The Prey of Gods | 
pickI absolutely loved this. This was an amazing and sometimes weird ride. It left me with a good amount of questions about what happens next. It didn't end on a cliffhanger per say but some of the journeys definitely weren't finished. I also want to know where this drug came from because of what it did. It seems suspect. Still trying to visualize the lab animal. I really hope this author writes more. Nice positive drag rep too. TW for mentions of SA.
This is definitely going to be my next sci-fi read. It sounds amazing and I am in love with this cover.
so-so🎧 Nope … not for me at all & I should have liked it. I read 33 books this month and it took me 3 days to slog through this mess.
I think the worst part was that amongst this dystopian world with sentient AI there was a POV of a rock star … I think the author might have been trying to do too much? It was distracted and merited a negative star.
I enjoyed the narration. Just because I didn‘t like it does n‘t mean you won‘t! Hoopla!
2.75⭐️
pickI fell in love with this cover, and this is a totally justified case of #coverlove.
Sci-Fi set in South Africa, with Demi-Gods and personal robots developing sentience and genetically engineered mutant pets. Fast paced and one of a kind, I had fun reading this. I‘m looking forward to reading more by Nicky Drayden!
Having a quiet reading morning. It‘s rare for Sietje to get this close to a book by choice! I think she stretched out without realizing she was almost touching it. 🐶😂📚
bailed10% into the audiobook I can say that I like Drayden‘s writing style and I like the narrator, but there‘s already been one scene that made me very uncomfortable, so I checked Storygraph for trigger warnings and NOPE. I‘m not going any further.
Congratulations on your Litsy milestone @Texreader ! Since I first saw this cover I‘ve been excited to read The Prey of Gods. Thanks for hosting a giveaway!
#KarensGiveaway
pickThis one is packed. It's set in a near-future South Africa crawling with robot assistants and a runaway population of dik-diks (a type of antelope, says Wikipedia), it involves gods and demigods, self-aware AI, genetic engineering, and sex and drugs and rock and roll. Its intricate plot and multiple viewpoint characters sometimes feel a bit much, but its excesses fuel its charm. One of my most fun reads so far this year, and I'll read more Drayden
His birth certificate reads Muzikayise McCarthy, but nobody calls him that except his grandfather and anyone looking for a busted lip.
#FirstLineFridays
@ShyBookOwl
so-soThe Prey of Gods was one of the most bizarre books I‘ve read in awhile. I enjoyed the prose, there was awesome representation and an original setting (loved the dik-diks!), and a lot of the plot I loved. But I had serious problems with one of the characters‘ story lines, though I liked the character herself, and didn‘t feel its problematic elements were ever properly addressed. It really marred what was otherwise a fun story.
Book mail for me today! 😁
The cover pulled me in and the synopsis made me buy. 😊
Its on my immediate tbr. Gonna start it this month so I'll probably be posting about it again once I start getting into it. 👍
pickAn excellent work of SFF mixing fantasy (demigodesses & magic) with sci-fi (gene splicing, robots, etc.) set in South Africa. The scope of the story is pretty incredible given how many characters it follows & was really masterfully told. I loved the evolution of robot sentience & faith. Drayden does an excellent job of weaving all the strands of the story together as everything unfolds. An excellent SFF read.
TW: mentions of rape, sexual assault
Alright so far I haven‘t been doing so well with the #15books15weeks challenge since this is now week...3? I‘ve only read and finished 1 book out of the stack 😅 I‘m almost done with the other but The Prey of Gods is going to be my pick for week 3 so...we‘ll see?
picklight pick. I had a lot of fun with the first 2/3rds of this book but by the last third it was becoming very messy and the conclusion/aftermath of the book was a bit underwhelming. I think Drayden is doing a little too much over the span of the book and probably needed to cut out one of the character perspectives. the future sci-fi aspects mixed with the demigod conflict is interesting but the elements didn't mesh as well as I'd liked.
I woke in the middle of the night with a pinched nerve or something in my shoulder. Still very sore today. Seems like a great time to get in some reading, since I won't be doing much else. So far, I'm finding this story very intriguing. #JustStartedPartII
This book is crazy pants and I love it. It was one of my favorite reads of of 2018. On sale today as a #kindledailydeal #dealalert
pickI really cares for some characters, although I feel the book wanted too much in too little space. Gods, awakening gods and conscious AIs is a cool combination, but it could have been longer, taking more time for details.
so-soA vengeful goddess, a genetically engineered virus, and a robot uprising make this a very dense plot with a pretty slow start. Personally, there were too many POVs for the narrator to not make them sound different. And I was pretty confused, almost the whole time, with how they all ended up being connected.
I did enjoy the mix of science fiction and fantasy. And I want to find more books like that. I might try this author again later. 🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑
It's the 18th! Opened my #SFFS #SciFiFantasySwap parcel! Two books from my wishlist, one I've been meaning to read, and FUDGE! 😍
Thank you, @TCLinrow ! And thanks @Avanders as well for running the swap!
pickThis book was totally unlike anything I have read before. Demigods, a dikdik virus, sentient robots, hallucinogenic drugs, and magic powers? Plus it takes place in South Africa, and has a ton of LGBTQIA+ representation. It was certainly weird and took me a while to get into. But it was well worth the work of sticking with it. Parts of this book will definitely stick with me for a long time. Listened to the #audiobook via #Audible
pickBananas. This is the first book I‘ve read where I can confidently say, “If you liked Library at Mount Char, you‘ll love this one!” So so weird. A little clunky in places, some scenes dragged on, but very creative with some lovable characters and interesting concepts. Looking forward to reading Drayden in the future!
