What do you think?
Rate this book
The Godsblood Trilogy #3
The Valley of the Gods
Is victory worthwhile if it comes at the expense of everything you love?
To avoid seeing the River Cities destroyed in their efforts to defeat Irella, Acharsis and his friends set forth on a quest that will take them from the darkest depths of hell to the perilous heights of the Gods' Mountain.
A quest that will pit them against the fearsome powers of the daughter of death, a race against time to prevent her from not only conquering the known world, but tearing aside the very veil that separates the spirits of the dead from the land of the living.
A quest whose culmination will force Acharsis and Jarek to decide just how much they are willing to sacrifice in order to save all that they love.
To avoid seeing the River Cities destroyed in their efforts to defeat Irella, Acharsis and his friends set forth on a quest that will take them from the darkest depths of hell to the perilous heights of the Gods' Mountain.
A quest that will pit them against the fearsome powers of the daughter of death, a race against time to prevent her from not only conquering the known world, but tearing aside the very veil that separates the spirits of the dead from the land of the living.
A quest whose culmination will force Acharsis and Jarek to decide just how much they are willing to sacrifice in order to save all that they love.
338 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 1, 2019
63 people are currently reading
132 people want to read
About the author
Phil Tucker
46 books1,301 followersThanks for visiting my page! I'm Phil Tucker, a Brazilian/Brit who currently resides in Asheville, NC, where I resist the siren call of the forests and mountains to sit inside and hammer away on my laptop.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 3, 2019
The Godsblood trilogy is tragically underrated, and often eclipsed by Tucker's BLACK GATE series, but trust me when I tell you it's fantastic.
Just like its predecessors, VALLEY OF THE GODS (Godsblood #3) is packed with compelling characters, snarky demigods, mythology and necromancy. The Sumerian setting is fresh and original, while the action sequences are breathtakingly tense and will leave your head spinning as though you just had a one-night stand with a dream rhino. A brilliantly epic final instalment to the series.
Just like its predecessors, VALLEY OF THE GODS (Godsblood #3) is packed with compelling characters, snarky demigods, mythology and necromancy. The Sumerian setting is fresh and original, while the action sequences are breathtakingly tense and will leave your head spinning as though you just had a one-night stand with a dream rhino. A brilliantly epic final instalment to the series.
August 22, 2019
We all make mistakes. ‘To err is human, to forgive is divine’, or so they say. But what's so great about divinity, anyway? There's constant pressure to do the right thing, or perhaps the power will go to your head. Do you address your followers, or fall silent to their praise and let their faith guide them? What is true divinity, and what should its purpose be? If only there was a book that explored these themes through an Egyptian fantasy adventure that features a crew of half-blooded gods battling their way through hordes of netherworld demons while avoiding assassination in a pharaoh’s court... ah yes, here’s one! Phil Tucker’s The Valley of the Gods, the final book of The Godsblood trilogy, is a rollicking adventure that explores the nature of divinity, the abuse of power, and finding balance between the two.
Between each shining star a fainter star shone, so that the heavens appeared smeared with nacreous specks, like pearls crushed across a slab of obsidian.
Historically, Tucker’s skillful prose and vivid imagination are two of his greatest strengths, and once again they are on full display here. Our heroes face a creative mix of challenges of both mind and body, such as battling undead deep in the netherworlds or surviving a political coup. There are many scenes that feel cinematic in nature, yet the story also provides plenty of philosophizing as well as more than a few scenes of comedy. Anyone who listens to the Crit-Faced podcast will already know what kind of tools Tucker is capable of bringing to a story.
There is one issue that I felt could have been improved upon. Outside of Annara, I didn’t completely like how Kith was portrayed. Her character felt thin. She didn’t have much to say on her own besides supporting her man, and the one opportunity she had to stand up for herself, another man jumped in and spoke for her. We then cut to a different scene instead of hearing what she would have said. Also, I'm not sure if this book passes the Bechdel test.
Overall, I enjoyed this trilogy quite a bit. Setting a fantasy story in an alternate Egypt (or thereabouts) is something I haven’t come , and Tucker did his homework on making this world feel lifelike and partially based on our own history. The Valley of the Gods is an exceptionally entertaining conclusion to the Godsblood trilogy that asks as many questions as it answers. It’s a lot of fun. New fans and old will find a lot to like here. Go pick it up!
8.0 / 10
Between each shining star a fainter star shone, so that the heavens appeared smeared with nacreous specks, like pearls crushed across a slab of obsidian.
Historically, Tucker’s skillful prose and vivid imagination are two of his greatest strengths, and once again they are on full display here. Our heroes face a creative mix of challenges of both mind and body, such as battling undead deep in the netherworlds or surviving a political coup. There are many scenes that feel cinematic in nature, yet the story also provides plenty of philosophizing as well as more than a few scenes of comedy. Anyone who listens to the Crit-Faced podcast will already know what kind of tools Tucker is capable of bringing to a story.
There is one issue that I felt could have been improved upon. Outside of Annara, I didn’t completely like how Kith was portrayed. Her character felt thin. She didn’t have much to say on her own besides supporting her man, and the one opportunity she had to stand up for herself, another man jumped in and spoke for her. We then cut to a different scene instead of hearing what she would have said. Also, I'm not sure if this book passes the Bechdel test.
