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The Vengeance Trilogy #2
The Gods of Vice
A determined woman must decide where her loyalties lie in a divided world in this second installment of the thrilling Vengeance Trilogy.Two emperors. One empire.War has shattered Kisia. In the north, supporters rally around Katashi Otako proclaiming him the True Emperor. While in the South, Kin Ts'ai holds the key to keeping the Princess Hana Otako.The only daughter of the last Otako ruler, Hana must choose between being loyal to her family or her country. Is the right emperor the man the people want? Or the one they need? But in the shadows lurk one final secret that could upend even the most carefully made plans.The Vengeance TrilogyThe Blood of WhisperersThe Gods of ViceThe Grave at Storm's EndFor more from Devin Madson, check The Reborn EmpireWe Ride the Storm
328 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 29, 2013
18 people are currently reading
629 people want to read
About the author
Devin Madson
14 books558 followersDevin Madson is an Aurealis Award-winning fantasy author from Australia. After some sucky teenage years, she gave up reality and is now a dual-wielding rogue who works through every tiny side-quest and always ends up too over-powered for the final boss. Anything but zen, Devin subsists on tea and chocolate and so much fried zucchini she ought to have turned into one by now. Her fantasy novels come in all shades of grey and are populated with characters of questionable morals and a liking for witty banter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
July 22, 2018
No sophomore slump here; this was another great installment for The Vengeance Trilogy.
The battle for the Crimson Throne has split Kisia and it’s time for the characters to choose sides. Prepare for shifting allegiances, betrayal, and revelations. The plot in The Gods of Vice continues immediately after the end of the first book and once again, vengeance and the deadly magic—Empathy—become the central theme. If you’ve read the first book and haven’t read the novella, In Shadows We Fall yet, I strongly urge you to read it now; it’s only 100 pages long anyway. The novella, despite being very short, provides a lot of backgrounds information that is still pertinent to this installment. For example, Empress Li won’t just be a simple name you read; you’ll know so much more about her each time her name gets mentioned. This of course doesn’t mean that you HAVE to read the novella to understand the events in this book, but it will certainly be beneficial in enriching your experience. So why not? It’s fantastic and it will only take two hours (at max) to read.
There was less tension here than in the first book because the majority of the story was spent on revealing the characters’ backgrounds and development. This makes for a slower paced book compared to the first one, but I still enjoyed it because Madson’s prose never fails to keep my attention. Also, I love having the chance to learn about these characters and the nature of the Empathy. The Empathy is an intriguing magic; it’s very simple in concept and yet beautifully deadly in execution. Plus, I have a feeling that the story direction here was necessary in order to achieve a (hopefully) great conclusion in the last book of the trilogy. Endymion and Darius were my favorite perspectives to follow. Reading about Endymion learning to use his Empath and his interactions with Darius here sparked some really profound discussion about justice.
I only had one minor issue with this story, which was the romance element in the first 60 pages of the book. The romance didn’t really work for me; I feel like they were too sudden and abrupt. But that’s probably just me because romance in general rarely works for me anyway.
This is a shorter review compared to my usual reviews because I simply can’t wait anymore; I must continue immediately to the last book and the conclusion that awaits me. Overall though, The Gods of Vice was a great middle book and I still stand by my words that Devin Madson is a highly underrated author.
Side note: A huge round of applause to the author for including Kaze (wind in Japanese) and Raijin (god of thunder in Japanese) as the two horses’ names, which was inspired from Fujin (god of wind in Japanese) and Raijin from the Final Fantasy series, one of my most beloved gaming franchises.
You can order the book HERE!
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions
The battle for the Crimson Throne has split Kisia and it’s time for the characters to choose sides. Prepare for shifting allegiances, betrayal, and revelations. The plot in The Gods of Vice continues immediately after the end of the first book and once again, vengeance and the deadly magic—Empathy—become the central theme. If you’ve read the first book and haven’t read the novella, In Shadows We Fall yet, I strongly urge you to read it now; it’s only 100 pages long anyway. The novella, despite being very short, provides a lot of backgrounds information that is still pertinent to this installment. For example, Empress Li won’t just be a simple name you read; you’ll know so much more about her each time her name gets mentioned. This of course doesn’t mean that you HAVE to read the novella to understand the events in this book, but it will certainly be beneficial in enriching your experience. So why not? It’s fantastic and it will only take two hours (at max) to read.
There was less tension here than in the first book because the majority of the story was spent on revealing the characters’ backgrounds and development. This makes for a slower paced book compared to the first one, but I still enjoyed it because Madson’s prose never fails to keep my attention. Also, I love having the chance to learn about these characters and the nature of the Empathy. The Empathy is an intriguing magic; it’s very simple in concept and yet beautifully deadly in execution. Plus, I have a feeling that the story direction here was necessary in order to achieve a (hopefully) great conclusion in the last book of the trilogy. Endymion and Darius were my favorite perspectives to follow. Reading about Endymion learning to use his Empath and his interactions with Darius here sparked some really profound discussion about justice.
