Gameboard of the Gods (Age of X, #1) in SOS: Serious Overload of Series

Oct 24, 2012 AH rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, blue, dystopian, arc-edelweiss, urban-fantasy, magic, babr-reviews, first-in-series, zzread-mar-2013

Gameboard of the Gods is something entirely different from author Richelle Mead. No vampires, no succubi, no fae. Instead, the reader is treated to a fast-paced mystery thriller with some supernatural elements.

The world is intriguing: a sort of post-apocalyptic world devastated by a virus that wiped out half the population. The remaining survivors suffer from all sorts of genetic woes: poor fertility, asthma, damaged hair and skin. In this world, organized religion is banned. Only state approve Gameboard of the Gods is something entirely different from author Richelle Mead. No vampires, no succubi, no fae. Instead, the reader is treated to a fast-paced mystery thriller with some supernatural elements.

The world is intriguing: a sort of post-apocalyptic world devastated by a virus that wiped out half the population. The remaining survivors suffer from all sorts of genetic woes: poor fertility, asthma, damaged hair and skin. In this world, organized religion is banned. Only state approved religion and churches are allowed to exist. The state is the higher authority.

On a more sinister side, genetic manipulations have been made in order to counteract the effects of the virus. Each citizen is given a genetic rating based upon their genetic background. The higher the number, the more likely that person could reproduce a genetically healthy offspring.

The story focuses upon two characters. Mae is a Praetorian, an elite soldier with a special implant that gives her speed and strength. Mae does have a dark side to her, and it is quite scary. Justin is a Servitor who has lived in exile in the south. Justin has a few demons of his own, and he hears the voices of two ravens in his head. (loved them!) Mae and Justin are assigned to solve a serial murder that appears to be ritualistic and occurs every full moon.

I really enjoyed this story, probably because Vancouver was the capital of the Republic of North America. It’s so much fun to see my hometown in books! I found the world absolutely fascinating, especially how the state tried to thwart religion and replace it with its own authority. I loved how the author incorporated folklore about the gods into the narrative.

Gameboard of the Gods is a solid start to an original series. Fans of Richelle Mead’s adult books would enjoy this book. My only criticism and it is minor – I was left wanting more! I can’t wait for the next book which does not yet have a publication date.

Check out the author’s webpage for more information on Gameboard of the Gods. She has a glossary of terms, and all sorts of background information here.

Thank you to Edelweiss and Dutton for a review copy of this book.

Review posted on Badass Book Reviews.
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Jan 15, 2013 April rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: awesome-worlds, read-in-2013, paranormal-supernatural, fantasy, mystery, secret-society-cults, mc-with-special-talent-s, scifi-ish, urban-fantasy

Ahh Gameboard is such a great book! I've barely been able to put it down since I started. Justin is both completely likable ad kind of dastardly. Mae is such an awesome counterpart and they play off each other well. Justin and Mae both so sure of themselves in different ways and yet having vulnerabilities too.

I'm usually not into mythology but I liked how Gameboards played out. I also love the side characters -Tessa ad Leo and even Dominic. I'm sure as the series goes on they will form an even ...more

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May 29, 2013 Chelsea rated it it was ok

Shelves: uf-pnr, magic

This review was originally posted at Vampire Book Club.

Richelle Mead’s new adult series Age of X had significant potential, but unfortunately Gameboard of the Gods tries to do too much and the reader connection is lost along the way.

Gameboard features a future version of our current world, one where a government is focused on genetic perfection and regulates procreation to that end. Tied in with their control over having kids is their anti-religion policies. They allow some religions to exist wi This review was originally posted at Vampire Book Club.

Richelle Mead’s new adult series Age of X had significant potential, but unfortunately Gameboard of the Gods tries to do too much and the reader connection is lost along the way.

Gameboard features a future version of our current world, one where a government is focused on genetic perfection and regulates procreation to that end. Tied in with their control over having kids is their anti-religion policies. They allow some religions to exist with permits, though require their believers to say they worship a “fictitious entity.” It was never clear to me why some religions were allowed and others weren’t, but the existence of the supernatural and ancient gods (think Greek, Roman, Norse, Egyptian mythology) is core to what is happening in the book. Outside of the government-run area, in the provinces (part of the novel is set in Panama) people are free to worship their gods, have babies without authoritarian say so, but they also have guns and drugs and the like. It took me a good portion of the book to sort out what exactly the rules were and how that effected everything else. The idea is clever, but there is so much to cover that the first half of the novel gets bogged down in the interplay of government vs. provincial life.

Part of the disconnect for me was the multiple viewpoints in Gameboard. Readers get to be inside the heads of three characters, and I only ever felt connected with one. First we have Mae, who is by far the most fleshed out of the three characters and the one that I was able to make an emotional investment with. She’s a military warrior and general badass. She’s assigned to help Dr. Justin March investigate a series of murders. Okay, she’s there mostly to protect him while he investigates. She has trouble expressing her emotions, had a dark past and a whole lot of confusion about her feelings regarding Justin.

Justin is kind of a dick, if we’re being honest here. He was kicked out of the country and now is invited back to help solve these murders. If he succeeds, he may get to stay. He’s excellent at reading people and incredibly cocky about it. He has ties to the supernatural that make him a bit crazy. He’s got substance abuse issues and a penchant for gambling. At times he’s incredibly sincere, others you want to smash a bottle on his head. Generally both those things happen when he’s around Mae.

The third POV comes from a sixteen-year-old girl named Tessa. She’s from Panama and Justin brings her back to his home country to give her a better life and education. Tessa acts as our eyes for how weird everything is in this new world. The clothes, the technology, the travel—all of it fascinates and bothers her, not always in equal measure. Her presence softens Justin’s persona for us and helps make him more likeable. (I didn’t dislike Justin, but I never felt connected with him.)

The last quarter of the book really picked up the pace and as the mystery was solved I found myself engaged, however it took me hundreds of pages before I felt that way. Mead’s prose is top-notch as usual. However, between the disconnected POV and too much world building, too fast, I couldn’t get into Gameboard of the Gods the way I’d hoped to. ...more

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Jul 11, 2013 Charisse rated it really liked it

I, for one, loved this book. Was it ambitious? Yes. But it still had typical Richelle Mead characteristics like hot, snarky, confident men, strong & kick-ass women, creative world-building, & a fast-paced plot that moved the mystery along well. It wasn't my favorite of her books (that's a toss up between the Bloodlines spin off & the Georgina Kincaid series), but I will definitely be reading the next in the series as soon as its out!! ...more

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Dec 03, 2013 S H A R O N rated it did not like it

Shelves: 2014, dnf, dystopian, young-adult

So...I gave this book two separate shots on two separate occasions...and I couldn't get more than a few chapters in each time. I didn't like the characters...or the insta-lust...or anything, really.

Guess this means it's a no-go on the sequel for me either.

Oh well. ...more

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