From the first chapter to the last, the twists and turns of this book kept me engaged and itching for the next page. This book has everything I truly enjoy, a strong female main character, a broody shadow daddy, an incredible best friend, and a dark gothic backdrop. The witchy world the story is set in is dangerous, haunting and just complex enough to keep you on the edge of your seat.

The FMC, Vic, was unique and I equally loved and was frustrated by her independence and willingness to put herself on the line to protect the people she loved. I really enjoyed the fact that she was not the all-powerful character we normally see and through life altering decisions she didn't quite understand, help from other characters and her need for forbidden knowledge, she becomes someone truly powerful.

Sarah was probably my favorite character. She was a great addition to the FMC and I think her friendship was great for Vic.

Henry was, in my opinion, insufferable, as younger siblings often are, but his character is pivotal to Vic's development. I was NOT expecting what happened in the end. The audible gasp was real! This was a great twist I can't wait to read more.

Although the characters are well developed, I did feel a little whiplash in their drastic emotional changes, especially in moments between Vic and Xan. The relationship development lacked a smooth development and went from zero to one hundred almost unbelievably.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story and its uniqueness. I will definitely be reading the second book when it releases.

This was a fun and engaging read! I really liked the twist on the classic magic academy trope—having a main character without powers thrown into a world that literally runs on them added some refreshing tension. Vic’s fierce loyalty to her brother makes her easy to root for, and the slow-burn tension with Xan? Chef’s kiss.

Also loved the friendship with Sarah as well that provided a support role to our FMC.

The setting was eerie and atmospheric, and the idea of an Order that keeps the dead at bay was super intriguing. Definitely worth picking up if you like your fantasy with a dark edge and a strong sibling bond at the center.

A book about a secret magic society with witches? Sign me up. I was excited to read this book but as I continued to read, it just seemed to lose steam the longer it went on.

Likes:
- the premise behind this secret society and the demon world is interesting and new to me.

Dislikes:
- I really don't care for her brother Henry at all. The second he's invited to the school, its like Vic who? She dropped out of high school, worked menial jobs and taught herself how to protect them both and just bam! You should leave, you don't belong here. Um, rude.
- Everyone was constantly telling her to leave, like okay, I get it. Everyone hates her in the beginning....but it never seemed to get better. Nobody changed their mind and it started to make the characters and plot seem flat and boring.

Overall, this book has a interesting premise, but I just wasn't able to connect to the characters. The first 60% of the book, I was waiting for something to start and I felt like it started with the Rite, but then the energy just seemed to fizzle. It seemed a bit messy and disjointed nearing the end, as if a bunch of ideas were just thrown together to finish out the book.

This book had a good plot and story line. I did feel it dragged a bit and the long quotations at the beginning of the chapters made me slow down with reading. But all in all thought it was a great book!

I really liked the premise of this story but the really really long book quotes in the beginning of the chapters, while informative, really slowed down my momentum and I started to lost interest when reading them.

This is pitched as dark academia with witches, two things I absolutely love so I should’ve loved the book. However, it didn’t keep my interest. I do plan to try this on audio when it releases as I think I’ll be more engaged with the story in that format.

The ending of this book had me gasping!!! This was a fast paced story with suspense, magic, and monsters. I loved how the story followed Vic and loved her interactions with Xan, Sarah, and May. The monsters in this story were very unique from any I’ve read in other books. I was so grossed out by the manananggal that my husband asked me if I was ok because my face reflected my disgust for the creature. I loved the dark academia setting. Overall a great plot with a sprinkle of romance which added to the story nicely.

Throughout the story there were spots where a word would be used that didn’t fit the flow of the story. That got a bit annoying when you’d be really into the plot and then an exorbitant word was thrown in that was jarring. This is my only negative critique about this book.

I read about ~70% of this book and could not finish it. The story just did not keep me engaged. I didn't really care about the main character and did not like the love interest. The best part of the story was the sibling relationship and as the book went on it barely as showed interaction between the main character and her brother. The story was original but it just didn't hold my attention.

