Bad Gods
- Downloads：2289
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-02-23 08:52:31
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Gaie Sebold
- ISBN：1786185342
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
- Download
Summary
A critically acclaimed， fun， smart， inclusive take on a classic fantasy trope， with gorgeous cover art by Discworld artist Stephen Player
All Tastes！ • All Species！ • All Currencies！
You can find anything in Scalentine， the city of portals， but you won’t find a better brothel than the Red Lantern。 And its proprietor， Babylon Steel （ex-mercenary， ex-priestess， ex… lots of things）， means to keep it that way。
But a prurient cult are protesting in the streets， sex workers are disappearing， and Babylon has bills to pay。 When the powerful Diplomatic Section hires her – off the books – to find a missing heiress， she has to take the job。
And then her past starts to catch up with her。。。
All Tastes！ • All Species！ • All Currencies！
You can find anything in Scalentine， the city of portals， but you won’t find a better brothel than the Red Lantern。 And its proprietor， Babylon Steel （ex-mercenary， ex-priestess， ex… lots of things）， means to keep it that way。
But a prurient cult are protesting in the streets， sex workers are disappearing， and Babylon has bills to pay。 When the powerful Diplomatic Section hires her – off the books – to find a missing heiress， she has to take the job。
And then her past starts to catch up with her。。。
Reviews
S。J。 Higbee
，
I enjoyed revisiting this book – more so this time around， I think， because right now I thoroughly appreciate reading a story with a humorous element。 That said – this isn’t some rollicking farcical adventure played solely for laughs。 There are some really gnarly subjects covered in this adventure， including kidnapping， sexual and mental abuse， religious intolerance and a series of very grisly deaths。 What keeps this story bubbling along is the first person narrative from Babylon’s viewpoint。 I I enjoyed revisiting this book – more so this time around， I think， because right now I thoroughly appreciate reading a story with a humorous element。 That said – this isn’t some rollicking farcical adventure played solely for laughs。 There are some really gnarly subjects covered in this adventure， including kidnapping， sexual and mental abuse， religious intolerance and a series of very grisly deaths。 What keeps this story bubbling along is the first person narrative from Babylon’s viewpoint。 I really like her tough， no-nonsense attitude。 And the found family of strays who work together at the Red Lantern are a joy – their everyday activities provide a lot of the humour that runs through the story。Despite the story being told from one viewpoint， it is also dual narrative。 Alongside events unfolding in Scalentine， Babylon also tells her backstory in interludes。 It’s a difficult technique to successfully pull off。 Far too often I get caught up with one plotline and feel frustrated when narrative flips across to the other one， so start skim-reading to get back to the storyline I prefer。 Not so this time around。 The story of how Babylon comes to be in Scalentine and running a brothel is every bit as riveting as the events unfolding in the bustling portal town。I was impressed all over again with the quality of Sebold’s writing and was sorry to reach the end of this adventure。 So I was pleased to discover there is another Babylon Steel story， Dangerous Gifts。 I’ll be tracking it down very soon， as I’ve really missed Babylon’s character and the dangerous， layered society that makes up Scalentine。 Very highly recommended for fantasy fans。 The sharp-eyed among you will be aware that the first time I reviewed this book， I gave it a 9， while this time it’s a 10。 I originally knocked off a point because I was unhappy that the cover featured a white protagonist when the book repeatedly mentioned her darker， copper skin。 The new cover is a huge improvement and I commend the publishers for deciding to fix this issue。 While I obtained an arc of Bad Gods from Netgalley via the publishers， the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own。10/10 。。。more
Jenna Rideout
，
I was granted eARC access to Bad Gods via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 Thank you to Rebellion for the auto-approval status that allowed me to grab this book when I wanted it！ My thoughts are my own and my review is honest。 I would also like to apologize to Rebellion and Gaie Sebold for not getting this review out before publication。 I started reading this one well in advance， but year-end blog tours and family Christas plans （which involved travelling for the first time in 2 years I was granted eARC access to Bad Gods via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 Thank you to Rebellion for the auto-approval status that allowed me to grab this book when I wanted it！ My thoughts are my own and my review is honest。 I would also like to apologize to Rebellion and Gaie Sebold for not getting this review out before publication。 I started reading this one well in advance， but year-end blog tours and family Christas plans （which involved travelling for the first time in 2 years） got in the way， and the next thing I knew publication had passed and I hadn't picked this back up in weeks。 That's absolutely not a comment on the quality of this book， it's a comment on my planning skills and how crazy the end of the year gets。 Sorry！ How to summarize Bad Gods？ Okay， stay with me。 There are many planes to the world。 On at least one of these planes， the Gods take avatars， which are human slaves imbued with a bit of demi-godly power but bound to their God and treated as they please。 On other plane， we've got a brothel owner and an inter-species harem。 These two things intersect because two of these characters are， in fact， the same person， and that person is about ready to tear it all down and become a God herself。 This book is weird， wild， wonderful， and a whole lot of fun！ It pokes fun at fantasy tropes and tries to turn the genre on its head， but it manages to still tell a genuine good， unique story at the same time。 I'd also like to rave about all the amazing LGBTQIA+ representation we've got here！ We've got many genders， many sexualities， many relationship configurations， lots of sex positivity， and very few characters who look down on any of it。 （Well， some people are prudes， but that's also kind of the point of putting the brothel where it was。。。） Fellow demi and ace readers， fear not， the sex-positivity doesn't equate to an overload of erotic scenes， either。 It's wild and carefree in the sense that there's nothing to judge and everything to place from and centre in front of society here， but it isn't excessively steamy either。 I will definitely be looking for more Sebold titles in the future！ 。。。more