“The whole world is unfair, Endymion. It is broken in every possible way. That’s why we invented gods to see our justice done, because it is easier to say: “Don’t worry, he’ll go to the hells for killing that boy”, than to deal with a world in which the wicked get away with whatever they want and the goods suffer for it.”
I only had one minor issue with this story, which was the romance element in the first 60 pages of the book. The romance didn’t really work for me; I feel like they were too sudden and abrupt. But that’s probably just me because romance in general rarely works for me anyway.
This is a shorter review compared to my usual reviews because I simply can’t wait anymore; I must continue immediately to the last book and the conclusion that awaits me. Overall though, The Gods of Vice was a great middle book and I still stand by my words that Devin Madson is a highly underrated author.
Side note: A huge round of applause to the author for including Kaze (wind in Japanese) and Raijin (god of thunder in Japanese) as the two horses’ names, which was inspired from Fujin (god of wind in Japanese) and Raijin from the Final Fantasy series, one of my most beloved gaming franchises.
You can order the book HERE!
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions
July 25, 2018
4.75/5 stars
I am a middle book person. They tend to be slower, they tend to have more background and usually by the end they escalate so fast, having left you hungry for more. In Mistborn trilogy by Brandon Sanderson book 2 was my absolute favorite, in Hunger Games book 2 was the best one in my opinion. And now The gods of Vice - I just couldn't get enough of this book, and when it was over I jumped into the 3rd one right away.
The pace really suited me - it was both action packed and slow, it had story, it had flashbacks - it was just so dimensional all around. The characters got most of their development done in this installment and I truly enjoyed learning all of the little secrets that came out to the surface.
The best secret was kept till the very end, but it was well worth it, because it blew my mind. Literally. Brain explosion! Kaboom! Just when I thought I knew characters and was beginning to trust them - things got turned around 360 degrees and I didn't know what to think anymore!
This book also included a very heartfelt human/animal interaction which was also quite funny at times. Endymion and Kaze made a really great duo.
That is also the ongoing theme with this book - I never knew what will happen or even how all of this would end. And I loved that! I usually can see endings and twists a mile away (but that might be because I also read a lot of generic fantasy in the past two years), but this kept me guessing. Well, to be honest I even gave up on guessing - I just went with it and enjoyed the wild ride.
This is also not a book in which you can pick up a favorite character, call him or her "a precious dandelion" and root for them till the end. Because the moment you start feeling something for a character they turn around and mess up in the worst possible ways. It's stressful! But it's also very fun. I cannot wait to see how this madness of a trilogy will end.
My WEBSITE
My INSTAGRAM
I am a middle book person. They tend to be slower, they tend to have more background and usually by the end they escalate so fast, having left you hungry for more. In Mistborn trilogy by Brandon Sanderson book 2 was my absolute favorite, in Hunger Games book 2 was the best one in my opinion. And now The gods of Vice - I just couldn't get enough of this book, and when it was over I jumped into the 3rd one right away.
The pace really suited me - it was both action packed and slow, it had story, it had flashbacks - it was just so dimensional all around. The characters got most of their development done in this installment and I truly enjoyed learning all of the little secrets that came out to the surface.
The best secret was kept till the very end, but it was well worth it, because it blew my mind. Literally. Brain explosion! Kaboom! Just when I thought I knew characters and was beginning to trust them - things got turned around 360 degrees and I didn't know what to think anymore!
This book also included a very heartfelt human/animal interaction which was also quite funny at times. Endymion and Kaze made a really great duo.
That is also the ongoing theme with this book - I never knew what will happen or even how all of this would end. And I loved that! I usually can see endings and twists a mile away (but that might be because I also read a lot of generic fantasy in the past two years), but this kept me guessing. Well, to be honest I even gave up on guessing - I just went with it and enjoyed the wild ride.
This is also not a book in which you can pick up a favorite character, call him or her "a precious dandelion" and root for them till the end. Because the moment you start feeling something for a character they turn around and mess up in the worst possible ways. It's stressful! But it's also very fun. I cannot wait to see how this madness of a trilogy will end.
My WEBSITE
My INSTAGRAM
February 6, 2017
Outstanding. Truly outstanding.
I'm a little lost for words right now, but I'll be reviewing this in the future. All I can say right now is that this book is brilliant.
Buy it.
I'm a little lost for words right now, but I'll be reviewing this in the future. All I can say right now is that this book is brilliant.
Buy it.
August 26, 2021
🖤
CONSISTENTLY MEDIOCRE
March 12, 2021
This middle book was even better than the first! What a plot, what beautiful world and character developments.
