Friday 15 February 2019

ReadItDaddy's Chapter Book of the Week - Week ending 15th February 2019: "Against All Gods" by Maz Evans (Chicken House)

So here it is. The final book...and our Chapter Book of the Week this week, the stunning "Against all Gods" by Maz Evans.

Book lovers everywhere will know what it feels like when you are holding in your hand the final book in a series that has wormed its way into your heart, and become such a firm favourite that you know the minute you're done with this, you'll want to go right back to "Who Let the Gods Out" and re-read the entire series all over again.

That's how it is with us. Each of Maz' brilliant books has slid with ease into our Chapter Book of the Week slot, and this is no exception.

It wasn't a foregone conclusion though. As C gets older she gets tougher, and when this arrived she grabbed it with a 'whoop' and what followed was a couple of days of agonising questioning until I could comfortably get her opinion on it.

"It's good" she said simply, quietly, almost with reverence, and a tinge of sadness...

So what are you in store for? Well, if you have been following Elliot's escapades across all four books (and if you haven't WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU DOING, MORTAL?) you'll know where things stand at the start of this book.

Elliot faces his darkest period yet. Having vanquished unearthly foes, narrowly avoided losing his home, then suffering from the highs and lows of amazing triumphs and horrid losses, Elliot's final quest could decide the fate of mankind.  

Luckily Elliot isn't alone, though with a bunch of misfit gods to help, it's a wonder the world hasn't been hurled into a dark abyss before now. 

Every single chapter in this book feels crafted, as once again Elliot is on the trail of the fourth and final chaos stone, with gods such as Zeus, Hermes (our fave character, BOSH!) Aphrodite and of course Virgo, the wayward constellation all 'helping' in their own particular ways. But as the story winds to a close, Maz keeps you guessing right until the very end (which we, of course, can't reveal! We're mere book bloggers after all, not immortal Greek gods and goddesses!)

Suffice to say that you will not be disappointed in the least, and like us you'll be wondering what Maz will get up to next. Having crafted such a funny, heartfelt, brilliantly observed and hilariously pop-culture-referencing piece of anarchic greatness as this series is, we can only gasp in awe at her talent as a writer and hope that it won't be too long before we find out what Maz got up to next. 

Sum this book up in a sentence: A truly brilliantly written finale to a series that has been consistently fantastic, and whether you're a fan or a new reader of "Gods" you are in for a solid treat. 

"Against All Gods" by Maz Evans is out now, published by Chicken House Books (kindly supplied for review).