Celestial

The Image of Gods #1

by Caitlin Rhys

“Prepare to have your world shattered.” -Amazon Reviewer Seventeen-year-old Brynneth Carr is a mortal living in a land ruled by gods. She always wanted to meet one. Maybe shake his hand, receive his blessing. When she finally meets Andrey, lord of wit, her patron god, and he asks her to be his lover, she can’t say no. She’s bound to obey him without question. Refusing would bring shame to her family, a curse to her name and obeying will do the opposite. But it also means leaving her home and everything she cares about to travel with him to Revrendial, the city of the gods. A city where mortals don’t belong and immortal celestials are more human than they should be. Where darkness lurks behind a pristine facade. Brynneth’s presence threatens to destroy that facade, and the powers that be want nothing more than to see her dead. The one thing keeping her alive is her god’s profession of love, but she begins to suspect that isn’t as perfect as he insists. If she wants to survive for long, her only hope is to become a goddess herself and join the pantheon of power. But will even that be enough? For fans of Sarah J. Maas and Holly Black, Celestial is an adventure you won’t want to miss! Read now to join Brynneth in the first chapter of her epic fall from grace.

Genres: Fantasy

262 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 21, 2019

Reviews

[Debbie Eyre · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic adventure that is well written and gripping! I love a good mythology retelling and this one is very good with its twists and turns, fab characters and storyline! An exciting read and I can’t wait to read more!

[L.J. Bus · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first few pages were a bit difficult to get into, some facts seemed to contradict each other. Something about the feast being annual but then some details make it seem like the last one was two years ago, I would’ve made it clearer what happened annually and just what was “a daily reminder for the last two years” because I really read it as something that had happened at the last annual feast was a daily reminder for the last two years but since the last feast would only have been One year ago and not two, I couldn’t quite get past this... And the other thing that was a bit confusing is that they would perform and offer to the Gods annually but it had been 30 years since the Gods had appeared so I can’t imagine how everything would have gone all those other years in between. Could be that I have another approach of telling something than the author does, I do know my husband and I can sometimes be seemingly speaking very different languages. But those few things almost kept me from reading further. I’m glad I kept reading though because after those two confusing things al of a sudden I was drawn in and hooked and I just really needed to know what would happen next that I gladly sacrificed my sleep for this book. To my opinion this story is unique and intriguing and the more developments I read, the more it sucked me in. I am really looking forward for the next instalment. I’m so glad I stumbled onto this book, curious to know just how some of the characters will change after the end of book one or what they’ll grow into because especially one character went through some changes at the end there so I hope I can read book two soon. Notthat it ended with a big cliffhanger though, just a sort of promise for a second book but you can leave the story at the end of this book if you so choose. I did take a star off because it started slow due to the confusing details in the beginning and the fact that it leaves me with so many suestions. Not that the story isn’t good enough without those pieces of information I craved but I just wished some details were included. I want all the how’s and why’s of it all, if you will. Not to assume but to know. So I do hope to get a bit more background information as to how the Everlord en that other one came to be (need to keep it vage here, because spoilers, sorry), what the silvery ink is, where the ink and the ambrosia comes from. All this information is not needed for this book but for me, it would’ve made the story richer.

[Brittany Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brynn’s world revolves around the Gods and worshipping them. So the day they come to her town calls for celebration. Brynn is chosen to be the lead dancer in the festivities and she hopes she makes her patron God proud. What she doesn’t expect is for him to bless her and single her out for companionship. As we go along we find out that all is not as it seems in the Gods’ realm. Will Brynn be able to find her place and survive?

The task of writing this book was monumental and risky but that risk definitely paid off! This is the start of a very clever and exciting new series.

The characters were very complex and real. I loved the interactions between them all but especially with Brynn and Rhion. The descriptions were so clear and precise that, at one point, I thought I was the one under the knife!!

I look forward to seeing what is in store for the characters in the next book!

[Shyra Dawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

*I was sent a copy of this book to review*

Celestial is the first book in a new series. Once I started reading, I could not stop! When does the next book come out?

The story is well written, the plot is dynamic, and the characters are interesting and relatable.

What I also enjoyed was that there are some deeper lessons to be thought about and learned. Being deliberately vague so as not to give anything away...What is faith? What is friendship? I may not agree with some of the choices that Brynneth makes, but I think that’s why she’s appealing! Can’t wait to see what happens next in her story!

[Amanda Matula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Follow Brynneth from her small town to the home of the God's, and prepare to have your world shattered. Set in a world that reminds me of ancient Rome, the history buff in me was hooked. Brynneth lives in a world where you're devoted to a specific God from childhood. Your daily prayers, aspirations, life choices, and values are all tied to the God to whom you've sworn devotion. But what if everything your God turns out to be false? Brynneth's adventure was page turning from start to finish. (Author) kept me guessing at every turn. I finished the book in 2 days and I want more.

[Gillian Sisley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Things aren't always what they seem... this novel was a fascinating read with a lot of twists and turns. It speaks to the need for us to be critical of our surroundings and the people we idolize.

Caitlin Rhys is a phenomenal storyteller, and she has created a very dynamic set of characters with gritty traits and very diverse personalities. I strongly recommend this book to any YA reader who enjoys a strong female lead and novels which go against what one would expect! I sailed through this book, and can't wait to read the next once!

[Genni Piatt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved reading this book. It put a new spin on the typical mythology books where the gods are completely out of the reach of mortals. The world was written well and I loved the depth to the characters. I think that Rhion might be my favorite character. His struggle as the god of madness when he had it forced on him is such a good plot point. I need to know what happens to him at the end of the book. The way that Brynneth was able to find her voice as the story went on was empowering. Even Andrey had more to him than what you would think in the beginning.

[M.P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This coming of age story centers on Brynneth and her faith. She makes an offering to her chosen god, and he whisks her away to his home, causing quite a stir with the other gods and their devotees. During her time with him, she makes a couple of friends, discovers some painful truths, and suffers a horrific loss. She learns that life is about the choices you make, and the importance of loyalty.

[Astrid Rudloff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I voluntarily review an ARC.
This is the first book of the series The Image of Gods, the books should be read in order.
Wow, what a unique story!
I loved it all, the interesting characters, settings and storyline, the unexpected twists and turns, the nail biting and romantic moments.
To get to know the gods personally can change everything...
I can't wait to read the next part!

[Jenay Sherman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow—can’t wait to read the next one. Quick read, full of action, twists and turns. I loved the premise of this story and how unique the setup was with the gods and mortals. Characters are well developed and I really loved the writing. I enjoyed reading how Brynneth and even Andrey grew and I’d like to discover more layers to their characters in the next book.