Journey Beyond the Veil in 'No Other Gods' Series by Piper CJ ✧
The Fox and the Falcon by Piper CJ | Rating: ✦✦✦✦✦
“You shall have no other gods before me.”
This is the first commandment of one of the most dominant religions in the overculture of our world, found in the Book of Exodus, from the lips of capital G-o-d himself.
Unpacking generational religious trauma, exploring the nuance of psychic awareness and mental illness, and shedding light on both queer and sex work communities, Piper CJ’s No Other Gods series vanishes the veil between worlds, exposing a truth hidden in plain sight.
“If no other gods can come before him, he confirms the existence of other gods. And yet here we are. Look at the fae through your religious lens and call them whatever you want. Make them your angels and demons. But at the end of the day, pierce the veil and you’re left with us.”
In the first book of what is firmly rooted in my top five favorite fantasy series of all time, Piper introduces us to our main character Marlow Thorson, a twenty-something living in a world much like our own.
Born from a line of women who’ve been labeled “insane,” and a mother who claims she can see – and discern between – angels and demons, Marlow learns early on to keep her imaginary friend a secret from everyone around her.
Convincing herself she is falling victim to the same fate of mental illness as the women who came before her, after many years of a loving, tender, intimate, at times highly-sexy, connection with her Caliban, she closes herself off to him.
It’s not until she is in absolute mortal peril that she learns the truth –
Caliban is real.
Her mother is not “crazy.”
They share the ability to see beyond the veil.
In a clash of angels, demons, and all fae kind, Marlow ventures to reconnect with Caliban, forging bonds, turning heads, and leaving me wanting more.
I read The Deer and the Dragon in 2024, absolutely devouring it in 24 hours. Piper’s writing style is so relatable, digestible, and visual, that it feels like I’m reading an elevated version of my own train of thought.
Her poetic descriptions send chills through every inch of my being, breathing life into the page in a way that exceeded my expectations. While I distinctly enjoyed the first series I read by her, beginning with The Night and Its Moon, there is a full-bodied maturity and mastery that is palpable in the No Other Gods series.
When the opportunity arose to get my hands on an advanced reader copy of the second book in this beloved series, I jumped on it. (Thank you, Bloom Books!)
In The Fox and the Falcon, the adventure continues after one of the most heart-stopping, yet heart-warming, cliffhangers of all time (“Let’s be sunflowers”).
While I’m deeply committed to writing this with zero spoilers, I will say that one of the devices I love most in these books is the non-linear storytelling, and the backstory we get in the second installment added so much dimension to an already-relatable main character. I laughed, I cried, I sat breathless in shocked silence.
I started reading this book and simply did not stop. Hand on heart, the only time I set the book down was to tell my fiancé what was happening because I needed another person to process it with me.
It is lush, resonant, and lion-hearted.
And while I couldn’t possibly recommend this book more, I do want to point out that there are a fair amount of trigger warnings that are clearly outlined in a note from Piper at the beginning of these books. Heed them.
This is a series for those who feel deeply uncomfortable within the heaven-hell binary.
For those who believe in magick, love, and multifaceted truth.
For those who are ready to dissolve the veil.
This highly-anticipated release hits shelves on February 18, 2025. Trust me, block off your evening.
“Off to dream about ferns and damp bark and misty trails and love that lasted,”
Auburn Lily
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