This is a really disappointing review for me, because the premise for this book sounded amazing. I don't know if I missed something, or if I didn't read it at the right time, but I just didn't get it.
I couldn't understand who's perspective we were in, how the characters connected to each other, or the events that were going on. I had moments where I got it, but I lost it as soon as the perspective changed, and so I really struggled to get through this one.
I will say that the writing was beautiful, and that certain lines were really impactful. The characters were all beautifully described, with incredible diversity in the people and their relationships.
There were a lot of good elements in this novel, and I can see from the reviews that a lot of people did get it, and loved it, but personally I just felt confused.
I would love to try something else from this author, or even try to re-read this, because their writing and their characters are beautiful, but it just didn't work for me.

From the first chapter, I knew this book was going to be special. I was immersed in the world, and fell in love with the characters. There was so much representation, and it made me love the book even more. Thrilling, exciting, and beautifully written.

Firstly, this has to be a penname, right? Like, I just imagine an author with this name has a top hat and large mustache.

Basically, this book follows several characters over several different points in time. Many characters are monsters or related to/are involved with them somehow. Shit hits the fan when one of the characters leaks a tape of her brother wolfing out and being shot and killed by police. From there you find out that Gods are also real, there are different factions of Monsters/Gods, and they are getting ready to go to war with each other, while the humans can’t decide if what they are seeing is genuine or media propaganda.

The paranormal/supernatural aspects of the characters and the conflicts they face are used to mirror marginalized communities (POC & LGBTQ+ in particular) and touches on police brutality, among other things that probably flew right over my head.

The narration was confusing at times, I understood why in the end, but it was a bit off-putting while reading and would pull me out of the story.
I literally sat there questioning if I was dumb (probably).
While I did ultimately enjoy this book, I found it to be suffering a bit from “First Book Syndrome” with too much world building which becomes a bit of an info dump. It makes sense that this book is part one in a series, I’m hoping that all of the set-up is mostly over with and the next book will have more action.

I went into this blind, not sure what to expect.
What I got was a jumbled sequence of loose fragments, about mostly likeable characters, that ended up all fused together to create a theatrical climax and an ending that left me with questions, in a good way.

A big thanks to the Publisher & NetGalley for gifting me a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I felt like this book had so much potential. However, I felt there was far too much going on and it didn't connect well in the storyline. It also was told from a different point of view for almost the entire story. Reading it, you kept feeling like you were missing something or that you weren't reading closely enough and were missing part of the story. It took me a few chapters to realize that was just how it was written. I had a hard time finding much to dote on for this book, I felt it just missed the mark. There was so much potential for an excellent story but too many angles and they were not well layered or molded together. This made it feel like you were in the same world but following all these different storylines and they connect, somewhat, but it doesn't quite match up enough that it makes sense.

Not for me. I simply didn't enjoy the narrative style (odd word choices, stream-of-consciousness, symbolic actions/conversations rather than realistic ones). Very well-written, just not my cuppa.

I really wanted to love this book and I thought I would. However, despite my best efforts I just couldn't get into it and stay interested. The concept and plot was super interesting, as was the worldbuilding but I just couldn't stay focused and invested.

I read this partially in book format and partially listened to it as an audiobook. The audiobook was probably easier to follow along for me and I thought the narration was perfect for the style and genre of this book.

The cast of characters was diverse and all seemed to have interesting backstories and motivations but I just didn't click with them like I expected I was.

Overall, this was a decent book but it just wasn't for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

The depth and care with which Turnbull inhabits each character is riveting; despite an expansive cast spread over wide terrain, I never felt lost or confused. His attention to location detail is considered and clear: The story shifts from Massachusetts to St. Thomas to Virginia with confident ease, carried by beautiful, conversational prose that’s startlingly punctuated by reminders of who’s narrating the stories — and how.

WOW!!!
Netgalley e-ARC

STUNNING. ABSOLUTELY STUNNING!!

I randomly added this book into my August Netgalley reading vlog because I saw it on a YA LGBTQIA+ fantasy reading list and I have never been more happy with my compulsory need to add books to my TBR.

Completely unexpected, this book imagines what life would be like if werewolves were suddenly exposed to the real world. Alive, living & breathing, very real MONSTERS, which then opens up Pandora's box to the question: if werewolves are real, then what else is too?

I LOVED this book so much. Love, love, LOVEEEED this book. I'm not going to lie I was very confused for the first part of it, but the writing execution is so good that I had to keep going. I'm so glad I did!

