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The Cruel Gods #2
The Children of Chaos
When the saints call, the sinners answer.
Chaos stalks the steam-powered city of Chime and threatens the existence of the gods and their domains. Kayl swore to protect Chime's mortals from their gods' cruel whims, but when she agrees to represent the mortals of a god long thought dead, Kayl is thrust into a political role that goes against everything she's ever stood for.
As the newly appointed ambassador to the god of time, Quen's goal is clear - protect Chime and the domains by any means necessary. But as the gods make their demands, Quen is caught between his loyalties and his conscience.
To ensure a future for all mortals, Kayl and Quen must unite the gods against the threat of chaos and decide what they're willing to sacrifice for Chime - before the gods choose for them.
For the gods are capricious and have their own divine plans.
The Children of Chaos is the second book in The Cruel Gods series—a gaslamp fantasy featuring magical portals, gothic cosmic deities, quaint Britishisms, and steampunk vibes. This is an adult book containing strong language and mature themes that some readers may find disturbing. For a full list of content warnings, visit Trudie Skies's website.
Chaos stalks the steam-powered city of Chime and threatens the existence of the gods and their domains. Kayl swore to protect Chime's mortals from their gods' cruel whims, but when she agrees to represent the mortals of a god long thought dead, Kayl is thrust into a political role that goes against everything she's ever stood for.
As the newly appointed ambassador to the god of time, Quen's goal is clear - protect Chime and the domains by any means necessary. But as the gods make their demands, Quen is caught between his loyalties and his conscience.
To ensure a future for all mortals, Kayl and Quen must unite the gods against the threat of chaos and decide what they're willing to sacrifice for Chime - before the gods choose for them.
For the gods are capricious and have their own divine plans.
The Children of Chaos is the second book in The Cruel Gods series—a gaslamp fantasy featuring magical portals, gothic cosmic deities, quaint Britishisms, and steampunk vibes. This is an adult book containing strong language and mature themes that some readers may find disturbing. For a full list of content warnings, visit Trudie Skies's website.
658 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 13, 2022
33 people are currently reading
213 people want to read
About the author
Trudie Skies
9 books152 followersTrudie Skies is a non-binary author based in North East England, though they have been living inside fantasy worlds ever since they discovered books and refuse to return to reality. Within Trudie’s daydreams you’ll find SPFBO and BBNYA finalist The Thirteenth Hour, a gaslamp fantasy described as obnoxiously British and best read with a cup of tea.
When not conjuring new worlds, Trudie spends their free time exploring the realms of indie books and video games, staring at clouds, and chasing after their fluffy companions.
Visit Trudie’s worlds at www.trudieskies.com
When not conjuring new worlds, Trudie spends their free time exploring the realms of indie books and video games, staring at clouds, and chasing after their fluffy companions.
Visit Trudie’s worlds at www.trudieskies.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
December 14, 2022
I was a beta-reader for this book, and I'm friends with the author. That, however, doesn't change or influence how much I love this series.
Besides, my gf bought The Children of Chaos on release day, and is now spamming me with live commentary while reading it. She's loving it.
This book does not suffer from middle-book syndrome and that is all you really need to know, so if you like steampunk/gaslamp and British things like biscuits and tea, go ahead, buy it now, and read this series because it's worth it. I swear.
The world-building. Seriously. The world-building...
Skies created twelve domains, ruled by twelve gods, and inhabited by twelve mortal races. And in this book we get to explore the domains.
I could just see Netflix pick this one up and set each episode in a different domain and I wouldn't care if they just strolled along a path for forty-five minutes because the domains are just THAT interesting.
Each domain is its own little world, worthy of its own stories. They are incredibly developed, original, and display Skies' endless imagination.
The Children of Chaos is a tad darker, definitely dirtier, and is filled with a lot more explicit language.
And that fits the development of the story.
Personally, I don't like Jinx (that's not to say she's not an excellent character), but Kayl and Quen continue to steal the show and my heart.
And then there is Ben, a Diviner that works for Quen, and of all the new characters Skies introduced in this sequel, Ben is my favourite. Why? Read it and find out. Just kidding. It's Ben's complicated relationship with his god that made him so interesting.
The writing is incredibly...British. It's devilishly charming and witty. I adore Skies' prose.
I cannot wait for the next book and as I said further above, give this one a chance, especially now that the first book is a finalist in 2022's SPFBO competition.
You're not mispronouncing scone, are you?
Besides, my gf bought The Children of Chaos on release day, and is now spamming me with live commentary while reading it. She's loving it.
This book does not suffer from middle-book syndrome and that is all you really need to know, so if you like steampunk/gaslamp and British things like biscuits and tea, go ahead, buy it now, and read this series because it's worth it. I swear.
The world-building. Seriously. The world-building...
Skies created twelve domains, ruled by twelve gods, and inhabited by twelve mortal races. And in this book we get to explore the domains.
I could just see Netflix pick this one up and set each episode in a different domain and I wouldn't care if they just strolled along a path for forty-five minutes because the domains are just THAT interesting.
Each domain is its own little world, worthy of its own stories. They are incredibly developed, original, and display Skies' endless imagination.
The Children of Chaos is a tad darker, definitely dirtier, and is filled with a lot more explicit language.
And that fits the development of the story.
Personally, I don't like Jinx (that's not to say she's not an excellent character), but Kayl and Quen continue to steal the show and my heart.
And then there is Ben, a Diviner that works for Quen, and of all the new characters Skies introduced in this sequel, Ben is my favourite. Why? Read it and find out. Just kidding. It's Ben's complicated relationship with his god that made him so interesting.
The writing is incredibly...British. It's devilishly charming and witty. I adore Skies' prose.
I cannot wait for the next book and as I said further above, give this one a chance, especially now that the first book is a finalist in 2022's SPFBO competition.
You're not mispronouncing scone, are you?
January 11, 2023
4.5 stars
Absolutely criminal that I have to wait for the third book 😭
Absolutely criminal that I have to wait for the third book 😭
November 22, 2022
The Children of Chaos is a worthy sequel to the brilliant The Thirteenth Hour, filled with fantastical world-building, cruel, ruthless gods and fabulously layered characters and relationships - this is a wonderfully rich and in places tragic story. The characters are tortured by their gods and the gods are scared of the mortals of Chaos and threatened by the possibility of the god of Chaos, Corentine being set free from the Clocktower in which she was imprisoned many years ago by Dor the god of the Diviner. Quen and Kayl must work together against the clock to bring together the gods of the other domains and persuade them to cooperate in such a way that Corentine could be set free without any repercussions for the other domains.
At the center of the narrative is the idea that mortals cannot live without a combination of Time and Chaos:
“Without chaos, mortals don’t possess free will. That’s what Corentine explained to me. That without chaos, mortals would be nothing but mindless husks. Slaves to their gods. The universe needs both forces—chaos and time—to balance each other out.”
“I don’t care for politics. I care for art, for music, for beauty. That is what Chaos represents. Without Chaos, there would be no creativity. No imagination. No art. Dor would create a universe built from logic and let art wither and die. But it’s art that gives mortals their souls. I wouldn’t expect a Diviner to understand.”
Quentin, a Diviner, represents Time, whereas Kayl represents Chaos and only when they are together do things make sense. The stakes are high in this novel as Quen and Kayl work together as partners once more - this time their aim is to persuade each of the gods to pitch in and provide energy to Chime so that Corentine can be set free from her prison. She and her mortals are currently slaves to the city of Chime, providing the energy that runs the city - and she’s pissed. Quen and Kayl’s mission will require much diplomacy and strength of character to succeed. Quen is skilled in this respect and Kayl is full of charm and persuasion, but has a much shorter fuse. It seems to be an impossible mission fraught with all manner of obstacles including death.
Since the mission at the core of this novel relies on Quen and Kayl visiting each of the domains in order to persuade the gods to work together, there is an opportunity for more world-building surprises. Each domain is unique and equally imaginative. Memoria, the domain of the Amnae is described as such:
“Single-story buildings in the shape of giant shells lined the canals. We passed water fountains that the Amnae sat in, trees made of coral, and grass made of seaweed. Actual bloody seaweed! Other strange plants were dotted between them that writhed as though alive. Even the street lamps were made of bulbous fish that glowed. The tang of salt in the air followed us. Above, glass tubes connected various areas of the city. These were filled with water, and Amnae swam through them at a much faster rate than us.”
The depth of the world-building helps to bring this story to life and flesh out each of the mortals and their domains. Chaos does not have such a domain, being locked up in the Clock Tower and the chaos mortals are understandably angry:
“Every god has their rules. What are yours?”
“CHAOS HAS NO RULES. NO SINS. IT EXISTS TO CONTRADICT. TO REBEL. TO BE THE FORCE THAT SPREADS DISCORD.”
The Children of Chaos is a truly one of a kind story and once again we have tongue in cheek nods to British culture with Mr Kipler’s cake shop and the age old discussion of how to pronounce the word “scone”:
“You know, mispronouncing scone is one of the unforgivable sins, which would explain why your soul is cursed.”
Quen is obsessed with tea-drinking and not too happy with the recent influx of coffee shops. These touches bring charm and quirkiness to the story and I loved them. I also noticed nods to Dr Who which is hardly avoidable with all the timey wimey stuff going on in this episode -“Spoilers”!
The Cruel Gods is a wonderfully inspired series which takes its reader on a thrill ride of emotions and leaves you teetering on the edge occasionally, with plenty of twists and turns and unexpected drops! I can’t wait for the next book!
At the center of the narrative is the idea that mortals cannot live without a combination of Time and Chaos:
“Without chaos, mortals don’t possess free will. That’s what Corentine explained to me. That without chaos, mortals would be nothing but mindless husks. Slaves to their gods. The universe needs both forces—chaos and time—to balance each other out.”
“I don’t care for politics. I care for art, for music, for beauty. That is what Chaos represents. Without Chaos, there would be no creativity. No imagination. No art. Dor would create a universe built from logic and let art wither and die. But it’s art that gives mortals their souls. I wouldn’t expect a Diviner to understand.”
Quentin, a Diviner, represents Time, whereas Kayl represents Chaos and only when they are together do things make sense. The stakes are high in this novel as Quen and Kayl work together as partners once more - this time their aim is to persuade each of the gods to pitch in and provide energy to Chime so that Corentine can be set free from her prison. She and her mortals are currently slaves to the city of Chime, providing the energy that runs the city - and she’s pissed. Quen and Kayl’s mission will require much diplomacy and strength of character to succeed. Quen is skilled in this respect and Kayl is full of charm and persuasion, but has a much shorter fuse. It seems to be an impossible mission fraught with all manner of obstacles including death.
Since the mission at the core of this novel relies on Quen and Kayl visiting each of the domains in order to persuade the gods to work together, there is an opportunity for more world-building surprises. Each domain is unique and equally imaginative. Memoria, the domain of the Amnae is described as such:
“Single-story buildings in the shape of giant shells lined the canals. We passed water fountains that the Amnae sat in, trees made of coral, and grass made of seaweed. Actual bloody seaweed! Other strange plants were dotted between them that writhed as though alive. Even the street lamps were made of bulbous fish that glowed. The tang of salt in the air followed us. Above, glass tubes connected various areas of the city. These were filled with water, and Amnae swam through them at a much faster rate than us.”
The depth of the world-building helps to bring this story to life and flesh out each of the mortals and their domains. Chaos does not have such a domain, being locked up in the Clock Tower and the chaos mortals are understandably angry:
“Every god has their rules. What are yours?”
“CHAOS HAS NO RULES. NO SINS. IT EXISTS TO CONTRADICT. TO REBEL. TO BE THE FORCE THAT SPREADS DISCORD.”
The Children of Chaos is a truly one of a kind story and once again we have tongue in cheek nods to British culture with Mr Kipler’s cake shop and the age old discussion of how to pronounce the word “scone”:
“You know, mispronouncing scone is one of the unforgivable sins, which would explain why your soul is cursed.”
Quen is obsessed with tea-drinking and not too happy with the recent influx of coffee shops. These touches bring charm and quirkiness to the story and I loved them. I also noticed nods to Dr Who which is hardly avoidable with all the timey wimey stuff going on in this episode -“Spoilers”!
The Cruel Gods is a wonderfully inspired series which takes its reader on a thrill ride of emotions and leaves you teetering on the edge occasionally, with plenty of twists and turns and unexpected drops! I can’t wait for the next book!
December 24, 2022
I wish I could say I liked this as much as The Thirteenth Hour, but I can't. Children of Chaos feel slow, and bloated, and like a series of episodes of a meandering TV show, instead of a coherent plot. Kayl and Queen go to a domain. Shenanigans ensue. Rinse and repeat for 600 hundred pages. Really, almost the entirety of this novel is set up for the grand finale in a classic middle book syndrome.
But worse, Quen's behaviour was frustrating for most of the story, and Jinx has transformed from an enjoyable sarcastic misanthrope, to an irredeemable madwoman.
IT really is the last 80 pages or so that save the story. The action and character beats hit all the right notes. The villains have been established as villainous, and I do find myself anticipating how they are going to get their comeuppance. The stakes are raised sufficiently high, and I do like this world and its characters enough to be invested in how the story is going to conclude.
Overall, a step down from The Thirteenth Hour, but I will be reading the next book when it comes out.
But worse, Quen's behaviour was frustrating for most of the story, and Jinx has transformed from an enjoyable sarcastic misanthrope, to an irredeemable madwoman.
IT really is the last 80 pages or so that save the story. The action and character beats hit all the right notes. The villains have been established as villainous, and I do find myself anticipating how they are going to get their comeuppance. The stakes are raised sufficiently high, and I do like this world and its characters enough to be invested in how the story is going to conclude.
Overall, a step down from The Thirteenth Hour, but I will be reading the next book when it comes out.
Read
July 30, 2023One of the twelve Gods is dead and their domain has collapsed. The hub city of Chime, between the surviving eleven realms stands on the edge. Children of Chaos stalk Chime, enacting their own plans. Chaos child Kayl and former Warden-turned-ambassador Quen work to save the mortals of all realms, dodging plots of other gods, ambitious underlings, and the machinations of an all-but-forgotten, thirteenth God …
Children is the second book in the series and significantly ramps up the stakes after the first novel. By far the best aspect of the book is the worldbuilding, with its unique set-up and distinct races of mortals. The interplay between the mortals, and ultimately their gods, forms the crux of the conflict in the story, and it all feels very well-thought-out and constructed. The gods represent the emotional extensions of their domains of influence, and are written as very frivolous and mean-spirited (hence, the series title). The story protagonists, Kayla and Quen, are likable and empathetic, though continue their habit from the first book of making dumb decisions in places, such as placing themselves at the mercy of a potential foe without much thought. Secondary characters are mixed and interesting, though everyone seems obsessed with everyone else’s sex life. A few chapters take place for the POV of Jinx, Kayl’s twin and main agent of chaos, and those weren’t quite as appealing as those in Kayl’s or Quen’s.
My main criticism is that the pace felt pretty uneven, with the middle part of the book being sluggish and not nearly as interesting as the opening or as the exciting finale—which erupted with little warning and accelerated at breakneck speed. It just wasn’t quite as smooth or streamlined as it could have been.
I enjoyed Children and would recommend this to anyone who enjoys gaslamp (or steampunk) and unique settings & worldbuilding, multiple POVs, and familiar, accessible gods.
Children is the second book in the series and significantly ramps up the stakes after the first novel. By far the best aspect of the book is the worldbuilding, with its unique set-up and distinct races of mortals. The interplay between the mortals, and ultimately their gods, forms the crux of the conflict in the story, and it all feels very well-thought-out and constructed. The gods represent the emotional extensions of their domains of influence, and are written as very frivolous and mean-spirited (hence, the series title). The story protagonists, Kayla and Quen, are likable and empathetic, though continue their habit from the first book of making dumb decisions in places, such as placing themselves at the mercy of a potential foe without much thought. Secondary characters are mixed and interesting, though everyone seems obsessed with everyone else’s sex life. A few chapters take place for the POV of Jinx, Kayl’s twin and main agent of chaos, and those weren’t quite as appealing as those in Kayl’s or Quen’s.
My main criticism is that the pace felt pretty uneven, with the middle part of the book being sluggish and not nearly as interesting as the opening or as the exciting finale—which erupted with little warning and accelerated at breakneck speed. It just wasn’t quite as smooth or streamlined as it could have been.
I enjoyed Children and would recommend this to anyone who enjoys gaslamp (or steampunk) and unique settings & worldbuilding, multiple POVs, and familiar, accessible gods.
November 2, 2022
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of the book from the author. This did not influence my review.
Here's my review of the first book in the series, The Thirteenth Hour – I won't be repeating the philosophical musings, although I really, really could ;)
My review of The Thirteenth Hour points out some flaws. The Children of Chaos dispenses with all of them. Now that we've been introduced to the universe, the worldbuilding becomes art. Every world, every race, each deity are fleshed out and real. As Kayl and Quen visit the domains, Skies creates a… how do you say "picture" when you mean engagement of all senses? Well, that. Visceral doesn't quite cover it. There are no cut corners or signs of rushing as the book unveils. As the plot unveils, each of the domains receives its own subplot, and as a result there is no "soggy middle" here – the best comparison I can think of is watching a TV series with an infinite budget.
Similarly to the first book, you don't just put this one down, especially as there are no issues with consistently exciting pacing – the worldbuilding is the plot and vice versa. It's difficult to describe the feeling of finding myself in a whole new world and having just enough time to admire it while racing against time and chaos, the two elements tearing the entire Universe apart. Corentine, the Goddess of chaos, reminded me of Loki (from the Norse lore, not Marvel movies). Chaos isn't inherently bad. Chaos destroys and creates. Time, left to its own devices (many of which you'll encounter) is inertia that makes a ticking sound. In so-called reality, chaos grows with time – entropy never decreases. If entropy were to stop, though, so would everything else, a pause button pressed on existence of everyone and everything. Chaos brings the end of time and time brings the end of chaos. They can't exist without each other, but in this book they're battling.
This is a multilayered book. On one level, it's fun to read about Jinx's shenanigans and watch the, um, let's say there is an adult component to the book ;) The plot is never predictable, not even at the very end, when I found myself nervously checking how many pages I had left, wishing for more until the last second (2023 and the third book in the series can't come quickly enough). At the same time, there is examination of racial relations, social inequality, the concept of "sin," repressed and not quite so sexuality, gratuitous "because I can" cruelty… Technically, The Children of Chaos fits the grimdark genre, but there is no bloodshed here (although some visuals will take me a while to forget). Befitting a series called The Cruel Gods, souls and emotions are ones to take the beatings most of the time.
I could go on, but I just realised my short review is getting a tad long and its pacing isn't quite as good and consistent as that of Skies. I have nothing to criticise – the only thing I missed was a synopsis of the first book for those with bad memory (raises hand) and even that wasn't essential. Long story short, this book is a masterpiece, and I don't exactly abuse this word.
I'm writing this on November 2, so I reserve the right to change my mind, but The Children of Chaos absent-mindedly swept my list of the best books of 2022 away and placed itself on top. Everything that is best about indie fantasy, from unlimited imagination to completely unpredictable structure is here. If there was justice in the world [there isn't – Ed.] Amazon Prime would stop throwing silly money at their Lord of the Rings redux prequel or whatever it is, turning this book into a TV series… although I have a feeling that I'd be disappointed. You can't smell and taste a TV series.
10/10.
Here's my review of the first book in the series, The Thirteenth Hour – I won't be repeating the philosophical musings, although I really, really could ;)
My review of The Thirteenth Hour points out some flaws. The Children of Chaos dispenses with all of them. Now that we've been introduced to the universe, the worldbuilding becomes art. Every world, every race, each deity are fleshed out and real. As Kayl and Quen visit the domains, Skies creates a… how do you say "picture" when you mean engagement of all senses? Well, that. Visceral doesn't quite cover it. There are no cut corners or signs of rushing as the book unveils. As the plot unveils, each of the domains receives its own subplot, and as a result there is no "soggy middle" here – the best comparison I can think of is watching a TV series with an infinite budget.
Similarly to the first book, you don't just put this one down, especially as there are no issues with consistently exciting pacing – the worldbuilding is the plot and vice versa. It's difficult to describe the feeling of finding myself in a whole new world and having just enough time to admire it while racing against time and chaos, the two elements tearing the entire Universe apart. Corentine, the Goddess of chaos, reminded me of Loki (from the Norse lore, not Marvel movies). Chaos isn't inherently bad. Chaos destroys and creates. Time, left to its own devices (many of which you'll encounter) is inertia that makes a ticking sound. In so-called reality, chaos grows with time – entropy never decreases. If entropy were to stop, though, so would everything else, a pause button pressed on existence of everyone and everything. Chaos brings the end of time and time brings the end of chaos. They can't exist without each other, but in this book they're battling.
This is a multilayered book. On one level, it's fun to read about Jinx's shenanigans and watch the, um, let's say there is an adult component to the book ;) The plot is never predictable, not even at the very end, when I found myself nervously checking how many pages I had left, wishing for more until the last second (2023 and the third book in the series can't come quickly enough). At the same time, there is examination of racial relations, social inequality, the concept of "sin," repressed and not quite so sexuality, gratuitous "because I can" cruelty… Technically, The Children of Chaos fits the grimdark genre, but there is no bloodshed here (although some visuals will take me a while to forget). Befitting a series called The Cruel Gods, souls and emotions are ones to take the beatings most of the time.
I could go on, but I just realised my short review is getting a tad long and its pacing isn't quite as good and consistent as that of Skies. I have nothing to criticise – the only thing I missed was a synopsis of the first book for those with bad memory (raises hand) and even that wasn't essential. Long story short, this book is a masterpiece, and I don't exactly abuse this word.
I'm writing this on November 2, so I reserve the right to change my mind, but The Children of Chaos absent-mindedly swept my list of the best books of 2022 away and placed itself on top. Everything that is best about indie fantasy, from unlimited imagination to completely unpredictable structure is here. If there was justice in the world [there isn't – Ed.] Amazon Prime would stop throwing silly money at their Lord of the Rings redux prequel or whatever it is, turning this book into a TV series… although I have a feeling that I'd be disappointed. You can't smell and taste a TV series.
10/10.
December 9, 2022
5/5 stars.
Full review to come on FanFiAddict.
Everything about The Children of Chaos improved from The Thirteenth Hour. I felt a lot more depth and internal conflict in Quentin and Kayl really was allowed to find her own after the ending of book 1. I really enjoyed getting to see more of each domain as Kayl and Quentin team up again with a lofty goal in hand.
Full review to come on FanFiAddict.
Everything about The Children of Chaos improved from The Thirteenth Hour. I felt a lot more depth and internal conflict in Quentin and Kayl really was allowed to find her own after the ending of book 1. I really enjoyed getting to see more of each domain as Kayl and Quentin team up again with a lofty goal in hand.
July 24, 2023
After reading The Thirteenth Hour (book one) of The Cruel Gods series back in March for a category or two in the Indie Ink Awards, I knew I wanted to continue this series. The Children of Chaos didn't let me down. I enjoyed it just as much if not more than I did book one.
Book two did get a bit darker and more depressing at times for our characters but that only made me realize just how attached I've gotten to them without even knowing it.
The pacing was very smooth for Children of Chaos. Admittedly I had been knocking out some good reading time with this book and was a little shocked that my percentage of completion wasn't going up as much as I was expecting. That's because I didn't realize the page count for this one. Once I had that knowledge I just settled into some good reading sprints whenever I got a chance. There are really no issues with names used in this book either. There may be a little more time shenanigans in book two than we had in the first one.
There world building was great in book two. Sure book one laid the foundation for a lot of this, but we get to visit and learn so much more about the different realm of gods in Children of Chaos. It's difficult to say which was my favorite but when the team visits Rapture, things were definitely interesting and memorable for the time spent reading those pages.
The character building again was top notch for me as well. We still have some of our favorite characters from book one along with several new memorable ones. Our carryover characters have a bit of growth in the second book there are some great new additions such as Ben and Penny to name a couple. Mr. Gast is very intriguing as well. I hope we haven't seen the last of him.
Needless to say there were some great moments in book two. I really enjoyed this one from beginning to end. Now I just have to wait patiently until we get the chance to read book three! Trudie has certainly set her own bar high for this series!
I'd recommend this book and series to readers who are fans of fantasy with a bit of steampunk vibes mixed in. With book two's darker moments there may be some triggers for readers. I'm not going to list things here as to avoid spoilers but if you ask me directly, I'd be willing to share what I remember or I'm sure the author would be more than willing to answer questions as well!
Book two did get a bit darker and more depressing at times for our characters but that only made me realize just how attached I've gotten to them without even knowing it.
The pacing was very smooth for Children of Chaos. Admittedly I had been knocking out some good reading time with this book and was a little shocked that my percentage of completion wasn't going up as much as I was expecting. That's because I didn't realize the page count for this one. Once I had that knowledge I just settled into some good reading sprints whenever I got a chance. There are really no issues with names used in this book either. There may be a little more time shenanigans in book two than we had in the first one.
There world building was great in book two. Sure book one laid the foundation for a lot of this, but we get to visit and learn so much more about the different realm of gods in Children of Chaos. It's difficult to say which was my favorite but when the team visits Rapture, things were definitely interesting and memorable for the time spent reading those pages.
The character building again was top notch for me as well. We still have some of our favorite characters from book one along with several new memorable ones. Our carryover characters have a bit of growth in the second book there are some great new additions such as Ben and Penny to name a couple. Mr. Gast is very intriguing as well. I hope we haven't seen the last of him.
Needless to say there were some great moments in book two. I really enjoyed this one from beginning to end. Now I just have to wait patiently until we get the chance to read book three! Trudie has certainly set her own bar high for this series!
I'd recommend this book and series to readers who are fans of fantasy with a bit of steampunk vibes mixed in. With book two's darker moments there may be some triggers for readers. I'm not going to list things here as to avoid spoilers but if you ask me directly, I'd be willing to share what I remember or I'm sure the author would be more than willing to answer questions as well!
October 9, 2022
I.
Freaking.
Love.
This.
Book.
Holy… I near said Dor, but screw that guy (and yes you will see why, although book one gave us plenty of reason), this is such a strong contender for my book of the year. I adored The Thirteenth Hour when I read it last year, and honestly even though I knew I was going to love The Children of Chaos, it had a lot to live up to, because Skies really started this series strong. I did not expect to love The Children of Chaos to the extent that I do – to the point that weeks, months after reading it for the first time, I am still chewing over everything that happened (and patching up the wounds in my poor heart) and I am so so excited to get my hands on the final version and read it all over again when it comes out next week! But Skies has raised the bar with this book, it’s taken everything that was so fantastic about the first book and added more on top.
The world-building was my favourite aspect of the first book, and Skies has not let up in the slightest in that regard. Even Chime, the wonderful melting pot of a city that we spent so much time in The Thirteenth Hour is constantly shifting and expanding, and there is never any feeling of stagnation in this world – we get to see the impacts of the events of the previous book playing out both in the physical aspects of the location, to the way different Mortals are now interacting, and restrictions and laws come in to play. However, that foundation that carries over from the first book, means that The Children of Chaos was able to take the world-building to new heights, and Skies embraced that fact in the best way possible, and in this book, we get to see the world expand so much.
Or should that be worlds, because now we get to see some of the domains, and I am still in total awe at what Skies has managed to create here. Each domain is such a well-realised world in and of itself, while also being part of the greater whole, and honestly, I could have just spent endless chapters in each domain that we visited, because we were given such a vivid, visceral picture of each one. The care and attention given to making each one not just unique, but to reflect the god that ruled it and the mortals that lived there, and to create living, breathing functional worlds e.g., how the Mesmer world has soft play centres (which is still such a cute mental image). Rapture and Obituary were probably my favourites, but I enjoyed exploring these worlds that had only been hinted at through the mortals we’d encountered in Chime for the most part. I also really loved, how the gods which are removed in Chime, were so very present in the domains – not just in terms of their physical presence, but how their personalities and aspects shaped the world, and the mortals, and it’s fun to see the connections coming together with what we’ve seen in Chime.
Then there are the gods. This crosses a little into character work which I will talk about later (and is a major strength of this book and series), but as we get to see more of the domains and events in Chime come to a head, we get to see more of the gods.
And….the gods except for Memorpheous are assholes.
And yet they are also fantastic. I love them and loathe them in equal measure, and as with the worldbuilding as a whole I am in awe of the author’s imagination in creating this pantheon of gods. Cruel Gods is an incredibly accurate description, and in The Children of Chaos in particular we get to see that ‘cruelty’ is not so easily defined, and Skies demonstrates this by creating and writing such a variety of ‘cruelty’ and how it is applied both to their own mortals and to others. It’s a fascinating exploration, and the variety and way it is handled means that it never becomes overwhelming or detracts from the story, and it adds so many levels to the story. As it brings in why the Godless exist and want to be free, why others fear their gods, but also the idea that what one person might perceive as cruel, is something that another might not want or need rescuing from.
We also have more epigraphs in The Children of Chaos, which is great as this is still one of my favourite ways to learn more about the world of the book. There is a great variety here – as you would expect in a story and world that encompasses so much, and I will say that they are well worth paying attention to, because amongst the titbits of knowledge are hints and little details that fold into the whole.
The Children of Chaos is different.
It’s dirtier and filled with sin in the best way. It carries the weight of events from the first book, and I loved that we got to see the consequences play out both on a personal level e.g., amongst the Godless, but also on a larger scale within Chime and beyond. That continuity, even as fresh stakes and costs are introduced, brings me to another aspect that really stood out to me in this book. AND that is just how cohesive this story is. There are so many moving parts, almost as though you are inside the clock tower in Chime and trying to make sense of all the parts that make it work, and I will say that it does demand a certain amount of attention, because the hints and details are layered throughout the story – there were so many bits that I picked up on my second and third read through.
As mentioned above Skies character work in The Children of Chaos is second to none. We have both the return of familiar faces, and Kayl and Quen continue to steal the show, while I ended up more invested in the Godless (old and new) than ever and oh, oh my heart. Then there’s Jinx, who was a fantastic character in book one, but now as a separate entity and POV reached new heights. Jinx is terrifying and intriguing, and there were moments when I wanted to hate her, but honestly everything about Jinx is so justified from her childishness from not having really grown up in the same way Kayl did despite their shared experience, to her rage about that and what is happening to her mother. She was incredibly easy to emphasize with, even if you didn’t always agree with her choices, and I loved that we could see the influences and similarities from her time with Kayl in both her actions and personalities, and that between her and Kayl we get to see two different sides of what chaos could be.
Kayl and Quen are both the characters we have come to love, and yet changed, and changing. As with the world, a lot of the groundwork had been done in book one for these two and their developing relationship, but The Children of Chaos doesn’t rest on its laurels, and I loved that we got to see this relationship that had always been forged in fire continuing in that vein. As with everything, we can see the effects of the events of book one on them as individuals and as partners, the distance of doubt and grief and guilt, with that prevailing trust that had developed through what they’d gone through. The development between them was so well done and organic throughout this book, and I loved that there were so many layers to their interactions and relationship, dependent on external forces (glares at the gods), the situation, but also to the give and take between them. And I think this is why these two work so well, because as well as that foundation of trust, it is very much a partnership and even when that risks being forgotten, they work through it and the concern and mutual awareness of the pressures the other faced, just makes it such a wonderful relationship to behold… as does the lovely, awkward and clumsy and ‘almost’ moments between them. And the end of this book gave me so many feelings and fears for the pair of them, and honestly it was perfect.
I also loved that as much as their relationship is central to the story, and them as characters, we also got to see them growing so much as individuals in this book. They also act as interesting foils, as they are the mortals of opposing gods, with very different relationships with said gods – and hugely different upbringing, and seeing those elements play into how they operate both together and apart is fascinating. As with Jinx finding her feet as a separate entity in this book, it also feels like Kayl is settling into her skin and finding who she is – not just in the eyes of others, but in herself and its wonderful to see her find that purpose, although you have to feel for her because the process is not easy. Quen also finds himself in this book – but in a different way – and one that I DID NOT SEE COMING! And it’s interesting, because it feels almost like Kayl’s growth came from losing things and people around her and becoming more herself, while Quen’s path was more through the connections he made with Kayl, and Ben and Pendula among them.
Then there are the new characters!!
My favourites (I am adopting them and showering them with candy) are the Mesmer Trio. Although really it could be expanded to all the Mesmer, because they were so central to this book, and we got to see so much to them without losing that charming childishness and sweetness. And there is a scene with the Mesmer trio towards the end of the book that is one that had my heart aching but is also one of my favourite moments in the entire book (and I had a lot of favourite moments). I think the Mesmer are so integral to this world, and story, not just for the part they play in this book and with Kayl, but also what they represent with the power of dreaming and possibility, and in many ways, it feels like they and their domain, are the bridge between chaos and creation and order and time. A midway between Corentine and Dor, that is often overlooked and distracted from by their childishness and obsession with candy and inability on many levels to care for themselves, but powerful all the same.
I think we could all use a little Mesmer in our lives.
Another favourite is Ben a Diviner warden that works with Quen. There were so many layers to Ben, and I love that we got to see so many different moments with him, from showing sympathy to Quen when he was ‘stepping out of line’, to his fascination with plants and how he reached out and connected with Dru. As much as I adore the Mesmer trio, I think Ben is the one I was most invested in from the new characters, and he made such an interesting contrast to Quen while also sharing a similar path – and he was also one of the two characters central to a fascinating aspect of the relationship between gods and mortals and creation that is introduced and delved into in this book. What I really loved as well is that we are given so much insight into him as a character along the way, and that the revelation at the end just feels like such a satisfying moment as we slide a final puzzle piece into place. And honestly it just made me love him more.
Joe and Gast were also fantastic additions to the cast, and for introducing and exploring new elements within the worlds, from aspects of their domains to that relationship between mortal and God. Both are characters I would love to know more about. Then there was Pendula – another great addition to the cast, and who played such a vital role in the crescendo at the end of the book and is a character I loved to loathe; and yet I couldn’t imagine this book or the events without her. The best and worst thing is that I did become invested in her, and really that just reinforces how good Skies is at creating characters both loveable ones and assholes (gestures again at the gods) that as a reader I can hate them and root for them in the same breath; and that there is always a connection, a reason for what they are doing, even if it is not necessary one, we can condone.
The Children of Chaos was masterfully written on every level, and its plot, world and characters just pull you in so completely that you forget about anything but what’s on the page in front of you and finding out what happens next. The pacing is on point throughout, balancing the action and chaos, with quieter character moments, while also giving the feeling of sand running through an hourglass, and time running out as the forward momentum carried us towards the crescendo. As mentioned above, we get to see the impact of the events in book one playing out in the characters and world, and even as we uncover answers to some of the questions and mysteries left from the first book, Skies gives us new ones to unravel and puzzle at. The prose remained really enjoyable and charming, and again there was that delightful Britishness that bled through (and not just with Quen’s continuing obsession with tea), as well as Skies ability to vividly paint their world around the reader. And just keeping all the various threads, twists and turns, and myriad other elements (and there’s some weird timey wimey stuff going on too) not only balanced but equally compelling all the way through.
And the ending.
THE ENDING.
Skies managed to balance leaving us feeling as though we are perched on a cliff edge, going WHAT JUST HAPPENED AND WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN with one of the most satisfying, revelation-filled endings I’ve read this year. I read this multiple times, and each time I am swept up in the events at the end, holding my breath and clutching the edge of my seat – because not only have we seen across both books that the stakes are real and Skies isn’t afraid to go for the heart, but because the action and the characters demand it. And it hits that sweet point of being beyond anything I have imagined, and yet leaving me with that feeling that it couldn’t have ended differently because it fits so well.
There are so many elements of this book that I want to ramble about, and I may have to come back and do an even more detailed look in the future when I wouldn’t be spoiling it for people; because holy shit there is so much that happens here, so many elements to love and SO MUCH HEARTACHE.
Truly there is no crueller god than an author.
A stellar continuation to what is a stand-out series, and I cannot wait for the next book even though I can’t help but fear what else Skies will do to my poor reader’s heart. The Children of Chaos felt like a political thriller, mystery, action adventure and fantasy all rolled into one, without ever losing any of the aspects that have made this series so gripping and refreshing. I loved every moment spent with this book (even the ones that had me shouting at what was happening to the characters), and honestly there aren’t words for how strongly I recommend Children of Chaos and the whole series.
Freaking.
Love.
This.
Book.
Holy… I near said Dor, but screw that guy (and yes you will see why, although book one gave us plenty of reason), this is such a strong contender for my book of the year. I adored The Thirteenth Hour when I read it last year, and honestly even though I knew I was going to love The Children of Chaos, it had a lot to live up to, because Skies really started this series strong. I did not expect to love The Children of Chaos to the extent that I do – to the point that weeks, months after reading it for the first time, I am still chewing over everything that happened (and patching up the wounds in my poor heart) and I am so so excited to get my hands on the final version and read it all over again when it comes out next week! But Skies has raised the bar with this book, it’s taken everything that was so fantastic about the first book and added more on top.
The world-building was my favourite aspect of the first book, and Skies has not let up in the slightest in that regard. Even Chime, the wonderful melting pot of a city that we spent so much time in The Thirteenth Hour is constantly shifting and expanding, and there is never any feeling of stagnation in this world – we get to see the impacts of the events of the previous book playing out both in the physical aspects of the location, to the way different Mortals are now interacting, and restrictions and laws come in to play. However, that foundation that carries over from the first book, means that The Children of Chaos was able to take the world-building to new heights, and Skies embraced that fact in the best way possible, and in this book, we get to see the world expand so much.
Or should that be worlds, because now we get to see some of the domains, and I am still in total awe at what Skies has managed to create here. Each domain is such a well-realised world in and of itself, while also being part of the greater whole, and honestly, I could have just spent endless chapters in each domain that we visited, because we were given such a vivid, visceral picture of each one. The care and attention given to making each one not just unique, but to reflect the god that ruled it and the mortals that lived there, and to create living, breathing functional worlds e.g., how the Mesmer world has soft play centres (which is still such a cute mental image). Rapture and Obituary were probably my favourites, but I enjoyed exploring these worlds that had only been hinted at through the mortals we’d encountered in Chime for the most part. I also really loved, how the gods which are removed in Chime, were so very present in the domains – not just in terms of their physical presence, but how their personalities and aspects shaped the world, and the mortals, and it’s fun to see the connections coming together with what we’ve seen in Chime.
Then there are the gods. This crosses a little into character work which I will talk about later (and is a major strength of this book and series), but as we get to see more of the domains and events in Chime come to a head, we get to see more of the gods.
And….the gods except for Memorpheous are assholes.
And yet they are also fantastic. I love them and loathe them in equal measure, and as with the worldbuilding as a whole I am in awe of the author’s imagination in creating this pantheon of gods. Cruel Gods is an incredibly accurate description, and in The Children of Chaos in particular we get to see that ‘cruelty’ is not so easily defined, and Skies demonstrates this by creating and writing such a variety of ‘cruelty’ and how it is applied both to their own mortals and to others. It’s a fascinating exploration, and the variety and way it is handled means that it never becomes overwhelming or detracts from the story, and it adds so many levels to the story. As it brings in why the Godless exist and want to be free, why others fear their gods, but also the idea that what one person might perceive as cruel, is something that another might not want or need rescuing from.
We also have more epigraphs in The Children of Chaos, which is great as this is still one of my favourite ways to learn more about the world of the book. There is a great variety here – as you would expect in a story and world that encompasses so much, and I will say that they are well worth paying attention to, because amongst the titbits of knowledge are hints and little details that fold into the whole.
The Children of Chaos is different.
It’s dirtier and filled with sin in the best way. It carries the weight of events from the first book, and I loved that we got to see the consequences play out both on a personal level e.g., amongst the Godless, but also on a larger scale within Chime and beyond. That continuity, even as fresh stakes and costs are introduced, brings me to another aspect that really stood out to me in this book. AND that is just how cohesive this story is. There are so many moving parts, almost as though you are inside the clock tower in Chime and trying to make sense of all the parts that make it work, and I will say that it does demand a certain amount of attention, because the hints and details are layered throughout the story – there were so many bits that I picked up on my second and third read through.
As mentioned above Skies character work in The Children of Chaos is second to none. We have both the return of familiar faces, and Kayl and Quen continue to steal the show, while I ended up more invested in the Godless (old and new) than ever and oh, oh my heart. Then there’s Jinx, who was a fantastic character in book one, but now as a separate entity and POV reached new heights. Jinx is terrifying and intriguing, and there were moments when I wanted to hate her, but honestly everything about Jinx is so justified from her childishness from not having really grown up in the same way Kayl did despite their shared experience, to her rage about that and what is happening to her mother. She was incredibly easy to emphasize with, even if you didn’t always agree with her choices, and I loved that we could see the influences and similarities from her time with Kayl in both her actions and personalities, and that between her and Kayl we get to see two different sides of what chaos could be.
Kayl and Quen are both the characters we have come to love, and yet changed, and changing. As with the world, a lot of the groundwork had been done in book one for these two and their developing relationship, but The Children of Chaos doesn’t rest on its laurels, and I loved that we got to see this relationship that had always been forged in fire continuing in that vein. As with everything, we can see the effects of the events of book one on them as individuals and as partners, the distance of doubt and grief and guilt, with that prevailing trust that had developed through what they’d gone through. The development between them was so well done and organic throughout this book, and I loved that there were so many layers to their interactions and relationship, dependent on external forces (glares at the gods), the situation, but also to the give and take between them. And I think this is why these two work so well, because as well as that foundation of trust, it is very much a partnership and even when that risks being forgotten, they work through it and the concern and mutual awareness of the pressures the other faced, just makes it such a wonderful relationship to behold… as does the lovely, awkward and clumsy and ‘almost’ moments between them. And the end of this book gave me so many feelings and fears for the pair of them, and honestly it was perfect.
I also loved that as much as their relationship is central to the story, and them as characters, we also got to see them growing so much as individuals in this book. They also act as interesting foils, as they are the mortals of opposing gods, with very different relationships with said gods – and hugely different upbringing, and seeing those elements play into how they operate both together and apart is fascinating. As with Jinx finding her feet as a separate entity in this book, it also feels like Kayl is settling into her skin and finding who she is – not just in the eyes of others, but in herself and its wonderful to see her find that purpose, although you have to feel for her because the process is not easy. Quen also finds himself in this book – but in a different way – and one that I DID NOT SEE COMING! And it’s interesting, because it feels almost like Kayl’s growth came from losing things and people around her and becoming more herself, while Quen’s path was more through the connections he made with Kayl, and Ben and Pendula among them.
Then there are the new characters!!
My favourites (I am adopting them and showering them with candy) are the Mesmer Trio. Although really it could be expanded to all the Mesmer, because they were so central to this book, and we got to see so much to them without losing that charming childishness and sweetness. And there is a scene with the Mesmer trio towards the end of the book that is one that had my heart aching but is also one of my favourite moments in the entire book (and I had a lot of favourite moments). I think the Mesmer are so integral to this world, and story, not just for the part they play in this book and with Kayl, but also what they represent with the power of dreaming and possibility, and in many ways, it feels like they and their domain, are the bridge between chaos and creation and order and time. A midway between Corentine and Dor, that is often overlooked and distracted from by their childishness and obsession with candy and inability on many levels to care for themselves, but powerful all the same.
I think we could all use a little Mesmer in our lives.
Another favourite is Ben a Diviner warden that works with Quen. There were so many layers to Ben, and I love that we got to see so many different moments with him, from showing sympathy to Quen when he was ‘stepping out of line’, to his fascination with plants and how he reached out and connected with Dru. As much as I adore the Mesmer trio, I think Ben is the one I was most invested in from the new characters, and he made such an interesting contrast to Quen while also sharing a similar path – and he was also one of the two characters central to a fascinating aspect of the relationship between gods and mortals and creation that is introduced and delved into in this book. What I really loved as well is that we are given so much insight into him as a character along the way, and that the revelation at the end just feels like such a satisfying moment as we slide a final puzzle piece into place. And honestly it just made me love him more.
Joe and Gast were also fantastic additions to the cast, and for introducing and exploring new elements within the worlds, from aspects of their domains to that relationship between mortal and God. Both are characters I would love to know more about. Then there was Pendula – another great addition to the cast, and who played such a vital role in the crescendo at the end of the book and is a character I loved to loathe; and yet I couldn’t imagine this book or the events without her. The best and worst thing is that I did become invested in her, and really that just reinforces how good Skies is at creating characters both loveable ones and assholes (gestures again at the gods) that as a reader I can hate them and root for them in the same breath; and that there is always a connection, a reason for what they are doing, even if it is not necessary one, we can condone.
The Children of Chaos was masterfully written on every level, and its plot, world and characters just pull you in so completely that you forget about anything but what’s on the page in front of you and finding out what happens next. The pacing is on point throughout, balancing the action and chaos, with quieter character moments, while also giving the feeling of sand running through an hourglass, and time running out as the forward momentum carried us towards the crescendo. As mentioned above, we get to see the impact of the events in book one playing out in the characters and world, and even as we uncover answers to some of the questions and mysteries left from the first book, Skies gives us new ones to unravel and puzzle at. The prose remained really enjoyable and charming, and again there was that delightful Britishness that bled through (and not just with Quen’s continuing obsession with tea), as well as Skies ability to vividly paint their world around the reader. And just keeping all the various threads, twists and turns, and myriad other elements (and there’s some weird timey wimey stuff going on too) not only balanced but equally compelling all the way through.
And the ending.
THE ENDING.
Skies managed to balance leaving us feeling as though we are perched on a cliff edge, going WHAT JUST HAPPENED AND WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN with one of the most satisfying, revelation-filled endings I’ve read this year. I read this multiple times, and each time I am swept up in the events at the end, holding my breath and clutching the edge of my seat – because not only have we seen across both books that the stakes are real and Skies isn’t afraid to go for the heart, but because the action and the characters demand it. And it hits that sweet point of being beyond anything I have imagined, and yet leaving me with that feeling that it couldn’t have ended differently because it fits so well.
There are so many elements of this book that I want to ramble about, and I may have to come back and do an even more detailed look in the future when I wouldn’t be spoiling it for people; because holy shit there is so much that happens here, so many elements to love and SO MUCH HEARTACHE.
Truly there is no crueller god than an author.
A stellar continuation to what is a stand-out series, and I cannot wait for the next book even though I can’t help but fear what else Skies will do to my poor reader’s heart. The Children of Chaos felt like a political thriller, mystery, action adventure and fantasy all rolled into one, without ever losing any of the aspects that have made this series so gripping and refreshing. I loved every moment spent with this book (even the ones that had me shouting at what was happening to the characters), and honestly there aren’t words for how strongly I recommend Children of Chaos and the whole series.
February 21, 2024
While reading The Children of Chaos, there was something scratching a nostalgic itch in my brain. It took me forver to place it, but I finally realized this book is reminsicent of one of my childhood favorites – the Pendragon series by DJ Machale. Just as Bobby Pendragon would leap from Territory to Territory trying to save the worlds from the villanous Great Dane, The Children of Chaos follows Kayl and Quen as they try to save Chime and the twelve other realms from Kayl’s unhinged twin sister. The Children of Chaos was like a nostalgia trip for me, indirectly returning me to one of my chilhood favorites series….just a whole lot hornier.
The Children of Chaos continued my infatuation with The Cruel Gods trilogy, a multi-POV gaslamp/steampunk mashup in a multiversal, morally grey world that never feels overly grim because of its loveable characters just trying to make sense of saving the world amidst the chaos strewn by unhinged gods, evil twins, interdimensional politics, queer angst, and the proper way of pronouncing the word “scone”. (Side note: as an American I wasn’t even aware there was more than one way to pronounce the word scone.)
There is so much going on in this world, and yet it all works. You will be shocked when the book ends because the pages just tick away until you are 700 pages in and wondering why the book was so “short”!
The Children of Chaos works not just because of Skies’ immense creativity (more on that in a bit), but because Skies has such a tight command of their three primary POV characters. Skies continues to use first-person POV for all of the POV characters, and it was much more successful here than it was in The Thirteenth Hour. In the first book, I was always thrown off whenever a new chapter would be begin and I had to figure out whose head we were in. Skies doesn’t follow any set “schedule” for when we switch POVs, adding to the challenge. However, in this sequel Skies has a much more powerful command of their characters and their voices. It was immediately clear if we were in the head of “headstrong to the point of reckless” Kayle or the more reserved and anxious Quen. And then, of course it was always clear when we were in the head of Jinx, Kayle’s “evil” twin sister whose POVs were some of my favorites because she was so wicked, sardonic, and self-centered. I was a bit concerned at first because a character like Jinx is best served in small doses, but Skies shows enough constraint to keep Jinx’s chapters fun (and suprisingly emotionally resonant at times) without them becoming grating. Jinx is my the best example of the “evil twin” archetype since Katherine from The Vampire Diaries!
Skies is also the master of making non-POV, secondary characters come alive. This is a BIG book with a huge cast of characters, and each of them had a clear sense of identity, voice, and perspective. I was never left wondering “who is that again” because each and every character just leaps from the page, whether it is the various gods (who are mostly all assholes except Mesmorpheus), their ambassadors, or any of the other wonderful people we meet along the way.
What makes all of the characters work is that they are all, in their own ways, dealing with the tension between structure (here represented by “time”) and chaos. In our Western understanding, time is a linear concept that cannot be escaped. It is constraining, whether it is how capitalism structures our time in the “9-5” workday, the cycle of the year, or the feeling that we are the inevitable escalator towards our death, something that will happen one way or the other and there is no jumping off. On the other hand, chaos is a powerful force. The entropy of the universe disrupts our simplistic notion of time and how the universe works. Chaos can be a metaphorical punch to the head, a unconquerable manifestation of ruined plans and unexpected consequences. But chaos can also be a force of good – a push outside of our comfort zones, an utter reorganization of society, and a source for creation. Both chaos and time are necesary for the workings of the universe, and it is this delicate balance that Skies weaves throughout the narrative.
The pacing for The Children of Chaos may not work for all readers because the book feels significantly more episodic than its predecessor. This has the consequence of slowing down the plot quite a bit, as Kayl and/or Quen visit most of the realms outside of Chime, but it has the added benefit of dramatically enriching the universe that Skies has created here. In The Thirteenth Hour we were introduced to a whole number of moral species, gods, and realms, but they all went like words on a page – ethnic or species-level differences for the sake of having them. The differences between the groups didn’t quite feel like they were “real” or important, outside of a few interactions. By having our main characters go to these different realms, Skies is able to expose readers to all of the ecological and cultural differences between the realms in all of their glory. From a predominantly underwater world to a world that seems like it is a massive crossover of the Universal monster movies, readers get to go on journeys to worlds beyond Chime. I can see how other reviewers weren’t feeling the whole “go to other realm, encounter major problem with their god, solve problem, rinse, and repeat”, but I was swept away by the adventure and exploration of it all. Despite this being a 700 page chonker of a book, I would have taken a whole lot more.
What’s interesting about The Children of Chaos, and what I have been noticing among more and more longer indie fantasy books, is that they seemed to be paced like television shows more than “traditional” books. I made similar comments about Krystle Matar’s Legacy of the Brightwash, and what I mean by this is that the books are structured like you would find a 10-13 episode season of television. Rather than a more traditional (in Western-style storytelling) three act structure, these books have an ebb and a flow that seems more like they are thinking about the book in terms of discrete episodes, each with their own bounded story structure that contributes to the overal narrative. This does mean that sometimes you get the prose version of a “bottle episode” or something that feels akin to a side-quest, but Skies’ books are so full of imagination, wonder, and magic that I didn’t care at all. I would go on a million side quests with Kayle and Quen if it meant I got to explore more of this gaslamp/steampunk world.
If I have any criticisms of The Children of Chaos, it might only be that sometimes the sexual humor got to be just a bit too much for me. I’m not a prude, and I loved that Skies created a queer-norm world that feels so effortless and sexually liberated. Having said that, it seemed like characters became sexual-quip machines at times, sometimes even robbing moments of their dramatic heft. I would say that it was like the a very toned-down version of what Marvels do with their non-sexual humor – it becomes a bit of a narrative crutch to pull out a quip. I was on board when Skies had characters considering and exploring their own sexual identities, but the sexual humor was a couple of jokes too many for my tastes. If you are someone who doesn’t like any sexual content or dirty jokes in your reading material you may want to stay away, but otherwise they are pretty easy to pass right over.
The sexual humor doesn’t mar a book that merges everything I love about fantasy in one not-so-small package. It’s imaginative, chaotic, romantic, magical, and more. The final book is coming soon, and I will be first in line!
Concluding Thoughts: Trudie Skies dramatically expands the world of The Cruel Gods series with The Children of Chaos, sending Quen and Kayle on adventures that have them encountering new realms, vengeful gods, and a just a bit of romance. The pacing of this book is much different than its predecessor, feeling a bit more episodic but never slow. The worldbuilding remains as immaculate as ever, and readers will either love or love-to-hate all of Skies’ characters, new and old. This is an exciting and action-packed sequel that examines the tension between structure and chaos in our lives – and how the predominance of one is stifling. Highly recommend for readers looking for queer-norm worlds, wild imagination, and steampunk and/or gaslamp worlds. Highly recommended!
The Children of Chaos continued my infatuation with The Cruel Gods trilogy, a multi-POV gaslamp/steampunk mashup in a multiversal, morally grey world that never feels overly grim because of its loveable characters just trying to make sense of saving the world amidst the chaos strewn by unhinged gods, evil twins, interdimensional politics, queer angst, and the proper way of pronouncing the word “scone”. (Side note: as an American I wasn’t even aware there was more than one way to pronounce the word scone.)
There is so much going on in this world, and yet it all works. You will be shocked when the book ends because the pages just tick away until you are 700 pages in and wondering why the book was so “short”!
The Children of Chaos works not just because of Skies’ immense creativity (more on that in a bit), but because Skies has such a tight command of their three primary POV characters. Skies continues to use first-person POV for all of the POV characters, and it was much more successful here than it was in The Thirteenth Hour. In the first book, I was always thrown off whenever a new chapter would be begin and I had to figure out whose head we were in. Skies doesn’t follow any set “schedule” for when we switch POVs, adding to the challenge. However, in this sequel Skies has a much more powerful command of their characters and their voices. It was immediately clear if we were in the head of “headstrong to the point of reckless” Kayle or the more reserved and anxious Quen. And then, of course it was always clear when we were in the head of Jinx, Kayle’s “evil” twin sister whose POVs were some of my favorites because she was so wicked, sardonic, and self-centered. I was a bit concerned at first because a character like Jinx is best served in small doses, but Skies shows enough constraint to keep Jinx’s chapters fun (and suprisingly emotionally resonant at times) without them becoming grating. Jinx is my the best example of the “evil twin” archetype since Katherine from The Vampire Diaries!
Skies is also the master of making non-POV, secondary characters come alive. This is a BIG book with a huge cast of characters, and each of them had a clear sense of identity, voice, and perspective. I was never left wondering “who is that again” because each and every character just leaps from the page, whether it is the various gods (who are mostly all assholes except Mesmorpheus), their ambassadors, or any of the other wonderful people we meet along the way.
What makes all of the characters work is that they are all, in their own ways, dealing with the tension between structure (here represented by “time”) and chaos. In our Western understanding, time is a linear concept that cannot be escaped. It is constraining, whether it is how capitalism structures our time in the “9-5” workday, the cycle of the year, or the feeling that we are the inevitable escalator towards our death, something that will happen one way or the other and there is no jumping off. On the other hand, chaos is a powerful force. The entropy of the universe disrupts our simplistic notion of time and how the universe works. Chaos can be a metaphorical punch to the head, a unconquerable manifestation of ruined plans and unexpected consequences. But chaos can also be a force of good – a push outside of our comfort zones, an utter reorganization of society, and a source for creation. Both chaos and time are necesary for the workings of the universe, and it is this delicate balance that Skies weaves throughout the narrative.
The pacing for The Children of Chaos may not work for all readers because the book feels significantly more episodic than its predecessor. This has the consequence of slowing down the plot quite a bit, as Kayl and/or Quen visit most of the realms outside of Chime, but it has the added benefit of dramatically enriching the universe that Skies has created here. In The Thirteenth Hour we were introduced to a whole number of moral species, gods, and realms, but they all went like words on a page – ethnic or species-level differences for the sake of having them. The differences between the groups didn’t quite feel like they were “real” or important, outside of a few interactions. By having our main characters go to these different realms, Skies is able to expose readers to all of the ecological and cultural differences between the realms in all of their glory. From a predominantly underwater world to a world that seems like it is a massive crossover of the Universal monster movies, readers get to go on journeys to worlds beyond Chime. I can see how other reviewers weren’t feeling the whole “go to other realm, encounter major problem with their god, solve problem, rinse, and repeat”, but I was swept away by the adventure and exploration of it all. Despite this being a 700 page chonker of a book, I would have taken a whole lot more.
What’s interesting about The Children of Chaos, and what I have been noticing among more and more longer indie fantasy books, is that they seemed to be paced like television shows more than “traditional” books. I made similar comments about Krystle Matar’s Legacy of the Brightwash, and what I mean by this is that the books are structured like you would find a 10-13 episode season of television. Rather than a more traditional (in Western-style storytelling) three act structure, these books have an ebb and a flow that seems more like they are thinking about the book in terms of discrete episodes, each with their own bounded story structure that contributes to the overal narrative. This does mean that sometimes you get the prose version of a “bottle episode” or something that feels akin to a side-quest, but Skies’ books are so full of imagination, wonder, and magic that I didn’t care at all. I would go on a million side quests with Kayle and Quen if it meant I got to explore more of this gaslamp/steampunk world.
If I have any criticisms of The Children of Chaos, it might only be that sometimes the sexual humor got to be just a bit too much for me. I’m not a prude, and I loved that Skies created a queer-norm world that feels so effortless and sexually liberated. Having said that, it seemed like characters became sexual-quip machines at times, sometimes even robbing moments of their dramatic heft. I would say that it was like the a very toned-down version of what Marvels do with their non-sexual humor – it becomes a bit of a narrative crutch to pull out a quip. I was on board when Skies had characters considering and exploring their own sexual identities, but the sexual humor was a couple of jokes too many for my tastes. If you are someone who doesn’t like any sexual content or dirty jokes in your reading material you may want to stay away, but otherwise they are pretty easy to pass right over.
The sexual humor doesn’t mar a book that merges everything I love about fantasy in one not-so-small package. It’s imaginative, chaotic, romantic, magical, and more. The final book is coming soon, and I will be first in line!
Concluding Thoughts: Trudie Skies dramatically expands the world of The Cruel Gods series with The Children of Chaos, sending Quen and Kayle on adventures that have them encountering new realms, vengeful gods, and a just a bit of romance. The pacing of this book is much different than its predecessor, feeling a bit more episodic but never slow. The worldbuilding remains as immaculate as ever, and readers will either love or love-to-hate all of Skies’ characters, new and old. This is an exciting and action-packed sequel that examines the tension between structure and chaos in our lives – and how the predominance of one is stifling. Highly recommend for readers looking for queer-norm worlds, wild imagination, and steampunk and/or gaslamp worlds. Highly recommended!
July 8, 2024
Series Info/Source: This is the 2nd book in The Cruel Gods series. I borrowed this on ebook through Kindle Unlimited.
Thoughts: This book took me forever to read and felt like a chore to read at points. It felt much more bloated than the first book in this series. This was still well done; I love the world building here and the journeying to the other godly domains. It just could have been a much tighter story and that would have made it more enjoyable to read.
Quen wants to protect Chime but as the Speaker for Dor, his options are limited as Dor sets his goals to destroying Chaos rather than trying to strike some sort of bargain. Kayl is stuck between her goddess and her "twin" Jinx who was stuck in her mind for years but is now free to roam as a child of Chaos. Kayl and Quen want to protect Chime, but will the gods allow them to do so? Quen sets out to get support from each of the gods' realms with Kayl at his side. However, things do not go as planned.
I continue to love the amazing and complex world that is explored in this book. The world is expanded because we get to visit many more of the godly realms and learn about them in a lot more detail, and I really enjoyed this. I also really love that the characters here are very gray morally; both Quen and Kayl do good and bad things but their ultimate goal is for good even if at times it feels misguided.
I did not love the addition of Jinx. Some of the book is from her POV and I don't think we needed these parts. I get it she is a foul-mouthed agent of complete chaos, but I didn't feel like her parts added anything to the story...mostly they were just annoying to read. I also thought some of Quen's POV was way too drawn out. Yes, we know he is a tortured soul who both loves and hates his god and who is haunted by his past...this was just re-hashed way too frequently throughout this story.
So, while I continue to love the world, the way the overall story is progressing, and the intriguing characters...I did have some pretty big issues with this book. The main issue being was that it was just too bloated, the same issues were hashed over and over again without any progress forward. This took me a really long time to read because I kept setting it down and walking away from it. I did enjoy it when I finally sat down to read it again, but then I would start to get bored and wander away again. I finally had to set a reading schedule for each day to make myself sit down and finish it. I have a lot of respect for the world and characters created here, I just feel like this needs more editing and tightening up.
My Summary (4/5): Overall I liked this. The world-building continues to be amazing, the characters deliciously morally gray, and the story intriguing. Unfortunately, like happens with so many epic fantasy-type stories, this book felt unnecessarily bloated at times. Characters rehashed their actions and thoughts without much story progress, and it bogged the story down. It was so bad, I am actually on the fence about whether or not I will finish the series. I do continue to be awed by the amazing world building, so I will probably finish the series...I am just going to need a bit of time between books I think.
Thoughts: This book took me forever to read and felt like a chore to read at points. It felt much more bloated than the first book in this series. This was still well done; I love the world building here and the journeying to the other godly domains. It just could have been a much tighter story and that would have made it more enjoyable to read.
Quen wants to protect Chime but as the Speaker for Dor, his options are limited as Dor sets his goals to destroying Chaos rather than trying to strike some sort of bargain. Kayl is stuck between her goddess and her "twin" Jinx who was stuck in her mind for years but is now free to roam as a child of Chaos. Kayl and Quen want to protect Chime, but will the gods allow them to do so? Quen sets out to get support from each of the gods' realms with Kayl at his side. However, things do not go as planned.
I continue to love the amazing and complex world that is explored in this book. The world is expanded because we get to visit many more of the godly realms and learn about them in a lot more detail, and I really enjoyed this. I also really love that the characters here are very gray morally; both Quen and Kayl do good and bad things but their ultimate goal is for good even if at times it feels misguided.
I did not love the addition of Jinx. Some of the book is from her POV and I don't think we needed these parts. I get it she is a foul-mouthed agent of complete chaos, but I didn't feel like her parts added anything to the story...mostly they were just annoying to read. I also thought some of Quen's POV was way too drawn out. Yes, we know he is a tortured soul who both loves and hates his god and who is haunted by his past...this was just re-hashed way too frequently throughout this story.
So, while I continue to love the world, the way the overall story is progressing, and the intriguing characters...I did have some pretty big issues with this book. The main issue being was that it was just too bloated, the same issues were hashed over and over again without any progress forward. This took me a really long time to read because I kept setting it down and walking away from it. I did enjoy it when I finally sat down to read it again, but then I would start to get bored and wander away again. I finally had to set a reading schedule for each day to make myself sit down and finish it. I have a lot of respect for the world and characters created here, I just feel like this needs more editing and tightening up.
My Summary (4/5): Overall I liked this. The world-building continues to be amazing, the characters deliciously morally gray, and the story intriguing. Unfortunately, like happens with so many epic fantasy-type stories, this book felt unnecessarily bloated at times. Characters rehashed their actions and thoughts without much story progress, and it bogged the story down. It was so bad, I am actually on the fence about whether or not I will finish the series. I do continue to be awed by the amazing world building, so I will probably finish the series...I am just going to need a bit of time between books I think.
September 1, 2023
Actual rating 3.5
Similar quality to the first book; the characters remain likable with fun interactions and chemistry. We see more of the other realms and the world building remains good but visiting so many of the realms does make the book drag slightly since the core plot of all our visits to those realms remains largely unchanged. The scenery variations and aesthetics are nice, but its ultimately the same story 7 or 8 times with with different plots. One of the adjacent issues is that outside of visiting the realms, there's not a whole lot of interactive plot; the plot progresses and the characters are involved in the plot and they're doing things, but the plot doesn't change. They're given a timeline to fulfill the plot (from a structural side this is to exert pressure and narrative tension) but I as the reader never felt any tension from that ticking clock. In another plot development, one of our main characters is tricked and loses a significant ability, but this doesn't affect the plot aside from a few scenes of wishing. Things happen in the book, but the narrative, the situation doesn't evolve from them. And this isn't terrible, I enjoyed the book, but it ended up feeling too big and a little lacking on substance.
A few other minor criticisms: the political undertones in the first book are more prominent with a transgender subplot (for those who care about such things, I personally have encounter quite a few of these recently and am starting to get fatigued) and a somewhat (whether intentional or not) 'smash the patriarchy' vibe to the narrative. It also felt like the author significantly increased the presence of sexual/risque scenes in the narrative; I was reading and it just felt like a lot.
Similar quality to the first book; the characters remain likable with fun interactions and chemistry. We see more of the other realms and the world building remains good but visiting so many of the realms does make the book drag slightly since the core plot of all our visits to those realms remains largely unchanged. The scenery variations and aesthetics are nice, but its ultimately the same story 7 or 8 times with with different plots. One of the adjacent issues is that outside of visiting the realms, there's not a whole lot of interactive plot; the plot progresses and the characters are involved in the plot and they're doing things, but the plot doesn't change. They're given a timeline to fulfill the plot (from a structural side this is to exert pressure and narrative tension) but I as the reader never felt any tension from that ticking clock. In another plot development, one of our main characters is tricked and loses a significant ability, but this doesn't affect the plot aside from a few scenes of wishing. Things happen in the book, but the narrative, the situation doesn't evolve from them. And this isn't terrible, I enjoyed the book, but it ended up feeling too big and a little lacking on substance.
