Release Day Review – Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead

Title: Gameboard of the Gods

Author: Richelle Mead

Series: Age of X #1

Genre: Fantasy/ Sci-fi

Published: June 4^th 2013

Book Description

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 X series, will have all the elements that have made her YA Vampire Academy and Bloodlines series such megasuccesses: sexy, irresistible characters; romantic and mythological intrigue; and relentless action and suspense.

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My Review

I must admit I found it a little difficult to get into this book in the beginning. I have read all of Richelle Mead’s books and in Gameboard of the Gods, we enter into an ultramodern world where Norse Mythology is very active and there are believers all over the world who choose to follow the different Gods or Goddesses. If you do follow a religion, there are set rules and procedures in place you must adhere to if you want to operate under the belief of your God. Before Justin’s exile, he was one of the people that worked for the SCI and visited places of worship to make sure that people were following the guidelines until he started to see things that were beyond what he had known to believe.

Mae is a Praetorian, which is basically a form of law enforcement. She has worked very hard to be in this position and we find out early how good she is, but being a Praetorian always comes with a price. After an incident at the beginning of the book she is soon off on an assignment that will have her opening her eyes to a whole new world.

Mae has some secrets and once Justin knows most of the details he begins to understand her a little better and even opens up to her a little himself. Justin isn’t the normal person that people believe him to be either. He has some underlying issues and along the journey, they are revealed and slowly things slot into place and I started to become captivated by the book! I began to like both of the characters and their roles in the society. They are very different characters, where Mae is very straight forward and takes her work very seriously, Justin tries to hide behind his good looks and charm but is very intelligent and can see people for who they truly are. But working together makes them a very forcible team!

The books that I have read by Richelle Mead before have been usually told from the first person’s POV, where in this book it is told in the third person, and by three different people. I enjoyed how the story played out in the end, even though in the beginning I was finding it a little hard to follow. Once I was able to understand the characters, the world and a little of the politics I found it hard to put the book down. The main characters definitely have chemistry but there are reasons for the distance between them and I am beginning to wonder if it will last! Ultimately, I found Gameboard of the Gods to be an engaging book, which had action, lust and mystery. It is the beginning of big things and I am definitely on for the ride!!

I received a copy of this book from the Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Check out other reviews of Richelle Meads books

Bloodlines

The Golden Lily

The Indigo Spell