This story follows Cecilia (Cece), a memory witch, and her best friend, secret love, and bonded guardian, Rainer. They are to take part in The Gaunlet, a mission set to release the power of the Lost God.
During the mission, events happen, and Rainer goes missing. Cecilia comes across Xander, a hunter who has been sent by her father to guard Cecilia and Rainer. Xander and Cecilia go looking for her guardian, but Rainer isn't all Cecilia finds!
This book is crammed with a fantastic epic adventure, crazy plot twists, magic, lies and betrayals, forbidden and angsty romances, and spice.
I absolutely loved listening to this story as an audiobook. The narrators were amazing and really brought the characters and story to life!

Again, Sheila is a fantastic writer. This is the second book I've read of hers, and I absolutely adore it. I can't wait to continue the series. In fact, I have book two already downloaded to start listening to over Christmas! What a fantastic start to her debut series.

Thank you, @sheilareadsandwrites and @netgalley, for gifting me this audiobook ♡

Fantastic story, gripping and emotional. Narrators did a great job conveying the emotions and drama of the story. Sheila is a master at complex characters and worlds.

The Lost God

Cecilia is a memory witch who has been working her whole life to complete the Gauntlet and release the power of the Lost God back to the witches of her territory. She has been bonded to Rainer, her guardian who has pledged his life to her, since they were little. Her love for him is widely known, though it is forbidden. She meets a charming and handsome hunter, Xander, who shows her what love and worship feels like. The trio travel into enemy territory to complete the Gauntlet, only to be thrown into impossible circumstances with limited choices and freedom. Cecilia must make sacrifices for love or for power.

This story hooked me right from the beginning. I love how fearless Cecelia is with her love and emotion. I felt she had great character growth in the series. The love triangle between Cece, Rainer and Xander is complex and soul wrenching. Rainer struggles with expressing his emotions fully while Xander shows his freely and openly. There are hot, lusty scenes and tender romance that makes your heart ache. There are heartbreaking scenes and grief that feels palpable through the narrator. I can’t wait to see where the rest of the series goes.

*Honorable and fearless female MMC
*Soul bonded guardians
*mysterious hunter - he fell first, and hard
*Gods who like to mettle
*magic wielders
*tender romance - Swoon 😍
*steamy love scenes
*love triangle/forbidden loves

This is now available for purchase on Audible! Grab your copy or put it on your Christmas wish list 🎄✨

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.

The way Sheila writes without forcing you to read pages of world-building at the beginning is SPECTACULAR and helps when listening to an audiobook! You are immediately integrated into the story without delay.

Tropes:
Love triangle - you don’t know who ‘wins’ the girl
He falls first - a bit insta-love, but 🌶️
Forced proximity forbidden romance
Bada$$ FMC

The emotional rollercoaster you travel along will take you for an amazing ride. Beware of triggers, listed at the front of the book, and don’t get attached to any secondary characters… or at least I’m trying not to after book 1! 😭

I received this book as an ALC, and this is my honest review.

“she was tired of waiting for the love she wanted. in the depths of her heart a voice bellowed for more. perhaps it was foolish to think she could get that in a would so set on mediocrity, perhaps she was a dreamer who needed to wake up and accept less, but less wasn't in her. she was a witch, a huntress, and a lady. and she needed someone that could handle all of those sides of her.”

🥹🏹💖

This book has all the ingredients that make the best fantasy romances unforgettable:

• A fascinating magic system where the protagonist, Cecelia, is skilled in every element but specializes in memory magic.
• A years-long quest to unlock lost magic, which is vital for the survival of her kingdom, constantly under threat from aggressive neighboring forces.
• A soul-bound, handsome guardian who’s as loyal as he is captivating.
• Mysterious strangers, also handsome, who bring her roses and desserts as if they’re straight out of a dream.
• Gods who are equally alluring and impactful to the story.
• And, of course, a heart-wrenching love triangle that will have you torn between two captivating characters.

Cecelia, the memory witch, is deeply in love with her childhood best friend and soul-bonded guardian, but she’s forbidden from acting on her feelings. Trapped within the confines of outdated, misogynistic court structures, she carries the immense responsibility of unlocking the magic of a lost god to save her kingdom—something no witch has ever succeeded in doing.

The plot is a rollercoaster, full of unexpected twists that kept me hooked, leaving me wondering how there could be so much left to learn with half the book still to go. The romance? It’s the beating heart of this story, made all the more agonizing by the emotional tug-of-war between the characters. My heart ached with every page, and I couldn’t help but feel that bittersweet mix of emotions that marks the best kind of romance.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity for this audiobook and if you are looking for your next romantasy, PLEASE PICK THIS ONE 🥹💖

Meddling gods, quest, reluctant hero, and love triangle. Wow!! I listened to the audiobook and the wonderful Caitlin Kelly portrayed Cecilia perfectly as well as the many male characters in the book. All though towards the end there was a male narrator but I didn’t catch the name. But the performance was spot on and I really enjoyed the tones and inflections. Together with the author, this world was brought to life. I felt like I was there alongside the witch and her guardian fulfilling a dangerous quest. The meddlesome gods appeared and it was just a blast to see what strings they were pulling. And alas the love triangle that I normally don’t like but for this one it really worked out well. I’m very intrigued to see what will happen next with Cecilia.

