORGEOUS.
Lost Gods was my first Brom, but it won't be my last. It was imaginative and the author's knowledge of all of these gods, mythologies, and religions is just...impressive. The way he weaves it all together is even more so. Recommended for fans of dark fantasy, Neil Gaiman and horror/fantasy/quest mash ups.
Buy your copy here: Lost Gods: A Novel
*Thanks to Edelweiss and Harper Voyager for the e-ARC in exchange for my review. *
March 22, 2017
Supernatural, Game of Thrones and The Odyssey had a baby...
The first thing that really caught my eye about Lost Gods was the gorgeous cover:
Brom is actually an illustrator with quite a few works under his belt already, so it's no surprise that Lost Gods is filled with his stunning art too.
No spoilers in this review, everything here is already in the blurb :)
The story is about Chet Moran, a guy fresh out of jail. He's eager to get a second chance from his pregnant girlfriend, Trish, and to be there for their unborn child. After an unfortunate chain of events bring them face to face with powerful ancient evil, Chet finds himself in Purgatory with a thirst for revenge and a mission to retrieve a key that could both free him and help destroy the monster who sent him down there. You will meet plenty of colourful characters along the way, each with their own agendas in a place where dying is far from the worst thing that could happen to you.
I absolutely ADORED Chet - he's a great character with a big heart, and it's impossible not to root for him throughout the story. No matter what was thrown at him (and with creatures from all kinds of legends and myths, there was plenty of trouble going his way), he dealt with everything like a goddamn hero.
Lastly, I usually find that a lot of books over 400 pages have a lot of unnecessary stuff in them. In Lost Gods, I actually thought that the near 500-page book could have easily been at LEAST triple that. Brom created such an exciting and rich world, I just wanted to learn more about every nook and cranny in it!
Would highly recommend it.
Thank you Edelweiss for bringing this book into my life
...and they named it Lost Gods.
The first thing that really caught my eye about Lost Gods was the gorgeous cover:
Brom is actually an illustrator with quite a few works under his belt already, so it's no surprise that Lost Gods is filled with his stunning art too.
No spoilers in this review, everything here is already in the blurb :)
The story is about Chet Moran, a guy fresh out of jail. He's eager to get a second chance from his pregnant girlfriend, Trish, and to be there for their unborn child. After an unfortunate chain of events bring them face to face with powerful ancient evil, Chet finds himself in Purgatory with a thirst for revenge and a mission to retrieve a key that could both free him and help destroy the monster who sent him down there. You will meet plenty of colourful characters along the way, each with their own agendas in a place where dying is far from the worst thing that could happen to you.
I absolutely ADORED Chet - he's a great character with a big heart, and it's impossible not to root for him throughout the story. No matter what was thrown at him (and with creatures from all kinds of legends and myths, there was plenty of trouble going his way), he dealt with everything like a goddamn hero.
Lastly, I usually find that a lot of books over 400 pages have a lot of unnecessary stuff in them. In Lost Gods, I actually thought that the near 500-page book could have easily been at LEAST triple that. Brom created such an exciting and rich world, I just wanted to learn more about every nook and cranny in it!
Would highly recommend it.
Thank you Edelweiss for bringing this book into my life
July 13, 2022
Lost Gods predominantly plays out in purgatory. Following the main character, Chet Moran, as he leaves the natural world and sinks into the realms of purgatory, not Hell, for Hell is a further realm, a realm for dead souls once they die again.
Chet is on a mission to rescue those close to him who he has left behind in the real world, those that are in grave danger of joining him in the underworld. However, unlike anything he has known about before, Chet must deal with gods, demons, magic, and sorcery.
This book borders on perfection. It is a journey so rich and visual, one that could never be done justice on a movie screen. Drawing images of Egyptian Goddesses, Viking Warriors, saloons in old Western ghost towns, the Gods of today, Demons from Hell, Western gunslingers, dry and arid deserts, gladiator battles in the Colosseum, vampiric horrors, half man half beast creatures, magic and sorcery, deception, revolution, vanity and so much more but all tied together without becoming ludicrous.
Gods, all so powerful, yet flawed in such human ways. Greed, vengeance, and pride define them. Demons, no better, challenge them, sharing their traits yet opposing their ideals. And what of the poor wandering lost souls that inhabit purgatory, seeking forgiveness and a second chance at life? Those that seek to find lost loved ones, to make amends for the sins they committed above, on Earth in their true lives.
Brom challenges the natural line of thought. Heaven and Hell, Gods and Demons are not as depicted in the same way as they are in our scriptures. Death is not final and evil remains at all levels. A seamless blend of science fiction, fantasy, and horror with a strong bead of adventure, I would recommend this book to anyone who can get their hands on it.
Chet is on a mission to rescue those close to him who he has left behind in the real world, those that are in grave danger of joining him in the underworld. However, unlike anything he has known about before, Chet must deal with gods, demons, magic, and sorcery.
This book borders on perfection. It is a journey so rich and visual, one that could never be done justice on a movie screen. Drawing images of Egyptian Goddesses, Viking Warriors, saloons in old Western ghost towns, the Gods of today, Demons from Hell, Western gunslingers, dry and arid deserts, gladiator battles in the Colosseum, vampiric horrors, half man half beast creatures, magic and sorcery, deception, revolution, vanity and so much more but all tied together without becoming ludicrous.
Gods, all so powerful, yet flawed in such human ways. Greed, vengeance, and pride define them. Demons, no better, challenge them, sharing their traits yet opposing their ideals. And what of the poor wandering lost souls that inhabit purgatory, seeking forgiveness and a second chance at life? Those that seek to find lost loved ones, to make amends for the sins they committed above, on Earth in their true lives.
Brom challenges the natural line of thought. Heaven and Hell, Gods and Demons are not as depicted in the same way as they are in our scriptures. Death is not final and evil remains at all levels. A seamless blend of science fiction, fantasy, and horror with a strong bead of adventure, I would recommend this book to anyone who can get their hands on it.
December 3, 2019
Okay, so this book terrified me so much that when I was half and half in a sleep paralysis state, I saw all sorts of shadows swirling around me.
This is a truly terrifying, existential crisis-inducing book that covers how corruption can trickle into the after life. Taking place in purgatory, this novel is shows how corruption trickles into the afterlife too.
Full review to come.
This is a truly terrifying, existential crisis-inducing book that covers how corruption can trickle into the after life. Taking place in purgatory, this novel is shows how corruption trickles into the afterlife too.
Full review to come.
March 8, 2024
Incredibly unique, great writing, and the art is just superb. Very much enjoyed how he brought all the religions/mythologies together.
July 11, 2019
Brilliantly dark.
Fans of writer / illustrator Gerald Brom know he stays in the hinterland of shadows and creepy by his other works like The Child Thief and Krampus. Brom focuses his work on the October Country of Ray Bradbury. But where Bradbury is a charming old uncle in a drafty, spooky old Georgian house, Brom is the slightly off kilter cousin who will get you in trouble if you let him. Brom is to urban fantasy as Amy Lee is to Alternative Rock - gothic, bold and charismatic.
His 2016 publication Lost Gods may be his most ambitious. Protagonist Chet Moran stays in and out of trouble but wants to do right by his girlfriend when she gets pregnant. Things go wrong almost immediately though and Moran and his young family escape to his grandmother’s land out in a swampy island to hide out.
From here we go on a Dante-esque journey into the netherworld and Brom is our attendant Virgil, lighting the way. Reminiscent of Neil Gaiman’s American Gods and Neverwhere, we enter a world of ancient evil, hellish demons, and lost souls.
Atmospheric and horror movie fun, this was a wild ride.
Fans of writer / illustrator Gerald Brom know he stays in the hinterland of shadows and creepy by his other works like The Child Thief and Krampus. Brom focuses his work on the October Country of Ray Bradbury. But where Bradbury is a charming old uncle in a drafty, spooky old Georgian house, Brom is the slightly off kilter cousin who will get you in trouble if you let him. Brom is to urban fantasy as Amy Lee is to Alternative Rock - gothic, bold and charismatic.
His 2016 publication Lost Gods may be his most ambitious. Protagonist Chet Moran stays in and out of trouble but wants to do right by his girlfriend when she gets pregnant. Things go wrong almost immediately though and Moran and his young family escape to his grandmother’s land out in a swampy island to hide out.
From here we go on a Dante-esque journey into the netherworld and Brom is our attendant Virgil, lighting the way. Reminiscent of Neil Gaiman’s American Gods and Neverwhere, we enter a world of ancient evil, hellish demons, and lost souls.
Atmospheric and horror movie fun, this was a wild ride.
November 15, 2016
"Quest?" Ana said. "What's it going to take for you to understand that this isn't some adventure from one of your storybooks?"
"Know what?" He gave her a wicked grin. "Peter Pan once said, 'Death is a might big adventure.' I'm going with that."
I always love hard contrast. Lost Gods has the contrast of beautiful and dark fantasy in spades.
Brom created a unique vision of purgatory. Within the cast of purgatory you have your lost souls, those looking to take their souls, slaves, demons, military like factions, old gods and their followers. To make this vision work, Brom had to do some world building. This is high level world building through mythology all the way to creating currency. What do people do in purgatory? What happens if you die there? How do you kill someone who is already dead? Why are the old gods there? He answers all of these with the world building in a thoughtful way in order to make a story like this work.
While it's not difficult to picture this world in your head while reading, it's difficult to picture the characters and more so the actions. Why? Well, for example, lets say you lose a limb in purgatory... you don't die. The limb is just gone and the pain remains. However, Brom has divided what remains of a person in purgatory with "ka" and "ba". The ba being something like your soul which only exits the body you are in through a traumatic head injury. You can slice someone's head off and the head can still talk (and this happens often) and will remain like that for all eternity unless ka is used. Ka is the flesh, the body you reside in, not always the body you left with but how you saw yourself in your prime. An 80 year old man will see himself in his 30's again in purgatory. The ka is used as trade; mounds of flesh turned into coins. The coins are eaten and can regenerate your body. So as you can imagine, it's hard to picture this in a real world context. Luckily you have Broms amazing art to give you context. If you don't buy the actual book, look up the few pictures he's provided of some of the god characters. Not only are they beautiful, but they will give you a guide on how to create the other characters and scenery in your head while reading this. Looking at it like that... a graphic novel of sorts using imagery in your head mixed with what Brom provides and maybe a little David McKean made the novel work for me. The things that were impossible became possible to picture. Plus, we're talking about people running around shooting muskets in an underworld at giant gods and demons so it's only fitting!!
I think this novel could go wrong for many people because of that part of it. However, if you can get the right picture in your head and allow the impossible to be possible it's quite a fun ride. A very dark, disturbing, devilishly good ride. There are some throw away characters but the key characters in the story are wonderful and surprisingly likeable. The story is interesting and ultimately has a lot of heart... even if there's no blood pumping through that heart.
