Book Review / "Gods of Another Kind" by Steven Decker

Gods of Another Kind by Steven Decker

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


“Gods of Another Kind” by Steven Decker is an ultimate adventure that keeps you on the edge of your seat – even after you finish reading.

The third instalment of the Another Kind series introduces a new main character, and I couldn’t but immediately fall in love with him. Seriously, who wouldn’t if you met a guy who lives in the woods with nine dogs and a cat? Well, probably a lot of people would run away screaming if the meeting occurred in real life or raise their eyebrows when reading, but I was instantly smitten, since I adore animals and it really bugged me that my husband hadn’t been a fan of four-legs miracles until he capitulated under the full-blasted charm of our cat Peach. He is ten now, and I am ashamed but at the same time ridiculously ecstatic to admit that he prefers my husband’s company to mine. The capitulation can be called irrevocable and final, for we have two cats, my husband being the main motivator behind taking on board Peach’s sister Honey two years ago.

Okay, enough about pets. This review isn’t about them. Just like the book isn’t about Zach’s dogs and One-eyed Jack the cat, even though the author introduces us nicely to the whole pack at the beginning. The story is about… It is about so many – exciting, intriguing, and mind-blowing – things that I don’t know where to start.

So, “Gods of Another Kind” begins by introducing us to a new character – and his dogs, and a cat. Zachary Hurts, fifty-two, a loner, unmarried, living in the woods for the last three decades and quite satisfied with this kind of life. Until an unexpected encounter – imagine meeting a naked lady taking a swim in the lake you consider your own while you walk your dogs – turns his routine upside-down.

And from there, for Zach, begins an incredible adventure after which neither he himself nor the world he knows will ever be the same again.

The author draws vivid pictures of interstellar travel, inhabitants of other planets, their lifestyle and beliefs, and the worlds he creates on the pages of his books pull the reader in with the gravitation you can’t resist. Reading “Gods of Another Kind” made me contemplate how seamlessly people can be made to accept things that should have caused repulsion.

The world of Aria we get to travel in this book is a fascinating example of the power of self-assurance bordering on self-righteousness. Arians have built what looks like a perfect society based on transparent – and thus, just – rules. But is it truly so? And is everyone happy with the current arrangement? That’s what Zach and Gwen – not simply a strong, independent woman but also ex-President of the United States – have to find out. And try not to get killed or worse while they are at it. The first obstacle they have to overcome is to score enough on the Human Purity scale. My first reaction was indignation, of course, but then, the thought came: aren’t we already being measured by a somewhat similar scale? To be considered a decent member of society, don’t we have to comply with certain requirements, otherwise we are labelled with degrading epithets.

“Gods of Another Kind” doesn’t leave time to catch one’s breath between the chapters. Fasten your seatbelts, make sure you know where the air masks are, and prepare for a mind-bending interstellar journey.

P.S. And watch out for Alfred – Al – when you are near the ocean on Aria. A beast he might be, but he will surprise you.




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Gods of Another Kind