Caitlin Kelly, Will Damron, and Tim Campbell narrate this multi-MC title and they do an excellent job.

"The Lost God" is a the first in a romantasy quartet, and begins with Cici and Rainer, memory witch and her guardian. As the story progresses, Xander appears, and while his background remains a mystery he is a kind and thoughtful Hunter, joining Cici and Rainer in their quest to complete "The Guantlet" in order to release the lost god, to give them a better chance in the wars to come.

If you are a fan of great narration, romantasy books, golden retriever love interests, and love triangles, this book is for you. This is a completed quartet so you can binge read it, but I believe at time of writing this review only the first two books are available on audio.

What a great fantasy romance read. This one was definitely closer to the fantasy romance versus romantasy. Very plot forward, which I enjoyed. Love triangles are tough, this was done well. Both sort of forbidden love sort of situation. The pacing was great, banter and dialogue between the characters felt natural and entertaining. The narrator did a fantastic job conveying emotions. Really enjoyed this book!

I have discovered that I prefer rereads to be audio, so I was so excited to receive an advanced copy of The Lost God audiobook. I read the ebook back in March, and this book is every bit as delicious and angsty as I remember. The story is unique, complex, and emotional. I love the characters and unique world building. As far as the audio performance goes, Caitlin Kelly does a phenomenal job as Cece, and I absolutely cannot wait for the addition of Rainer and Xander’s POVs in the next book. It’s gonna be nonstop swooning, I just know it!

I really enjoyed this book. A gauntlet, a lost god, lies, deception, love....what's not to enjoy! The audio was well done!

As someone who has been fortunate enough to be part of Sheila’s street and ARC team, I was elated to be included in her audiobook ARC team also.

From the opening lines, I was absolutely hooked by Caitlin’s performance as Cecelia Reznik. She brought our feisty, pocket rocket to life in this audiobook and I found it hard to put it down, even having already read all four of The List Gods series.

Will and Tim also did a fantastic job of bringing our boys to life too (I’m a HARD team Xander. What can I say? I love a flirt).

Im beyond looking forward to listening to the next three books as they’re released. It’s an incredibly proud moment to see a close friend and indie author get the casting and support they so deserve. Hazar, Dreamscape!

I have really mixed feelings about this book. The overall plot and mythology was super fascinating, to the point that I will absolutely be following up with the rest of the series as it becomes available on audiobook. On the other hand, I just found all of the characters... frustrating? Cecilia seemed a bit too perfect (even in her weaknesses) and not-like-other-girls, and that was what everyone loved about her. Xander was an attempt at being a dark romance without the follow through. Rainer was frustratingly indecisive. But... the mythology. I'm fascinated by that.

Cecilia is a memory witch who is attempting to be the first to complete the Gauntlet, which is a series of dangerous challenges throughout various caves (and the journey to them) to release the power of a lost god and help save her kingdom. Along with her bonded guardian, Rainer, she must navigate court politics, perilous journeys, and hopefully stop a war.

I knew I was going to like this based on the people who have recommended it to me. I was already planning on starting this series soon and then I was fortunate enough to be given an ALC from Netgalley. The narration was well done and I found myself immersed in the story very quickly.
I had previously only read one book by Sheila Masterson, but her writing in this was just as beautiful as I was anticipating. While there was a lot more romance and court politics in this story than I expected, I was very engaged in the story and I anticipate a lot more action in the following books. I enjoyed the way the memory magic was used and I can't think of any other story that uses this type of magic, so that lent a unique twist to the story. The involvement and meddling from the gods added some mystery to the story as well. I will definitely be continuing this series. The series is completed but I might wait for the next audiobook release because I really enjoyed listening to this one.

*Spicy scenes begin about halfway through the story. There are several but they are maybe 2/5 for content.

Disclaimer: I did follow along in the ebook. This review is my honest opinion of both the book and the audiobook.

I loved this whole series the first time that I read it and it was somehow even more incredible with the audiobook. The narrator was fantastic. This is such an amazing series, I can’t wait for more people to get into it now that it will be on audio platforms!!

✨𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰✨

“𝙄 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙣𝙚𝙭𝙩 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙄 𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝙄 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙠𝙞𝙨𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙠𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙙, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙬𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙥 𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙡 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙚𝙖𝙠…”

𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬: 15, 16, 17, 20, 29, 30 & 33
𝐒𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐧: 21%
𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬: Forbidden romance, love triangle, court intrigue, insta-love
𝐏𝐎𝐕: 3rd person, Single POV

I went into this knowing that there is a “delicious love triangle” and that alone was enough to convince me to read it because I love the angst and tension that trope can bring to the story. I was immediately drawn into the story because it differs from any fantasy that I’ve read recently.

