The Slain Divine by David Dalglish

 

The Vagrant Gods trilogy comes to an exciting conclusion in The Slain Divine by David Dalglish. The island nation of Thanet has been conquered by the Everlorn Empire and with the arrival of the God-Incarnate on the island, its people are being prepared for a brutal sacrifice in his name. 

Thanet's rebellion, led by a group of fallen heroes, gods, and princes has been slowed not only by the powerful Everlorn armies and paragons but by treachery from within. Cyrus has grown from the young prince forced to watch the slaughter of his parents and the gods that protected his island into a skilled fighter and masked "Vagrant", a master of shadows and an instrument of vengeance. The rebels must devise a plan to stop the God-Incarnate or Thanet will disappear forever. 

Dalglish has created a series that builds from book to book and from beginning to end in each book. The Slain Divine is the fastest-paced and most action-filled of the three. The action is fun, but the characters and themes really stand out. The Everlorn Empire's stated goal is to prevent hundreds of nations with different gods and beliefs from warring with each other and unite them under one church and one rule. But their methods have left slain gods and people behind them and destroyed the things that made their conquered nations unique. Dalglish shines further light on Everlorn's history and how the God-Incarnate came to be, as well as on Thanet's history involving invading and exiled gods. The fact that there are any shades of grey in this story of invasion and rebellion is a testament to the writing.

Some of the battles in the first part of the book felt less in doubt than battles in the previous books, given the heroes' growth in skill and strength. This didn't lessen the tension over the final battles, with the fate of the island and all its people hanging in the balance. The individual storylines were all wrapped up nicely. Some happy, some more wistful or melancholic. Arn's story will stick with me the longest of all the individual stories. His poignant interaction with the fox god and the profound ways she affected his life resonate deeply. 

Dalglish does a great job in all facets, creating a world rich in history and culture, filled with great battles, a large cast of characters that you will grow to care about, and a thoughtful narrative that will stick with you for a long time. 

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher.