Bid the Gods Arise is unlike anything else that I have read before.¹ The story reads like an epic fantasy but incorporates clear science fiction elements. The story is viewed predominantly from the point of view of characters from a non-technological world, so even when advanced sci-fi technologies appear in the story they are seen through the eyes of people who are not sure how to describe them. This creates an intriguing mixing of genres that I for one would like to see more of.

The book deals with important issues, the main one being slavery. This is what good speculative fiction does best – addressing relevant real world issues in a fantastical setting.

The characters are well developed, and despite a growing cast, the people never blend into each other – each one remains unique and you find yourself caring for all of them.

The sexual aspects of the characters are explored honestly, and characters don’t always make decisions that I would consider wise, but it is always written very tastefully. Readers of Christian fiction will find nothing to be offended by, but readers of mainstream fiction will find plenty of “spice”.

The author has created a vast mythic world with this book, and it feels like he has just scratched the surface. There is a great deal of scope for future books in this series to dig deeper into this world. This is not to suggest that Bid the Gods Arise doesn’t dig deep. The setting is rich and developed, but the book gave hints of a much larger universe.

There is a lot of allegory in this book which connected with me spiritually. The characters were use to explore spiritual and religious ideas but never once did it feel preachy.

This is an epic tale that will appeal equally to both readers of science fiction and fantasy. I look forward to more from this author.