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Remnant Trilogy #1
Golgotha
Four unlikely companions must band together to escape the Realm of Bones and save their kingdom from a reign of darkness.
Prince Moray will lead his empire to glory, even if it means dabbling with forbidden black magic. But when their parents are murdered, Moray and his brother, Finnigan, are cast into Golgotha—a realm where hope is dead. Finnigan fiercely believes his god, Elohai, will rescue them, but Moray will never trust again.
Princess Ama, promised in marriage to Moray to ensure her clan’s safety from rival tribes, arrives just before a coup and becomes trapped in Golgotha with the smart-mouthed mercenary, Gunnar.
Surrounded by strange monsters and ravenous demons, Ama must fight to hold on to her faith—or lose everything.
Despite Ama’s Gift of prophetic dreams, Finnigan’s Gift of energy, Moray’s dark magic, and Gunnar’s blades, nothing can rescue them from themselves. If they fail to escape, darkness will devour the entire kingdom.
Prince Moray will lead his empire to glory, even if it means dabbling with forbidden black magic. But when their parents are murdered, Moray and his brother, Finnigan, are cast into Golgotha—a realm where hope is dead. Finnigan fiercely believes his god, Elohai, will rescue them, but Moray will never trust again.
Princess Ama, promised in marriage to Moray to ensure her clan’s safety from rival tribes, arrives just before a coup and becomes trapped in Golgotha with the smart-mouthed mercenary, Gunnar.
Surrounded by strange monsters and ravenous demons, Ama must fight to hold on to her faith—or lose everything.
Despite Ama’s Gift of prophetic dreams, Finnigan’s Gift of energy, Moray’s dark magic, and Gunnar’s blades, nothing can rescue them from themselves. If they fail to escape, darkness will devour the entire kingdom.
368 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 9, 2021
2 people are currently reading
134 people want to read
About the author
Angela R. Watts
67 books233 followersANGELA R. WATTS is the bestselling and award-nominated author of The Infidel Books and the Remnant Trilogy. She’s been writing stories since she was little, and has over 28 works published. She also writes articles for a few magazines and publishers. When she’s not writing, Angela is a freelance editor, blogger, anime-lover, and artist. She lives in Tennessee with her family and many pets. Angela loves connecting with readers, and you can follow her on social media to stay up-to-date with releases, or contact her through her website. angelarwatts.com
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
April 11, 2021
Okay, so… where to begin?
This is the first fantasy work by Angela Watts I’ve read. I wasn’t sure what to expect, having only read her (pretty epic) post-apoc/dystopian novels before, but I did know there would be a lot of fight scenes.
There were a lot of fight scenes.
Golgotha takes you to a world of monsters. Right from the beginning, there is a grim atmosphere surrounding the story even before we’re actually introduced to Golgotha itself. The main characters’ homeworld, Mazzabah (did I spell that right…?), isn’t described in too much detail, since the bulk of the tale takes place in Golgotha, which is described in plenty detail.
So this book is kinda dark. It’s bloody. Main character Prince Moray dabbles in dark magic. That’s not something you see often in Christian fantasy, and to be honest, I’m still curious as to how dark magic differs from the Gifts in this storyworld other than one being evil and one being good, as neither were explained very much. Moray was pretty unlikable to me throughout most of the book, but he did become a lot more sympathetic after a certain event, even though I wanted to smack him upside the head while reading. A lot.
Finnigan was probably my second-favorite character. His POV chapters were my favorite, partly because he’s an adorable busy cinnamon roll and partly because he makes awful puns. Ama was… okay? I didn’t hate her, but I didn’t love her either? I feel like she was not as nuanced as she could have been. But Courage is the best. Courage is amazing. I want a Courage.
My favorite character was Gunnar, I think xD His banter with… well, everyone, to be exact is probably one of my highlights from the book. I’m sorry, but smart-mouthed mercenary dudes are just great. The best part is that I was expecting a suave roguish bloke who was going to sweep Ama off her feet or something, but noooooooope Gunnar is better than that xDxDxD Tanka was a big plus too!
The plot is, as Angela Watts’s plots are, quick-moving and unforgiving from the start. I read it through in no time (there’s just something about her books that makes them hard for me to put down!). While suspicious li’l me expected every other character to end up dead and every little plan to be disastrously overturned, I still enjoyed the ride. The journey through Golgotha was like watching battles and scary things happen on a screen before me. And did I mention there are a lot of fight scenes?
Now… this is the part of this review that’s gonna be hardest for me to write… because getting depressed while reviewing themes in a book is what I do. But anyway. Golgotha has strong good-vs-evil messages about hope (I mean like, these guys need a lot of it–they’re trapped in a some demon world and everything), redemption (because do you think I would be reading dark fantasy if it didn’t have any redemption?), and spiritual warfare (I confess I do not often read fantasy books focusing on spiritual warfare). The themes came across a little too strong for my tastes. I always enjoy a good light-vs-darkness story, but I was surprised by how much of it kept appearing in the story? In the Infidel Books by this author, the characters talk about, well, God and prayer and redemption and stuff so differently from the characters in this book. Don’t get me wrong–I am a huge fan of God and prayer and redemption and stuff; I’m all for it and everything, and I understand that the sheer darkness of some of the things in this book warrant a great need for light, but could it have been done more subtly? Probably. Or maybe it’s not so much the written portrayal of the themes as the way the characters’ portrayal. All I know is, that’s my biggest issue with this.
Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can’t wait for book two! (Especially after that epilogue… Come on.) I’m intrigued/terrified by what we’ll learn about the villain(s?) in the sequel, and I’m eager to see how these main characters will come into play in the future storyline. But until then… I guess we’ll all have to wait. I recommend this book for anyone looking for a YA dark Christian fantasy with characters who aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty but struggle with the consequences afterwards set in a grim, foreboding world home to some really interesting creatures.
*I received an ARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. A positive review was not required; all views and opinions and expressed are my own.*
This is the first fantasy work by Angela Watts I’ve read. I wasn’t sure what to expect, having only read her (pretty epic) post-apoc/dystopian novels before, but I did know there would be a lot of fight scenes.
There were a lot of fight scenes.
Golgotha takes you to a world of monsters. Right from the beginning, there is a grim atmosphere surrounding the story even before we’re actually introduced to Golgotha itself. The main characters’ homeworld, Mazzabah (did I spell that right…?), isn’t described in too much detail, since the bulk of the tale takes place in Golgotha, which is described in plenty detail.
So this book is kinda dark. It’s bloody. Main character Prince Moray dabbles in dark magic. That’s not something you see often in Christian fantasy, and to be honest, I’m still curious as to how dark magic differs from the Gifts in this storyworld other than one being evil and one being good, as neither were explained very much. Moray was pretty unlikable to me throughout most of the book, but he did become a lot more sympathetic after a certain event, even though I wanted to smack him upside the head while reading. A lot.
Finnigan was probably my second-favorite character. His POV chapters were my favorite, partly because he’s an adorable busy cinnamon roll and partly because he makes awful puns. Ama was… okay? I didn’t hate her, but I didn’t love her either? I feel like she was not as nuanced as she could have been. But Courage is the best. Courage is amazing. I want a Courage.
My favorite character was Gunnar, I think xD His banter with… well, everyone, to be exact is probably one of my highlights from the book. I’m sorry, but smart-mouthed mercenary dudes are just great. The best part is that I was expecting a suave roguish bloke who was going to sweep Ama off her feet or something, but noooooooope Gunnar is better than that xDxDxD Tanka was a big plus too!
The plot is, as Angela Watts’s plots are, quick-moving and unforgiving from the start. I read it through in no time (there’s just something about her books that makes them hard for me to put down!). While suspicious li’l me expected every other character to end up dead and every little plan to be disastrously overturned, I still enjoyed the ride. The journey through Golgotha was like watching battles and scary things happen on a screen before me. And did I mention there are a lot of fight scenes?
Now… this is the part of this review that’s gonna be hardest for me to write… because getting depressed while reviewing themes in a book is what I do. But anyway. Golgotha has strong good-vs-evil messages about hope (I mean like, these guys need a lot of it–they’re trapped in a some demon world and everything), redemption (because do you think I would be reading dark fantasy if it didn’t have any redemption?), and spiritual warfare (I confess I do not often read fantasy books focusing on spiritual warfare). The themes came across a little too strong for my tastes. I always enjoy a good light-vs-darkness story, but I was surprised by how much of it kept appearing in the story? In the Infidel Books by this author, the characters talk about, well, God and prayer and redemption and stuff so differently from the characters in this book. Don’t get me wrong–I am a huge fan of God and prayer and redemption and stuff; I’m all for it and everything, and I understand that the sheer darkness of some of the things in this book warrant a great need for light, but could it have been done more subtly? Probably. Or maybe it’s not so much the written portrayal of the themes as the way the characters’ portrayal. All I know is, that’s my biggest issue with this.
Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can’t wait for book two! (Especially after that epilogue… Come on.) I’m intrigued/terrified by what we’ll learn about the villain(s?) in the sequel, and I’m eager to see how these main characters will come into play in the future storyline. But until then… I guess we’ll all have to wait. I recommend this book for anyone looking for a YA dark Christian fantasy with characters who aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty but struggle with the consequences afterwards set in a grim, foreboding world home to some really interesting creatures.
*I received an ARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. A positive review was not required; all views and opinions and expressed are my own.*
March 19, 2024
If I could only describe this book in four words, it would be “very intense yet hopeful.” Christian dark fantasy isn’t a huge thing but if more come out like this one I want to read them! This author takes hard topics like spiritual warfare and dabbling in darkness and shines God’s light on them in such a way that makes you think and is so so powerful and hopeful all at the same time.
The characters were amazing—even though I wanted to bash Moray’s head in for the majority of the story—and formed such an unlikely team and dynamic which are two of my favorite things in fiction.
And I know I mentioned the spiritual warfare before, but I really want to point it out again because it’s written in such a powerful and thoughtful way that has me thinking about how her interpretation would apply in my own life and has made me look at my struggles differently as a result.
A really powerful book with great good verses evil plot and a bunch of wonderfully flawed characters to root for.
‼️Content‼️
Language: what the; bastard; hell (as a place and a swear word); bloody; damn; ass; jackass; jackwagon; hellish
Violence: a man is hung; in a dream a man stands over two dead bodies holding a bloody crown (semi detailed); a man is slammed against a wall; a man slaps another; two people are magically murdered; fighting monsters and humans with weapons and magic (not to semi detailed); injuries and blood (not detailed); monsters attack characters; a rat’s scream ruptures monsters’ ears and kills them (semi detailed); a character is mentioned to have been stripped naked and tortured (not detailed); a character is struck by lightning; a skeleton monster bites off a man’s head (not detailed); a tiny dragon breaks a man’s neck (not detailed)
Sexual: a man almost rapes a girl (he takes off her dress but nothing else beyond that happens)
Drug/Alcohol: a monster spews poison on a character which burns them and they die; a character is poisoned
Other: magic; wizards/warlocks/witches; magical abilities/powers from Elohai/Creator (God) and from using black magic/witchcraft (which is seen as bad); a character sees visions in dreams; magical creatures and places; spiritual warfare; demons and angels; a couple characters practice black magic/witchcraft (not shown in detail or in a positive light); death and grief; monsters are usually half rotted with pieces of flesh hanging off bones if not outright skeletons (not to semi detailed); characters are cast into a fantasy version of Hell; mentions of child slavery and grooming; a child is locked up in a cellar; a character has demons latch onto them; an alive skeleton army
The characters were amazing—even though I wanted to bash Moray’s head in for the majority of the story—and formed such an unlikely team and dynamic which are two of my favorite things in fiction.
And I know I mentioned the spiritual warfare before, but I really want to point it out again because it’s written in such a powerful and thoughtful way that has me thinking about how her interpretation would apply in my own life and has made me look at my struggles differently as a result.
A really powerful book with great good verses evil plot and a bunch of wonderfully flawed characters to root for.
‼️Content‼️
Language: what the; bastard; hell (as a place and a swear word); bloody; damn; ass; jackass; jackwagon; hellish
Violence: a man is hung; in a dream a man stands over two dead bodies holding a bloody crown (semi detailed); a man is slammed against a wall; a man slaps another; two people are magically murdered; fighting monsters and humans with weapons and magic (not to semi detailed); injuries and blood (not detailed); monsters attack characters; a rat’s scream ruptures monsters’ ears and kills them (semi detailed); a character is mentioned to have been stripped naked and tortured (not detailed); a character is struck by lightning; a skeleton monster bites off a man’s head (not detailed); a tiny dragon breaks a man’s neck (not detailed)
Sexual: a man almost rapes a girl (he takes off her dress but nothing else beyond that happens)
Drug/Alcohol: a monster spews poison on a character which burns them and they die; a character is poisoned
Other: magic; wizards/warlocks/witches; magical abilities/powers from Elohai/Creator (God) and from using black magic/witchcraft (which is seen as bad); a character sees visions in dreams; magical creatures and places; spiritual warfare; demons and angels; a couple characters practice black magic/witchcraft (not shown in detail or in a positive light); death and grief; monsters are usually half rotted with pieces of flesh hanging off bones if not outright skeletons (not to semi detailed); characters are cast into a fantasy version of Hell; mentions of child slavery and grooming; a child is locked up in a cellar; a character has demons latch onto them; an alive skeleton army
April 10, 2021
"Faith will help us fight, and hope will carry us through."
In one word: EPIC.
In more words: I really loved this! I've never been disappointed by an Angela R. Watts book, and this holds true here.
I'm very much a character-driven reader (give me characters that I can love, and I'm sold), and these were some great ones. I got attached to all of them despite telling myself multiple times not to, and there's definitely something to be said for that, lol. Finnigan and Ama were my favorites, but I came to love Gunnar and Moray as well. (Also, as with most of Angela's books, the banter was top notch.)
It's definitely one of the more epic allegorical stories I've read. The fight scenes were on point, the feels were real, and I really enjoyed getting to see Moray's redemption arc come through.
Overall, I really enjoyed this! The threads of this first book were wrapped up nicely, but still leaving enough open to keep me intrigued for the next book. 4.5 stars from me!
Content warnings: Demonic activity, some mild language, one attempted sexual assault scene that is stopped before anything can happen.
**I received a copy of this book from the author. A positive review was not required. All opinions are my own.**
In one word: EPIC.
In more words: I really loved this! I've never been disappointed by an Angela R. Watts book, and this holds true here.
I'm very much a character-driven reader (give me characters that I can love, and I'm sold), and these were some great ones. I got attached to all of them despite telling myself multiple times not to, and there's definitely something to be said for that, lol. Finnigan and Ama were my favorites, but I came to love Gunnar and Moray as well. (Also, as with most of Angela's books, the banter was top notch.)
It's definitely one of the more epic allegorical stories I've read. The fight scenes were on point, the feels were real, and I really enjoyed getting to see Moray's redemption arc come through.
Overall, I really enjoyed this! The threads of this first book were wrapped up nicely, but still leaving enough open to keep me intrigued for the next book. 4.5 stars from me!
Content warnings: Demonic activity, some mild language, one attempted sexual assault scene that is stopped before anything can happen.
**I received a copy of this book from the author. A positive review was not required. All opinions are my own.**
April 16, 2021
Golgotha was the first book I have read by Angela Watts and was filled with action, battles, spiritual lessons, and strong characters. It is the first book in a trilogy, so while the individual book's plot wrapped up, there are still deeper issues to be resolved in future books (which you'll want to read after this one because there are questions that need answers and resolution)!
My favorite parts about Golgotha were how it showed what the invisible battle in the spiritual realms is like. Angela Watts did an amazing job at showing spiritual warfare. The lessons on that - how only One can save from the darkness and demons, and the power of His name - were amazing. I really loved that part of Golgotha.
However, I didn't like how much darkness, gore and creepiness was present to show that. I do think that in this particular book it was necessary, and we do need books like Golgotha to show us the depths of evil that are present in darkness. It just wasn't for me. I prefer stories with less of the darkness and horror, with much more light. BUT, that said, I appreciate the way hope and help from God were shown within that. I haven't read many books like Golgotha, so I can appreciate how it gave me a different experience and read than usual.
Overall, Golgotha was not a bad book - it was very well written and had a great plot - it just wasn't for me and thus was not my favorite read, but there are definitely aspects of it that I appreciate and learned from. If you like tales filled with darkness, monsters, hope and light battling darkness, spiritual warfare, and interesting characters, Golgotha is for you!
CONTENT WARNINGS:
Golgotha isn't for the faint of heart, so if you are really sensitive to dark themes and skeletons and demons and all, it may not be for you. But here's a list of what I found would need to be mentioned as cautions.
- LOTS of blood and gore
- Golgotha is a dark realm and is filled with many terrible creatures (skeletons, Leviathan, demons, creepy wolf-things and a dragon-like creature)
- witchcraft (that is portrayed as dark and evil)
- a lotta death and suffering
- a few bad words: one use of the d-word, a couple uses of the a-word, and hell is used several times (though usually in the correct sense of the word - referring to a situation or thing that seems to have come from Hell itself)
- attempted rape (that is thwarted), but we don't have a lot of description on it
**Many thanks to the author for the honor of getting to read an free ARC of this thrilling story! All thoughts expressed are my own :)**
My favorite parts about Golgotha were how it showed what the invisible battle in the spiritual realms is like. Angela Watts did an amazing job at showing spiritual warfare. The lessons on that - how only One can save from the darkness and demons, and the power of His name - were amazing. I really loved that part of Golgotha.
However, I didn't like how much darkness, gore and creepiness was present to show that. I do think that in this particular book it was necessary, and we do need books like Golgotha to show us the depths of evil that are present in darkness. It just wasn't for me. I prefer stories with less of the darkness and horror, with much more light. BUT, that said, I appreciate the way hope and help from God were shown within that. I haven't read many books like Golgotha, so I can appreciate how it gave me a different experience and read than usual.
Overall, Golgotha was not a bad book - it was very well written and had a great plot - it just wasn't for me and thus was not my favorite read, but there are definitely aspects of it that I appreciate and learned from. If you like tales filled with darkness, monsters, hope and light battling darkness, spiritual warfare, and interesting characters, Golgotha is for you!
CONTENT WARNINGS:
Golgotha isn't for the faint of heart, so if you are really sensitive to dark themes and skeletons and demons and all, it may not be for you. But here's a list of what I found would need to be mentioned as cautions.
- LOTS of blood and gore
- Golgotha is a dark realm and is filled with many terrible creatures (skeletons, Leviathan, demons, creepy wolf-things and a dragon-like creature)
- witchcraft (that is portrayed as dark and evil)
- a lotta death and suffering
- a few bad words: one use of the d-word, a couple uses of the a-word, and hell is used several times (though usually in the correct sense of the word - referring to a situation or thing that seems to have come from Hell itself)
- attempted rape (that is thwarted), but we don't have a lot of description on it
**Many thanks to the author for the honor of getting to read an free ARC of this thrilling story! All thoughts expressed are my own :)**
April 14, 2021
This review is a long time coming. I read this book last year during quarantine. It was my first experience beta reading and I really enjoyed it with all its flaws and quirks. I have been anxiously waiting for it to release so that I could reread and see how I feel about it in print.
All I can say without rambling is that this book deserves everything it gets in terms of high praise and sales.
Now onto the rambling:
Angela R Watts is a fantastic writer who does not shy away from the reality of darkness. I think that is the thing I appreciate the most about Golgotha. It is one of the darkest Christian books I have ever read, but in a good way. It's the type of darkness that lets the light make the biggest impact. A dim room does not change when light shines as much as a pitch black room and that is what this book was... a pitch black room with beautiful light shining in. We had people fighting against God (Elohai) in a way that is so real, but He showed his grace and mercy and never-ending love and it really made an impact on them and on me. Seeing how far they could go, yet still trusting in God and giving everything over to Him... it was so powerful. I love redemption arcs, but I love them even more when they strike a cord that I see in real life.
Anyways... read it, love it, praise it, and make others read it. It's that good.
All I can say without rambling is that this book deserves everything it gets in terms of high praise and sales.
Now onto the rambling:
Angela R Watts is a fantastic writer who does not shy away from the reality of darkness. I think that is the thing I appreciate the most about Golgotha. It is one of the darkest Christian books I have ever read, but in a good way. It's the type of darkness that lets the light make the biggest impact. A dim room does not change when light shines as much as a pitch black room and that is what this book was... a pitch black room with beautiful light shining in. We had people fighting against God (Elohai) in a way that is so real, but He showed his grace and mercy and never-ending love and it really made an impact on them and on me. Seeing how far they could go, yet still trusting in God and giving everything over to Him... it was so powerful. I love redemption arcs, but I love them even more when they strike a cord that I see in real life.
Anyways... read it, love it, praise it, and make others read it. It's that good.
April 10, 2021
From the first page, Watts delivers a captivating story of a power-hungry prince and his rebellious ways. The reader is quickly introduced to varying points of view from different characters, each of which are artfully crafted and give a well-rounded perspective of the world. As the characters begin their journey, Watts weaves rich details of the fight between good and evil, as well as discussing difficult questions about life. Through the various twists and surprises, Golgatha, is a gritty, hard-hitting, adventurous novel you don't want to miss!
April 9, 2021
I can't tell you how amazing this book is. When I initally heard that Angela was writing a book surrounding spiritual warfare, I was intrigued. Those are some of my favorite books but to see it done in an almost fantasy-style setting was amazing. The worldbuilding that Angela weaved into the narrative from Mazzabah, Gologatha (the realm of bones and death) and the Kingdom of Buacach, it was truly amazing.
The way that the characters were written was also really good. Nothing I didn't expect considering Angela's Infidel Books series. The character of Moray though, was truly amazing. The way that he tried to justify his use of dark magic in replacing the Gifts of Elohai in order to further the Kingdom, while misguided was great to see. His mistaken belief that what he was doing was for the betterment of his people without realizing the spiritual toll it was taking on him.
Subsequently when he was kicked into Golgotha, he had to confront the spiritual aspect and getting to see him wrestle with his doubts and fears, his anger and resentment was really well crafted with the use of the spiritual demons that latched themselves onto him. So much so that even the others within his group like his brother Finnigan, betrothed Ama and mercenary Gunnar can feel it.
I really loved the way that Angela fleshed out not only the characters of Finnigan, his optimism and use of his Gifts, and even his stubborn belief in his brother, Ama and her fight to hold onto Elohai despite being in Golgotha and Gunnar and his relationship with his father Absalom and his eventual belief in Elohai but also the character of Sadon. For much of the book, I actually believed Sadon would be the main threat thorughout the story, but like with so many of Angela's characters, there's more nuance to him. He's a broken man, robbed of his belief in Elohai because of the circumstances of his past and what I found most intriguing about it was that he believed it. He truly believed that he was above redemption. That he didn't need it or could get it.
What truly endeared me to the multitude of characters, even small ones like Ama's brother Etu was the way in which they acted around each other. They bickered constantly, even prior to being sent to Golgotha and their interactions made for some hilarous moments.
One of the main things I've come to enjoy about Angela's books was her weaving of themes of darkness vs light, redemption and hope. This is no exception. The way that she weaved in the theme of darkness vs light through the use of dark magic and the Gifts of Elohai was amazing. She doesn't glorify dark magic but shows its corrosive and deadly effects on the person using it, even on a spiritual level. This is seen through the character of Moray. Even the Gifts of Elohai are explored in an interesting way through the way that they juxtapose the dark magic used by Moray, seen in the character of Finnigan (which fits his personality.)
Overall, the theme of redemption is heavily prevalanet through the story with all the characters, especially Moray, Sadon and Gunnar. I really loved their story lines and can't wait to see what comes of their charcters in Book 2 of the Remnant Trilogy.
I'd give this a 5 out of 5 stars.
The way that the characters were written was also really good. Nothing I didn't expect considering Angela's Infidel Books series. The character of Moray though, was truly amazing. The way that he tried to justify his use of dark magic in replacing the Gifts of Elohai in order to further the Kingdom, while misguided was great to see. His mistaken belief that what he was doing was for the betterment of his people without realizing the spiritual toll it was taking on him.
Subsequently when he was kicked into Golgotha, he had to confront the spiritual aspect and getting to see him wrestle with his doubts and fears, his anger and resentment was really well crafted with the use of the spiritual demons that latched themselves onto him. So much so that even the others within his group like his brother Finnigan, betrothed Ama and mercenary Gunnar can feel it.
I really loved the way that Angela fleshed out not only the characters of Finnigan, his optimism and use of his Gifts, and even his stubborn belief in his brother, Ama and her fight to hold onto Elohai despite being in Golgotha and Gunnar and his relationship with his father Absalom and his eventual belief in Elohai but also the character of Sadon. For much of the book, I actually believed Sadon would be the main threat thorughout the story, but like with so many of Angela's characters, there's more nuance to him. He's a broken man, robbed of his belief in Elohai because of the circumstances of his past and what I found most intriguing about it was that he believed it. He truly believed that he was above redemption. That he didn't need it or could get it.
What truly endeared me to the multitude of characters, even small ones like Ama's brother Etu was the way in which they acted around each other. They bickered constantly, even prior to being sent to Golgotha and their interactions made for some hilarous moments.
One of the main things I've come to enjoy about Angela's books was her weaving of themes of darkness vs light, redemption and hope. This is no exception. The way that she weaved in the theme of darkness vs light through the use of dark magic and the Gifts of Elohai was amazing. She doesn't glorify dark magic but shows its corrosive and deadly effects on the person using it, even on a spiritual level. This is seen through the character of Moray. Even the Gifts of Elohai are explored in an interesting way through the way that they juxtapose the dark magic used by Moray, seen in the character of Finnigan (which fits his personality.)
