Review & Giveaway: Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead

Gameboard of the Gods (Age of X #1) by Richelle Mead 
Publisher: Dutton Adult
Release Date: June 4, 2013
Purchase: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

In a futuristic world nearly destroyed by religious extremists, Justin March lives in exile after failing in his job as an investigator of religious groups and supernatural claims. But Justin is given a second chance when Mae Koskinen comes to bring him back to the Republic of United North America (RUNA). Raised in an aristocratic caste, Mae is now a member of the military’s most elite and terrifying tier, a soldier with enhanced reflexes and skills.

When Justin and Mae are assigned to work together to solve a string of ritualistic murders, they soon realize that their discoveries have exposed them to terrible danger. As their investigation races forward, unknown enemies and powers greater than they can imagine are gathering in the shadows, ready to reclaim the world in which humans are merely game pieces on their board.

Gameboard of the Gods, the first installment of Richelle Mead’s Age of X series, will have all the elements that have made her YA Vampire Academy and Bloodlines series such megasuccesses: sexy, irresistible characters; romantic and mythological intrigue; and relentless action and suspense

My Thoughts:
Mead has created possibly one of the most complicated worlds I have ever read.  In the beginning this was a very very bad thing and it felt like she was trying a little to hard to make the jump into the adult genre, but after I hit the middle part of the book I was totally engrossed and knew what was going on.  It kinda felt like in the middle she dropped some of the confusing elements and just finally went with the story which she has always been amazing at creating.

Don't get me wrong I ended up really liking the world but man was it hard to grasp. There is so much that went into this, Gods, sci-fi elements, romance, backstories and that is just the stuff I can put into words.  I probably should have taken notes because I know that when I pick up the sequel I am going to be oh so lost, but I will definitely pick it up nonetheless.  I did end up really enjoying what Mead has created and I am totally enthralled with this new series.  She has created something so unique and different and if you can get past the difficultness of it then I think most will fall in love with this series as well.

I loved Mae.  She is the kick arse heroine that Rose with just kicked up a notch if you can believe it.  I always love the girls that can hold there own and she can with the best of them.  I am very excited to see her relationship with Justin grow as well.  These two definitely have some hurdles to overcome and Mead is a mastermind at creating tension among couples so I know I am in for a bumpy ride, especially given all that was revealed at the end.  Justin was a little harder to warm up to.  I like that he is super smart at what he does but his sleeping around has to stop.  I am not a fan of this type of behavior so I really hope he tames that down in the next installment.  Mae deserves better even if she had a few side distractions as well.  Those also need to stop.

The one part that truly bothered me was Tess and wasn't her character it is just the fact that she is as involved as she is.  When I picked this up I knew it was adult so I assumed every character would be over the age of 18 and while I don't mind having younger characters in adult books I don't like them having chapters in their POV's unless they are needed.  Tess wasn't needed.  I am not sure if Mead just wanted to have that YA element in it so she felt more at home or if it is for her readers so that they feel more at home with the story, but it didn't work for me.  I wanted to stay in the adult world and every time Tess took over I felt myself slipping into YA territory.  I am hoping that Tess will play a larger part in the gran scheme of things since Mead made her such a relevant character and since I know she isn't going anywhere.  I don't want her to be an empty character.

If you are a fan of Meads other 2 series' then I hope you pick this up.  Yes it is complicated and yes you will have a headache while reading it, but I promise the last 1/3 of the book is worth the headache and aggravation.  I promise you won't want to miss this!

4 Snowflakes

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