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Lost Gods #1
Lost Gods
In this extraordinary fantasy debut, a young assassin finds himself hunted by the brothers and sisters he has trained alongside since birth.
Neythan is one of five young warriors trained and raised together by a mysterious brotherhood of assassins known as the Shedaím. When Neythan is framed for the murder of his closest friend, he pursues his betrayer - and in so doing learns there's far more to the Brotherhood, and the machinations of the rulers of the warring kingdoms, than he'd ever thought possible. His journey will lead him across the five realms, from the Forest of Silences to the Ash Plains of Calapaar, and reveal the breaches that lie beneath the world, and the hidden truths of his oath.
File Under: Fantasy [ Brothers at Arms - The Faceless Ones - Kings and Keepers - Creed of Assassins ]
Neythan is one of five young warriors trained and raised together by a mysterious brotherhood of assassins known as the Shedaím. When Neythan is framed for the murder of his closest friend, he pursues his betrayer - and in so doing learns there's far more to the Brotherhood, and the machinations of the rulers of the warring kingdoms, than he'd ever thought possible. His journey will lead him across the five realms, from the Forest of Silences to the Ash Plains of Calapaar, and reveal the breaches that lie beneath the world, and the hidden truths of his oath.
File Under: Fantasy [ Brothers at Arms - The Faceless Ones - Kings and Keepers - Creed of Assassins ]
432 pages, Paperback
First published April 5, 2018
20 people are currently reading
1621 people want to read
About the author
Micah Yongo
2 books52 followersSo. The salients... Manchester-based writer with an interest in books (obviously), movies, the arts, boxsets, all things sci-fi, superheroes; random nerdy bits of pop psychology, anthropology or philosophy; and of course his beloved home city of Manchester, England.
Also, Brave New Words finalist. British Fantasy Award shortlistee, and author of Lost Gods and Pale Kings - ancient Africa/Middle East-inspired epic fantasies about betrayal, hidden mythologies and adolescent assassins.
Also, Brave New Words finalist. British Fantasy Award shortlistee, and author of Lost Gods and Pale Kings - ancient Africa/Middle East-inspired epic fantasies about betrayal, hidden mythologies and adolescent assassins.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
July 9, 2018
A brotherhood of assassins? Inspired by African Legends? Supernatural conspiracy?
Consider me sold.
Lost Gods is a book with a fantastic premise, written by an exciting new author, and published by a pretty awesome publisher (Angry Robot).
Our "main" point-of-view character is Neythan, and we follow him as he makes his first kill for the brotherhood and receives his first real assignment. On the way to complete this assignment, Neythan's best friend is murdered by another assassin and Neythan is framed for the murder. From here, he decides to hunt down his betrayer, while being hunted down by the Brotherhood himself.
Outside of the confines of the Brotherhood, Neythan's world begins to grow. He begins to reconsider 'truths' that he'd taken for granted, and meet people that he wouldn't otherwise have met. More importantly, he begins to question the doctrine of the Brotherhood. He might be an ultra-competent assassin, but he has this sense of vulnerability that makes you want to root for him.
There's a good mix of plot and character-work here. The action never overshadows or outpaces the growth of the characters, but there is always enough story there to keep things interesting. Likewise, whenever there's a lull in the action, the characters are interesting enough to carry the story.
I did notice, however, that Yongo has a tendency to start his chapters with a bit of an info-dump about the world and its history. Quite a few authors do this—including the likes of Robin Hobb—but I did feel that this exposition could perhaps have been woven into the story a little better. Rather than adding flavour and context, it sometimes seemed to throw off the pacing, and made it far too easy for me to put the book down between chapters.
But hey! If you're a sucker for worldbuilding, then I bet you'll love it.
Neythan isn't the only point-of-view character in the book, with a few of the side-characters getting some screen time to show what's going on in the wider world. While it can often be frustrating to POV-jump in a book that has a clear main character, I think that Yongo manages to pull it off. We see just enough of these other characters to tease us, to make us want to learn more about them, and then we are artfully distracted by the lure of the next chapter.
As you'd expect from an epic fantasy book about assassins, there's quite a bit of fighting and killing going on. The combat scenes are exciting and engaging, written in an almost clinical fashion that focuses more on the technique than the emotion. This makes perfect sense considering that Neythan has been trained from birth to be an assassin, and it really adds a sense of legitimacy and competence to the character.
It's clear that this is the first book of a series, and as a result the story isn't really self-contained. Instead, it's an intriguing opening to what looks to be a very exciting epic fantasy series, written by a very talented author.
Consider me sold.
Lost Gods is a book with a fantastic premise, written by an exciting new author, and published by a pretty awesome publisher (Angry Robot).
Our "main" point-of-view character is Neythan, and we follow him as he makes his first kill for the brotherhood and receives his first real assignment. On the way to complete this assignment, Neythan's best friend is murdered by another assassin and Neythan is framed for the murder. From here, he decides to hunt down his betrayer, while being hunted down by the Brotherhood himself.
Outside of the confines of the Brotherhood, Neythan's world begins to grow. He begins to reconsider 'truths' that he'd taken for granted, and meet people that he wouldn't otherwise have met. More importantly, he begins to question the doctrine of the Brotherhood. He might be an ultra-competent assassin, but he has this sense of vulnerability that makes you want to root for him.
There's a good mix of plot and character-work here. The action never overshadows or outpaces the growth of the characters, but there is always enough story there to keep things interesting. Likewise, whenever there's a lull in the action, the characters are interesting enough to carry the story.
I did notice, however, that Yongo has a tendency to start his chapters with a bit of an info-dump about the world and its history. Quite a few authors do this—including the likes of Robin Hobb—but I did feel that this exposition could perhaps have been woven into the story a little better. Rather than adding flavour and context, it sometimes seemed to throw off the pacing, and made it far too easy for me to put the book down between chapters.
But hey! If you're a sucker for worldbuilding, then I bet you'll love it.
Neythan isn't the only point-of-view character in the book, with a few of the side-characters getting some screen time to show what's going on in the wider world. While it can often be frustrating to POV-jump in a book that has a clear main character, I think that Yongo manages to pull it off. We see just enough of these other characters to tease us, to make us want to learn more about them, and then we are artfully distracted by the lure of the next chapter.
As you'd expect from an epic fantasy book about assassins, there's quite a bit of fighting and killing going on. The combat scenes are exciting and engaging, written in an almost clinical fashion that focuses more on the technique than the emotion. This makes perfect sense considering that Neythan has been trained from birth to be an assassin, and it really adds a sense of legitimacy and competence to the character.
It's clear that this is the first book of a series, and as a result the story isn't really self-contained. Instead, it's an intriguing opening to what looks to be a very exciting epic fantasy series, written by a very talented author.
Read
July 4, 2020Alt African epic fantasy with a brotherhood of assassins, kingdom made up of conquered nations, political/religious machinations etc.
I loved the world--it's really vivid and well drawn--but found the story really, really slow. Not even sure why since there's a lot happening. Possibly too much, there's four major plotlines and a *lot* of characters, but that might just be my pandemic brain making it hard to read book good. And after what felt like a very long reading experience, I really wanted a bit more of a resolution/defined place to stop than basically 'end of volume 1'. I don't read that much high fantasy so doubtless I'm out of step with norms of the genre, but I want a sense of an ending dammit!
I loved the world--it's really vivid and well drawn--but found the story really, really slow. Not even sure why since there's a lot happening. Possibly too much, there's four major plotlines and a *lot* of characters, but that might just be my pandemic brain making it hard to read book good. And after what felt like a very long reading experience, I really wanted a bit more of a resolution/defined place to stop than basically 'end of volume 1'. I don't read that much high fantasy so doubtless I'm out of step with norms of the genre, but I want a sense of an ending dammit!
July 9, 2018
3.5 stars
Review first posted
https://edwardsghostengine.wordpress....
There was just something very readable about this book. Whether it be the simple yet detailed writing or the interesting world building, but either way my favourite parts were the myths and legends that showed up here and there.
This is not exactly a fast paced book as a lot of it involves politics and travelling as well as parts where it’s just about the characters everyday lives. Normally that would really annoy me but like I said there was just something in this authors writing that made me want to keep reading. There were also many twists and turns especially towards the end where things pick up more in terms of action with quite a few revelations. I also enjoyed the multiple points of view and the complexity this author managed to weave into all the plots and narratives and I will also say I liked the development of the characters as the story went on. I thought the story flowed quite well and it was easy to stick to and still managed to be intriguing.
But the things I wasn’t so keen on was the fact that despite all the hints and revelations in the end, nothing much was really revealed and a lot of things still remained a mystery. I can totally see and understand that this is going to be a series, but I feel there should be some kind of closure (not all of it) in every book instead of leaving all these loose ends hanging so we have to wait goodness knows how long for the sequel to find the answers. :/ I know this happens a lot but oh it’s frustrating! This book could have also done with more magic and mythology in my opinion because as I said a lot of this book is focused on the characters daily struggles and travels plus various politics which could have been made more intriguing by adding more magical/ mythological elements. It still had a good African vibe to it though and it definitely makes me want to read more in this promising new series.
