Against All Gods: The Age of Bronze: Book 1

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Sadly, for Enkul-Anu, quite a bit, as it turns out that old wizard, Gammash, has a new ally -- one of the older race of gods (aka: Titans), overthrown by Enkul-Anu and his brood, who is only more than happy to reveal that the rulers of 'heaven' are more mortal than they let on, and terribly, terribly afraid of iron, for a very good reason. This lord of gods cannot rest easy on his throne, however, as he and his followers overthrew the previous divine regime to ascend to their current heights.

All told this is a brilliant introduction to a vivid, fascinating world and a series that promises to only grow in scope, excitement and intrigue – a great first book that leaves you wanting more. In addition, the book kickstarts Gamash's journey by having his pregnant daughter die, which is another trope that tends to be a bit overused, where women die for male characters' growth. This was done easily since so many people were meeting other people in different scenarios, so you got to know the individuals by being told what was good about them from the perspective of other individuals. Meanwhile, performer Era, uses all her wits, athleticism, and courage, to flee death and destruction, and along the way adopts an enigmatic young orphan boy, whose stuffed bear seems to predict the future. But some parts of world-building were so epic and interesting: like, Zos was a slave trained to be a bull-leaper- it's a type of gladiators who are supposed to jump at a charging bull and there is a whole legend about this and references to their fearlessness.Right away I was sucked into this awesome story that involves gods, godborn, who are those descended from gods, mortal god-kings appointed by the gods to ensure that their interests are protected, and various other really interesting characters. However, for some reason, I came into this story expecting Mesopotamian mythology (yes I know that's not Bronze Age and I'm stupid) and then saw some reviews mention Greek mythology. Toys almost (why are people who have just met keen to prove themselves with naked steel); people who are 100lbs soaking wet are suddenly breaking down groups of grown men, and so on. When there is constant dialogue, the author has to tell you who is smiling and swallowing and all that. As well as facing up to his fears, he realises that the future of mankind - and the survival of everything he holds dear - is at stake.

The only ways the author seems to be able to describe women is by providing details on their bodies. A group of adventurers from different backgrounds have been wronged in some way by the gods or those who (purport) to support them and so set out for revenge and, eventually, revolution. But, to be quite honest, if he didn't stress the importance of Bronze Age reference, I honestly wouldn't even pay the intention as much and you know why? It is part of the Blackwell ancient history series and so I can promise neither good prose nor graceful formatting, but the book successfully conveys much of the complexity of the bronze age without overwhelming you.To me, the human element was what let me down, and ultimately made it hard for me to truly enjoy this book.