Overall, I enjoyed this trilogy quite a bit. Setting a fantasy story in an alternate Egypt (or thereabouts) is something I haven’t come , and Tucker did his homework on making this world feel lifelike and partially based on our own history. The Valley of the Gods is an exceptionally entertaining conclusion to the Godsblood trilogy that asks as many questions as it answers. It’s a lot of fun. New fans and old will find a lot to like here. Go pick it up!
8.0 / 10
July 16, 2019
Full review is here, on my blog!~
Oh Acharsis. I love your shenanigans right to the very end. In this volume, everything is coming to a head, as Acharsis and Jarek and their companions finally make a plan to defeat Irella, the one who killed all the gods but her own and set herself up to rule Rekkidu in their place. In this, they’ll have to brave the underworld itself in order to sneak back into the city as quickly as possible.
Acharsis and his companions and the banter between them are what make this series for me. The dialogue is, perhaps a bit more modern sounding than would be expected for a story that takes place in a world not-so-much unlike ancient Sumeria or Egypt, but it gives the characters a real likable quality to me.
The story was well plotted and the dialogue was great. There were plenty of twists and turns to make it interesting, and things happened that I didn’t expect at all. I had a good chuckle more than once as well, because even on his very worst day, Acharsis still makes me laugh. I found myself turning on the audiobook and just letting it play for hours while doing other things. It kept me on task brilliantly, which is always a good thing. 🙂
The narrator, Paul Guyet did a great job with this series. As the series went on, he became Acharsis and Jarek in my mind. His Jarek voice is quite awesome, and he captures the snark from Acharsis beautifully.
So all told, I thought this was a great ending to a great series. The ending even gave me a bit of the feels. More feels than I expected to have from slightly comedic Sumerian Ocean’s Eleven fantasy. Unique and very entertaining and a great set of audiobooks that I think are far, far too underrated. Everyone should read them!
Oh Acharsis. I love your shenanigans right to the very end. In this volume, everything is coming to a head, as Acharsis and Jarek and their companions finally make a plan to defeat Irella, the one who killed all the gods but her own and set herself up to rule Rekkidu in their place. In this, they’ll have to brave the underworld itself in order to sneak back into the city as quickly as possible.
Acharsis and his companions and the banter between them are what make this series for me. The dialogue is, perhaps a bit more modern sounding than would be expected for a story that takes place in a world not-so-much unlike ancient Sumeria or Egypt, but it gives the characters a real likable quality to me.
The story was well plotted and the dialogue was great. There were plenty of twists and turns to make it interesting, and things happened that I didn’t expect at all. I had a good chuckle more than once as well, because even on his very worst day, Acharsis still makes me laugh. I found myself turning on the audiobook and just letting it play for hours while doing other things. It kept me on task brilliantly, which is always a good thing. 🙂
The narrator, Paul Guyet did a great job with this series. As the series went on, he became Acharsis and Jarek in my mind. His Jarek voice is quite awesome, and he captures the snark from Acharsis beautifully.
So all told, I thought this was a great ending to a great series. The ending even gave me a bit of the feels. More feels than I expected to have from slightly comedic Sumerian Ocean’s Eleven fantasy. Unique and very entertaining and a great set of audiobooks that I think are far, far too underrated. Everyone should read them!
January 29, 2020
A great conclusion to a great trilogy. This entire trilogy was just plain fun to read. It's not as epic in feel as the Chronicles of the Black Gate series, which is one of my favorite fantasy series of all-time, but it more than makes up for it with the fun cast of characters and the sheer craziness that happens.
This was also a satisfying conclusion, and I'm eagerly awaiting whatever Tucker writes next.
Rating: 9/10
This was also a satisfying conclusion, and I'm eagerly awaiting whatever Tucker writes next.
Rating: 9/10
January 4, 2022
A Master World Builder
Phil Tucker has burst into my own world with a surge of delight at his semantic power and continuous displays of unique creativity. The Godsblood series introduced, evolved and mature characters, who attached themselves to my subconscious and instilled an urgent need to remain in his artfully fashioned realm. I highly recommend reading this trilogy. Enjoy.
Phil Tucker has burst into my own world with a surge of delight at his semantic power and continuous displays of unique creativity. The Godsblood series introduced, evolved and mature characters, who attached themselves to my subconscious and instilled an urgent need to remain in his artfully fashioned realm. I highly recommend reading this trilogy. Enjoy.
October 6, 2025
A very fun read by Phil Tucker
I thoroughly enjoyed all three books. The story was well developed, as were the characters. It was a fast paced ride through a very unique plot. So far I have read 3 of his trilogies and enjoyed them all.
I thoroughly enjoyed all three books. The story was well developed, as were the characters. It was a fast paced ride through a very unique plot. So far I have read 3 of his trilogies and enjoyed them all.
January 25, 2022
A good ending to a great series!
December 26, 2025
I totally binged this one! I love the characters and world-building. It's nothing like Bastion, more light-hearted even though it's set in a world full of walking dead. I enjoyed it more :)
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews