Lost Gods by Brom

Lost Gods by Brom
Published by Harper Voyager on October 25, 2016
Genres: Fantasy
Pages: 496
Format: ARC
Source: Edelweiss
Purchase on: Amazon// Barnes & Noble
Add to: Goodreads

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

rating
five-stars

A young man descends into Purgatory to save his wife and unborn child in this gorgeous, illustrated tale of wonder and terror from the mind of master storyteller and acclaimed artist Brom
Fresh out of jail and eager to start a new life, Chet Moran and his pregnant wife, Trish, leave town to begin again. But an ancient evil is looming, and what seems like a safe haven may not be all it appears . . .
Snared and murdered by a vile, arcane horror, Chet quickly learns that pain and death are not unique to the living. Now the lives and very souls of his wife and unborn child are at stake. To save them, he must journey into the bowels of purgatory in search of a sacred key promised to restore the natural order of life and death. Alone, confused, and damned, Chet steels himself against the unfathomable terrors awaiting him as he descends into death’s stygian blackness.
With Lost Gods, Brom’s gritty and visceral prose takes us on a haunting, harrowing journey into the depths of the underworld. Thrust into a realm of madness and chaos, where ancient gods and demons battle over the dead, and where cabals of souls conspire to overthrow their masters, Chet plays a dangerous game, risking eternal damnation to save his family.

Review

I originally picked Lost Gods by BROM up to be part of a Spooktober read. Then, discovered it wasn’t so much spooky as it was just a really great dark fantasy book full of interesting mythology. Pacing was a little off at times, but the story was amazing. It reminded me of the Greek tragedies where heroes are sent on a quest in the Underworld only to reach an end they were not expecting. What Brom captures in Lost Gods is eerily close enough to what I’ve always pictured an underworld type place to be after death.

The story starts off with a bang. Well, multiple bangs. We meet protagonist Chet who, fresh off a stint in prison, is back to reunite with his pregnant girlfriend, promising to do right this time. They run off, Chet “accidentally” killing someone in the process, and arrive at his grandmother’s house. This is when everything goes to hell, literally. But, it’s also when the most fun is had. Chet makes friends and with them, they travel through the various parts of hell to find his grandfather, who supposedly, has the key to saving his unborn daughter and girlfriend from the horror that took him.

Along the way, he meets various gods and it is just so interesting. I loved this concept, that pagan gods still exist, in their own tiny place, welcoming whatever worshipers happen to arrive in the modern day. However, as more people take up the “modern” religions and forget the ancients, the less power they seem to have. The world is just so interesting and fantastic. I’d love to read more adventures of souls maneuvering their way through the underworld. Follow stories of townies that live there and haggle. Pirates in the underworld. All of it, I want it.

Character development and personal growth, we see a bit of that with Chet, but also Ana and a few of the gods. But honestly, it’s just the great plot and amazing world building that really makes Lost Gods by BROM a standout read.

five-stars

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