So in the end this made an enjoyable read and while I saw a lot of good aspects to it, I can definitely see it’s not for everyone. The plot can be very slow at times and like I said I felt there could have been more magic, but in the end there was good world building and a cast of strong characters that definitely have promise to them in future books.
Review first posted
https://edwardsghostengine.wordpress....
There was just something very readable about this book. Whether it be the simple yet detailed writing or the interesting world building, but either way my favourite parts were the myths and legends that showed up here and there.
This is not exactly a fast paced book as a lot of it involves politics and travelling as well as parts where it’s just about the characters everyday lives. Normally that would really annoy me but like I said there was just something in this authors writing that made me want to keep reading. There were also many twists and turns especially towards the end where things pick up more in terms of action with quite a few revelations. I also enjoyed the multiple points of view and the complexity this author managed to weave into all the plots and narratives and I will also say I liked the development of the characters as the story went on. I thought the story flowed quite well and it was easy to stick to and still managed to be intriguing.
But the things I wasn’t so keen on was the fact that despite all the hints and revelations in the end, nothing much was really revealed and a lot of things still remained a mystery. I can totally see and understand that this is going to be a series, but I feel there should be some kind of closure (not all of it) in every book instead of leaving all these loose ends hanging so we have to wait goodness knows how long for the sequel to find the answers. :/ I know this happens a lot but oh it’s frustrating! This book could have also done with more magic and mythology in my opinion because as I said a lot of this book is focused on the characters daily struggles and travels plus various politics which could have been made more intriguing by adding more magical/ mythological elements. It still had a good African vibe to it though and it definitely makes me want to read more in this promising new series.
So in the end this made an enjoyable read and while I saw a lot of good aspects to it, I can definitely see it’s not for everyone. The plot can be very slow at times and like I said I felt there could have been more magic, but in the end there was good world building and a cast of strong characters that definitely have promise to them in future books.
October 22, 2018
3.5 stars for this lush and vivid debut.
It's always a pleasure and a joy to read a fantasy that takes its inspiration from a non-European culture, and this does that excellently. The world and culture and society are complex and fascinating and exquisitely drawn, and for me the highlight of this novel. I felt at times the landscape was more alive than the characters.
I enjoyed the characters and their storylines, though I felt a few were a little 2 dimensional when compared with the complexity of the plot they were telling/experiencing. I found Sidon to be one of the most engaging characters, and he drops out of the plot about 2/3 of the way through, so I'm definitely hoping he returns in the sequel.
Most importantly, I had fun while reading this book, and that's what it's all about. I'll definitely read more from this author.
It's always a pleasure and a joy to read a fantasy that takes its inspiration from a non-European culture, and this does that excellently. The world and culture and society are complex and fascinating and exquisitely drawn, and for me the highlight of this novel. I felt at times the landscape was more alive than the characters.
I enjoyed the characters and their storylines, though I felt a few were a little 2 dimensional when compared with the complexity of the plot they were telling/experiencing. I found Sidon to be one of the most engaging characters, and he drops out of the plot about 2/3 of the way through, so I'm definitely hoping he returns in the sequel.
Most importantly, I had fun while reading this book, and that's what it's all about. I'll definitely read more from this author.
August 8, 2020
“Neythan watched Josef go, the mist rolling up ghost-like from the basin below. It was still warm, quiet but for the croaking of insects and the murmur of the stream. A night like any other, save that he was to kill a man.”
Lost Gods is the debut novel from Micah Yongo.
Found family? CHECK! Assassins? CHECK! Non-European fantasy setting? CHECK! Diverse characters? CHECK CHECK! Killing off a deaf character early on to advance the storyline of the main protagonist? CH-..
Uh.. what?
Fuck.
Needless to say, this book left me with much to mull over.
“Dawn. Honey-glazed light leaked sleepily through the leafy canopy overhead like water through fingers, beaming down in thin, pale shafts that dappled the ground light, dark.”
Lost Gods is an African-inspired fantasy novel that follows a group of five warriors: Neythan, Yannick, Arianna, Daneel & Josef. The multi-perspective narratives are well-rounded & diverse. I found myself completely invested in the young assassins, their relationships & their chemistry.
Neythan, the main POV, is a young biracial assassin who suffered a tragic loss as a child, one that he witnessed. The resulting PTSD caused him to withdraw into himself & to stop speaking for the entire first year after arriving in Ilysia. Yannick, who is deaf, was his only friend during that time, their shared silence bringing them together. That is, until Arianna taught Neythan how to speak again. Daneel & Josef are twin brothers that couldn’t be more different. Their banter steals many of the scenes for me! In saying that, I think I’d have to say Caleb, Neythan’s mentor, was my favorite character. Wise, sarcastic & just such a joy to read, Caleb fleshes out the story brilliantly.
Invasions, Fishmonkeys, mystics, curses & supernatural shenanigans! Micah Yongo weaves an atmospheric twisty tale of murder, political intrigue & dynamic action. HOWEVER. At times, indigestible info dumps took away from the writing, slowing the story down considerably. PLUS, there’s the fact that a marginalized character is murdered, which sets off the chain of events. Characters with disabilities or illnesses are underrepresented enough as it is. To kill them in such a way.. oof.
Despite this, I kept reading. The intricate worldbuilding & the characters truly made this. It helps that I’m a sucker for a found family & then when you throw in a quest? EXTREMELY VERY RELEVANT TO MY INTERESTS!
Blending lore & mythology, Lost Gods is a solid debut, but it’s not without issues. I’ve got Pale Kings waiting for me, so I’m looking forward to continuing on with this story overall.
Lost Gods is the debut novel from Micah Yongo.
Found family? CHECK! Assassins? CHECK! Non-European fantasy setting? CHECK! Diverse characters? CHECK CHECK! Killing off a deaf character early on to advance the storyline of the main protagonist? CH-..
Uh.. what?
Fuck.
Needless to say, this book left me with much to mull over.
“Dawn. Honey-glazed light leaked sleepily through the leafy canopy overhead like water through fingers, beaming down in thin, pale shafts that dappled the ground light, dark.”
Lost Gods is an African-inspired fantasy novel that follows a group of five warriors: Neythan, Yannick, Arianna, Daneel & Josef. The multi-perspective narratives are well-rounded & diverse. I found myself completely invested in the young assassins, their relationships & their chemistry.
Neythan, the main POV, is a young biracial assassin who suffered a tragic loss as a child, one that he witnessed. The resulting PTSD caused him to withdraw into himself & to stop speaking for the entire first year after arriving in Ilysia. Yannick, who is deaf, was his only friend during that time, their shared silence bringing them together. That is, until Arianna taught Neythan how to speak again. Daneel & Josef are twin brothers that couldn’t be more different. Their banter steals many of the scenes for me! In saying that, I think I’d have to say Caleb, Neythan’s mentor, was my favorite character. Wise, sarcastic & just such a joy to read, Caleb fleshes out the story brilliantly.
Invasions, Fishmonkeys, mystics, curses & supernatural shenanigans! Micah Yongo weaves an atmospheric twisty tale of murder, political intrigue & dynamic action. HOWEVER. At times, indigestible info dumps took away from the writing, slowing the story down considerably. PLUS, there’s the fact that a marginalized character is murdered, which sets off the chain of events. Characters with disabilities or illnesses are underrepresented enough as it is. To kill them in such a way.. oof.
Despite this, I kept reading. The intricate worldbuilding & the characters truly made this. It helps that I’m a sucker for a found family & then when you throw in a quest? EXTREMELY VERY RELEVANT TO MY INTERESTS!
Blending lore & mythology, Lost Gods is a solid debut, but it’s not without issues. I’ve got Pale Kings waiting for me, so I’m looking forward to continuing on with this story overall.
March 18, 2018
Yeah, I know. You think I'm biased. But hey, only one way to find out, right? ;-)
July 24, 2019
3.5 stars
December 2, 2023
I gave it 50 pages before I gave up. It just wasn't gripping me. I may try again later. 3 ⭐.
April 10, 2018
This book took some time to make me lose myself in it. In fact, I started it weeks ago, but kept putting it off because the story wasn't grabbing me like I thought it would. But yesterday I got stuck at the doctor's waiting room for four hours, so Lost Gods finally got its second chance. I'm glad to say it didn't disappoint.
First of all, it is slow. Especially at the beginning. The writing takes its time to tell the story, which can be boring to most people (not for me - I read and loved LOTR when I was 11), and the story itself doesn't get really interesting until 25-30%. That's where all characters start to shine and when the plot speeds up, presenting more of the story and the world.
But what made me read this book for four hours nonstop was the mystery. I'm a sucker for mysteries in my fantasy books. Not knowing why x happened, why y is happening and what might happen in the future and why is one of the biggest reasons I enjoy reading fantasy books. And Lost Gods had a lot of that. Neythan, the main character, begins the story just as lost as the reader, and following him we slowly figured out the pieces of the puzzle. It was fascinating to have so many theories and possibilities floating around throughout the story.