I am utterly invested in their fates by this point and can’t wait to start book three! (if only I’d brought it with me on my trip.. )
Thank you for writing this, Devin Madson.
I am utterly invested in their fates by this point and can’t wait to start book three! (if only I’d brought it with me on my trip.. )
Thank you for writing this, Devin Madson.
August 3, 2021
The Gods of Vice picks up immediately where The Blood of Whisperers left off. Normally, I don't mind this in a series at all, but I've come to realize it's my biggest gripe with The Vengeance Trilogy. There are a lot of pieces and ideas I love and some of my wish list from the first book has been fulfilled. However, each installment feels incomplete with no real promise or payoff in either novel. I never truly know what the endgame is and, as a result, never know what I should be satisfied about. Truly, The Vengeance Trilogy is similar to The Lord of the Rings in one aspect ,in that they should all be one book with some of the fat trimmed off. As a whole, I've enjoyed the series so far, but each individual installment has left much to be desired.
One of the pieces I really wanted to see and learn more about were the Vices and The Gods of Vice fulfilled that easily. More of this unique magic system is revealed as we see how Marking establishes a link that can only be broken in death. This reveals just how powerful Empaths, and in particular, Malice can be. He is still annoying though, yes? It was good to see Darius's facade fall away even if it hurt him greatly in the long run. The idea of someone becoming who they were always meant to be and tearing off the fake mask has always appealed to me as a plot device. As Endymion wrestles with his identity and who he is, Darius has the same journey for different reasons. You get a little backstory too, but it falls a bit short on the emotional level since Darius tells it with such nonchalance. Endymion is a beast and seeing him start to come to his full power is very intriguing. I have to believe that in the last installment he's either going to go full Darth Vader or full Luke Skywalker and there's no in between. It's just a matter of what side he chooses to be on.
Hana remains the most frustrating point of view for me. Her internal turmoil is annoying and she flips how she feels about Katashi in mere moments. She's definitely not a competent character and not a likeable one either, even if her goals are admirable. She just does everything so wrong and careless... all the time. Her relationship with Katashi is equally annoying, not to mention gross considering she is his cousin. I easily skipped passed 20 pages of their...creepy intimacy... and know I don't regret any of it. Darius and Kimiko's relationship was a little better, if not abrupt. Skipped a few pages in that one too... not my cup of tea. Also not my cup of tea... the, uh, world changing man-on-man kiss that was so abrupt and odd... yeah. It almost seemed comical.
All of that being said, I look forward to the final installment of the series since it feels like I just finished The Two Towers and I need to know the conclusion. That's praise for Devin Madson to get me hooked despite all of the flaws. Despite each story not having a solid beginning, middle, and end to this point, the series sure does and I hope it comes to a satisfying conclusion once the dust settles.
The Vengeance Trilogy
The Blood of Whisperers - 7.5/10
The Gods of Vice - 6.5/10
The Grave at Storm's End - 7/10
One of the pieces I really wanted to see and learn more about were the Vices and The Gods of Vice fulfilled that easily. More of this unique magic system is revealed as we see how Marking establishes a link that can only be broken in death. This reveals just how powerful Empaths, and in particular, Malice can be. He is still annoying though, yes? It was good to see Darius's facade fall away even if it hurt him greatly in the long run. The idea of someone becoming who they were always meant to be and tearing off the fake mask has always appealed to me as a plot device. As Endymion wrestles with his identity and who he is, Darius has the same journey for different reasons. You get a little backstory too, but it falls a bit short on the emotional level since Darius tells it with such nonchalance. Endymion is a beast and seeing him start to come to his full power is very intriguing. I have to believe that in the last installment he's either going to go full Darth Vader or full Luke Skywalker and there's no in between. It's just a matter of what side he chooses to be on.
Hana remains the most frustrating point of view for me. Her internal turmoil is annoying and she flips how she feels about Katashi in mere moments. She's definitely not a competent character and not a likeable one either, even if her goals are admirable. She just does everything so wrong and careless... all the time. Her relationship with Katashi is equally annoying, not to mention gross considering she is his cousin. I easily skipped passed 20 pages of their...creepy intimacy... and know I don't regret any of it. Darius and Kimiko's relationship was a little better, if not abrupt. Skipped a few pages in that one too... not my cup of tea. Also not my cup of tea... the, uh, world changing man-on-man kiss that was so abrupt and odd... yeah. It almost seemed comical.
All of that being said, I look forward to the final installment of the series since it feels like I just finished The Two Towers and I need to know the conclusion. That's praise for Devin Madson to get me hooked despite all of the flaws. Despite each story not having a solid beginning, middle, and end to this point, the series sure does and I hope it comes to a satisfying conclusion once the dust settles.
The Vengeance Trilogy
The Blood of Whisperers - 7.5/10
The Gods of Vice - 6.5/10
The Grave at Storm's End - 7/10
June 11, 2017
see my short review for the series here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
November 11, 2020
Hard to put down, a fantastic read. Nothing to add except, read it!!
August 4, 2019
Bloody brilliant! Was one of those read all night kinda books, which is unusual for a middle-of-the-series book. The first in this series was a bit of a slow burn for me -took a while to get hooked, this one starts where the first left of and doesn't let up. The characters are fantastic and are developing really rather splendidly, the plot is fast moving and not as predictable as I thought it might be. Can't wait to read the last in the series!!
November 1, 2024
3.5/5
My feelings towards the characters largely stayed the same and it partly really annoyed me that one character continuously ignored certain behaviour until the end. The other characters also often annoyed me but I at least felt sympathy for them and found their actions more understandable.
That is not to say that I didn't enjoy this book, but it was in some way despite the characters. The plot was interesting and the ending was really explosive.
My feelings towards the characters largely stayed the same and it partly really annoyed me that one character continuously ignored certain behaviour until the end. The other characters also often annoyed me but I at least felt sympathy for them and found their actions more understandable.
That is not to say that I didn't enjoy this book, but it was in some way despite the characters. The plot was interesting and the ending was really explosive.
September 21, 2019
No second book slump here, Devin Madson continues to pile up the bodies, the betrayals and intrigue. The heat continues to intensify in this thoughtful, smartly written, fast paced, action trilogy. The battles are fierce, the magic and world building expansive and impassioned. I am excited and looking forward to book three, The Grave at Storm's End, have begun reading immediately!
October 22, 2021
не знаю, читать ли третью часть. с одной стороны, прям скучно. с другой - есть очень большая несостыковка с серией Reborn empire, и надо узнать, что там произошло
April 26, 2022
4.5 stars
This was a great read. Little to no action, lot of politics. I dug it. The growth here was amazing. Excited to close this out in the last book.
Seriously, read more Devin Madson
This was a great read. Little to no action, lot of politics. I dug it. The growth here was amazing. Excited to close this out in the last book.
Seriously, read more Devin Madson
December 27, 2014
Just finished The Gods of Vice by Devin Madson, and like the first of the trilogy, it doesn't disappoint. The writing's cleaner and more controlled than in many books I've recently read (other than the odd comma splice in dialogue, which I noticed, but which I am informed is becoming acceptable), and the depth of the characters and the complexity of the plot is compelling.
So much happens in this book. Loyalties shifts and abilities grow; relationships unfurl and then are destroyed again. Sanity is fought for but remains ever elusive, and that is of concern because when mad men take control, empires suffer.
I am thoroughly engaged. The next instalment cannot come quickly enough. Once again, I commend this new author - she's only going to get better.
So much happens in this book. Loyalties shifts and abilities grow; relationships unfurl and then are destroyed again. Sanity is fought for but remains ever elusive, and that is of concern because when mad men take control, empires suffer.
I am thoroughly engaged. The next instalment cannot come quickly enough. Once again, I commend this new author - she's only going to get better.
November 23, 2019
A bit of a decline
This book was still a page turner, but it lost its way a bit. Changing people's personalities at will doesn't make very much sense. And there's such a focus on honor and loyalty, but there's never any reward for it which makes no sense either. Whenever anyone proves their loyalty it is never acknowledged, it seems like positive feelings and a more balanced view of gender are forsaken for narratives sake. All of Hana's problems are not because she's a woman she's also insanely brash and doesn't think anything through.
This book was still a page turner, but it lost its way a bit. Changing people's personalities at will doesn't make very much sense. And there's such a focus on honor and loyalty, but there's never any reward for it which makes no sense either. Whenever anyone proves their loyalty it is never acknowledged, it seems like positive feelings and a more balanced view of gender are forsaken for narratives sake. All of Hana's problems are not because she's a woman she's also insanely brash and doesn't think anything through.
December 10, 2013
A fitting sequel to a fantastic first part.
Read it. It is brilliant.
Read it. It is brilliant.
July 21, 2024
5/5. This book hit hard on all the emotional levels. Perhaps it is because there is so much that revolves around emotion, but god damn, the high highs and absolute low pits were excellently done! The plot had many twists and turns, and it made me excited to see how it all concludes.
I loved the relationship building and subsequent tearing down across the board. The character arcs all the major players (not just POVs) go through were captivating. Endymion’s continued heartbreaking and sorrowful grapple with power, just waiting for him to lose it only for him to embrace it, was fantastic. While Hana could definitely annoy me at times, I really felt for her bitter resignation toward her “power”. Katashi’s fall into Vengence and fire was a tough train wreck to watch, even though you could see it coming. Darius was never my favorite character but this book got me rooting for him and his love story. Only for him to become totally unhinged and smash everything. It makes sense why Kimiko’s powers revolve around sadness.
