3,75★

To Cage a God was a fascinating book that definitely wasn't perfect, but had such incredible characters and romances that it was still worth a read.

I absolutely adored the concept of dragon-gods caged into ruthless nobles, and the plot centered around two sisters (with their own gods) and their unexpected allies trying to destroy an Empire in a fascinating Russian-inspired setting, cold and cruel yet absolutely captivating.
The main problems were that often the world felt a little bit underdeveloped, and that there was too much "tell" when the foundation of the story and the characters' motivations could have been "shown" more subtly, without saying things world by world.

Still, what truly saved the book and made me want to never stop reading, were the characters.

I especially liked Sera, for the way she seems to carry the weight of the world on her shoulder, constantly fighting with a god that makes her bleed, and yet never weavers- unless a certain assassin sweet-talk her in the most unique ways. Oh, how incredibly beautiful is the relationship between her and Vitaly (he is my chaotic violent baby and I adore him very much): they love each other so deeply, even despite the years of distance and the apparently unsurmountable obstacles thrown in their way, and every scene with them in it made me either cry, scream or giggle like an idiot.

And the sapphic relationship was just as good: Galina, ridden with infinite guilt and countless nightmares, and Visalia, shamed into hiding because of her disability and yet doing everything she could to leave a positive legacy in the world even when she felt at her worst, found solace and comfort in each other, a love like a fairytale that was so heartwarming thing to read.

I'm really curious to see how the plot will be developed, and the consequences these characters will face for their actions, in the next installment of the trilogy.

I recommend To Cage a God for those looking for a quick fantasy novel with a charming magical system and delightful romances to make up for some writing flaws.

Elizabeth May's To Cage A God is a breathtaking tale that weaves together mythology, adventure, and profound themes of identity and sacrifice. From the very first chapter, May immerses readers in a richly detailed world, filled with gods, magic, and an unforgettable cast of characters.

The story follows a fierce protagonist who is both relatable and inspiring. Her journey is not just a quest for power but also a deeply personal exploration of self-discovery and resilience. May’s character development is one of the standout elements of the novel; each character is intricately layered, with motivations that resonate on a human level. The relationships they form, especially those marked by conflict and loyalty, are compelling and add depth to the narrative.

May's writing is both lyrical and evocative, transporting readers into a vibrant world where the line between the divine and the mortal is beautifully blurred. The pacing is expertly crafted, balancing exhilarating action sequences with moments of introspection that allow readers to catch their breath and reflect on the themes at play.

One of the novel’s most captivating aspects is its exploration of the consequences of power and the complexities of godhood. May challenges traditional notions of divinity, presenting gods that are flawed and multifaceted. This thought-provoking approach invites readers to consider what it truly means to wield power and the responsibilities that come with it.

The plot is filled with unexpected twists, keeping readers engaged and eager to turn the pages. May expertly weaves together elements of suspense and intrigue, ensuring that the stakes feel high and personal throughout the journey.

Overall, To Cage A God is a stunning addition to the fantasy genre that showcases Elizabeth May's talent for storytelling. It’s a tale of bravery, love, and the struggles that define us, making it a must-read for fans of rich, character-driven narratives. Prepare to be captivated and enchanted—you won’t want to put this book down! Highly recommended!

I loved this one! The magic system is interesting and unique, I love the concept of gods living inside the MCs. The characters are intriguing and easy to empathize with and I loved their dynamic. The story jumped straight in from the start and kept me hooked the whole time

Thank you to netgalley and publishers for sending me an eArc of this book. I did go ahead and buy the illumicrate edition too before reading the eArc.
Unfortunately, I had to DNF this one due to pow intrigue. For me, I found the characters to be annoying and predictable. Whilst I enjoyed the world and the premise of having the power of a God, it was quite confusing to grasp.

I was excited for another Slavic-centered fantasy story, but I think To Cage a God was not the book for me. It had no glaring flaws, but it also did not have outstanding strengths. The worldbuilding was interesting, but the pacing was slow and, at times, disjointed; and I had a hard time caring about the characters outside of the obligatory 'ah, they are the main cast'.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC copy of this book, in exchange for this honest review.

3.5 stars
Steady world building, I was definitely invested by about half way. The characters grew on me in the same building way. I will definitely be reading on.

A Title I was incredibly excited for. The sapphic romance is lovely. The other ones a bit, meh. Story wise certain parts feel unexplained and left far too open to be resolved in just one more book. I think this idea would have been better formulated as another YA novel, it would have got away with a lot of the openess left. It was a fun read, in that it was definitely a step towards high fantasy romantasy, but at times it felt like it was trying too hard without success. I loved the disability rep! I like the fact it could easily be read as a standalone, rather than the oft done cliffhanger of a duologuy or trilogy. It was enjoyable.

I never rolled my eyes so much while reading a book. This book is a compendium of clichés and made me gag. The only good thing about it was that it was short and easy to read; otherwise, I would have DNF it below 20%. This is YA, even if the author insists it's not YA, because the writing and the overall superficiality of the worldbuilding and plot are full of YA vibes. The "dark" content doesn't make it any less YA-like or formulaic, either. PLEASE brand your books correctly because it will create unnecessary negative reviews if I knew this was YA probably, I would not have requested it

When I first saw the description for this book, I was really excited for the queer representation. However, it seems like there wasn't as much as advertised, which was a really big turn-off. I couldn't get very far into the book, but I'm keeping it on my list for a future read.

This is another book I've been meaning to read for ages.
I think my favourite part of To Cage A God are the character's development and interactions.
Isidora is a brilliant villain - she's practically unhinged.
I enjoyed all the characters' storylines and am happy with how they ended up.
I loved Galina and Vasilisa together as well as Sera and Vitalik. I would like to find out more about Anna though.
I have hope for them for the future and so I would definitely read a sequel.