Michelle Hunter-Gray
，
Well， what can I say ？ I really enjoyed Bad Gods。 It was not at all what I expected， it was much better。 Warm， witty， downright funny in places this is fantasy with a touch of sci-fi to shake it up。 Set in Scalentine， a city of portals to other planes and a varied population of inhabitants from fey to lizards， from human to weres。 It is here that we meet my favourite protagonist in this genre for a long while。 Babylon Steel。 Owner of the Red Lantern， the best brothel in town and former mercenary Well， what can I say ？ I really enjoyed Bad Gods。 It was not at all what I expected， it was much better。 Warm， witty， downright funny in places this is fantasy with a touch of sci-fi to shake it up。 Set in Scalentine， a city of portals to other planes and a varied population of inhabitants from fey to lizards， from human to weres。 It is here that we meet my favourite protagonist in this genre for a long while。 Babylon Steel。 Owner of the Red Lantern， the best brothel in town and former mercenary with a mysterious past。 I loved the characters who live in the Lantern。 From a delicate fey whose powers are limited on Scalentine to the twins Cruel and Unusual and Previous who doesn't do 'upstairs' work， they， along with Babylon， are beautifully drawn and leaped off the page and into my heart。The inhabitants of the Red Lantern are much more than employees to Babylon。 They are her friends， her crew， her family。 She treats them so well， with the best of everything， that there are cash flow problems and taxes are due。 So when she is offered a paying job to find a missing heiress， Babylon can't refuse。Running alongside this story is the story of Babylon's past。 Born on Tiresana and abandoned as a baby we learn how Ebi becomes Babylon。 It is on Tiresana that we meet gods， demi-gods， avatars and the girls chosen by them to train as priestesses。As the two strands come together， Babylon's past catches up with her。Bad Gods is an excellent book。 A mystery， an adventure and a little touch of a love story。 My only complaint is that there were so many characters all with strange names it was difficult to keep them straight。Thank you to @kaleidoscoptours for my copy of an e-book in exchange for a fair and unbiased review。 。。。more
Kamila
，
First of all let’s say how beautiful the cover is - I love it…The story is so much then seen on surface - we are introduced to Scalentine - city of portals which attracts all species from all over the galaxy。。Main character Babylon is owner of the best brothel in the town … and she is seen to be one the best in the business。。We are also introduced to other world - young girl who was chosen by the Avatars to be priestess of one of the gods - huge huge achievement… is it all what’s it set up to be First of all let’s say how beautiful the cover is - I love it…The story is so much then seen on surface - we are introduced to Scalentine - city of portals which attracts all species from all over the galaxy。。Main character Babylon is owner of the best brothel in the town … and she is seen to be one the best in the business。。We are also introduced to other world - young girl who was chosen by the Avatars to be priestess of one of the gods - huge huge achievement… is it all what’s it set up to be ？？ The story is about what we see on surface and judgment made by us and then what is under the surface … I loved it as it made me think a lot and asking myself loads of often uncomfortable questions。。 。。。more
Siobhain
，
I would like to start by thanking Netgalley and Rebellion publishers for allowing me to review an ARC of this book。 As a lover of fantasy this book certainly caught my eye。 While I can understand it may not be for everyone it was certainly an interesting and enjoyable read and refreshing to see a different kind of ‘good’ guy characters take centre stage。The story focuses mostly on Babylon Steel （ex-mercenary， ex-priestess， ex – well a lot of things） and now proprietor （Madame） of the Red Lanter I would like to start by thanking Netgalley and Rebellion publishers for allowing me to review an ARC of this book。 As a lover of fantasy this book certainly caught my eye。 While I can understand it may not be for everyone it was certainly an interesting and enjoyable read and refreshing to see a different kind of ‘good’ guy characters take centre stage。The story focuses mostly on Babylon Steel （ex-mercenary， ex-priestess， ex – well a lot of things） and now proprietor （Madame） of the Red Lantern Brothel。 Arguably the best brothel in Scalentine。 But tensions and headaches are rising for Babylon with prurient cults protesting in the street， sex workers disappearing and bills piling up。 So when the Diplomatic Section hires her – off the books – to find a missing heiress she has no choice but take the job…Only then her past starts to catch up to her。First of all I have to say that the world building is top notch。 Secondly the characters are most certainly an interesting mix。 It was refreshing to have those who might be considered bad or at least morally grey in other fantasy settings as the main characters。 I would say the book does not take itself seriously but that would be far from true， that said it does play around with things such as puns， interesting characters， turning stereotypes of fantasy races on their head and such like。As I have said it won’t be for everyone， sometimes the pace may seem slow and there are some more raunchy bits to the book。 What do you expect when the main character is a brothel owner， but it fits the story and the setting。Definitely one I enjoyed and would recommend to someone who is wanting a fantasy that is a little different。 。。。more
