*I received a free copy of Children of the Forgotten Gods from Selfpublished via Author. This has in no way influenced my voluntary review, which is honest and unbiased *
Children of the Forgotten Gods by Kennedy DalySeries: The Forgotten Gods #1
Published by Selfpublished on August 21, 2018
Genres: Young Adult, Urban Fantasy
Pages: 250
Format: eARC
Source: Author
Buy on Amazon
Trained her entire life to hunt and kill demons, seventeen-year-old Teagan Ronan has always been proud to be training as a Defender for the Shedim. When a training injury sidelines her, she is forced to mentor a new student against her will.
Damien Conroy was raised on the run, hiding from the Shedim authorities. After his mother’s brutal murder, he is captured and forced into the Shedim rank and file. Teagan must struggle to overcome his hostility in order to preserve her grade and her standing in class.
When students start to die, Teagan is forced to admit Damien may not be entirely wrong about the darker side of the Shedim. She needs to figure out who is responsible for the deaths—and if Damien is one of them—before she’s the next casualty.
Thank you so much for turning me onto this book, wifey! It was a fantastic read! It was action-packed with a compelling story and engaging characters. Gah! I FLOVED it! What I need to know is: When is the next one coming?!? Okay, on to the chat…
I was hooked from the beginning, and I know you were as well. What was it that drew you straight into this story?
I think I was initially drawn in with the action…Daly had me curious from the get-go about Damien. But the characters are what, or rather who, really drew me in. I liked how close-knit they were and I was intrigued with their abilities, their dynamics, and their responsibilities to their society. Teagan, in particular though, had me needing to know more about her. That Daly made her a minority in her role and illustrated all the ways in which that affected her made Teagan so much more endearing.
I loved that Teagan was the only girl on the defenders’ team – it made her work so much harder – just like women do every single day of their lives… However, I also enjoyed that she had a very close friendship with Michelle. And while she wasn’t all ‘girly’ she did need her best friend.
The characters are my big love in Children of the Forgotten Gods, too. I felt like there was so much character development. And the way we got to know them the way we would get to know people in real life worked so well for me.
What did you think of the action at the start, and how we received information about the characters’ world little by little?
Ha! Well, the action definitely gripped me. Daly incorporated it masterfully as it was an important part of the story but it was never overwhelming. They way she doled out information about the characters and the world also kept me riveted. I needed to know more. And I was greatly invested in them all so it was even more shocking when things happened I wasn’t expecting. I experienced the gamut of emotions here – and that’s a hallmark of a good story in my opinion.
I’m totally with you there. I needed to know more, too. I wanted to get to know Mark, Josh, Michelle, Teagan and the others better. I wanted to know what was going on with those darned demons. And I loved how there was action – but not too much. The story stood on its own feet, you know?
How did you feel about the mythology? That the Shedim are descendants of gods? And do you think they really are?
I liked the mythology. And I hope that element is explored more in the future. I can believe they are descendants of gods but I don’t think that’s the most important part. It’s what they believe in, integral to their way of life, right? I like how the title makes the reader think about it though…forgotten gods…have the Shedim forgotten the gods? Blindly continuing their practices simply because it’s what was done?
I love the way you’re thinking – that the Shedim may have forgotten their gods. There wasn’t any worship, only rules, and ways of life, right? I also want more – of everything 😉
I loved how Damien made Teagan question her beliefs, and think for herself. What did you think about Damien’s take on the Shedim?
Damien. *sigh* From the very beginning he was a character I wanted to peel back the layers of…and honestly, even knowing all I now know, there’s still more peeling to be done. Yes, I enjoyed how he made Teagan question things and think for herself. We should all be able to think for ourselves, not blindly follow. I liked how Damien’s views of the Shedim shifted over the course of the story. Yes, I understood why he felt the way he did but I also liked that while he was helping Teagan to take a deeper look at her beliefs and think for herself, she did the same for him. It showed growth in them both and I can’t wait for more!
LOL. Damien sure is a mystery. And very strong – having been on his own for a few years. He’s also extremely well trained for one who had never seen the Shedim academy until now.
I also think it’s important to be able to think for ourselves, and maybe Teagan needed Damien in order to question things. She was so into her role, and following in her big brother’s Nick footsteps that she didn’t always think further than the next day. At least in the beginning.
I also think Teagan needed Damien to make her stop and think. It’s frightening to think what would have become of her – especially after that big event – if she’d not been able to think for herself. She’s a bit impetuous – not always thinking things through before she acts. I loved the different ways in which Damien gave her support and advice, etc., even if he also continued trying to push her away.
OK, what about those surprises we got? You said your emotions were all over the place – SO good, right?
I was totally shocked in places, and I loved how my heart squeezed in my chest. Both with the action, the new feelings Teagan had, and those shocking revelations.I also found the whole background to be very different from other YA UF stories. Children of the Forgotten Gods has a very unique feel to it, and that’s something that always surprises me. In a very good way, I might add.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
Twitter: kimbacaffeinate
Great review guys. The world and mythology not to mention the characters sound fantastic!
It so is, Kimberly! If you want to read a new and unique YA UF, you should go for it!! <3
I love this review! So fun! And I need to move this book up on my list now:)
We love to chat about the books we read, it just brings even more joy to both of us 🙂 And you should definitely get your hands on this book and read it as soon as possible, Laura!
I agree! Get your hands on this book ASAP – it’s FABULOUS! Everything you could want wrapped up in a neat or not so neat package. Action, adventure, fantasy, mythology, mystery, romance, etc. Teagan rocks and Damien…*sighs.* Michelle is super cool too!
Yay! I’m so happy you enjoyed Children of the Forgotten Gods! 🙂