Official Review: Agony of the Gods by Tom Wolosz

kimmyschemy06 · Post by **kimmyschemy06** » 16 Feb 2017, 09:50

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Agony of the Gods" by Tom Wolosz.]

3 out of 4 stars

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Agony of the Gods is an exciting science fiction novel written by Tom Wolosz.

After harnessing the power in the universe, scientists create The Machine which can use that power to grant any person anything he wishes for, even his own world to lord over and do as he pleases, making him like God. These people who are connected to The Machine are called Originals. The Originals are omnipotent. They are also hedonistic, vain, and brutal. They subject their people, called ‘prints,’ to various kinds of suffering merely for amusement.

Now, someone is killing the Originals. The enforcer, a print in service of the gods, is sent to find the killer. He and his new apprentice, an alluring woman with a deep sense of self preservation, travel and meet the gods of various worlds. They meet The Fat man in his floating palace, The Imager who takes and keeps images of anyone and anything he fancies, The Maestro whose life is dedicated to finding the perfect musician and The Lady of the Land who is served by talking animals.

Meanwhile, the death toll continues to increase and one question still remains: who can kill an all-powerful god in his own world?

Undoubtedly, the book has a great premise, unique and fresh. Every god is given specific descriptions and every world is described in details. This is not only exciting, but also engaging and thought-provoking. Every chapter introduces something new to think about and the surprising revelations never end. The book is written in third person perspective. Scenes involving the two main protagonists are told alternately between the enforcer and the apprentice.

Basically, the book is about power, how to use it, and how intoxicating it can be. The author adeptly portrays how an ordinary person can and will use his borrowed power to use, abuse and ultimately discard those he considered inferior to him. The book shows how overbearing, callous and inhumane powerful people can be. Likewise, the book depicts the different predilections of people of great power as evidenced by their choice of entertainment.

However, though each world is, without a doubt, very interesting, the descriptions of too many different worlds can be overwhelming to some readers, and the abrupt change of setting can be very confusing. There are simply too many minor characters and too many scenes, which other readers may find excessive. Moreover, I found the backstories on the two main protagonists, well-developed as they are, inadequate for them to be relatable. The enforcer is honorable, respectful, patient and kind while the apprentice is suspicious, ambitious and vindictive. Finally, there are several questions left unanswered and events left unexplained which make the ending of the book less satisfying than I hope it should be.

I, therefore, rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. I love the story. I enjoyed reading it, but there are just too many gaps. I recommend it to fans of science fiction. There are, however, some scenes which may not be suitable for young readers.

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Agony of the Gods
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LivreAmour217 · Post by **LivreAmour217** » 17 Feb 2017, 10:00

Thank you for this descriptive review! I like the premise of this book, so I may add to my ever-growing reading list.

Post by **kandscreeley** » 17 Feb 2017, 10:14

It does sound like an interesting book. I wonder if the unanswered questions at the end are pointing to some sort of sequel? Thanks for the review.

kimmyschemy06 · Post by **kimmyschemy06** » 17 Feb 2017, 22:52

LivreAmour217 wrote:Thank you for this descriptive review! I like the premise of this book, so I may add to my ever-growing reading list.

Thank you. The premise is great

-- 17 Feb 2017, 22:59 --

kandscreeley wrote:It does sound like an interesting book. I wonder if the unanswered questions at the end are pointing to some sort of sequel? Thanks for the review.

It is a very interesting book. I hope there is a sequel. The story is too 'big' to fit in just one book

Katelyn Scott · Post by **Katelyn Scott** » 18 Feb 2017, 15:28

Almost reminds me of a genie wish gone wrong.

kimmyschemy06 · Post by **kimmyschemy06** » 18 Feb 2017, 22:10

Katelyn Scott wrote:Almost reminds me of a genie wish gone wrong.

Kind of

Thank you for the comment.

ananya92 · Post by **ananya92** » 19 Feb 2017, 02:52

Nice review

The book seems quite thought-provoking, dealing with a deep concept. I might check it out.

kimmyschemy06 · Post by **kimmyschemy06** » 19 Feb 2017, 04:54

ananya92 wrote:Nice review The book seems quite thought-provoking, dealing with a deep concept. I might check it out.

Thank you. It's a great book

Heidi M Simone · Post by **Heidi M Simone** » 21 Feb 2017, 11:13

Another great review, kimmyschemy06! This definitely sounds like a unique read, but I feel the descriptions of several different worlds and abrupt changes in settings might be a bit much for me. I'm glad that you were able to enjoy the read, though!

Post by **bookowlie** » 21 Feb 2017, 14:08

Nice, thorough review! It sounds like the alternating perspectives of the enforcer and apprentice added depth to the story. Glad you enjoyed the book, even though I don't think it's my cup of tea. The descriptions of so many different worlds would overwhelm me.

victorcyprain · Post by **victorcyprain** » 10 Mar 2017, 03:49

Hmm!
Nice one!

Masinde · Post by **Masinde** » 10 Mar 2017, 04:20

Good review,though the book looks not exciting.

kimmyschemy06 · Post by **kimmyschemy06** » 10 Mar 2017, 06:45

hsimone wrote:Another great review, kimmyschemy06! This definitely sounds like a unique read, but I feel the descriptions of several different worlds and abrupt changes in settings might be a bit much for me. I'm glad that you were able to enjoy the read, though!

Thank you very much. The premise is very interesting I enjoyed it a lot

-- 10 Mar 2017, 06:47 --

bookowlie wrote:Nice, thorough review! It sounds like the alternating perspectives of the enforcer and apprentice added depth to the story. Glad you enjoyed the book, even though I don't think it's my cup of tea. The descriptions of so many different worlds would overwhelm me.

Thank you very much. Yes, there are quite too many the reader could lose track of which world is which

. But I enjoyed it just the same.

-- 10 Mar 2017, 06:48 --