God’s War

Bel Dame Apocrypha, Book 1

By: Kameron Hurley

Narrated by: Emily Bauer

Nyx had already been to hell. One prayer more or less wouldn't make any difference...

On a ravaged, contaminated world, a centuries-old holy war rages, fought by a bloody mix of mercenaries, magicians, and conscripted soldiers. Though the origins of the war are shady and complex, there's one thing everybody agrees on - there's not a chance in hell of ending it.

Nyx is a former government assassin who makes a living cutting off heads for cash. But when a dubious deal between her government and an alien gene pirate goes bad, Nyx's ugly past makes her the top pick for a covert recovery. The head they want her to bring home could end the war--but at what price? The world is about to find out.

©2011 Kameron Hurley (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

Challenging and refreshing

This book has some fresh perspectives on women, war (particularly holy war), and technology. I enjoyed it, and look forward to finishing the series.
NOTE: The person who referred this book to me said it was good, but awfully violent, and I have seen that in some reviews. I didn't think it was particularly violent in comparison to other books in the genre. Sadly, our real holy wars are probably more violent.

A well-developed story of politics, religion & war

Nyx has been serving as a bel dame, a state-sanctioned bounty hunter who is paid to track down and collect deserters - dead or alive - by *almost* any means necessary. But it's the almost that gets her in trouble. After breaking one too many rules, Nyx finds herself cast out of the bel dames and imprisoned. Not a great position to be in.

Until the government has a somewhat dubious contract go bad and needs a covert recovery. Suddenly, Nyx's name is at the top of the list.

But with the war, which has been ongoing for centuries, still raging, the job isn't going to be easy.

Set in a world that is largely disconnected from the other planets in space due to an outdated spaceport, the planet is very religious, and the religion seems very strongly based on Islam. As tends to happen over time, while the different countries both have foundations in the same religion, their particulars have divided sharply over the years. Nyx is from Nasheen, which has a strongly matriarchal government and culture. Men are sent off to fight in the war and are only allowed to return home if they survive to 40. Sexuality is open, and lesbian relationships are very normal. Even with this very unbalanced society, Hurley still manages to create characters who are nuanced; whether male or female, they all have varied backgrounds, ethics, and morals, all of which affect the decisions they make.

In this matriarchal society, the only men who are exempt from fighting the war are those who have the ability to control the bugs. Termed Magicians, these men have the ability to manipulate the bugs and their energy. As some of the technology is a hybrid with organic material, the bugs are used in power generation and healing. Though the magical system underpinning this ability isn't fully fleshed out. Perhaps in the next book. In that way, though, with the magic and other aspects, the book reminded me of Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee - terminology and societal setup without explanation. Like when I was reading Ninefox Gambit, though, God's War works without a lot of explanation. That's not to say there is no information given - there is some - but it's unlikely to be enough for some readers who want explanations for everything, or for those readers who aren't used to reading books in the genre without full explanations.

As for the actual storyline, it is dark, and that's where it really lost me. While I have read some dark novels in the past that I loved, I tend to steer away from them in general. As it was, this was a book that I had to force myself to continue - not because it wasn't good (it was), but because it just wasn't my cup of tea. Despite that, I can recognize that it is a really good novel, and if I liked reading dark stories more, I would have truly enjoyed this book and be looking forward to continuing the sequel. Overall, the pacing seemed inconsistent to me, but I'm not sure if that's because it actually was or if that's more a reaction of my having to make myself continue it.

I will say that the narrator of the audiobook - Emily Bauer - did a wonderful job. She's probably the main reason I was able to finish the novel. Her narration was engaging and easy to listen to. This was the second book narrated by her that I have listened to, and I look forward to listening to more.

A thought provoking rarity

This is one of those rare sci-fi novels that uses the genre to explore our own culture and assumptions by turning them on their head in a far-flung fictional world. The true beauty and success of the narrative is that the book does this without becoming preachy.

This is not a simple book. It explores questions of gender, religion, morality, violence, war, bio-engineering and what it means to be human. The protagonist is an anti-hero... complex, morally ambiguous, someone who I could believe as a scarred war veteran.

