Freebie Friday 43: Review and Giveaway -- Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead -- INT!

Happy Friday!

Today I have another great giveaway -- and it's open internationally :)

Gameboard of the Gods

by Richelle Mead

To be published by Dutton Books

on June 4, 2013

Note: this is an adult book with explicit content. Giveaway is open to those 18 and up.

In a futuristic world nearly destroyed by religious extremists, Justin March lives in exile after failing in his job as an investigator of religious groups and supernatural claims. But Justin is given a second chance when Mae Koskinen comes to bring him back to the Republic of United North America (RUNA). Raised in an aristocratic caste, Mae is now a member of the military’s most elite and terrifying tier, a soldier with enhanced reflexes and skills. When Justin and Mae are assigned to work together to solve a string of ritualistic murders, they soon realize that their discoveries have exposed them to terrible danger. As their investigation races forward, unknown enemies and powers greater than they can imagine are gathering in the shadows, ready to reclaim the world in which humans are merely game pieces on their board.

US winner will receive an ARC copy of the book, to be mailed as soon as I receive the winner's mailing address. International winner will receive a paperback copy of Gameboard from the Book Depository after it is released on June 6. (US winner can choose this option too if they don't mind waiting.)

My take: I've read Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy series and the first three books in her Bloodlines series, but I've never read any of her adult books, so I was not sure what to expect. *coughSEXcough* Okay, yes. After reading so much YA, it was a bit of a shock to find, right on page 40 or so… 

But I adjusted -- ha! And I did think the new story world that Richelle Mead set up was interesting and imaginative.  No info dumps here -- you have to pick up bits of information as you read. There's the post-apocalyptic element of the virus,  a complicated mix of ethnic groups and government groups, and then, under the surface, some paranormal and mythological stuff.  If you want more of an orientation right off the bat, Richelle Mead has been running some posts on her blog about Gameboard's story world.

I didn't connect to the two main characters nearly as much as I've come to love all those characters in the VA world and its spin-offs. Mae is a pretty cool customer -- she has all of Sydney Sage's steely self-discipline without Syd's nerdiness and self-consciousness to balance it out. Mae has Rose's toughness but not her passion. 

What about Justin? Well, I know that no one compares to Adrian, but I thought Justin did have some Adrian-ish (Adrian-esque?) moments. He definitely has some of Adrian's self-deprecating sense of humor and self-destructive tendencies. He also has two imaginary birds that follow him around and talk to him, sort of the angel on one shoulder/devil on the other idea. Seriously. It might sound super-weird, but once I got used to that part of the book, I loved it. And, you know, I'll definitely give Mae and Justin a chance. Richelle Mead is an author who slowly and skillfully draws you in to her world over the course of several books. Then you're hooked!

In this first installment of the series, Mae and Justin are forced to work together to solve a string of mysteries, which take them around the world and set up the framework for an interesting story to come. 

Interested in reading this? Great. Just fill out the Rafflecopter below. Winner will be drawn on May 23.

a Rafflecopter giveaway