54% DNF!

I was super excited for this one, the premise sounded really good. It just felt like such a let down for me.

Spoilers***
I quite liked the main character & Ruven, and their connection and that he stayed with her after he died. But Lia was just so hit and miss. One minute she loved the gods, then she hated them, then she was upset, then she loved them again - it was just so confusing for me! It didn’t feel like it took a lot for her to go to sorcery when she condemned Ruven for the same thing.

It’s only a little thing, but the maid assigned to her - the heretic - was just a bit of a dick? And it felt unnecessary how she was towards Lia. Just so rude when she’s the one who has to hide to keep herself safe.

Overall just very disjointed I didn’t connect with the characters and I gave it as much as I could, but I just didn’t care about finishing it and it’s not a good sign when that happens.

I love an enemies to lovers romance and this had everything you need for that trope to work.
The fantasy world was fantastic, and written in such a believable way.
I loved every second, and will definitely be one I buy a physical copy of.

WHAT MONSTROUS GODS is a compelling tale of faith and the monstrous beauty full of unspeakable power.

This book explores some complex, knotty theological ideas around doubt and trust and faith. It's very much wrapped up in a SFF plot of "things are not the way you thought as people have been lying to you/generally for centuries" but that let the book explore the idea of holding onto faith in the midst of a storm and the mystery of faith and the promise that it is a path to something better.

Lia holds to her faith through everything, every revelation and incident. There are so many times when it would have been easy for her to give up and turn away from them, but she doesn't - she has this core truth inside her about the nature of the divine and is trying to reach it and its potential. I really liked how this complexity was explored in favour of the easy path, and how it let her grow in her faith as she did it.

The "monstrous" part of the title is absolutely deserved. These gods are twisted and horrible and yet there is something alluring about them. The blessings are equally complex. It felt like the book was tapping into the older parts of folklore where monster and desire are combined.

Ruven and Lia's relationship was a lot of fun to watch. Ruven is like the voice in her head, prompting her to think more deeply about truths she's always held to. It feels like this book only covers the start of the their journey together, only started to unpack all the trauma they'll bring to light and then set to rest together. I liked that it wasn't final - these are teens with a life before them to keep growing.

I absolutely loved this book, I genuinely couldn’t put it down! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book.

The plot and story of this one was so interesting, if somewhat confusing at times.

I really loved the writing style so can’t wait to read more from this author!

4.5 stars.

Here's the thing: this book is fascinating. I've read some of the criticisms of this work, and generally I am able to understand where people's frustrations stem from. This is definitely not a typical book. It's a character study, focused on a world where gods are very real. It's a love story, where two creatures are so alike that they cannot help but love each other. It's an exploration of theology. It's slow and fast at the same time.

Personally, I enjoyed all of it. The pacing was to my liking, because it allowed me to focus on the very real questions and reactions the main character Lia had, which were constantly evolving as she learned more about her world and evolved into new versions of herself. Lia was extremely relatable to me. Her very real fear, her devotion and her self-castigation seemed so authentic to her environment that I could only imagine I would have responded pretty much the same if I were in her shoes. I think the question that Hodge asks ('what happens after the chosen one has defeated the great evil?') should be explored in fiction way more than it is today.

This book just does a lot, and I like what it does, and how it does it. But I ALSO understand why it may not be for everyone. (But, secretly, that's my favourite type of book.)

I had high hopes for this book, but unfortunately, I found the story predictable and the narrative repetitive. From the beginning, Lia’s tasks are surprisingly easy to complete. She entered the dangerous briar and left unharmed, only frightened by a single skeleton. She entered the castle to find Ruven waiting and killed him without much of a fight. Also, the idea of Ruven’s ghost hunting the heroine was brilliant, but the execution was plain bad. Their dialogues were supposed to be banter but were, in fact, immature and embarrassing to read. I expected more from this book.

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At her peak Rosamund Hodge is one of my favorite writers. Publication of this book was repeatedly delayed so my suspense was long drawn-out. It turned out to be worth the wait. There is quite a satisfying love story, and that love story is important to the plot. Just as important though are deftly woven explorations of what it means to be a good person in difficult situations when the right decision is not clear. Add in lots of action and several twists along the way, and the result is a deeply enthralling story.
I will read this one again.

What was the point of this book if the characters face no obstacle whatsoever? Lia goes on her merry way without ever facing any challenges, the royals wake up and go back to being the rulers? How does that work? Everything is just too convenient and the characters never have to fight for anything so there's no point following them on their journey and made for the most anticlimactic book ever.

Unfortunately, this didn't work for me. So much of this book revolved around religion and this pantheon of gods in this world, but I was really struggling to tell the gods apart, which made for a confusing read. The quest that Lia is sent on, to reawaken the royal family after 500 years, is completed within the first 50 pages? I think that the book would have been more compelling if that part of the plot had lasted even a couple of chapters longer. There's also a romance in here, which in theory I should have enjoyed based on the context, but I didn't feel the chemistry between them. This might work for other people, but it really didn't work for me sadly.

This book wasn't what I had anticipated going in and whilst I'm sure a lot of people will love it, it unfortunately wasn't for me.

The focus on religion and faith is not something that personally appeals to me and being as that is a large part of the story with this book it just didn't capture my attention. I also felt everything was a bit rushed, everything seemed to happen right at the start and the characters throughout the rest of the book seemed to lack depth or development. This applies also to the world building and the plot seemed a bit all over the place which made it confusing at times.

Unfortunately for these reasons I've had to rate 3 stars.

This book was different to what I had read. Everything I thought was going to happen, happened really fast. Like within the first four chapters and than I was left wanting to know how the hell the rest of the book went.

It was a beautiful YA tale which included all the tropes we know and love like, a girl on a mission to save her kingdom, a 500-year old sorcerer, magic, gods, and of course a forced proximity situation. But this book is not about the romance. It was such a good story, with everything that the characters did surprising me - which is a good thing.

What Monstrous Gods is a standalone fantasy novel and I highly recommend it for all that love YA Fantasy and want something different to the usual.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for providing me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free ARC in exchange for a review.

I have mixed feelings about this book. I think the world building and the religious concepts explored are genuinely interesting. I think Lia and Ruven's relationship has potential and I think there was some interesting character development.

However. Lia's fanatical, obsessive head is often a nightmare to be in with her holier-than-thou attitude and dismissive nature. She and Ruven's relationship goes from murderer and murderee to love way, way too fast. The blurb sort of teases a love triangle but sadly for Araunn, he was never in the running here. Ruven and Lia have interesting debates and conversations, but the insta-love was too much, I really wish more time was taken to build them into something believeable because they do have potential.

Lia is devout, and like I said fanatical, but ditches her lifelong beliefs the moment her life is in danger, which sees unrealistic to me. She then continues to worship her terrible gods even after learning the truth <spoiler> personally, this felt a little too god-loving for me. With the level of awfulness these gods inflict, I would much rather Lia go sorcerer-mode on them </spoiler>. Ruven's background is hinted but never truly explained, even his original curse is never really given an explicit purpose or aim.

The other religion in the book is portrayed as essentially a metaphor for Catholicism, and it is interesting, but also I think it's sort of obviously written to be the "wow perfect" religion. I wish it was explored more, and I almost wish we could meet that god as well.

The book was entertaining and does raise interesting religious quandries, but I think the execution was not ideal and could have been improved. 3 stars.

I really really enjoyed this book!! It was super interesting and I loved Lia - such a perfectly flawed character!! Didnt expect to like Ruven but I so so did.

