Series: These Monstrous Gods #1
Release date: February 20, 2024
Publisher: Daphne Press
Pages: 480
Find it: Goodreads Waterstones
Source: The publisher kindly sent me a copy of this book to review
Rating: 3/5 stars

Synopsis

Join the rebellion to burn down a cruel tyrant in this heartracing new adult fantasy duology, perfect for fans of Shadow and Bone and The Wolf and the Woodsman.

To cage a god is divine.

To be divine is to rule.

To rule is to destroy.

Using ancient secrets, Galina and Sera’s mother grafted gods into their bones. Bound to brutal deities and granted forbidden power no commoner has held in a millennia, the sisters have grown up to become living weapons. Raised to overthrow an empire―no matter the cost.

With their mother gone and their country on the brink of war, it falls to the sisters to take the helm of the rebellion and end the cruel reign of a royal family possessed by destructive gods. Because when the ruling alurea invade, they conquer with fire and blood. And when they clash, common folk burn.

While Sera reunites with her estranged lover turned violent rebel leader, Galina infiltrates the palace. In this world of deception and danger, her only refuge is an isolated princess, whose whip-smart tongue and sharp gaze threaten to uncover Galina’s secret. Torn between desire and duty, Galina must make a choice: work together to expose the lies of the empire―or bring it all down.

Review

To Cage a God is the first in a new fantasy duology from Elizabeth May, author of The Falconer. The story follows sisters Sera and Galina as they attempt to infiltrate the place and overthrow the tyrant queen. Sera must team up with her estranged husband and Galina finds friendship in the most unlikely of places – with the royal princess. Will the two be able to free themselves from the tyranny of the empire or will they be its next victims?

I really loved Elizabeth May’s Falconer series so I was really intrigued by this book. It was also described as Shadow and Bone meets The Wolf and the Woodsman which made me really excited to pick this one up. Sadly it didn’t quite live up to those expectations and while I did enjoy parts of the story, overall this felt like a very average read for me. The world was interesting but I would have loved to know more about the gods and how they are caged inside a person – this might be something that’s explored more in book two and as this is only a duology I will likely pick up the sequel to see how things end.

The plot was interesting and I enjoyed the scheming as Sera and Galina work to get inside the palace and overthrow the Queen. The story was a bit more romance heavy than I was expecting and I wasn’t overly keen on Sera and Vitaly. I didn’t really click with either character and much preferred Galina’s point of view. I found the relationship between Galina and Vasilisa much more compelling and I was more interested in seeing how she would survive in the palace. I did also find Katya’s chapters quite compelling and I felt she came into herself more as the story developed. She finally stands up to the queen after years of torment and gets the justice she desires.

To Cage a God is a quick read one and while I didn’t love it, I am sure plenty of romantasy fans will adore this one. If you’re looking for a story that features gods, romance and rebellion this could be exactly what you’re looking for.