Some days, Nyx was a Bel Dame - an honored, respected, and deadly government-funded assassin - other days, she was a butcher and a hunter; a woman ...
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Dec 15, 2011
Karen
rated it: 
I picked this up after reading the first few sentences online:
"Nyx sold her womb somewhere between Punjai and Faleen, on the edge of the desert.
Drunk, but no longer bleeding, she pushed into a smoky cantina just after dark and ordered a pinch of morphine and a whiskey chaser. She bet all of her money on a boxer named Jaks, and lost it two rounds later when Jacks hit the floor like an antique harem girl."
That is a kick-ass entry to a story, if you ask me. More...
"Nyx sold her womb somewhere between Punjai and Faleen, on the edge of the desert.
Drunk, but no longer bleeding, she pushed into a smoky cantina just after dark and ordered a pinch of morphine and a whiskey chaser. She bet all of her money on a boxer named Jaks, and lost it two rounds later when Jacks hit the floor like an antique harem girl."
That is a kick-ass entry to a story, if you ask me. More...
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Oct 24, 2011
ambyr
rated it:
Orson Scott Card talks a lot in his How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy about exposition, and about how science fiction and fantasy readers react to it with different expectations than non-genre readers. Roughly summarized, his point is that if you open a story with, "She mounted her graazchak," an experienced genre reader will think, "Huh. Okay, there's a creature called a graazchak and it can be ridden. I'll keep that in mind, and keep an eye out for more information about
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Sep 26, 2011
Mihir
rated it:
I was interested in Kameron Hurley’s book since I had heard about it late in 2009, I had originally included it in my 2010 anticipated list, however due to certain publishing dilemmas this book was given the pink slip by its original publisher and then was picked by Night Shade books. This delayed the book’s publication by nearly a year and so when I contacted Ms. Hurley for a review copy, she gladly obliged & I dove in wondering how it would stack up against my anticipation.
God’s War More...
God’s War More...
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Jul 11, 2011
Foxessa
rated it: 
A first novel, SF. One wonders if the author's read Donald Kingsbury's 1982 Hugo nominated Courtship Rite? She may not have been born in 1982 ... or, Dune, for that matter, and surely she wasn't born in 1965; her parents might not even have been born in 1965. A reader who has read the older titles will be reminded of them when reading this new one.
For reasons I cannot pinpoint, the inclusion of 'cantina' in her world context unsettles and throws me out everytime it is used, even tho More...
For reasons I cannot pinpoint, the inclusion of 'cantina' in her world context unsettles and throws me out everytime it is used, even tho More...
Apr 12, 2011
Ian
rated it:
I'm conflicted about rating this book. One one side, the writing is fluid and the worldbuilding is spectacular: the middle-eastern/Islamic cultures are well rounded and believable, and there is no dumbing down for the Western reader (if you don't know what a dhoti or a burnous is, get ready to google a lot in the first few chapters; also, a bel dame is not a French pretty woman); and the planet itself is a carefully crafted scenario, with its mostly desertic setting, the harsh suns, and the incr
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Apr 06, 2011
Frida Fantastic
rated it:
God’s War takes place on a brutal desert planet with a centuries-long holy war fought between Muslim colonists. It makes Herbert’s Arrakis seem like a nice place to retire. It’s a world filled with a black-market organ trade, underground boxing rings, and writhing insects that enable magicians to put bodies back together.
As most of the boys die for the war, it’s dames like Nyx that run the town. She and her team of bounty hunters are on the hunt for an alien with knowledge that could e More...
As most of the boys die for the war, it’s dames like Nyx that run the town. She and her team of bounty hunters are on the hunt for an alien with knowledge that could e More...
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Mar 27, 2011
The following sentence is very nerdy: I got an electronic copy of this book for free through a Night Shade Books promotion from io9 for their online book club. And I decided to do that because I started to get curious about various etext formats and readers. (Which is also a pretty nerdy sentence.) I ended up reading this book on iBook on my iPhone, which was a fine experience--the screen only shows a small amount of text at a time, but then I didn't have to worry about losing my place. (When re
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Mar 21, 2011
Sarah
rated it: 
This novel is big and intense, albeit slow going at the beginning. When I read Kameron Hurley’s Big Idea post at Whatever, this was the part that grabbed me:
"Thing was, Nyx isn’t the sort who likes to be used. So when the inevitable bounty hunter story starts, we are not dealing with bounty hunters as we know them anymore. We’re not in a world we can immediately recognize. The day is nearly thirty hours long. The suns give everybody cancer. Nobody can remember a time without w More...
