A Flight in the Heavens by Gabrielle Gagne-Cyr is the epic first tome of Gagne-Cyr’s Theurgy of the Gods duology. Combining the cool gadgets and machinery of Steampunk, the heroic quests and powerful gods of fantasy, with the swashbuckling scurviness of pirates and courageous heart of renegades, this is one slow burn, enemies to lovers tale you won’t want to miss.
The theurgy of the gods: the capacity for a human to merge with a god, conjure it at will and use it to do their bidding.
The gods created Iscar, its lands and its people. They helped the humans prosper, create great cities and advanced technologies. And then one day, they just left, abandoning their once adored creations to fend for themselves. But not all of them completely departed. In dangerous and isolated temples, some left behind a ghost of themselves, a shadow of their true potential. Yet these shadows still wielded more power than the greatest army and anyone who could control them would be unstoppable.
Long ago, Daemon Daromas and his seven commandants managed to acquire the theurgy of the gods. Their union with the darkest deities gave them unrivalled power and with it, they slew the King of Iscar and usurped the throne. Thus began the Daemon’s reign of terror which he spread across the land with the help of his army of placaters. The people lived in perpetual fear, few daring to challenge the rule of so cruel and powerful a dictator.
Yet there remained a handful of people who resisted. Farrah and her loyal renegades have a plan to put an end to Daromas’ evil reign. It is a brave plan though quickly foiled. Forced to flee, their escape was only made possible with the unwitting assistance of one of the most feared pirates in Iscar, Captain Feras Sadahl and her incomparable ship, the Celestial Dragon.
Thrust together by circumstance, they eventually forge an alliance based on vengeance and a glimmer of hope for freedom. However, when two strong leaders with very different personalities come together, victory is far from guaranteed. With so much depending on their success, Farrah and Feras must move past their personal feelings and work together. But in doing so, will they lose focus on their goal?
Pros And My Favourite Parts
This book is a smorgasbord of kick ass and awesome. Action and adventure abound, but I think my favourite aspects of the story are the incredible world building and the dynamic between Farrah and Feras.
The world Gagne-Cyr has created is at once horrific and splendid. The story is full of renegades, pirates and their flying airships, villains, epic battles, and powerful gods, all built upon a solid mythology and history. Descriptions of the different lands (particularly the dwelling places of the gods) are so well woven they leap right off the page into your imagination. The best part is you encounter new lands with each of the characters’ adventures so its not just one delightful experience but continuous delightful experiences throughout the book.
Then there is the dynamic between the renegade leader and the pirate captain which I found truly delightful. Both women are powerful leaders, noble and charismatic, but due to their different experiences and backgrounds, they are unable to see the fundamental similarities they share. Feras believes Farrah is careless and rash, needlessly putting others in danger with her pursuits. Farrah believes Feras to be cruel, unlawful, and interested only in money. Only by working together do they come to appreciate each other for their true selves. And that takes time. Their relationship gets off to a very rocky start but throughout the book is the best enemies to lovers slow burn arc I have read in a long time.
Cons And Heads Up
This book is not for the faint of heart. There is some pretty violent and gruesome content including torture and death (rather akin to Game of Thrones). It also ends on quite the precipitous cliff hanger that is going to leave you dying for the next installment, so prepare yourself.
I also had a couple of minor issues with the writing such as the repeated use of the word simper. However, I am reading the uncorrected proof version, so these may be corrected by the time of publication. Another small issue for me was the fact that the names of the two main characters are so similar.
The Conclusion
If exploring incredible new worlds, action, adventure, powerful gods, pirates, and renegades sound like your idea of a good time, then this book is definitely for you. If you prefer masterful characterization, powerful women leaders and slow burn romances, well this book is for you too. A Flight in the Heavens is a captivating and exciting tale with unforgettable characters. Gagne-Cyr has slain me with this amazing book providing further proof that the pen is indeed mightier than the sword (especially when that pen is writing about strong women with swords). Bring on book two!
Excerpt from A Flight in the Heavens by Gabrielle Gagne-Cyr
The woman turned to him. “I’m Farrah,” she said in a soft and yet confident voice. “You must be a newcomer in Letholdus?”
“I’m just passing through,” he replied, his back becoming straighter. “I’m from the Islands of Benetos but I’m going to Racketeer Bay.” His tone was playful, afraid it might sound silly to say this out loud.
Racketeer Bay was home to the pirates of Iscar and was under the authority of the daemon though he had dismissed its residents as unsavoury. No one had any doubt under whose control it was, but even the daemon knew that some people were better kept at a distance.
In the case of pirates, it was better to ignore their lot and leave them to their dealings than make outright enemies out of them. It also happened to be better for the government making use of their services.
Davis’s expression narrowed. “You’re a pirate?”
“Not exactly. At least, not yet.” He glanced once more at the guards and lowered his voice. “They say Racketeer Bay isn’t under the grip of those freaks.”
Farrah tilted her head to the side. “Just a different kind of control though.” She looked straight at him. “If you wish for freedom, you won’t have it as long as power is in the wrong hands.”
Slay dropped his fingers from the bars. “We all want that, but it’s not about to happen.”
Farrah looked at the placater, brow furrowed. “Only as long as our people continue to do nothing, watching from afar in muffled agony.”
He gaped at her. Most didn’t talk so freely of rebellion. It was much safer to keep their mouths shut and pretend that the daemon was the best thing that had ever happened to them.
Most were very good at pretending.
“Well, nothing much we can do,” he answered and felt that his riposte was not up to par with Farrah’s eloquence.
She looked his way and curved her warm smile. “That’s why nothing changes,” she replied before peering at Darvis. “Better get ready.”
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Series
A Flight in the Heavens
Bits and Bobs
ASIN number: B08ZQV1HJ5
Publisher: Indie author
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