A few other minor criticisms: the political undertones in the first book are more prominent with a transgender subplot (for those who care about such things, I personally have encounter quite a few of these recently and am starting to get fatigued) and a somewhat (whether intentional or not) 'smash the patriarchy' vibe to the narrative. It also felt like the author significantly increased the presence of sexual/risque scenes in the narrative; I was reading and it just felt like a lot.
February 27, 2023
THE CHILDREN OF CHAOS is an action-packed sequel.
There are a lot of factions in this book - Kayl, Quen, Jinx, the various gods and their puppets. Everyone is playing their own game, back-stabbing left and right. It makes for a tense ride as you know something is going to go wrong (how can it not with that many players?) but not exactly what. And then it goes spectacularly wrong time and time again.
There are some very impressive set pieces when things hit the fan or an ally turns on them. There's so much action and betrayal in this book, scenes flipping on their heads in moments. (Also, Dor is as nightmarish as ever, shredding Quen's mind and self-esteem. He needs to get his just desserts next book!)
To help follow these various schemes, Jinx gets her own POV. It is rare - maybe four or five times in the entire book - but it really helps to give an insight into her and the plans of Chaos. Having simply seen her from inside Kayl's head, it was nice to get a sense of who she is (loud, bold, and not giving a damn what anyone thinks.)
This is a chonker of a book. There is a lot happening in the almost 800 pages of this book, so be sure to clear a lot of time to read this (I read it way too spread out for my liking because I hadn't factored in enough consecutive time, which meant having to irritatingly put it down time and time again.)
The final book in the trilogy is set for release this year, and I want to see how the many hints in this book with Quen's visions (and fact that in the future he appears to be able to time travel in order to give cryptic hints) play out.
There are a lot of factions in this book - Kayl, Quen, Jinx, the various gods and their puppets. Everyone is playing their own game, back-stabbing left and right. It makes for a tense ride as you know something is going to go wrong (how can it not with that many players?) but not exactly what. And then it goes spectacularly wrong time and time again.
There are some very impressive set pieces when things hit the fan or an ally turns on them. There's so much action and betrayal in this book, scenes flipping on their heads in moments. (Also, Dor is as nightmarish as ever, shredding Quen's mind and self-esteem. He needs to get his just desserts next book!)
To help follow these various schemes, Jinx gets her own POV. It is rare - maybe four or five times in the entire book - but it really helps to give an insight into her and the plans of Chaos. Having simply seen her from inside Kayl's head, it was nice to get a sense of who she is (loud, bold, and not giving a damn what anyone thinks.)
This is a chonker of a book. There is a lot happening in the almost 800 pages of this book, so be sure to clear a lot of time to read this (I read it way too spread out for my liking because I hadn't factored in enough consecutive time, which meant having to irritatingly put it down time and time again.)
The final book in the trilogy is set for release this year, and I want to see how the many hints in this book with Quen's visions (and fact that in the future he appears to be able to time travel in order to give cryptic hints) play out.
April 20, 2025
The Children of Chaos is a breakneck speed sequel to The Thirteenth Hour that I was longing for. While both books are over 500 pages, I was shocked by just how much plot was packed into this sequel’s 673 or so pages.
Kayl and Quen continue their journey throughout the Domains- trying to gain the favor of the remaining gods so they might save Corentine and her Children of Chaos- Kayl included. With a brief inclusion of chapters from Jinx’s perspective you get some points of a Villainess’ point of view. And MAN is she evil!
I didn’t see this as a 5 star this go around- mainly from the length AND some plot points not being fully fleshed out (I’m guessing it’ll be the last book where they come to a head) such as the romance and even just the pacing of the main plot. It’s all gas from page 1- and some might like that. I enjoy a little slow down points and maybe even a quick scene between lovers. But I’ll admit, the book is still written well and made me laugh a few times. Just more of a 4 for me- need to finish the final book- The End Of Time to hopefully get my 5 star conclusion. Here’s to that eventual review!
———————————————————————
Thank you for reading this review of The Children of Chaos! Apologies for not going into much detail- as it’s a sequel and has a ton of detail that would be a spoiler, I’d rather be brief. I hope you stick around for further reviews like this one!
If you’d like to follow us, our tag is TheLibraryFromScratch . We own over 1,500 physical books and over 300 digital.
Thank you again; have a great Easter 2025!
Jillian
Kayl and Quen continue their journey throughout the Domains- trying to gain the favor of the remaining gods so they might save Corentine and her Children of Chaos- Kayl included. With a brief inclusion of chapters from Jinx’s perspective you get some points of a Villainess’ point of view. And MAN is she evil!
I didn’t see this as a 5 star this go around- mainly from the length AND some plot points not being fully fleshed out (I’m guessing it’ll be the last book where they come to a head) such as the romance and even just the pacing of the main plot. It’s all gas from page 1- and some might like that. I enjoy a little slow down points and maybe even a quick scene between lovers. But I’ll admit, the book is still written well and made me laugh a few times. Just more of a 4 for me- need to finish the final book- The End Of Time to hopefully get my 5 star conclusion. Here’s to that eventual review!
———————————————————————
Thank you for reading this review of The Children of Chaos! Apologies for not going into much detail- as it’s a sequel and has a ton of detail that would be a spoiler, I’d rather be brief. I hope you stick around for further reviews like this one!
If you’d like to follow us, our tag is TheLibraryFromScratch . We own over 1,500 physical books and over 300 digital.
Thank you again; have a great Easter 2025!
Jillian
September 4, 2025
After finally getting round to reading the second in The Cruel Gods series, I was not disappointed. This book took me a while to read, but that is no reflection of the writing quality--more that as I get older, it seems to take me exponentially longer to read epic, complex fantasy stories. And epic, complex this book is. Continuing on directly from The Thirteenth Hour (Book 1), The Children of Chaos picks up the stories of Quen, Kayl, the Godless, and the Gods of the thirteen races who occupy Chime and the surrounding, connected realms. Once again, I enjoyed Skies' unique world and races. At times, I did have to remind myself what each race might look like--there are thirteen, after all--but they are all described in such a way that it's fairly easy to picture all of them. I really appreciate that both Quen and Kayl aren't shiny, "good" heroes. They are complex individuals, they fuck up and make mistakes (I mean, they've both killed people sooo...), and yet I truly believe they both want the best for the realms and races they are working so hard to protect. I also felt a real sense of dread building as the story went on, things started going wrong, and wondering how Skies would pull together any sense of hope in them succeeding in their goals. Suffice to say, things took a turn at the end that left me with a glimmer of hope for the third book... but also it's called The End of Time so that sounds ominous haha. Overall, this series is excellently written and realised. The characters are interesting, complex individuals and they all feel real. And the ongoing tension between Quen and Kayl--damn it, was that frustrating in the best way! Looking forward to delving into the third book soon.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 31, 2024
Final rating : 4.5
Ce livre m'en aura fait voir de toutes les couleurs. J'ai rigolé, je me suis énervé, j'ai été plus que frustré par moments, désespéré même. Triste plus d'une fois.
Mais qu'est-ce que je l'ai aimé ! Encore une fois, l'intrigue était extrêmement bien écrite, les personnages étaient entiers, à vifs. Et cette fin ! Le troisième tome promet d'être incroyable !
Ce livre m'en aura fait voir de toutes les couleurs. J'ai rigolé, je me suis énervé, j'ai été plus que frustré par moments, désespéré même. Triste plus d'une fois.
Mais qu'est-ce que je l'ai aimé ! Encore une fois, l'intrigue était extrêmement bien écrite, les personnages étaient entiers, à vifs. Et cette fin ! Le troisième tome promet d'être incroyable !
July 3, 2024
This was one crazy, wild, roller coaster ride of darkness, despair, humor, with the absolute perfect ribbon of hope woven throughout!
I’m going to forgo a summary on this review. There are just too many twists and turns, secrets, and revelations and I don’t want to give any spoilers. Just know that Kayl, Quen, and Jinx are definitely put through some stuff. Stuff of their own making…stuff of their Cruel Gods massinations…and lots of stuff brought on by Jinx, Corentine, and their crazy, horrific, but sometimes necessary plans.
I really enjoyed this continuation of The Cruel Gods Trilogy! Jinx was a crazy, chaotic character (see what I did there???? Lol)! Kayl continued to be absolutely snarky and hilarious even as she fought anger and despair, and Quen was still a force to be reckoned with, all the while, still making us guess where is loyalties really lie.
So yep…if you enjoy a plethora of distinct, unique, and well written characters, awesome world building, deadly and devastating plots and schemes, so so so many secrets and revelations, lots of darkness, some despair, lite…everything but clean….romance, snark and humor, and just enough hope to thrust you onward, then you simply must read The Cruel Gods!
I’m going to forgo a summary on this review. There are just too many twists and turns, secrets, and revelations and I don’t want to give any spoilers. Just know that Kayl, Quen, and Jinx are definitely put through some stuff. Stuff of their own making…stuff of their Cruel Gods massinations…and lots of stuff brought on by Jinx, Corentine, and their crazy, horrific, but sometimes necessary plans.
I really enjoyed this continuation of The Cruel Gods Trilogy! Jinx was a crazy, chaotic character (see what I did there???? Lol)! Kayl continued to be absolutely snarky and hilarious even as she fought anger and despair, and Quen was still a force to be reckoned with, all the while, still making us guess where is loyalties really lie.
So yep…if you enjoy a plethora of distinct, unique, and well written characters, awesome world building, deadly and devastating plots and schemes, so so so many secrets and revelations, lots of darkness, some despair, lite…everything but clean….romance, snark and humor, and just enough hope to thrust you onward, then you simply must read The Cruel Gods!
August 28, 2025
Chaos awakened
Chaos has awakened. Time feels threatened, and many other gods alongside Dor. Eventide is gone, and the gods fear Valeria's fate and the disappearance of the whole domain will become their fate too. Yet Chime belongs to mortals, and it is the domain of Chaos.. so Quentin tries desperately to find a solution that does not end in war and destruction. Kayl even becomes the ambassador.. but what can really happen when Jinx is free, and has her own agenda?
The book is packed with drama, cruelty, destruction, chaos, and lots of emotions from rage, despair, grief, to flickers of hope, even love. It is fascinating to see Jinx's twisted way of thinking and no moral barriers as she acts on her mother's behalf. For me, the biggest respect and lots of warm feelings go to Mesmorpheus - I did not think there was even one decent god among them. The book is long, but absolutely not boring, rather fast paced, with so many twists one can get crazy... broken timelines? Magic in all forms? Gods going to war? Manipulation and deception on highest level? There is so much there, and the story isn't over.. the worst is yet to come.
Chaos has awakened. Time feels threatened, and many other gods alongside Dor. Eventide is gone, and the gods fear Valeria's fate and the disappearance of the whole domain will become their fate too. Yet Chime belongs to mortals, and it is the domain of Chaos.. so Quentin tries desperately to find a solution that does not end in war and destruction. Kayl even becomes the ambassador.. but what can really happen when Jinx is free, and has her own agenda?
The book is packed with drama, cruelty, destruction, chaos, and lots of emotions from rage, despair, grief, to flickers of hope, even love. It is fascinating to see Jinx's twisted way of thinking and no moral barriers as she acts on her mother's behalf. For me, the biggest respect and lots of warm feelings go to Mesmorpheus - I did not think there was even one decent god among them. The book is long, but absolutely not boring, rather fast paced, with so many twists one can get crazy... broken timelines? Magic in all forms? Gods going to war? Manipulation and deception on highest level? There is so much there, and the story isn't over.. the worst is yet to come.
