No Gods, No Monsters

No Gods, No Monsters is a weird book on many levels, from the unreliable omniscient(ish) narrator to the ant teleportation circles and the finger-eating dragon boy. It’s also a book that asks meaningful questions, both personal and social, and answers them in the ways that life does: enigmatically, heartbreakingly, surprisingly, or not at all. This is not a book to skim: there are many characters and a multitude of storylines, and the prose is worth paying attention to. A rewarding read.

There's so much I appreciated in this novel. The diverse characters, commentary on social justice, terrifying events, and beautiful prose came together in a satisfying but unsettling book. The on-the-sleeve anarchism found throughout echoed the best of Ursula K. Le Guin, but Turnbull clearly has love for and influence from speculative fiction more broadly, creating a rich, complex new experience.