I really did enjoy the writing and the flow it took on. I also love any book that has more than one POV and helps with the story progression but this book just felt blah to me. The magic system was weird and not really intriguing enough. And there is just so much politics that's the same regurgitation throughout the entire book. I preferred one sisters POV over the others and some parts focused way too much on romance. Like babes there's a war brewing, stop pining. We also have words in a different language scattered throughout but no context clues to what they mean, so I struggled with that !

To Cage a God was a rollercoaster of high stakes risk and reward. A world divided by Alurea and common folk. Alurea are the ruling class who are people born with a dragon god within their body, as they have kids their god powers are passed down. All those who do not have god power are forced to live under their thumb and the whims of the capricious Alurea. This story centers around five characters POVs: two sisters, Sera and Galina, forcibly given dragons and the daughters of the martyr revolution leader, the vicious current leader of the revolution, Vitalik, the handmaiden to the cruel empress, Katya, and the daughter of the empress, Vasilisa. Sera and Galina’s ultimate goal is to tear down the Alurean rule and to kill Empress. Galina with similar powers as the Empress is sent into the lions den as a spy and an agent to take the empire down from within. This story is filled with so many twists and turn, along with yearning and great love story plots. It has WLW representation and it is tremendously written. There isn’t heavy world building but it seemed to be inspired by Slavic culture and language.

I very much enjoyed this story and the magic system was super unique and I felt that everything flowed really well. It was well paced and the love stories and the YEARNING ugh it was written perfectly. ALL characters are morally grey and I loved how terrible they all were but they wanted to be good people. I cannot wait to read the next book in the duo! I received this ARC from NetGalley and DAW in exchange for an honest review.

I was delighted to be given the opportunity to read this galley. I usually enjoy Elizabeth May's writing.
This book though, was written in such a manner that I felt like I had been dropped into the middle of the story. It was so confusing as to who the characters were and what they were doing, that I went looking to see if there had been a previous book with these characters. Sadly, it was not the second in a series, but I mustered on and finished the book. I'm sure that the extra work that was required to fit the pieces together colored my view of the story. There was no connection between me and the storyline or the characters. I was reading just to finish, in hopes that it would grab me at some point. Nope, didn't happen. It was loosely based in Russian-like lands, with evil, powerful people trying to control the masses and women with dragon gods somehow fused in their bodies trying correct the wrongs. I don't know why, where, or how. And at some point, I didn't care.

Using ancient secrets, Galina and Sera’s mother grafted gods into their bones. Bound to brutal deities and granted forbidden power no commoner has held in a millennia, the sisters have grown up to become living weapons. Raised to overthrow an empire―no matter the cost.

This is not a difficult book to read. The writing is very simple and the concepts are very basic, so anyone going in without any prior knowledge of Russian-type fantasy would get the flavor of existing stereotypes right away. For anyone who already has familiarity with them, this book won't be anything new.

I wanted more from this book. It was too familiar, to the point where the original concepts got lost because they weren't explored enough to really build them out. There was a rushed quality here, and I found myself skimming more often than not. I think it needed to be a bigger book in order to give the subject matter the depth it deserves.

I wanted to love this book. Instead, it made me tired.

Well, this was a wonderful surprise. After reading some reviews, I was scared I would be let down by this book, even though I was so excited about it. And, honestly, I loved it. Elizabeth May created a beautiful work full of resilience, love, family, and the cruelty humans are capable of. I loved the relationship between Sera and Vitaly so much! Amazing book, and I can't wait for the next one.

I’ve been a fan of Elizabeth May since the Seven Devils Duology and this book had the same magic that I enjoyed from those books. It was written perfectly and had the same magic that I was hoping for. It had a great story overall and the characters worked in the world.

This had a slow start, was hard to be interested in the first 200 pages, but it finishes of strong.
Would recommend to anyone who wants a litte Spicy YA/NA ish fantasy with politics and over-the-top dragon magic.

"To Cage a God" is the first chapter of "These Monstrous Gods," an adult fantasy duology written by Elizabeth May.