"Know what?" He gave her a wicked grin. "Peter Pan once said, 'Death is a might big adventure.' I'm going with that."
I always love hard contrast. Lost Gods has the contrast of beautiful and dark fantasy in spades.
Brom created a unique vision of purgatory. Within the cast of purgatory you have your lost souls, those looking to take their souls, slaves, demons, military like factions, old gods and their followers. To make this vision work, Brom had to do some world building. This is high level world building through mythology all the way to creating currency. What do people do in purgatory? What happens if you die there? How do you kill someone who is already dead? Why are the old gods there? He answers all of these with the world building in a thoughtful way in order to make a story like this work.
While it's not difficult to picture this world in your head while reading, it's difficult to picture the characters and more so the actions. Why? Well, for example, lets say you lose a limb in purgatory... you don't die. The limb is just gone and the pain remains. However, Brom has divided what remains of a person in purgatory with "ka" and "ba". The ba being something like your soul which only exits the body you are in through a traumatic head injury. You can slice someone's head off and the head can still talk (and this happens often) and will remain like that for all eternity unless ka is used. Ka is the flesh, the body you reside in, not always the body you left with but how you saw yourself in your prime. An 80 year old man will see himself in his 30's again in purgatory. The ka is used as trade; mounds of flesh turned into coins. The coins are eaten and can regenerate your body. So as you can imagine, it's hard to picture this in a real world context. Luckily you have Broms amazing art to give you context. If you don't buy the actual book, look up the few pictures he's provided of some of the god characters. Not only are they beautiful, but they will give you a guide on how to create the other characters and scenery in your head while reading this. Looking at it like that... a graphic novel of sorts using imagery in your head mixed with what Brom provides and maybe a little David McKean made the novel work for me. The things that were impossible became possible to picture. Plus, we're talking about people running around shooting muskets in an underworld at giant gods and demons so it's only fitting!!
I think this novel could go wrong for many people because of that part of it. However, if you can get the right picture in your head and allow the impossible to be possible it's quite a fun ride. A very dark, disturbing, devilishly good ride. There are some throw away characters but the key characters in the story are wonderful and surprisingly likeable. The story is interesting and ultimately has a lot of heart... even if there's no blood pumping through that heart.
November 4, 2016
so I've flooded GR today with reviews and updates so I apologize but I'm a streaky reader. and assuming this isn't my first review you've read you know I'm not huge on synopses.
so my rating 4.5 stars rounded up.
Brom is a very visual storyteller. and there are many illustrations including some gorgeous full colour plates.
that's just the icing on the cake.
and with this title the reader gets their cake and can eat it too. it's an awesome mash-up of horror, dark fantasy, action thriller and mythology. Brom draws from mid and far eastern and imagination with elements of dante and homer.
I subtracted one star because his human characters were a little thin but I didn't get this book for deep character studies so much as some sweet escapism which is what it served.
so my rating 4.5 stars rounded up.
Brom is a very visual storyteller. and there are many illustrations including some gorgeous full colour plates.
that's just the icing on the cake.
and with this title the reader gets their cake and can eat it too. it's an awesome mash-up of horror, dark fantasy, action thriller and mythology. Brom draws from mid and far eastern and imagination with elements of dante and homer.
I subtracted one star because his human characters were a little thin but I didn't get this book for deep character studies so much as some sweet escapism which is what it served.
July 1, 2023
DNF at about halfway. I had a very hard time deciding how I felt about this book, and in the end I reluctantly put it down. I say I was reluctant because it was sincerely well-written. The characters were three-dimensional, the story was interesting, the imagery was wonderful.
But. From the very beginning I was unable to figure out what kind of novel I was reading - horror? fantasy? mythology? I will be the first to say that easy categorization is not a prerequisite to my enjoyment of a novel but honestly, it helps. The jumbled narrative led to a disjointed flow, and the novel was sooooo dense as a result. To the nth degree. Just the story contained in the first 50 pages could have been its own book. The barrage of plot never stopped and it was way too much. The concept needed to be pared down by half. At least. The reading started out strong but quickly petered out. I put it down several times to read other things, and I found that I just wasn't motivated to sit down with it. I was doing other things besides reading with my spare time, and since reading is my favorite thing to do in my spare time, that became a concern. I was determined to finish up until I realized reading it had become a chore. Then I made the decision to put it aside.
If you are already a fan of Brom and his writing style, ignore my review. I understand from the other reviews that this book is very typical of his style of writing, which is an indication that you will also like this novel. It just wasn't for me.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
But. From the very beginning I was unable to figure out what kind of novel I was reading - horror? fantasy? mythology? I will be the first to say that easy categorization is not a prerequisite to my enjoyment of a novel but honestly, it helps. The jumbled narrative led to a disjointed flow, and the novel was sooooo dense as a result. To the nth degree. Just the story contained in the first 50 pages could have been its own book. The barrage of plot never stopped and it was way too much. The concept needed to be pared down by half. At least. The reading started out strong but quickly petered out. I put it down several times to read other things, and I found that I just wasn't motivated to sit down with it. I was doing other things besides reading with my spare time, and since reading is my favorite thing to do in my spare time, that became a concern. I was determined to finish up until I realized reading it had become a chore. Then I made the decision to put it aside.
