Book Review: Terra Solaris (Gods and Monsters)

Reviewed by Audrey Davis

A formidable tale of power and creation

In a very distant past, but a universe quite similar to our own, Gods, Titans, and Monsters roam the planets amongst the humans. 

When the human Typhon’s greed and desire for power overtakes him, he aims to conquer the Kosmos and all its inhabitants, leaving a scarred, torn world in his wake. The goddess Terra, in an effort to restore stability, agrees to help her brother Jupiter rise to power to defeat Typhon and re-unite the planets. 

Unfortunately, it does not last. As Jupiter is swept into his own corruption, Terra is left to grapple with her own thoughts and feelings while finding the strength to do so and seeks to restore a balance to the universe once more. 

“‘You once told me to do what you can, when you can, where you can, for as long as you can,’ Hades emphasized that last part for Terra. ‘Burning yourself out doesn’t help anyone.’”

Jaiden Baynes’ newest young adult fantasy series Gods and Monsters gives a fresh face to creationism and ancient Greek mythos as we commonly know them. The same names remain, but their bearers and stories are very different. This story captivates as Baynes gives readers a new set of rules to play with for these characters, including new beasts and horrible foes, miraculous unseen powers, gods and new universes, and even a little bit of romance. 

“‘That is the point. Nobody could stop me, so, unfortunately, I must be responsible for not using my Power unethically. Simply, I must be sure not to exert my will over others in ways I would not want others to do to me. It makes sense to treat others how you would want them to treat you,’ Terra replied.”

The structure of this novel complements the story exceedingly well! The plot poses all sorts of intriguing questions to readers, such as “what’s the difference between monsters and Monsters?” or perhaps “Who or WHAT is this character?”—but all is revealed in due time. The narrator seems omniscient and all-knowing but does not conceal information from readers, perhaps even over-explaining things once or twice. 

In Act 2, the plot slows down just a little; scenes briefly contain less current story in lieu of more backstory. While it does put a pause on the current plot, it only enhances the comprehension and overall enjoyment of the story by providing the juicy details skipped over (or intentionally left out). Each chapter, herein called a “tale,” acts like its own microcosm, either strong enough to be its own mini-tale or the next installment of the unfolding creation myth. Some contain a time skip, but it is always clarified. 

Occasionally when books are serialized, readers are not given all the worldbuilding details in the first book or can be left feeling like a part of the original story is missing if not fully explained, even if book 2 may have intended to do so. This story anticipates more to come, yet no stone is left unturned—I wasn’t wanting for anything more character OR story-wise, and the ending will leave readers craving the depth and further understanding of the Kosmos that can only be found in Book 2 or beyond.

“Even to those who say that ‘might makes right…’ what is mightier than people working together? The Titans out-numbered the gods: the warriors outnumbered the rulers. But the common people triumphed over them both!”

If you enjoyed the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, this story would be great for you. I would happily recommend this series to fellow action/adventure and fantasy fans. Readers will appreciate the dry humor and well-paced action as they follow new and powerful characters through their trials in saving the universe from capture and ruin. 

“Even the mightiest warrior and holiest god trembled at this truth: when people worked together, nothing they planned to do was impossible for them.”

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