Annarella
，
I discover this is the first in a series and I'm very happy because I thoroughly enjoyed this book。Great characters， a lot of humour， a riveting plot and a fascinating world building。It's an excellent mix of sci-fi and fantasy and it kept me turning pages。I can't wait to read the rest of the series。Highly recommended。Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC， all opinions are mine I discover this is the first in a series and I'm very happy because I thoroughly enjoyed this book。Great characters， a lot of humour， a riveting plot and a fascinating world building。It's an excellent mix of sci-fi and fantasy and it kept me turning pages。I can't wait to read the rest of the series。Highly recommended。Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC， all opinions are mine 。。。more
Bob/Sally
，
As much as it caught my eye a decade ago when it was released as Babylon Steel， it's taken me this long to finally make room in the TBR and give Bad Gods a read。 It's an interesting book， immensely entertaining in the ways it embraces diversity and sex work， and utterly fascinating with its take on portals， pantheons， and prophecies， but I felt it stumbled in its pacing。 Where I breezed through the first 25% over the course of two nights， it took me a week to make it through the middle 50%， and As much as it caught my eye a decade ago when it was released as Babylon Steel， it's taken me this long to finally make room in the TBR and give Bad Gods a read。 It's an interesting book， immensely entertaining in the ways it embraces diversity and sex work， and utterly fascinating with its take on portals， pantheons， and prophecies， but I felt it stumbled in its pacing。 Where I breezed through the first 25% over the course of two nights， it took me a week to make it through the middle 50%， and I started to get distracted by other books。 Something about the novelty of it all stuck with me， though， so I eventually found my way back into it and， I'm happy to say， raced through the final 25% just as quickly as the first。The novelty of it all， the diversity of the races and the genders and the sexualities， was a sheer delight。 We have fey and fauns， angels and alligators， lizards and lamias， caterpillars and cats， many of whom have no gender， multiple genders， and blended genders。 Even with lust spells， glamours， mind reading， and things like dual penises， though， it all has an air of sweet innocence that makes every character who passes through a delight。Babylon Steel， proprietor of The Red Lantern （one of the best brothels in Scalentine） is a wonderful protagonist， a refreshingly strong， confident woman who lives and loves as well as she fights。 She's got a great backstory， and the way it intersects with her search for a missing young woman is the drive behind the novel。 That the search takes too long， drawing out the middle part of the book and confusing the purpose of it all， is the only downfall of the book - had I loved the story as much as the characters， you'd be reading a whole different review。Not quite what I was hoping for， but more than I expected， Bad Gods was a solid fantasy that does all the little things right。https://beauty-in-ruins。blogspot。com/。。。 。。。more
Kristi Leverington
，
I really enjoyed this book。。 like a 4。5！ I always round up in here。。 anyway， all the different characters and languages and species reminded me of that Cantina in Star Wars。。 so many and so different each one！this was the oddest book。。 a mix of sleuthing， whoring， gods and goddesses and religious fanaticism Like all with the most varied species， and characters and it was SO ENTERTAINING！！ Like I want to crawl into this authors brain！
Reid Edwards
，
I'm very glad Rebellion decided to re-release Bad Gods by Gaie Sebold - I missed it the first go-round but thoroughly enjoyed reading this quick read。 Flashing between two time periods， Sebold's adventurous fantastical romp is a great read for anyone who enjoys their fantasy crossed with a little romance-novel feeling sexuality。 Reminding me somewhat of Forgotten Realms novels， the worldbuilding a top notch and seems to allow for infinitely more stories with Sebold's chosen protagonist。 I defini I'm very glad Rebellion decided to re-release Bad Gods by Gaie Sebold - I missed it the first go-round but thoroughly enjoyed reading this quick read。 Flashing between two time periods， Sebold's adventurous fantastical romp is a great read for anyone who enjoys their fantasy crossed with a little romance-novel feeling sexuality。 Reminding me somewhat of Forgotten Realms novels， the worldbuilding a top notch and seems to allow for infinitely more stories with Sebold's chosen protagonist。 I definitely am planning on reading the other books already released within this series， and am hopeful for more in the future。 。。。more
Taylor-Leigh Derchin
，
I would say 4。5 StarsI really enjoyed this book but I do not think I will read the sequel。 The open plot line thread that it will seem to follow according to the blub was the least interesting plot line in my opinion。 There are three main plot threads in this book。 Two of which are wrapped up well。 I was the most interested in Babylon’s backstory/Avatar thread and that ended with a great conclusion。 So I don’t think reading the next one would do anything for me。 I really enjoyed all of the chara I would say 4。5 StarsI really enjoyed this book but I do not think I will read the sequel。 The open plot line thread that it will seem to follow according to the blub was the least interesting plot line in my opinion。 There are three main plot threads in this book。 Two of which are wrapped up well。 I was the most interested in Babylon’s backstory/Avatar thread and that ended with a great conclusion。 So I don’t think reading the next one would do anything for me。 I really enjoyed all of the characters， though there were a lot of them and occasionally a name would be thrown out and I had to go back to figure out who they were talking about。 I also really appreciated the diversity in species， races， sexual orientations， identifications， religions， ways of life ect… It never felt like it was trying hard to include diversity it just felt like a full bustling neutral city full of portals to other realms should be。 People came from everywhere so everyone should be different。 It just makes sense。 It is not fade to black sex scenes but it is also not super explicit。 It is a brothel that Babylon runs so I didn’t expect anything different。 。。。more
thewoollygeek （tea， cake， crochet & books）
，
I have to admit I requested this mainly because of the cover ， it drew me like a comic book cover so I was drawn in， I am so glad I did， this is funny， creative， clever ， a completely captivating and enchanting read。 I think you definitely need to be a fantasy ， it’s got some very original and odd characters， fantastic writing and a fabulous female lead。Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
Brie
，
Official title: Bad GodsMy title: Eternally DumbAuthor: Gaie SeboldPublisher: SolarisFav character: FrilithReadability: NormalType: Book3。8/5 （but for the sake of my indecision will round up）🌱THE EXCELLENT~ The plot over is good， with colourful （literally） characters who have histories behind them~ There are some layered mysteries which holds ones interest~ The cosmology， theologies and ideas of dimensions and planes is intricate and interesting~ The setting is somewhat novel and overall is judg Official title: Bad GodsMy title: Eternally DumbAuthor: Gaie SeboldPublisher: SolarisFav character: FrilithReadability: NormalType: Book3。8/5 （but for the sake of my indecision will round up）🌱THE EXCELLENT~ The plot over is good， with colourful （literally） characters who have histories behind them~ There are some layered mysteries which holds ones interest~ The cosmology， theologies and ideas of dimensions and planes is intricate and interesting~ The setting is somewhat novel and overall is judgement freeBabylon Steel runs the Lantern， a whorehouse on one of the well-trafficked， prosperous and trade-filled ‘planes’ in this very exciting world/universe。 Here it is possible to jump between worlds using portals and meet a ridiculous variety of beings， all of which can find companionship at the Lantern。 But， Babylon isn’t what she seems and her past will bring a series of dangerous god-like challenges to the family-staff of the Lantern and their friends。 ✨Give it a read。🌱THE MEH~ The timing seemed off - The flashback， in which a lot took place， happened within a very short period~ Hated Tropes: OLD man + JUST turned 16 yro seggs - ewww; First Person Idiocy; Lie and delay; Pregnancy to weaken ~ Sigh…♡🌱 This one was tricky because while I really ADORED parts of it， YET there was much I DISLIKED， but this may not be the case for everyone ;） —🎁 Thank you @netgalley for the gift。 。。。more
Rosalind M
，
4。5 out of 5 stars。 BAD GODS is a far more layered read than I expected from the book's description。 I went in expecting an irreverent， sex-positive， found-family-based romp detailing episodes of problem-solving across various species and unfamiliar cultures in a fantasy brothel。 What's hidden by the book blurb's generalizations describing an ex-mercenary-now-madam are the layers of manipulation and introspection that have made proprietress Babylon Steele into the successful leader she is。 My at 4。5 out of 5 stars。 BAD GODS is a far more layered read than I expected from the book's description。 I went in expecting an irreverent， sex-positive， found-family-based romp detailing episodes of problem-solving across various species and unfamiliar cultures in a fantasy brothel。 What's hidden by the book blurb's generalizations describing an ex-mercenary-now-madam are the layers of manipulation and introspection that have made proprietress Babylon Steele into the successful leader she is。 My attention wandered at the beginning， while the stage was set and almost everyone was introduced at once。 There is also some awkwardness arising from two stories being told simultaneously across several chapters。 But Babylon hits her stride as she skillfully navigates （or manipulates） old and new connections to find a missing heiress， deal with religious zealotry， and keep the Red Lantern financially afloat， The intimate relationships forged through the brothel's operations are used with respect here rather than just as owed favors or blackmail material， and this kind of power becomes important as Babylon's own shadowed history starts to catch up with her。There are countless story opportunities presented by portal travel between disparate planes and civilizations。 I enjoyed this first taste enough to come back for more， and I look forward to the adventures Babylon will encounter and the cast of friends and enemies she'll make along the way。I received an opportunity to review an eARC of this novel through NetGalley。 。。。more
Peter Baran
，
The trade dress and blurb for Bad Gods makes it look like it is aiming a the Pratchett zone of comic fantasy。 And while there is a fair bit of humour in here， that really isn't all that fair。 This is a republish of a book that is ten years old buyt has probably come into a more sympathetic time， being a fantasy adventure set primarily in a brothel， and is very sex worker positive。 It is a very good setting， brothels are the slinking unloved twins of fantasy taverns， engaging in an activity that The trade dress and blurb for Bad Gods makes it look like it is aiming a the Pratchett zone of comic fantasy。 And while there is a fair bit of humour in here， that really isn't all that fair。 This is a republish of a book that is ten years old buyt has probably come into a more sympathetic time， being a fantasy adventure set primarily in a brothel， and is very sex worker positive。 It is a very good setting， brothels are the slinking unloved twins of fantasy taverns， engaging in an activity that much heroic fantasy would rather suggest didn't happen。 But here not only is the establishment well run and safe for all involved， it also allows a natural place for the camaraderie of its female ensemble， all of which rotate around the proprietor Babylon Steel。Admittedly that was a relatively hard pill to swallow， and I am not sure the name Babylon Steel gets any better when you discover it is a result of self renaming。 