If you are already a fan of Brom and his writing style, ignore my review. I understand from the other reviews that this book is very typical of his style of writing, which is an indication that you will also like this novel. It just wasn't for me.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
November 27, 2016
This book was the best Brom book I have read so far, the imagination, the art , the storytelling, everything worked in unison and the outcome was perfection itself. Purgatory comes alive and you can feel yourself traveling along with the characters. This story will make you want to be there with them , never mind that the story takes place in hell. It is that good , I highly recommend this book to anyone with a desire of exploring mythological themes in a current setting .
January 27, 2022
This is a deeply weird book and I loved it. Demons, gods, ghosts and a twisted version of Purgatory that will live in your mind for a long time. I would go in knowing as little as possible, since part of this book’s charm is discovering all the twists and turns of the underworld. This is a journey you won’t regret taking!
4/5 stars
4/5 stars
Read
January 11, 2018I uh.... I don't know how to rate this I only know that FUCKING HELL I DO NOT WANT TO END UP IN PURGATORY !!!!!!!1
WOW this SOUNDS awesome! But but I'm a little hesitant to read this since I DNFed The Yule Lord... Hmmm..
WOW this SOUNDS awesome! But but I'm a little hesitant to read this since I DNFed The Yule Lord... Hmmm..
December 13, 2019
Not at all the chilling horror experience I was expecting. Rather a fast paced, violent and action packed hero's quest/adventure through the vast reaches of a netherworld full of unrelenting brutality. It's a fun ride, and with Brom bringing to life all manner of ancient, forgotten gods and demons, taking a page from Neil Gaiman's American Gods, it makes for a fascinating world. Yet, it feels rushed. The story lacks subtlety, never slowing down enough to build any real sense of suspense.
March 24, 2026
Heads, shoulders, legs and arms, legs and arms. Heads, shoulders, legs and arms, legs and arms…
I struggled with this book. I was determined to read this book. I’m awestruck, but have this confused frown on my face because it’s all I did whilst reading this book. God help me if the wind changes.
I wanted so hard to understand the many, many intricacies that this story beheld; but alas, it was not to be. I just about grasped that the MC, Chet, And then more things occur and more people turn up and fights are had and no f***s are given and…😮💨 uh, it’s sensational tbh. But the violence! OMG, the violence! I have never read anything so relentlessly brutal before. I won’t say anymore, but wow! Just wow!! Give it a read, and give it a chance before giving up. I was so close to DNF at about a third of the way, but had a feeling it was worth fighting for and I was right.
Lost Gods, you lost me a lot of the time, but weirdly, that wasn’t a bad thing. I enjoyed myself, albeit in a confused, enthralled kind of way. This was a really fancy mythical hack and slash, I can’t think of anything to compare it to, it’s definitely a one-off. I’m excited to read more by this incredibly unique author and I’d love to own a physical copy of the book to appreciate Brom’s art even more.
I struggled with this book. I was determined to read this book. I’m awestruck, but have this confused frown on my face because it’s all I did whilst reading this book. God help me if the wind changes.
I wanted so hard to understand the many, many intricacies that this story beheld; but alas, it was not to be. I just about grasped that the MC, Chet, And then more things occur and more people turn up and fights are had and no f***s are given and…😮💨 uh, it’s sensational tbh. But the violence! OMG, the violence! I have never read anything so relentlessly brutal before. I won’t say anymore, but wow! Just wow!! Give it a read, and give it a chance before giving up. I was so close to DNF at about a third of the way, but had a feeling it was worth fighting for and I was right.
Lost Gods, you lost me a lot of the time, but weirdly, that wasn’t a bad thing. I enjoyed myself, albeit in a confused, enthralled kind of way. This was a really fancy mythical hack and slash, I can’t think of anything to compare it to, it’s definitely a one-off. I’m excited to read more by this incredibly unique author and I’d love to own a physical copy of the book to appreciate Brom’s art even more.
March 30, 2024
I ran into the author Brom when I read his novel "Krampus" and enjoyed it. Thus, when I ran across this book I had to get it. Brom strikes again with a cool story and great illustrations which were drawn by Brom. he's a talented guy.
Chet Moran just got out of prison. He is looking for his pregnant wife who is staying with her father who hates Chet. Chet and Amy manage to escape from his clutches and flee to find sanctuary from Chet's grandmother, Lamia. Lamia is not liked by any of the other members of the family, who think she's a witch, and she lives in a sheltered spot in the woods.
It seems Lamia's tale is a sad one. Her husband, Chet's grandpa Gavin, tried to kill her and did burn alive his two sons. Chet, in the wake of this tragedy, was raised by his Aunt, after his mother committed suicide due to those events.
But all is not as it seems, as Lamia turns out to be an ancient witch and she kills Chet, as she seeks to possess Amy's child (a daughter) for reincarnation. Chet, though had made a solemn oath to protect his wife and child and this sees him manifest in the Underworld. Here is where the majority of the story will take place, as Chet must navigate the Underworld to find his way back home.
Brom's version of the Underworld is very interesting. An amalgamation of various myth's afterlives there are the Old Gods like Veles (also Volos, a Slavic pagan god who represented earth and livestock) or Sekhmet, The Red Lady (daughter of Ra and the manifestation of his anger) or Yevabog (also Teotihuacan the Aztec goddess of Spiders) or Hel (Nordic goddess of the Underworld). Their power is diminishing. Then there are other major deities known as One-Gods ranging from Kali from Hindu myth to Christian and Islamic Gods all of whom are very powerful but do not have complete control.