You should read this book and appreciate it for the nuanced examination of social structures, belief and the affect of war on the human psyche. Or, you could simply read it for the action, the pacing, the unique sci-fi world building and the interesting story.

The narrative and the narration flow so well together that I didn't experience any of that disconnect you sometimes feel in an audiobook.

I rarely give 5 stars. I gave this 5 stars across the board.

Unending bugpunk theocratic holy war

Kameron Hurley's God's War is the first installment in her Bel Dame Apocrypha trilogy. The tale takes place in a bizarre universe where a planet has been settled by an Islamic-like theocratic orthodoxy. At some point in the past, the world split in mirror images of each other along gender lines and has been fighting a nearly non-stop war with the classic WWI/II 'front' motif serving as a meat grinder for both sides with extensive biological warfare. There are smaller bit players that provide unique characters. The world is 'powered' by insect where 'magicians' serve as medical specialists directing the bugs which also serve as an electricity source. The main character is a female version of the typical male anti-hero who has managed to piss everyone off. She is given the assignment to run down an alien who possess some sort of ultra-weapon.

Hurley's bizarre world building is offered without any explanation for its origin. As to how half the planet split into 180 degree reversal of traditional Islamic culture is provided by a weak explanation. Given the attrition rate from the war, one would suppose that men would command even greater influence given their reduced numbers. At the same time, the hard drinking, aggressive nature of the female population seems more a caricature of traditional society and as such, the women have little imagination. The backstories on the supporting characters are not that engaging. In the end, there is little redeeming value in any of characters or the whole planet in general.

The narration is well done with reasonable character distinction and smooth pacing.

One of the most surprising new finds in ages- highly recommend

The cover caught my eye, but the characters ( flawed, gritty as wet gravel, heroic & self-serving & wonderfully authentic and oh-so-real) & story pulled me in deep. I’m hooked!

bizarre narration

The story is fun, but periodically difficult to follow because the narrator doesn't pause much when story lines change. It also drove me bananas how harshly she'd say NYX SAID, JAX SAID, or ANY RANDOM SOMEBODY *SAID* every single time. Certainly the author is partly to blame for so frequently using SAID but gee whiz.

wow wow Holy crap wow

amazing unique and powerful voice in both story and narrative performance. if you are not easily offended, you will love this. if you are easily offended you need to hear this and think.

Rough brutality? Get it here.

Here's two things you should probably know before you purchase this book:

Kameron Hurley is a Feminist, capital F, the kind that doesn't want women to be men with breasts. She's the type of person interested in what makes societies what they are, and who puts all of the negativity of strict gender roles into this book, unflinching.

She was very into Middle Eastern religion when she wrote this trilogy, and spent six years beforehand researching war.

Still with me? Good. Kameron Hurley doesn't pull punches. She's interested in writing real people who have real consequences from their actions. If you want a kickass assassin hero who retains the high road after witnessing or being part of bloodshed, or whose sense of honor keeps her above the nitty gritty, who can go live happily ever after when all is said and done: this is the wrong story for you.

If however you're into a fantastically crafted world that sticks your nose down into the blood and gore and tells you to look at it, whose characters are a product of that bloody world, and has a story that continually pounds the characters into the ground? If you want a world that is vast, well thought out (and is continually developed into the next two books), that has BUG TECH and huge sociological and gender equality (no, not just women being oppressed -- in Nasheen it's the men who are most outwardly oppressed) issues due to an unending war? Yeah, this one's for you.

That said, it isn't perfect. It gets slow in some parts and some things don't quite fit together. The plotting wasn't as tight as it could have been, and some of the pacing will feel rushed. A lot of real world parallels can be drawn, and some may find that offensive. The characters aren't nice, and you might find yourself wishing there was a little more give in them. This is the type of book that, if you get invested enough into it, will make you hurt. But, maybe that's a plus. I don't know. What I do know is that despite its flaws, despite the unflinching way it rubs your nose in the dirt, I loved it.