Overall, the theme of redemption is heavily prevalanet through the story with all the characters, especially Moray, Sadon and Gunnar. I really loved their story lines and can't wait to see what comes of their charcters in Book 2 of the Remnant Trilogy.
I'd give this a 5 out of 5 stars.
April 9, 2021
*** I received an ARC for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I've never read a book quite like Golgotha so I wasn't quite sure what to expect.
It took a bit to get used to the author's voice, but once I did, I was thoroughly invested in the book. There were a few days I spent half asleep because I had a hard time putting this down the night before.
One thing I really admire was Angela's ability to juggle so many character arcs at once. I kept waiting for one to fall apart, but they got stronger as the story progressed.
Looking forward to book two and more sleepless nights due to Angela's writing.
I've never read a book quite like Golgotha so I wasn't quite sure what to expect.
It took a bit to get used to the author's voice, but once I did, I was thoroughly invested in the book. There were a few days I spent half asleep because I had a hard time putting this down the night before.
One thing I really admire was Angela's ability to juggle so many character arcs at once. I kept waiting for one to fall apart, but they got stronger as the story progressed.
Looking forward to book two and more sleepless nights due to Angela's writing.
April 9, 2021
This was a great read from start to finish, although the action and pace ramp up when the heroes get sent into Golgotha-Realm of Bones and demons! I love how Angela has our heroes at each others throats as they traverse this dark realm, yet when danger comes they stand and fight together (more or less). It's a great tale of redemption and good vs. evil set in a fantasy world with magic, creatures, and dark powers. I loved this tale!
*Disclaimer: I am the publisher, so I may be biased, but we wouldn't have published this book if I didn't love it. So take that into account.
*Disclaimer: I am the publisher, so I may be biased, but we wouldn't have published this book if I didn't love it. So take that into account.
May 11, 2021
AWESOME
Loved this book- loved the characters, loved the story, all of it. Will be counting the days till the next book is released.
- There is gonna be a book two out soon, right!?
Loved this book- loved the characters, loved the story, all of it. Will be counting the days till the next book is released.
- There is gonna be a book two out soon, right!?
August 6, 2021
Boy, how do I describe this? It's spiritual warfare, it's fantasy (like dark fantasy), there's clear Biblical parallels and I think even some allegorical threads too.
It's definitely not for the faint of heart. There's some pretty uncomfortable moments in there. But isn't that what fiction should do? Make us just the tiniest bit uncomfortable to make us think? To even prompt discussions? I think that's what a lot of Christian fiction is missing these days, both traditional and indie published. Stories are dressed up in a neat little bow, characters are cardboard cutouts, and the plot itself is more of a dessert than an actual meal. Now, this isn't to say all traditionally and indie-published Christian fiction is like that. A lot is, but not all.
I'll admit, there were a few things that nagged at me, but it didn't completely stop me from enjoying the story. After all, I could've been misunderstanding something.
*I received an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
It's definitely not for the faint of heart. There's some pretty uncomfortable moments in there. But isn't that what fiction should do? Make us just the tiniest bit uncomfortable to make us think? To even prompt discussions? I think that's what a lot of Christian fiction is missing these days, both traditional and indie published. Stories are dressed up in a neat little bow, characters are cardboard cutouts, and the plot itself is more of a dessert than an actual meal. Now, this isn't to say all traditionally and indie-published Christian fiction is like that. A lot is, but not all.
I'll admit, there were a few things that nagged at me, but it didn't completely stop me from enjoying the story. After all, I could've been misunderstanding something.
*I received an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
April 9, 2021
Ready for a high stakes adventure that will burn your eyes from all the excitement!?!
There is no lie in saying that your eyes will be glued to the page as you read Golgotha by Angela R. Watts.
Set in a medieval world of warring clans and sinister factions, the story finds Moray and Finnigan, two princes of Buacach, searching for any way to keep their kingdom at peace. However, Moray takes a more sinister root than his younger brother when he relies on his powers as a wizard of Abaddon and uses dark magic instead of the wisdom of Elohai.
Due to his error in using such devious means, Moray is betrayed by another wizard and is sent into Golgotha, the land of demons and devils. Unfortunately for everyone, his betrothed Ama, Finnigan, and a mercenary named Gunnar are also casted into this hellish landscape. Now they need to learn to work together to survive and get back home. However, the four don't only have to fight bloodthirsty lizard men and undying skeleton armies; they also have to fight with their own struggles of faith in Elohai.
Watts has weaved a daring and frightfully beautiful tale of faith and how each person wrestles with it. Each character the reader meets shows a different side of how we all struggle in our own lives. This is NOT a fluff piece of how you can have a better life if you just believe in God. This is a masterpiece of how everyone struggles with trusting God, mixed in with monsters, adventure, magic, and the cutest lizard boy you'll ever meet.
TL; DR
Tanka is best boy and you should read this thrilling adventure novel right now!
There is no lie in saying that your eyes will be glued to the page as you read Golgotha by Angela R. Watts.
Set in a medieval world of warring clans and sinister factions, the story finds Moray and Finnigan, two princes of Buacach, searching for any way to keep their kingdom at peace. However, Moray takes a more sinister root than his younger brother when he relies on his powers as a wizard of Abaddon and uses dark magic instead of the wisdom of Elohai.
Due to his error in using such devious means, Moray is betrayed by another wizard and is sent into Golgotha, the land of demons and devils. Unfortunately for everyone, his betrothed Ama, Finnigan, and a mercenary named Gunnar are also casted into this hellish landscape. Now they need to learn to work together to survive and get back home. However, the four don't only have to fight bloodthirsty lizard men and undying skeleton armies; they also have to fight with their own struggles of faith in Elohai.
Watts has weaved a daring and frightfully beautiful tale of faith and how each person wrestles with it. Each character the reader meets shows a different side of how we all struggle in our own lives. This is NOT a fluff piece of how you can have a better life if you just believe in God. This is a masterpiece of how everyone struggles with trusting God, mixed in with monsters, adventure, magic, and the cutest lizard boy you'll ever meet.
TL; DR
Tanka is best boy and you should read this thrilling adventure novel right now!
March 18, 2022
{official review: 3/17/22: audiobook}
I'm not new to Angela Watts's works. She is an incredible writer that doesn't shy away from the ugliness that everyday people face in our everyday lives and brings hope to her readers through her stories. Though I have read her work before, Golgotha is the first of her fantasy that I've read, and I do have to say that I believe it's my favorite. So far.
I binged Golgotha so hard. I listen to audiobooks while I work to help myself focus and this one was so good that I couldn't focus. A new monster would appear and I'd be in a trance, holding my breath. I loved the character dynamics between Finnigan, Ama, Moray, and Gunner. Moray, my broken cinnamon roll, was my favorite from the very beginning. I loved Finnigan, too, though I wasn't in love with his voice on the audio so I did realize that I often got annoyed when he spoke, but he as a character was very princely and I loved him almost as much as I loved Moray. Almost. A well-done brother dynamic is one of my favorite tropes, and Moray and Finnigan were a darn good pair.
Ama was a pleasant heroine. I rarely like female heroines portrayed in fantasy--especially the "princess betrothed to a king for the purpose of an alliance" heroine--just because they are often completely daft or so unrealistically "strong" that I can't relate to them. However, Princess Ama was a realistic female. She wasn't my favorite character, but I appreciated how she acted and reacted in her situations. Gunner just made me laugh. The uptight mercenary really completed the traveling party.
There are a lot of things about this book that I loved aside from the characters themselves. The allegorical parallel to spiritual warfare. The clear distinction between Elohai's gifts (light) and dark magic (darkness). The struggles that the characters faced. The faith that was demonstrated. The prayer. Just, really, everything about this book. I wish there was a way to easily highlight audiobook quotes because there were so many good ones.
Overall, I loved this book and I can't wait to start the next one!
Content warnings: language is mild, but it is there (primarily using British curse words). Gore is decently high--lots of monsters. Dark magic is present to illustrate the darkness and is handled tastefully. There is one almost-rape scene, but it is cut off. Other sexual content is limited to very brief conversation topics only. Would recommend keeping the reading age to 14+.
{immediate reaction: 3/15/22}
Wow.
I loved this book.
Review to come once I have more time to write and capture my feelings.
I'm not new to Angela Watts's works. She is an incredible writer that doesn't shy away from the ugliness that everyday people face in our everyday lives and brings hope to her readers through her stories. Though I have read her work before, Golgotha is the first of her fantasy that I've read, and I do have to say that I believe it's my favorite. So far.
I binged Golgotha so hard. I listen to audiobooks while I work to help myself focus and this one was so good that I couldn't focus. A new monster would appear and I'd be in a trance, holding my breath. I loved the character dynamics between Finnigan, Ama, Moray, and Gunner. Moray, my broken cinnamon roll, was my favorite from the very beginning. I loved Finnigan, too, though I wasn't in love with his voice on the audio so I did realize that I often got annoyed when he spoke, but he as a character was very princely and I loved him almost as much as I loved Moray. Almost. A well-done brother dynamic is one of my favorite tropes, and Moray and Finnigan were a darn good pair.
Ama was a pleasant heroine. I rarely like female heroines portrayed in fantasy--especially the "princess betrothed to a king for the purpose of an alliance" heroine--just because they are often completely daft or so unrealistically "strong" that I can't relate to them. However, Princess Ama was a realistic female. She wasn't my favorite character, but I appreciated how she acted and reacted in her situations. Gunner just made me laugh. The uptight mercenary really completed the traveling party.
There are a lot of things about this book that I loved aside from the characters themselves. The allegorical parallel to spiritual warfare. The clear distinction between Elohai's gifts (light) and dark magic (darkness). The struggles that the characters faced. The faith that was demonstrated. The prayer. Just, really, everything about this book. I wish there was a way to easily highlight audiobook quotes because there were so many good ones.
Overall, I loved this book and I can't wait to start the next one!
Content warnings: language is mild, but it is there (primarily using British curse words). Gore is decently high--lots of monsters. Dark magic is present to illustrate the darkness and is handled tastefully. There is one almost-rape scene, but it is cut off. Other sexual content is limited to very brief conversation topics only. Would recommend keeping the reading age to 14+.
{immediate reaction: 3/15/22}
Wow.
I loved this book.
Review to come once I have more time to write and capture my feelings.
February 28, 2023
This was an interesting story, and I definitely hope to continue the series! For some reason I'm having a hard time writing a typical review for this book, so I'm going to fall back on the good ol' pros vs. cons formula.
Pros:
- A lot of creativity, especially in the realm of Golgotha. I never knew what was going to show up next!
- The portrayal of spiritual warfare was very powerful.
- Several good characters! (Tanka—oh my heart. 😊)
- I really appreciated the distinction of power from Elohai vs. magic.
Cons:
- The plot seemed disjointed (and a bit repetitive) in the latter half.
- Moray got on my nerves for most of the book. I kept trying to find some reason to like him, but I couldn't.
- Sadon...what happened to him felt rushed and a little too easy.
Pros:
- A lot of creativity, especially in the realm of Golgotha. I never knew what was going to show up next!
- The portrayal of spiritual warfare was very powerful.
- Several good characters! (Tanka—oh my heart. 😊)
- I really appreciated the distinction of power from Elohai vs. magic.
Cons:
- The plot seemed disjointed (and a bit repetitive) in the latter half.
- Moray got on my nerves for most of the book. I kept trying to find some reason to like him, but I couldn't.
- Sadon...what happened to him felt rushed and a little too easy.
May 30, 2022
(This review is closer to three and a half stars.)
Golgotha was a pretty quick and interesting read once I got into it. If you enjoy a lot of non-stop action, this would be a book for you. In some ways, it feels like a fantasy version of a summer action flick.
Finnigan and Ama were probably my favorite two characters of the bunch. I enjoyed their dynamic and relationship, and I felt they carried a good chunk of the story.
To me, even as a religious person, the themes and message felt a bit heavy-handed and overbearing. But I’m curious to see where the rest of the trilogy will go.
Golgotha was a pretty quick and interesting read once I got into it. If you enjoy a lot of non-stop action, this would be a book for you. In some ways, it feels like a fantasy version of a summer action flick.
Finnigan and Ama were probably my favorite two characters of the bunch. I enjoyed their dynamic and relationship, and I felt they carried a good chunk of the story.
To me, even as a religious person, the themes and message felt a bit heavy-handed and overbearing. But I’m curious to see where the rest of the trilogy will go.
April 27, 2021
The worlds Angela created are vivid and alive. Golgotha is as terrifying and confusing as I imagined- but the faith message is strong. The idea of the demons of pride and strife and despondency were so accurate! That’s exactly how I imagine they would be- sitting on my shoulder and whispering their lies.
I was gripped by the story from beginning to end and kept on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen. This was a well written, descriptive and engaging story that didn’t shy away from hard spiritual truths and the grace of a loving God.
I was gripped by the story from beginning to end and kept on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen. This was a well written, descriptive and engaging story that didn’t shy away from hard spiritual truths and the grace of a loving God.
November 3, 2021
I was skeptical when I saw this advertised as Christian Dark Fantasy.
Not because I didn’t think it could be done, but because I didn’t know how “Dark” the fantasy was going to be. From the back of the book, I thought it was going to be mostly a series of debates of whether or not “magic” can be a gift of God (like Cain by Brennen McPherson).
I was pleasantly surprised when I saw the story followed an actual, visceral struggle on the part of the characters, and what a struggle it was.
Characters actually died, and not just background characters with no names or faces, but people we have connections with, even if brief.
Golgotha is fascinating, terrifying, and just awesome at times.
I wish the same amount of work had gone into Buacach. Some did at the beginning, but over the course of Barric’s takeover, the political/social conflicts aren’t paid attention to in favor of Sadon’s identity risks while he takes care of Oliver.
The ending implies that the second book will explore those issues as Finnigan undoes what Barric did, but I still feel like I missed a lot.
The grand battle at the end probably would have meant more to me if I had been invested in the survival of the kingdom, even as epic as fighting skeletons is.
But the main cast was phenomenal, particularly Muray and Finnigan. They served as excellent foils to one another and I can’t wait to see how their relationship develops in the next installment.
Not because I didn’t think it could be done, but because I didn’t know how “Dark” the fantasy was going to be. From the back of the book, I thought it was going to be mostly a series of debates of whether or not “magic” can be a gift of God (like Cain by Brennen McPherson).
I was pleasantly surprised when I saw the story followed an actual, visceral struggle on the part of the characters, and what a struggle it was.
Characters actually died, and not just background characters with no names or faces, but people we have connections with, even if brief.
Golgotha is fascinating, terrifying, and just awesome at times.
I wish the same amount of work had gone into Buacach. Some did at the beginning, but over the course of Barric’s takeover, the political/social conflicts aren’t paid attention to in favor of Sadon’s identity risks while he takes care of Oliver.
The ending implies that the second book will explore those issues as Finnigan undoes what Barric did, but I still feel like I missed a lot.
The grand battle at the end probably would have meant more to me if I had been invested in the survival of the kingdom, even as epic as fighting skeletons is.
But the main cast was phenomenal, particularly Muray and Finnigan. They served as excellent foils to one another and I can’t wait to see how their relationship develops in the next installment.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 1, 2021
This book marks my first exposure to Christian dark fantasy...and now I long for more!
For too long, I have been trapped in the endless cycle of consuming mainstream fantasy novels, which are, of course, often very secular. While these tales are weaved together by talented writers, they lack a fundamental substance I require in my storytelling in order to feel there was some purpose in reading it. Angela Watts delivers splendidly in Golgotha. She has created a story that packs a punch in the form of demons, monsters, and spiritual warfare, but doesn't neglect the wholesome, hopeful message necessary to make all of this darkness worthwhile.
I will address each aspect of the story by category, beginning with plot.
PLOT:
*Dark and dangerous with high stakes
*Compellingly written; the horrors of traversing through a realm infested with death and monsters are finely captured
*Realistic struggles are thrown at every important character, some taking the form of dreaded betrothals and the sense of abandoning family, and some in the form of demonic oppression and suffering the sadistic nature of one's own dark magic
*The concept of Golgotha and mortals being able to enter the realm is fascinating
*The struggle between light and darkness, with light emerging as the victor, was well done and touching
Now, on to the key characters...
CHARACTERS:
Ama: Ever-hopeful to the bitter end, Ama beautifully captures the essence of the spiritual gift of faith. She turns over her troubles to Elohai in loving trust, even at the expense of some of the other characters' behavior toward her. She is bold, sensitive, and prayerful - truly a good woman.
Finnigan: Like Ama's male counterpart, Finnigan represents the good brother between him and Moray. He cares deeply about his brother and his devotion to darkness, constantly insisting that Moray change his ways.
Moray: Despite his bitter attitude and antagonism, I continued to root for Moray throughout the story. Moray is the perfect realistic representation of a young person under the influence of evil. Brooding and secretive, he embraces Abaddon, the dark god, throughout almost every danger thrown his way. It isn't until later that he reconsiders things and realizes Abaddon was never the master he should have followed. Deceived, and inflated by his own ego and nearly unwavering commitment to black magic, Moray is the lost soul I hoped for in the book. He is somewhat an antagonist, yes, but he is also a mere mortal - he has been played by the master pawn-commander of the universe; symbolic Satan.