"Thing was, Nyx isn’t the sort who likes to be used. So when the inevitable bounty hunter story starts, we are not dealing with bounty hunters as we know them anymore. We’re not in a world we can immediately recognize. The day is nearly thirty hours long. The suns give everybody cancer. Nobody can remember a time without w More...
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Mar 09, 2011
February
rated it:
This book is possibly the first apocalyptical SF book I've read set in a distinctly Middle-Eastern type of setting. It has bugs for the ick factor (I'm not a fan of them), and it has a really strong kick-ass female protagonist (I'm a HUGE fan of them).
The world-building is detailed in the gritty sort of way (though I did find myself wondering what regular people did and how economies continued to work with such a vicious war going on.) The politics of race are unfortunately very More...
The world-building is detailed in the gritty sort of way (though I did find myself wondering what regular people did and how economies continued to work with such a vicious war going on.) The politics of race are unfortunately very More...
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Feb 24, 2011
Trevor
rated it:
I will start this review with a couple of confessions. First session, the author is a childhood friend, so my review may be a little biased. Second confession, I am usually a fantasy over SciFi reader. I often lose patience with over zealous social commentary and/or the over-explanation of advanced/weird technology.
Onto the actual review:
I'm not a writer. I muddle through some creative writing, world-building, and the like in an effort to find some creative outlet for the ide More...
Onto the actual review:
I'm not a writer. I muddle through some creative writing, world-building, and the like in an effort to find some creative outlet for the ide More...
Jan 28, 2011
Robert
rated it:
This is a pretty brutal book, the protagonist is a person who is next to impossible to empathize with, the story is harsh and driven by conflict, but the book is fascinating nonetheless. Sci-fi with this combination of strong female protagonists and a world based on Arabic/Semitic themes is rare.
Books it reminded me of, at least in part, include Joe Abercrombie's The Blade Itself, N. Lee Wood's Looking for the Mahdi, and for the Middle Eastern themes; George Alec Effinger's A Fire in the Sun More...
Books it reminded me of, at least in part, include Joe Abercrombie's The Blade Itself, N. Lee Wood's Looking for the Mahdi, and for the Middle Eastern themes; George Alec Effinger's A Fire in the Sun More...
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May 20, 2011
Wolfy
rated it:
Talented young author, Kameron Hurley, turns out an ambitious & thought provoking Dark Sci-Fi novel, that examines our current & past global social problems. This author either did an extensive amount of research or knows a great deal about theology & the Islamic culture. A very introspective, yet objective, look into religion & the very real social issues we still face. And although I can appreciate and admire the quality of work that went into writing & constructing this book, I didn't find my
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Jul 01, 2011
Efseine
rated it:
This book has one of the most fascinating and innovative settings of anything I've read in the genre, a thoughtful (and extremely scary) look at a future that's not as implausible as I want it to be - aside from the magic, of course. And how delightful that magic was, a bug-based brand I've never seen before, well-drawn and utterly fitting for the desert setting.
It's also basically the definition of gritty. Oftentimes such things feel overblown but this never does, probably because t More...
It's also basically the definition of gritty. Oftentimes such things feel overblown but this never does, probably because t More...
Apr 10, 2011
Joseph
rated it: 
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Jul 30, 2011
When men go of to war, women are supposed weep and worry. Not here. A book not about the war, but about those left behind, those who come back, people and cultures gutted and reduced. Whats startling is the choice not to make this mournful or sentimental - the story of waiting women - but instead the world behind the front is almost uncompromisingly vile, a bitter, post apocalyptic wreck, the war it's symptom as much as it's cause.
I enjoyed the world building a lot as well - only broa More...
I enjoyed the world building a lot as well - only broa More...
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Aug 29, 2011
Fence
rated it:
War is hell. Especially on a planet torn up between warring religious countries. Nyx has done her time at the front, been a hero and had her body rebuilt. Then she joined the bel dame, government mercenary/bounty hunters to you and me. A sister-hood of the elite to them. But she has been doing black work for extra money and now her sisters are after her.
I really wanted to enjoy this book. It has so much going for it. First off, it is not your usual sci-fi war story. It isn’t set at the More...
I really wanted to enjoy this book. It has so much going for it. First off, it is not your usual sci-fi war story. It isn’t set at the More...
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May 16, 2011
Ruth
rated it:
This is one of those books that I am going to allow myself a little indulgence. I'm going to overlook some stylistic choices that jarred me a little, plus the fact that I would not have picked up this book at face value in a store or library. Fortunately, I have a Nook Color, and I gave God's War a chance.
