Rating: /10

Synopsis

On the peak of the Mountain Pass, the Four-Front War takes its final breaths.

The walls are closing in.

The allies are dwindling.

The last front is on its knees.

The Rest to the Gods is a prequel novella in The Song of the Sleepers, an epic fantasy series by Australian fantasy author Joshua Walker.

Quick Review

The Rest to the Gods is a fascinating introduction to Joshua Walker’s epic fantasy series. This is a story about a period of political unrest, but also about Nischia’s journey to self acceptance—all in a stunning and original setting.

Full Review

Thanks to Joshua Walker for providing me with an advanced reader copy of The Rest to the Gods audiobook (which is available now!).

The Rest to the Gods is an epic fantasy crammed into a novella, and while I commend what the author has accomplished here, that is the root of many of my criticisms about this book. Simply put, I don’t think Walker gave himself enough time or space to accomplish everything that he attempts in this story.

That said, there is a lot to love here. The tale takes place across two timelines: the present-day tale of a daring suicide mission among unlikely companions, alternating alongside the story of how our protagonist Nischia became a sleeper—a kind of mage. Throughout, Nischia fights a battle against her foes as well as her own fears and doubts. There’s an uplifting story here, despite the betrayal, loss, and war that’s taking center stage. Nischia’s story is one of overcoming all this.

However, in my opinion, there simply wasn’t enough time in this 126 page novella to pack all of that into what is effectively two separate stories. Without spoiling too much, there are moments in the present-day parts which feel rushed—the ending in particular. As for the story about Nischia’s past training as a sleeper, there is a significant betrayal that she takes very personally, but I never got time to feel close to that character so I had a very difficult time relating to what Nischia was feeling in those moments. I feel that another thirty or forty pages or so added to each half of this story would have done them wonders.

That said, I came away impressed by Walker’s writing and the setting he’s building with this first entry to The Song of the Sleepers series. He attempts so much, and although it didn’t quite come together for me, the setting still drew me in and I was always excited to hear what was coming next in both sides of Nischia’s story.

The worldbuilding is particularly impressive. The setting feels deep and lived-in. Walker does this by discussing histories of this place and the people in a way that feels mostly organic. There’s a lot of in-world terminology like sleepers (mages) and nestlers (anthropomorphic peoples) and when paired with all the names of people and places it can become a lot. You really have to pay attention in those first couple chapters, especially if you’re listening on audio. I imagine this could be a problem for people who are less familiar with this kind of storytelling—I would not recommend The Rest to the Gods if you’re brand-new to epic fantasy.

However, for me, it was never quite overwhelming, and all these details help make the setting feel particularly unique. I suspect this is what many readers will enjoy most about the book. I can compare The Rest to the Gods’ story to other works, but comparing the setting to another one becomes difficult.

I recommend The Rest to the Gods, so long as you’re up to such a densely packed epic fantasy like this. I do wish the story had gotten a bit more time to breathe, but I ultimately enjoyed what Walker gave us, and Imogen Church’s performance in the audiobook was superb. At just 126 pages or 4:40 for the audio version, it’s also a quick read. The Rest to the Gods is the perfect way to find out if you’re up for more of Walker’s epic fantasy series The Song of the Sleepers.