These books are fast paced, even when there is not a lot of action occurring, and are perfect length for this story. I am impressed how the author uses the first person and manages to give each POV a distinct voice. I know there are going to be some wild and gut wrenching curves to the end of this series, and am going to embrace the rollarcoaster!
I loved the relationship building and subsequent tearing down across the board. The character arcs all the major players (not just POVs) go through were captivating. Endymion’s continued heartbreaking and sorrowful grapple with power, just waiting for him to lose it only for him to embrace it, was fantastic. While Hana could definitely annoy me at times, I really felt for her bitter resignation toward her “power”. Katashi’s fall into Vengence and fire was a tough train wreck to watch, even though you could see it coming. Darius was never my favorite character but this book got me rooting for him and his love story. Only for him to become totally unhinged and smash everything. It makes sense why Kimiko’s powers revolve around sadness.
These books are fast paced, even when there is not a lot of action occurring, and are perfect length for this story. I am impressed how the author uses the first person and manages to give each POV a distinct voice. I know there are going to be some wild and gut wrenching curves to the end of this series, and am going to embrace the rollarcoaster!
Read
August 23, 2021Rating this book was a complicated matter, though it delivered with one almighty knockout punch at the very end, there was a lot of dancing around each other which slowed the majority of the book down. I've said before that books in the middle of a series are hard things to pull off, as the arch is shallower than in stand alones, and you don't have the newness that the first book brings, or the satisfaction in the resolution the last one brings. What marks out a great middle book is ending up in a completely different place to where the reader assumes they are going to be when finishing the previous book. This is absolutely the case here (except, I had read the blurb on the back of book 3, and that give part of the game away, to the point at one stage I thought they'd made a typo on Book 3's cover.) The problem is all this really only happens in the last third, and the first two thirds just dragged. Based on the culmination alone I would have awards this a higher reading, but the book itself let the ending down.
August 9, 2022
2,5
Well, this definitely suffered from second book syndrom. It wasn't an exciting read at all but it held my short attention span long enough to finish it. Usually I love fantasy books full of politics and war affairs but it seems our main characters achieved absolutely nothing while having lots of pointless dialogues. Also the sudden pairings in this are.... Weird. And wild.
Hana has some very explicit scenes with her own cousin and I'm sad to say that Hanas pov was my least favourite. In the beginning of this series I had high hopes because I rather like the girl dress up as boy to mix with politics- trope. But this went fast overboard and then she quickly became used for the love triangle trope. And it was pooly done. Every time her pov came I eye rolled through it.
Endymion's pov was slightly better but felt rather bland. At least Hana had inner turmoil I could understand (even if I was bored) and Endymion HAD problems and identity crisis....but still, he didn't feel really fleshed out. He has the coolest ability ever but it's rather sad if someone's ability has more growth than the character itself.
Darius was my savior. I loved his character, his fear and development. The second love story in his book is with Darius and Kimiko and I must admit I had forgotten Kimiko until she reappeared. And then she made a stupid decision and I eye rolled some more 🙄 His relationship with Malice....is also super questionable (but the most interesting relationship so far). And they're brothers but also in love?? I'm pretty sure when Malice says: I love him, it's that kind of love, or am I confused??
Nevertheless I'm really interested how this story progresses and I own the last book so I'll finish this series soon.
Well, this definitely suffered from second book syndrom. It wasn't an exciting read at all but it held my short attention span long enough to finish it. Usually I love fantasy books full of politics and war affairs but it seems our main characters achieved absolutely nothing while having lots of pointless dialogues. Also the sudden pairings in this are.... Weird. And wild.
Hana has some very explicit scenes with her own cousin and I'm sad to say that Hanas pov was my least favourite. In the beginning of this series I had high hopes because I rather like the girl dress up as boy to mix with politics- trope. But this went fast overboard and then she quickly became used for the love triangle trope. And it was pooly done. Every time her pov came I eye rolled through it.
Endymion's pov was slightly better but felt rather bland. At least Hana had inner turmoil I could understand (even if I was bored) and Endymion HAD problems and identity crisis....but still, he didn't feel really fleshed out. He has the coolest ability ever but it's rather sad if someone's ability has more growth than the character itself.
Darius was my savior. I loved his character, his fear and development. The second love story in his book is with Darius and Kimiko and I must admit I had forgotten Kimiko until she reappeared. And then she made a stupid decision and I eye rolled some more 🙄 His relationship with Malice....is also super questionable (but the most interesting relationship so far). And they're brothers but also in love?? I'm pretty sure when Malice says: I love him, it's that kind of love, or am I confused??
Nevertheless I'm really interested how this story progresses and I own the last book so I'll finish this series soon.
