The days of adventure are passed for Auric Manteo. Retired to the countryside and isolated with his scars and riches, he no longer delves into forbidden ruins seeking dark wisdom and treasure. But just as old nightmares begin plaguing his sleep, he receives an urgent summons back to that old life.

To save his only daughter, he must return to the place of his greatest trauma: the haunted Barrowlands. Along with a group of inexperienced companions and an old soldier, he must confront the dangers of the ancient and wicked Djao civilization. He has survived fell beasts, insidious traps, and deadly hazards before. But how can he contend with the malice of a bloodthirsty living god? 

As the current SPFBO draws to a close…well, I think it’s ending soon? Soonish? It’s a long process, that’s for sure! But anyhow, Aching God by Mike Shel is one of the finalists, which I imagine must be exciting & grueling & nerve-wracking for an author all at the same time. I’ve had this one on the shelf for quite awhile, and decided to give it a go!

Aching God tells the story of Auric Manteo, retired from his life of adventures as an agent of the Syraeic League. He seems to be enjoying the quiet life, has a kinda-sorta love interest, and certainly isn’t looking for any trouble. But this is a fantasy novel, so trouble finds Auric.

There’s a relic that was taken from a Djao temple, many years ago. But recently, it’s believed this mysterious relic is responsible for unleashing a terrible plague, which has affected Auric’s daughter, among others. His daughter Agnes chose to follow in her father’s footsteps, and become a Syraeic agent as well…a noble but very dangerous path.

What follows is like a quest novel in reverse, with Auric & his companions on a mission to return the relic in the hope that it will stop the effects of the plague.

As protagonists go, I really enjoyed Auric. He carries himself with confidence & determination throughout the book, but not without a touch of “I’m too old for this shit” kind of humor. I almost never picture actors in my head for characters when I’m reading, but for some reason, I totally pictured Auric as Liam Cunningham, Ser Davos Seaworth on Game of Thrones!

The secondary characters that join Auric on his quest to the dreaded Barrowlands were great, and everything took on this classic fantasy vibe when they were all together. In particular, I loved what Lumari the alchemist & Del the sorcerer brought to the story. Both of these women were unique in their own way, and Shel does a great job helping you visualize these characters in great detail.

Oh, fuck…also? This book also features a SUPER creepy & terrifying queen, Queen Geneviva. “Gifted” with an unnaturally long life, she is straight nightmare fuel. *shudders*

Aching God is just a solidly written fantasy novel…there was something about the sturdiness of the writing that reminded me a bit of Anthony Ryan. There’s a lot happening in this 530-page monster, and I was into this one from the start. There’s some adventure on the high seas which means PIRATES! There’s creepy undead nasties which means NECROMANCY!! Yeah, this is just an all-around badass fantasy novel…I’m really looking forward to book two, Sin Eater, which comes out in a matter of days!