A fitting follow-up to God of Clay, Forest Gods develops the main characters further while introducing new ones as we get to explore their worlds further. It’s a lot of fun learning more about the gods and seeing they are not as infallible as many fire bearers think. Campbell continues to develop his skill at horror, imagery, and suspense, making for a thrilling story. I feel lucky that I had the trilogy in hand all at once so I didn’t have to wait to move on to the third story!
- Anonymous

 

 

An absolutely incredible sequel that was well worth the wait. Mr. Campbell delivers yet again with a story that enraptures and entertains all while expanding the scope of the world and the characters introduced in 'God of Clay' and manages to top the aforementioned novel in every conceivable way. Mr. Campbell continues to up the ante here. Whereas the first book followed three distinct characters- Doto, Clay, and Laughing Dog- this book adds Cloud into the mix for a total of four. Doto and Clay are searching for the Savannah God Sarmu, whom they believe may have a solution for calming Kwaee's anger toward the Fire Bearers. Meanwhile, back in the village, Laughing Dog tries to convince his people to fight back against the forest and Kwaee all while slowly succumbing to madness due to Ogya's possession, while Cloud tries to stop Laughing Dog from leading the people toward their untimely demise should his plan be put into motion. In the first novel, I will admit that I was not nearly as interested in Laughing Dog as I was in Clay and Doto. Thankfully, that is not the case here. Laughing Dog is infinitely more interesting as well as highly unpredictable and seeing him take the steps needed to achieve his goal will keep you on the edge of your seat. Cloud is also a very capable protagonist. It is mainly through her that we come to learn even more about the rich history of the People of the Savannah. Mr. Campbell's writing style is still on point, with highly descriptive passages that easily help us imagine what is happening in the story with incredible detail. The amazing Zhivago also returns to lend her artistic talents yet again by illustrating the cover art as well as key scenes from the novel and these are truly beautiful works of art. Repeating myself from last time as the point still stands, if you have even the slightest interest in the Fantasy genre or if you are just looking for a good book to read, don't let this one get away. And if you still haven't picked up 'God of Clay' what are you waiting for? Get it now!
- Cristian A Segura