October 22, 2022
4.75
Secondo volume all'altezza del primo, migliore anche in tantissime cose, peccato solo per un insta love, amore che poi risulta fondamentale alla trama. Avrei quindi preferito uno sviluppo più approfondito di questo sentimento, tuttavia in quel momento di svolta mi sono commossa tantissimo, quindi alla fine il suo intento l'ha ottenuto.
Personaggi più caratterizzati e che amo sempre di più, seppur pieni di difetti e nonostante commettano azioni atroci. Sono tutti personaggi grigi, sopraffatti dagli eventi, dal ruolo che ricoprono e cosa ci si aspetta da loro, dalle loro ambizioni. Insomma, un mondo e una trama ben costruiti, tenendo anche conto della brevità dei primi due romanzi.
Secondo volume all'altezza del primo, migliore anche in tantissime cose, peccato solo per un insta love, amore che poi risulta fondamentale alla trama. Avrei quindi preferito uno sviluppo più approfondito di questo sentimento, tuttavia in quel momento di svolta mi sono commossa tantissimo, quindi alla fine il suo intento l'ha ottenuto.
Personaggi più caratterizzati e che amo sempre di più, seppur pieni di difetti e nonostante commettano azioni atroci. Sono tutti personaggi grigi, sopraffatti dagli eventi, dal ruolo che ricoprono e cosa ci si aspetta da loro, dalle loro ambizioni. Insomma, un mondo e una trama ben costruiti, tenendo anche conto della brevità dei primi due romanzi.
May 20, 2025
Slight middle book syndrome, but another strong entry into this series. Quick read, some storylines I genuinely don’t know how will play out, and a couple intriguing characters. Some of the character dynamics read fairly YA, but this book is also pretty dark and very horny. I’m not in love with one of the 3 POVs, but each does offer something different which I can appreciate. The worldbuilding in terms of the magic is pretty unique amongst what I’ve been reading lately so I really like that.
I’m glad I started with her initial trilogy before moving on to the more popular quartet that follows, and I hope I can get to this trilogy’s end soon. Good read!
3.75 Stars
I’m glad I started with her initial trilogy before moving on to the more popular quartet that follows, and I hope I can get to this trilogy’s end soon. Good read!
3.75 Stars
May 7, 2019
The second instalment to the Vengeance trilogy was a ride to be had. No spoilers here. As much as I’d love to reveal my favourite moments, it’s best that you find out for yourself. What will Hana do when asked to ‘pick a side?’ Will Darius be forced to go beyond the walls of sanity? What will become of the Kisia? So much to be had here. If you have read the first book, this will be sure to exceed your expectations. Madson has that natural ability with her work, to hook you in and never let you go. I look forward to reading the final volume.
August 7, 2024
My feelings for this book and this series are roughly the same. Devin Madson is executing a very politically action character driven story. The writing style is there. The characters all have their own voices. Some more fleshed out than others. However, where this series falls hard is in the relationships. They are beyond cringy and disturbing. I am truly shocked about how many reviews don't mention the incest at all. In all, this is becoming a very solid series, nothing spectacular, nothing horrible. It's just solid.
January 27, 2014
This is the first book I have won in a Goodreads Giveaway so, in a way, it marks the beginning of my Goodreads First Reads adventure (may the gods of reading guide me forever in this sea of words and worlds).
*Needless to say, I was tremendously happy and over-excited when I received the novel. It was a great surprise, especially given the fact that I am an avid fantasy reader. The beautiful cover had already caught my eye (even if I desperately try to not judge a book by its cover, I have a secret sweet spot for the aesthetically pleasing ones) and when I discovered that the characters’ names have mainly a Japanese resonance, my heart melted… since apart from my passion for fantasy, I also happen to be an anime fan.*
“The Gods of Vice” is the second volume of “The Vengeance Trilogy” and while I haven’t read the first one yet, I confess I was not worried: this was not the first time I began a series with its second volume. For example, the “Chamber of Secrets” was my first contact with one of my all-time favorites, “Harry Potter”, and it fascinated me all the same, transforming me into a HP-fan-for-life.
Of course, delving right into a second volume of any series has its drawbacks. I spent my first 50 pages of “The Gods of Vice” struggling to order past events, to identify the current characters and the relationship between them and to cope with the fact that it was a first person narration (I am more used to the third person perspective and the vast point of view it offers to its reader). Thank God for the Character List at the beginning of the novel: although not very explicit, it was extremely helpful, as it pointed out the characters' family ties and their political functions. It also made me wonder why it included a bow, of all things…
The main conflict has political (and even personal) roots: the land of Kisia is divided by a war between two Kings. Each of them considers he has the right to the throne, but one of them is also consumed by his thirst for revenge. Not surprisingly, a third party has other plans: to place a God on the throne of Kisia, a dangerous God wrapped in puppet strings. In the middle of the turmoil, the other characters struggle to fight for their side, or to find their loyalties.