Now, the narrator. I know that some people have complained about her voice because it is naturally on the high side, but after listening to all three books I would honestly not have anyone else. Her ability to put gravel into her voice, to make it sound rough and old and worn out, to put nuances into the characters and the slightest bit of accents: no complaints. I think she was a dang good choice for the role. I know who is speaking almost all of the time without needing to put a name to it, and the way she paces herself and puts emphasis on certain things made the story come to life. Great narrator.

So! Bottom line: If you want a strong female main character whose brutality, mental damage due to said brutality, whose relationship with the other narrating characters is more conflict than not, and whose resolve pushes the story along in a wave of violence: this is a good story for you.

Break out imagination, it will inspire many.

What made the experience of listening to God’s War the most enjoyable?

This was written the moment I finished the book.A book to let your imagination get rich, I enjoyed seeing so much in my head, the people and their rooms and clothes. what is in there hands. I can loose myself in my imagination in so many ways. What characters I would want to be, fear or root for. I enjoyed the nature of the outer world and the craziness of it. I like to be challenged in a way simular to Magic Realism, gone Cyber to "Bug Punk". (Not my phase, I picked this out of a few other reviews)How it would feel to look up at that sky. The writing is like Fate sitting a the spinning wheel as we are given info bits to make the world real, and really different. The technology is ironic, viscus and intriguing. A bit spooky and lots often tension. The martal arts or battles are great with plenty surprises for example a gun that isn't a primitive throwback, nor high tech weap. that shoots a round at near light speeds. Ha, you'll have to wait and see.And much more.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Hard to choose so far

What does Emily Bauer bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I'll get back to you on that, She did very well.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I wrote this the moment I finished the book, way past my bedtime...urg

Any additional comments?

I avoid stereotyping people like the plauge, I don't care for labling groups of people. We are what we are. Even if we are trying to be complementary. Calling Smurfs blue, is it really nessary? Other than in a police lineup?

Never takes the easy way out

I had this book in my wish list for months before I finally bought it, and I'm sorry I dithered for so long. It's one of the most innovative books I've ever read, from science fiction or any other genre. The lack of exposition was confusing at times, especially given how different the setting is from most science fiction or fantasy novels, but it fit with the harshness and cruelty of the society where the story took place. I loved the idea of using insects in all aspects of daily life - it makes sense that they would be the only "domesticated animals" able to survive on a barely habitable world like Umayma. Some of the science (especially the "magical" abilities of magicians and shifters) probably wouldn't hold up to careful scrutiny, but that's what suspension of disbelief is for.

I'm no expert on Islam, but the author's portrayal of how religion provides comfort and meaning but is also a source of irrational violence rang true for me. And it was fascinating to imagine how a Muslim society would change if it were run by women. Some authors would use that as an excuse to indulge in girl-power fantasies about how everything would be better if only men would get out of the way, but Kameron Hurley provides a much more complicated vision of both faith and gender.

I noticed some reviewers had trouble sympathizing with Nyx, the main character. I'm not sure what this says about me, but I loved her. She's found that she has an incredible talent for one thing - killing people - and being a bel dame allows her to express that talent in a socially-approved manner. Everything else in Nyx's life is a total mess: money, family, friends, romance. . .it seemed credible to me that being a skilled assassin wouldn't necessarily equip her to deal with any of those other issues. It was painful to see the consequences of Nyx's mistakes, both for her and for those around her, but I loved that the story didn't hold back from exploring how violence poisons everyone it touches. So many stories push their characters to the brink of catastrophe and then shoe-horn the plot into a happy ending that feels false. Without giving anything away, I can say that God's War definitely avoided that trap.

The one weakness I saw in God's War was that the actual plot got a bit lost under all the world- and character-building. The world and the characters were awesome, though, so I'm more than willing to overlook that. Don't read this book if you want a mindless thrill ride full of guns and butt-kicking, but please do read it if you're in the mood to think hard about science, faith, gender, and the ways we use all of them for both good and ill.