Godborn: Gods of Bronze, Book 1

Dan Davis has a pretty good series in the Immortal Knight Chronicles. In fact, that series is one of my favourites. I really enjoy the historic realism and how well tied in it is with real events. I love how the characters live out the viewpoints of the time, being anti jew or protestant for example. Unfortunately, in this book, the same ideas do not work. I think that's mainly because of, less action, much much more travel, flatter characters, and a neolithic setting.Good:- pretty realistic day in the life stuffBad:- characters are incredibly ignorant, which is understandable as Neolithic humans, but they do not rise past that at any point- no character growth- the characters are all emotionally flat, and a little dense. So no ability to pull the reader in.- bad guys are unrelatable- I think Neolithic is too far back. It’s less interesting than the medieval or full Bronze Age (there’s limited bronze in the book). This doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be done, but it’s likely going to handicap any story a little.- sllllloooowwww story progression. Most of it is just a travel log.- unrealistically, somehow all the main women avoid being raped despite being captured individually by people who habitually rape. It’s not that I’m invested one way or the other, it just strains credibility.I can’t think of anyone who I’d recommend this to. It’s got no significant redeeming features.

Davis has clearly done his homework on the early Bronze Age, and this vision of life in Eurasia is fascinating and entertaining. But this isn't historical fiction; it's a full-on fantasy novel that's set in a Bronze Age Eastern Europe/Western Asia (I think) instead of the traditional medieval Western Europe. That the exposition is delivered in a smooth and entertaining way is worth the price of admission by itself.The plot revolves around a young man whose father is a god he's never met, tasked with tracking down a dozen demons who've left the valley they're supposed to be imprisoned in. You don't have to be a PhD in Greek mythology to realize that our strapping young hero's tale is the one that oral tradition will, over the millennia, warp into the Twelve Labors of Hercules. This exercise in backwards myth-making is neat, but also tends to remove much of what makes those tales feel epic, grounding it in what might be a wonder-sucking mundanity if it wasn't for the intriguing Bronze Age twist.Our hero is almost painfully earnest and swings between bull-headed certainty and paralyzing insecurity that feels true to the experiences of young men from the Dawn of Time. It carries with it the flavor of the not-so-bright version of the Hercules who, while well-intentioned, shakes the pillars of heaven and nearly destroys everything, and without the humor at the expense of Herc and the gods that exists in many of the myths.As sword-and-sorcery fiction, Godborn is pretty good. But the wonderfully deep and fascinating world-building, based as it is on (the admittedly very little) we know about this period in history, raises it to a fascinating and unique read. If you love to immerse yourself in alien worlds that still feel real, you should absolutely pick this one up.

I loved this book! The characters, the setting, the mythology come to life. It was said that this is the same world as the Immortal Knight series. I am seeing how these two tie together.Can’t wait for the next one.

Very disappointed with this one. It could have been great but let down by the dialogue of the leading characters. I thought it would get better as I read more but it didn't and struggled to finish it. Ending wasn't bad but by then I had lost interest.

The bronze age? Seriously? I can't imagine how difficult it is to write a story set in 3000 BC that still resonates with readers in 2020. With Godborn, Dan Davis delivers as always.Contemptible villains, flawed heroes and scheming divine powers make for a believable and immersive story that I can hardly wait to continue.Herkuhlos is the OG. One could say that he was Richard of Ashbury before Richard of Ashbury was cool.Anxiously awaiting the next volume.

If you are fascinated by the migration period of history; the copper to Bronze Age cultural changes from Asia to Europe; if the folkways of European, Caucasian, and Steppe tribes then this fantasy series is for you. This author brings history to LIFE and you will not be disappointed!!!!!

If you like Proto-Indo-European history, religion, mythology, etc then this is the series for you. On top of that, the writing is superb, the characters are well developed, and the book elicits genuine emotions of happiness, anger, and disgust. The writing pulls you in. Plus, you can read the novella for free. Dan Davis has earned my respect as an author.

Great story!!! Looking forward to reading the rest of the series!!

The story went very slowly the majority of the time, then there were sections with almost too much action. The ending was totally unrealistic with a handful of people taking on a hundred plus warriors, not only winning, but without the loss of one of their number.I will start to read the next book in the series and if it follows the same methodology with illogical sections, I will be putting it to one side.

I’ve had an interest in ancient mythology since childhood and it has seemed pretty obvious to me for a long time now that the similarities in different European and Asian mythologies suggest that there must in many cases have been a common root.The figure of Hercules / Herakles seems to crop up in one form or another across Europe, and so it would seem logical that his real origins go back way earlier than ancient Greece, and were most likely in that age before Indo-European speaking tribes first arrived on the Greek peninsula. The author of this book seems to think as much too.So, meet this primordial Herakles from the steppes of Eurasia, as you’ve never met him before wielding his stone war hammer and moving steadily westwards on his god-given mission to slay the evil demons that destroyed his clan.The author has clearly an interest not only on comparative mythology, but also in the cultures of late neolithic and early bronze age Eurasia. He’s done some pretty interesting youtube videos about them. And his interest shows in the books. He’s worked in a lot of detail, and he’s done it well; blending in archaeological and cultural details naturally as part of the story without being at all didactic is something that many writers find hard to do.Comparing writers can be a dangerous thing to do, but I’ll do it anyway. Something about the way he works everything together makes me think of “The People” series set in ancient North America, written by Michael and Kathleen Gear. Different people, different location, different setting, but a really good blend of archaeology, myth and storytelling. I thoroughly enjoyed those too.Most importantly of all, it’s a rollicking good read. Buy it.

I stumbled upon Dan Davis YouTube channel a few months ago while researching some of the oldest myths in the world. I’ve watched several of his videos since then and finally got around to read Godborn last month. I figured even if it was half as good as the videos it would be a good read and I was not disappointed.Godborn is a well written and well researched book, faithful to the settings and cultures of the time while still leaving plenty of room for fantasy and mythology. It reminds me of Bernard Cornwell’s Stonehenge, although I have to admit that sadly I haven’t read many stories set in the Neolithic/ early bronze age.I admired the careful use of language to tell the story within the limitations set by the time period and the characters’ personalities fit this perfectly as well. Herkuhlos and his spear-brothers are far from the usual teenage ‘heroes’ in modern fantasy and I appreciate that. Unsurprisingly, my favourite thing about Godborn was the mythological elements woven into the story and I can’t wait to continue the series.

Wasn't too sure about this when it described it as being like the story of Heracles but though I can see this, it is also completely different in a lot of ways and I am only annoyed that I read a book that does not have a book 2 yet.

This truly is a fantastic novel. It is important to know that it is very fast paced and action packed. If you are after a complex fantasy with multiple story arcs then it is not for you. It is a fantasy story set within an archaeological pre-historic setting of the Indo-European expansions of the early bronze age. The only thing I wish Dan Davis had included would be a map at the beginning to put into context the locations described. This issue is null and void as the author has a youtube channel in which he describes the peoples, locations and archaeology with academic detail. Buy and read Godborn. You can thank me later.