Caldwell Turnbull’s No Gods, No Monsters (Blackstone Publishing 2021) is an absolutely unputdownable blend of science fiction and fantasy set in a dark (and queer) world where all manner of creatures live and walk.

The central plot of the novel focuses on Laina, who receives news one morning that her estranged brother has been killed by police in Boston. Although the case seems to be a devastating case of police brutality, there are hints of something more under the surface. As Laina finds out what really happened to her brother, she and the rest of the world realize that there are creatures who share their world that they’ve only heard stories about. Now, these creatures are tired of hiding; they want everyone to know that they’re here, hoping that the world’s knowledge will keep them safe from those who would capture or harm them. However, this transition from invisible to visible is far from smooth, and as the threads of this story come together, the stakes get higher and higher.

No Gods, No Monsters is perhaps one of the best books I’ve read all year. I read this with the frantic pace of a reader desperate to find out what happens. This story has a magical quality, weaving many different threads together over the course of several hundred pages. Therefore, No Gods, No Monsters required careful reading to catch the connective tissue of each section and chapter. This literary detective work, however, was delightful because the mysteries throughout the novel are dark, creepy, and compelling. This book is the perfect read for fall and Halloween.

Turnbull’s representation of queer people is various, nuanced, and refreshing. The novel features a cast of queer characters from various walks of life, and their queerness effects their individual storylines to varying degrees throughout the novel. Because of the story’s winding and twisting structure, the characters are really what hold this narrative together. My investment in their lives and stories was immediate and kept me reading constantly. Turnbull also makes an interesting connection between marginalization, queerness, and otherness. He asks, who in our world risks violence through visibility? How can we protect them? How does our world need to change?

No Gods, No Monsters is a gorgeous book and one that I highly recommend if you’re looking for a spooky, queer read this fall!

Please visit Cadwell Turnbull on Twitter and put No Gods, No Monsters on your TBR on Goodreads.

Content Warnings: Trauma, sexual abuse, drug use, gun violence.

No Gods No Monsters by Cadwell Turnbull, with a title that is a play on the words of the popular labour slogan, “No Gods, No Masters” is all sorts of fabulous. I began reading it a while ago but was not too hopeful as many of the 'fantasy' books I’ve read recently have left me a bit disappointed. But Turnbull’s novel is a delight through and through. And how! The way he has so intricately weaved real-life issues in this complex fantasy is just fascinating, to say the least.

It is not a light read. Some subjects the author has discussed in the books require a trigger warning or two. But all in all the book is unputdownable, as they say. It screams for your attention the moment you pick it up and just 10 pages in you will know why.

The novel begins with Laina hearing the news of her brother’s heinous murder by the police, which triggers the launch of a number of events revolving around monsters who, after a long time of living in shadows, are revealing themselves for all to see. What happens next is a mix of ecstasy, curiosity and first-class imagery. The characters are mostly unrelated to each other but it almost feels like they are all a part of one huge story without ever knowing about it.

No Gods, No Monsters is a lovely book that speaks about societal ills such as oppression and othering, and why it is still almost impossible to escape these. This one needs to be read!

Monsters are real, If you love dark secrets, mythical creatures and the shadows in our world, you will love this.. A quick read that will grab you and scare you a little.

Cadwell Turnbull's "No Gods, No Monsters" is a thrilling series-opener, using supernatural creatures to weave an allegorical tale of racism and state violence, leaving the reader with far more to think about than the usual urban fantasy novel. My one issue with the book was the sheer number of characters made the narrative seem a little scattered, though that is quite typical in the first book of many fantasy series. I'm able to give Turnbull a pass, because these characters collide spectacularly in the final chapters of the book, setting up an exciting series ahead.

Thank you to Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

As much as I wanted to get into this book, I feel it is unfortunately not for me, and not because it is not a well-written, haunting book. It is simply a matter of genres not clicking.

The writing in this book.... Phenomenal. I will keep an eye on what this authors puts out next because his writing is so well done. Sadly this novel wasn't for me, just not my style and I struggled to connect. However I know several people who probably will adore this book!

This book just didn't work for me. Halfway though I felt lost and didn't understand the direction it went.

