The Gods Time Forgot
Ratings2
Average rating3.8
Irish mythology collides with Gilded Age New York in this sweeping debut enemies-to-lovers historical romantasy, perfect for fans of Outlander and A Fate Inked in Blood. Manhattan, 1870. Rua knows only two things: her name, and that she has no memories. So when the wealthy Harrington family mistakes Rua for their missing daughter, Emma, Rua goes along with the charade, hoping for answers about who she really is. As she tries to blend into a society she doesn’t remember, she’s drawn to a firmly off-limits man: the Lord of Donore, a newcomer to Manhattan society who is somehow familiar to Rua. Finn is new to this side of the Atlantic and knows that the best way to fit in as Lord of Donore is to make friends in high places and play by the rules of society. He knows he shouldn’t become involved with a mysterious, recently missing debutante, but he’s intrigued by Emma Harrington, and Finn has an uncanny feeling that this isn’t the first time they’ve met. With societal pressures mounting on both sides, Rua is determined to discover the truth about the missing Harrington daughter and her own past. But when her memories begin to return, they’re of a world far stranger than New York and traced in dark magic. As ancient secrets unfurl in Rua’s memory, Rua and Finn are forced to uncover the mystery of their past and try to save their future. In this gritty and glittering romantasy, nothing and no one is as they seem.
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Thank you to Alcove Press for providing me with a digital ARC!
I know very little about Irish mythology, but mythology in general is one of my favorite things to learn about. So when I saw The Gods Time Forgot up on Netgalley, with that very interested synopsis, and that very beautiful cover, I thought I'd take a shot and requested it. Thankfully, Alcove Press pretty much instantaneously approved me, and I dived right in.
This book is written beautifully. I absolutely loved how fiery Rua was, how done she was with “polite society” rules, and being “accepted” into the higher classes. She wanted nothing to do with these people, and she basically let them know it. The Gods Time Forgot has a very interesting premise, one that I didn't really catch on to what was happening until about 75% of the way through. I had inklings but there was enough going on that I wasn't sure.
Finn was not as widely explored as Rua, unfortunately. I do wish we had learned more about his life before he was The Lord of Donore, and how he came to be. It's sort of handwaved at the end, but I was very interested in him. Even before we know who he is.
The romance is well done, in my opinion. There's enough steam, enough chemistry there that it's entirely believable. They sort of pick at each other to start, and then they really do fall in love. I thoroughly enjoyed watching them fall for each other.
My one beef with The Gods Time Forgot is that it ends SO abruptly. The last chapter reads like there's going to be at least another few to follow, but nope. It just sort of...ends. I really would have loved to follow Rua and Finn as they figured out life together, but nope. We don't get to see that. I wouldn't even really say that it's a true happy ending. It ends before we get to see them happy, which really hurt how I feel about this book. If it had ended appropriately, The Gods Time Forgot would have easily been 5 stars for me. Instead, it's dropped down to a four star read. Still good, but not great.
I'd still recommend this book, especially if you're a fantasy-romance lover with an interest in mythology. Just go into it knowing the ending is a bit disappointing.
