The Gods Below by Andrea Stewart
Published by Hachette UK
Age Group: Adult
Format: Fiction
Genres and Categories: Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Authors, Asian Characters, Lesbian Characters, OwnVoices Representation, Queer Characters, Sapphic Characters, Asian Mythology, Cats, Demons, Mythological Creatures, Dark Fantasy, Dystopian Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Theological Fantasy, Deity Characters, Diverse Representation, Magic Users, Family Drama, Found Family, LGBTQIA+ Romance, Chronic Illness
Series: The Hollow Covenant #1
My Rating:
Published on: 3rd September 2024
Pages: 528
Disability Representation: Unknown chronic illness.
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In this sweeping epic fantasy comes a story of magic, betrayal, love, and loyalty, where two sisters will clash on opposite sides of a war against the gods. 

A divine war shattered the world leaving humanity in ruins. Desperate for hope, they struck a deal with the devious god Kluehnn: He would restore the world to its former glory, but at a price so steep it would keep the mortals indebted to him for eternity. And as each land was transformed, so too were its people changed into strange new forms - if they survived at all.

Hakara is not willing to pay such a price. Desperate to protect herself and her sister, Rasha, she flees her homeland for the safety of a neighboring kingdom. But when tragedy separates them, Hakara is forced to abandon her beloved sister to an unknown fate.

Alone and desperate for answers on the wrong side of the world, Hakara discovers she can channel the magic from the mysterious gems they are forced to mine for Kluehnn. With that discovery comes another: her sister is alive, and the rebels plotting to destroy the God Pact can help rescue her.

But only if Hakara goes to war against a god.

This book was provided for free by NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book!

Content Warnings:

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Up until this point, I had heard a lot about Andrea Stewart’s work but had only read one of her short stories in an anthology. I was eager to read one of her novels, and The Gods Below by Andrea Stewart did not disappoint. Everything is wonderfully detailed, and each of the narrators help the reader explore the world fully.

What I found especially unique and entertaining was that this book is both apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic. In The Gods Below, the world was split into many realms so that they could be “restored”, an event that dramatically changes the environment and results in some people changing into humanoid creatures or disappearing from reality entirely. The being behind the restoration, a god, can only restore the realms one at a time. The book starts with one such realm being restored and then follows the story of characters from that realm.

By doing so, Stewart shows us the before, after and the current terrifying situation of living in a place that could disappear at any moment. Some narrators are from the realm that has just been restored, while others are in the next realm. Sometimes books with multiple narrators feel too heavy, the focus split too much. But I felt that Stewart had just the right amount of balance in this book. I also thought it was very inventive to have one of the narrative voices tell the story of the past and how the current situation was created. It is a heartbreaking account, so have some tissues on hand.

One of the secondary characters is ill with an unknown condition, and her health is deteriorating. While I normally would advocate for the disabled character to have their own voice, writing her through the eyes of one of the narrators allowed Stewart to tackle the idea of curing and saviour behaviour head-on. The narrator wants to save their friend, and it is good to see him realise his mistake in doing so.

It may seem to some that the disabled character is passive, following along with the narrator’s wishes to cure her. However, I felt that it was made clear that her focus was on spending time with her friend and doing something they both enjoyed, rather than wallowing at home.

I enjoyed The Gods Below a lot and can’t wait for the sequel! There is also gorgeous artwork to accompany the book which I highly recommend checking out.

About Andrea Stewart

Andrea Stewart is the Chinese American daughter of immigrants, and was raised in a number of places across the United States. Her parents always emphasized science and education, so she spent her childhood immersed in Star Trek and odd-smelling library books. When her (admittedly ambitious) dreams of becoming a dragon slayer didn't pan out, she instead turned to writing books. She now lives in sunny California, and in addition to writing, can be found herding cats, looking at birds, and falling down research rabbit holes.

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