Blog Tour: Not Gods, Only Monsters

Hello everyone! I hope you all are safe and happy, and that your week is going well. Today I am here with my first review for Wyrd And Wonder, the all thing fantasy month-long event, and it is also a blog tour hosted by Escapist Book Tours. So two birds with one stone!

Title: No Gods, Only Monsters
Series: Antiquity Chronicles #1
Author: Steve McHugh
Pages: 250
Publication Date: May 1st, 2022

Diana, the Roman Goddess of the hunt, lives alone on the far edge of the Roman Empire. When an old friend arrives looking for help, Diana finds herself thrust back into her old life, and old problems.
With innocent lives caught in the crossfire, Diana realizes that the only way to ensure the safety of her friends and loved ones is to do what she does best: hunt her enemies down.

See Also:

A Clash of Titans • If Someone Asks if You’re a God, You Say Yes • Wonder Woman

This was my first book by this author, but I can say that this won’t be the last one! I was quite curious, and a tad scared by this book, because the plot, even if really short, sounded interesting, but I am in a complicated relationship with Gods and Pantheons. Once upon a time, I loved all things mythology-related, but now… not so much. Sometimes I love books with mythology in them, and sometimes they are a complete miss for me. But Diana is such an interesting Goddes, and little considered by the literary universe, especially in modern retellings. So the curiosity won. And I am really really glad to have taken the risk, and asked to be part of this blog tour!

The book is fast-paced and action-packed. It not boring at all, and it would take you on a fascinating trip to meet some really interesting characters. Diana is a good MC, but the story really starts to shine when we get to know better Skost, the dwarf, and when we finally meet Medusa. I think she was my favorite in there. The take on her character was pretty unique, and I appreciated it a lot. Also, she can turn people into stone. Cool! And we have an interesting pack of villains.
But the best thing, at least for me, was the author’s take on the Gods, and on the Pantheons. I like that we don’t have only one. It is a thing that I usually love when we get to mix and match different folklore and pantheons and such. And this book was no exception. Sure, this one is pretty centered on one of them, but there is mention of the others, and there is hope that we get to see more of them or to see them interact with each other in the next books. Or at least, I really really hope so!

The writing is smooth and as a whole the book is pretty… casual, I dare say, and we get some emotional moments too, so it is not purely an action book, but I think that this is, overall, an action book. There are other things in there, sure, but this is the core of all, and even if it is a tad different from my usual read, it was an interesting and captivating one. I devoured this book, and if you are in for something deeply engaging, and fast you are in for a treat!

and half!

Book Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09VYVKK4H
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Gods-Only-Monsters-Hellequin-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B09TJDLSN4/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60522229-no-gods-only-monsters

Author Bio & Information:
Steve is a bestselling author of Urban Fantasy. His book, Scorched Shadows, was shortlisted for a Gemmell Award for best novel.
Steve was born in a small village called Mexborough, South Yorkshire, but now lives with his wife and three young daughters in Southampton.
Author Website: https://stevejmchugh.wordpress.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/StevejMchugh
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Steve-McHugh/e/B007YYWVHA
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5819903.Steve_McHugh

Follow the blog tour around!

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And what about you? Have you read other books by this author? And are you interested in this one?? Let me know!

Happy reading!
S.