Book Review: Goddess of Limbo by Lea Falls

 

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Thank you to NetGalley and Zauberfalls Publishing for allowing me to read this ARC!

Content Warning: Check the link here at the author's website for a detailed list of triggers.

Balthos and Alames were once a celestial couple, spending their days loving one another and, in Alames's case, reaping souls. But when Balthos -- in an effort to create his twisted idea of a perfect world -- usurps their creators in order to make himself and Alames gods, it causes her soul to shatter into tons of lost splinters. In the new generation, who unwittingly worship Balthos and the monsters he's created, Alames finds hope: there's Alexandra, the "Mad Princess," who wants nothing but the best for her people; Captain Subira Se'azana, an elfish military leader who is thrust into an uncertain future; the insurgent half-elf, half-human Vana; and many others, all who offer both Alames and themselves another chance at life.

I don't read much fantasy. This year, it's come more onto my radar, and I've picked up a few books here and there which have given me a taste for exploring this genre more. When I saw Goddess of Limbo on Netgalley, I was both intrigued and intimidated: it is high fantasy, a sort of alluring mixture of Lord of the Rings combined with newer takes like Game of Thrones, complete with its own world, politics and species. Let me also clarify, though, that unlike many of the books that populate the mainstream of fantasy, it's full of amazing representation which only adds to its wonderful, creative spin!

It isn't easy to make every single point-of-view character interesting, but somehow, Falls does it. They're all fascinating, relatable even in their darkest moments, with distinct narrative voices. It's practically a form of magic in and of itself to be able to pull that off. This is a hefty book, clocking in around 670 pages, and man, is it worth every page. I definitely have my personal favorites -- Subira, Vana, and Sachihiro a few amongst many -- but it doesn't have that horrible feeling of reading a character's chapter with dread, or feeling bored until you're back in a certain story arc. Instead, all of the many subplots are not only original and compelling in their own right, but make perfect sense when put together with the novel as a whole.

The plot itself is difficult to define or describe in only a few sentences; it's part of something much bigger, much more overarching, that I expect will continue over several books. I'm not a big fan of series', to be perfectly honest, but I was so delighted when I realized that this was going to be one. Although, it's so hard to not have a conclusion for everything, and to be left on a semi-cliffhanger -- I want the next one, right now! 

Falls's writing is concise, simple, but also embellished with wonderful descriptions which help to transport you to this fantasy realm. It doesn't matter if you're reading about an orc, human, elf or even a god; it's full of both the hardships we experience here in our own world and the ones unique to Falls's universe. I must also applaud her creativity, particularly when it comes to the religions, politics and forms of magic that she came up with. This has made me a true fantasy fan. 

When a book can take you so effortlessly into its universe, when you anticipate picking it back up and find yourself enthusiastic for every chapter, you know it can't be anything but a five star read. I highly recommend this, and I urge you to look into it if you're interested -- this review and all the summaries in the world can't do it justice. Do yourself a favor, and pick this up when you get the chance!