The ending gives more questions than answers and set up the next book flawlessly. I can't wait to see what Yongo is going to reveal next.
BUT! This book does kill a deaf character to advance the main characters' storyline right out of the gates. It doesn't matter the whys of his death; it's never okay to kill a marginalized character for the sake of the MCs.
4.0 for Lost Gods.
First of all, it is slow. Especially at the beginning. The writing takes its time to tell the story, which can be boring to most people (not for me - I read and loved LOTR when I was 11), and the story itself doesn't get really interesting until 25-30%. That's where all characters start to shine and when the plot speeds up, presenting more of the story and the world.
But what made me read this book for four hours nonstop was the mystery. I'm a sucker for mysteries in my fantasy books. Not knowing why x happened, why y is happening and what might happen in the future and why is one of the biggest reasons I enjoy reading fantasy books. And Lost Gods had a lot of that. Neythan, the main character, begins the story just as lost as the reader, and following him we slowly figured out the pieces of the puzzle. It was fascinating to have so many theories and possibilities floating around throughout the story.
The ending gives more questions than answers and set up the next book flawlessly. I can't wait to see what Yongo is going to reveal next.
BUT! This book does kill a deaf character to advance the main characters' storyline right out of the gates. It doesn't matter the whys of his death; it's never okay to kill a marginalized character for the sake of the MCs.
4.0 for Lost Gods.
dnf
June 10, 2019With this book I was actually approved for book 2 on Netgalley, but hadn't seen that it was book 2 of a series. So I ended up getting the first book to be able to read it. I was actually excited because the covers are stunning and it being African inspired fantasy is great. But this book did not work for me and I had to DNF it.
One of the things that threw me from the start was reason. We got a deaf side character. He was good friends with our main character and there was use of sign language. Inclusive to a point. And yet it was just this character that got killed around page 30. It felt all kinds of icky to me and it took so much enjoyment out of the story because I was expecting the rep to be there throughout the book. It should have been there. Instead the character gets tossed away for the sake of our main characters revenge.
At that point my interest already wavered and I didn't get it back. While I think the world is great I could never refind my interest in any of the characters or the plot. I think the writing was also a bit on the dry side. And at this point I realized it was better for me to stop reading this book. Better to say this isn't for me and give the author another chance with a new series/book in the future.
One of the things that threw me from the start was reason. We got a deaf side character. He was good friends with our main character and there was use of sign language. Inclusive to a point. And yet it was just this character that got killed around page 30. It felt all kinds of icky to me and it took so much enjoyment out of the story because I was expecting the rep to be there throughout the book. It should have been there. Instead the character gets tossed away for the sake of our main characters revenge.
At that point my interest already wavered and I didn't get it back. While I think the world is great I could never refind my interest in any of the characters or the plot. I think the writing was also a bit on the dry side. And at this point I realized it was better for me to stop reading this book. Better to say this isn't for me and give the author another chance with a new series/book in the future.
July 16, 2019
There are books you like instantly and there are books that grow on you. Lost Gods is more of the latter for me. It sounded intriguing enough that I requested a review copy via NetGalley. And I liked it, it's not that I didn't. It was exciting and mystifying enough that I kept reading, though it wasn't gripping enough that I couldn't put it down. Yet after finishing it, the pervading feeling isn't one of satisfaction--it's one of confusion and mystification, if that's the right word. I feel lost.
Maybe it's the way Yongo writes. Backstories sometimes appear out of nowhere, triggered by a single random thought; the paragraphs, and even sentences, are long and dense; it's very rooted in African legends. I have not read enough African writings, so there is no ready shorthand that I am used to, not like when I read a "standard" Euro-centric fantasy and I already know what things are--or figure out what things are not--because it's what they've always been. This is good--I like it because it is new, it is fresh, it is exciting, and it's truly fantastic--but it is also not so good--because I don't always understand. Meanings flitter away from my grasp.
Still, it entertains. The mystery draws me in. I re-read parts of the beginning to find a better way to write this review, and I find myself finding gems and going - ah, I missed that the first time, that's what it means! So evidently there are layers to be uncovered here. I guess it is the journey of discovery that makes it hard for me to get this book as much as I would have liked.
I want to know but despite a revelation of sorts at the end, there is still much that seems shrouded in mystery. It's not a full revelation either--the major arc is mostly resolved, but the "bad guys" (so to speak) are still at large and there are warnings of devastation to come and vague hints to what Neythan is supposed to become so there's obviously going to be a book two.
Overall, I'd say Lost Gods might probably appeal more to readers who like more classic/literary/older fantasy styles, and not current YA readers who want quick, flashy and exciting. Though there is a lot of death, assassinating and betrayals.
Note: I received a digital copy of this book via NetGalley. I was given the book with no expectation of a positive review and the review is my own.
---
2019 edit: Upping it to a four-star because I found it more fascinating on reread. Also, rereading in order to get context for jumping into the sequel, Pale Kings.
Maybe it's the way Yongo writes. Backstories sometimes appear out of nowhere, triggered by a single random thought; the paragraphs, and even sentences, are long and dense; it's very rooted in African legends. I have not read enough African writings, so there is no ready shorthand that I am used to, not like when I read a "standard" Euro-centric fantasy and I already know what things are--or figure out what things are not--because it's what they've always been. This is good--I like it because it is new, it is fresh, it is exciting, and it's truly fantastic--but it is also not so good--because I don't always understand. Meanings flitter away from my grasp.
Still, it entertains. The mystery draws me in. I re-read parts of the beginning to find a better way to write this review, and I find myself finding gems and going - ah, I missed that the first time, that's what it means! So evidently there are layers to be uncovered here. I guess it is the journey of discovery that makes it hard for me to get this book as much as I would have liked.
I want to know but despite a revelation of sorts at the end, there is still much that seems shrouded in mystery. It's not a full revelation either--the major arc is mostly resolved, but the "bad guys" (so to speak) are still at large and there are warnings of devastation to come and vague hints to what Neythan is supposed to become so there's obviously going to be a book two.
Overall, I'd say Lost Gods might probably appeal more to readers who like more classic/literary/older fantasy styles, and not current YA readers who want quick, flashy and exciting. Though there is a lot of death, assassinating and betrayals.
Note: I received a digital copy of this book via NetGalley. I was given the book with no expectation of a positive review and the review is my own.
---
2019 edit: Upping it to a four-star because I found it more fascinating on reread. Also, rereading in order to get context for jumping into the sequel, Pale Kings.
May 26, 2020
A severely underrated fantasy debut.
April 2, 2021
This ended up being infuriatingly annoying. It went something like this:
Beginning: Man finds friend seemingly murdered by second friend who flees.
Man pursues second friend for a n s w e r s.
Man teams up with random guy for some reason.
Halfway through: Man catches up with second friend.
SECOND FRIEND DID NOT MURDER FIRST FRIEND IT WAS FIRST FRIEND WHO TRIED TO MURDER HER FIRST BUT SHE WAS FASTER AND THEN SHE RAN AWAY BECAUSE SHE WAS VISITED BY A WATCHER WHO SAID SOME STUFF SHE DOESN'T RECALL AND SHE NEVER TRUSTED THEM IN THE FIRST PLACE AND SHE COULDN'T TELL MAN BC HE NEVER LISTENED.
MAN HAS ALSO SEEN A WATCHER WHO TOLD HIM SOME STUFF HE CAN'T REMEMBER SO HE BELIEVES HER.
Why did she have to die? They go somewhere else for a n s w e r s.
Ten minutes left of the book:
IT WAS I WHO DECIDED TO KILL HER says an old magi woman. BECAUSE YOUR ORDER ALL MUST DIE.
But. Why?
Meh. No idea. Something about something is coming.
Something ~bad~.
THE END
That was 15 hours I won't get back 🤬🤬🤬
Beginning: Man finds friend seemingly murdered by second friend who flees.
Man pursues second friend for a n s w e r s.
Man teams up with random guy for some reason.
Halfway through: Man catches up with second friend.
SECOND FRIEND DID NOT MURDER FIRST FRIEND IT WAS FIRST FRIEND WHO TRIED TO MURDER HER FIRST BUT SHE WAS FASTER AND THEN SHE RAN AWAY BECAUSE SHE WAS VISITED BY A WATCHER WHO SAID SOME STUFF SHE DOESN'T RECALL AND SHE NEVER TRUSTED THEM IN THE FIRST PLACE AND SHE COULDN'T TELL MAN BC HE NEVER LISTENED.
MAN HAS ALSO SEEN A WATCHER WHO TOLD HIM SOME STUFF HE CAN'T REMEMBER SO HE BELIEVES HER.
Why did she have to die? They go somewhere else for a n s w e r s.
Ten minutes left of the book:
IT WAS I WHO DECIDED TO KILL HER says an old magi woman. BECAUSE YOUR ORDER ALL MUST DIE.
But. Why?
Meh. No idea. Something about something is coming.
Something ~bad~.
THE END
That was 15 hours I won't get back 🤬🤬🤬
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 2, 2018
Find this review at Forever Lost in Literature!
