5/5 stars
I legit wrote a book. Beware.
The Skinny:
Witchtig, Stehlen, and Bedeckt, three…acquaintances(?)…companions(?)…whatever you would like to call them, are on a mission to kidnap the young god-to-be, Morgen. What they don’t realize, is that in a world where virtually everyone has, in some degree, gone mad, ransoming Morgen back will not be as easy as it seems.
Note: This is a VERY condensed skinny. This book offers a heck of a lot more.
My Thoughts:
This is probably one of the best books I’ve read this year, yet also manages to be one of the most stomach churning.
This book is undeniably amazing for so many reasons.
The complexity of the world Fletcher created is utterly top-notch.
From the unique incorporation of religion, to the multitude of different peoples, this book was very well written and thought out. I can’t even begin to surmise how long it took Fletcher to craft all the different pieces of his story, particularly “The Delusional”.
I particularly liked the inclusion and concept of the Doppels (essentially a double of someone). I found their role in the story to be both integral and though-provoking. I even found myself venturing into the ‘what-would-my-Doppels-be-like’ territory.
The characters in this novel stole the show.
I’m not sure I’ve ever encountered such a thoroughly miserable and unlikable host of characters. While some have glimmers of redeeming qualities, the majority are self-serving lunatics. As I’m sure with many who have read this book, the characters that mostly stole my heart are the three that comprise the rag-tag group involved in the thievery of Morgen: Stehlen, Wichtig, and Bedeckt.
Wichtig is one of the more ridiculous characters I’ve had the pleasure of meeting. While being obsessed in his quest to be “The Greatest Swordsman in the World” he almost effectively convinces the reader that he is a dipshit. Yet, how can an idiot simultaneously be so clever? Wichtig is a kind of an anomaly.
Witchtig checked the hang of his swords and struck a dashing pose. Stehlen ignored him. Just as well, the ill-tempered wench has no fashion sense at all.
“Is the stinky old goat going to live?” Witchtig asked, holding the pose in case she looked.
Stehlen, the stinky female of the trio, is a Kleptic. During their travels, Stehlen unabashedly steals from both Witchtig and Bedeckt every chance she gets. Besides being a thief, Stehlen is extremely unhinged and deadly. With little care for human life, Stehlen has no qualms about killing viciously and unnecessarily time and time again. Stehlen’s looks fit her personality; she is described on many occasions as having a terrible stench, horrendous breath, and disgusting teeth. While Stehlen seems akin to the devil incarnate, she does have glimmers of humanity.
Bedeckt, is the ‘normal’ one of the group. He is the brains of the operation, and tries to keep Stehlen and Wichtig in some sort of line (mostly he fails). Bedeckt seems to think he is worse of a person than he actually is. Bedeckt was a bit of a mystery to me; by the end of the story I was left wondering about his half-hand and missing wedding band.
Gehirn, Morgen, Konig, and even Erbrechen (ick) were also complex and vastly fascinating characters. Gehirn is probably the character that frightened me the most. Morgen is the character I thought about the most – What must it be like to be a potential god? What weight did he feel on his shoulders? Konig fascinated me because I couldn’t help but think that he was the fore-runner in an ‘experiment that went wrong.’ I kinda felt for him in this weird way. And, Erbrechen. I don’t know what to say about him. He repulsed me thoroughly because of the way he was describe, but also because of his disgusting treatment of his ‘followers’.
The plot is gripping.
Almost the entirety of the book revolves around the trio kidnapping Morgen, running from those trying to kill them/Morgen, and trying to think of ways to ransom Morgen back. This may sound boring, but, shockingly, it wasn’t. I think that this is because there were so many different threads to the story. Gehirn had her own storyline, Konig and his Doppels offered continuous intrigue, and the assassins kept the action rolling. I was not bored at all while reading this book.
The Bad:
Mainly this is just about me having an aversion to wanting to gag while reading.
Some of the more unsavory moments:
• “Human Stew” anyone? To capitalize on the grossness, the eater of said stew is a grossly, fat man by the name of Erbrechen. And I mean grossly, fat – he can barely walk.
• All of Ebrechen’s followers and their filthy habits.
• Bedeckt’s ‘snot’ problems (luckily those disappear halfway through).
• Anytime Gehirn is recovering from being in the sun too long.
Wet skin sloughed from her arms, leaving a viscous pink puddle on the ground around her.
• Hearing about Stehlen’s bad breath and stench (on multiple occasions).
• Two different beatings that were kind of horrendous for different reasons.
• This spot is reserved for the other gross things that I’m forgetting about.
Overall: If you are looking for a grimdark read, that contains fresh ideas, strong world-building, and horrifyingly-mesmerizing characters, then this may be the book for you.
The way in which this book ended leads me to believe that there will be a sequel. Can’t wait!
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