Paternus: Wrath of Gods is the highly anticipated follow-up to Dyrk Ashton’s critically acclaimed, Amazon #1 bestselling novel, Paternus: Rise of Gods, and the second book in The Paternus Trilogy. “What a sequel should be – bigger stakes, bloodier action, and even more mythological madness.” -Fantasy Book Critic On the run from an ancient evil and his army of terrors straight out of myths from … ancient evil and his army of terrors straight out of myths from around the world, Fi and Zeke aid Peter in his globe-trotting quest to seek out the remaining Firstborn, uncover the enemy’s plans, and gather the warriors of old for what may become the final battle in the world’s oldest war. Along the way, Fi and Zeke discover they, too, have strengths of their own–though they come at a cost neither may wish to bear.
“Masterful and constantly entertaining.” -The Fantasy Hive
“A fantastic sequel to Rise of Gods… Five starred this one right out of the gate.” -Superstardrifter
“Even more action packed and entertaining than the first book.” -The Nerd Book Review
“Wrath of Gods was amazing… Never a dull moment… Pure, unabashed fun.” -The Fantasy Inn
“Hits the ground running, and rarely stops for breath. I’ve not seen such an action heavy story told so well since I saw Mad Max: Fury Road.” -Phil Charles R Blog
“Readers will be swept up in the relentless pace and finding a way to put it down is going to be a challenge.” -Grimmedian
“I described Book 1 as a roller-coaster ride. Book 2 is the rocket-fuelled version.” -Phil Parker, author of The Knights’ Trilogy
“A brilliant concoction of mythologies, cultures, and fantasy that fans of urban fantasy definitely must read.” -Petrik Leo
Praise for Paternus: Rise of Gods:
“Paternus is an imaginative…exhilarating ride… A refreshing take on contemporary fantasy.” -Anthony Ryan, NYT Bestselling author of Blood Song and The Legion of Flame
“Epic, innovative urban fantasy. A great read!” -Mark Lawrence, Gemmell Award Winner and international bestselling author of Prince of Thorns and Red Sister
“Ashton is a bloody, terrific genius. The action sequences are truly mind boggling. Miss out on this one at your own risk.” -Fantasy Book Critic
“A stunning debut. If you’re a fan of urban fantasy or mythology in your stories, let me repeat it once again, you MUST give this book a try.” -Petrik Leo
“Completely unique… A dark urban fantasy gem.” -Fantasy Book Review
“Utterly unpredictable. Fascinating and stylish.” -Fantasy-Faction
“Terrific. Paternus is intelligent, intricate, suspenseful, and epic.” -Nicholas Eames, author of Kings of the Wyld
“Wow! A crucible in which myths are melted and remade to thrilling effect.” -Mike (M.R.) Carey, author of The Girl with All the Gifts and the Felix Castor series
“There’s just something wondrous and wide-eyed about Ashton’s flouting of convention and genre… The result is almost giddy.” -Josiah Bancroft, author of Senlin Ascends
“A rollercoaster ride… A really unique novel.” -Anna Stephens, author of Godblind
“American Gods meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer in the best possible way!” -Jonathan French, author of The Grey Bastards
“Engaging. Compelling. Evocative.” -Booknest.eu
“Fast-paced, gloriously intricate.” -Kirkus Reviews
“Will keep readers flipping pages well into the wee hours … A harrowing, edge of your seat adventure.” -The Qwillery
“An adventure packed riot of action, fast paced and definitely furious. Sit down and enjoy the unbridled chaos that is Paternus.” -Lynn’s Books
Genre: Contemporary Fantasy / Urban Fantasy / Mythic Fiction.
Market: Adult to New Adult (as opposed to Teen or YA, though savvy 16 or 17 year olds might survive without permanent damage).
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Seriously EPIC! An amazing followup to book 1 in the series. Just do yourself a favor and pick up this series. Gods of all Mythologies show up for battle in this thrilling ride of wars to end all wars. So many characters, powers, weapons and stories! It scratches my every epic grim dark fantasy itch.
Ashton keeps up the pace with the second in the Paternus trilogy, giving us more Firstborn, more history, more worldbuilding, and more character building. Fi and Zeke’s story starts to develop a lot more, as do mysteries around Peter and his children. If you liked the first book, you’ll like this one! I’m looking forward to the third.
Exhilarating and epic as PATERNUS and the stakes keep getting higher!
In this second book of the Paternus trilogy, the author rarely lets up on the bombastic, breathtaking pace and action including several thrilling chases and epic clashes between god-like figures and the humans who dare to stand with them. Not all are so ready to choose sides between the noble Deva (humanity-loving gods) and wicked Asura (humanity-exploiting gods) either, which leads to exquisite tension.
But in the quieter moments between combats and confrontations there are incredibly heartfelt emotional connections among various characters, and this is a huge part of why I love the series instead of merely enjoying it. Many of these moments stem from how in Ashton’s mythos the Deva and Asura are one big raucous family—all descendants of Odin the All-father/Peter the Paternus— who mourn their divisions and betrayals and celebrate their loyalty and combined might and talents again and again.
Each loss (that there should be some lost life is inevitable in such conflicts) sends shockwaves of grief through Peter and his great family and caring allies, and there is a very moving hope throughout that some of the treacherous Asura will repent and reconcile with their kin.
Like in the first novel, Fiona (about seventeen) and Zeke (about twenty-one) provide a vulnerable human counterpoint to their fearsome legendary companions…initially. However, both characters are maturing in the crucible of dangers assailing them and the Deva, and learning more about their origins as they come into new powers and abilities that put heroic feats within their grasp!
Also MORE PUNS!
I was looking forward to this one a lot. The first book in the trilogy, Rise of Gods, was my pick for my favourite read of 2016. So needless to say, there was a high level of anticipation. And when the cover was revealed back in March, it went up another notch. Who wouldn’t want to read this when there is a man with two flaming swords and a giant cobra with matching scimitars front and centre?
So, did this live up to my expectations?
It was even better.
Freed from the constraints of having to set up the main character and the underlying logic of its world, Wrath of Gods starts from where the previous book left off, puts its foot down and barely lets up for 450 pages. And, although there is plenty of action, each sequence feels different enough to prevent any sort of boredom. Even then, some time is still devoted to developing the characters (and their problems, in some cases) and the world. It’s the first book I can recall that mingles magic & mysticism with quantum physics and multiversal theory. Plus, what I’m pretty sure was a Monty Python reference.
The majority of the book stays with Fi and Zeke, plus the collection of deities and the like that they have allied with, but there are some new characters given some stage time. Enough to give a sense that there is more than the one battle being fought but not enough for the reader to wish we’d get back to the main story, something which I felt happened once or twice in book one.
Similarly, there are still plenty of explanations and backstory involved, but it seems to flow even easier this time around. Having said that Zeke, still seems to act as a sounding board for whatever branch of mythology is currently being discussed.
But these are minor quibbles. Overall, Wrath of Gods is a great book and an enthralling read, especially for someone like myself who loves trying to place references and play who’s who with characters. I will be eagerly awaiting the finale, War of Gods.