This review is a memorial as much as anything else. Jesse Hajicek was a writer I’ve admired since my Livejournal days. (Which is to say, I voraciously read through his writing Livejournal, back in the 2000s, and was too shy to comment. In fact, I may have read an earlier draft of this book on that blog.) Unfortunately, Jesse Hajicek died on the eighteenth of June, after having a stroke last November. I was going to post a review I wrote for The God Eaters, that had been on an older writing journal. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find the review, and it was apparently before I started adding my reviews to Goodreads–so I had to reread the book! (I know, what a chore, right?)
The God Eaters has the feel of a Western, though one with a steampunk fantasy vibe. The Commonwealth is a brutal theocratic totalitarian state and both our Protagonists have managed to get themselves in trouble with it. For Kieran, it’s mostly for existing as a Iavaian in the presence of Eskaran colonizers. Well that, and being a killer and outlaw. That too! With Ashleigh, it’s because he wrote “inflammatory writings.”
Both get sent to a prison that doubles as a torture and research facility for “Talents.” Talents are people born with magical abilities. Talents that are approved by the Watch end up working for the government. Talents that are not approved are lobotomized or are experimented on. They end up sharing the same cell, and end up forming an alliance that eventually turns into a romance. (It should be clear here that that overall style is heavily action/adventure fantasy, not romance-focused. You do not want to go in thinking this is going to be romance-focused. You will be very disappointed, even with the “love defeats evil” plot points.)
This is a dark and disturbing novel that has a lot to say about inequality, imperialism and trauma. The character arcs of Kieran and Ash as they each affect the worldview of the other is well written and emotionally satisfying. The worldbuilding is fascinating, and the antagonist is the living embodiment of “the road to Hell is paved with (one tiny extremely questionable) good intention.” That is, his stated goal was fighting another god, named Ka’an, who was “evil.” His justification for eating all the other gods was to defeat Ka’an. (Note: scare quotes because while the other god is basically a terrible person, Thelyan is more horrifying because Ka’an was under no delusion that he’s good.)
I highly recommend this book.
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