Touched By The Gods

I read this book many years ago and I still remember it as one of the best I've ever read. It's a big book, but the story is so stunning and fascinating that I recommend it to anyone. I read many books from Lawrence Watt-Evans, and this one is the best from the ones I read. I keep it and I intend to read it again.

I enjoy almost any story written by Mr Wyatt-Evans and this book was no exception. I thought the story came from a different perspective and I enjoyed the way the story moved along. From my view, this is a different kind of "hero saves the world" story.

Touched By The Gods was consistent with its own rules, the characters were developed in an interesting way, and the plot was reasonable within the framework of the world Watt-Evans presented. Plot development was adequately complex without turning into a mystery novel. I enjoyed this book tremendously; my favorite authors are Mercedes Lackey, Andre Norton, C. J. Cherryh, J. V. Jones, and yes, David Eddings. I've enjoyed this book as much as from these other authors.

...and Watt-Evans is one of them. This book is an excellent variation of a standard fantasy theme, but with rare qualities for today's market: the book has fine prose and a seemless plot. More emphasis should be placed upon these in fantasy writing, because they are what assure someone of an enjoyable read on a Thursday night.

I found _Touched by the Gods_ very intesting; the characters are intriguing, the mythology (theology?) is self-consistent, and there is no "deus ex machina" involved in the story. All the Gods are clearly in the machine from the start :) The magic, the politics, and the geography all tie in well with the military events, making for an interesting story. The only problem is that there's no "map of the land", but since the action is continent-wide, it may not have been practical to have a map in the book. All in all, I really enjoyed this book. Buy it; you won't be disappointed!