There are also the various demons of the underworld, with the most dangerous and powerful being in the service of the Lucifer of Christian myth. Lucifer and the Fallen Angels reign supreme in the section of the Underworld known as Hell. They are served by greater demons known as Lords who control their own legions of demons.
Since where you go and which god has control over you depends on YOUR beliefs. Hence the Chrisitan God has no say over the souls of Hindus and so on. Yet there are also those who died without beliefs and these souls wander the Underworld. Some have banded together into a group known as the Defenders that fight against all gods to protect souls.
Chet must navigate this complex hodgepodge of Underworlds to find his way back. On top of this, there is a mysterious conspiracy and power play going on between the Lords of Hell and the Lost Gods. No more spoilers this is a really cool story.
Throw in trapped souls, an angel trapped in a cemetery, and other very strange things all of which make this a truly interesting journey as Chet tries to keep his soul intact and meets his grandfather, Gavin, in order to find out how to truly defeat Lamia.
A very interesting story and a very cool idea. I enjoyed this story by Brom and I will have to look up anything else he's written.
Chet Moran just got out of prison. He is looking for his pregnant wife who is staying with her father who hates Chet. Chet and Amy manage to escape from his clutches and flee to find sanctuary from Chet's grandmother, Lamia. Lamia is not liked by any of the other members of the family, who think she's a witch, and she lives in a sheltered spot in the woods.
It seems Lamia's tale is a sad one. Her husband, Chet's grandpa Gavin, tried to kill her and did burn alive his two sons. Chet, in the wake of this tragedy, was raised by his Aunt, after his mother committed suicide due to those events.
But all is not as it seems, as Lamia turns out to be an ancient witch and she kills Chet, as she seeks to possess Amy's child (a daughter) for reincarnation. Chet, though had made a solemn oath to protect his wife and child and this sees him manifest in the Underworld. Here is where the majority of the story will take place, as Chet must navigate the Underworld to find his way back home.
Brom's version of the Underworld is very interesting. An amalgamation of various myth's afterlives there are the Old Gods like Veles (also Volos, a Slavic pagan god who represented earth and livestock) or Sekhmet, The Red Lady (daughter of Ra and the manifestation of his anger) or Yevabog (also Teotihuacan the Aztec goddess of Spiders) or Hel (Nordic goddess of the Underworld). Their power is diminishing. Then there are other major deities known as One-Gods ranging from Kali from Hindu myth to Christian and Islamic Gods all of whom are very powerful but do not have complete control.
There are also the various demons of the underworld, with the most dangerous and powerful being in the service of the Lucifer of Christian myth. Lucifer and the Fallen Angels reign supreme in the section of the Underworld known as Hell. They are served by greater demons known as Lords who control their own legions of demons.
Since where you go and which god has control over you depends on YOUR beliefs. Hence the Chrisitan God has no say over the souls of Hindus and so on. Yet there are also those who died without beliefs and these souls wander the Underworld. Some have banded together into a group known as the Defenders that fight against all gods to protect souls.
Chet must navigate this complex hodgepodge of Underworlds to find his way back. On top of this, there is a mysterious conspiracy and power play going on between the Lords of Hell and the Lost Gods. No more spoilers this is a really cool story.
Throw in trapped souls, an angel trapped in a cemetery, and other very strange things all of which make this a truly interesting journey as Chet tries to keep his soul intact and meets his grandfather, Gavin, in order to find out how to truly defeat Lamia.
A very interesting story and a very cool idea. I enjoyed this story by Brom and I will have to look up anything else he's written.
October 7, 2024
Finished just in time to put this down and not be stuck in purgatory prior to a surgery. I felt it would be bad luck. I want to say lol, but I’m only half kidding that it felt like bad luck.
This was Brom’s weakest book to date I’ve read. It lacked likeable or even interesting humans (yes the gods are awesome but that wasn’t enough), a cohesive plot (that was lost in the prose); yet it has Brom’s gorgeous literary style and descriptions that make it worth a read if you’re devoted to Brom and his works (as I am).
This was Brom’s weakest book to date I’ve read. It lacked likeable or even interesting humans (yes the gods are awesome but that wasn’t enough), a cohesive plot (that was lost in the prose); yet it has Brom’s gorgeous literary style and descriptions that make it worth a read if you’re devoted to Brom and his works (as I am).
March 28, 2021
DNF when I got 4 hours left, I just can't listen to it anymore. A young man descends to the Purgatory to try and safe his wife and unborn child. And a lot or other stuff happen. This wasn't the book for me, it's not that it's bad written or having big issues with it. It's not simply my kind of story. I've listened to the Child Theif by Brom before, a Peter Pan retailing and I absolutely loved it. So I had big hopes for loving this as well but meh.
Want to read
October 25, 2016RELEASE DAY RELEASE DAY RELEASE DAY!!!!!!!!!!
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November 4, 2020
I was really enjoying this for the first half but my interest began to wane after that. I have. Rated this book accordingly.#itsnotyouitsme
Want to read
April 17, 2025I hope this is as good as good as Slewfoot!!! So excited to start this!
December 18, 2018
Lost Gods arrived unsolicited, and, since I’d heard good things about Brom’s The Child Thief, I decided to give it a go. This book reminded me why I’m so deeply suspicious of male-authored books these days.
At first, I found the book oddly compelling, but pretty quickly that faded in favor of horror of a different sort than Brom was aiming for. First off, Lost Gods centers on Chet Moran, a white trash guy just out of prison. He takes his pregnant wife to his grandmother, who turns out to be a Lamia and who kills him and plans to make use of his daughter’s body. Whoops.
