SFF

Downfall of the Gods

by K.J. Parker
Subterranean. Mar. 2016. 112p. ISBN 9781596067554. $40. FANTASY
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Lord Archias murdered his best friend after finding the man in bed with his wife. Stricken with remorse, he goes to the temple to pray for forgiveness, bringing along a prostitute for company, who tries to tell him that there will be no forgiveness—and she would know, being the Goddess in disguise. So begins a short but delightful tale of a divinity and the penitent who goes from awed to annoyed to despairing. The Goddess makes a pact with Archias to save him from eternal damnation and then leads him on a quest to hell and back.
VERDICT Parker (The Folding Knife; Sharps) channels his alter ego Tom Holt to bring a full measure of snark to this novella. The Goddess's interactions with her family are laugh-out-loud funny as is the increasingly hapless Lord Archias, who soon prays that the Goddess will just leave him alone. Regrettably, this delightful book is currently only available as a $40 special edition hardcover.
Reviewed by Megan M. McArdle , Feb 15, 2016
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