The Immortal Crown by Richelle Mead

The Immortal Crown (Age of X #2) by Richelle Mead

Fantasy/Dystopia

Rating:  5 Stars

Gameboard of the Gods introduced religious investigator Justin March and Mae Koskinen, the beautiful supersoldier assigned to protect him. Together they have been charged with investigating reports of the supernatural and the return of the gods, both inside the Republic of United North America and out. With this highly classified knowledge comes a shocking revelation: Not only are the gods vying for human control, but the elect—special humans marked by the divine—are turning against one another in bloody fashion.

Their mission takes a new twist when they are assigned to a diplomatic delegation headed by Lucian Darling, Justin’s old friend and rival, going into Arcadia, the RUNA’s dangerous neighboring country. Here, in a society where women are commodities and religion is intertwined with government, Justin discovers powerful forces at work, even as he struggles to come to terms with his own reluctantly acquired deity.

Meanwhile, Mae—grudgingly posing as Justin’s concubine—has a secret mission of her own: finding the illegitimate niece her family smuggled away years ago. But with Justin and Mae resisting the resurgence of the gods in Arcadia, a reporter’s connection with someone close to Justin back home threatens to expose their mission—and with it the divine forces the government is determined to keep secret.

My Thoughts: What an ending!! I was completely surprised. That doesn’t happen to me very often anymore. Novels are so predictable these days but this book surprised me. I was really excited to get into this one because I just finished the first in the series and loved that one as well. I received this copy for my honest review through NetGalley.com. If you don’t know what NetGalley is you need to look it up, it’s an amazing site with tons of titles and genres. I was really excited when I got accepted to read this one and I was not disappointed.

            Justin was very unlikable character in the first book of the series. He was a jerk and he deserved to get slapped. I know it’s a part of his charm but it was annoying. In this book though, he was so courageous and protective of Mae. If you read the book you understand what I mean. He had to make a decision no one wants to make, true love or freedom. He definitely improved in this book and made him easier to understand and makes it easier for us, the readers, to love him.

            This is a different world and this book explains how different it is from now in a great way. They travel to a place called Arcadia that basically is what I would compare to Amish in the sense of how different the two places are. While we thrive in technology the Amish live a life without out. In this world the RUNA runs every piece of existence of technology while the people in Arcadia runs every piece of existence with religion. They have some basic technology but they don’t allow it to get in the way of their worship. Arcadia is not a place I would ever want to go though mostly because how they treat their women. If a man tried to beat me up because I accidently showed someone my leg you can bet I will fight back and he will be regretting that decision completely.

Cover: 5/5

Writing: 5/5

Characters: 5/5

Overall Score:

Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead

Gameboard of the Gods (Age of X #1) by Richelle Mead

Science Fiction/Dystopia/Mythology

Rating:  5 Stars

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.

My Thoughts: I have never heard of this series but I have heard of the author. Richelle Mead is famous for her series The Vampire Academy and Bloodlines. She is one of my absolute favorite authors out there. So, when her book popped up on NetGalley I jumped at the chance. Only it was the second book that is on NetGalley so I had to read the first one before I read that one.

            This book is a confusing rollercoaster that I hope is going somewhere. You know that feeling on a rollercoaster when you are being jerked back and forth over and over again. One second you are moving to the right and then SLAM! You are going to the other direction. That is how it felt. It was all a good feeling though. I definitely enjoyed the ride.

            First off, this book is deeply enriched in religion that can be bad depending on the reader. To me it felt like the author did fantastic research and that I love. You can definitely tell how much love and attention goes into the work when you understand how much research went into a novel. Research is probably my favorite part in the writing process. The only part I didn’t like was the jumping from character to character without warning. That is why I love it when the authors add some kind of header to make sure the reader can keep up.

            There is a huge part of this story that can be creepy or helpful. It depends on how you see it. This new world is run electronically. That part isn’t so bad. You wouldn’t have to carry around money because your nice little device will pay it for you. The bad thing about all this technology is that each human in the RUNA are required to be chipped. Personal data is stored on the chip and it tracks you wherever you go. This is the creepy part. As a person, you would have no privacy but I think this kind of control would bring the crime rate way down.

            Justin March. What an arrogant @$$!! Okay, so he has his flaws but no matter how much I want to hate him I love him at the same time. How can someone be so awesome but all so full of himself? The most unlikable thing about him is the fact he sleeps with any woman that is breathing. Mae Koskinen is a lot more interesting. You know something big is coming to her early in the story so it builds drama and anticipation.

            Overall, I love this book. The rollercoaster actually made me love it even more. It wasn’t just a straight, narrow ride it was an enjoyable one. The good thing is that I already have the second one on my Kindle Fire already. I can’t wait to dig in for another ride.

             

Cover: 5/5

Writing: 5/5

Characters: 4/5

Overall Score: