No Gods for Drowning by Hailey Piper | Book Review

Gods and serial killers and some amusing moments, what's not to love?


No Gods for Drowning by Hailey Piper

Released September 2022

Source: Purchased with my own $

Goodreads  | Amazon

IN THE BEGINNING, MAN WAS PREY.

WITHOUT THE GODS, THEY'LL BE PREY AGAIN.

The old gods have fled, and the monsters they had kept at bay for centuries now threaten to drown the city of Valentine, hunting mankind as in ancient times. In the midst of the chaos, a serial killer has begun ritually sacrificing victims, their bodies strewn throughout the city.

Lilac Antonis wants to stop the impending destruction of her city by summoning her mother, a blood god—even if she has to slit a few throats to do it. But evading her lover Arcadia and her friends means sneaking, lying, and even spilling the blood of people she loves.

Alex and Cecil of Ace Investigations have been tasked with hunting down the killer, but as they close in—not knowing they're hunting their close friend Lilac—the detectives realize the gods may not have left willingly.

As flooding drags this city of cars and neon screaming into the jaws of sea demons and Arcadia struggles to save the people as captain of the evacuation team, Lilac’s ritual killings at last bear fruit, only to reveal her as a small piece in a larger plan. The gods’ protection costs far more than anyone has ever known, and Alex and Cecil are running out of time to discover the true culprit behind the gods’ disappearance before an ancient divine murder plot destroys them all.

Set in an alternate reality which updates mythology to near-modern day, NO GODS FOR DROWNING is part hunt for a serial killer, part noir detective story, and unlike anything you’ve ever read before.

My 2 Cents for Free!

I’ve read a few novellas by Hailey Piper. Benny Rose the Cannibal King, The Possession of Natalie Glasgow and The Worm and His Kings. They’re all great stuff, highly recommended and this one, a great big novel at 400+ pages, is just as good. It blends and bends a few genres including noir-ish thriller, dark fantasy, and horror with a touch of romance and very old Gods. It’s a bloody, sometimes violent adventure that’ll have you rooting for the characters in one chapter, laughing at their banter and finding yourself absolutely aghast at some of the things they do in the next. I love it when characters surprise me and they did that a lot in this book.

But my favorite interaction had to be this one:

“Please stop. I want to stay in a bad mood today.” I mean? Relatable 😆

I’m not going to give the whole plot away. There’s a lot to it and others can synopsis much better than I. It’s a book that has a little something for almost everyone but not too much of any one thing, if that makes any kind of sense. For those who’ll say “ick romance! Ick horror! Ick fantasy! Ick noir!”? Well, maybe get over your ick and branch out a little because you don't know what you're missing.

Anyhow, it kept me guessing and kept me wanting to read and that’s all I ask for in a novel. If you like to be swept away by a story No Gods for Drowning may do it for you too!

⭐⭐⭐⭐



Comments

  1. Mary KirklandMonday, October 23, 2023

    That sounds like it would be a lot of fun.

    ReplyDelete
  2. GregTuesday, October 24, 2023

    Yes please. THis had me at old gods. Reminds me a little of Tidepool by Nicole Wilson, not sure if you've read This one sounds more horror-y maybe.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Lark@LarkWritesWednesday, October 25, 2023

    This one sounds like a very fun mix of genres...all of which I really enjoy reading. And I love that quote! :D

    ReplyDelete

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