This is meant to be a solemn occasion as semidioses compete for the honor to be a champion—one who is meant to be sacrificed in a ritual ceremony. It’s sobering but it’s difficult to feel any horror when we meet the irrepressible Teo. Born with clumsy wings that he dislikes because they’re the wrong color, he manages to enjoy himself, commit pranks and is perennially late. He doesn’t care for the trials but he endures them for the sake of his mother.
This is an enchanted world where the gods and their offspring are very present, even if rarely seen. Their godlike powers make them Heroes (but modern fans would definitely call them superheroes). The world is lush, beautiful and filled with the cries of a million birds which bond with human owners. It’s a lovely paradise in spite of the looming sacrificial ceremony.
The feeling of a foreign world threads its way through the story as the author dazzles us with the nuts and bolts of world building. It’s impressive and captivating and I was drawn into it practically from the opening line. Great stuff.
This is an enchanted world where the gods and their offspring are very present, even if rarely seen. Their godlike powers make them Heroes (but modern fans would definitely call them superheroes). The world is lush, beautiful and filled with the cries of a million birds which bond with human owners. It’s a lovely paradise in spite of the looming sacrificial ceremony.
The feeling of a foreign world threads its way through the story as the author dazzles us with the nuts and bolts of world building. It’s impressive and captivating and I was drawn into it practically from the opening line. Great stuff.