Sadon: Another deceived wizard, Sadon is the antagonist that eventually gets his comeuppance as he is betrayed by Abaddon. I appreciate his similarity to Moray, but how he is, in a way, a more powerful sorcerer than Moray and yet becomes the one imprisoned and taunted by his god.
Gunnar: One smart-mouthed, sass-tongued, fire-spitting, and exceptionally charming son of a gun.
These are the characters I felt like addressing since they are the main ones. The dynamics between everyone produced good character chemistry, and each of the primary five contributed something distinct to the story. Just as in real life, in this story, there are a few similar and several wildly different personalities and perspectives on life!
On to themes...
THEMES: The power play between light and darkness was excellent. The demon dialogue disgusted me and I can relate to the torment of those inner voices plaguing the mind. Thus, the ultimate spiritual warfare battle is presented in Golgotha, revealing the truth behind the evil in the world and how men can only be stewards of darkness; they are not in true control. I loved how, despite the many miserable encounters in the story, from the demons, to Leviathan and Moray's internal decay, there was rebirth. Hope never died, even if it did look bleak at times. This is wonderful! God prevails.
MISC (Things I Liked):
*The question, Should sorcerers be punished by mankind for practicing magic or first given mercy and an attempt at redirecting? Is a great one I thought about during this book. It's a question that hangs over my own series with its dark sorcerers.
*Ama telling Gunnar about love being real even though you can't see it in response to his atheism
*Frequent prayer for both protection and answers
*Love the confrontation between Sadon and Abaddon and the revelation of Abaddon's true nature as a "god"
*Good tension and conundrums deciding whether to trust and follow Moray, a member of the Darkness, or Elohai, or somehow follow both since Moray seems to have some kind of idea what he's doing - unfortunately, as a child of Abaddon, he can't be trusted. What to do?
*Moray rejects Abaddon but doesn't immediately switch to following Elohai - this is realistic
OVERALL RATING: 4.5 stars, for a job well done and a story that made me care.
For too long, I have been trapped in the endless cycle of consuming mainstream fantasy novels, which are, of course, often very secular. While these tales are weaved together by talented writers, they lack a fundamental substance I require in my storytelling in order to feel there was some purpose in reading it. Angela Watts delivers splendidly in Golgotha. She has created a story that packs a punch in the form of demons, monsters, and spiritual warfare, but doesn't neglect the wholesome, hopeful message necessary to make all of this darkness worthwhile.
I will address each aspect of the story by category, beginning with plot.
PLOT:
*Dark and dangerous with high stakes
*Compellingly written; the horrors of traversing through a realm infested with death and monsters are finely captured
*Realistic struggles are thrown at every important character, some taking the form of dreaded betrothals and the sense of abandoning family, and some in the form of demonic oppression and suffering the sadistic nature of one's own dark magic
*The concept of Golgotha and mortals being able to enter the realm is fascinating
*The struggle between light and darkness, with light emerging as the victor, was well done and touching
Now, on to the key characters...
CHARACTERS:
Ama: Ever-hopeful to the bitter end, Ama beautifully captures the essence of the spiritual gift of faith. She turns over her troubles to Elohai in loving trust, even at the expense of some of the other characters' behavior toward her. She is bold, sensitive, and prayerful - truly a good woman.
Finnigan: Like Ama's male counterpart, Finnigan represents the good brother between him and Moray. He cares deeply about his brother and his devotion to darkness, constantly insisting that Moray change his ways.
Moray: Despite his bitter attitude and antagonism, I continued to root for Moray throughout the story. Moray is the perfect realistic representation of a young person under the influence of evil. Brooding and secretive, he embraces Abaddon, the dark god, throughout almost every danger thrown his way. It isn't until later that he reconsiders things and realizes Abaddon was never the master he should have followed. Deceived, and inflated by his own ego and nearly unwavering commitment to black magic, Moray is the lost soul I hoped for in the book. He is somewhat an antagonist, yes, but he is also a mere mortal - he has been played by the master pawn-commander of the universe; symbolic Satan.
Sadon: Another deceived wizard, Sadon is the antagonist that eventually gets his comeuppance as he is betrayed by Abaddon. I appreciate his similarity to Moray, but how he is, in a way, a more powerful sorcerer than Moray and yet becomes the one imprisoned and taunted by his god.
Gunnar: One smart-mouthed, sass-tongued, fire-spitting, and exceptionally charming son of a gun.
These are the characters I felt like addressing since they are the main ones. The dynamics between everyone produced good character chemistry, and each of the primary five contributed something distinct to the story. Just as in real life, in this story, there are a few similar and several wildly different personalities and perspectives on life!
On to themes...
THEMES: The power play between light and darkness was excellent. The demon dialogue disgusted me and I can relate to the torment of those inner voices plaguing the mind. Thus, the ultimate spiritual warfare battle is presented in Golgotha, revealing the truth behind the evil in the world and how men can only be stewards of darkness; they are not in true control. I loved how, despite the many miserable encounters in the story, from the demons, to Leviathan and Moray's internal decay, there was rebirth. Hope never died, even if it did look bleak at times. This is wonderful! God prevails.
MISC (Things I Liked):
*The question, Should sorcerers be punished by mankind for practicing magic or first given mercy and an attempt at redirecting? Is a great one I thought about during this book. It's a question that hangs over my own series with its dark sorcerers.
*Ama telling Gunnar about love being real even though you can't see it in response to his atheism
*Frequent prayer for both protection and answers
*Love the confrontation between Sadon and Abaddon and the revelation of Abaddon's true nature as a "god"
*Good tension and conundrums deciding whether to trust and follow Moray, a member of the Darkness, or Elohai, or somehow follow both since Moray seems to have some kind of idea what he's doing - unfortunately, as a child of Abaddon, he can't be trusted. What to do?
*Moray rejects Abaddon but doesn't immediately switch to following Elohai - this is realistic
OVERALL RATING: 4.5 stars, for a job well done and a story that made me care.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 10, 2021
Golgotha By Angela R. Watts _ 4 Stars
First off…can we just talk about the book cover. It is beyond stunning.
Secondly, I received this book free as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) – My opinions are my own and I did not get paid to write this review.
*Contains some spoilers: Read with Caution*
I enjoyed this book up to a point. It hooked me at the very first paragraph and the author is a talented writer. But there were some things I felt could have been done a little better within the story line. While the book is written in third person which is fabulous, I think this story wouldn’t have been done justice in first person, what bothered me was the constant shift in POV every chapter. If it had just been between two of the main characters, it would have been okay, but the author switched between four to five characters. It was because of this I was unable to make any real connection with any of the characters.
There were some pretty epic scenes within the book. I will say the author did the action scenes justice but honestly, because of my inability to make a connection with any of the characters, I could care less if they died or lived. The characters also made some choices within the book which I honestly didn’t think they would have made, meaning I felt like some of the characters acted out of character, so to speak.
A little more world building and/or character building within the book would have been nice. I would also like to iterate that though this is a fantasy book it is very faith based. At around the sixty percent mark within the book, a few characters in my opinion got really, really preachy at each other. Though this is something I wanted to praise the author on. Although the characters were preachy to each other, the author never preached at the reader. And I am extremely grateful for that.
This is a first in the series and while the author didn’t leave the book with a cliffhanger, which I was grateful for, they did set it up for the second book. Which I will be interested in reading. I am hoping the author dives more in the world and characters a little more within the second book.
Also, out of all the POV’s I would have loved to peak into the mind of Gunnar. It would have made the book so much more interesting. The author hints at this possibility in the second book so fingers crossed.
I would definitely recommend this book but with a caveat. If you are not a faith based person or you don’t enjoy reading faith based books then this one might not be for you.
First off…can we just talk about the book cover. It is beyond stunning.
Secondly, I received this book free as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) – My opinions are my own and I did not get paid to write this review.
*Contains some spoilers: Read with Caution*
I enjoyed this book up to a point. It hooked me at the very first paragraph and the author is a talented writer. But there were some things I felt could have been done a little better within the story line. While the book is written in third person which is fabulous, I think this story wouldn’t have been done justice in first person, what bothered me was the constant shift in POV every chapter. If it had just been between two of the main characters, it would have been okay, but the author switched between four to five characters. It was because of this I was unable to make any real connection with any of the characters.
There were some pretty epic scenes within the book. I will say the author did the action scenes justice but honestly, because of my inability to make a connection with any of the characters, I could care less if they died or lived. The characters also made some choices within the book which I honestly didn’t think they would have made, meaning I felt like some of the characters acted out of character, so to speak.
A little more world building and/or character building within the book would have been nice. I would also like to iterate that though this is a fantasy book it is very faith based. At around the sixty percent mark within the book, a few characters in my opinion got really, really preachy at each other. Though this is something I wanted to praise the author on. Although the characters were preachy to each other, the author never preached at the reader. And I am extremely grateful for that.