So sadly this book wasn’t for me. I really wanted to like it but i couldnt push myself. I did like the writing style

Thank Netgalley and the publisher for the ebook in exchange for my honest review.
I enjoyed this book it was captivating and easy to read the world and the characters were interesting and not overly exhausting to keep up with. I was intrigued when I read that disability representation was in this book especially Chronic pain, as a person who has the long term condition it was interesting to see how it was handled, it was done ok but could've been fleshed out more.
Exciting story with well rounded characters and world building, a good start will definitely read more from this author. Will definitely buy for Brompton library. Solid 4 Stars for me ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Unfortunately I just couldn't get into this one, although I did finish it. The plot is all over the place. Part fantasy, part romance, part thriller at times instead of settling on one strong genre to flourish in, it stagnates by trying to combine the three. The world building is muddled, not well explained and the characters seem to be without motive for a lot of the plot. I'll admit it took me a long time to read this one due to me being perpetually confused and at a loss to what was going on.

Some interesting ideas, but unfortunately I just didn't enjoy this one.

Thank you to Daphne Press and Elizabeth May for an arc copy of To Cage a God. Apologies for the late review.

The prologue was a great start to the book, leaving me wanting to know more. However, as much as I enjoyed the book's premise, I think the writing wasn't for me. It somehow read too "simple" which did not help the world building in my opinion.
This was a book I was very excited to read (although I did end up picking it up too late) and also my first Elizabeth May book, am unsure if her writing style is for me or if it was just the wrong time to pick it up.
Something I really appreciated was the sisterly bond between Sera and Galya

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc in exchange for this review.

Apologies for my delay, I’ve had a very hectic few months.

Long story short: this wasn’t for me and not what I’d hoped for.

Unfortunately, I DNF'ed this book as I couldn't get myself into it, and it actually put me into such a reading slump. The writing style wasn't for me, I found the plot quite slow and couldn't get into the characters - the MC was quite annoying to me 🙈
However as I have not fully read this book, I am leaving a star rating to match the average.

This was an interesting read!

Although I initially found it a bit confusing with 5 POVs, it mainly centers around the two main sisters and how their lives are shaped in this Slavic-inspired world. I enjoyed the writing and the worldbuilding, but the characters and relationships fell a little flat. The pacing felt good for the last 30% but I feel like this was just build-up for the coming books. Overall, however, I found this an interesting read and I love the author's writing, so this was a good addition to my collection of her work!

Thanks NetGalley and the publishers for the e-arc!

This book took me so long to read, I paused it several times throughout reading it, unfortunately it just didn’t grab me and draw me in enough to need to read it.

I struggled quite a bit with the prose but that might be a me specific problem and I found the plot quite slow and boring.

Honestly I’m really disappointed, it was a highly anticipated 2024 read for me and I’ve loved some of Elizabeth’s other books, but this just wasn’t for me unfortunately.

4.5 stars

This book is about rebellion, found family and magical beasts bounded to people.
I had high hopes for this book and luckily it mostly delivered. Although having magical beasts/gods bounded with humans have been done a lot, this still felt new and exciting. I loved that there was limits (at least for some people) to the power and there is the "god-complex" the people with power develop (in most cases).
But where this book shone, were the characters. I enjoyed most of them (especially the dry humor most of the had). But lets be honest, I read this book for V. and S. Only for them. And I loved how their relationship was portrayed (will not go to detailed because of spoilers). This was so refreshing. I would love to see more of them (and their past interactions.

What I had problem with this book, was the Russian inspired-ness. There are so many of them, especially when dealing with rebellion and cruel rulers. Honestly, I think this book would have benefitted with having a generic fantasy world. The russian setting was not even that much in the book (except the language, I guess; my russian is very rusty).

First of all, thanks to Daphne Press because it's always so kind to grant me its arcs.
Rate: 2-5 stars
Unfortunately, this is the kind of review I never imagined to write about a book written by Elizabeth May.
I'm so disappointed, because I really love this author and here and there I saw glimpses of her beatiful writing style, but that's not enough to make me enjoy this story. Maybe it wasn't the right time to start it, maybe it was me who didn't pay the appropriate attention to the worldbuilding and the plot, but I constantly had the feeling to be reading a first draft, not just an uncorrected version.
The structure of the story is built around several events that yes, make the reader and the characters move forward and adapt to different situations, but their reactions, their interactions seemed trivial and obvious. The ending too is confused, without great cliff-hangers or surprises.
The main figures are interesting considered as individual units, but - even if I LOVE romance in a novel - when together, were just a mix of "your mine"; "I want him/her" and at a certain point the whole thing became just boring and already seen. And I'm really displeased, because I see the potential and I appreciated both Vitaly and Sera/Galya and Vasya... Even when Vasily discovers Sera's secret the entire situation resolves itself in... few pages? Too fast and a little bit too "easy", maybe.
Furthermore, the main antagonist is an empress that seems, at the beginning, to be this way because others (and the events marking her life) forced her to, but this wasn't explained more or deepened, leaving Isadora just as a mad woman who wants power, with distorted feelings for Katya (?) and her daughter.
One of the only thing I appreciated was the sisterly bond between Sera and Galya, strong and consistent during the whole book, and the fact that Sera's zmeya is attracted by Vitaly (there will be an explanation in volume two...? I hope so), and I can understand her, because without his endless praise to Sera, he's my favorite character.
At this point I'm divided whether continue the series or say goodbye to it. What I'm sure of is that Elizabeth could do so much better...that's a real pity.