Gameboard Of The Gods – Review

Gameboard of The Gods

By Richelle Mead

Expected Publication: June 2013

Length: 448 pages

ISBN:9780525953685

Publisher: Penguin Books Australia

Source: ARC from Netgalley

Genre:  Dystopian

Series: Age of x

Read If you liked:  Mythology

Synopsis from Goodreads

In a futuristic world nearly destroyed by religious extremists, Justin March lives in exile after failing in his job as an investigator of religious groups and supernatural claims. But Justin is given a second chance when Mae Koskinen comes to bring him back to the Republic of United North America (RUNA). Raised in an aristocratic caste, Mae is now a member of the military’s most elite and terrifying tier, a soldier with enhanced reflexes and skills.

When Justin and Mae are assigned to work together to solve a string of ritualistic murders, they soon realize that their discoveries have exposed them to terrible danger. As their investigation races forward, unknown enemies and powers greater than they can imagine are gathering in the shadows, ready to reclaim the world in which humans are merely game pieces on their board.

Gameboard of the Gods, the first installment of Richelle Mead’s Age of Xseries, will have all the elements that have made her YA Vampire Academy and Bloodlines series such mega successes: sexy, irresistible characters; romantic and mythological intrigue; and relentless action and suspense

 
 My Review:

Let me first say that I am a huge, Richelle Mead Fan, I have read all her books and loved every one of them.  I also understand that Richelle was trying to incorporate her love of mythology into a brand new series completely different to all her other books.  Unfortunately and I hate to say this, I almost DNF it. The first 50% of the book was so boring and confusing, I could not get a handle on her world building, I could not understand what the castes ment,  nor did I understand what half the terminology was supposed to mean.

This was disappointing and heartbreaking for me. At 60% I decided to call it quits, I just felt there was no action and the plot was too confusing the POV kept switching between Mae a highly trained Military Assassin, Justin an exiled Government Agency worker and Tess a Teenager. I just felt that I could not connect with any of the characters however thankfully I was talking about the book to my fellow blogger friends and Jaclyn from http://jcbookhaven.blogspot.com.au/ told me to persist that It gets better so I did.

Wow after 60% mark I could not put this book down, it was what I hoped for, Action, Mythology, everything I didn’t understand in the first half of the book was explained and the characters became more personable. It is just a shame I had to wait so long for it too kick in.

I am going to give the same advice given to me don’t give up try to finish it, It does get better.  I will read the next in the series, hopefully I won’t have to wait till halfway through the book to enjoy it.