Wednesday, March 13, 2013

ARC REVIEW: Gameboard of the Gods (Age of X #1) by Richelle Mead

Title/Series: Gameboard of the Gods | Age of X #1
Author: Richelle Mead
Publisher: Dutton Adult 
Expected Publication: June 4th 2013
Pages: eBook | Pages: 471
Genre: Adult, Dystopian, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Romance
Source: NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
★★★★★ (5/5) Stars!

Richelle Mead | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads



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.





I am a huge fan of Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy and Bloodlines series both. And so when I heard about this new series coming out I was very excited, especially with it being in the dystopian, sci-fi/fantasy genres. I was ready to try something different from her and this absolutely is that! Though we're thrust into a whole new world with a new set of rules, you can definitely feel the uniqueness of a voice that is all her own coming from this book. She knocked this one out of the park! YA, paranormal, Adult, Dystopian, Sci-Fi, action, suspense, she can do it all.


I was hooked from the opening lines and that feeling didn't fade once all the way through to the end. There's so much going on I found it hard to allow myself to stop to do normal human function type things like sleep, eat... you know, the basics. I was just so enthralled with this world she shows us.

Richelle Mead has created characters that you genuinely care about. Mae I liked instantly. She has a... I'm not sure how else to put it at the moment...a voice, that is very much Richelle Mead. I suppose in a small sense she reminds me a bit of her character Rose from VA. Not in a, been there done that, kind of way but as in certain aspects have a similar vibe. They're both sort of militant, yet have a softer more vulnerable side that they try to keep hidden. But that being said they are still very different. When she's not in the story I found myself wanting to see more of her and to know more of what's going on with her.

Justin is very entertaining. He's very confident and smart and has a gift for reading people. He has a very interesting, and quite often entertaining....personality quirk. To put it any other way would give away a bit of a plot point. But back on track he's the perfect person to throw in with Mae to create some really good friction and tension filled scenes.

And that's the thing, this book wasn't some epic love story that so many of them are today. Not that there's anything wrong with that but this was focused on murder, mystery, mythology with just a touch of romance thrown in here and there. Lots of action all the way up to the end which had me dying because I then realized, this book isn't even officially out for a few more months and I'm already salivating for book two! *Sigh* The wait begins...

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