I have many conflicting thoughts about Lost Gods. A large reason for that is because I was almost constantly wavering between losing interest and wondering if I should stop reading this book and then finding myself once again pulled back into the story and wanting to know what's going to happen next.
Lost Gods has a fascinating premise and an extremely enticing setting--a fantasy inspired by African legends and set in an African-inspired world. I am always looking for new fantasy like this, so I really hoped this would be another winner in that department. But as I mentioned, I'm conflicted. It took me quite a while to get into this book. The first couple chapters were interesting enough, but then things just started to feel over-saturated with information and my mind kept wandering because I wasn't yet invested enough in the characters or plot to understand or even care. On the positive side, Yongo created an extremely intricate and detailed fantasy kingdom that has plenty of intrigue, both political and otherwise. On he negative side, however, was that there was almost too much at times and it was extremely difficult to keep up with all the names and places, and I struggled with knowing what was important to the plot and what was just added to give more depth to the world. The first one-third to one-half of this book is really just slow. If you have the time and patience, then hold on because it does eventually start to pick up, but it is a lot to ask people to stick around and wait for something to happen.
Despite the difficulty with becoming invested with the plot, the premise and details of the plot itself are actually incredibly interesting. Yongo is clearly a clever writer that knows how to include twists that keep the readers guessing while also subtly building up elements that will play into later events in the book. Once things pick up in the book, much of these compelling elements really start to show, and the book flows much better.
The characters, much like the rest of the book, also took some time to grow on me. It's not that they aren't interesting, it's just that there's nothing about them that initially engages me and makes me want to invest my time. However, as with the plot itself, once you get further into the story things start to sort of fall into place and the characters and their personalities really start to come through. Neythan is our main protagonist and he's your typical guy that is training to be part of a certain organization, experiences something completely unexpected, and then struggles to learn to deal with new truths and realizations that are presented to him. He grows in a lot of ways throughout this book, which gave him a lot of depth and made him a compelling character to follow--for the most the part, at least. I enjoyed being a part of the Neythan's journey in this book, even if he was a bit stubborn at times (what protagonist isn't, really?)
My favorite character however, is probably a man named Caleb that Neythan runs into in the first portion of his story. The two end up journeying together for quite a while, and while they journey we get to enjoy Caleb's many sarcastic remarks and his overall incredible personality. Caleb really saved a lot of this story for me because of how much he brought everything together and sort of connected a lot of lines, plus he added so much enjoyment and wisdom to every scene he was in.
There are many more characters featured in this story, and there are also many POV and location switches throughout--perhaps too many. I couldn't ever really keep track of how many different perspectives we visited, nor was there much regularity to which POV was going to be which chapter, so this actually started to irritate me a bit throughout the story.
Yongo has a detailed, well-written style of writing that, although often filled with a lot of detail and descriptions, is also compelling and able to draw the reader in. The only drawback to his writing style is that it is a bit inconsistent and I felt I wavered too much between enjoying and not enjoying.
Although there were many things that irritated me and drew me out of the story, I have to be honest and say there was also just as much pulling me in and driving me to finish the book. Because of this, I'm torn on how to rate it. I'm giving it somewhere between three-four stars because at the end of the day, I did choose to keep reading this book and I did appreciate the intricate plot that Yongo developed. I would recommend this to fantasy fans that have plenty of patience and are willing to really take some time to become invested in this book.
I have many conflicting thoughts about Lost Gods. A large reason for that is because I was almost constantly wavering between losing interest and wondering if I should stop reading this book and then finding myself once again pulled back into the story and wanting to know what's going to happen next.
Lost Gods has a fascinating premise and an extremely enticing setting--a fantasy inspired by African legends and set in an African-inspired world. I am always looking for new fantasy like this, so I really hoped this would be another winner in that department. But as I mentioned, I'm conflicted. It took me quite a while to get into this book. The first couple chapters were interesting enough, but then things just started to feel over-saturated with information and my mind kept wandering because I wasn't yet invested enough in the characters or plot to understand or even care. On the positive side, Yongo created an extremely intricate and detailed fantasy kingdom that has plenty of intrigue, both political and otherwise. On he negative side, however, was that there was almost too much at times and it was extremely difficult to keep up with all the names and places, and I struggled with knowing what was important to the plot and what was just added to give more depth to the world. The first one-third to one-half of this book is really just slow. If you have the time and patience, then hold on because it does eventually start to pick up, but it is a lot to ask people to stick around and wait for something to happen.
Despite the difficulty with becoming invested with the plot, the premise and details of the plot itself are actually incredibly interesting. Yongo is clearly a clever writer that knows how to include twists that keep the readers guessing while also subtly building up elements that will play into later events in the book. Once things pick up in the book, much of these compelling elements really start to show, and the book flows much better.
The characters, much like the rest of the book, also took some time to grow on me. It's not that they aren't interesting, it's just that there's nothing about them that initially engages me and makes me want to invest my time. However, as with the plot itself, once you get further into the story things start to sort of fall into place and the characters and their personalities really start to come through. Neythan is our main protagonist and he's your typical guy that is training to be part of a certain organization, experiences something completely unexpected, and then struggles to learn to deal with new truths and realizations that are presented to him. He grows in a lot of ways throughout this book, which gave him a lot of depth and made him a compelling character to follow--for the most the part, at least. I enjoyed being a part of the Neythan's journey in this book, even if he was a bit stubborn at times (what protagonist isn't, really?)
My favorite character however, is probably a man named Caleb that Neythan runs into in the first portion of his story. The two end up journeying together for quite a while, and while they journey we get to enjoy Caleb's many sarcastic remarks and his overall incredible personality. Caleb really saved a lot of this story for me because of how much he brought everything together and sort of connected a lot of lines, plus he added so much enjoyment and wisdom to every scene he was in.
There are many more characters featured in this story, and there are also many POV and location switches throughout--perhaps too many. I couldn't ever really keep track of how many different perspectives we visited, nor was there much regularity to which POV was going to be which chapter, so this actually started to irritate me a bit throughout the story.
Yongo has a detailed, well-written style of writing that, although often filled with a lot of detail and descriptions, is also compelling and able to draw the reader in. The only drawback to his writing style is that it is a bit inconsistent and I felt I wavered too much between enjoying and not enjoying.
Although there were many things that irritated me and drew me out of the story, I have to be honest and say there was also just as much pulling me in and driving me to finish the book. Because of this, I'm torn on how to rate it. I'm giving it somewhere between three-four stars because at the end of the day, I did choose to keep reading this book and I did appreciate the intricate plot that Yongo developed. I would recommend this to fantasy fans that have plenty of patience and are willing to really take some time to become invested in this book.
June 27, 2018
I should have quit Lost Gods. I’ll admit that to myself. When you’re not enjoying a book, sometimes you just need to pony up and quit. But since I did end up making it all the way through Lost Gods, at least you’ll get this review.
Neythan has been trained since childhood to join the Shedaím, a brotherhood of assassins. He and four other teenagers are now finally ready to take their vows and be sent out on their first mission. Only, it goes terribly wrong. One of the others new assassins, Arianna, who he grew up with, kills a fellow brother Shedaím, framing Neythan for his murder. Neythan can’t understand why Arianna did this, and he abandons everything to chase after her for answers and justice.
This is something that several other reviewers have already mentioned, but the character who’s killed to start off the plot is deaf. It’s probably a pretty horrible feeling for deaf readers to be introduced to a deaf character only to see him die pages later. It also falls into a trend of having a marginalized character killed to benefit the more privileged protagonist’s plot arc. You mostly see it with female characters being killed in various gruesome ways to inspire their male relatives or lovers to take vengeance. It’s pretty much the same thing here, only it’s a disabled male character who’s dying.
However, the main barrier to my enjoyment of Lost Gods was simply that there was nothing to keep me interested. The plot is slow to start, and I never feel like it really kicks off. There’s hints of some interesting conflict to come in later books, but it just wasn’t enough for me. The narrative’s pretty heavy on exposition, which helped make Lost Gods slow going.
I was also never particularly intrigued by Neythan or Arianna. In particular, Arianna just seems like the type of female love interest you see in so many male authored fantasy novels. However, the narrative did contain POV chapters from other characters besides Neythan, and these were probably my favorite part of the novel. In particular, I liked the story of a noblewoman and wife who’s realizing that her brother was involved in some dark conspiracy and was killed for it.
Another highlight of Lost Gods (and one of the reasons I picked it up) was the setting based on medieval Africa. There was some interesting things going on with the setting, such as religion being banned centuries ago but hints of gods and supernatural powers lurking.
Still, the pieces of Lost Gods that interested me weren’t enough to make up for a narrative I never became engaged with. In part, this might be due to my own preferences in pacing; I never made it through any of Tolkien’s work either. If you chose to read Lost Gods, I hope you find more enjoyment in it than I did.
I received an ARC in exchange for a free and honest review.
Review originally posted on The Illustrated Page.