Making my way through the first chapters, I found it a bit difficult to differentiate between the “inner voices” of the various characters: Endymion, Darius and Hana sounded very much alike to my “uninitiated-eyes”. Even if afterwards I learned to quickly find the hints I needed to identify the narrator of the respective chapter, the sensation continued throughout the entire novel. To me, they sounded too much alike, a single voice seeing through different eyes and speaking through different voices, but being singularly One. This might have led to another small problem I had: as far as the characters are concerned, unfortunately, I couldn’t empathize, as a reader, with any of them. Again, it might be my lack of the previous book’s background, but I just couldn’t feel any connection whatsoever with… anyone. I found their actions to be strange at times, hard to understand at other times, their emotional responses sometimes unexpected and sudden. They all seemed to be just pieces on a chess board, coldly moved around by the hand of a greater force, and the fact that we have access to their thoughts (through the first person narration) did nothing to alter this feeling.
Apart from understanding the story and constructing faces and identities for the main characters, during the first chapters I also had a rather difficult time understanding the magic of this new world. From the bits I had gathered, I reconstructed, step by step, the puzzle of the mysterious Vices. Later on, I began to see the bigger picture and I found it rather intriguing and fascinating: even if it gives godlike powers, this world’s magic comes with a price, and a terrible one at that. Moreover, the magic system itself is constructed on the dominant/dominated structure: there is a Master who can mark his subordinates, giving them magical power, but placing them under his command. Besides, the magic itself “consumes” its wielder, slowly changing him/her.
So, all in all, “The Gods of Vice”…
The good:
The book is beautifully written, almost poetic at times. Sometimes it even feels like echoes of a long forgotten haiku. I often found myself wanting to write down some quote or another, wanting to remember it.
The magic system is extremely interesting and gains many points for originality. It could have used some more explanations and a deeper analysis, though.
The bad:
The character were hard to differentiate (as far as the narrative perspective was concerned) and hard to empathize with. Their motives and emotional reactions seemed inconsistent. However, towards the end, I began to like Endymion a little bit and understand Hana some more. I am one of those readers that needs to connect to the characters of a novel: either loving or loathing them.. Failing to do so made me unable to completely understand that book’s world, I felt kept out somehow.
The plot itself could have used a few more twists now and then, to throw the readers off balance.
The conclusion:
Over the chapters, I have grown to like the book, as it unraveled before my eyes. But this only happens if one is patient and resilient enough:) And the ending definitely made me want to read the third book and see how it will all end.
*Needless to say, I was tremendously happy and over-excited when I received the novel. It was a great surprise, especially given the fact that I am an avid fantasy reader. The beautiful cover had already caught my eye (even if I desperately try to not judge a book by its cover, I have a secret sweet spot for the aesthetically pleasing ones) and when I discovered that the characters’ names have mainly a Japanese resonance, my heart melted… since apart from my passion for fantasy, I also happen to be an anime fan.*
“The Gods of Vice” is the second volume of “The Vengeance Trilogy” and while I haven’t read the first one yet, I confess I was not worried: this was not the first time I began a series with its second volume. For example, the “Chamber of Secrets” was my first contact with one of my all-time favorites, “Harry Potter”, and it fascinated me all the same, transforming me into a HP-fan-for-life.
Of course, delving right into a second volume of any series has its drawbacks. I spent my first 50 pages of “The Gods of Vice” struggling to order past events, to identify the current characters and the relationship between them and to cope with the fact that it was a first person narration (I am more used to the third person perspective and the vast point of view it offers to its reader). Thank God for the Character List at the beginning of the novel: although not very explicit, it was extremely helpful, as it pointed out the characters' family ties and their political functions. It also made me wonder why it included a bow, of all things…
The main conflict has political (and even personal) roots: the land of Kisia is divided by a war between two Kings. Each of them considers he has the right to the throne, but one of them is also consumed by his thirst for revenge. Not surprisingly, a third party has other plans: to place a God on the throne of Kisia, a dangerous God wrapped in puppet strings. In the middle of the turmoil, the other characters struggle to fight for their side, or to find their loyalties.
Making my way through the first chapters, I found it a bit difficult to differentiate between the “inner voices” of the various characters: Endymion, Darius and Hana sounded very much alike to my “uninitiated-eyes”. Even if afterwards I learned to quickly find the hints I needed to identify the narrator of the respective chapter, the sensation continued throughout the entire novel. To me, they sounded too much alike, a single voice seeing through different eyes and speaking through different voices, but being singularly One. This might have led to another small problem I had: as far as the characters are concerned, unfortunately, I couldn’t empathize, as a reader, with any of them. Again, it might be my lack of the previous book’s background, but I just couldn’t feel any connection whatsoever with… anyone. I found their actions to be strange at times, hard to understand at other times, their emotional responses sometimes unexpected and sudden. They all seemed to be just pieces on a chess board, coldly moved around by the hand of a greater force, and the fact that we have access to their thoughts (through the first person narration) did nothing to alter this feeling.
