Liesmith: Book of the Wyrd #1 | Alis Franklin | Reviewed by Ria
*image via GoodReads
Welcome to Pandemonium and meet Sigmund Sussman, a dorky low level IT guy with an video game and comic book obsession. Sigmund is nothing special (he tells people to turn their computers on and off again for a living). Which is why it’s weird that the new guy in the team, Lain, takes a shine to him in a really hot flirtatious way. Lain may be devilishly good looking and a questionable past, but Sigmund kinda likes him back too. What’s the worst that could happen if he starts to date him?…well?…
What Sigmund doesn’t count on is that Lain is also a God and not just in an ‘Oh my God he looks like a God kinda way’. Nope. An actual God. A Norse one to be precise. And as fate and ancient prophecies start to unravel, Sigmund starts on a path of adventure and inevitable danger that comes with being the other half of ancient mythology.
So what’s my verdict?
Liesmith is definitely one of the most unique novels I’ve read before. It’s lead, Sigmund, as I’ve said is very much the zero a the start of the novel. Though his father is pretty connected, he’s very much sat at the bottom of the barrel at the biggest organisation in Pandemonium. Lain on the other hand is the opposite. Suave, sophisticated and the embodiment of a trickster God (cyber cookies if you can figure out which one he is already!). This opposites attract storyline between the two is definitely the thread that keeps this story going. The LGBT element to their very non-traditional relationship is also very well played and without the usual drama that comes with these kinds of stories.
The story itself is a bit crazy. The world of Pandemonium is so detailed and intricately interwoven with Norse mythology, which all feeds into the plot line of the story. I will however say that, for me, the mythology elements went over my head a little, at times the interwoven elements of the mythology felt a bit confusing.
Despite Liesmith being way out of my genre comfort zone, I did really enjoy the premise and plot line for this book. It’s cinematic with page turning action sequences and the moments that really stood over were often seeing Lain and Sigmund’s relationship develop throughout the novel. Plus - and a big plus for me - Liesmith is full of a variety of very diverse characters.
Soundtrack
Centuries: Fall Out Boy; Seven Devils: Florence + The Machine; Art Of War: We The Kings; The Devil In Me: Kate Voegele; In My Veins: Andrew Belle; Vampire Money: My Chemical Romance
This post was written by regular reviewer Ria, get to know her here.
*review copy c/o NetGalley
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