This was quite a story.
Everything is told by Lia, the main character, a girl who wants to become a nun, a girl whose destiny is to kill the sorcerer who cursed the royal family. She's an interesting character. A strong heroine in the right sense of the word. She struggled a lot with her emotions, with feelings of inferiority and powerlessness, but she overcame everything. She could do miracles, but not without help. I appreciate that.
The royal family was not what I expected but I'm not complaining, it was done well.
Ruven, the sorcerer, was well.. I don't want to spoil anything, so you'll just have to read the book.
The romance could have been a bit slower, but never mind, it was lovely. The ending surprised me a lot, but I'm glad it ended that way.
I think the book would have benefited from being extended into a series - everything happened very quickly.
The inclusion of Christianity was also interesting (I think the author is Catholic).

I highly recommend this book and I can't wait for the author's next works.

I struggled with this one. It felt like it had too many ideas all crammed into one book. The thing is, all the ideas were so good and inventive, I almost wish this was a duology so we had more time to go on the journey with the characters!

Despite the interesting premise, I found this book to be severely different from what it promises.

The characters had an interesting personality on page but there was so much disconnect and 0 chemistry between them. I liked the world but the vague religious undertones and harsh commentary made no sense. And as we start with the main female protagonist successfully completing her quest, it all felt really quick and unsatisfactory. I didn't understand the weird direction the plot was taking, and it took me out of the story multiple times. Overall, this left me wanting so much more.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the e-arc!

A fantasy high stakes adventure, mixed in with mythology and lore with Kylo-Ren vibes? Sign me up! Loved every second of it!

Rosamund Hodge’s latest novel is distinguished by its inventive blend of fairy tale motifs and expansive mythological lore. This standalone novel cleverly reimagines the classic elements of Sleeping Beauty within a richly conceived world where gods and sorcery intertwine with the fates of kingdoms.

The story unfolds with Lia, a young woman graced with a miraculous gift and burdened with a formidable destiny: to slay the heretic sorcerer Ruven, who has cast the royal family of Runakhia into a centuries-long enchanted sleep and silenced the kingdom’s gods. Upon completing her quest, Lia discovers that her challenges are far from over. Now she must integrate into the royal family and bind herself to a god, or she will face death. Moreover, Ruven's spirit haunts her, blurring the lines between friend and foe, as she struggles with her duty and her conscience.

Lia’s journey is not solitary; she is betrothed to Prince Araunn, and together they embark on a pilgrimage to awaken the ancient gods. This quest deepens the story, revealing the true nature of the gods—far more formidable and capricious than Lia had ever imagined. The pilgrimage is fraught with moral dilemmas and the peril of ancient, untamed powers, compelling Lia to make choices that weigh personal belief against the harsh realities of a world in flux.

The novel excels in its detailed and vibrant world-building. Each deity is crafted with distinct characteristics and lore, enriching the narrative and providing a backdrop that feels both mystical and ominous. The depiction of divine beings reflects the complex relationship between mortals and their creators, a theme that resonates deeply throughout the story.

One of the novel's compelling aspects is its romance, which is intricately woven into the main plot without overpowering it. The relationship between Lia and the supporting characters evolves from duty-bound to deeply personal, exploring themes of loyalty, destiny, and choice. This romance adds a rich layer of complexity to the characters’ interactions and decisions, enhancing the emotional depth of the narrative.

Despite these strengths, I felt this book leaves a somewhat ephemeral impact. While the journey through its pages is undoubtedly engaging, the retention of its intricate details and emotional resonance diminishes shortly after completion. This might be attributed to the novel’s pacing or perhaps the breadth of its scope, which, while ambitious, may not allow sufficient depth of character exploration to leave a lasting impression.

The story had great potential. Unfortunately it all happened too quickly.

This should have been more than one book or at least longer to really delve into the characters and what they were going through. I just couldn't connect to any of them and I didn't feel any emotions while reading this book because it all happened too fast.

It's a shame as I could see me loving this, if the pacing was slower and we got to know the characters more and really got to delve deeper into their relationships with each other and the gods.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.