Neythan has been trained since childhood to join the Shedaím, a brotherhood of assassins. He and four other teenagers are now finally ready to take their vows and be sent out on their first mission. Only, it goes terribly wrong. One of the others new assassins, Arianna, who he grew up with, kills a fellow brother Shedaím, framing Neythan for his murder. Neythan can’t understand why Arianna did this, and he abandons everything to chase after her for answers and justice.
This is something that several other reviewers have already mentioned, but the character who’s killed to start off the plot is deaf. It’s probably a pretty horrible feeling for deaf readers to be introduced to a deaf character only to see him die pages later. It also falls into a trend of having a marginalized character killed to benefit the more privileged protagonist’s plot arc. You mostly see it with female characters being killed in various gruesome ways to inspire their male relatives or lovers to take vengeance. It’s pretty much the same thing here, only it’s a disabled male character who’s dying.
However, the main barrier to my enjoyment of Lost Gods was simply that there was nothing to keep me interested. The plot is slow to start, and I never feel like it really kicks off. There’s hints of some interesting conflict to come in later books, but it just wasn’t enough for me. The narrative’s pretty heavy on exposition, which helped make Lost Gods slow going.
I was also never particularly intrigued by Neythan or Arianna. In particular, Arianna just seems like the type of female love interest you see in so many male authored fantasy novels. However, the narrative did contain POV chapters from other characters besides Neythan, and these were probably my favorite part of the novel. In particular, I liked the story of a noblewoman and wife who’s realizing that her brother was involved in some dark conspiracy and was killed for it.
Another highlight of Lost Gods (and one of the reasons I picked it up) was the setting based on medieval Africa. There was some interesting things going on with the setting, such as religion being banned centuries ago but hints of gods and supernatural powers lurking.
Still, the pieces of Lost Gods that interested me weren’t enough to make up for a narrative I never became engaged with. In part, this might be due to my own preferences in pacing; I never made it through any of Tolkien’s work either. If you chose to read Lost Gods, I hope you find more enjoyment in it than I did.
I received an ARC in exchange for a free and honest review.
Review originally posted on The Illustrated Page.
May 29, 2018
In the first few pages, I'm introduced to a new world of mystery, magic, and intrigue. I'm a writer so I understand the difficulty of introducing a massive world such as this without some exposition. Without it, you would simply be lost but it was handled with a deft touch and allowed the story and characters to progress. It captured my imagination immediately and I was transported. The story begins by introducing us to Neythan and the brotherhood of assassins. Micah could have easily introduced the main character in a ponderous setting, giving the reader time to acclimatize to the new surroundings but that's not how we roll. We are thrust headlong into an assassination attempt, and Yongo handles this wonderfully. He blends action with character development, and I really felt I was with this merry band of young killers. Soon we were privy to the inner workings of the Brotherhood and the African/Islamic inspired setting. From the Sharíf at the very top to Neythan hanging out with the others at the very bottom, we get a real sense of the rules and structure of this world.
And for some reason, the latest incarnation of Assassins Creed is my visual reference when reading the book.
I was really intrigued to see how Micah would construct an ancient period that was not eurocentric and although the setting wasn't West African as I first thought but more North African, it was just great seeing another perspective and I applaud him for taking the leap. He's created an action-packed story with some thrilling combat sequences, plus enough twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat. This tale tries to mimic the complexities of an ancient world so don't expect happy endings and quaint conclusions. There are plenty of unanswered questions.
My only wish for the inevitable second in the series is to focus some more on the magical elements of this world. The Magi have been hunted and killed and their secrets destroyed but I wanted personally to see more. The one fantastical aspect of the book that was genius was the use of the blood trees in the Shedaím that reflect the growth of each brother. Excellent concept. I need to see more of the Watchers and how the rules were established that Gods and men have to abide by. The potential for a resurgence of the magical ways is a tantalizing prospect. Mr. Yongo, make this happen.
And for some reason, the latest incarnation of Assassins Creed is my visual reference when reading the book.
I was really intrigued to see how Micah would construct an ancient period that was not eurocentric and although the setting wasn't West African as I first thought but more North African, it was just great seeing another perspective and I applaud him for taking the leap. He's created an action-packed story with some thrilling combat sequences, plus enough twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat. This tale tries to mimic the complexities of an ancient world so don't expect happy endings and quaint conclusions. There are plenty of unanswered questions.
My only wish for the inevitable second in the series is to focus some more on the magical elements of this world. The Magi have been hunted and killed and their secrets destroyed but I wanted personally to see more. The one fantastical aspect of the book that was genius was the use of the blood trees in the Shedaím that reflect the growth of each brother. Excellent concept. I need to see more of the Watchers and how the rules were established that Gods and men have to abide by. The potential for a resurgence of the magical ways is a tantalizing prospect. Mr. Yongo, make this happen.
July 31, 2018
Originally reviewed on Grimdark Magazine.
Lost Gods is the debut novel by Micah Yongo. It features a Brotherhood of assassins caught in an ancient and escalating battle between the Sovereignty and the Fellowship of Truths. It is an action packed epic fantasy filled with simple but beautiful imagery and language, diverse characters, African-tinged medievalism, mystery, intrigue, and wisdom that far exceeds the expectations of a debut novel. It is also unabashedly the first in a series, so don’t expect anything even remotely resembling closure at its end, where it seems the story is just beginning. But with its many threaded plots and wide cast of motivated characters, Lost Gods should be right up the alley for lovers of Game of Thrones and Malazan.
The story follows several characters who barely even meet up by the novel’s end. Nevertheless, their individual threads are interesting and revealing, though shrouded in a mystery they don’t understand. Perhaps foremost among the cast is Neythan, a young assassin of the Brotherhood, presumably in his late teens, who is aided on his quest for truth by a mentor, Caleb. Like all members of the brotherhood, Neythan has knife-fighting, stealth, and acrobatic skills. Neythan and his fellow assassin, Arianna, are accused of killing their brother assassin, Yannick, and are hunted by the Brotherhood. Two more of their brethren, twin brothers Josef and Daneel are charged with assassinating a local governor, Hassan, though they do not know why. Hassan’s wife, Yasmin, becomes an important thread in the story as she tries to protect their child and figure out, like the reader will, what the hell is going on. Meanwhile, the young Sharif Sidon, king of the entire region, is about to be wed to the mysterious daughter of an ally he’s never met, which will end the regency of his powerful mother, the Sharifa Clarisse. As if this weren’t enough, the Sharifa’s steward, Elias, is more than he seems and is definitely up to something. In addition to this main cast are various fantastical elements — Watchers, Elders, hidden ancient magic, and the promise of Beasts – that add a supernatural element to the story. It’s enough to challenge even the most focused of readers to keep it all together, but much is revealed toward the end to tie these disparate stories together and prepare the reader for volumes to come.
Not only will lovers of plot complexity enjoy Lost Gods, but Yongo imbues the story with delightful sensory and figurative language that sets this novel head and shoulders above more run-of-the-mill storytelling. When Neythan enters a vortex beneath a waterfall, Yongo writes, “[I]t took a moment for him to realize the ground had become a metallic and silky plane, undulating slowly like a half frozen sea. The ripples seemed to move across both it and the sky as one, as though they were somehow joined, their pulses spreading from some hidden point on the horizon.” Not only is it a captivating image typical of Yongo’s highly engaging writing, but it also captures the ‘sense of wonder’ that is integral to speculative fiction. Throughout Lost Gods the sights, sounds, smells, and tactile images are created with style and depth. And Yongo harbors no fear of figurative turn the tongue; he describes a minstrel: “a small bird-boned man with narrow wrists and nimble fingers that danced over the strings like a scrambling crab…” Yongo’s dialogue is equally well wrought, entertaining, witty, and displays a knowledge of fighting and weaponry, here describing a friendly argument between Neythan and Arianna about which assassin is more skilled.
[Arianna begins:] “I’m better than you with the sword.”
[Neythan:] “Debatable.”
“Crossbow.”
“Perhaps”
“Longbow.”
“Definitely not. When we began maybe, but we were children. The tale has changed a fair way since then.”
“I ride faster than you.”
“You’re smaller than me.”
“So you’ll take the aid it [size] grants your longbow but not the speed it grants my horse?”
Neythan smiled, shrugged concedingly. He looked back to the bonfire. “I’m still the better cook.”
All of the main characters, and some of the minor ones, carry on equally fun and characteristic banter throughout the novel, which provides effective character differentiation as well as varied entertainment. No, it’s not perfect: There are occasional and thankfully rare moments of lumbering syntax, obvious alliteration, and an info-dump here and there, but overall the language works wonderfully throughout the novel.
