Synopsis:
An orphan, without a trueborn name, returns to the city of her birth to uncover her past. Hounded by the servants of the Dark God and dying from the poisonous mist that covers the land, her path leads to one of the magical seals protecting the holy ruin of Eminence.
A father, murdered and reborn, aims to bring down the floating fortress hovering over his homeland. Burdened by loss, he’s willing to sacrifice his soul to free his city and get revenge for the destruction of his family.
A mother, captured and bonded to a daemon, kills in the name of the Dark God so she can free her tortured daughter. Relentless in her vengeance, she hunts the one person who could end her suffering: the man who would destroy her vile master.
A drake, the banished hatchling of a failed advisor, seeks his father’s stolen horns. Untested, he desires to right his father’s wrongs in the eyes of the gods and restore his family’s honor.
As all converge in the occupied desert city where the world’s fuel source is mined, one family’s bond will be tested. Old betrayals will resurface, anger and resentment will flourish, but one thing remains clear: blood rules all.
Review:
I was drawn to The Godsblood Tragedy by the promise of a dark fantasy rich in intricate world-building and religious law. I got that in spades, which I will come to in a moment. What hadn’t registered when reading the description was the fantasy/scifi mix, the blend of magical tapestries amid a belching steampunk environment.
Bill Adams, take a bow. Now this is a world I can revel in.
The lore is fantastic and blends seamlessly with the environment Adams has created for us. The darkness of his city, the descriptions that provide a vivid yet sordid eye’s view upon a poisoned world, place you at its black heart. He also populates it with some truly malevolent characters, whose acts are brutal and savage yet delivered without caricature. They revel in what they are, understand the choices they make, and written with a depth that pleases a fan of three-dimensional antagonists (i.e. me). And then we have a tortured and tangled family, torn apart and remade who form the core of the many POVs Adams uses to bring this tale of revolution and revenge to life. And for this fan of Moorcock’s Eternal Champion, a daemon-possessed dagger whose role and interactions have you rapidly turning the pages.
Amid all this praise, I implore the reader to be patient. Adams has a complex world to unfold, filled with magics and cults, religions and realms. It takes time, and like the best of fine teas, it needs to steep. His word choice can have you reaching for a dictionary, and some of the prose has a rhythm you need to tune into. But it’s so worth it. Keep going. Superb.
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