Chet goes on a mission to the underworld to fetch a key that would let him save his daughter. The plot proceeds to consist of a bunch of spectacle in the underworld that barely advances the plot. There’s no character development really, other than the assertion that Chet is a stand-up guy. Oh, and his supposedly abusive grandfather is actually a really nice guy who was just trying to take out his wife, the lamia, and it’s not his fault he also accidentally killed a little black boy. SERIOUSLY. THESE ARE THE HEROES.
As Chet tours the underworld, he meets a couple of POCs and a kid who was disabled in life, though not in the underworld. All he does is talk about how terrible it was being disabled; this miserable hellscape is preferable apparently. The kid dies, and one of the POCs sacrifices himself to save Chet’s life, because of course. This is how straight white males do diverse rep, y’all.
The other POC is Chet’s companion through the underworld. Ana’s hispanic, and she accidentally killed her child when she fell asleep with a lit cigarette. In the underworld, she learns that her husband had been right to have the baby baptized (she had argued against it), because the baby didn’t end up in hell. Despite being full of ancient mythology as well as the “one gods” of currently popular religious beliefs, Brom still manages to make this read like it wants to convert you to Christianity. Ick. Oh, and of course while Chet’s mission is to be manly and fight people and shit, Ana’s is to help babies in hell, because gender roles.
Lost Gods is a masculine trash fire of disgusting tropes, racism, and sexism. Oh, and at one point, he uses the phrase “nether regions” to mean the underworld, and it just doesn’t, dude.
At first, I found the book oddly compelling, but pretty quickly that faded in favor of horror of a different sort than Brom was aiming for. First off, Lost Gods centers on Chet Moran, a white trash guy just out of prison. He takes his pregnant wife to his grandmother, who turns out to be a Lamia and who kills him and plans to make use of his daughter’s body. Whoops.
Chet goes on a mission to the underworld to fetch a key that would let him save his daughter. The plot proceeds to consist of a bunch of spectacle in the underworld that barely advances the plot. There’s no character development really, other than the assertion that Chet is a stand-up guy. Oh, and his supposedly abusive grandfather is actually a really nice guy who was just trying to take out his wife, the lamia, and it’s not his fault he also accidentally killed a little black boy. SERIOUSLY. THESE ARE THE HEROES.
As Chet tours the underworld, he meets a couple of POCs and a kid who was disabled in life, though not in the underworld. All he does is talk about how terrible it was being disabled; this miserable hellscape is preferable apparently. The kid dies, and one of the POCs sacrifices himself to save Chet’s life, because of course. This is how straight white males do diverse rep, y’all.
The other POC is Chet’s companion through the underworld. Ana’s hispanic, and she accidentally killed her child when she fell asleep with a lit cigarette. In the underworld, she learns that her husband had been right to have the baby baptized (she had argued against it), because the baby didn’t end up in hell. Despite being full of ancient mythology as well as the “one gods” of currently popular religious beliefs, Brom still manages to make this read like it wants to convert you to Christianity. Ick. Oh, and of course while Chet’s mission is to be manly and fight people and shit, Ana’s is to help babies in hell, because gender roles.
Lost Gods is a masculine trash fire of disgusting tropes, racism, and sexism. Oh, and at one point, he uses the phrase “nether regions” to mean the underworld, and it just doesn’t, dude.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 30, 2019
It's everything you’d expect from Brom. Creepy, horrifying and beautiful. His artwork is on another level of phenomenal. The only reason I didn't give it a 5 star rating was because it lacks a lot of attention to detail when it comes to the characters. Also the build up to the ending and the ending itself was a little bit of a bummed. I just wanted/expected more. But all in all, I did love it. Love me some Brom and I can wait to see what he has for us in the future.
October 25, 2022
4.5 ⭐️ Dark fantasy set in purgatory. Loved it! Great world building, interesting characters, stunning artwork. Thoroughly enjoyed this! 🖤
August 23, 2025
I was going to wait to review this as I have other books to review still, but I wanted to get this out of my head while I still can. I really enjoy Brom's writing and stories, they're intense and interesting and usually they're not plots I've heard of. This one is definitely guided after old Greek tales of Gods and monsters alike. Not that that's a bad thing, it just wasn't a new read for me.
Lost Gods is a story of love beyond death. Of a mortal soul bound to the devil wandering the afterlife trying to find a way to save his love and his child. During which he meets Gods and demons alike, taking sides in a war that has stretched on for far too long.
The characters are actually really cool, and the ones I don't like I don't like for good reason, and they're still good characters — I just don't like them. Ha.
I would have enjoyed this more if I had had more time to take it all in, but a. I wanted to be reading something else and b. So many people had holds on it that I'd be waiting 10 weeks or more just to finish it. So it had to be a quick job. Brom is very popular.
The main character wasn't my fave, however, a lot of the side characters I actually loved. People often say that the main character is the most important but that's not always true. This is a story that shines with or without, but instead the main character just enhances the story to be told. The second main character, the male one, is a surprise but only in how much we don't actually know them until the end.
And let's talk about that ending shall we?
A plus ending. I figured it out before it happened but only by a hair. It almost caught me off guard and that is pretty good because I'm hardly stupid. I'm quite logical.
I had to take a star off because as I said before, it doesn't feel original in nature, but will still surprise.
Lost Gods is a story of love beyond death. Of a mortal soul bound to the devil wandering the afterlife trying to find a way to save his love and his child. During which he meets Gods and demons alike, taking sides in a war that has stretched on for far too long.
