The God Engines

By: John Scalzi

Narrated by: Christopher Lane

Length: 3 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

Captain Ean Tephe is a man of faith, whose allegiance to his lord and to his ship is uncontested. The Bishopry Militant knows this — and so, when it needs a ship and crew to undertake a secret, sacred mission to a hidden land, Tephe is the captain to whom the task is given.

Tephe knows from the start that his mission will be a test of his skill as a leader of men and as a devout follower of his god. It’s what he doesn’t know that matters: to what ends his faith and his ship will ultimately be put — and that the tests he will face will come not only from his god and the Bishopry Militant, but from another, more malevolent source entirely....

Author John Scalzi has ascended to the top ranks of modern science fiction with the best-selling, Hugo-nominated novels Old Man’s War and Zoe’s Tale. Now he tries his hand at fantasy, with a dark and different novella that takes your expectations of what fantasy is and does, and sends them tumbling.

Say your prayers... and behold The God Engines.

©2010 John Scalzi (P)2010 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Good Story, Characters & Narration

I am generally dubious about authors, even good ones like Scalzi, crossing over genres. Most fail utterly. I was surprised to find I liked The God Engines a lot. The premise is wild but interesting, the characters are very good, the story has twists and turns and the narration was pleasant. There is a spectrum of fantasy from Alice in Wonderland that does not have to follow rules, to strict fantasy worlds having very firm rules (but some rules involve magic). This is firmly in the second camp and is thus is a lot like Sci Fi. I quickly got into the idea of levels of gods using magic to guide star-ships from planet to planet and navigators using prayer to interact with their equipment. Most of the characters were deep enough to be interesting and once the story gets going I was sorry it ended so soon. This one has a satisfying ending, but is also a cliff hanger that could be continued. I will read the next installment if there is one.

A mix of theology and fantasy

This is not a hard Sci-Fi but it worth listening to, because of the new universe ideas, short length of the story and its very low price.

Thought Provoking

This book will make even a born-again Christian at least question a great many things.
Great story.
Great read.

Well .. . . That was different

This was a little different but really good - if not a bit dark .. . . Short and sweet

I can't wait for more from this universe

This is what I buy sci-fi for: a great story with great characters that takes me places I would not normally know. This is what I buy Audible books for: incredible narrations with high production value.

This book has both. And if you've never listened to a Christopher Lane narration, this is a phenomenal introduction to a master voice actor.

I guarantee you won't see the premise coming - it's an extraordinary idea. I listened twice in one weekend.

It's a relatively short work - but the universe is built here and the story is amazing. Yep. I'm gushing. This is a great beginning to what I hope will be a longer book in a series.

Good Novella

The characters are nicely developed, drawing the reader into this very alternate world where gods are used essentially as a source of power. I would have liked to see where this story could have gone in a longer work. Darker than other Scalzi stories.

Unconventional, but lots of fun

What did you love best about The God Engines?

I have read/listened to all of John Scalzi's works, but I saved this one for last because of its lower reviews. To my surprise and delight, I enjoyed this novella immensely. I loved how Scalzi used some classic fantasy ideas and reforged them in his own creative way to create a unique and interesting universe.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The God Engines?

The ending. Haters gonna hate; I loved it.

Have you listened to any of Christopher Lane’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not. I greatly enjoyed this performance.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes.

My least favorite Scalzi read so far

The story was ok, although the concept doesn't really make sense... the narration was a bit dull. I don't think I would have enjoyed it if it had been longer.

Great Concept, but short

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Sure, it is a good story, if a bit short

Any additional comments?

This could easily be developed into a compelling universe spanning multiple books. However I like Scalzi's other work more.

Different

If you're a fan of John Scalzi, this is an interesting listen. It is darker by far than his other works. I enjoyed it, but it is definitely not my favorite of his work. It is, however, short enough that it doesn't overstay it's welcome.

Still if you're a fan of his work, and don't mind darker books, then it's worth a listen.