Nevertheless swallow that and you get some really interesting world building， a large city located at the heart of a number of planar portals， to different worlds to different societies （all with different rules on magic etc）。 Again with the Pratchett there is a touch of Ankh-Morpork in this melting pot （inclusing a xympathetic multi-species guards）， and Steel is - as well as a brothel-owner - an occasional troubleshooter who is hired here to find a missing girl。 At the same time we her backstory parcelled out in short intermediate chapters， and its a tale of Gods， chosen ones and really rather interesting。 Once I got into Bad Gods （which wasn't hard） I really enjoyed it。 It perhaps is a little lumpy in places with knowing what story to tell， the missing person storyline drifts as the backstory catches up to the now and we are left with a rather surprising heroic quest ending that didn't feel like it was being cued up。 The characters and setting is good， and I see there is already a sequel， though this is series rather than a trilogy， it stands perfectly well as a stand-alone and wraps pretty much everything up。 But there was something interesting about both the idea of this transit city， and running a bordello in such a diverse city。 There are some clever parallels made between sex workers and soldiers in the middle section which I think gives the book some extra depth over just its narrative and it was a real pleasant surprise。 。。。more
FantasyBookNerd
，
I've only just finished it， so review to come！ I've only just finished it， so review to come！ 。。。more
Heather - Just Geeking By
，
Originally posted on Just Geeking by。Content warnings:（view spoiler）[This novel contains a lot of dark and serious content which some readers may find triggering or disturbing。 There are scenes of brutally injured and murdered young women， prejudice against sex workers as well as ongoing harassment from religious zealots towards citizens that they deem as “impure”。 There is a very disturbing punishment handed out by this religious sect that results in a murderer becoming permanently disabled and Originally posted on Just Geeking by。Content warnings:（view spoiler）[This novel contains a lot of dark and serious content which some readers may find triggering or disturbing。 There are scenes of brutally injured and murdered young women， prejudice against sex workers as well as ongoing harassment from religious zealots towards citizens that they deem as “impure”。 There is a very disturbing punishment handed out by this religious sect that results in a murderer becoming permanently disabled and disfigured， and psychologically tortured for the rest of their life。There is a storyline in which young women are groomed emotionally and sexually by men and women in a position of power。 The young women are willing accomplices， at least at first。 Please note that this is unrelated to the brothel and other than the previously named religious zealots， everything related to the brothel is written respectfully to sex workers。 While this novel contains sex scenes， it is not pure erotica， however， it is more on the adventurous side and may not be suitable for all readers。 （hide spoiler）]I was drawn in by the stunning artwork on the cover depicting a host of interesting characters， and I stayed when the story matched the artwork。 Intriguing， full of depth， and sexy， Bad Gods is everything it’s cover promises。 Join me as we head to Scalentine， the city of portals， where you can find anything…To say that Bad Gods is the story of one woman doesn’t do it justice。 This is a story of many people， all of whom are connected by the illustrious Babylon Steel， a woman who has many experiences under her belt by the time she reaches the plane of Scalentine。 There she settles with her travelling companion， finally choosing to stop running from her mysterious past and eventually opening the Red Lantern brothel。 It seems like an old choice for someone who came to the plane as a mercenary， but as we find out， Babylon has had many titles under her belt and brothel owner is just the latest one。The story begins with Babylon taking a job to find a missing heiress when she realises that the books， which she’s been judiciously ignoring， are a mess and the brothel is desperately in need of some money pronto。 She’s spurred on by the fact that something dark is happening on Scalentine， and the local religious faction， zealots who hate women， are ramping up their activity。 The idea of a young girl lost and alone in the city is a powerful motivator， especially when it reminds Babylon so much of herself。 As Sebold leads us on an investigation through the city of portals， we learn all about Scalentine， and its diverse community。 There’s weres like the Chief of the City Militia， fey， the reptilian Ikinchi， the human-catapillar-like Barraké and many more。As Babylon seeks to find the missing girl she finds a connection to the past she left behind a long time ago， and Sebold expertly interweaves chapters of Babylon’s past between those of the current story。 It’s a dark story， full of plots and intrigue， and I absolutely loved it。 For those who might find alternating stories， especially one from the present and one from the past， being told at the same time irritating let me assure you that there is a point to it， it’s not just a fun gimmick to explain the character’s background。 Both do intersect and lead to a brilliant conclusion。In some ways I found Bad Gods reminiscent of Jacqueline Carey’s Kushiel Legacy series。 While Bablyon Steel is much more of a warrior compared to Carey’s Phèdre nó Delaunay， there are similarities in their stories。 This is also the only fantasy novel I’ve found， other than Carey’s work， where sex scenes and fantasy have co-existed without devolving into romance or pure erotica。 Bad Gods is very much a fantasy novel， just as Carey’s Kushiel Legacy is a fantasy epic。 Likewise， Sebold’s scenes are elegantly written rather than becoming smutty as they so often do in paranormal romance novels。Humour keeps Bad Gods from getting too dark， reminding the reader that no matter how difficult life has been or becomes， the love and support of found family will get you through your darkest days （and kick some ass too）。For more of my reviews please visit my blog！ 。。。more