Yongo also expertly uses dialogue to carry the thematic content of the novel, presenting thought-provoking questions without slowing the narrative. For example, Neythan believes in the power of the Gods, but Caleb holds a more existentialist worldview, insisting, “There is no order. No great law to it all, no perfect, pleasing way from which things have fallen. There are only men and women, with their greed and their pain and their pleasures . . .” Similarly, Caleb reflects on feeling that most of us here at Grimdark Magazine consider to be part of what we call grimdark: “There is no right. No law. Man is without reason, save for whatever reason serves his belly and that fog, and the desires that lie beneath it.” Nevertheless, the idea of what’s morally right becomes central to another assassin, Daneel, as he finds he must try to account with his intuition versus his duty. Finally, Caleb espouses a view that is common to much great grimdark, especially the six novels of Abercrombie’s First Law ‘trilogy’, when he says, “Vengeance, Neythan. Only vengeance. That is all the world is.” It’s a remarkable sequence of disparate worldviews, laid plain by simple and deep dialogue. Yongo’s characters likewise discuss loyalty, truth, family, and other emotionally important issues with seriousness and candour while avoiding sappy sentimentalism, making for an enjoyable, meaningful read.
Yes, Lost Gods appears to be the beginning of an epic fantasy, but this should not deter fans of grimdark. There are definitely some important characteristics of grimdark at play here, especially the morally grey quagmire the assassins find themselves in and the no-good-choice decisions they are forced to make, as well as the complicated conflicts that several other characters, especially Yasmin and Sidon, must confront. It all makes for a fun, engaging, intelligent, and complex read, even if it is only the beginning. Highly recommended.
Lost Gods was published in the US by Angry Robot on 3 July 2018.
Lost Gods is the debut novel by Micah Yongo. It features a Brotherhood of assassins caught in an ancient and escalating battle between the Sovereignty and the Fellowship of Truths. It is an action packed epic fantasy filled with simple but beautiful imagery and language, diverse characters, African-tinged medievalism, mystery, intrigue, and wisdom that far exceeds the expectations of a debut novel. It is also unabashedly the first in a series, so don’t expect anything even remotely resembling closure at its end, where it seems the story is just beginning. But with its many threaded plots and wide cast of motivated characters, Lost Gods should be right up the alley for lovers of Game of Thrones and Malazan.
The story follows several characters who barely even meet up by the novel’s end. Nevertheless, their individual threads are interesting and revealing, though shrouded in a mystery they don’t understand. Perhaps foremost among the cast is Neythan, a young assassin of the Brotherhood, presumably in his late teens, who is aided on his quest for truth by a mentor, Caleb. Like all members of the brotherhood, Neythan has knife-fighting, stealth, and acrobatic skills. Neythan and his fellow assassin, Arianna, are accused of killing their brother assassin, Yannick, and are hunted by the Brotherhood. Two more of their brethren, twin brothers Josef and Daneel are charged with assassinating a local governor, Hassan, though they do not know why. Hassan’s wife, Yasmin, becomes an important thread in the story as she tries to protect their child and figure out, like the reader will, what the hell is going on. Meanwhile, the young Sharif Sidon, king of the entire region, is about to be wed to the mysterious daughter of an ally he’s never met, which will end the regency of his powerful mother, the Sharifa Clarisse. As if this weren’t enough, the Sharifa’s steward, Elias, is more than he seems and is definitely up to something. In addition to this main cast are various fantastical elements — Watchers, Elders, hidden ancient magic, and the promise of Beasts – that add a supernatural element to the story. It’s enough to challenge even the most focused of readers to keep it all together, but much is revealed toward the end to tie these disparate stories together and prepare the reader for volumes to come.
Not only will lovers of plot complexity enjoy Lost Gods, but Yongo imbues the story with delightful sensory and figurative language that sets this novel head and shoulders above more run-of-the-mill storytelling. When Neythan enters a vortex beneath a waterfall, Yongo writes, “[I]t took a moment for him to realize the ground had become a metallic and silky plane, undulating slowly like a half frozen sea. The ripples seemed to move across both it and the sky as one, as though they were somehow joined, their pulses spreading from some hidden point on the horizon.” Not only is it a captivating image typical of Yongo’s highly engaging writing, but it also captures the ‘sense of wonder’ that is integral to speculative fiction. Throughout Lost Gods the sights, sounds, smells, and tactile images are created with style and depth. And Yongo harbors no fear of figurative turn the tongue; he describes a minstrel: “a small bird-boned man with narrow wrists and nimble fingers that danced over the strings like a scrambling crab…” Yongo’s dialogue is equally well wrought, entertaining, witty, and displays a knowledge of fighting and weaponry, here describing a friendly argument between Neythan and Arianna about which assassin is more skilled.
[Arianna begins:] “I’m better than you with the sword.”
[Neythan:] “Debatable.”
“Crossbow.”
“Perhaps”
“Longbow.”
“Definitely not. When we began maybe, but we were children. The tale has changed a fair way since then.”
“I ride faster than you.”
“You’re smaller than me.”
“So you’ll take the aid it [size] grants your longbow but not the speed it grants my horse?”
Neythan smiled, shrugged concedingly. He looked back to the bonfire. “I’m still the better cook.”
All of the main characters, and some of the minor ones, carry on equally fun and characteristic banter throughout the novel, which provides effective character differentiation as well as varied entertainment. No, it’s not perfect: There are occasional and thankfully rare moments of lumbering syntax, obvious alliteration, and an info-dump here and there, but overall the language works wonderfully throughout the novel.
Yongo also expertly uses dialogue to carry the thematic content of the novel, presenting thought-provoking questions without slowing the narrative. For example, Neythan believes in the power of the Gods, but Caleb holds a more existentialist worldview, insisting, “There is no order. No great law to it all, no perfect, pleasing way from which things have fallen. There are only men and women, with their greed and their pain and their pleasures . . .” Similarly, Caleb reflects on feeling that most of us here at Grimdark Magazine consider to be part of what we call grimdark: “There is no right. No law. Man is without reason, save for whatever reason serves his belly and that fog, and the desires that lie beneath it.” Nevertheless, the idea of what’s morally right becomes central to another assassin, Daneel, as he finds he must try to account with his intuition versus his duty. Finally, Caleb espouses a view that is common to much great grimdark, especially the six novels of Abercrombie’s First Law ‘trilogy’, when he says, “Vengeance, Neythan. Only vengeance. That is all the world is.” It’s a remarkable sequence of disparate worldviews, laid plain by simple and deep dialogue. Yongo’s characters likewise discuss loyalty, truth, family, and other emotionally important issues with seriousness and candour while avoiding sappy sentimentalism, making for an enjoyable, meaningful read.
Yes, Lost Gods appears to be the beginning of an epic fantasy, but this should not deter fans of grimdark. There are definitely some important characteristics of grimdark at play here, especially the morally grey quagmire the assassins find themselves in and the no-good-choice decisions they are forced to make, as well as the complicated conflicts that several other characters, especially Yasmin and Sidon, must confront. It all makes for a fun, engaging, intelligent, and complex read, even if it is only the beginning. Highly recommended.
Lost Gods was published in the US by Angry Robot on 3 July 2018.
April 26, 2018
Fast-paced and intriguing… with an African inspired setting that makes a refreshing change.
October 15, 2019
Micah Yongo delivers an accomplished debut with this epic immersive fantasy. Lost Gods manages to convey a sweeping majestic world and yet still anchor the tale in a close and deeply personal quest. We follow his protagonist Neythan – a newly “qualified” assassin – in pursuit not only of a betrayer but also of answers to questions he doesn’t even realise he needed to ask.
Neythan travels through a fresh and vividly described world. With deft economical turns of phrase, Yongo puts the reader right at the heart of a non-traditional fantasy setting. The flavours and aromas of Arabia and sub-Saharan Africa permeate the text, as the story carries Neythan through walled towns, bustling bazaar-like markeplaces and diverse communities.
Yongo paints on a complex political landscape. We travel through the composite nominally secular nation of the Sovereignty bounded by the still religious Sunam to the south and the barren lands of the barbarian Kivites to the North.
You can read my full review on the Fantasy Hive website here https://fantasy-hive.co.uk/2019/08/lo...
Neythan travels through a fresh and vividly described world. With deft economical turns of phrase, Yongo puts the reader right at the heart of a non-traditional fantasy setting. The flavours and aromas of Arabia and sub-Saharan Africa permeate the text, as the story carries Neythan through walled towns, bustling bazaar-like markeplaces and diverse communities.
Yongo paints on a complex political landscape. We travel through the composite nominally secular nation of the Sovereignty bounded by the still religious Sunam to the south and the barren lands of the barbarian Kivites to the North.
You can read my full review on the Fantasy Hive website here https://fantasy-hive.co.uk/2019/08/lo...
Read
April 20, 2018DNF at 35%
An epic fantasy in the vein of Raymond E Feist's Riftwar saga. I'd recommend it for fans of those books. It just wasn't for me as this is heavy on the world building, beautiful descriptions and long meandering backstories. I was expecting an exciting fantasy book about someone searching for the people who had betrayed him but instead Naythen is only a small part of a much larger story. (Also killing off the Deaf character especially before we even got to know him sucks.) The way the multi pov was used and the world building slowed the pacing down too much for me. It is a well written book but not the type of story I was expecting.
P.S.This is a gorgeous cover
An epic fantasy in the vein of Raymond E Feist's Riftwar saga. I'd recommend it for fans of those books. It just wasn't for me as this is heavy on the world building, beautiful descriptions and long meandering backstories. I was expecting an exciting fantasy book about someone searching for the people who had betrayed him but instead Naythen is only a small part of a much larger story. (Also killing off the Deaf character especially before we even got to know him sucks.) The way the multi pov was used and the world building slowed the pacing down too much for me. It is a well written book but not the type of story I was expecting.
