I was sent a copy of this by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a pleasant surprise. I loved the main characters and their story and how the main character struggles with her place in the world.

It did take a while for me to get the hang of the world. As a reader you are thrown right into the action (which I liked) and slowly you are told about the characters, their relation to each other and what’s happening.

There are three worlds: the first, where magic still exists; the second, that has no magic and where the people are starting to drain its resources; and finally the third world, where nothing grows and no natural life exists (except for the people of that world). I enjoyed this division of the different worlds, but it did feel a bit weird to read about visits to and from the second world (which is our world).

Saran is a princess and a time mage, and she is also secretly working with the rebels to overthrow her father, the cruel king. She is linked to Keleir, her love, and his brother Rowe. Keleir is a victim of a demon-like parasite called the Oruke, who lives between the worlds and is able to enter the world by entering children in the womb and slowly taking over until nothing of the child exists anymore. But Saran managed to close off the Oruke and pull Keleir to the surface again. But he is still struggling with the presence inside of him, even more so when Saran is punished and her magical powers bound.

I enjoyed the relationship between Keleir and Saran very much and it was beautifully written. As well as the relationship between Saran and Keleir’s brother Rowe. I also loved how the magic is portrayed in this book, where the magic wielders have one magical skill: time, fire, ice, lightning etc. I always love a good struggle/redemption story and this certainly has one of those.

I look forward to reading the next book in this series!

E-arc provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I found the beginning very interesting but after the first 100 pages, the book lost appeal to me. The story was too slow and the book was dragging so bad. I could not engage with the characters which I found bland and not interesting enough keep going until the very end. I sadly didn't finish this book.

It was interesting. I liked the characters and the book went beyond my expectations. I love love the world and the princes, princesses, and the whole world of theirs. It really reminded me of Sarah J Maas so if you like her work then you're sure to like this one.

There were parts that were slow and kind of boring to get through. Sometimes i had to read something else then come back to this, or I would skim the parts that were boring.

I'll just say that this book wasn't for me. If you're a big fan of fantasy/magic/royalty narratives, you may enjoy this book. However, the world building and exposition left a lot to be desired, and there were a lot of plot holes that I can't look past. The writing is ok and plot is engaging toward the end.

What I DO want to say is that I think the metaphor behind the central romance in this book is dangerous. Because of the "demon" living inside of him, Keleir is unpredictable and violent. In the past, he hurt the people he loved and he may do so again if he loses control. The only thing that can save him or redeem him is Saran's love for him and efforts to fix him. This is pretty directly a metaphor for alcoholism/domestic abusers - at one point Keleir even says he's been "dry for five years, but it doesn't change what I am or what I did." And the narrative that Saran should give up everything to fix him is problematic and, frankly, hazardous. If alcoholism, intimate partner violence, and domestic abuse are triggering for you, be careful with this book.

I'd also note that I personally would not classify this book as YA. The themes involved are dark, violence is graphically depicted, and it involves a fair amount of sexual content, with slavery and consent creating further complications. Some young adult readers may be up for all this, but I would categorize The Living God as adult fantasy.

The Living God sounded so promising but yet it's one of the many books I must admit to not being able to get into. The beginning has no action and the story is slow. While normally that wouldn't be a problem for me. The more I read the more I just want to move on with the story. So while others may end up loving it. I won't be able to say I'm one of them. This book just didn't do it for me. Overall the premise sounds amazing but the writing style and tone of the story just doesn't flow for me. Thank you though for the opportunity to read this book.

The Living God is one of those books that you either love or hate, I don't believe there is much middle ground. While the concept was amazing, the writing did not resonate with me.

I was really hoping for more. Everytime I got excited about a chapter, it would just take forever to get there. The pacing was too slow and I kept getting pulled from the narrative.

The Living God
Actual Rating 3 stars

The Living God looked as though it would be a truly fascinating read and to some extent it was. I found that the magic system was interesting and I loved the whole idea of the Rauke’s soul. I also loved and enjoyed the dynamic between Keleir and Saran. With all that being said I did find the plot to be a bit slow to progress and I also found the plot to be slightly disjointed at times. But what truly bothered me was how the The Living God seemed more like a second novel rather than the first book in a series. When I first began reading I thought I had been mistaken and The Living God was a second or possibly even a third book in a series. After checking online to see I found that it was in fact the first book which slightly threw me off. I would have loved to have known a bit more about the origins of Saran and Keleir’s relationship before being thrust into their quest.
I think that this book was interesting and overall I enjoyed it. I plan on reading the next book in the series. I would suggest this book to people looking for a unique fantasy novel to read with an interesting magic system.

The pacing of this book is very weird from the beginning as are the chapter lenghts which make for a somewhat uneven read. We are thrown into the story without any explanations and the dialogue and characterization as well as the world building and descriptions are somewhat flat and run-of-the-mill and not very engaging. Oh, and of course she, as a princess, is super special and has red hair and is in a very special relationship with this very special dude she saved. I didn't feel the chemistry of the main couple at all (since they are together out of necessity) and at this point in time I'm not very interested in continuing to see where the story goes

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.
3.5 stars****
I was excited about this book when I received a copy. It starts off, full of action and magic and I'd hoped that is was setting the tone for the book. There is magic and mystery. There is even action, but it is very slow getting going. I came back to this book numerous times. It was not a book that I couldn't put down. I DID want to know more; the story, the characters, they intrigued me enough to keep going. The author has amazing world-building skills and the depth of clarity with which she writes about her characters and the plot going on around is, also. Maybe let superfluous descriptions, narratives, or settings would help get the flow of the book moving. I don't know. It is a great plot and good read, just have to keep with it.

