A very engaging, if sometimes brutal, fantasy book with Russian setting and multiple POV.
Thanks to both @bolindaaudio and @dawbooks I was given the ALC (audiobook) and eARC (ebook). This way I could both listen to and read the book, which was a great experience.
The story is really well paced and is extremely gripping in both reading and listening to. The narrator of the audiobook does a really good job to transport the vibe of these hugely different characters.
Speaking of characters, they are the real strength in this narrative. There's the sisters Sera and Galina, both burdened with huge trauma and with gods caged within them - dealing very differently with their situations. There's Vasilisa and Vitaly, the respective love interests - both real strong on their own, and also giving the relationships tension, passion and angst galore.
There'sKatinka, a side character of sorts but with her own POV and a great albeit brutal story of her own - and even more side characters that are interesting.
Everything is set in Imperial Russia, which is already giving this harsh, dangerous vibe. And as one can guess, the story at heart is one of resistance and rebellion.
I think this is a standalone, which works perfectly. I'd also gladly go back into this world to get some more of these people I came to love (or hate).

4,5/5 stars and a huge recommendation.

Thank you @netgalley, DAW and Bolinda for the ARCs.

#ToCageAGod #netgalley #bookstagram

The god caged in Sera's body hated her.
They are both shackled together as a cursed pair: an imprisoned dragon and a girl who never asked for her body to be offered to a vindictive god demanding sacrifice for power.
Galina's god wants to help her be extremely powerful, yet both Galina and god are suffocating in the cage of her mind, unable to forget the nightmares.
The sisters live in a world ruled by cruel nobles, all bonded to unwilling deities unwillingly and granted godpower that obliterated empires.
To prevent war and save common lives, the sisters plan to infiltrate the palace and place Galina in a position to stand up.

"I have this under control." She was about sixty-five percent certain she had it under control.
"Coming from you, those words make me shit bricks."

Katya existed at the whims of the Empress - the empress having murdered the fifteen handmaidens before her, including her sister. Craving freedom, she forms an alliance with Sera, an informant in the palace.
Her pov's were the most nail-biting despite normally being the furthest from the action as everything she does feels at knifepoint from the Empress's fickle attitudes. She just wants to save the people around her from pain and escape her enslavement which the Empress views as a great fortune and freedom.
Having no real power, she relies on her mind and wiles to pacify the Empress whilst not betraying her true beliefs.

Sera and Galina's sister relationship is touching to behold.
Sisters through all but blood, they would destroy the world for each other.
Whilst Sera is the protective, defensive older sister, Galina appears broken and afriad of every shadow. Yet, it is Galina who has the most potential.

The romance:
Sera has a smoking hot past with a fugitive assassin who's got a penchant for blowing things up. He's incredibly dangerous and full of plots to bring down the palace - which now includes Galina.
"You could stab me in the heart and still be the only person I give a damn about."
Galina meets the sequestered Princess who, on first meeting, jokes about poisoning her tea. Alone in a palace ruled by fear, they form a tentative bond. Their relationship was soooo cute!

The Princess's easy banter and inner remonstration was extremely enjoyable.
"But I promise you this. If anyone touches you, I'll consider killing them for you."
Galina's heart skipped a beat at the tenderness in the other woman's expression. "Vasilisa Yuryevna, are you flirting with me?"
This will definitely satisfy romantasy fans, hitting that craving for snarky back-and-forth banter, tender hard-hitting proclamations, and just the right amount of burning passion.

One thing that did annoy me in this regard (which appears quite common in romantasy), ill-timed sexual scenes. You're about to die, or your friend is being tortured, or you're under a detrimental time constraint, yet you have fun time? I don't know, seems strange to me.
There are a plethora of perspectives. I swear every character who says more than five lines is given a chapter at some point.

Whilst I might have found this frustrating, I actually quite enjoyed it as it opened the world up to see from all sides.
However, it did feel like an easy narrative device used by the author.

This was delightfully funny, fast-paced, and filled with lovable (albeit morally grey) characters - and the romance never overshadowed the plot. Filled with court intrigue and cruelty, forbidden love, raging gods, and explosive magic capable of crippling empires, this romantasy was extremely entertaining.
This may be presumptuous, but I feel like this could be the next Fourth Wing hit.

I would recommend this if you enjoyed Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas or The Final Strife by Sara El-Arifi.

Thank you to Tor for providing me with a physical arc in exchange for a review!