Heidi
，
I didn’t originally notice when I asked for the ARC of this book that it was a reprint of Babylon Steel。 I was hoping it was a new book by this author because I’d really enjoyed the books I’d read by her before。 That’s ok though， it’s been years since I read it last and it was every bit as enjoyable as I remembered。 Babylon Steel is a Madam who runs her brothel in a nexus city where multiple portals meet。 There’s all manner of different species there and consensual prostitution is legal。 There’s I didn’t originally notice when I asked for the ARC of this book that it was a reprint of Babylon Steel。 I was hoping it was a new book by this author because I’d really enjoyed the books I’d read by her before。 That’s ok though， it’s been years since I read it last and it was every bit as enjoyable as I remembered。 Babylon Steel is a Madam who runs her brothel in a nexus city where multiple portals meet。 There’s all manner of different species there and consensual prostitution is legal。 There’s a clear difference between the lot of those willing working in a clean house where they are protected and those in a back street alley。 Babylon has a mysterious past which is catching up with her though and it’s told in flashbacks bit by bit。 A fun light read unless her profession will bother you， then it’s not for you。 I hope the author writes a new novel， I’d happily read it。 。。。more
Karen ⚜Mess⚜
，
Loved the characters！ This new cover truly captures the characters。 Especially， Previous。 And that's another thing， the characters names are unique and interesting。 I loved all the different types of alien races。 Would be an awesome sight to see on the big screen。 The story includes portals to different planes， demi-gods and gods。 But it's much more than the world building。 I think the magic lies in the characters and their relationships。 I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book， so Loved the characters！ This new cover truly captures the characters。 Especially， Previous。 And that's another thing， the characters names are unique and interesting。 I loved all the different types of alien races。 Would be an awesome sight to see on the big screen。 The story includes portals to different planes， demi-gods and gods。 But it's much more than the world building。 I think the magic lies in the characters and their relationships。 I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book， so I could give an honest review。 。。。more
Jacey
，
Caveat， This was originally published as Babylon Steel。 I loved it then and I love it now。。 I have to go and re-read Ms Sebold's other books: Shanghai Sparrow and Dangerous Gifts （another Babylon Steel novel）。Babylon Steel is a high-class brothel keeper in Scalentine， a place with many portals to other planes and a mixed population of humans and other races， furred， scaled and magical。。 She's a tough cookie， revelling in sex and always ready for a fight。 She's gathered about her a family of sort Caveat， This was originally published as Babylon Steel。 I loved it then and I love it now。。 I have to go and re-read Ms Sebold's other books: Shanghai Sparrow and Dangerous Gifts （another Babylon Steel novel）。Babylon Steel is a high-class brothel keeper in Scalentine， a place with many portals to other planes and a mixed population of humans and other races， furred， scaled and magical。。 She's a tough cookie， revelling in sex and always ready for a fight。 She's gathered about her a family of sorts: her cook， her guards and her prostitutes， plus there's a police chief she can rely on for a good game of chess。 She prides herself on running the best brothel in town， but she's not having a good week。 Her taxes are way overdue and she's not sure she can pay the bill。 The Vessels of Purity， a strict religious order （of men） are protesting against brothels。 When the mysterious （and very attractive） Darask Fain offers her a job finding a missing girl， Babylon decides to take it， but there are complications。 Neither Fain nor the missing girl are quite what they seem， but neither is Babylon， and Babylon's secret past is about to catch up with her。 Babylon's past and present are told in alternating chapters， beautifully timed so that they both come together at exactly the right moment。 Babylon has a thing about young girls being taken advantage of， and what she'll do to help goes beyond money。This book has a great cast of characters and there's never a dull moment。 Babylon has the knack of making friends and her contacts across the city are introduced both as characters and as part of the world-building。 From lizard men and four-breasted hermaphrodites to Police Chief Bitternut who's a were… but a were what… this is fascinating glimpse into the world of Scalentine as Twomoon approaches - a massive conjunction that echoes across all the planes of existence。I particularly liked Babylon's crew。 Flower， the big green troll cook， Cruel and Unusual， a pair of siblings who cater for clients with 'special tastes'， Laney the fae， and Previous， the ex-mercenary who guards the door， but doesn't do 'upstairs' work。。 They don't get much page time， but they are well drawn and sympathetic， particularly Previous。 I thoroughly recommend this story。 。。。more
Robin Duncan
，
（Written for the British Fantasy Society by Robin C。M。 Duncan， extract， 6。1。22）Originally published in 2011 （Solaris） as Babylon Steel， Gaie Sebold’s debut novel and first instalment of this （presently） two-book series gets an eBook makeover in the form of Bad Gods。The vibrant cover promised me fun and frolics of a fantasy nature， and I was not disappointed。 Sebold’s world is richly imagined， every bit as colourfully evoked by her words as the volume is by its cover。 Like all the best fantasy wo （Written for the British Fantasy Society by Robin C。M。 Duncan， extract， 6。1。22）Originally published in 2011 （Solaris） as Babylon Steel， Gaie Sebold’s debut novel and first instalment of this （presently） two-book series gets an eBook makeover in the form of Bad Gods。The vibrant cover promised me fun and frolics of a fantasy nature， and I was not disappointed。 Sebold’s world is richly imagined， every bit as colourfully evoked by her words as the volume is by its cover。 Like all the best fantasy worlds， the premise of this one is elegantly simple: as many worlds， races/species as you like， and the ability to move between those worlds largely unrestricted。 Go！ And the author does， crafting a setting and cast of characters that is are eclectic as they are cohesive， diverse as they are vibrant， as gorgeous as they are grimy。Read my full review on the website of the British Fantasy Society， here:RCMD review on britishfantasysociety。org 。。。more
