Banished: The Gods Among Us (Book #1) by William L. Deen

Release Date: December 7, 2011
Publisher: White Eagle Publishing
Series: The Gods Among Us series, Book 1

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars.

Synopsis:
Based upon the tales of Ancient Sumeria, gods and goddesses live their day-to-day lives in the realm of Nibiru. When Inlil viciously assaults Sud, he is banished to Earth to live in the form of a wolf and admonished to stay away from humans. The ruling leader of Nibiru, Anu, warns Inlil that he would be imprisoned within Irkalla should he break that one rule.

But Inlil is unable to stop once the temptation comes before him. Not only does he thrive on the power, he now has a taste for blood and believes himself unstoppable. Anu must fulfill his decree or risk losing his hold on the realm he rules and those within it. Can Anu stop the fragmenting of his realm before Inlil brings ruin to Earth?

Review:
I came across this book while searching through Amazon's free Kindle Top 100 one day. The idea that gods had their trials and tribulations always interested me, so I opted to get this book. To be fair and honest this was a very quick read as the book was under 100 pages in length. I almost felt as though this was half a book with so much more to be explored than the foundation of a series. I found the entire story to be engaging and well written despite the short length.

The main action took place within the realm of the Sumerian gods, known as Nibiru. For a portion of the story, there was a cast of characters as the main focus including Anu, the ruling leader, his family and the lesser gods which comprised his court. The focus was then split between the two realms of Nibiru and Earth when Anu banished his youngest son, Inlil, as punishment for the brutal assault on the goddess, Sud. It was interesting to see the gods having as much trouble navigating their lives and world as we, humans, do here on Earth. I thought the author did a good job of keeping each god/dess within the tradition of the one in which he or she was based. So many distinct personalities and immortal grudges made for fiery interactions between quite a few of them.

As far as the pacing, events took place rapidly once the first chapter opened with the assault on Sud. From there, the pacing was consistent until the end of the novella. It seemed like the story got interesting as the end came near because of the story's short length. Dialogue and Inlil's exploration of Earth moved the story to the point where a showdown was imminent between Inlil and whichever god would be sent to punish him further for breaking the one rule he was given to obey - not to interfere with the humans.

I did enjoy the story from beginning to end. Overall, it was a complete story with enough of a foundation to base the series that followed. A number of questions asked within the first book were left unanswered. Plots thickened and actions taken by many were left unopposed and without repercussions. I think the author is onto something with this series. Hopefully the length will be longer in the other books! If you're looking for a nicely developed retelling of the lives of the ancient gods, give this series a try.

Banished: The Gods Among Us (Book #1) by William L. Deen is currently available at many online retailers in digital formats such as Kindle. Clicking the link provided below will bring up the book's Amazon page.
Banished: The Gods Among Us (Book #1) by William L. Deen