I always love to read sci-fi and fantasy with some social commentary. Cadwell Turnbull's “No Gods, No Monsters” is one of those rare treats. This first book in The Convergence Saga leaves no stone unturned to amaze fantasy lovers.

This LGBTQ fantasy gives fanatastic metaphorical sketch about society's foul treatment towards people of colour and queer community as 'monsters'. Besides being LGBTQ romance and paranormal fantasy, this book lastly unfolds as horror in a magestic way. Great characterisation and world building is another top notch work of this novel to provide parallel world to show the reality of marginalized people. With amazing storytelling style and lyrical writing this book is a sure shot entertainment pakage. Again my favourite part was this book's attempt to commentary on racism, violence, disjointed family, class and sexuality.

I surely enjoyed this book and recommend it to LGBTQAR and sci-fi & fantasy readers. I heartily thank both Blackstone publishing and NetGalley for this amazing ARC.

It keeps you on your toes and moves at an amazing pace. Set in our world but werewolves, monsters, shapeshifters, witches, and even a child dragon come out of the shadows. If you enjoy urban fiction or speculative fiction and want some mystery but also monsters for a spooky read this is perfection. Highly recommend 10/10!

This was unfortunately not a book for me. I pushed through, and finished it, but I was left totally lost still by the end. Besides the fact that this genre is just not for me, the book felt disjointed and unfinished. It read almost like a prequel of information before getting to a part where things actually happen and become understandable. Thanks to netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

DNF"ed at 30%.

Unfortunately, though I tried to start and restart this book multiple times, I couldn't get into it. The concept was clever, but the writing just wasn't to my taste, and I was never 100% sure what was going on. However, I'd consider coming back to it in the future, perhaps, since the idea had such promise, though at first glance it lacked good execution.

Loved this and it had a great overall message, though it got a little confusing and convoluted at times. The writing was beautiful though.

This book was a bit out there and not really for me.

I appreciated the on-the-nose comparisons/parallels of monsters and the way society treats people of color, the queer community, etc as a sort of commentary on America. But overall the story lines felt muddled and chaotic and although things came together near the end, it took a long and winding road to wrap things up and give the reader a better picture of what was going on.

I like speculative fiction and urban fantasy, and the prose and ideas introduced in this book were beautiful and intriguing but it just wasn’t as engaging as it could’ve been with maybe some crisper editing and plot clean up. Overall I’m glad I read it but I don’t think it’s one that will stick with me.

3.5/5 stars

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Wow book. It makes you think about the harmful, the perverse, and how words have the absolute power to build and destroy in a matter of seconds, to change opinions and build truths that are not.

The main character, besides being trans and asexual (I loved meeting them), is brilliant as the way the novel unfolds.

I finished it a long time ago, and I still think about it.

While I often didn't know what the hell was going on, but I couldn't put it down. The author's notes on Goodreads let me know that 1) That was his intention and 2) I wasn't alone! Loved it and I'm really looking forward to book 2!

This was really not my style / genre of book. I always appreciate & try to branch out to read different styles, but this wasn't for me.

Interesting book that stops abruptly and inexplicably in media res.
Decided not to review the book.

I absolutely loved the concept for this book and the first portion was phenomenal. It was mysterious and leaving me wanting to read more.

However, as I kept on reading. I became super confused by the endless amount of characters introduced and got lost. It was a struggle to get through. The mystery was almost too mysterious and I wanted more!

3 stars—maybe I just didn’t understand the writing as well. Still open to reading more by the author in the future.

I absolutely loved this LGBTQ romance.

Such a great book with a solid storyline and great characters.

I eagerly look forward to reading more from this author.

A definite recommend

DNF at 40%

Sadly, I just could not get into this. It may be SFF, but it leans heavily literary. That doesn't make it bad just hard to follow at times. We jump between perspectives without a clear idea of the overarching direction. The themes are interesting (I recommend checking out reviews from people who finished the book and got more out of it than me for more details on that), I just wasn't liking it. I hate DNFing an e-arc, but it just isn't working for me.

2/5 star for NetGalley, but I'm leaving it blank on Goodreads because I didn't finish it.