The characters are actually really cool, and the ones I don't like I don't like for good reason, and they're still good characters — I just don't like them. Ha.
I would have enjoyed this more if I had had more time to take it all in, but a. I wanted to be reading something else and b. So many people had holds on it that I'd be waiting 10 weeks or more just to finish it. So it had to be a quick job. Brom is very popular.
The main character wasn't my fave, however, a lot of the side characters I actually loved. People often say that the main character is the most important but that's not always true. This is a story that shines with or without, but instead the main character just enhances the story to be told. The second main character, the male one, is a surprise but only in how much we don't actually know them until the end.
And let's talk about that ending shall we?
A plus ending. I figured it out before it happened but only by a hair. It almost caught me off guard and that is pretty good because I'm hardly stupid. I'm quite logical.
I had to take a star off because as I said before, it doesn't feel original in nature, but will still surprise.
November 22, 2019
Lost Gods by Brom was published in 2016. It’s about a man named Chet, who just released from jail, sets out to find his girlfriend who happens to be carrying his child. Together they head to his grandmother’s house, but not all is as it seems…. Chet is murdered and is plunged into Purgatory like a fallen angel. He learns that limbo is a world of turmoil. Old forgotten pagan gods, people from past and present, religious, atheist, etc. all exist together in chaos. Chet has to wade through the danger to get back home.
Well…great idea Brom. The beginning was gripping, sinister, dark, and fabulous. The middle…meh not so much. The middle dragged on in a rambling tangent that never seemed to end. I got about half way and it finally started to get good again. The ending was action packed, heartbreaking and bittersweet.
I love Brom. His artwork is breathtaking. His The Child Thief landed in my top ten favorite books of all time. I wish I loved this book, but it felt like I was in purgatory while reading it. The weaving rambling river just never seemed to get anywhere until it finally did—200 pages later…
After just finishing the last page, all I can think of is how great the beginning and ending were. This is probably the darkest book I’ve ever read, but just wish the editor took out some of the fluff and needless parts in the middle that didn’t add to the story at all.
I wouldn’t recommend this as your first Brom novel. Read the Child Thief and then read this one. If you love Lost Gods then definitely read the other books by Brom, but for me, sadly, this one fell short of my expectations.
Well…great idea Brom. The beginning was gripping, sinister, dark, and fabulous. The middle…meh not so much. The middle dragged on in a rambling tangent that never seemed to end. I got about half way and it finally started to get good again. The ending was action packed, heartbreaking and bittersweet.
I love Brom. His artwork is breathtaking. His The Child Thief landed in my top ten favorite books of all time. I wish I loved this book, but it felt like I was in purgatory while reading it. The weaving rambling river just never seemed to get anywhere until it finally did—200 pages later…
After just finishing the last page, all I can think of is how great the beginning and ending were. This is probably the darkest book I’ve ever read, but just wish the editor took out some of the fluff and needless parts in the middle that didn’t add to the story at all.
I wouldn’t recommend this as your first Brom novel. Read the Child Thief and then read this one. If you love Lost Gods then definitely read the other books by Brom, but for me, sadly, this one fell short of my expectations.
March 9, 2022
I urge you to steer clear from this book. I would add that while the included drawings of the Lost Gods are marvels to behold, the prose offered in this book barely reaches the level of what can be deemed as "literary". The narrative was highly repetitive, very mundane and predictable. The language level, choice of words and junior high level dialogues do nothing to elevate this book.
What the author tries to pull off is to present a multi-layered Hell, an inclusive place for both the Christian God and the Old Ones. The end result though ends up being a very basic, moralistic tale with a strong, underlying pro-Christian message and heavy religious propaganda.
Again, all this could have been tolerated, if it had been written in a more efficient and crafty manner, instead of the straightforward: "SHE IS A LILITH, SHE IS EVIL, HE IS AN ANGEL, HE IS GOOD, OR MAYBE HE WAS SEDUCED AND WAS BAD?".
Before i forget, the characters of this book also support the patriarchal narrative that all women crave to become mothers and cradle a baby or two, even if they are not their own. Men are killers and women bear children or are seductresses (that again bear children). The huge focus on babies that end up in hell if they are killed before christened or if they are aborted as fetuses really made me angry. This is the twenty-first century, let's try to remember that.
What the author tries to pull off is to present a multi-layered Hell, an inclusive place for both the Christian God and the Old Ones. The end result though ends up being a very basic, moralistic tale with a strong, underlying pro-Christian message and heavy religious propaganda.
Again, all this could have been tolerated, if it had been written in a more efficient and crafty manner, instead of the straightforward: "SHE IS A LILITH, SHE IS EVIL, HE IS AN ANGEL, HE IS GOOD, OR MAYBE HE WAS SEDUCED AND WAS BAD?".
Before i forget, the characters of this book also support the patriarchal narrative that all women crave to become mothers and cradle a baby or two, even if they are not their own. Men are killers and women bear children or are seductresses (that again bear children). The huge focus on babies that end up in hell if they are killed before christened or if they are aborted as fetuses really made me angry. This is the twenty-first century, let's try to remember that.
February 20, 2017
Dark, evocative, and enthralling. A very enjoyable read! Full review to come.
December 6, 2022
2.5 stars. I spent a lot of time thinking about how I feel about this book, and I’m giving myself permission to be let down. I think I was just expecting it to be something else. I have more books by this author on my TBR list, and I’ll definitely still give them chances.
