The Stone God by Erin Kellison [Review]

The Stone God (Indulgence Series #1) by Erin Kellison
Format: ebook
Source: provided for review
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: May 14, 2021

Indulgence Series
1. The Stone God - Paperback | Kindle
2. The Night Blade
3. The Blood Chain
4. The Dark Heart
5. The Crimson Throne

Erin Kellison
| Website | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

Terah Crane knows not to tempt the gods. A happy life—or at least an uncomplicated one—involves no gods at all. And since her loving grandfather bought her an Indulgence that exempts her from their service, she can focus on her other problems—the fact that her recent divorce has left her broke, unemployed, and reeling.

Seeking a fresh start, Terah packs everything she owns into her beat-up car and moves to her family’s empty country cottage—never mind that deadly firedrakes occasionally wander into the garden. When an unlikely flood carries a cracked pillar of stone from a nearby shrine right to Terah’s doorstep, it seems the gods demand her service after all.

The man trapped inside the monolith is still alive, and Terah’s reluctant task is to resurrect him, his godkiller of a sword—and his fury for vengeance.

The gods’ awesome powers are matched only by their careless, capricious whims—and vulnerable mortals are often the ones to suffer and die. Now, the gods are watching Terah, making her a pawn in their savage game. Her survival depends upon navigating a new world of peril and treachery, taking up a weapon, and making a fateful move of her own…

Thoughts on The Stone God: Okay. I really REALLY liked this book. There are gods and monsters and people who think they're ordinary, but turn out to be anything but. There's betrayal and heartache and ... well, on the surface, it looks like the gods toy with human lives with a weird sort of callousness, but I'm not so sure. It could all be a game to them or it could be something deeper. I feel like we've just skimmed the surface of what's going on and there's a whole lot more underneath than we can see just yet.

First and foremost, we have the gods. They have their enemies and allies and they do the things they think they need to do (whether out of boredom or necessity). Sometimes these things they put in motion have far reaching ripples that cause heartache for those who follow them. Is it all just a game or part of some master plan that hasn't been fully revealed yet? I HAVE NO CLUE. But I really like it.

Probably the only thing I didn't like (but which fit into what was happening PERFECTLY) was how easy it was for betrayal to sneak its way into everything. Terah's family was quick to turn their back on her when it looked like she was going to be punished by the gods (her mother's actions made me GRRR a little, tbh, although I did understand where her brother was coming from). A throwaway comment to a person who no longer had Terah's best interests at heart led to, well, some potential very bad things happening to her.

And yet, Terah remained true. To herself and to the gods she'd pledged herself to. Even though pledging herself to two gods has the potential for chaos down the line. Especially if those two gods have a falling out. She might not have understood the implications when she did it, but she doesn't let that stop her from doing what she needs to do.

Like, I said, there's a lot going on here and I have no idea where things are going to go, BUT I AM HERE FOR IT. *thumbs up*