Hello, everyone! Today I’m reviewing To Cage a God by Elizabeth May. This was the book in the February 2024 Illumicrate box, and I was looking forward to reading it after seeing it recommended for people who liked Shadow & Bone. The special edition had really beautiful sprayed edges and gorgeous endpaper art that made me even more excited to pick it up. Did the content of the book live up to its stunning package? Read on to find out!

Perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo’s Shadow and Bone, this Imperial Russia-inspired romantasy launches a new dark fantasy duology of gods, politics, and deadly magical powers from a Sunday Times bestselling author.

To cage a god is divine.

To be divine is to rule.

To rule is to destroy.

Using ancient secrets, Galina and Sera’s mother grafted gods into their bones. Bound to brutal deities and granted forbidden power no commoner has held in a millennia, the sisters have grown up to become living weapons. Raised to overthrow an empire―no matter the cost.

With their mother gone and their country on the brink of war, it falls to the sisters to take the helm of the rebellion and end the cruel reign of a royal family possessed by destructive gods. Because when the ruling alurea invade, they conquer with fire and blood. And when they clash, common folk burn.

While Sera reunites with her estranged lover turned violent rebel leader, Galina infiltrates the palace. In this world of deception and danger, her only refuge is an isolated princess, whose whip-smart tongue and sharp gaze threaten to uncover Galina’s secret. Torn between desire and duty, Galina must make a choice: work together to expose the lies of the empire―or bring it all down.

There was quite a bit that I liked about To Cage a God. Unfortunately, the slow pace and generally dull vibes kept this from being a new favorite for me. I never found myself reaching for this book, especially not during the first half. It felt like almost nothing happened in the first 200 pages. I never actively hated it, but I did find myself a bit bored most of the time. The latter half of the story picked up some, and I read most of it pretty quickly. I just wish the beginning hadn’t been so dull.

That being said, I did enjoy reading To Cage a God even though it didn’t quite reach the tier of a new favorite. I liked the writing and the Russian-inspired setting of the story. The magic system was interesting, and the idea of caging a dragon in your body to gain magical powers was such a cool idea. I do wish the author had gone a bit deeper on some of the world-building, though. The story was quite insular despite having empire-wide ramifications, and I would have liked to see more of the strife of the people and the operations of the Faithless than we got.

The characters in To Cage a God were all dealing with various traumas while also actively working to subvert an oppressive regime. There were 5 POVs in this story, and each one added something unique. Galina and Sera had both undergone terrible things against their will in the name of rebellion, and it was interesting to see them grapple with their horrifying past while coming to terms with the importance of it. The princess also had a heart-wrenching storyline that provided some great disability rep, as well. Vitaly added some swagger and was completely unhinged in his obsession with Sera. I liked that he was always on her side, but it did make his character kind of one note.

The final POV in To Cage a God was Katya. Her POV was the most riveting one for me. She was basically a slave to the empress, and their relationship was all sorts of awful. Katya just wanted to be free, but instead she was used like an object by those in power. The empress literally used her as a foot stool at one point. A good villain often makes for a great story, and the empress was truly a despicable human being. I understood that her lust for power was a manifestation of her desire to never lose her agency again, but the way she treated people to achieve that goal was just horrible.

The romance in To Cage a God was entertaining at times, but I didn’t really fall in love with it. The sapphic relationship seemed to move rather quickly into deep feelings territory, which I find ironic given how slow most of the book felt. I liked both of the characters, though. So, I didn’t mind too much. The dynamic between Sera and Vitaly was entertaining because of its antagonistic nature, but I would have liked to see a bit more depth to the relationship considering the two of them were getting to know one another again after four years apart.

Overall, To Cage a God was a good time. Although, the pace and shallow world-building kept it from being a great time for me. If you are looking for a slower story that focuses on court intrigue, romance, and themes related to revolution, this might be a good choice for you. All things considered, I give To Cage a God 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Have you read To Cage a God? Does it sound like something you’d enjoy? Let me know your thoughts down in the comments!