February 5, 2024
I had finished this book in December, so I am very very late in reviewing it. Honestly, this book destroyed me in a good way. I loved everything about it, but my poor Kayl and Quen need to catch a break.
Dor is an a*hole and I want him unalive.
I don't want to spoil much. This one starts where Thirteenth Hour left off. Quen is back and is the Diviner ambassador now, and Kayl and the Godless are in hiding. Jinx is a PoV character in this book, and she's as chaotic as ever. Smart and ruthless, pragmatic about some things, but not others, she's a really interesting character.
I don't know what to feel about Penny yet, but I like her and Jinx's vibes together, lol. (May I ship them, pretty please?)
As always, this book is full of queer and neurodivergent rep which I love to see!
EVERYONE SHOULD READ THIS BOOK AND THIS SERIES.
That's all.
P.S. I wrote a fanfic, but don't read it till you've finished both the books!
Dor is an a*hole and I want him unalive.
I don't want to spoil much. This one starts where Thirteenth Hour left off. Quen is back and is the Diviner ambassador now, and Kayl and the Godless are in hiding. Jinx is a PoV character in this book, and she's as chaotic as ever. Smart and ruthless, pragmatic about some things, but not others, she's a really interesting character.
I don't know what to feel about Penny yet, but I like her and Jinx's vibes together, lol. (May I ship them, pretty please?)
As always, this book is full of queer and neurodivergent rep which I love to see!
EVERYONE SHOULD READ THIS BOOK AND THIS SERIES.
That's all.
P.S. I wrote a fanfic, but don't read it till you've finished both the books!
November 20, 2024
3.5 / 5 for the first 90%, 4.75/5 for the last 10%.
The first 90% was interesting, but kind of rough and frustrating - Kayl was on a continual loop of barging into situations, failing, internally castigating herself for her failures, then immediately forgetting and blindly bulldozing into the next situation - and Quen was just beyond frustrating being so completely under Dor's thumb that it impacted even his internal perspective in his POV chapters.
The plot was interesting enough for how it delved more into the other domains, even though that did start to drag a bit with the linear loop of visit and repeat, even with those visits all being drastically different.
However, the last 10% more than made up for the rest, and was a phenomenal ride that had me literally cackling in delight and excited for the finale to the series in the next book.
On to the next.
The first 90% was interesting, but kind of rough and frustrating - Kayl was on a continual loop of barging into situations, failing, internally castigating herself for her failures, then immediately forgetting and blindly bulldozing into the next situation - and Quen was just beyond frustrating being so completely under Dor's thumb that it impacted even his internal perspective in his POV chapters.
The plot was interesting enough for how it delved more into the other domains, even though that did start to drag a bit with the linear loop of visit and repeat, even with those visits all being drastically different.
However, the last 10% more than made up for the rest, and was a phenomenal ride that had me literally cackling in delight and excited for the finale to the series in the next book.
On to the next.
July 23, 2024
Writing a book review for a book I loved shouldn’t be this hard. **chuckle**
There are 12 domains, each ruled by a different god, with their own attitudes, goals, and mortal followers (who possess certain… abilities… given in exchange for unquestioning devotion to their deity). Chime is the crossroads of the domains, a city created to bring peace between the gods, but has recently become something of a battleground for their followers.
Enter fiercely independent Kayl and eternally-conflicted Quen, who are thrown into this mess and have to decide whether to preserve the status quo or tear it all down and build something better. I’ve loved them since Book One – their relationship is complicated, evolving, and really rather lovely.
There’s political drama, found family, family drama, humor, violence, and suspense. Trudie Skies is my author “discovery” of the summer!
There are 12 domains, each ruled by a different god, with their own attitudes, goals, and mortal followers (who possess certain… abilities… given in exchange for unquestioning devotion to their deity). Chime is the crossroads of the domains, a city created to bring peace between the gods, but has recently become something of a battleground for their followers.
Enter fiercely independent Kayl and eternally-conflicted Quen, who are thrown into this mess and have to decide whether to preserve the status quo or tear it all down and build something better. I’ve loved them since Book One – their relationship is complicated, evolving, and really rather lovely.
There’s political drama, found family, family drama, humor, violence, and suspense. Trudie Skies is my author “discovery” of the summer!
November 11, 2022
The Children of Chaos is how a sequel is supposed to be done: reinforces all the good things of the original and improves the weakest points. In this case, the book shows every domain in detail, and the gods that rule over them. The universe of Chime and the domains is one of the most fascinating i´ve ever seen, with the most realistic gods i`ve read.
The conflict that began in the first book continues here, and it has been a long time since i have read such a well crafted one. Every side is right and wrong at the same time. This had me glued to every page since practically the beginning of the book.
Besides, all the main characters are masterfully developed, you end up rooting for them, even when their goals
To sum up: if you liked the Thirteenth hour, you will love the sequel
The conflict that began in the first book continues here, and it has been a long time since i have read such a well crafted one. Every side is right and wrong at the same time. This had me glued to every page since practically the beginning of the book.
Besides, all the main characters are masterfully developed, you end up rooting for them, even when their goals
To sum up: if you liked the Thirteenth hour, you will love the sequel
August 31, 2025
Tension, Chaos, and the Need for More
The Children of Chaos: Book Two of the Cruel Gods pulled me in from start to finish. The dynamic between Kayl and Quen is so intense that it feels almost unbearable at times—in the best way possible. The tension between them had me on edge, constantly wondering what would happen next.
This series has done such a great job of keeping me on my toes. Every twist leaves me wanting more, and book two only heightened that anticipation. The author balances character dynamics with a gripping storyline, making it impossible to put down.
Now, with the final book on the horizon, I can’t wait to see how everything unfolds. If the first two installments are any indication, the conclusion is going to be unforgettable.
The Children of Chaos: Book Two of the Cruel Gods pulled me in from start to finish. The dynamic between Kayl and Quen is so intense that it feels almost unbearable at times—in the best way possible. The tension between them had me on edge, constantly wondering what would happen next.
This series has done such a great job of keeping me on my toes. Every twist leaves me wanting more, and book two only heightened that anticipation. The author balances character dynamics with a gripping storyline, making it impossible to put down.
Now, with the final book on the horizon, I can’t wait to see how everything unfolds. If the first two installments are any indication, the conclusion is going to be unforgettable.
July 10, 2023
The first 600 pages were pretty rough to get through with a meandering pace and repetitive visits to domains. Kayl’s impulsiveness and carelessness were less charming the second time around and Jinx has turned into a more one dimensional villain type. Despite that, the final 150 pages were excellent with high stakes and tension, timeline fuckery, and interesting plot developments. A bit of a disappointment given how much I loved the first book but the ending was so exciting that I look forward to reading the final book
November 27, 2022
I didn't want this to end. This series so far has been just incredible. The author weaves such a complex yet familiar narrative. I loved seeing the other domains and their Gods.
I am particularly enjoying the great treatment of gender in this book. To see they being used is such a treat.
Wonderful. Is the next book ready yet?
I am particularly enjoying the great treatment of gender in this book. To see they being used is such a treat.
Wonderful. Is the next book ready yet?
July 15, 2024
The Children of Chaos is a worthy successor to The Thirteenth Hour. It takes everything that made the first book so excellent and builds on it, whilst also introducing new characters who are just as memorable as the original crew. It picks up shortly after The Thirteenth Hour's conclusion, taking the plot on at a fair clip as the Children of Chaos find themselves at odds not just with the other Gods and their ambassadors, but also with themselves.
Kayl and Quen find themselves on a strict timeline to try and unite the Gods in the handling of chaos. The trapped Goddess of Chaos, Corentine, is hellbent on revenge, destruction and hellfire. Jinx, Kayl's twin, finds herself in her own body for the first time in her life and the power absolutely goes to her head. The Godless have their own ambitions and drives and definitely don't trust Quentin. And all of the Gods are very much out for themselves. The stakes are high and the chance of failure is high.
What I really enjoyed here was the world building. The world was meticulously build in the first novel, but as Quentin and Kayl visit the different realms to try and bring the Gods around to their way of thinking, you get to see each of these realms and how they work. There were hints and teases for many of the realms before, but here they come to life around you for good and ill. The different Gods are introduced in person and it goes without saying that almost all of them are complete assholes. That absolutely hasn't changed since the first novel.
The characterisations continue to shine, often becoming murky even with characters you thought you knew well. I also loved the new characters who are introduced, particularly Ben as Quen's Diviner bodyguard and the Mesmer triplets who were just hilarious and rather cute. I appreciated how the characters were used to complement the world building and the world-building to complement the characters. Jinx is perhaps the weakest character here for the majority of the novel as she is a two sided psychopathic lunatic and a crude one at that, but she definitely embodies the emblem of chaos.
All in all, an excellent continuation to the series and one that absolutely leaves you needing to know how it all concludes.
Kayl and Quen find themselves on a strict timeline to try and unite the Gods in the handling of chaos. The trapped Goddess of Chaos, Corentine, is hellbent on revenge, destruction and hellfire. Jinx, Kayl's twin, finds herself in her own body for the first time in her life and the power absolutely goes to her head. The Godless have their own ambitions and drives and definitely don't trust Quentin. And all of the Gods are very much out for themselves. The stakes are high and the chance of failure is high.
What I really enjoyed here was the world building. The world was meticulously build in the first novel, but as Quentin and Kayl visit the different realms to try and bring the Gods around to their way of thinking, you get to see each of these realms and how they work. There were hints and teases for many of the realms before, but here they come to life around you for good and ill. The different Gods are introduced in person and it goes without saying that almost all of them are complete assholes. That absolutely hasn't changed since the first novel.
The characterisations continue to shine, often becoming murky even with characters you thought you knew well. I also loved the new characters who are introduced, particularly Ben as Quen's Diviner bodyguard and the Mesmer triplets who were just hilarious and rather cute. I appreciated how the characters were used to complement the world building and the world-building to complement the characters. Jinx is perhaps the weakest character here for the majority of the novel as she is a two sided psychopathic lunatic and a crude one at that, but she definitely embodies the emblem of chaos.
All in all, an excellent continuation to the series and one that absolutely leaves you needing to know how it all concludes.
February 25, 2024
Oh wow, I didn't see any of that coming. I loved this book. It was a rollercoaster from start to finish. A pure joy to read.
You never know what's going to happen and I love it.
Amazing characters, more amazing world building, loved reading about the world's and just a fun ride
You never know what's going to happen and I love it.
Amazing characters, more amazing world building, loved reading about the world's and just a fun ride
October 3, 2024
Okay so admittedly, Kayl acts more like a 16-year-old instead of a 26 and that kind of annoys me. But the mere existence of Quentin Corinth makes up for any flaws in the book so this gets a 4-star. Now I need myself an infuriatingly clever dork, too! Preferably one with bad eyesight. ❤️❤️
March 8, 2023
Weird tonal slide into fan fiction levels of smut. Step down from the great world building and characters in the first book. Not reading the next book.
October 13, 2023
More than a 3 star but not quite 4. Not as good as the first book but still very interesting concept and world!
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