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MY ⭐️ RATING: 4.25/5
Format: Kindle Whispersync
BOOK DESCRIPTION
May the world be brighter for our burning.
At the edge of a war-torn world ruled by the Attican Empire and their fearsome Dragonmounts, the fate of nations falls upon a few individual destinies. A shaman. A huntress. A soldier. And a rebel spy.
The Faltari people are special, gifted by the gods with abilities beyond mortal men. Yet, they have chosen a life of peace and seclusion. As Malik reaches adulthood, he longs for more than the life of a village shaman. More than the future that stands before him on the Isle of Faltara. His best friend Riese is torn between a life of duty, and the destiny that lingers in the back of her mind.
But there are secrets on their island. Secrets that have sustained their people over the centuries. And when the truth comes to light, Malik and Riese must reckon with their people’s shrouded past, and a destiny that will demand more of them than they ever imagined.
Across the world, Urla has sacrificed everything for the expansion of the Attican Empire, but a secret mission to the mysterious Isle of Faltara will force her to confront the brutal truth about the nation she serves.
And born in the wake of a failed uprising, Ava has grown up in the shadow of her people’s conquerors, but the key to the empire’s power may finally be within her grasp. If she can uncover the source of the empire’s dragons, her parent’s rebellion may finally stand a chance.
Worlds will collide. Fire will reign. All must choose a side. So begins the Age of Fire.
MY REVIEW
Children of the Gods was such a fun read and my first from Klopfenstein and likely not the last. When the author reached out about reviewing it, he pitched it as something fans of Ryan Cahill, John Gwynne, and Philip Quaintrell would love, and he nailed it. I’ve read all three, and this absolutely delivers that same vibe. Think The Bound and the Broken crossed with James Cameron’s Avatar, set in a Nordic-esque world that feels fresh and distinct. But in all honesty, the cover by Rachel St. Clair already had it on my list of, I gotta find out what’s on the inside, list.
There’s a lot to like here. It’s a multiple-POV, character-driven story packed with dragons, runeships, shapeshifters, a pretty straightforward magic system called hish, and some exciting battles. Klopfenstein has an easy-to-read prose style that somehow still builds a complex story and tremendous world-building that’s layered in gradually despite its fast-paced story. As a prequel series set thousands of years before his Shadow Watch saga, it’s a very solid start.
The Avatar vibe came mainly from the floating islands at first, but the longer the story went on, the more I saw Avatar as an overarching narrative of a peaceful tribe being pushed to their limits. There was also this part that felt inspired by Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (whether it actually was or not), and I really loved it. It showed a ton about the culture and what everything means to the people of Faltara. The Spirit realm had a slight inspiration too, and it didn’t click for me until near the end when a character said a certain word. It was then I realized that maybe the Upside Down from Stranger Things might have been at least a slight inspiration. And one last thing near the end when a different character mentioned something that reminded me of Elder Scrolls: Skyrim, and it’s the first time I’ve actually seen that usage outside of the game, and I loved seeing it.
I really enjoyed the main characters that Klopfenstein focused on with Malik, Ava, Reise and Urla, as well as several of the other characters involved, but mostly Malik, his growth through the story was one that I loved seeing. One of the few problems I had with the story was its massive cast. Not that a massive cast is bad, but with its fast-paced story, introductions to all the characters was a bit overwhelming at times and I felt lost on who belonged to whom, the names helped some, but still hard to navigate when so much was happening so fast. Even so, Klopfenstein did a great job developing the main characters and the characters directly involved with them.
The audiobook narration by Tim Campbell was spot on and honestly elevated the whole experience. He gave every character a distinct voice that matched their personality perfectly, brought real emotion to the tense and heartfelt moments, and handled the action scenes with just the right energy. It made the immersion even deeper.
All in all, I highly recommend if you’re in the mood for a fast-paced, high-stakes, coming-of-age epic fantasy adventure that’s LGBTQ-friendly, this will be right up your alley. I’m excited for Klopfenstein’s next entry into this exciting world.
Wolfmantula.com 