We Dream of Gods

• Author: Devin Madson
• Genre: Fantasy
• Publication Date: March 21, 2023
• Publisher: Orbit
• Series: The Reborn Empire #4

Thank you to Orbit and Angela Man for sending me a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

CONTENT WARNING: grief, violence, mention of a past rape, murder, blood, PTSD, gore, homophobia

There are no gods. Only men.

Betrayed by her closest allies, Miko is thrust from ruler to pawn. But she won’t suffer the whims of men. A string of dangerous gambles could win Miko her empire for good, but to take back the throne, she must become everything her ancestors failed to be.

Rah leads a herd again. Now he seeks to honor a promise he made a lifetime ago—to safely bring his Swords home. Yet Rah’s loyalty to the past may be his ultimate undoing.

Cassandra is lost. Ensnared by memories that aren’t her own, Cassandra must decide who she really is, but the answer lies beyond one final confrontation with Leo Villius.

And trapped in the heart of the Chiltaen army, Dishiva is handed unexpected power. The dream of a new homeland is within her grasp—if she risks everything and trusts her former enemies.

Wow. I’ve been trying to organize my thoughts after finishing this book, and after two days, I’m still having a hard time. I just want to put up signs near every book store and library shelf saying “YOU NEED THIS SERIES” because it is that good. And this was the perfect ending to this rollercoaster ride of a series.

One of the strengths of this series, and it’s especially prominent in this book, is the way the author makes it so easy to get attached to the characters equally. The four characters only intersect in short bursts throughout the book, and they each have such a different voice, tone, and character arc, yet they are all so interesting and endearing in their own way. That way, there’s never that feeling of having to slog through a chapter about a character who bores me until I get back to the ones I like. And I loved seeing the changes in each character from who they were at the beginning and who they ended up becoming.

There’s more direct queer representation in the story, and I was thrilled when the character was revealed to be LGBTQ.

For all the planning and plotting and switching alliances that were occurring in the last book, this is where everything all comes to fruition. It’s a bumpy ride from start to finish, and don’t think that the political machinations stop just because this is the last book—they carry on in this book as well. I never quite knew what to expect, because everyone seemed to have a trick up their sleeve. 

By the end of this chonk, every thread was wrapped up, and I was thrilled with how it ended, but also sad to say goodbye to everyone that I’ve gotten to know over the course of this wonderful series. I’m so glad that I’ve read it, and I kind of just want to throw this book at people and shout “READ IT!” in their faces. So do both of us a favor and read the book. 

People who have sat around with me while I’m reading, especially when there’s a surprising reveal, a shocking plot twist, or an unexpected event often look up in alarm when I gasp audibly. The gasp factor is directly related to the number of times I audibly gasp during a reading, and there isn’t an upper limit.

Gasp Factor: 24