P.S.This is a gorgeous cover
October 7, 2019
I read this debut some 5-6 months ago, and have almost forgot the story in details, but I still remember being thrilled and wanting for more. The writing is evocative and brilliant. Yongo is a talented writer, and it is evident in the manner he carries the story, fleshes out his characters, while maintaining the suspense and tension throughout the story. This basically is a coming-of-age tale, and we get to see many familiar tropes and trappings of traditional fantasy, but it feels renewed with a fresh enthusiasm, and I never felt tired reading it.
The world has a middle-eastern feel to it, and the socio-cultural setting and mythology is definitely African inspired. I enjoyed the conception of secret societies, assassins (I loved the idea of the blood-tree), their shadowy practices, and mysteries regarding the well-being of the world at large. There are conspiracies, betrayals, and political intrigue which makes the plot multi-layered and unpredictable. There isn't much action, but it is balanced by the cloak and dagger atmosphere of the racy plot. I felt that the magical element was a little less, and the mythology a little vague, though the brief notes at the beginning of each chapter hints at some rich lore and history of the world that Yongo has conceived.
The characterization was solid. Each of the characters is clothed in grey, and has their own flaws and internal conflicts. Neythan is a likable character, and he grows on the reader despite being naive in some aspects. I also enjoyed Sidon's arc and hope to see him further in the series. Arianna is another complex female character which I believe has a firm potential to become one of the highlight of the series. And, I'm interested to know what will happen to the twins Daneel and Josef, as they've separated themselves from each other due to the conflict of their faith and ideals.
I will definitely be reading the sequel Pale Kings, which is I believe is even better. The problem with this book was the pacing, which in some places lagged, and most readers will find this as a setback. But, I assure this, once invested in the story, the slow-burning anticipation builds up into a bright flame. Although, I hope that Yongo will shed some light upon some of the mysteries which was left vague in the sequel and explore the epic scope that the story has to offer.
The world has a middle-eastern feel to it, and the socio-cultural setting and mythology is definitely African inspired. I enjoyed the conception of secret societies, assassins (I loved the idea of the blood-tree), their shadowy practices, and mysteries regarding the well-being of the world at large. There are conspiracies, betrayals, and political intrigue which makes the plot multi-layered and unpredictable. There isn't much action, but it is balanced by the cloak and dagger atmosphere of the racy plot. I felt that the magical element was a little less, and the mythology a little vague, though the brief notes at the beginning of each chapter hints at some rich lore and history of the world that Yongo has conceived.
The characterization was solid. Each of the characters is clothed in grey, and has their own flaws and internal conflicts. Neythan is a likable character, and he grows on the reader despite being naive in some aspects. I also enjoyed Sidon's arc and hope to see him further in the series. Arianna is another complex female character which I believe has a firm potential to become one of the highlight of the series. And, I'm interested to know what will happen to the twins Daneel and Josef, as they've separated themselves from each other due to the conflict of their faith and ideals.
I will definitely be reading the sequel Pale Kings, which is I believe is even better. The problem with this book was the pacing, which in some places lagged, and most readers will find this as a setback. But, I assure this, once invested in the story, the slow-burning anticipation builds up into a bright flame. Although, I hope that Yongo will shed some light upon some of the mysteries which was left vague in the sequel and explore the epic scope that the story has to offer.
April 2, 2018
I'll start by saying that Lost Gods by Micah Yongo is an ambitious novel, and Micah most certainly bites off a lot of content for readers to chew on as this adventure kicks off. And this is most certainly a book one in a series, with some narrative threads left undone by the end and some fascinating characters who will most likely still go on to uncovering further mysteries.
Firstly, the world building is something that's right up my alley – a wonderful departure from the standard Euro-centric fantasy – that takes on a decidedly African flavour to the setting that is well realised. So, that's a huge thumbs up from me. That being said, Micah has a bit of a tendency towards exposition that could possibly have been reined in a wee smidge. Not that it bothered me too much, because the story does move along at a cracking pace, but there are moments when I feel that the flow has a few hitches. Then again, I'm a bit of a history buff, and while all the names and places did get a bit overwhelming at times, I reckon I remained afloat.
And there were some lovely characters. While we primarily deal with Neythan, and his quest to find his peer Arianna and figure out what on earth went wrong with his first mission as a newly fledged assassin, we do have some of the story from secondary characters who also have important narrative arcs. Perhaps here is a little bit of my wish that we could have seen a little more of them? Then again, some of what they discover I suspect will be important for readers to know later. There were a few moments where I felt that point of view could have been a bit deeper, with a bit more digging in terms of understanding characters' motivations to keep the overarching plot on track, but on the whole the characters are distinct and I cared about what happened to them. So there is that.
There is a lot going on in the story – not only courtly intrigue, but also conspiracies to uncover within an order of assassins, and Neythan (and by default readers) won't have any clue what's really happening, as Neythan is kept off balance the entire time – which I quite enjoyed. I did feel at times that the divine prophecy aspect to the story felt a bit tacked on, and could have had a bit more development, but it added an intriguing dimension to the novel that I'm certain will be developed later on.
While at times I wasn't entirely certain of what the characters' actual goals were (this was a bit muddy, especially near the end), I did enjoy Lost Gods, primarily because it's a breath of fresh air in an incredibly detailed world. There's a lot of lore here, beneath the skin, and for lore junkies like me, that's pretty much irresistible. So a big thumbs up from me, and I'm going to keep an eye on Micah's career.
Firstly, the world building is something that's right up my alley – a wonderful departure from the standard Euro-centric fantasy – that takes on a decidedly African flavour to the setting that is well realised. So, that's a huge thumbs up from me. That being said, Micah has a bit of a tendency towards exposition that could possibly have been reined in a wee smidge. Not that it bothered me too much, because the story does move along at a cracking pace, but there are moments when I feel that the flow has a few hitches. Then again, I'm a bit of a history buff, and while all the names and places did get a bit overwhelming at times, I reckon I remained afloat.
And there were some lovely characters. While we primarily deal with Neythan, and his quest to find his peer Arianna and figure out what on earth went wrong with his first mission as a newly fledged assassin, we do have some of the story from secondary characters who also have important narrative arcs. Perhaps here is a little bit of my wish that we could have seen a little more of them? Then again, some of what they discover I suspect will be important for readers to know later. There were a few moments where I felt that point of view could have been a bit deeper, with a bit more digging in terms of understanding characters' motivations to keep the overarching plot on track, but on the whole the characters are distinct and I cared about what happened to them. So there is that.
There is a lot going on in the story – not only courtly intrigue, but also conspiracies to uncover within an order of assassins, and Neythan (and by default readers) won't have any clue what's really happening, as Neythan is kept off balance the entire time – which I quite enjoyed. I did feel at times that the divine prophecy aspect to the story felt a bit tacked on, and could have had a bit more development, but it added an intriguing dimension to the novel that I'm certain will be developed later on.
While at times I wasn't entirely certain of what the characters' actual goals were (this was a bit muddy, especially near the end), I did enjoy Lost Gods, primarily because it's a breath of fresh air in an incredibly detailed world. There's a lot of lore here, beneath the skin, and for lore junkies like me, that's pretty much irresistible. So a big thumbs up from me, and I'm going to keep an eye on Micah's career.
January 16, 2020
Overall, an enjoyable read.
I'm not sure if this plot wraps up completely with Pale Kings, or if there is a longer series planned, but this did definitely read as mostly "setup" for more to come. It wasn't really clear where things were going until the last 50 pages or so (not very much telegraphed as to what we might be building toward) so my sense of why we were following particular POV characters and their overall goals/shifts-in-goals felt a bit... meandering for a lot of the book. I never felt bored, but there was definitely an element of having to have faith that this was "going somewhere".
Happily, the book DID end up going somewhere. The finale ended up with some satisfying and exciting revelations that I think set the stage for less "meandering" events in book 2, so I'm very much looking forward to seeing where it goes from here.
I'm not sure if this plot wraps up completely with Pale Kings, or if there is a longer series planned, but this did definitely read as mostly "setup" for more to come. It wasn't really clear where things were going until the last 50 pages or so (not very much telegraphed as to what we might be building toward) so my sense of why we were following particular POV characters and their overall goals/shifts-in-goals felt a bit... meandering for a lot of the book. I never felt bored, but there was definitely an element of having to have faith that this was "going somewhere".
Happily, the book DID end up going somewhere. The finale ended up with some satisfying and exciting revelations that I think set the stage for less "meandering" events in book 2, so I'm very much looking forward to seeing where it goes from here.
August 4, 2018
This book does take a bit of getting into and I think it would benefit from a map. That said the plot builds and starts to move at some pace in the second half of the book. I am looking forward to the sequel.
May 14, 2018
Lost Gods is fresh, fierce, and lush with inspiration from the lands and mythology of ancient Africa and the Middle East.
