The God Eaters [ペーパーバック]

I almost didn't buy this book because of the price. But, self-published works usually cost more and the story sounded promising. So I took a chance. Thank goodness--it turned out to be a bargain!

I cannot express how wonderful this book was (but I'll try). I stayed up until midnight to finish all 452 pages, it was that good. Hajicek has created a work of epic fiction with the God Eaters. Imagine a world not unlike the American Western Frontier of the 1800's--trains, guns, outlaws. Only here, the "Ivainians" are the persecuted minority, instead of Native Americans. In this world, people have Talents (pyrokinesis, empathy, etc.) The Commonwealth is determined to control everyone, especially Talents, with an iron hand. They use the White Watch to do so. Ivainians cannot hold certain jobs that whites can, and they have their Talents "burned" out of them. This is the world of Ash Trine and Keiran Trevarde.

Ash is sent to prison for writing treasonous pamphlets against the heinous actions of the government. Keiran is sent to prison for murder. In prison they are treated as guinea pigs for experiments on their Talents. They are tortured - as prisoners they are considered less than human. Yet, these two unlikely men will escape to confront reincarnated gods battling for supremacy over this world, and the freedom of all people. And maybe find the power to love again.

This book should be a bestseller! It confronts many issues faced by society in a very subtle fashion, but also tells a gripping tale. Fans of Mercedes Lackey's Last Herald Mage will find a treasure here. I hope the author writes a sequel, or at least more books. He's gifted.

I read THE GOD EATERS, a fascinating and imaginative work of science fiction, a couple of weeks ago, but I waited to write this review because I wanted to see if the remarkable impression it left on me was a temporary one, or a lasting one. I can honestly say I still feel as overwhelmed by it as I did the night I finished it. This is a sweeping and extraordinarily well written novel that explores the origins of Gods and the effects these Gods have on society.

The story is set in a time quite similar to the American wild west of the late nineteenth century. But unlike the raw Democracy of America at that time, this is a totalitarian Theocracy that tolerates no decent.

Ashleigh Trine is headed by rail to Churchrock, a high security prison in the remote desert, for his inflammatory pamphlets questioning the government's policies. The only reason he wasn't hanged for treason was because The Watch, an exclusive, all white wearing police force dedicated to maintaining order, has discovered he possesses a talent for empathy, a magical gift that The Watch wants to investigate. All the prisoners at Churchrock have some kind of talent, and it's as much a diabolical research facility as it is a jail.

On the train, Ashleigh meets Kieran Trevarde, a gunslinger and assassin, also being sent to Churchrock to be studied. Kieran is a ghoul-witch, a very rare talent, with the ability to bring death to others. Once imprisoned together in the same cell, Ashleigh and Kieran realize that their talents no longer function. They're controlled by some magical spell that suppresses their special abilities.

Kieran, a life long outlaw living on society's edge, is open about his preference for men, even though it is considered abhorrent by the authorities, while Ashleigh, a sheltered big city intellectual rebel, does his best to keep his own attraction to Kieran at bay. Their situation seems hopeless, but Ashleigh and Kieran are young and resourceful. They form a precarious bond and immediately begin to plan their escape. But there are forces, both enlightening and dark, at play here, manipulating the two men internally and externally.

The novel reads almost as if it were written about some ancient earthly past, or frightening future. Many Gods existed here and most were absorbed, or eaten, by the powerful one, Theylyan, in control now. A few of the old Gods remain to challenge his authority, but are they powerful enough to over throw him?

THE GOD EATERS is both a rousing adventure, and a spiritual quest. It invokes many parallels from our own history, particularly the near annihilation of the old Celtic Faith by the relatively new Christian religion as it swept through Europe during the end of the Roman Empire. It's an entertaining novel with astute religious ramifications, and I highly recommend it.

This story is so much more than a wild west adventure, a dark fantasy, an emotional driven gay romance. The writer has created a bleak, stark and harsh world, which fascinates and intrigues. The plot is refreshing, gripping yet disturbing. His writings is intense and filled with a raw passion which draws you in from page 1. It is so easy to fall in love with his characters, Kieran and Ash. And what could be more romantic and appealing than the pairing of a cold hard-hearted gunslinger and his shy red-head intellect. The story is not easy to read as certain parts are underlined with such hopelessness and despair. Yet I cannot stop as I just have to find out if the lovers could overcome the odds. This is a gem of a story and if this is the writer's debut, I am certainly in awe of his talents.