Review: Herald by Rob J. Hayes
Blurb:
A thousand years ago, humanity’s greatest heroes killed God.
Now, under the brutal rule of warrior-kings, the land of Helesia has fallen to chaos. Demons stalk the deep forests, monsters roam free of their prisons beneath the World Vein, and ancient terrors rise again.
History is written in blood, but the future will be forged in holy fire…
Renira Washer lives the dreary life of a laundry girl, dreaming of adventure. When a stranger from her mother’s past appears with a dire warning, Renira’s peaceful life is shattered and she’s thrown headfirst into a millennia old war between Heaven and earth. In Renira’s blood, hides a secret: the angels are not all gone.
Only the Herald can ring in the Fifth Age.
Only the Herald can bring the God back to life.
Review:
The God Eater Saga is an ambitious project that Rob J Hayes describes as a trilogy of trilogies. Each trilogy is set in a different Age, with their stories relatively self-contained. But, if you want to experience the truly epic scope of the sage, you’d want to read all three trilogies.
Age of the God Eater is the main trilogy of the lot (going by the word count). Set in the last days of the Fourth Age, Herald follows young Renira who is forced to accompany a motley crew of angels, heretics and survivors who are on a mission to ring in the Fifth Age. What’s at stake? The rebirth of God, and the downfall of the Godless King.
I decided to read the saga in reverse chronology, so I can feel the impact of each discovery I make in the past sagas. So, Herald is my first venture into the world of God Eater.
WHAT I LIKED:
Herald reads like a classic fantasy tale. A typical hero’s journey, Herald starts from the POV of an everywoman—Renira. We read in horror as her world spirals out of control when she is recruited to guide a Fallen Angel, Armstar, through the forest. What follows is a series of revelations, world expansion, and lore-building that does a fine job of setting up the larger saga.
As the story progresses, you realise this is far from classic fantasy. Expectations are subverted, the ground beneath your feet is snatched and you’re thrown into a grimdark reality that is neither black nor white. You can’t take anything at face value. While you see the majority of the story from Renira’s POV, you also get Emrik’s POV; he’s the God Eater, an immortal king who has killed God, killed many of his angels, and devoured their flesh.
Hayes has balanced these perspectives so well that it’s hard to decide which of the group is the good guys, and which are the villainous demons. Renira’s POV will almost convince you of one side, but Emrik’s POV will sow enough doubt to keep you guessing till the end. That greying of sides is a huge part of why I enjoyed this book. Even though I hadn’t set my mind on who to support, I was left with my jaw hanging when I read the climax sequence. Seriously, it was one of the most mind-blowing things I’ve read this year.
In addition to that, we see so much of the world across this adventure. Each episode expands on the world, giving you glimpses of Ages passed. From tableaus depicting God’s grandeur to remnants of the Godless Kings’ Crusades, to stories and accounts from both sides, Hayes has crafted a world that takes inspiration from Christian mythos, blending it with dark Berserk-like imagery. Now add to the mix a LOTR-like adventure and you get Herald.
The characters were a hit or miss, to be honest. I didn’t exactly like Renira, nor was I able to root for Armstar, Eleseth, Sun, or even Emrik for that matter. However, I found each of their stories very compelling. Enough that I wanted to know where their arcs are headed, and what everything is building up to. I especially loved Armstar and Emrik’s arcs. Hayes makes them both very unlikable in the start, but as the story progresses, their roles become clearer and what they represent in the grander scheme of things is something that is sure to make you feel mind-blown. The same goes for Sun and Borik. I can’t wait to see what Hayes has planned for those two.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE:
I really did not like Aesie. I found her character, and her whole arc quite dull. The section where we follow just Aesie and Renira was my least favourite of the story. That being said, there were a few dull moments and parts that felt repetitive. Renira’s inner dialogue tends to repeat a lot of what has already been established. The same is true for other characters as well, but Renira’s POV taking up the majority of the word count makes it more noticeable.
Apart from that, there aren’t really any complaints. I can imagine if some readers feel a little underwhelmed by the smaller number of angelic scenes and magical clashes. The majority of the story follows a regular human perspective, leaving the awe-inspiring world of the previous Ages to our imagination. But I believe that is by design. Herald is just setting the stage, so a lot of the epic clashes are bound to happen in the future instalments. I would have loved it if there were more fantastical scenes, but the entire Los Hold sequence, the scene with the Apostle, and the finale (I don’t want to spoil this one) made up for that. They were exactly the kind of kinetic tension and epic pay-offs that I was looking for from Herald.
Lastly, the book is a little slower-paced than I had expected. If you’re not a fan of slower narratives, you might want to brace yourself. That being said, the pay-offs in the end are absolutely worth it, so I’m glad I trudged on through the dull moments.
While the book had some minor issues, I found the ending to be so mind-blowingly epic that it is going to stay with me. Even days after finishing the book, I can’t help but appreciate what Hayes has crafted with Herald. For that reason, I cannot bring myself to give this book anything less than a five.
TL;DR:
WHAT I LIKED: blurring lines between good and evil, the battle scenes between Angels against the Godless King and his children, and the finale.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE: Aesie and her arc, slower pace and fewer scenes featuring Angels in all their glory than I had expected