As a reader, I know I can only take so much science and political intrigue before I'm ready to throw the book at a wall. This makes my relationship with sci-fi, fantasy, and speculati More...
As a reader, I know I can only take so much science and political intrigue before I'm ready to throw the book at a wall. This makes my relationship with sci-fi, fantasy, and speculati More...
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Jun 03, 2011
Lindsay
rated it:
Premise: Nyx is a bounty hunter on a desert world eternally at war. She is sent on a troubling mission to find an alien woman who she's told is able to end the war, but she might lose her team and her life trying to find the woman and find out the truth.
I think this may be a case of missed connections, because everyone seems to love this book, and I just didn't. I don't think it's a bad book, I think it's well written in a technical sense, but I didn't enjoy reading it.
I foun More...
I think this may be a case of missed connections, because everyone seems to love this book, and I just didn't. I don't think it's a bad book, I think it's well written in a technical sense, but I didn't enjoy reading it.
I foun More...
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Mar 31, 2011
Lexie
rated it:
I'm not even sure where to start with this honestly. That's a good thing! This book surprised me and terrified me and rewarded me for moving past my initial distaste for a book dedicated to packing as many bugs per a page as GOD'S WAR seemed to be. I have a deep abiding fear of bugs that borders on paranoid delusions that they have a conspiracy to behead me.
I read elsewhere that Hurley describes this as 'bug-punk' which is an accurate description as any. Bugs make this world go rou More...
I read elsewhere that Hurley describes this as 'bug-punk' which is an accurate description as any. Bugs make this world go rou More...
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Mar 10, 2011
Hobart
rated it:
On a planet colonized by Muslims using insect-based technology in the far-flung future ravaged a multi-sect religious war, in the midst of which a scrappy band of pansexual assassins try to scrap out a living (selling the occasional organ to pay bills). Ho-hum. Nothing we all haven't read a thousand times before, right?
Well, maybe not. Fantastic concept, well-written, heckuva world built by Hurley here.
But here's the problem -- I couldn't force myself to care about a More...
Well, maybe not. Fantastic concept, well-written, heckuva world built by Hurley here.
But here's the problem -- I couldn't force myself to care about a More...
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Sep 06, 2011
Justin
rated it:
http://staffersmusings.blogspot.com/2011...
I salute Night Shade Books. Starting with Paolo Bacigalupi's The Windup Girl two years ago, they've been been pumping out quality debuts. This year alone Night Shade released an incredible portfolio of new authors that have been consistently well received (you can visit a nice chunk of them at http://night-bazaar.com/). God's War from Kameron Hurley is very much in this tradition albeit in a novel that ignores genre tradition with impunity More...
I salute Night Shade Books. Starting with Paolo Bacigalupi's The Windup Girl two years ago, they've been been pumping out quality debuts. This year alone Night Shade released an incredible portfolio of new authors that have been consistently well received (you can visit a nice chunk of them at http://night-bazaar.com/). God's War from Kameron Hurley is very much in this tradition albeit in a novel that ignores genre tradition with impunity More...
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Apr 28, 2011
Derek
rated it:
An intense fantasy world!
Kameron Hurley has created a brutal and unforgiving location for the setting of this story. The holy war between two nations has raged on for so long few remember what started it, the twin suns of the planets solar system create a dangerous atmosphere that creates cancer quickly to those with too much exposure to it, and the wildlife that roam the outskirts of the cities can be savage to those unprepared to fend against it.
In the opening chapters, all More...
Kameron Hurley has created a brutal and unforgiving location for the setting of this story. The holy war between two nations has raged on for so long few remember what started it, the twin suns of the planets solar system create a dangerous atmosphere that creates cancer quickly to those with too much exposure to it, and the wildlife that roam the outskirts of the cities can be savage to those unprepared to fend against it.
In the opening chapters, all More...
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Nov 21, 2011
Eh?Eh!
rated it:
Night Shade Books (the publisher) has my number when it comes to whatever it is that catches my eye with cover pictures. And then NSB hits my other sensory checkpoints when I pick up a book - the books are a good size and heft for cradling in the hands or lap, the cover material is a non-glossy and yet satiny-smooth finish that doesn't preserve unsightly greasy fingerprints, and the pages and print are sturdy and don't smear. I was actually hooked by the 2nd in the series for this and another
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Jan 21, 2011
Stefan
rated it:
3.5 stars
Some reviews are harder to write than others. Take God’s War, the first novel by Kameron Hurley, an author whose blog I’ve been reading with interest. The book had a long journey getting published (which you can read about on said blog) and has now, finally, reached the shelves thanks to the awesome folks at Night Shade Books. I was excited to get my hands on this book, because it’s in a sub-genre (or maybe more accurately, the cross-section of a few sub-genres) I love, ha More...
