Would you listen to Land of Gods again? Why?
Justin Sloan’s Land of Gods is a fantasy story that combines many of the elements I liked best from the movie 300 with the first half of Full Metal Jacket. It is part ancient Greek adventure, part military basic training story, and part love triangle.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Land of Gods?
One of the underlying themes in Land of Gods is the bond between brother in arms. Narcel experiences this not just with the other conscripts, but also with his Mawtu trainers. As they ride to war against his homeland, Narcel is torn between his loyalty to the blood thirsty Mawtu and his revulsion of their actions.

“You have friends like me that are like this lake here, always calm and relaxed, always there for you. Then you have our Mawtu trainers. Like the rivers, they are always raging. And the ocean, well, I can’t think of something as perfect at times and insane at others, except for women.” -Semreh to Narcel

What does Jeff Hays bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
Jeff Hays does an excellent job as the narrator. The different “voices” he uses fits the individual characters and make it easy to know who is talking at any time. Narrators can make or break even the best story, and Hays’s performance makes this one even better.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
Justin Sloan does an excellent job using his experience as a United States Marine to describe the training Narcel goes through at the hands of his Mawtu abductors. This is obvious to anyone who has served in the military. The loneliness and hopelessness Narcel feels has been felt by everyone who has ever attended basic training or boot camp. He befriends two other boys, who both later make great sacrifices for their friendship. Initially, all of the conscripts fear and hate their Mawtu trainers. However, as time passes Narcel grows to respect them and eventually somewhat care for them.
Any additional comments?
I read the ebook version of Land of Gods last summer, and I’ve read the rest of the books in the series. I was pretty excited when this one came to Audible, but I was a little surprised by how much I enjoyed listening to it. There were things that I either missed the first time around or must have forgotten. I hope that Sloan brings the other books to Audible and uses Jeff Hays again as the narrator.