No Gods No Monsters by Cadwell Turnbull

 

Welcome Back, Booklovers! I finally finished No Gods No Monsters by Cadwell Turnbull this weekend after doing a slow read since it's release date. I had no clue what this story would be like when Blackstone Publishing sent me a finished copy for review. I just assumed it would be some kind of urban fantasy with horror elements. Which it is but it's also so much more.

This story begins with Laina mourning her brother's death. They were estranged for some time as her brother battled drug addiction which only adds to her guilt. At first it just seems like an act of police brutality though what happened doesn't truly make sense. However she discovers it's not that simple when she receives the missing body cam footage from the officer who shot her brother. It reveals that her brother was a werewolf.  She shares the footage online and it goes viral though is scrubbed from the net as if someone is intent on keeping these monsters hidden. Not long after a pack of werewolves transform in the middle of a busy street proving that the footage wasn't just an internet hoax. 

There weren't just werewolves; but also dragons, an invisible woman, succouyants, a man who can jump across timelines, secret societies, and much more. We don't just follow the monsters who are trying to adapt to the new normal amid riots and protests, but also some of their allies who are struggling with the new revelations and how they can help. There are characters in this story dealing with grief, sexuality, drug addiction, and other issues.

I'd say my favorite parts of the story were the parts that took place in St. Thomas where readers are painted a vivid picture of every day island life. We get to appearance the feeling of the plane touching down in the airport as Calvin returns home from his time in the US. While he is happy that so much that he's familiar with has remained the same he's struggling with life after his brother's death. Spending time with his niece in an attempt to be a better uncle only exasperates those feelings. 

This book excels at building atmosphere without describing every mundane detail so it's easy to sit back and just get lost in the story. I was reading a physical copy alongside the audiobook which has a very easy flowing narration that perfectly fits.

While at times things could be a little confusing the story never stopped being engaging.  You have to pay close attention because it also moves at a very fast pace and at times across decades and universes. As I read further I started to see how so many of the character's lives were interconnected. And they all have the common goal of wanting to find a place where they belong and feel loved. There's no big bad all the characters are fighting against but rather we see a look at everyday society which these monsters are very much apart of but also on the outskirts. It's very literary so if literary stories aren't your style proceed with caution but I'm curious to see where book 2 goes.