I did not care for this vision of Purgatory at all. It felt like… Red Dead Redemption or something. Like Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell. Like when I played Fallout 4 and did all the side quests first and by the time I finally went back to the main quest, I was so maxed out on stats that the big fight was too easy. It was like Chet had a “I know kung fu” moment and suddenly he was The Best and Strongest and Most Powerful thing in the universe.
Finally, and most importantly… I had a lot of trouble with the writing. The dialogue felt so, so juvenile. I also felt like I was constantly in the middle of a “tell, don’t show” kind of situation.
(And also I had big issues with the male/female roles in this story)
I did not care for this vision of Purgatory at all. It felt like… Red Dead Redemption or something. Like Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell. Like when I played Fallout 4 and did all the side quests first and by the time I finally went back to the main quest, I was so maxed out on stats that the big fight was too easy. It was like Chet had a “I know kung fu” moment and suddenly he was The Best and Strongest and Most Powerful thing in the universe.
Finally, and most importantly… I had a lot of trouble with the writing. The dialogue felt so, so juvenile. I also felt like I was constantly in the middle of a “tell, don’t show” kind of situation.
(And also I had big issues with the male/female roles in this story)
October 1, 2018
Hooboy. I speak in general terms, but these broad-strokes could be vaguely spoilery.
This is a book about a dude named Chet. Chet has a lamp. Well, it's a wife, but she functions mostly as a lamp that cries. Ergo - motivation - he must go on THE QUEST to save her. THE QUEST is to purgatory. And I'm all for other-worldly explorations. This one is rather poorly executed. Full of dudes.
This dude quests; he meets other people. He talks to, threatens, negotiates, and haggles with other dudes. There are macho staredowns he loses at first because he's just a dude, not a DUDE. He meets women, is nice to them, and they proceed to do nothing until they need saving (which, our dude does because while he is not a DUDE he is a very NICE dude).
Dudes fight, skirmish, launch a war against the gods. This dude is just sort of passingly involved but all the other dudes make a big deal about him, so then all the dudes kind of fight and want to go after our protagonist because... reasons? Our hero bumbles along and all the other dudes are convinced he's part of some grand conspiracy. Our dude is not. He's just a dude.
There's a really extended set of sequences that are basically from Gladiator which... honestly are nowhere near as cool as the author seems to think. Good news: aside from a woman (who has no agency, and whom he saves to show our dude is a GOOD DUDE) it's absolutely all men. No women in THOSE gladiator pits.
There is an Exotic Other dude ("From Africa") to teach this dude. Later, another mentor shows up and our dude finally levels up to a certified DUDE while recovering from familial angst. He must now return to save his lamp from the Big Bad. At this point the lamp has mostly cried, and appeared in about as many motivational visions as actual scenes. It's a sad lamp.
Then the dude returns to purgatory to continue being a certified badass DUDE.
Look, read this book if you like dudes doing dude stuff. Don't read this book if you dislike
-every ablest trope ever
-the exotic, vaguely oriental other
-lampshades without agency. I mean women.
-random characters that set up interesting potential conflict and then oh they randomly died off and all that development and setup was for nothing OKAY THEN.
-Goddesses... that literally only exist to be saved by our dude
-Goddesses of badass authority. That our dude stands up to and is applauded for.
-Every woman being infatuated with BABIES.
-Books with as many confederate soldiers as there are POC.
The premise was really fascinating. The execution was very flawed.
This is a book about a dude named Chet. Chet has a lamp. Well, it's a wife, but she functions mostly as a lamp that cries. Ergo - motivation - he must go on THE QUEST to save her. THE QUEST is to purgatory. And I'm all for other-worldly explorations. This one is rather poorly executed. Full of dudes.
This dude quests; he meets other people. He talks to, threatens, negotiates, and haggles with other dudes. There are macho staredowns he loses at first because he's just a dude, not a DUDE. He meets women, is nice to them, and they proceed to do nothing until they need saving (which, our dude does because while he is not a DUDE he is a very NICE dude).
Dudes fight, skirmish, launch a war against the gods. This dude is just sort of passingly involved but all the other dudes make a big deal about him, so then all the dudes kind of fight and want to go after our protagonist because... reasons? Our hero bumbles along and all the other dudes are convinced he's part of some grand conspiracy. Our dude is not. He's just a dude.
There's a really extended set of sequences that are basically from Gladiator which... honestly are nowhere near as cool as the author seems to think. Good news: aside from a woman (who has no agency, and whom he saves to show our dude is a GOOD DUDE) it's absolutely all men. No women in THOSE gladiator pits.
There is an Exotic Other dude ("From Africa") to teach this dude. Later, another mentor shows up and our dude finally levels up to a certified DUDE while recovering from familial angst. He must now return to save his lamp from the Big Bad. At this point the lamp has mostly cried, and appeared in about as many motivational visions as actual scenes. It's a sad lamp.
Then the dude returns to purgatory to continue being a certified badass DUDE.
Look, read this book if you like dudes doing dude stuff. Don't read this book if you dislike
-every ablest trope ever
-the exotic, vaguely oriental other
-lampshades without agency. I mean women.
-random characters that set up interesting potential conflict and then oh they randomly died off and all that development and setup was for nothing OKAY THEN.
-Goddesses... that literally only exist to be saved by our dude
-Goddesses of badass authority. That our dude stands up to and is applauded for.
-Every woman being infatuated with BABIES.
-Books with as many confederate soldiers as there are POC.
The premise was really fascinating. The execution was very flawed.
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