When the saints fail, the sinners step up.
Cruel gods rule the steam-powered city of Chime, demanding worship and tribute from their mortal subjects. Kayl lost her faith in them long ago, and now seeks to protect vulnerable and downtrodden mortals from their gods’ whims. But when Kayl discovers powers that she didn’t know she had—and destroys a mortal’s soul by accident—she becomes Chime’s most wanted.
Quen’s job was to pursue sinners, until the visions started. Haunted by foreboding images of his beloved city’s destruction, Quen hunts soul-sucking creatures made of aether who prey on its citizens—and Kayl is his number one target.
To ensure Chime’s future, Kayl and Quen must discover the truth of Kayl’s divine abilities before the gods take matters into their own hands.
For a city that bows to cruel gods, it’ll take godless heathens to save it.
I received this book to read and review as part of the 2022 BBNYA competition and the BBNYA finalists tours organised by the TWR Tour team. All opinions are my own, unbiased and honest.
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Book source ~ BBNYA & TWR Tour
29 September 2021
Fantasy | Steampunk
535 Pages
My Rating ~ 3 bites and a nibble
First reviewed on 2 February 2022
The Thirteenth Hour is the first book in The Cruel Gods series—a gaslamp fantasy featuring magical portals, gothic cosmic deities, quaint Britishisms, and steampunk vibes. This is an adult book containing strong language and mature themes that some readers may find disturbing. For a full list of content warnings, visit Trudie Skies's website.
Kayl belongs to a group who call themselves the Godless. In a world where there are twelve realms with a god who has complete control over its domain, this is the utmost heresy. Such blasphemy cannot go unpunished so the Wardens try to find them, but it’s Quen Corinth who is put in charge of ferreting them out in the one place all the realms connect - Chime. He’s not having much luck, but that works in Kayl’s and her friends’ favor. Until the day their paths cross. All Hell is about to break loose and Kayl is at the center of it all. Only she doesn't realize it.
Wow. This is an intricate world! And the attention to detail is off the charts. However, the world is so compex that I had a hard time figuring out what was going on. My confusion for much of the book dimmed my enjoyment, but I started to get the hang of it about ¾ of the way through and it all started making sense. I’m sure it’s just me, so don’t let my idiot brain put you off picking this up. I have to say how much I love the secondary characters. But Kayl? I did not take to her. I found her too impulsive and she seems to not have much of a brain. I love her friends though. Quen is complicated. Almost too complicated. I like him better than Kayl, but not by much. The villains are very nasty. I actively rooted for their deaths whether I got my wish or not. Sorrynotsorry. The stage is set for the next book and I do wonder how this is going to play out. Yikes!
When not conjuring new worlds, Trudie spends their free time exploring the realms of indie books and video games, staring at clouds, and chasing after their troublesome dogs.
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