Some reviews are harder to write than others. Take God’s War, the first novel by Kameron Hurley, an author whose blog I’ve been reading with interest. The book had a long journey getting published (which you can read about on said blog) and has now, finally, reached the shelves thanks to the awesome folks at Night Shade Books. I was excited to get my hands on this book, because it’s in a sub-genre (or maybe more accurately, the cross-section of a few sub-genres) I love, ha More...
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Jan 17, 2011
Ranting
rated it:
http://www.rantingdragon.com/gods-war-by...
Kameron Hurley’s stellar debut novel follows the bloody life of Nyxnissa, commonly called Nyx, a bel dame (government-funded bounty hunter) trying to survive in a world consumed by a holy war that’s been raging for centuries. When she’s relieved of her duties for doing black work of her own to earn extra cash for herself, she has to adapt and find a new way of living.
To survive, Nyx has created a team of independent bounty-hunters th More...
Kameron Hurley’s stellar debut novel follows the bloody life of Nyxnissa, commonly called Nyx, a bel dame (government-funded bounty hunter) trying to survive in a world consumed by a holy war that’s been raging for centuries. When she’s relieved of her duties for doing black work of her own to earn extra cash for herself, she has to adapt and find a new way of living.
To survive, Nyx has created a team of independent bounty-hunters th More...
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Oct 31, 2011
Richard
rated it:
Are you tired of farmboys?
Do you feel like if you read about another Great Evil that you might do yourself bodily harm?
Tired of swords and horsies, are you?
Good! Welcome to "God's War". There are bugs and holy wars and untypical characters inside its pages. The world Kameron Hurley creates is definitely New Weird and also in that wonderful gooey center where you can't decide if it should be called Sci-Fi or Fantasy. It has the best worldbuilding of a More...
Do you feel like if you read about another Great Evil that you might do yourself bodily harm?
Tired of swords and horsies, are you?
Good! Welcome to "God's War". There are bugs and holy wars and untypical characters inside its pages. The world Kameron Hurley creates is definitely New Weird and also in that wonderful gooey center where you can't decide if it should be called Sci-Fi or Fantasy. It has the best worldbuilding of a More...
Dec 24, 2011
Nicholas
rated it:
I really liked this book. I liked it so much I don't really trust my review of it, because I'm well aware that I'm blind to the book's flaws.
I'm especially fond of the character Nyx. She is balanced in a place that I find absolutely fascinating. She's not a complete femme fatale a la Linda Fiorentino's Wendy Kroy in The Last Seduction, but she isn't female hero in the mold of Buffy Summers or Sookie Stackhouse who balances her strength with her vulnerability. Nyx operates only from a p More...
I'm especially fond of the character Nyx. She is balanced in a place that I find absolutely fascinating. She's not a complete femme fatale a la Linda Fiorentino's Wendy Kroy in The Last Seduction, but she isn't female hero in the mold of Buffy Summers or Sookie Stackhouse who balances her strength with her vulnerability. Nyx operates only from a p More...
Feb 21, 2011
Eric
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Jun 06, 2011
Rachael
rated it:
Ouch. This book was seriously violent and none of the characters were black & white, they were all conflicted, in a way you were rooting for them and on another level you were wondering if the main set of characters were even the good guys in the story.
This book was a completely different take on a fantasy/scifi cross than I have seen before. I liked the different angle, the conflicted characters and I can deal with the violence, it was all in character & fit into the plot. It was d More...
This book was a completely different take on a fantasy/scifi cross than I have seen before. I liked the different angle, the conflicted characters and I can deal with the violence, it was all in character & fit into the plot. It was d More...
Feb 13, 2011
Bob
rated it:
About 50 pages in and really like it. Not an easy read - like many fantasy books, it just dumps you in and you need to figure it out. I like that, though.
Great world building and strong character development. Very neat premise (two Muslim nations on a colonized planet far in the future; constantly at war with each other). Very harsh and graphic, though, so be careful if that bothers you. Very strong female lead character. For some reason this reminds me of Richard Morgan's Woken Furi More...
Great world building and strong character development. Very neat premise (two Muslim nations on a colonized planet far in the future; constantly at war with each other). Very harsh and graphic, though, so be careful if that bothers you. Very strong female lead character. For some reason this reminds me of Richard Morgan's Woken Furi More...
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