I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for more from Micah Yongo!
I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for more from Micah Yongo!
July 12, 2018
Warnings: violence, slavery, implied mutilation, death of disabled character, use of ethnic slur
Lost Gods is a fantasy built in epic proportions, about a world where a new kingdom has banished all religion, and pockets of magic still remain. Said to be inspired by African and Middle-Eastern cultures, there is a lot of familiarity with respect to the societies and cultures lovingly described in it, but you wouldn't recognize any of the places mentioned except for Sumeria. In the Sovereign, power is centralized in a sharif, who has control over a league of assassins called the Brotherhood. This story takes us on a politically fueled, adventure laden, magic filled journey through various characters including the protagonist Neythan, who is one of the newest assassins from the Brotherhood; another the wife of a city's Steward (or something like that); the young ascendant sharif who is barely 15, and is trying to worm out from underneath his mother's political influence.
Due to the multiple character POV, the story is multi-faceted and for the most part (like the first half of the book) I had no clue where the story was going for the other characters; only Neythan's arc was straightforward as in the blurb - he was searching for his classmate Arianne who killed his best friend and framed him. While chasing her, he meets Caleb, an exile from the Brotherhood and who agrees to help him search in exchange for help with his own revenge. But for the sharif, it wasn't clear what his POV was for until like two-thirds of the book. I must say, any satisfaction that came from things finally making sense in the last quarter of the book was marred by the confusion I was wading through for the major part of the book.
The world-building of the book is detailed at times, going into simple courtesies and etiquette during conversations, food customs, and all that did add to the vibrancy of the Sovereign and the surrounding kingdom, but it also made for a very slow moving plot. The pace was glacial, and coupled with the fact that it wasn't clear what it was working up to, besides the character development, I will say it took me way more time to finish this than I would have had. The writing style is lush and the characterization peppered with slight sarcastic humor when it came to Neythan, and Caleb, and cheek when it came to Arianne, and had the mischievous temperament of Daneel developing into a conscience and the obedient Yosef turning into blind evil. The ending was resolved for one thing, but a lot of things were only built up for perhaps the next book so I wasn't entirely satisfied as I had more questions by the time the climax rolled around.
Overall, it is a wonderfully constructed fantasy, but I wish it did more of the adventure than the world building, and provided more excitement and entertainment to be an enjoyable read.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review from Viz Media, via Edelweiss.
Lost Gods is a fantasy built in epic proportions, about a world where a new kingdom has banished all religion, and pockets of magic still remain. Said to be inspired by African and Middle-Eastern cultures, there is a lot of familiarity with respect to the societies and cultures lovingly described in it, but you wouldn't recognize any of the places mentioned except for Sumeria. In the Sovereign, power is centralized in a sharif, who has control over a league of assassins called the Brotherhood. This story takes us on a politically fueled, adventure laden, magic filled journey through various characters including the protagonist Neythan, who is one of the newest assassins from the Brotherhood; another the wife of a city's Steward (or something like that); the young ascendant sharif who is barely 15, and is trying to worm out from underneath his mother's political influence.
Due to the multiple character POV, the story is multi-faceted and for the most part (like the first half of the book) I had no clue where the story was going for the other characters; only Neythan's arc was straightforward as in the blurb - he was searching for his classmate Arianne who killed his best friend and framed him. While chasing her, he meets Caleb, an exile from the Brotherhood and who agrees to help him search in exchange for help with his own revenge. But for the sharif, it wasn't clear what his POV was for until like two-thirds of the book. I must say, any satisfaction that came from things finally making sense in the last quarter of the book was marred by the confusion I was wading through for the major part of the book.
The world-building of the book is detailed at times, going into simple courtesies and etiquette during conversations, food customs, and all that did add to the vibrancy of the Sovereign and the surrounding kingdom, but it also made for a very slow moving plot. The pace was glacial, and coupled with the fact that it wasn't clear what it was working up to, besides the character development, I will say it took me way more time to finish this than I would have had. The writing style is lush and the characterization peppered with slight sarcastic humor when it came to Neythan, and Caleb, and cheek when it came to Arianne, and had the mischievous temperament of Daneel developing into a conscience and the obedient Yosef turning into blind evil. The ending was resolved for one thing, but a lot of things were only built up for perhaps the next book so I wasn't entirely satisfied as I had more questions by the time the climax rolled around.
Overall, it is a wonderfully constructed fantasy, but I wish it did more of the adventure than the world building, and provided more excitement and entertainment to be an enjoyable read.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review from Viz Media, via Edelweiss.
June 22, 2018
Lost Gods
Thanks Netgalley and Angry Robot for this copy of Lost Gods by Micah Yongo in exchange for my honest opinion.
'For the dreamers' isn't that a wonderful dedication. Just that, 3 simple words and it made me happy. It made me wonder.
Just as I read the first page, I was instanty taken to Neythan's place. The first few words grabbed me and placed me in that same forested area. I can even imagine the insect bites! Next few pages and I learned that he is not a lonesome character, he belongs to group. He has a family, the brotherhood. Just the first chapter and it's action packed already. But as the story progressed the POV changes, that's where it got hard for me. Every chapter has a change of PoV, the setting changes, the characters changes, the place changes and the focus is taken away from Neythan. I understand that it gives the story more scope and maybe better world build-up but it took away from me the interest build-up. It disoriented me to be honest. Dont get me wrong though, the writing is good and gripping but the changes in setting in every chapter made me loose focus. Whenever it's getting interesting the chapter will end then oooopps wait change setting/POV. But if you love that kind of thing then good, it's just not for me. So letting go of that topic, I'll move on to Neythan's character development, I like how his character developed, he started out nervous and lets just say he turned skilled and mature. And I enjoyed Arianna's character she's head strong and capable. There are a lot of dark characters and a lot of good ones aswell (like I said there are so many different settings so a lot of characters too, Game of Thrones kind of many. And oooh I'm not comparing this to GoT all I'm saying is if GoT has lots of characters, this one has a lot aswell, just to be clear). Ohhh I hope the physical book gets a map.. It'll be awesome if it has a map, in my opinion atleast.
So to wrap it up this story has good potential and character build up, nice world building, good plot twist and conflict. But the constant change in setting is the one that didn't work for me. So i rated it 3/5.
Thanks Netgalley and Angry Robot for this copy of Lost Gods by Micah Yongo in exchange for my honest opinion.
'For the dreamers' isn't that a wonderful dedication. Just that, 3 simple words and it made me happy. It made me wonder.
Just as I read the first page, I was instanty taken to Neythan's place. The first few words grabbed me and placed me in that same forested area. I can even imagine the insect bites! Next few pages and I learned that he is not a lonesome character, he belongs to group. He has a family, the brotherhood. Just the first chapter and it's action packed already. But as the story progressed the POV changes, that's where it got hard for me. Every chapter has a change of PoV, the setting changes, the characters changes, the place changes and the focus is taken away from Neythan. I understand that it gives the story more scope and maybe better world build-up but it took away from me the interest build-up. It disoriented me to be honest. Dont get me wrong though, the writing is good and gripping but the changes in setting in every chapter made me loose focus. Whenever it's getting interesting the chapter will end then oooopps wait change setting/POV. But if you love that kind of thing then good, it's just not for me. So letting go of that topic, I'll move on to Neythan's character development, I like how his character developed, he started out nervous and lets just say he turned skilled and mature. And I enjoyed Arianna's character she's head strong and capable. There are a lot of dark characters and a lot of good ones aswell (like I said there are so many different settings so a lot of characters too, Game of Thrones kind of many. And oooh I'm not comparing this to GoT all I'm saying is if GoT has lots of characters, this one has a lot aswell, just to be clear). Ohhh I hope the physical book gets a map.. It'll be awesome if it has a map, in my opinion atleast.
So to wrap it up this story has good potential and character build up, nice world building, good plot twist and conflict. But the constant change in setting is the one that didn't work for me. So i rated it 3/5.
June 12, 2019
I'm so torn between giving this a 3.5 and a 4, although for the purposes of goodreads I'll round it up to a 4 anyway.
This is definitely an impressive debut from Micah Yongo. I struggled quite a bit during the first 50-60% of the book as it's quite slow paced and, at points, needlessly over descriptive. I think it could have done with being cut down to make it a shorter, more impactful story. The last section of the book really elevated my rating though as it was exciting, the threads of the story started coming together and I found it hard to put down!
I'll be writing a full review of this soon as I received a review copy of Lost Gods from Angry Robot.
This is definitely an impressive debut from Micah Yongo. I struggled quite a bit during the first 50-60% of the book as it's quite slow paced and, at points, needlessly over descriptive. I think it could have done with being cut down to make it a shorter, more impactful story. The last section of the book really elevated my rating though as it was exciting, the threads of the story started coming together and I found it hard to put down!
I'll be writing a full review of this soon as I received a review copy of Lost Gods from Angry Robot.
July 4, 2022
good solid debut - still mad about Yannick though lol
dnf
June 30, 2019got to page 50 so bored and don't see myself picking this up since none of it grabbed my interest
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