This is a first in the series and while the author didn’t leave the book with a cliffhanger, which I was grateful for, they did set it up for the second book. Which I will be interested in reading. I am hoping the author dives more in the world and characters a little more within the second book.
Also, out of all the POV’s I would have loved to peak into the mind of Gunnar. It would have made the book so much more interesting. The author hints at this possibility in the second book so fingers crossed.
I would definitely recommend this book but with a caveat. If you are not a faith based person or you don’t enjoy reading faith based books then this one might not be for you.
April 30, 2021
Suspicious character names
Interesting character names, mainly Absalom, who in the Bible was a son of King David who betrayed him, and then Uriah, who in the Bible was a righteous man that King David murdered for his wife, and paid a dear price for his sin, nevertheless repented.
I just wander why the author chose to take those to names from the Bible and use them as heroes in her book. I can’t help but to wander, is she trying to send a message to a select group. Why use two names that were of people that show a negative aspect of King David’s life? Nevertheless, Kind David repented and loved Absolom to the end. Still, why those two names? I was going to read the next book in this series, but after the lizard boy being mentioned, what seemed like, ten times a page once he was introduced, I decided not to. I believe certain types of persons seem to like serpent people.
Interesting character names, mainly Absalom, who in the Bible was a son of King David who betrayed him, and then Uriah, who in the Bible was a righteous man that King David murdered for his wife, and paid a dear price for his sin, nevertheless repented.
I just wander why the author chose to take those to names from the Bible and use them as heroes in her book. I can’t help but to wander, is she trying to send a message to a select group. Why use two names that were of people that show a negative aspect of King David’s life? Nevertheless, Kind David repented and loved Absolom to the end. Still, why those two names? I was going to read the next book in this series, but after the lizard boy being mentioned, what seemed like, ten times a page once he was introduced, I decided not to. I believe certain types of persons seem to like serpent people.
August 4, 2024
Gritty, Fast-Paced Fantasy With An Emphasis On Spiritual Warfare
Prince Moray, heir to the throne of Buacach, harbors a dark secret: he practices forbidden black magic and conspires with a warlock to open the lost realm of demons and monsters, Golgotha, to bring power and glory to his kingdom. His brother, the kindhearted Prince Finnigan, knows Moray’s secret but refuses to voice his concerns, fearing his brother will be sentenced to death. Princess Ama of the Wolf Clan, a young woman of strong faith and pure heart, is betrothed to Prince Moray, but fears that her God, Creator, will frown upon her choice to marry a man she does not love. When a coup overthrows the kingdom and dark wizards send Moray, Finnigan, Ama, and two others into the dark realm, Golgotha, these newfound friends must overcome their differences and fight battles both physical and spiritual if they want to make it out alive.
Author Angela Watts is already well-known for her gritty near-future thriller series Infidel, and while the world of Mazzabah is completely fantastical, with monsters and magic, it also seems to have some similarities to the Infidel books in that it is gritty, violent, fast-paced, and follows a cast of lovable, flawed, mostly male characters who are trying to keep faith in an uncertain and sometimes very scary world.
The first thing to note about Golgotha is that, for a Christian fantasy, it is rather dark, and I am HERE FOR IT. In Golgotha, some characters are sweet and pure as can be (Finnigan, Ama, and Graft), while others are overwhelmed by darkness and take a lot of time and hardship to redeem themselves (Moray, Sadon/Uriah). The violence is nearly nonstop; and Watts doesn’t shy away from intense themes of spiritual warfare and demonic activity. The language is also a bit saltier than one typically gets in a Christian fantasy, with a few uses of hell, damn, ass, and bloody, mostly from the smart-mouthed mercenary Gunnar. Still, the violence is hardly unscriptural: it is realistic given that the characters are fighting for survival, and the vivid depictions of spiritual warfare call to mind Frank Peretti and are edifying in their own way. And that is not to say that there are not moments of light and levity, for there certainly are. Finnigan and Ama are faithful and pure even in the worst of circumstances, Gunnar’s wisecracking is laugh-out-loud hilarious, and two adorable critter buddies – Courage the screeching rat and Tanka the lizard-child – add some much-needed heartwarming moments to what is otherwise an intense survival story.
This is a fairly long (380 page) novel, but the pacing is fast and the action is nonstop. While the first 10 or so chapters introduce us to the cast of characters, the intrigue starts practically on page one, with warlock conspiracies and heart-wrenching inner conflict. Once the crew is arrived in Golgotha, they barely get a moment’s rest. Attacks come from a whole host of scary creatures, from four-eyed rotting wolves to swamp serpents to carnivorous trees to ghosts to skeleton armies to literal demons, and the poor characters just can’t catch a break. I might even go so far as to say that Watts is a little over-reliant on action scenes (as opposed to, say, the wrenching political and character drama of Stephen Howard), but at least the action scenes are thrilling and the monsters are quite creative.
Of course, Golgotha is more than just an action novel. The characters are distinctive and lovable, even the ones who start off as bad guys. There are plenty of quieter moments for them to bond and reflect. Finnigan is precious, Gunnar is hilarious, Ama is a role model of faith and courage. But I have to admit, the character I found the most interesting was Moray, probably because he has the most inner conflict and had the most satisfying redemption arc. Yeah, my favorite was the dark wizard that everyone else hates. Don’t know what this says about me, but I must be honest. In any case, while Golgotha is highly plot driven and has many object lessons to teach about the importance of faith and hope, the characters are compelling enough to grab the reader’s heart.
The novel has many important lessons to teach about spiritual warfare, as well. Everything in Golgotha, from the harsh environments to the gnarly creatures, is an allegory for the Christian walk in a world that is adversarial, both in the seen and unseen realms. Finnigan and Ama’s internal monologues frequently focus on the importance of faith and hope. Moray invites in demons with names like Pride and Despondency in a manner that recalls the Screwtape Letters or Pilgrim’s Progress. Actually, the whole novel feels like a gritty modern take on Pilgrim’s Progress. If there is any flaw to the novel, however, it would probably be that the spiritual lessons can feel a little on the nose and not particularly subtle, though thankfully, this is hardly a preachy novel and the plot and characters stand on their own.
While Golgotha is marketed as YA, I consider it more of a book for adults. The characters are young adults (Ama is 18, Finnigan is 20, and Moray is 22, if I recall correctly), but the story is much more concerned with their survival and spiritual development than with the usual struggles of growing up that are portrayed in YA. Not that the books contain anything inappropriate for YA—there are a lot of battle scenes, some (fairly non-detailed) black magic, references to past child abuse, and some mild language, but in my opinion that isn’t beyond what a young teenager could probably handle.
While the plot wraps up in a satisfying manner—the team is delivered from Golgotha, some bad characters are finally redeemed, and the kingdom is restored—enemies remain and there is still work to be done, setting up the sequel, Tabor…
Artistic Value: 3/5
Christian Value: 5/5
Moral Value: 5/5
Entertainment Value: 5/5
Naomi’s Choice: 4/5
Prince Moray, heir to the throne of Buacach, harbors a dark secret: he practices forbidden black magic and conspires with a warlock to open the lost realm of demons and monsters, Golgotha, to bring power and glory to his kingdom. His brother, the kindhearted Prince Finnigan, knows Moray’s secret but refuses to voice his concerns, fearing his brother will be sentenced to death. Princess Ama of the Wolf Clan, a young woman of strong faith and pure heart, is betrothed to Prince Moray, but fears that her God, Creator, will frown upon her choice to marry a man she does not love. When a coup overthrows the kingdom and dark wizards send Moray, Finnigan, Ama, and two others into the dark realm, Golgotha, these newfound friends must overcome their differences and fight battles both physical and spiritual if they want to make it out alive.
Author Angela Watts is already well-known for her gritty near-future thriller series Infidel, and while the world of Mazzabah is completely fantastical, with monsters and magic, it also seems to have some similarities to the Infidel books in that it is gritty, violent, fast-paced, and follows a cast of lovable, flawed, mostly male characters who are trying to keep faith in an uncertain and sometimes very scary world.
The first thing to note about Golgotha is that, for a Christian fantasy, it is rather dark, and I am HERE FOR IT. In Golgotha, some characters are sweet and pure as can be (Finnigan, Ama, and Graft), while others are overwhelmed by darkness and take a lot of time and hardship to redeem themselves (Moray, Sadon/Uriah). The violence is nearly nonstop; and Watts doesn’t shy away from intense themes of spiritual warfare and demonic activity. The language is also a bit saltier than one typically gets in a Christian fantasy, with a few uses of hell, damn, ass, and bloody, mostly from the smart-mouthed mercenary Gunnar. Still, the violence is hardly unscriptural: it is realistic given that the characters are fighting for survival, and the vivid depictions of spiritual warfare call to mind Frank Peretti and are edifying in their own way. And that is not to say that there are not moments of light and levity, for there certainly are. Finnigan and Ama are faithful and pure even in the worst of circumstances, Gunnar’s wisecracking is laugh-out-loud hilarious, and two adorable critter buddies – Courage the screeching rat and Tanka the lizard-child – add some much-needed heartwarming moments to what is otherwise an intense survival story.