Kate Hyde
，
My thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of this little gem。I have to admit， it started off a little slowly， and seemed a bit too much like the author just threw in as many diverse characters （orc， fey， lizard-creatures etc） as possible， with the worn trope of the business owner （in this case， a brothel） badly in need of cash。 However， the plot thickens very quickly， as a young girl is murdered; another， far more affluent， disappears; and Babylon （our heroine） runs afoul of a severe and rigid cult。 Ad My thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of this little gem。I have to admit， it started off a little slowly， and seemed a bit too much like the author just threw in as many diverse characters （orc， fey， lizard-creatures etc） as possible， with the worn trope of the business owner （in this case， a brothel） badly in need of cash。 However， the plot thickens very quickly， as a young girl is murdered; another， far more affluent， disappears; and Babylon （our heroine） runs afoul of a severe and rigid cult。 Add to this her burgeoning relationship with the new captain of the local militia， an upcoming Twomoon conjunction， and her distant past starting to catch up with her， and suddenly it became almost too lively。Needless to say， Sebold ties up all the disparate threads very nicely， with plenty of drama along the way。 Several things make this an above-average read， though。 The characters are very well drawn， and quickly， despite their physical variations and sexual orientations， become distinct and credible people。 Narrated by Babylon Steel herself， there are two alternating stories here， which （no spoiler） eventually intersect， but the switches between the two greatly help the pace of both。 There is a smidge of romance， but not irritatingly much， and there is as quite as much fighting as there is sex （it's a brothel！）。Overall， this reminds me of Alan Dean Foster's Pip and Flinx series， or maybe Ursula Vernon， and that's no mean compliment。 Bad gods is not great literature， but it's a very well written and entertaining book， and when I finished it， I immediately bought the second in the series on Google Play， just to have something in the bag for those grey and desperate days。 Her Evvie Duchen Eastern steampunk series looks pretty darn good too， so thanks again Netgalley for the intro！ 。。。more
John Derek
，
I was totally and utterly absorbed by this fantasy/science fiction novel。 Unaware that this was a re-release of Babylon Steel， but with a revamped cover， I was nevertheless keen to get a hold of a copy。 And I am so glad I did。 What a rollercoaster of a ride from the beginning to the very end。An awful lot is going on with the main protagonist Babylon Steel/Ebi， as she narrates， between her present and her mysterious past。 Both will clash head-on eventually， but initially， it is fascinating stuff。 I was totally and utterly absorbed by this fantasy/science fiction novel。 Unaware that this was a re-release of Babylon Steel， but with a revamped cover， I was nevertheless keen to get a hold of a copy。 And I am so glad I did。 What a rollercoaster of a ride from the beginning to the very end。An awful lot is going on with the main protagonist Babylon Steel/Ebi， as she narrates， between her present and her mysterious past。 Both will clash head-on eventually， but initially， it is fascinating stuff。 I am not going to give away any spoilers， as that would be unfair。The characters within the novel are absolutely mind-boggling。 Little wonder they let Discworld artist Stephen Player loose with the cover。 And that is just the tip of the iceberg。 At the Red Lantern creature comforts takes on a whole new meaning， believe me。The world-building is so fully developed， and with the portals， it vividly illustrates the creativity and intelligence of the novel。 Some of the descriptions are truly breathtaking and awe-inspiring。 But it is not all serious stuff， as there is a lot of wit and charm within the narrative。 Babylon has been to the school of hard knocks， and she has a sharp tongue as well as a sharp sword。 Her humour is maybe on the sarcastic side at times， and she is definitely cynical， but she can be fun。Some of the content is colourful， to say the least （Babylons Red Lantern is a brothel， remember）， but it is， by and large， relevant to the storyline。Bad Gods is an imaginative， inventive and highly original fantasy/sci-fi novel。 It is not a short book at 458 pages for the kindle edition and 464 pages for the paperback。 （According to Amazon）。 But it did not seem that long because I just lost myself within the narrative as it was that good。 I would say that this is for adults only， but where is the line drawn these days？ Answers on a postcard， please。Thank you so much， Gaie Sebold， Rebellion， Solaris and NetGalley， for a tremendous ARC。 。。。more
Julia
，
Received a digital advance。This is a reissue of Babylon Steel with fantastic new cover art。 The characters are fun， strong and inventive with the same adventure and whimsy as Xena， Warrior Princess。
Benny Wilkinson
，