I loved "The Falconer" fantasy trilogy by the same author, which is why I was excited when I discovered this new series! I started out with rather high expectations, also thanks to the intriguing premises, but I admit I came away disappointed. I don't know, it felt a bit rushed and superficial, so much so that it left me lukewarm. I suffer gosh! I had great hopes for it, maybe even too much, and I ended up with a bucket of ice water!

I liked the writing! Compelling, simple and light, it captured me completely. The fast pace, accompanied by the presence of short chapters, made it difficult for me to tear myself away from the pages. I practically devoured this book, without any moments of boredom or heaviness.

The world building seemed to me rich in potential, but underdeveloped! The story takes place in a world inspired, at least in theory, by Imperial Russia. In reality, excluding the names of the characters, a few architectural structures, and the image on the cover, I did not get this feeling. In general, I found the setting shallow, confusing at times, with even important information thrown out at random, quickly and then abandoned. And that's a pity! This could have come out to be a really elaborate and complex system, but the hasty implementation drowned it out. I'm sorry, because the world building was one of the elements that fascinated me the most! So was the magic system underlying the story! In "To Cage a God" some human beings, called alurean and usually of noble or royal extraction, have gods caged within their bodies from birth that grant them the use of certain powers. When I read this concept, I thought to myself "wow, this is great!" expecting interactions between trapped gods and humans. Also because the trapped gods are not all happy with their situation and cooperative. Quite the opposite, in fact! But there was little to none of that, much to my disappointment.

The plot follows sisters Sera and Galina, whose late mother, former rebel leader, has dangerously, painfully and experimentally grafted gods into their bones. All for the purpose of making them living weapons to overthrow the cruel empire. When the king is killed in a rebel assassination attempt and the country finds itself on the brink of war, the sisters decide to take the helm of the rebellion (which they had previously abandoned) and end the brutal reign of a royal family possessed by destructive gods. Sera reunites with her estranged lover, now a violent rebel leader, while Galina infiltrates the palace to subvert it from within. It is a captivating story full of deception, subterfuge, court intrigues, power plays, secrets, lies and a strong romance component. I was sure it would hook me, it had all the makings of one, but it did not. In the end it still entertained and intrigued me, but the numerous filler scenes, the several sloppy events, and the presence of some convenient situations made it all sink a bit for me.

Sera and Galina, protagonists with their respective third person povs, left me lukewarm. They are interesting characters, complicated and full of possibilities, unfortunately poorly analyzed. I found them flat, detached, and this prevented me from becoming attached to them. I was hoping for at least a good portrayal of the bond between sisters, but again I was dissatisfied. Three other characters are present with their third person povs and, except Vitaly, they didn't particularly impress me.

Not even romance managed to conquer me! Or better, it partly captured me, but not completely. There are two romances in the book: a friends to enemies to lovers that won me over (he then is a very morally gray character who hates everyone but her!) and a sapphic romance involving secret identities and coming from different worlds, intriguing but in my opinion a little too hasty in execution. On the other hand, I enjoyed the spicy very much!

All in all, I found it a book with fascinating premises, full of potential, but lacking development. However, I am curious to continue with the duology, hoping for an improvement!

Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a wonderfully violent fantasy that puts so much focus on its characters, making it bloody and endearing in equal measures. It's truly just a blast to read.

This was an enjoyable read. I definitely understand the comparison to Shadow and Bone; I really enjoyed the Russian-inspired culture and worldbuilding. The book begins years after Sera and Galina's mother died, but I wish there had been more flashbacks or a prologue that dealt with their lives before the beginning of the book. I think that the point in time that the book started made the worldbuilding a little shaky. I liked Galya's character a lot, as well as the romance she has with Princess Vasilisa. Sera's personality bothered me on and off throughout the book, and I definitely enjoyed Galina's plotline and character development a lot more.

"To Cage a God" by Elizabeth May is an enthralling and intricate fantasy novel that takes readers on a journey into an Imperial Russia-inspired world filled with gods, politics, and deadly magical powers.

The story follows two sisters, Galina and Sera, who have been granted immense power through a forbidden ritual that bound gods into their very bones. Raised to overthrow an oppressive empire, the sisters are determined to use their newfound abilities to bring about change. With their mother gone and their country on the brink of war, they find themselves at the forefront of a rebellion against a royal family possessed by destructive deities.

