Pros
- Adversary this time around is perhaps the most unique Ryan faces so far
- Ryan faces the enemy with small group of friends instead of alone
- Interesting dynamic among the gods
Cons
- Humor can be a little overboard or exhausting at times
- Gods’ powers aren’t really explained, and some inconsistency
Rage of the Ancient Gods Review
Rise of the Ancient Gods by Craig Robertson continues with Jon Ryan’s most interesting adversary thus far: gods. While the mechanics of the gods’ powers aren’t really discussed—perhaps their powers are derived from the physics of the universe they occupy—these gods still sometimes rely on some technology for their powers, which is a little strange considering they’re gods.
What’s also interesting about the story is that these gods have personalities and behave much like anyone would behave. In many ways, they’re like the ancient Greek gods. They sleep around with other gods, they trick one another, they have likes and dislikes, and save for their immortality and powers, they could be just like any other alien species readers have been introduced to by Robertson.
These powers that the gods have and their immortality make Ryan’s job of defending the universe that much more difficult. These gods have the singular goal of destruction, and they go about it with a cruelty that is befitting their nature. For instance, a god of fear might inspire a fear so great among its victims that they quite literally die of fear. While these villains may be a little creative as far as science fiction villains go, these gods almost feel more like fantasy villains than science fiction ones since their powers may as well be magic.
What’s a nice change of pace this time around is that Ryan is accompanied by his spouse Sapale and his friend Toño. This group effort makes for a more dynamic story even if it means that Ryan’s humor becomes a bit more pronounced. This humor and the banter is fun in some places but the constant stream of it in sections of the book can make the adventure feel tiresome the same way eating your favorite food every day for every meal can make you quickly grow tired of it.
Rage of the Ancient Gods by Craig Robertson is a fun and interesting story that pits Jon Ryan and friends against gods who are focused on ravaging the universe and eliminating all sentient life. And they do this for the singular purpose of having an orgy of mayhem and destruction. It’ll be interesting to see how Ryan talks his way through this enemy.
Read reviews of other works by Craig Robertson.
