Official Review: Do the Gods Hear Our Prayers?

[dragonet07]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Do the Gods Hear Our Prayers?" by Jeff Henrikson.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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When gods allow their personal agendas to taint their interactions with mortals, chaos ensues. Mythology has made this point time and time again. As the gods’ plans interfere with each other and with the will of mortals, the resulting turmoil tears entire kingdoms apart; alliances are broken, relationships become strained, the innocent get punished, and villains go undetected. However, the possibility always lingers that a hero will rise and save the day. Still, many questions remain: will a hero really come to the rescue? When? Who will dare to shoulder this incredible burden? Such is the twisting, troublesome nature of mortal/god relationships in Jeff Henrikson’s Do the Gods Hear Our Prayers?

Deep within the woods stands Armena, the last elven kingdom of Tellus. For centuries, Armena’s citizens have tried to maintain a peaceful existence on the land which has always been their home. Yet that peace is about to come to an end. An unexpected tragedy thrusts Armena into disarray, and authorities, desperate to bring some calm to the distressed citizens, place the blame on two high-profile scapegoats: Evisar and Jefon, the sons of Armena’s most beloved warrior, Lacrue Talisman. Made to bear the cross of a crime they did not commit, Evisar and Jefon will never be allowed in the kingdom again unless they can right this horrific wrong. How can two young, inexperienced elves succeed where entire armies have failed? Will the Talisman brothers ever be able to return home? And where are the gods of the elven pantheon when the Talisman family needs them most?

The first book in the epic fantasy series A Prayer for Peace, Do the Gods Hear Our Prayers? weaves an intricate web of deception, betrayal, shady deals, and corrupt politics. The story incorporates so many elements—from inter-species conflict and political games to divine intervention and traditional heroic quests—that it would be difficult to tie them all together. Regardless, Henrikson manages to do so. More importantly, he does it while avoiding many of the predictability pitfalls common to this genre. As an avid reader and writer, I am usually able to determine a book’s general plot within the first third of the story and continue reading for the joy of the small twists and character development. Henrikson’s work, however, pleasantly surprised me. For much of the novel, while I was able to tell that something was not quite right or was about to happen, I did not find the same giveaways that I find in other similar plots. Henrikson kept me on edge, wondering what could possibly happen next, and that is a feeling I rarely get from books of any genre nowadays.

Out of everything, the ending surprised me the most. I cannot say much for fear of spoilers, but the ending is not what I had expected. Characters developed in ways which I would not have guessed they would have when they were first introduced, and not everything is wrapped up in a neat little bow. In fact, many questions are still left unanswered and many characters are still frustratingly left in the dark on matters that the reader has already been shown. Just enough has been concluded for the reader to feel satisfied that this novel has ended, but enough has also been left open that the reader—myself included—is left scrambling for the next installment.

While the majority of the characters are elves and elven gods, their personalities and abilities are so diverse that almost any reader will easily find both a character they relate to and a character they can despise. Each is flawed in their own way, and each has at least one redeeming—or empathy-inspiring—quality. From the gentle, gold-hearted Jefon and the blunt, athletic Evisar to the deceptive Nero and the self-serving Evona, both the protagonists and antagonists have their own unique, well-developed personalities that make them realistic individuals, not just fantastical, intangible beings.

Unfortunately, the book is not perfect. I noticed multiple proofreading errors throughout my copy. Some of these errors are easily overlooked, especially when you are not looking for mistakes. However, other errors are not so dubious, such as fragments being broken into two sentences when they should be connected by a comma. For example, on page fifty-one “After Venal did not answer, Martel continued. His voice dripping with sarcasm” should be “After Venal did not answer, Martel continued, his voice dripping with sarcasm.” Both kinds of errors occur more often than they should in a published novel, so I am afraid that this one has not been edited as thoroughly as it should have been.

All things considered, I give Do the Gods Hear Our Prayers? by Jeff Henrikson 3 out of 4 stars. The plot is complex and unpredictable with all the elements tying together well, and the characters are diverse and well-developed. Regardless, the book’s proofreading errors disrupt the flow of the writing and suggest that further editing is needed. If you prefer simple plots or are uncomfortable with books involving multiple gods, you will probably want to avoid this novel. However, if you are into classic epic fantasy with betrayal, deceit, and invisible hands pulling strings, I highly recommend Do the Gods Hear Our Prayers?

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Do the Gods Hear Our Prayers?
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Like dragonet07's review? Post a comment saying so!

[kdstrack]

I enjoyed reading your review. You give the author high praise for keeping your interest and for creating new twists that kept you from guessing the end. This sounds interesting. Great writing.

[Kibet Hillary]

This is an enthralling review. The author did a nice job indeed if there are some twists and turns that caught you off guard. Thanks for the review.

[Nyambura Githui]

Interesting review. The book sounds like quite the read from your perspective. I'll add it on my list.

[kandscreeley]

I enjoy a good fantasy, but I admit it has to be the right fantasy. I'm not sure this one is it. The cliffhanger ending would frustrate me, I think. I'm glad the characters are well done, but it's too bad the book needs more editing. Thanks.

[HRichards]

The book sounds interesting. I appreciate your analysis of the book's weaknesses. I'm not sure about the cliffhanger ending though. I hate that aspect of books.

[Kelyn]

Elves, mythology and impossible hurdles to overcome. Sounds like this book was made for me! Hopefully, I can skim over the errors and not let them bother me too much. You wrote a beautiful review. Thanks! Definitely going on my TBR shelf.

[hedwigwhite]

This book was already on my bookshelf before a single review about it. After reading your review, I'm pleased to say it deserves that spot in my "Want to read" shelf. Thanks for the wonderful review!

[Juliana_Isabella]

Thanks for the review. I'm always intrigued by modern representations of ancient gods, so this may be worth a read.

[C-obi]

The review by Dragonet07 was amazing. The choice of words were pleasantly selective. It gave a clearer picture of the book's details. Great job Dragonet07.