The world-building in this novel is exceptional, immersing readers in a richly detailed and complex setting that draws inspiration from Imperial Russia. The blending of magic and politics adds depth to the narrative, creating a story that is both engaging and thought-provoking.

The characters, particularly Galina and Sera, are well-developed and undergo significant growth throughout the novel. Their complex relationship as sisters and their individual struggles with power and responsibility are central to the plot. The book also explores themes of duty, loyalty, and the consequences of wielding immense power.

The pacing is well-balanced, with plenty of action and intrigue to keep readers hooked. The story alternates between the perspectives of the two sisters, providing a comprehensive view of the unfolding events and the different challenges they face.

The writing style is evocative and draws the reader into the emotions and dilemmas of the characters. The themes of desire and duty are skillfully woven into the narrative, adding depth to the character dynamics.

Overall, "To Cage a God" is a captivating start to a dark fantasy duology that will appeal to fans of romantic fantasy with political intrigue. Elizabeth May's storytelling prowess shines through in this novel, making it a must-read for lovers of complex and immersive fantasy worlds.

I started reading "To cage a God" with very high expectations because I loved "The Falconer" trilogy by the same author, but Elizabeth May's latest book didn't blow my mind.
The assumptions that attracted me were the duality between man and god - in fact that of "To cage a God" is a world where some humans carry a god trapped in their bones which allows them to use certain powers, in particular they have a god inside of them the protagonist sisters, Galine and Serafima.
Another of the things that intrigued me is the fact that these sisters had actually been on the run from the Empress's regime for years, but for some reason they had to return to face the regime, after the death of the Emperor at the hands of a (not so mysterious) murderer.
The book is set in a world clearly inspired, also thanks to the names of the protagonists, by the Russian Empire: it's a shame that I missed all the typical atmospheres of Russia where only the names and the American cover of the book reminded me of this element, because for the information given in the book - even, banally, culinary - I did not feel the setting nor the atmospheres that characterize books set in a similar context. It's a shame because it could have been a way to make the book stand out but this element is lost and it remains just a "tell but don't show".
Another peculiarity was that the protagonists were aged between 30 and 40, making them more mature - in line with the adult target of the book - but I found it almost something to further characterize the difference between other adult books of the genre rather than a real need for plot - if not chronological. In fact, on a behavioral level I didn't notice any difference with 18, 20, 22 year old protagonists belonging to this genre, so I wonder how much need there was to specify it.
The plot is interesting at the beginning, but then gets lost among many dialogues and somewhat filler chapters, leaving room for very few main events: where one romance thread is coherent, the other seemed a bit rushed and with a lack of real feelings behind it. Even the relationship between sisters is not addressed in a satisfactory way in my opinion, they spend most of the time during the book separated, the different POVs (we have 5) within the book help to understand the thoughts of the various characters but no one is particularly incisive compared to the others.
The writing style is good but I really missed some elements that had made "The Falconer" a Scottish steampunk marvel, while "To cage a god" seems like a half-hearted attempt at Russification of a generic young adult heist-plot.

Thanks to NetGalley and DAW for the chance to preview and review this ARC.

An unusual take on the fantasy genre!

Set in Russia in a factioned land - the royalty with magic and the citizens without, we meet three FMCs with tragic pasts that want nothing but revenge! Magic is in the form of God Power, or caged dragons imprisoned inside the flesh of a human.

The POV switches were a little rough at the start. I had a tough time figuring out who was who and had trouble keeping track of what was happening to each. Once I was able to get situated the plot started to take off and it became hard to put down!

The spice is not overly spicy but enough to convey the romance. I am still swooning over Vitaly!

The violence and action are thrilling. The cruelty is heart-wrenching. The romance is heartbreaking.

Worth a read!!

The premise of this book Russian history + dragon caged inside human bodies is brilliant, however the execution of this novel was not a success.
I liked the characters but they weren't believable. There are two couples in this book and I was't invested in them.
Maybe Galina and the princess were my favorite pair, but I couldn't connect much with them either.
I would have liked more depth regarding the dragons, more history more personality.
The story overall felt plain, no twists in the story and writing was so-so.