We Who Have No Gods is a promising start to what could become a fantastic fantasy series. The worldbuilding is imaginative and fresh, with just enough mystery to keep me turning the pages. From the very first chapter, I was intrigued by the magic system, the cultural dynamics, and the tension surrounding the order and brotherhood. There's a lot of creative energy here, and I genuinely think this world has the potential to grow into something really special.
The characters were definitely a highlight for me. Vic is a strong and resilient protagonist who carries much of the emotional weight of the story. Her sense of loyalty, especially when it comes to her brother Henry, is one of the driving forces of the plot. I admired her determination and the quiet sacrifices she makes throughout the book. The supporting cast was also compelling, with just enough depth and intrigue to keep me curious about their individual stories and motivations.
That said, there were a few things that held me back from giving this a full five stars.
First, the pacing. The story has moments where it races ahead, pulling you into the action or revelations with intensity and then suddenly slows to a crawl. The transitions between these fast and slow moments weren’t always smooth, making the pacing feel somewhat fragmented. I found myself wishing for a more consistent rhythm to help maintain the immersion throughout.
Second, the relationship between Vic and Henry. While I appreciated the emotional weight of Vic's devotion to her brother, I found Henry’s characterization frustrating. He often comes off as self-absorbed and indifferent to the sacrifices Vic makes for him. His dialogue reinforces this dynamic, which is effective in some ways especially given the twist at the end but I think the impact of that twist would’ve been stronger if Henry had been written as more outwardly affectionate or loyal to Vic. The emotional contrast would’ve hit harder.
Third, Vic and Xan’s relationship. I genuinely enjoyed their banter and the moments where we see their chemistry shine, but the development of their relationship felt uneven. Xan goes from barely showing interest to suddenly inviting Vic to dance and displaying signs of emotional investment. While the reveal later in the book gives context to his behavior, the buildup lacked the smooth progression I was hoping for. I think a few more moments of tension or internal conflict from Xan earlier on would’ve helped make that transition feel more natural.
Despite those critiques, I really did enjoy this novel and I’m excited to see where the series goes. I’m especially interested in watching Vic grow both in power and in agency as well as seeing how her relationship with Xan and the order develops. This book laid a strong foundation for what could become an emotional and gripping fantasy series, and I’ll definitely be picking up

This book was introduced to me as a gothic, dark academia book about witches…sold.

The FMC, Vic has been working herself to the bone to try and keep her brother safe and alive since her mother left and never came back several years ago. But a mysterious man has found them and has enticed her brother Henry to join a hidden order of witches and train at a heavily warded academy. Unwelcome, Vic joins her brother at the school and learns things about her mother that leave her with more questions than answers. She also learns about various demons that prowl the earth that the hidden order hunt down. As an outcast, Vic must decide if she wants to remain blissfully ignorant about this darker side of the world or stay and look out for her brother.

Her sense of loyalty and logic is put to the test as she tries to find answers to what happened to her mom while trying to survive and fit into her new normal.

I enjoyed the mysterious circumstances of Vic and her brother Henry and learning about various demons. There was also a slow burn, enemies to lovers situationship that was at times entertaining but was also at times more on the YA side.

I did enjoy the background of the characters but thought the transition and acceptance into the program was suspiciously expedited. I thought there would be more explanation of why Max and Arnen paid so much attention to Vic or why she was so special, or what happened to her mom. I definitely have a lot of questions.

An interesting read and curious to see what the author does with book 2 in the series. Thank you to @netgalley and @randomhouse for approving my ARC request!

3.5 Stars

This had all my favorite elements: witchcraft, gothic dark academia, a fantasy setting, and of course, a shadow daddy MMC. There is a bit of horror mixed in as well. The monsters were creepy, and some scenes were super gory (which I love!). The pacing stayed consistent with something always happening.

The FMC was strong and stubborn, and while she made a few dumb decisions, she at least owned them. I enjoyed that she wasn’t the typical "gifted heroine" meant to save the world. She gets her ass kicked repeatedly and barely scrapes through. The romance is a slow burn with minimal spice. The MMC was the pretty standard shadow daddy. Broody, mysterious, but nothing groundbreaking.

The FMC goes from not caring about her mother, to wanting to know why her mom died, and then obsessing over what happened to her. I couldn’t tell if it was intentional character growth or inconsistency, but I chose to see it as part of a healing journey and her attempt to face some buried emotional wounds. I really wish we’d gotten more time with the brother. His part in the ending would’ve hit harder if he’d had more depth earlier on.

Outside of that, it is a fantastic debut novel! While it took me a bit to read, I did find myself going back to it to see what would happen next.

Thank you to NetGalley for the free eArc!

This was a thrill to read- engaging characters and storyline. A fast-paced novel that sucks you in from the beginning and keeps you holding on through the entirety. As a fantasy/horror lover who’s been in a bit of a reading rut lately, this was a breath for fresh air.

I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of We Who Have No Gods. This is review represents my honest opinion.

Moody, magical, and full of tension — We Who Have No Gods hooked me from the beginning!. Slow burn, but totally worth it.

I COULD NOT GET ENOUGH OF THIS BOOK! I truly flew right through it and had the BEST time while reading it. The storyline is unique and a breath of fresh air the Romantic Fantasy genre needs! It was fun, fast paced, and kept me on the edge of my seat waiting to see what the next twist would be. I really loved the murder mystery aspect and thought it was cleverly woven into the rest of the plot.

Thank you so much to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for this ARC opportunity!

LOVEEEEEEEEEED this!!! I thought this might be a standalone story when I first got the arc, but about halfway through all I could think was, "please at least have a sequel. please be a trilogy. please let the next book be a thousand pages". I NEED MORE (except you, Henry, get f*cked)

Vic didn't think she'd see the day she dropped her younger brother off at school, but then again, she also didn't think she'd end up sitting in on classes with him either. I mean, she's not even a witch.

For a debut book, this was so much fun, and I loved that the dark-academia, medieval vibes of Avalon are set smack dab in the middle of present day. I left this at 4 stars because for the first 3/4 of the book it felt like the author was deciding whether or not to lean into the slow burn she'd started between Vic and Xan, but after reading the Acknowledgements I can't wait to see where she takes the rest of the series!

Thanks, NetGalley, for the copy in exchange for my review!

This review is already posted on my Goodreads account.

The first half of this book was actually AMAZING! I was highly, highly enjoying myself as the book really sucked you in. Then the romance was introduced and it was literally perfect. All was going well until the second half. It felt like being drugged and running a marathon, you didn’t know what was going on or where it was going. It became more than just fantasy, more like horror. I was so confused and felt like the fmc, Vic, really had a personality switch up. At first she didn’t care about her mother but then she became obsessed with what happened to her. It was very odd and so was the ending. Thank you Netgalley and Ballentine for letting me read this arc.

A very well written book. I loved the side of fantasy but also there was a side that kept me on me on the edge of my seat. I found myself spooked and excited every point of this book. I enjoyed reading this and going on this adventure.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC! Amazing suspenseful read with a realistic romance. I was hooked immediately! Amazing ride, 10/10 recommend

I loved every second of this book! The world building alone would be enough to cement this as a must-read for me—Avalon Castle, the lore/magic system, the maneuverings and machinations of the various witch factions—everything was described so vividly and so intricately that the stakes, when they’re revealed, feel nearly insurmountable. The witch society as a whole is awful and nearly perfectly realized—I was surprised at the depth of the prejudice the author was able to convey through just a few interactions. The powers at play are almost beyond comprehension, and the lengths to which the characters go to reach their goals are terrifying. Vic, as the only person without magic surrounded by dangerous witches resisting a massive change to their established order, will resonate with the outcasts and those familiar with panic, rage, and misplaced guilt. She’s feisty, smart, strong, and a phenomenal fighter, but she’s also vulnerable, insecure, and terrified of her current situation (Supernatural fans, Vic and her brother, Henry, have a VERY similar relationship to the Winchesters). Xan is practically made of shadows and sarcasm, and their chemistry is electric. I was in NO way prepared for the ending—that cliffhanger hit like a knife to the heart!

Review: We Have No Gods by Liza Anderson

This book hooked me right away—dark, sharp, and full of tension. It’s gothic dark academia with witches, secrets, and a human girl trying to survive in a world where she has no power, but everything to lose.

Vic is such a strong lead—tough, protective, and deeply human in a world that doesn’t want her. Her love for her brother drives everything, and I really connected with how messy and raw that relationship felt. The setting—Avalon Castle hidden in the woods—was eerie and vivid, and the mix of slow-burning mystery and quiet magic gave the whole book this haunting atmosphere.

There’s danger, rivalry, and a simmering tension between Vic and Xan that adds even more edge. It’s not just about magic—it’s about identity, sacrifice, and what it means to choose your place in a world that wants to define it for you.

If you like your fantasy with bite, heart, and just a little bit of romantic tension, this one’s worth picking up.