I didn't love this book but I didn't hate it. The story line held my interest and I am eager to see what Kaytalin has in store for readers next!

My Review: Sadly this one I ended up DNFing around 45% the book was just dragging so bad and the plot just didn't have that spark I was looking for. Most of the book just felt like like it was just getting started forever. I wished that the start of this would have been much faster because even at 45% it felt like the book was just getting started.

Thank you for writing a smart young adult novel. Too many YA authors lately have been hitting readers over the head with heavy-handed messaging. This novel allows the story to show the themes. With vivid characters, fast-paced plot, this allegory contains many lessons about climate, power, religion, and trust. I highly recommend this book.

This book has so much appeal. It has such a great character development that helped me grow along with the characters. Well written and such a delightful storyline. I’d recommend it to everyone.

Synopsis: Saran is princess of her world, the first. Her companion is Keleir, both of them are mages and Saran is protecting Keleir from the demon who inhabits him. But when Saran's magic is stolen so is her connection to Keleir and must prevent both war and Keleir's transition into the living god.

This book went above and beyond any expectations I had. It was an interesting, page turner with a premise I'd not come across before. I loved the three main characters and the villain was fantastic. I liked the way the lines were blurred between good and evil and the introduction of 3 different worlds. I'm definitely excited for book 2!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

dnf @ 67%

you know what, i keep thinking about how little time i seem to have for reading this year and it just gives me anxiety when i'm wasting it on something i really don't like.

i'm stopping at the scene where the main character, having just found out that she is pregnant, is being beaten up as per her father's order. i don't consider myself squeamish, like, i can handle violence, but only when it is somehow justified. it should be beneficial to character arc, or it should somehow move the plot forward, or, as in some of my favourite novels, be a central piece of discussion, and therefore described thoroughly. here, however? this was absolutely pointless.

this book is slow, it certainly takes its time to pick up the pace. and i'm not against that kind of slow immersion: on the contrary, actually. but i am more than halfway done now, and i still feel like i'm reading the introduction. nothing of significance happened: the characters introduce their plans, meet up with a few people, and then, for the rest of the book, take their time discussing said plans while doing virtually nothing. it is somehow justified by the circumstances, but why should i care about their boring days? why should i be reading about this?

on top of the non-existent plot, flashbacks are thrown around viciously, nonstop, to the point where i started wondering why not just write a book about this whole genuinely exciting experience that the characters had prior to the "events" of this book. like, i'm serious: most of the action or character development occurs in flashbacks. why am i wasting time in this middle-of-nowhere location then? why am i reading about events that barely affect the characters at all?

the good thing about this books is, surprisingly, the romance. these two people have been in a relationship for a while when the book starts, and it reads this way, so it was pretty nice to follow. however, i am not a romance reader, and the book did not promise that, exactly. i picked it up for fantasy, which there was very little of, especially towards the point where i abandoned it: i literally forgot it was supposed to be fantasy at this point. what a bore.

here goes my standard: i'm glad i didn't spend money on this book, but i sure am sad that it turned out this way. because holy shit, that premise, that synopsis, that (potential) action! really had me. but i ended up not having them in return.

The beginning was interesting. But then the book lost its appeal, things that happened happened kind of conveniently and I had a feeling that the characters acted only because they need to do something or the book will be boring. Like get caught with a lover even when they knew that it would put them both in danger. All in all, the characters were not very clever.

Sadly, I DNF it at 23 %, maybe it got better later, but I was not interested enough to finish the book.

Generally, I liked this. The pace plodded a bit and it didn’t really deliver the slow unwinding of lush world building that I expect at that sort of pace. However the story and character journeys were good. I liked Saren and I found her desire to think and question instead of just accept, refreshing. Enjoyable if a bit slow.

The Living God sounded interesting enough. While the story is engaging, it's too slow for my taste. A faster tempo would have made a big difference in the overall picture. The excitement factor was absent. Unfortunately, I dragged through and got bored with the story. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Reading Arc is amazing and exciting but it also means that you can't talk with your friends about the book yet and ypu have to wait extra time to know what's next!
I liked this book even if sometimes it was a little slow. What I liked about Saran is that she doesn't believe all the religious nonesense and she wants to make her own future, what I don't like is that her good heart make her vulnerable and people take advantage of her. All of them, Saran, Rowe and Keleir, should be more self-confident and think clearly, instead they let others manipulate their minds. The setting was interesting with the three worlds and their different kind of civilization. About the Oruke, sometimes is really hard not to agree that human kind is worst thing that happened to the planet but I still have hope.

4.5/5
This was a fast read that kept you just interested enough to turn the page. Some parts were slower than others but overall it was a nice pace. The characters are fleshed out and you get enough out of them to be invested, which is a major plus when reading a book. I’m am looking forward to reading more from this author.