This is obviously an urban fantasy, BUT ALSO did you know there are sci-fi elements as well? O_0 WHAT. I loved the originality of the monsters and what their powers are, and putting it into an urban fantasy setting... y'all I loved it. We have real honest to god monsters that were alive when Dracula roamed the earth, and our MCs are still trying to beat 5 o'clock traffic to get to a birthday party on time.

There is also some really nice LGBTQIA+ rep, mental health rep, and I loved the questions this book brings up about the value of a person's life- I.e. if a monster isn't deadly, just different, are they still considered people? Can all monsters be put into the same category regardless of their intentions and who they are? Loved it. LOVED IT.

Overall, if you're an urban fantasy reader, and you want a story with a sprinkle of sci-fi, mystery, romance, diversity, heartbreak, and downright REALNESS, then this is the book for you. Highly recommend!!

xx
-Christine

absolutely incisive. really well written along with being relevant and compelling. can't wait to read more from turnbull

Wow wow wow. This took me on quite a ride and made me question what we know about the world.

It dove into the paranormal/supernatural, the secret organizations, the magic and the scientific theories that surround us, the reality that we know, the hardships that people go through, the society and the system we live in.

Another thing that really impressed me is the writing style and the prose. It was dark and eerie and so captivating. And the fact that the author blended horror, fantasy, and science fiction and he did it so brilliantly. 😭👏

There are a lot of characters and it can get confusing/hard to keep up. However, the way these different characters and their perspectives intertwine was so cool and impressive. (And hello??? That unnamed narrator?!) Kudos to the author for creating such an intricate yet satisfying network of point of views.

I really enjoyed reading this y'all. This one surprised me and I loved it!

E-arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Full review soon!

Today I have No Gods, No Monsters By Chadwell Turnbull. The story follows an assortment of characters, but it predominantly all surrounds or is tied to Liana, who’s brother was gunned down by a Boston cop. At first it just looks like police being brutality, but a video cam recording reveals it’s more than just that. We find out that Monsters, like actual monsters actually exist. And they want to be heard, despite the “regular folks” wanting to pretend they don’t exist.

This book focuses on topics similar to racial injustice, discrimination, hate crimes, but with the element of the individuals being attacked are "monsters".

The one thing about this book that I disliked was it did feel a bit all over the place. While it was BEAUTIFULLY written there were so many characters and at times I felt a bit disconnected because you would read from a certain characters POV and then come back to them waaaaaaay later in the story and think "Wait, who is this, and why are they important?"

That being said I would still HIGHLY recommend this book if you are into fantasy, urban fantasy, and mythology. It's for sure a page turner, and I can't wait to read the rest of the books in the series.

Unlike traditional western storytelling, this story isn't linear and it makes it all the more interesting. This is something that won't be for everyone; it keeps you guessing and sometimes confused until the end, but I loved it and it's social commentary. Definitely worth a try.

Let me start this off by saying this is a fantastically intersectional urban fantasy with layers upon layers. I was thoroughly intrigued and impressed by the story. Being the first book in a new saga, I expected to be left with questions to hype the continuation of the story (nailed it).

The undertones of this story provide important conversations that need to be had regarding social critiques and criticisms from marginalized communities. The fantasy elements only make the storytelling more captivating. The queer representation was top tier.

Don’t let the thick and heavy nature of this story deter you. This one is worth reading!

3.5 stars

Engaging, vast, fun

I am grateful to Blackstone publishing for sending me an advanced copy of this book for review.

I had to sit with this one for a while before writing my review, because I wasn't that sure about how the reading experience went. Firstly, I love my West Indian settings and this book definitely delivered on that. Not only did Turnbull give us that location, but he also emphasized the relationships, sense of community, vibe, and culture within this story. It made everything feel more grounded and real. I also really appreciate seeing the monsters of my culture presented alongside those that we seed often in literature. I mean, where else have you seen a dragon and a succouyant on the same page? Stunning.

The plot was interesting and evenly paced (though a bit too fast for me personally). It didn't feel overwrought, but there always seemed to be something happening. The story and plot threads were layered nicely too. The book starts off with a mystery that we very quickly get to the bottom of, but the story just expands from there. When I say it expands I mean the scope is vast, and Turnbull manages to hold all of it together as we're taken on an interesting journey.

I enjoyed the characters, they were varied and added nicely to the interconnectedness (pretty sure this isn't a real word... is it?) of the plot. However, there were A LOT of characters, and this was not a particularly long book. It is the start of a series so that may work as a whole, but I feel like the story felt a bit crowded at times. If you are used to reading fantasy though, I'm sure you will be fine.

In the end I decided that I really enjoyed this book and look forward to seeing where the rest of the story goes and reading more from this author. I would recommend this specifically for fans of urban fantasy.

