American Gods

ISBN: 0-380-97365-0 Order from: Amazon.com

A mostly humorous tale with numerous dark facets, this fast-moving fantasy suffers from a choppy plot and a distant protagonist.

Reviewed by David on December 06, 2001

Genre: Fantasy

Synopsis: Shadow once did a very stupid thing. He took part in a robbery, and was caught.

About to be released from prison, Shadow is determined to get back to his wife, whom he adores, and to a steady, satisfying job that his friend has waiting for him.

On the day of his release, his world gets overturned. Nothing is as he expected, and instead of a steady job, he is drafted into a war—a war between gods. Not being immortal, he is liable to get crushed. Except that he has unexpected allies.

Even with gods, treachery can overturn most battles. Shadow's survival—and perhaps the future of America—depends on his courage and intelligence.

Full Review: The author utilizes a widely used concept to describe the gods. Secret from most mortals they live, and sometimes prey on the citizens of their new home. Some gods are content to finish out their nearly eternal existence in modest retirement. Others are more ambitious. Unfortunately, the country is not big enough for all gods, and a war is brewing, one that will threaten even the immortals.

While entertaining, there is little originality in the concept, and there is little sympathy for the petty and great gods of the title. Shadow, the human, is more interesting, but despite his tragedy he is fairly distant throughout most of the book, mostly because of his apparent stoicism and unarticulated courage. By the end of the story he is a barely drawn hero, admirable but not particularly interesting.

This lack of emotional attachment to any of the characters of this tale, combined with a conventional if skillfully executed plot results in a mildly disappointing book from a highly acclaimed author.

Overall: 5; Plot: 4; Characters: 4.5; Style: 6; World-building: 4; Originality: 4.5;

ISBN: 0-380-97365-0 Order from: Amazon.com