Envy of the Gods: If the Reward Were Right

Envy of the Gods: If the Reward Were Right
Andrea Savitch
Bridgeway Books
ISBN: 1-933538-11-2
Fiction, Fantasy
Reviewed by Shannon Frost

Only two things can surpass Raphela of Milson sensuous beauty, her desire for power and her thirst for knowledge. While the latter she fulfills by breaking the tradition of her land that women are uneducated and learns to read and write, the first can be satisfied by only one man, Duke Atan Ishtba, a man of unstoppable strength and power. In their first intimate meeting, both know their lives are about to change forever due to the other.

As the first in a trilogy to follow, Envy of the Gods, lays the foundation by introducing the players and conflicts in this grand tale. The pacing of the novel is extremely fast, sweeping the reader along and making it difficult to put the book down. Occasionally though, the pacing is so fast that it leaves the reader wishing for a touch more descriptive details in such areas as the religion of the Nameless Ones, and the history of the world of Raalek. However, this is easily overlooked due to the novel’s main strength, characterization.
Without a doubt the complex characters are the heart of Envy of the Gods. Raphela and Atan are almost anti-heroes on the surface with some of their ruthless actions to gain power. Yet underneath their ruthlessness, is a compassion to try and create a better world, making them sympathetic and likeable characters despite any atrocities they may commit to achieve their goals. With characters presented with such strength and the believable world of Raalek just beginning to unfold, Envy of the Gods leaves great hope to the potential that following novels will blossom into a wonderful trilogy.