'As for sex… it’s a sacrament， don’t get me wrong。 Always was， always will be。 It’s one of the most powerful forces there is。 And misused， it’s devastating。 But sex is also intimate， essentially fairly ridiculous and very， very human。' It’s fair to describe Babylon Steel as a ‘sex positive’ story。 Running two stories side by side， the first involves the title character， Babylon Steel， who runs a brothel in the town of Scalentine。 It’s legal and safe to do so there， or as safe as anything can be i 'As for sex… it’s a sacrament， don’t get me wrong。 Always was， always will be。 It’s one of the most powerful forces there is。 And misused， it’s devastating。 But sex is also intimate， essentially fairly ridiculous and very， very human。' It’s fair to describe Babylon Steel as a ‘sex positive’ story。 Running two stories side by side， the first involves the title character， Babylon Steel， who runs a brothel in the town of Scalentine。 It’s legal and safe to do so there， or as safe as anything can be in a fairly rough town。 Known as somebody who keeps an eye out for those in trouble， she’s asked to find a missing girl who may or may not have been taken against her will。 In the other storyline， a flashback， a young orphan named Ebi trains to become a priestess in service to the Avatar of Babaska， the goddess of sex and war。As the title suggests， it’s entirely Babylon’s story， even with the mysterious Ebi character taking the focus of every other chapter。 She’s a lot of fun， cynical without taking things too seriously， and a champion of the weak and disenfranchised， standing up to bullies without hesitation， whether they’re criminals or judgemental zealots。 Ebi’s tale is more serious， as the Avatars train the young girl in sex and combat， taking full advantage of the power imbalance and making sure she sees the world they wish her to see， regardless of the truth。'Power。 That’s another dog that’ll bite you in the arse if you don’t keep it on a choke-chain。' Ultimately， Babylon’s hunt for the missing girl ends well before the end of the novel， becoming a stepping stone for the sequel rather than the conclusion of this novel。 It’s Ebi’s struggle against the Avatars that comes to the fore， setting the scene for the finale。 Babylon’s arc provides the world-building for Scalentine and makes the reader care about her and her friends， but it’s Ebi who sets the stakes and the context。It isn’t quite a ‘bait and switch’ – and certainly less jarring than the change in tone of The Strange Side of Midnight – but it’s a surprise when Babylon’s core plot reaches its conclusion and her motivation becomes Ebi’s motivation。 It certainly isn’t enough to detract from Gaie Sebold’s successes in crafting the rich tapestry of Scalentine， a town full of a literal colourful cast of people， including Babylon herself: bold， unashamedly sexual， and a lot of fun。'There’s plenty of business， and the more adventurous respectables often come down here for a taste of something they can’t get at home。 A stabbing， like as not。' 。。。more
Zeke171
，
The cover doesn't do this book justice。 I personally don't mind it but I think it gives most people the idea that it's just a dumb cheesy book。 It most certainly is not。 While you may not place it on your "Best Books Ever Written" list， it certainly should be on a "Most Entertaining and Fun to Read" list。 Some authors can come up with great new worlds and wonderful new ideas but they can't always make interesting characters who can converse like real people would。 Ms。 Sebold does not suffer from The cover doesn't do this book justice。 I personally don't mind it but I think it gives most people the idea that it's just a dumb cheesy book。 It most certainly is not。 While you may not place it on your "Best Books Ever Written" list， it certainly should be on a "Most Entertaining and Fun to Read" list。 Some authors can come up with great new worlds and wonderful new ideas but they can't always make interesting characters who can converse like real people would。 Ms。 Sebold does not suffer from this problem。 Babylon and her close knit group of friends are very likable and can sling the words around between themselves and others in quite realistic and very often humorous ways。 The world building may not be spectacular （but it is good） and the plot may not be stellar （but once again it is good） but the enjoyment of reading this is well worth your time。 Fun is always a good thing。 I would definitely recommend this to anyone。 4。4 stars。 。。。more
Andorion
，
Read for: Innovative worldbuilding， majority-female cast， nice balance of action and story
Joanna
，
This had a lot going on， but I didn't mind。 I enjoyed the natural and detailed descriptions of "planes" and different secondary characters - it really helped to create a fully-formed and interesting universe without diving into overly-long histories or explanations。 Will definitely want to follow Babylon on her next journey。 This had a lot going on， but I didn't mind。 I enjoyed the natural and detailed descriptions of "planes" and different secondary characters - it really helped to create a fully-formed and interesting universe without diving into overly-long histories or explanations。 Will definitely want to follow Babylon on her next journey。 。。。more
Robert
，
Pleasant enoughI give it three stars as it’s not a great book but the plot rattles along as more is revealed about the Babylon’s background。 Will certainly buying the sequel in the future。
maura g brady
，
Found this book by accident and bought it on a whim。 Much better that expected。 Don't let the page count intimidate you - it's a fast entertaining read。 Found this book by accident and bought it on a whim。 Much better that expected。 Don't let the page count intimidate you - it's a fast entertaining read。 。。。more
M。Marie。S。
，
Super fun。 The type of protagonist whose day-to-day crazy life I don't mind getting a peak of。 Some reviewers complain about the complex multi-plot story， but I liked the complexity。 The story did take about 150 pages to get interesting， but then it was off to the races。Unfortunately， lots of implied sexual violence or threatened sexual violence， but none on screen and not a huge plot point。 Offset by super badass females。 Super fun。 The type of protagonist whose day-to-day crazy life I don't mind getting a peak of。 Some reviewers complain about the complex multi-plot story， but I liked the complexity。 The story did take about 150 pages to get interesting， but then it was off to the races。Unfortunately， lots of implied sexual violence or threatened sexual violence， but none on screen and not a huge plot point。 Offset by super badass females。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Bad Gods
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Bad Gods&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Bad Gods&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0