Book Review - ACHING GOD by Mike Shel

(Title: Aching God / Author: Mike Shel / Publisher: Self-Published / Publication Date: April 9, 2018)


Auric Manteo is a retired adventurer and former member of a guild named The Syraeic League.  Auric thought that his relic-hunting days were over long ago after multiple family tragedies, including the deaths of his son and later his wife by suicide.  All Auric cares to do now is live out the rest of his life trying to pick up the pieces and hopefully mend the strained relationship that he has with his only remaining loved one, his daughter Agnes.  

So it is more than a little unsettling when Auric is summoned out of retirement and called to appear at the Citadel, where he is given a task that is essentially a suicide mission.  It seems that a devastating plague has overtaken much of the land and is spreading at an incredibly rapid pace.  If that wasn't bad enough, Auric's estranged daughter Agnes is one of the many afflicted.  

The origins of the plague are believed to be the result of a disastrous mistake where a powerful cursed artifact was taken from its resting place.  This artifact was never meant to be removed and now the gods are apparently unleashing their retribution.  Auric is told he must embark on a mission with a small band of handpicked companions to journey back to the Barrowlands, where he experienced his most traumatic and devastating loss.  For through the Barrowlands lies the dungeon where the cursed artifact was taken, and there it must be returned before the plague finishes wiping out the rest of humanity and with it, his daughter.  

To be successful, Auric must battle not only the inhuman creatures that stalk the Barrowlands, but also the demons that still reside within him and are constantly bringing him back to the horrible events from his past that still haunt him to this day.  What the ultimate outcome will be is very much up to how well Auric can beat back the torment and rely on his years of experience as a skilled member of the Syraeic League to attempt to replace what was taken.  His daughter's life and the lives of tens of thousands of potential plague victims depend on it.  

I've seen ACHING GOD described in many book review outlets as a LitRPG book.  I kind of quibble with that representation, quite frankly.  While it definitely has a LitRPG feel at times, this is at heart a solid Sword and Sorcery novel much in the same vein as Dave Duncan's Seventh Sword series and Michael Moorcock's Elric saga.  I thought that ACHING GOD was a fabulous example of how world-building can be incredibly effective in setting the atmosphere and mystery of the book.  As I was reading I was consistently intrigued by the Barrowlands and what terrible secrets they contained.  

Shel does an excellent job of setting things up and revealing subtle hints about the relics and the history behind the relic hunters of the past.  The tension slowly builds and once Auric and his companions finally make it to the Barrowlands to begin carrying out their mission, the action is breakneck and the bad guys are just scary as hell.  This is really where the book excels I thought, the downright brilliant representation of the creatures who inhabit this blasted land.  

Shel writes incredibly vivid battle scenes and doesn't describe the carnage in a half-hearted manner, it's brutal and I loved every minute of it.  When people die in the ACHING GOD, they die in excruciating detail and not peacefully.  Auric is yet another tortured main character, but he's by no means shallow or cookie-cutter the way that many are.  He has experienced a ton of grief in his life and his battle to hang on to the last vestige of family that he has left, his daughter, is heart-breaking and absolutely motivates his actions.  Because of this, he's an easy character to cheer for.  

I found myself completely invested in wanting him to succeed in mending his relationship with Agnes while at the same time also trying to stop the plague that could ultimately wipe everyone out.  The fact that this is a debut self-published novel by Mike Shel is astounding to me because it is written with a seasoned-author's vision and eloquence.  I had a very minor issue with the pacing at times but by no means did it detract from me liking this book a whole heck of a lot.  Because ultimately when the book really gets into high gear about midway through, all of that buildup pays off in a big way.  

So do yourself a favor and pick up ACHING GOD by Mike Shel.  If Sword and Sorcery with a pinch of LitRPG and Horror sounds good to you, then this is the book you should be reading right now.  Also, keep an eye out for book two of the Iconoclasts series Sin Eater sometime in the near future.  Personally, I can't wait!

(My Rating: 8.5/10)

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