#ReadHarder2018 #ownvoices #blitsy
Just picked this one up from the library. It‘s my pick for the “Read a book with a cover you hate” category for #ReadHarder2018 challenge. I‘ve been wanting to read it since it came out a couple of years ago and I‘m excited to dig in.
so-soThis was great for the first three quarters, but the end fell apart - it felt like Drayden bit off more than she could chew. It's about demigods living in a future South Africa. It has robots, genetically engineered monsters, gods, drag queens, gay teens, a dik-dik infestation, and hallucinogenic drugs.
pickInteresting look at gods/goddesses. Loved the character development. Set in South Africa.
My current library pile (PART of it). Howie and I will whittle it down this weekend. #howiereads #libraryhaul #weekendreading
Here are a few books that I DNFed recently. Sometimes, I‘m just not in the mood to read a certain book or I can‘t get into it. I don‘t have any issues bailing on a book anymore!
Though I‘ve been told I would like a book that I already bailed on... Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor. I started and couldn‘t get into and was told I had to get past the first 100 pages... I don‘t know if I‘ll go back to it though.
#ReadingResolutions
I have to work today, but all I want to do is curl up and read. This one‘s off to an intriguing start, and I want to stay in the world she‘s created. I‘m eyeing it where it sits on the corner of my desk. I RESENT THE NEED TO EARN MY LIVING.
pickThis book! I had never even heard of it before it arrived as my last book for #readersgonnaread and I will admit that when I first saw it, I was skeptical. There is so much going on here: future South Africa, personal robots, genetic engineering, ancient gods and awakening demigods... seriously, it‘s bonkers, but also unputdownable and so fun. Loved it!
⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
August TBR
My plan for this month and hopefully I can stick to it for the rest of the year!
To Read 3 library books off TBR
To Read 3 owned books
To Read 3 ARCs - this month its 3 Audiobooks
To Read - Books for #LMPBC and #LTLPMBC
#AugustIsATrip
Morning read with some snuggles. I started this early this week on my lunch break bc I thought it was a novella. It definitely isn‘t but I‘m loving it anyway! Where else can you get robots + demigods + queer teen + cross dressing politician? 👌🤖
pickThis book was completely bananas and I was 100% in for the crazy the whole darn time. What a unique and interesting spin on the fantasy and sci-fi genres. I hope Nicky Drayden writes more books soon, because I need more of this kind of crazy in my life!
My nightstand is currently inhabited by a mix of #13books13weeks choices, my current stack for #24in48 and the tagged book, which is my last #readersgonnaread traveling book.
pickThink Library at Mount Char, throw in some bots and let everything take place in South Africa. What a crazy ride!
so-soThe bits I liked - the diverse cast of characters, the character development, the humour.
The bits I didn‘t like - pretty much everything after the concert started cause really, I‘m just not a fantasy person.
The book deserves all of the praise it got, it should be on the TBR of anyone who does enjoys fantasy.
pickwell-written, imaginative, intriguingly flawed characters. also, disturbing in a good way.
The hardest part about working from home is going back to work after breaking for lunch outside with my book.
pickI loved this book so much. I‘ve been reading it in sections for an online book club and it was so hard not to read ahead 😬 I have already rec‘d this book to so many people so everyone please read it.
pickFinally started Nicky Drayden's 'The Prey of Gods' last Wednesday and finished it yesterday. Not quite sure how to describe it, but it has demigoddesses, diverse characters (as it's set in a not-too-far-off South Africa), abilities, and an AI/bot uprising. If that doesn't sell you ...
Reading this for #BookRiotInsiders book club and I am behind (like always) but I‘m LOVING IT SO FAR. Hopefully I‘ll be caught up in time for the discussion tomorrow. #bribookclub
pick“A new hallucinogenic drug sweeping the country...an emerging AI uprising...and an ancient demigoddess hell-bent on regaining her former status by preying in the blood and sweat(but mostly blood) of every human she encounters” this book was fantastic! It had a little bit of everything, sci-fi, fantasy, mythology, romance, and humor ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I'd swear the pile multiplies while I'm at work. (I'll post pix of today's #bookmail tomorrow)
pickWow, this is a very strange, but so worth it book. It is difficult to describe as it is part robopocclypse, part goddesses, part magic powers, and some drug use type book. If that interests you, then this is up your alley. Told from different characters who will all wind up the same place. This is weird and fun sci fi.
so-soI loved the first half of this book. "Diverse" does not even begin to describe the characters and setting established, much less the complications that develop from genetic engineering, a new drug, and more. I was hooked!
But things really fell apart for me as the plot focused to a final battle, which was the nadir of the book for me sadly. The last 10% of the book took me as much time as the first 90% as I grew less interested ?
I love this! I met Jeff Vandemeer and wished I‘d read more than just The Southern Reach Books. Just finished Underground Railroad today and can‘t wait for Zone One as I had wanted to read it for s while. Honestly though The Prey of Gods might be first. It looks just like what I‘m in the mood for. Oh and my two favorite Walking Dead characters! Thanks! #dutopianblues