If you’re reading this on NetGalley— the format of the book makes it a difficult read. The font is really small and the borders don’t lock when you increase it so you have to scroll sideways to read it. Couldn’t finish it

This is a sort of Marmite book that you can love or hate, a mix of literary/speculative fiction with a urban fantasy setting.
I was attracted by the blurb but I found the style of writing confusing and the plot was quite slow.
Not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This was an extremely confounding book. I'm sorry to say that I did not have enough patience to pull through until the end.

I do love strange narratives. And I prefer books playing with the timeline and POV's over streamlined ones. This is why I thought this book was for me. But reading through the first 1/3 of the book, then skimming through the second 1/3, I can only say that this book flew over my head.

From the beginning, the book alludes to grievances of minorities, but did it have to be so complex? We get some intentionally disjointed anecdotes about some characters— which one is the main character? I kept asking myself. After reading on, they all seemed like side stories to me. I honestly could not focus on any of them. I couldn't connect with any of them. I would have followed through if I had a sense of an overarching theme or plotline. But sadly, I didn't. I couldn't understand this book. It flew right over my head.

Don't get me wrong, the writing does stand out, The author is clearly talented with words, but I'm not sure about the laying out of the plot here. I truly loved the writing, but the execution ruined it for me. I couldn't enjoy the story. Enticing as the premise may be, I lost interest very early on. I kept at it a bit after that in hopes it'll make sense, but up until the midpoint of the book, it didn't.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for my copy of this book.

I can see why the reviews are so vastly mixed. On the one hand, I liked the idea of this story very much. On the other hand, the way this story was executed did the story a disservice. Therefore, I have to go with a 3.5 rating rounding down to 3. 

Here is the skinny...

The beginning of the story takes off. It is exciting, fun, and truly engaging. Monsters are being exposed and people realize they aren't the only beings existing in the dark. Okay, you got my attention a modern (and past) day issue with a twist. And the author managed to keep my attention throughout. But I struggled greatly with the millions of characters and unfolding of the story. 

For some reason, we get the beginning of the story. Suddenly it halts. And we get a ton of "parts" that break down a character's life and experience before monsters were exposed. Then time ceases to exist or something? And it is a year later/the end of the story. It felt almost like a series of incomplete short stories. There were many jumps that offered little to no progression or forward movement of the story. I probably wouldn't call this story a complete novel in the typical sense. My notes from this reading say, "Don't get me wrong, I am enjoying the story. But I can't help but feel like it is a whole bunch of fantastical nonsense thrown together with no real direction." And it felt that way until the completion of the story. 

And I briefly mentioned the number of characters. This gets really confusing. Especially when Turnbull begins new chapters with no inclination as to who the narrator is at that point. And it really got frustrating. It didn't work seamlessly as it can due to the number of characters that continuously were introduced for like 3/4th of the book. It was too much with no clarification and it again harmed the book. One of my greatest pet peeves is an overabundance of characters that aren't easily differentiated. It was especially confusing with the author's style of storytelling.

I will give the author a shout out for the mentioning of classic Kanye. "All Falls Down" is my favorite too, Turnbull. Additionally, I loved how inclusive this story was. Give me more couples with modern situations like Laina, Ridley, and Rebecca. Turnbull has a flair for other areas of social justice (outside of LGBTQ+) and I'm a reader here for it. 

Okay, real talk. I'm unsure if I want to continue this series. As I said, I enjoyed the idea, but Turnbull has some major work to do in regards to story delivery, especially in series. It was all over the place and quite messy. Many reviewers were turned off by this style including myself. Best of luck for the next round. I certainly won't be requesting an ARC. I'll need some feedback before I pick up the second installment. 

Thank you NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for the read.

I’ve never read any books by Cadwell Turnbull before, but the synopsis of No Gods, No Monsters piqued my interest. I was not disappointed. This book was absolutely incredible and Turnbull is definitely an auto-buy author for me from here on out.

However, I will note that I am not an ownvoices reviewer. Please center reviews from Black readers when making a decision on this book!

- “im going to tell you a story. and like so many stories, this one begins with a body.”
- this is so confusing and so unique and i am so intrigued
- okay i think im just confused
- this is like a cross between fantasy and literary fiction
- lots of caribbean folklore
- “a march is not just a voice against violence and trauma, but also a reminder that even in a cause that is stacked against them, no one is alone”
- there were passages i absolutely LOVED
- but mostly i just didn’t quite understand what was going on or who was who or how people related
- i think maybe if i went into this with a different expectation i would have liked it more?