I’ve been waiting excitedly for the release of this final part of the Cruel Gods series by Trudie Skies – and I have not been disappointed. It has met all my expectations – and then some!
Trying to justify that statement is difficult. There are so many plus factors it’s difficult to pick out one as the prime mover. I’ve chosen the plot. As a writer I know how difficult it is to bring together the threads of a story that connects three books. It’s like weaving a carpet, lots of separate threads that, only when woven together, do you see the whole pattern.
What astounded me in this third novel, is how the tension and excitement never lets up for a moment. It is relentless. It’s a complex story, it has to be with so many worlds, so many gods, so many people to bring together to a satisfying conclusion. To recap, like a clockface, there have been twelve different worlds, all accessed through a gateway located in the city of Chime. Each world is ruled by a god who, as the series title suggests, are not the sort of god you want ruling you. Kayl and her allies set out to bring about their downfall.
OK, so tying it all together is tough. Trudie Skies has not made is easy for herself because she has the entire universe to address. And time, let’s not forget that time can be stalled and rewritten. People die and can be brought back to life, repeatedly. However, when worlds end, that’s it, they’ve gone. Well, sort of.
My point is that this is a story where you need to pay attention. So much happens, so fast, blink and you’ll miss a key plot point. Writing a story with that amount of events happening in it, that requires an imagination as epic as the universe and Trudie Skies appears to possess one. Honestly, I do not know how she came up with it all.
In selecting the point that truly make this a brilliant book, my second factor is the humour. With so much happening in the story, it takes a back seat compared to the first two books. Even so, the wry humour, the sexual antics that are defined in glorious detail that leaves nothing unsaid, the wonderful turn of phrases that leave you smiling. They are all there and they give the author’s voice its own distinct identity. There is no one who writes like Trudie Skies.
I recommend it very, (very!) highly.