Group Reads Discussions 2023: "Children of Gods and Fighting Men" First Impressions *No Spoilers*

[SFFBC, Ancillary Mod]

Come talk about your initial, general impressions!

Please save all discussion of particulars, details from the story, character choices, plot questions, etc. for the full spoiler thread.

Content warnings for those who want them: (view spoiler)[ murder, blood, rape, loss of child, body horror (including eyes), loss of loved one, religion (hide spoiler)] (More about CWs here.)

[Aga]

I’m going slow and I like the book so far. It reminds me a little bit of Daughter of the Forest with all the folklore.

I’ve just realized that there are some heavy content warnings. Can someone tell me what chapters contain (view spoiler)[rape and body horror (hide spoiler)]?

[Kaia]

I’m about halfway through and enjoying it so far. It reminds me a bit of Circe in that it’s told from the woman’s point of view for tales / times that were often more male hero focused (though in this case, there are two narrators).

The audiobook narrator is quite good, though she occasionally pronounces one of the character’s names differently (THOMas rather than ToMAS), and it was really confusing to me until I realized it was only one person.

Aga, I’m afraid I can’t help you with your request for specific. chapters because I’m listening to the audiobook, though I cay say that (view spoiler)[at least at the point where I am, rape is only mentioned as occurring in the past and not described in detail. The body horror has definitely been more descriptive but has generally been brief, and it isn’t the main focus of any of the chapters I’ve read. There’s definitely some foreshadowing that something bad might happen to one of the characters, though, so I can’t say what the second half the book will bring.<\spoiler> (hide spoiler)]

[Aga]

Thank you, Kaia.

[Bonnie]

I wonder if the title means

The Children of Gods. plus, Fighting Men!
I'm a child of Gods *and* Fighting Men!

[Aga]

I have my thoughts about that but it may be a spoiler.

[DivaDiane]

I’m about 20% in. Also doing audio. The narrator is fine, but one if the characters is always a bit dramatic and the narrator makes her sound extremely overwrought. Whiny. It’s a bit grating.

The story is interesting so far.

[Sarah, The Unsettled]

I’m about 15% in. I think it’s fairly readable. The chapters are a good length, the language feels good for the time period and it seems fairly well researched.

I do find myself wishing I knew a little bit more about where it all was going but otherwise not bad.

[Ellen]

About 25% in. It's very politically centered thus far.

[Bonnie]

I couldn't find Leth Cuinn and Leth Mogan on the map, so I looked them up::

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leath_C...

Legendary north/south division of Ireland.

[Bonnie]

One third in and finding the story intriguing so far. Having some trouble keeping up with the characters, but I think I have the main ones down.