This was spicier than I expected in book 1 of a 4-book series but I didn’t mind. There is plenty of plot to keep readers interested who prefer to keep the door closed. I loved the lore of this world and all the meddling gods! There were multiple tropes that I typically don’t like in books, but they worked so well in this one!

There were some parts that got a bit repetitive, but I enjoyed Masterson’s writing, and I am excited to continue with the series. I am hopeful that this will be one of my favorite Romantasy series of the year! I really enjoyed the narrators performance in the audiobook. They gave emotional depth to the characters that really added to the story!

“𝙎𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙬𝙚’𝙫𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙙. 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙖 𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝘾𝙚𝙘𝙚.”

WOW. This book was so unique, and I love that it says it's #1 in the series, because I wish I could go back and experience it again for the first time - it was that good.

The main character has a unique power of exchanging her blood for memories, and is known as a memory witch. She has a sworn protector named Rainier, and OH MY GOD, if you loved Rowaelin in TOG, this book is for you. It also reminded me a bit of Heartless Hunter and several other books I loved growing up - it includes so many tropes that make my heart sing.

The writing was beautiful and heart-wrenching at times, but I sped through it so quickly! I may do a re-read. It has romance, adventure, mystery, and a choice that will leave you screaming at the pages!

From an audiobook production standpoint, The Lost God is perfect. No notes.

Perfectly cast: Caitlin Kelly did an incredible job capturing Cece’s youthfulness, her bravery, and the seemingly (at least to a heroine so young) impossible decisions she faces - from the men in her life to her long-term dreams.

Perfectly delivered: One of the standout elements of Kelly’s performance is how well she captures emotion - she sounded like she was actually crying when her character was, which added credibility to the audio and allowed me to focus on the story.

And, micro-spoiler: I am always SO here for that surprise specific to audiobooks where two new male voices are introduced in the final chapter. *Mic drop.* Okay Dreamscape and Masterson, I see you. And I definitely need to hear these multiple POVs in Book 2.

As for the story…

The Lost God delivers in every category that NA Romantasy should:
- Unique magic and bonds between the powerful
- Political intrigue
- Complicated love triangle
- A kingdom in peril

At the center of this drama are the TWO men in Cece’s life. And, as a reader, I love it when I don’t have a clear winner in mind. Will it be her best friend since childhood? The one who writes and recites bedtime stories for her? Or, will it be her new *husband*, who, unlike the best friend, did not hesitate to choose her and never once made her feel unworthy?

One of the best parts of Masterson’s storytelling is that I have no idea where this is going after Book 1. Which is pretty rare in the Romantasy space.

Thank you to Dreamscape and NetGalley for an ALC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was drawn to this book because of the beautiful cover and the intriguing description. Unfortunately, it fell a little flat for me. While the characters were fairly well-developed, the sex scenes were super spicy, long and drawn out, completely overwhelming the plot, and the world-building was weak. The love triangle was sweet at first but then became repetitive and annoying. The narrators of the audio version did a great job though, so I was able to hang in there keep listening until the end.

I absolutely loved this book when I read it a year ago, but hearing it brought to life over audio was a whole new experience. This was a fantastic listening experience - Caitlyn brought Cece to life beautifully, and she gave each individual character a unique personality. I cannot recommend this audio enough, it had me smiling, laughing, and crying!

Sheila Masterson’s The Lost God is an enchanting blend of romance, magic, and self-discovery. The story centers on Cecilia, a memory witch, and her guardian, Rainer, as they navigate a perilous journey filled with emotional and magical challenges. While Cecilia’s focus is firmly on her duty, her encounter with a mysterious hunter introduces the possibility of love, pulling her into a situation where she must make a choice between 2 men she loves. This dynamic forces Cecilia to confront her emotions and decide whether to prioritize her kingdom, pursue romance, or escape it all.

As Cecilia’s internal struggle unfolds, the book keeps readers captivated with its magical world-building, thrilling action, and unexpected twists. Perfectly balancing adventure with emotional depth, The Lost God delivers a richly layered narrative that will leave readers eager for the next installment in the series.

———————

Possible spoiler:




I read a lot about how people didn’t like the love triangle idea, but it really is not what it seems. It’s a conflict within Cecilia, but more created by her surroundings, not her. I was also drawn to the relatability of Cecilia. She’s a lost, lonely girl who tries so hard to please everyone else while trying to find herself and be independent. While doing so, I felt like she had everything possible thrown at her, her patience tested, and she never broke. For me the writing was a bit redundant at times, but I still enjoyed the story. It’s unique in many ways, but predictable enough to be a comfortable read.