Love the premise of this book. Ancient Gods are alive and living on Earth.
Fully powered up they are held in check by the theistic equivalent of the Cold War.
Opening of novel is unusual Gods arrived five years earlier. Governance of US unrecognisable. Human power in hands of 'The Society'. They hold the artefacts that keep the gods in check.
Lead character is in crisis. Mother not living at home, father important member of Society.
Opening chapters feel like this is a second novel in a series. I've tripled checked. It's not.
Lots of ancient deities. Burning question at the moment, where is God/Allah/Buddha/Hindu Pantheon?
I like the idea of a collection of relics. Each with different often capricious powers.
The book lacks some coherence. There are lots of similar somewhat obscure deities and it can be hard to work out what the benefits of being part of the conspiracy are.
Gods in the book - tricksters
Enki - Sumerian - mischief and water
Set - Egyptian - chaos and darkness
Legba - Yoruba - Crossroads
Finished!
Book set up nicely for second novel. Whilst I enjoyed elements of the book I found it an uneven read. I think the idea of every God being woken was perhaps over ambitious within a YA framework.
Due to the enormity and complexity of the premise, the love interest fell a little flat.
Having said that, the parental triangle was set up really well. Rebellion and love, well described.
I would like to have seen the novel given the full American Gods treatment. There is room for a house brick size novel.
I particularly would like to have seen more stuff about the fate of the Christian church in America, and organised religion worldwide.