Interesting! I honestly had no idea what to expect with this book and I guess the answer is a little of everything! Not sure what To make of it but I'm excited for book two and also a stronger focus! 
 Full review as originally posted on The Book Addict's Guide: GAMEBOARD OF THE GODS is a little bit of everything... Part dystopian/speculative fiction, part paranormal, and part romance. This was the first adult book I've read from Richelle Mead so I wasn't entirely sure what to expect, but I really had a lot of fun with the book although it wasn't entirely what I was picturing. The book takes place in a speculative future world so I was anticipating more dystopian elements, but the paranormal and mythology-based aspects played a much larger part than I originally thought. My overall view felt more like a futuristic mystery with a touch of a DaVinci Code feel! 
 It actually took me a little while to get into the book because I wasn't quite sure what to expect. Instead of diving into a concept head first, I had to feel it out a lot more. Since the only books from Richelle Mead I'm familiar with are the Vampire Academy series and its spin-off Bloodlines, it was a bit of a personal adjustment to fall into a new world with new characters who were totally unrelated. Not that it was a bad thing, but after reading nine books with the same theme and characters, it's an adjustment nonetheless! Once I finally hit my stride, I was really starting to enjoy everything! 
 One thing that really appealed to me was the mystery of the book. I'm a mystery girl at heart so it was almost reminiscent of J.D. Robb's In Death series for me -- a futuristic world, a good romance, and a good mystery! I think if I had known the mystery was going to be so prominent, I might have fallen into the book easier but it definitely helped rope me in! It was very well put together too. I felt like I was getting plenty of clues along the way, but not enough that it was giving away the whole ending. Looking back once I finished, it was interesting to see how things had always fit together, even when I hadn't known they were! 
 Another thing that really brought the book together for me was the characters. I loved the dynamic between Mae and Justin. I wanted them to get together and at the same time, I loved Mae's constant refusal of his advances. It was a great back and forth and despite the fact that Justin probably annoyed Mae a lot, they worked together really well. The supporting characters were great as well! Each one had their own unique personality and played important roles to the story. I never felt like anyone was irrelevant and I just got such a realistic feel from each one of them! 
 The only minor complaint I really had was that I wished the book had started out a little quicker in the beginning. Since I wasn't entirely sure where it was going, I was a little lost in the beginning with who Justin and Mae were supposed to be and what their purpose was. Once I got into the groove of the book, things really started to come together and take off. The ending was great and I really loved how it set everything up for the next book, which I'm excited to get to shortly!