Miles Cameron’s brilliantly-titled Against All Gods kicks off his Age of Bronze cycle, a new historical fantasy series set (as the name suggests) in a Bronze Age-inspired world populated by mortals, monsters and bickering, manipulative gods. Enkul-Anu, God of the Storm, rules over both gods and mortals through power and fear, but a thousand years after conquering heaven his grip on the pantheon is starting to slip. When one of the younger gods kills the wrong mortal, bungling Enkul-Anu’s orders, events are set into motion that will threaten the gods’ control of the world and its people. Brought together by circumstance and the meddling of higher powers, and disillusioned by the uncaring gods, an unlikely group of mortals set out to take a stand, aware that they’re being manipulated but determined to find room for their own choices.
There are a lot of characters in play here (as evidenced by the four-page dramatis personae at the beginning), but Cameron largely keeps to four point of view characters – an aged magos out for revenge, a grieving dancer acclimatising to an unexpected responsibility, a young scribe coming to terms with betrayal and a broader truth, and a cynical warrior uncomfortably aware that he’s past his best. Interspersed with these sections are glimpses of heaven with various gods and godlings spying on mortals, jockeying for power and plotting against each other, coming across as surprisingly insecure and – for lack of a better word – human. It feels like a lot to take in to begin with, and the first half of the book takes its time introducing characters and slowly bringing them together, before the pace kicks in and the second half races away towards an epic conclusion by way of a thoughtful examination of power, vengeance and self determination.
There’s a real feel of the classic fantasy ensemble story, but with a fresh and engaging perspective on the genre which blends mythology, historical accuracy and a modern tone of voice. Mortals curse the gods, gods curse the ineptitude of other gods, and it’s all very mythological except it’s delivered in deadpan modern vernacular which somehow feels totally appropriate and often drily funny. Cameron’s deep love and knowledge of Bronze Age Greece comes through in incredibly detailed and utterly absorbing world building (everything from writing and cooking to sailing and fighting just feels so believable, a clear sign of a writer who genuinely understands this time period), tied together in a fascinating blend of historical fiction and fantasy. Cameron doesn’t pull any punches either, portraying the hardships of life in this sort of period in blunt, often gruesome detail – violence, slavery, death, human sacrifice, it’s all here, but balanced out by compassion and understanding too.
The combination of ambitious, politicking gods with their plans within plans, and mortals learning to imagine a world without gods, makes for an engaging plot that, once it gets up to speed, delivers action and excitement aplenty along with some great questions around the mortals/gods dynamic. The large ensemble does mean that there perhaps isn’t as much time for some characters to develop as you might see in a different style of book, but that’s forgivable when the overall story is so hard to put down. Similarly some events can feel a bit convenient, but in a sort of familiarly mythological way that still satisfies – accept anything improbable as ‘because a god wanted it to happen that way’ and you’ll be fine. All told this is a brilliant introduction to a vivid, fascinating world and a series that promises to only grow in scope, excitement and intrigue – a great first book that leaves you wanting more.
Many thanks to Miles Cameron and Gollancz for sending me an advance copy of Against All Gods in exchange for my honest opinions.
Against All Gods is out now from Gollancz – check out the links below to order your copy*:
*If you buy anything using one of these links, I will receive a small affiliate commission – see here for more details.
If you enjoyed this review and would like to support Track of Words, you can leave a tip on my Ko-Fi page.
