review: Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead

Gameboard of the Gods ~ Richelle Mead

3 of 5 stars

Courtesy of NetGalley

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. (thanks to GoodReads.com for the summary)

My Thoughts –

OK – so this is a hard book for me to review. I’ve read the Vampire Academy, Dark Swan and Succubus series and loved them all. This is NOTHING like those books – at all. I love Mead’s writing, so please don’t be a hater after you read this. That said, on to the next part of my review.

I think for the first book in this series, the world building lacked quite a bit. I didn’t know if they were on Earth, another planet or a different dimension until well into the book. Maybe it said at the very beginning, but it was so boring I forgot. At first the story is so jumpy and disorganized, it took me almost 3 weeks to get into reading it. It took me a month to read – normally unheard of in my reading world. The last half of the book is written better and is more thought-provoking. I just really didn’t care for the main characters. I liked Tessa, Lucian Darling and Mae’s friends more than I liked Mae and Justin. I just couldn’t connect with them.

I liked the main idea behind the story. It’s unique and interesting, but I don’t’ think it was executed in the best way. I also believe it’s being marketed the wrong way – this should be nowhere the romance isle, at all. This just didn’t work for me, sorry.