This is a fairly long (380 page) novel, but the pacing is fast and the action is nonstop. While the first 10 or so chapters introduce us to the cast of characters, the intrigue starts practically on page one, with warlock conspiracies and heart-wrenching inner conflict. Once the crew is arrived in Golgotha, they barely get a moment’s rest. Attacks come from a whole host of scary creatures, from four-eyed rotting wolves to swamp serpents to carnivorous trees to ghosts to skeleton armies to literal demons, and the poor characters just can’t catch a break. I might even go so far as to say that Watts is a little over-reliant on action scenes (as opposed to, say, the wrenching political and character drama of Stephen Howard), but at least the action scenes are thrilling and the monsters are quite creative.
Of course, Golgotha is more than just an action novel. The characters are distinctive and lovable, even the ones who start off as bad guys. There are plenty of quieter moments for them to bond and reflect. Finnigan is precious, Gunnar is hilarious, Ama is a role model of faith and courage. But I have to admit, the character I found the most interesting was Moray, probably because he has the most inner conflict and had the most satisfying redemption arc. Yeah, my favorite was the dark wizard that everyone else hates. Don’t know what this says about me, but I must be honest. In any case, while Golgotha is highly plot driven and has many object lessons to teach about the importance of faith and hope, the characters are compelling enough to grab the reader’s heart.
The novel has many important lessons to teach about spiritual warfare, as well. Everything in Golgotha, from the harsh environments to the gnarly creatures, is an allegory for the Christian walk in a world that is adversarial, both in the seen and unseen realms. Finnigan and Ama’s internal monologues frequently focus on the importance of faith and hope. Moray invites in demons with names like Pride and Despondency in a manner that recalls the Screwtape Letters or Pilgrim’s Progress. Actually, the whole novel feels like a gritty modern take on Pilgrim’s Progress. If there is any flaw to the novel, however, it would probably be that the spiritual lessons can feel a little on the nose and not particularly subtle, though thankfully, this is hardly a preachy novel and the plot and characters stand on their own.
While Golgotha is marketed as YA, I consider it more of a book for adults. The characters are young adults (Ama is 18, Finnigan is 20, and Moray is 22, if I recall correctly), but the story is much more concerned with their survival and spiritual development than with the usual struggles of growing up that are portrayed in YA. Not that the books contain anything inappropriate for YA—there are a lot of battle scenes, some (fairly non-detailed) black magic, references to past child abuse, and some mild language, but in my opinion that isn’t beyond what a young teenager could probably handle.
While the plot wraps up in a satisfying manner—the team is delivered from Golgotha, some bad characters are finally redeemed, and the kingdom is restored—enemies remain and there is still work to be done, setting up the sequel, Tabor…
Artistic Value: 3/5
Christian Value: 5/5
Moral Value: 5/5
Entertainment Value: 5/5
Naomi’s Choice: 4/5
September 18, 2023
This book was amazing! Never once was I need. Ms. Watts does a great job of blending the plot together and keeping you wanting to know what happens next. I was happy to see Sadon have a change of heart at the end. Ama and Finnegan are my favorite characters so far. The realm of Golgotha is dark and dangerous and Ms. Watts paints the picture of that very well. Exciting plot, great characters... just a great story. And if you're Christian you'll pick up on the cool biblical references thrown in. Great story! 5 stars!
September 3, 2025
The best way I can describe Golgotha is "imagine Frank Peretti's This Present Darkness but it's an isekai anime."
For what it's worth, I actually think the whole fighting demons of despair and doubt allegory aspect set in a literal fantasy world actually really works (better than Frank Peretti's urban fantasy spin, even, I'd say). At its heart it is a story about keeping the faith when the trials and attacks just keep coming like an army of skull wolf monsters. I had a few issues with Watt's depiction of the Christian life as basically being "face challenge, slay monster, talk about how there is always hope but never actually feel hopeless or consider giving in to despair" because that felt false to my experience and a lot of people's, and I tend to be a little skeptical of over-attributing everything to spiritual warfare ... but I do think there will be some readers out there who find Angela Watt's depiction of spiritual warfare genuinely encouraging and uplifting. I just wasn't one of them, unfortunately.
This is a story with a lot of battles, for sure. Getting to the more mundane, this-worldly aspect of the battles, I'd say that the monster battles make up a pretty significant portion of the story time, and Watts is quite good at writing them ... but unfortunately, I felt like the sheer amount of battle scenes took away a lot of much-needed time from the character interactions and worldbuilding, which are a lot more interesting to me and are what makes the battles really feel meaningful.
I thought the characters were all likeable enough, if one-note. Still, each character had a decently compelling internal conflict that I was invested in enough to see through to the end, and even what fairly little we got for character development and internal conflicts was still a lot more interesting than just battles of ever-increasing physical stakes. Making the precious cinnamon roll protagonist and the dark wizard with an "ends justify the means" mentality about communing with literal demons be brothers was a pretty smart move and drove a lot of the early parts of the story. And goth boi dark wizard Moray's final "I see the light" conversion moment felt a lot more earned than those of most Christian fiction. I did think Watts over-relied on giving everyone a cute little animal or child mascot to convince us they were a good person rather than actually showing us them being a good person who was capable of change, but the character development, while not great, was just enough to work.
I think those who enjoy anime-style epic battle scenes, charismatic Christian spiritual warfare themes, and classic allegories will find a lot to like here. It feels like a very quintessentially Angela Watts book, with simple prose and worldbuilding, a very Peretti/Dekker/Godawa-esque action-thriller-meets-one-to-one-spiritual-warfare-allegory approach, gritty setting and situations paired with the purest sweetest cinnamon rolls of characters who never let the darkness get to them, and so on. If you're a Watts fan, you'll enjoy this immensely. I guess I'm really not a Watts fan, so I didn't connect with this, but I will admit that it was great fun to read and did make me think and reflect.
-- AMH
For what it's worth, I actually think the whole fighting demons of despair and doubt allegory aspect set in a literal fantasy world actually really works (better than Frank Peretti's urban fantasy spin, even, I'd say). At its heart it is a story about keeping the faith when the trials and attacks just keep coming like an army of skull wolf monsters. I had a few issues with Watt's depiction of the Christian life as basically being "face challenge, slay monster, talk about how there is always hope but never actually feel hopeless or consider giving in to despair" because that felt false to my experience and a lot of people's, and I tend to be a little skeptical of over-attributing everything to spiritual warfare ... but I do think there will be some readers out there who find Angela Watt's depiction of spiritual warfare genuinely encouraging and uplifting. I just wasn't one of them, unfortunately.
This is a story with a lot of battles, for sure. Getting to the more mundane, this-worldly aspect of the battles, I'd say that the monster battles make up a pretty significant portion of the story time, and Watts is quite good at writing them ... but unfortunately, I felt like the sheer amount of battle scenes took away a lot of much-needed time from the character interactions and worldbuilding, which are a lot more interesting to me and are what makes the battles really feel meaningful.
I thought the characters were all likeable enough, if one-note. Still, each character had a decently compelling internal conflict that I was invested in enough to see through to the end, and even what fairly little we got for character development and internal conflicts was still a lot more interesting than just battles of ever-increasing physical stakes. Making the precious cinnamon roll protagonist and the dark wizard with an "ends justify the means" mentality about communing with literal demons be brothers was a pretty smart move and drove a lot of the early parts of the story. And goth boi dark wizard Moray's final "I see the light" conversion moment felt a lot more earned than those of most Christian fiction. I did think Watts over-relied on giving everyone a cute little animal or child mascot to convince us they were a good person rather than actually showing us them being a good person who was capable of change, but the character development, while not great, was just enough to work.
I think those who enjoy anime-style epic battle scenes, charismatic Christian spiritual warfare themes, and classic allegories will find a lot to like here. It feels like a very quintessentially Angela Watts book, with simple prose and worldbuilding, a very Peretti/Dekker/Godawa-esque action-thriller-meets-one-to-one-spiritual-warfare-allegory approach, gritty setting and situations paired with the purest sweetest cinnamon rolls of characters who never let the darkness get to them, and so on. If you're a Watts fan, you'll enjoy this immensely. I guess I'm really not a Watts fan, so I didn't connect with this, but I will admit that it was great fun to read and did make me think and reflect.
-- AMH
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