I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Gods Below (The Hollow Covenant, #1) by Andrea Stewart Published by Orbit on September 3, 2024
Genres: Fantasy
Pages: 520
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: Netgalley
Goodreads
In this sweeping epic fantasy comes a story of magic, betrayal, love, and loyalty, where two sisters will clash on opposite sides of a war against the gods.
A divine war shattered the world leaving humanity in ruins. Desperate for hope, they struck a deal with the devious god Kluehnn: He would restore the world to its former glory, but at a price so steep it would keep the mortals indebted to him for eternity. And as each land was transformed, so too were its people changed into strange new forms – if they survived at all.
Hakara is not willing to pay such a price. Desperate to protect herself and her sister, Rasha, she flees her homeland for the safety of a neighboring kingdom. But when tragedy separates them, Hakara is forced to abandon her beloved sister to an unknown fate.
Alone and desperate for answers on the wrong side of the world, Hakara discovers she can channel the magic from the mysterious gems they are forced to mine for Kluehnn. With that discovery comes another: her sister is alive, and the rebels plotting to destroy the God Pact can help rescue her.
But only if Hakara goes to war against a god.
After loving The Bone Shard Daughter (and yes, I still haven’t finished the series – it’s on my to-do list for 2026!), I was eager to read more by Stewart. And the premise of this novel had me excited!
However, the novel fails to deliver on its promises.
Let’s start with the positives:
The world building is great! It gives ecological disaster x fantasy vibes and the concept is very interesting and unique. The history of the gods and the magic system was also very interesting. I only wish there had been more focus on this.
I also liked the writing style and pacing of the story. It flowed well and was easy to read. I’m always a big fan of multiple POVs, especially when there are different plot lines happening in those POVs.
Unfortunately, the main POVs of Hakara and Rasha did not interest me. I expected Rasha’s POV to be more brutal considering that she was training to be a godhunter; while there was violence and survival-type tasks for her, they lacked the tension and emotional chokehold I was anticipating. Meanwhile, Hakara was a character that I could not stand and her POV was one I would reluctantly read. Her character lacked depth and didn’t show any real skill or talent; her repetitive dialogue and behaviour got annoying very quickly. The other characters were fine, I guess, but I didn’t find any of them stellar. The romance was unnecessary and lacked genuinity.
I wanted to love this so much. The premise and worldbuilding had so much potential! But the overall plot and characters let me down. I do have the sequel given to me and I am still willing to give this series a chance to change my mind… so let’s see!
