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The Agony of the Gods: Softly Falls the Snow

by Tom Wolosz

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2513922,088 (3.46)None
Who is killing the Gods? Man created The Machine. The Machine gave to each man or woman a world of their own design, to do with as they pleased. They became Gods - omnipotent, absolute rulers; but also vain, arrogant, hedonistic and brutal. Now someone is killing them. The enforcer, a servant of the Gods, is tasked with finding the killer, but first he must train a new apprentice. Given a list of worlds to investigate, they set out trying to find a key to the identity of a killer they cannot hope to overcome. In their travels they come across worlds dedicated to the study of butterflies, to the perfection of music, to eternal war, and to a magical storybook existence where animals talk and act like characters from a children's story; and on each world they find a brutal disregard for the people who serve the Gods. As the death toll mounts, and the pressure from their masters to find the killer increases, they learn more and more about the strange universe of The Machine, and about themselves. But soon they face the ultimate question: is the killer a monster...or a hero?… (more)
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Showing 1-5 of 12 (next | show all)
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
The plot is not fast-paced, but is intriguing. The characters didn't really make me like them or hate them, they just were there. A lot of the slave training drug on and I would've liked more plot focus earlier on. Great idea and enjoyed it, but needs something more to it in order for me to consider reading a sequel if there was one. ( )
  kirathelibrarian | Dec 23, 2015 |
I received this book in exchange for an honest review. I had a hard time with this book because it just didn't flow for me. It wasn't that it was bad it just didn't grab me and hold my attention. There seemed to be a whole lot going on without any resolution. Just more questions. I love that it was not the standard read that's why I gave 3 stars, but I couldn't go higher because I couldn't relate to the content. ( )
  thicks | Jul 9, 2015 |
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
Lagging in areas. Very hard to keep my focus on the story. ( )
  January.Gray | Apr 10, 2015 |
This is a fascinating book. And, at the same time, it's boring as fuck. Because, the sci-fi elements in this book, the technology, is amazing. But the story is just plain stupid. And unfortunately, the tech is not good enough to carry the entire book. It's good enough for a short story, but just sucks the life-force out of this book.

It's the story of The Machine, and the chaos it's created, throughout the universe. The Machine is a man-made device that basically turned man into Gods. Because it allowed man to achieve anything. To create their own worlds. Create their own people. Create their own universe.

This book is centered around the slaves of these Gods. The police, who call themselves Enforcers. The Enforcers were called into existence by the Gods purely for amusement. Apparently. Just to see what they could, in fact, enforce. If anything. Imagine sending a puny slave up against a God. Comedy gold, right? Not so much.

The problem with this book is that the majority of it is about training one of these slaves to be an Enforcer. And it's slow as fuck. I mean, it's just such mundane shit. What do you want for breakfast? Would you like some tea? How about some nice hot broth, to soothe your stomach? Who gives a bloody fuck. Kill something, for fuck's sake.

I mean, if the Gods created these Enforcers for entertainment purposes, they must be surely disappointed. Because they really are boring as fuck. They'd make shitty reality TV, that's for sure. There's no sex, no deceit, no conflict at all really. So what's the fucking point?

Yes, the technology in this book is fascinating. And it's a compelling read, learning about The Machine, and its history. But that's it. That's all that's worth reading in this book. And unfortunately, that's just a short story. A book, it does not make. ( )
  gecizzle | Mar 5, 2015 |
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
It isn't often I find a good science fiction book with a new and interesting story line, this book has one.
I loved the angle, very well written and it takes you on a journey to a world I think we all might like to visit..........or would we?
that is what I love about a book like this, it makes you think about what it would be like to be a God, (but still have all the foibles of being human) therein lies the catch.
I did enjoy this very much, look forward to the next one. ( )
  taxonet | Jan 13, 2015 |
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Who is killing the Gods? Man created The Machine. The Machine gave to each man or woman a world of their own design, to do with as they pleased. They became Gods - omnipotent, absolute rulers; but also vain, arrogant, hedonistic and brutal. Now someone is killing them. The enforcer, a servant of the Gods, is tasked with finding the killer, but first he must train a new apprentice. Given a list of worlds to investigate, they set out trying to find a key to the identity of a killer they cannot hope to overcome. In their travels they come across worlds dedicated to the study of butterflies, to the perfection of music, to eternal war, and to a magical storybook existence where animals talk and act like characters from a children's story; and on each world they find a brutal disregard for the people who serve the Gods. As the death toll mounts, and the pressure from their masters to find the killer increases, they learn more and more about the strange universe of The Machine, and about themselves. But soon they face the ultimate question: is the killer a monster...or a hero?

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