So I really quite enjoyed this.

I haven't read a book by May in a long time, but I found the writing, characters, world, and storyline quite engaging. Already, I can tell that people are likely to take issue with May's writing style--it's a little... not quite flowery, but definitely superfluous at times, with the intent of sounding nice without driving the narrative forward. I liked it, because it worked well with the themes and story being presented. Ironically, being a fantasy romance, I did feel a little bit "meh" regarding that aspect of the book, but everything else was interesting enough for me to really, really like TO CAGE A GOD.

I can't speak of the representation in this book, but at least history-wise, it feels like May dug deep into Russian culture to craft a new, interesting world. I'd be interested, though, to see what people of Slavic decent have to say on that front, though.

Stellar effort from Elizabeth may and I am looking forward to seeing how the duology wraps up.

I really enjoyed To Cage a God! I loved the wintery, brutal, Russian inspired world. My favorite part was definitely the characters. I loved how both Galina and Sera are strong, but in completely different ways. Their backstories are so interesting and sad that it made me want to read a prequel! I even enjoyed the POVs that came later in the story, which is saying something from me, as I'm usually a 1-2 POV kind of person. I also enjoyed the two different romances, though they didn't come into play until the second half of the book. That being said, the slow pace in the beginning, loose plot, and the sometimes vague imagery kept it from being a 5-star book for me.

The cover is absolutely stunning, the first couple of chapters drew you in…. But then it was like I was reading for just the sake of reading and finishing the book. I did struggle with the first half of this book and the different POVs made it confusing for me.

It was overall a good story once I got past the first half. The second half drew me in and I couldn’t stop reading it! The ending was so good!

3.5/5

Imperial Russia-Inspired Romantasy
Enemies to Lovers
Dragon Magic
Steamy
Political
New Adult
Multiple POV

The assassination of the Emperor of Tumanny, leaves the empire in danger of the ruling Empress, a cold, power hungry monarch who has no care or compassion for anyone she deems lesser than herself. The demise of her husband is an act of rebellion from the citizens of Blackshore, who have been oppressed because of their lack of power and magic. She also hides the fact that her daughter has a degenerate disease and makes her call upon her god power not caring about the effects it has on Vasalisa’s body just so that she can show off her power and give the illusion of extreme power and unity.

She launches a cover-up to hide the fact that someone as powerful as her husband died at the hands of normal humans, also known as the faithless who are not bonded to powerful, magical dragons. When she retaliates by burning down Dolsk where Sera’s home is, she and her foster sister Galina, formulate a plan to infiltrate the palace and overthrow the government. Although Sera and Galina are not born alureans, nobles born with bonded dragons caged inside them, they have been genetically altered by their mother who has forcefully bonded dragons to them.

Vitaly, an old flame of Sera is the leader of the rebellion who blew up the Emperor in his carriage. He has no moral compass and will do what he thinks is necessary to end the new rulers and anyone with a caged god. Sera has to stop Vitaly with his plans to assassinate everyone in the castle because he has no clue that Galina is her foster sister who infiltrated the castle to act as an alurean orphan who grew up with commoners so that she can kill Empress Isidora to avenge her family and town after it was burned down by the Empress with her godfire. Galina was the only survivor.

The world building was very good. The author gave enough description so that I could paint a clear picture in my mind of what the towns and Palace would look like in an early Eastern European Empire.

I loved most of the characters but Princess was my favourite character from beginning to end. It is a multiple POV which I do tend to enjoy if written well.
I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys political intrigue, fantasy and romance with spice.

A huge thank you to Netgalley and DAW for this e-arc in exchange for this honest review.

I wasn’t super into the narrator’s voice, but it’s well written and interesting. I can see it being an easy three stars with the target, four to five for the right readers. I stopped after chapter 1 (3%).

Thank you to NetGalley and DAW for the ARC.

Drawn in by the cool cover and the first chapter, I expected more from this than what I ultimately got. The introduction was so cool and well-written, but I felt as if the rest of the story lacked and lost focus.

You can’t like everything I suppose.