Apart from understanding the story and constructing faces and identities for the main characters, during the first chapters I also had a rather difficult time understanding the magic of this new world. From the bits I had gathered, I reconstructed, step by step, the puzzle of the mysterious Vices. Later on, I began to see the bigger picture and I found it rather intriguing and fascinating: even if it gives godlike powers, this world’s magic comes with a price, and a terrible one at that. Moreover, the magic system itself is constructed on the dominant/dominated structure: there is a Master who can mark his subordinates, giving them magical power, but placing them under his command. Besides, the magic itself “consumes” its wielder, slowly changing him/her.
So, all in all, “The Gods of Vice”…
The good:
The book is beautifully written, almost poetic at times. Sometimes it even feels like echoes of a long forgotten haiku. I often found myself wanting to write down some quote or another, wanting to remember it.
The magic system is extremely interesting and gains many points for originality. It could have used some more explanations and a deeper analysis, though.
The bad:
The character were hard to differentiate (as far as the narrative perspective was concerned) and hard to empathize with. Their motives and emotional reactions seemed inconsistent. However, towards the end, I began to like Endymion a little bit and understand Hana some more. I am one of those readers that needs to connect to the characters of a novel: either loving or loathing them.. Failing to do so made me unable to completely understand that book’s world, I felt kept out somehow.
The plot itself could have used a few more twists now and then, to throw the readers off balance.
The conclusion:
Over the chapters, I have grown to like the book, as it unraveled before my eyes. But this only happens if one is patient and resilient enough:) And the ending definitely made me want to read the third book and see how it will all end.
August 9, 2019
wooow! so many shocking plot twists I couldn't keep up! Amazing!
All the characters got even more interesting and determined in their actions. Especially Endymion. Now, I can't wait to read his chapters. Smart and cunning, witty and motivated.
I really love the fast paced story line. With every new chapter I can feel that there's something coming, something big and that makes me sitting on the edge.
I can't really find any weak points. The only thing that would help me to read it faster is a pronunciation guide. Some of the names are quite unclear. But I'm a non native speaker and maybe that's why.
All the characters got even more interesting and determined in their actions. Especially Endymion. Now, I can't wait to read his chapters. Smart and cunning, witty and motivated.
I really love the fast paced story line. With every new chapter I can feel that there's something coming, something big and that makes me sitting on the edge.
I can't really find any weak points. The only thing that would help me to read it faster is a pronunciation guide. Some of the names are quite unclear. But I'm a non native speaker and maybe that's why.
January 27, 2022
The Gods of Vice is a great middle book!
Endymion, Hana and Darius’ povs are all entertaining in their own ways - searching for an understanding, searching for agency and coping with our legacy. Malice is an interesting character in Darius’ and Endymion’s background like a looming menace.
The book delves into the characters’ and Kisia’s history and lays the groundwork (hopefully) for an epic conclusion.
Great read!
Endymion, Hana and Darius’ povs are all entertaining in their own ways - searching for an understanding, searching for agency and coping with our legacy. Malice is an interesting character in Darius’ and Endymion’s background like a looming menace.
The book delves into the characters’ and Kisia’s history and lays the groundwork (hopefully) for an epic conclusion.
Great read!
November 11, 2018
Fantastic read
Excellent continuation. The authors prose slides down gently: a deft hand of sparse, subtle verbiage conveying everything pertinent.
As for the story? Woe to the Empathetic. Woe to those touched by the Empathetic.
Darion, Malice, Endymion, Hana, Kin, Shin, oh my! More please!
On to book 3!
Excellent continuation. The authors prose slides down gently: a deft hand of sparse, subtle verbiage conveying everything pertinent.
As for the story? Woe to the Empathetic. Woe to those touched by the Empathetic.
Darion, Malice, Endymion, Hana, Kin, Shin, oh my! More please!
On to book 3!
May 20, 2019
Engaging, challenging, and a bit confusing
A war and a dance between a cast of larger than life characters. Every one of them has a tragic back story. Will the empire survive the split and the men who's gift drives them mad? I don't know and am about to jump into book 3. I bff ave mixed feelings about the series. It's very intense and has sucked me in.
A war and a dance between a cast of larger than life characters. Every one of them has a tragic back story. Will the empire survive the split and the men who's gift drives them mad? I don't know and am about to jump into book 3. I bff ave mixed feelings about the series. It's very intense and has sucked me in.
August 22, 2018
This book was a great read and I continue to be enthralled by the Laroth story line. I love how well the story is coming together through every odd detail. Starting the next book immediately.
March 18, 2020
The Gods of Vice is a little slow in the middle but there is a lot of story in this book. I like this installment a little more than the previous one.
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