Review Detail

In The Woken Gods, we are taken into Washington, DC, a twisted and god-inhabited version of it, with Kyra as she races to save her father and the city from doom while trying to cope with her feelings of rejection and abandonment. One moment, she has friends, a day at school not to look forward to and many questions about her secretive mother who chose prophecy over family. The next, she is being attacked by gods, told her father is a traitor to the human race and she has to accept the help of a handsome operative who works for the Society of the Sun.
The very idea of ancient gods awakening in the middle of a modern city is too good to ignore. Can you imagine Egyptian gods, Sumerian gods, monsters and creatures of legend coming to life in your own neighbourhood? Thinking their mighty thoughts, beating their wings or roaring to the heavens right next to your school or your groceries, that's got to be awesome. Well, Gwenda Bond has imagined all this, and with a nice twist to it.
As soon as I knew about this novel, I felt this pull to read it. I needed to find out about a world where ancient gods were fleshed out for us mortals to see and interact with. Though this could mean a lot of trouble. Yay! That's good for me. And for the story too. It's got loveable characters surrounded by tricky, larger-than-life divinities who are forced to be civil to the world for the time being. It's got a dynamic flow of events that never cease to amaze with a balanced dose of action, soul-searching, conspiracies, family issues, menacing primitive gods, forgiveness, powerful relics, honour, and loads more.
Politicians are almost extinct whilst the Society keeps things in a precarious order by keeping the deities at bay. Strong-willed Kyra is the perfect heroine for a world where old magic runs rampant and human kind is at stake every tick of the clock. The author depicts creatures and monsters from ancient times in a very colourful way, some of these gods are quite disturbing.
What about romance? It's there but it's far from insta-love because it's not until after page 150 that Kyra starts noticing the wonders of the boy's bare chest. And his name is Oz. Isn't that fantastic? That gives us plenty of time to focus on the plot. And mind you, the plot is fast-paced, attention-grabbing and full of juicy details.
Much of the information is conveyed through the dialogue which is snappy and quick, and it always resonates well with the characters' psychology. The main point of view is Kyra's, though sometimes it changes to one of her friends. This helps deepen the reader's understanding of each character's inner motives. When the time comes for description, it never drags because everything that's happening and every character's train of thought is so well depicted that I just couldn't skip a line.
The only thing I missed was not being there when the gods awakened and the world was changed forever. It would have been awesome to witness the moral upheaval, the cataclysmic proportions of their presence among humans. We do get to see some of the consequences such as security measures taken to prevent godly domination or worse, and adoration from "religious tourists".
I absolutely loved two things: Anzu, a gryphon-like creature I hope to see more of in future installments, if there are any which would be great, and the relics. It felt like the whole history of mythology and legends was ripe for the taking of my imagination. Any kind of heroic piece wielded by Athena or Hercules or your favourite myth-tale could be rescued from oblivion and put to warrior use in the present. Oh, how I'd love to grab one of those and become a heroine myself. This is the kind of things Gwenda Bond has inspired me to think about. Shame on you, Ms. Bond ;o)
Behind an amazing cover lurks a well-crafted divine drama .If you like alternate realities and mythology turned true, you're guaranteed a heck of a good reading. This is my opinion, now what's yours? Are you going to read it or skip it?