Review – The Thirteenth Hour (The Cruel Gods, Book 1) by Trudie Skies (5/5 stars)
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Gaslamp Fantasy
Length: 537 pages
Publisher:
Release Date: October 13, 2021
ASIN: B09CW634WH
Stand Alone or Series: 1st book in The Cruel Gods series
Source: Borrowed ebook through Kindle Unlimited
Rating: 5/5 stars
“Cruel gods rule the steam-powered city of Chime, demanding worship and tribute from their mortal subjects. Kayl lost her faith in them long ago, and now seeks to protect vulnerable and downtrodden mortals from their gods’ whims. But when Kayl discovers powers that she didn’t know she had—and destroys a mortal’s soul by accident—she becomes Chime’s most wanted.
Quen’s job was to pursue sinners, until the visions started. Haunted by foreboding images of his beloved city’s destruction, Quen hunts soul-sucking creatures made of aether who prey on its citizens—and Kayl is his number one target.
To ensure Chime’s future, Kayl and Quen must discover the truth of Kayl’s divine abilities before the gods take matters into their own hands.”
Series Info/Source: This is the first book in The Cruel Gods series. I borrowed this on ebook through Kindle Unlimited.
Thoughts: I have been wanting to read this book for some time and it did not disappoint. This is a longer book and it took me a bit to get through. The beginning was challenging to follow because the world-building here is complex. However, once I figured out what the author was doing I was amazed and enthralled.
This book follows two characters, Kayl and Quen, who both live in the city of Chime. Chime is a city outside (but still beholden to) the twelve gods. Kayl is a rebel in a group called the Godless who is trying to protect mortals from their cruel gods. Strange things are happening to Kayl, she seems to have a power that she doesn’t understand. Quen is part of the force that pursues and arrests sinners, but then he starts having visions that lead him to Kayl.
The world-building here is complex. There are twelve races of humans all with different physical attributes and powers, twelve worlds, and a number of different groups within Chime. It was overwhelming at first. It would have been incredibly nice to have an intro in the front that introduced to you the names of the twelve gods and the attributes of the races that belong to them. However, by about 15-20% of the way in I had a pretty good grip on the set up and was awed by how well this world was designed and how much thought went into it.
I loved the plot here. There is a mystery around Kayl’s condition, a city under immense stress, and the mysterious plot of the gods. The city has a very steampunk feel to it with a lot of contraptions and aether which made the intriguing setting even more to my liking (I love a good steampunk world).
There is also a strange kind of romance here, which at first you think is one thing but then turns into something else. This book does a good job of delving into both the dark and light aspects of human nature. I was impressed on how many different levels this world and story worked for me. It delves into a lot of social issues without shoving them in your face and that only helped to enhance the story.
I should mention that I also loved all the characters in here. They are fun, complex, and delve into a lot of gray moral areas.
I was really impressed with this but it was a long and complex read. I am definitely going to continue with the series and already got the next book to read. However, I am going to take a little break to read some other books first and digest this story a bit more before delving back into the world of Chime.
My Summary (5/5): Overall I loved this and was very impressed with both the world-building and the characters here. This does start off a bit overwhelming but if you stick with it and you will be rewarded with a unique and complex story that is totally worth it. If you enjoy steampunk fantasies with intricate worlds and races I would highly recommend this. It was a surprise to me how much I truly loved this book.
