Age of X series

Gameboard of the Gods- Age of X (Age of X -1) by Richelle Mead — Gameboard of the Gods: Age of X (Age of X #1) by Richelle Mead — Paperback, released June 3rd 2014

Age of X series by Richelle Mead.

NEWS NEXT Release: The Immortal Crown #2 paperback — June 2, 2015

Genres and Sub-Genres[]

Futuristic. Sci-Urban Fantasy, Dystopian, Mythology, Fantasy, Science Fiction

Series Description or Overview[]

✥ A brilliant but bitter exile, plagued with an addictive personality and a troubled past. A beautiful super soldier whose true nature holds more danger than anyone realizes. In a futuristic country that's turned its back on religion, these two unlikely partners find that a series of ritualistic murders are just the beginning of supernatural forces slowly attempting to reclaim the world. ~ Even Redheads Get the Blues

✥ Gameboard of the Gods is set in the future after Earth experiences a “Decline” mainly due to religious organizations getting out of control. Now all religious organizations are strictly controlled by the state RUNA. Exiled religious sect inspector Dr Justin March is approached by RUNA and offered an opportunity back into the state if he catches a rogue serial killer before he strikes again. Due to the dangers of this assignment he is assigned a Supersolider, Mae Koskinen, for protection. What Justin and Mae discover along the way, both about the case and themselves, is that change is coming and together they might be the key that will make the difference. The book follows three main characters, Dr Justin March, Mae Koskinen and Tessa. ~ Age of X Series | Book Gossips

✥ Book One Plot: Justin is brought back from exile because his particular expertise is needed in finding the ritualistic serial murderer who has killed several RUNA citizens—all with a silver dagger through the heart and without leaving a single clue, except for a mysterious security video that shows a black shadow 0at appears and disappears from the locked room in which the victim is stabbed. After a violent incident at the funeral of Mae's ex-boyfriend, Mae is temporarily stripped of her prætorian uniform and assigned as Justin's bodyguard. ~ Fang

Lead's Species[]

human, sect inspector
super soldier

Primary Supe[]

gods and goddesses

What Sets it Apart[]

one of the most interesting and intriguing aspect of the book: the fact that in a supposedly godless world, gods and goddesses from various origins are coming back to take their righteous places amongst men. ~ The Social Potato

Narrative Type and Narrators[]

Third person narrative mainly from the perspectives of Justin March, Mae Koskinen and Tessa.

Books in Series[]

Age of X series:

Gameboard of the Gods (2013)
The Immortal Crown (May 29, 2014) ~ paperback — June 2, 2015
The Eye of Andromeda (highly anticipated but unlikely to be released)

Shorts, Anthologies and Guides[]

none yet

Other Series by Author onsite[]

Glittering Court

Themes[]

World Building[]

Gameboard of the Gods Glossary
about Gameboard of the Gods
Even Redheads Get the Blues ~ Five Important Things About Gameboard of the Gods

Setting[]

Vancouver, one hundred years in the future

Places:

Arcadia: RUNA’s dangerous neighboring country—women are commodities and religion is intertwined with government. — Post-Decline country formed by part of the southern and southeastern former United States. It possesses moderate technology and a religion-centric government. There's a lot of tension between it and the RUNA, both because of current border disputes and Arcadia feeling as though it was abandoned after the Decline.
RUNA: Republic of United North America
Panama: A ‘province’ without the comforts of the modern world
Bahamas:

Supernatural Elements[]

Supersoliders, prætorians, gods,

Glossary:[]

Prætorians: technology-made super soldiers—have tiny implants in their arms that amp up whatever neurotransmitter or hormone happens to be going strong: increases adrenaline to crazy levels that make them faster, stronger when in a fight.
Elect:
Plebeian, Pleveians: Term for most of the RUNA's population, those created from its genetic mixing programs. Most plebeians have dark hair and eyes, with tanned skin.
Patriarchy, Patrician, Patricians: Those who clung to their ethnic heritage and were exempted from genetic mandates after the Decline because of financial contributions to the early government. Patricians identify with a particular culture (Irish, Egyptian, etc.) and select for features associated with that culture. Many patricians still live off of that early wealth and have established aristocratic mini-societies on special regions allocated to them, called land grants. "Caste" and "castal" are slang terms for patricians used by the rest of the country.
Praetorian, Praetorians: The RUNA's "super soldiers." Praetorians have a small positive feedback implant in their arms that will increase whatever neurotransmitter is being actively produced in the body. For example, when adrenaline is naturally produced in a fight, the implant will increase the body's production, enhancing the praetorian's abilities. Praetorians are divided into color-coded cohorts and serve for eighteen years, from age 22-40.
Servitor: From the Latin "servitor veritatis" or "servant of the truth." Government employees of Internal Security who license and investigate religious groups. Although much of the job is paperwork and interviews, some situations become volatile, and servitors have quick access to law enforcement and military resources. Their sub-department is the Division of Sect and Cult Investigation.

Groups & Organizations:[]

Republic of United North America (RUNA): Commonly called the RUNA. A country formed from Canada and parts of the former United States during the Decline. It is the most stable and technologically advanced country in the world. Its primary language is English, followed secondarily by Spanish. Its official colors are maroon and dark purple. Pronounced "roo-na"
Internal Security: The ministry within the RUNA that handles threats and security inside the country's borders. The Division of Sect and Cult Investigation, which the servitors work out of, is part of it.
Division of Sect and Cult Investigation: The sub-department within Internal Security that the servitors work out of. Sometimes called SCI.
Eastern Alliance (EA): Called EA. The RUNA's sister country, formed from parts of former China and Russia. It shared many genetic policies with the RUNA, including population swapping, but has a looser stance on religion. It nearly matches the RUNA in technology and order. Its primary language is Mandarin, followed secondarily by Russian.

~ Shelfari

World[]

✥ Imagine a Greek-Roman society but make it a bit futuristic, as well as ancient mythological gods and goddesses from different cultures. It incorporates such religious deities and themes while also staying true to its futuristic utopian setting (not a dystopian!). I also loved how Mead portrayed a supposedly pagan community that thrives on idealistic and radical ideas, while also introducing to us a variety of gods, goddesses, and supernatural phenomena. ~ Social Potato

✥ Gameboard of the Gods takes place a hundred years in the future. Around our current day, religious extremists unleashed a virus called Mephistopheles (they saw it as a demon punishing the world) that took out half the world's population. Countries and infrastructure crumbled as a result, causing many places to descend into chaos and even regress. Different regions coped in different ways. Some weren't very effective at all and went totally Mad Max. This part of history is referred to as the Decline.

The majority of the former US and Canada banded together to create a new country called the Republic of North America. It's usually referred to as the RUNA in the book, pronounced roo-na. Its capital is Vancouver (shout-out to British Columbia!). Noticing that those of mixed genetic backgrounds had greater resistance to the virus, the RUNA instituted a harsh policy where large parts of its population were forcibly swapped with those of another emerging country formed from parts of China and Russia. As the two countries began breeding heterogeneous populations with greater survival rates, they were able to better weather the virus until a vaccine was created.

Fast-forward a century later, to the book's setting. The RUNA's policies have made it the leading country in the world. It's regained the technology it lost in the Decline and has started to advance past where we are today. It's a bright, shiny country with compulsory education, efficient energy, birth control laws, a mighty military, smart phone-esque devices that manage every part of your life, public transportation everywhere, and all sorts of other good stuff. Citizens have small chips in their hands that facilitate what parts of the country they can move through. The RUNA has a very high opinion of itself and looks down on all other parts of the world—many of which are still totally a mess—which it calls "the provinces."

Genetic mixing is no longer mandatory, but those who still reproduce with "genetically optimal" partners get stipends from the government. In addition to this, the RUNA has one other big policy that it used in its recovery. In its eyes, religion was responsible for the Decline. The RUNA sees religion as a source of unrest, creating separatist attitudes and irrational behaviors. Consequently, it has a very strong stance against religion and belief in the supernatural. Most religions were stamped out, though some remained—including many new ones that were revivals of older gods from around the world. Those groups that are allowed to exist must be licensed and deemed not a threat. Any group that seems unstable or is growing too large is disbanded. Stay tuned because this particular policy forms a large part of the book's plot.

And that's a lot of stuff, so I'll close and let your minds boggle over that. Next time, we'll delve into our principle characters. ~ Gameboard of the Gods: History and Background

Servitors[]

People who regulate religion in RUNA. Servitors do regular inspections of religious groups and determine whether they're dangerous or can be licensed to worship. A lot of the job is paperwork, but if they find a particularly crazed cult, servitors can call in military backing to disband them. ~ Gameboard: Chars, part 1

Praetorians[]

RUNA has adopted a loose Greco-Roman culture. In the Roman Empire, praetorians were the emperor’s elite guards. They were well-trained and often instrumental in overthrowing the emperors they were supposed to protect. RUNA has a senate, not an emperor, so that’s who the praetorians protect. They also fight on the RUNA’s behalf in the dangerous areas outside the country. Why? Because the praetorians are badass. The RUNA doesn’t like genetic manipulation--not after that virus that took out half the world--but they’re totally cool using technology to make super soldiers. Praetorians have tiny implants in their arms that amp up whatever neurotransmitter or hormone happens to be going strong. So, if you’re in a fight and high on adrenaline, the implant picks up on that and helps you increase your adrenaline to crazy levels that make you faster, stronger, etc. A fun(?) side effect is that the implant will also “helpfully” increase the chemicals of lust churning through you when you’re turned on. Don’t mess with praetorian sex lives. ~ Gameboard: Chars, part 2

Gods[]

In a supposedly godless world, gods and goddesses from various origins are coming back to take their righteous places amongst men. There’s just something so fascinating about them. They know they’re superior, they know they can do things beyond our wildest imagination, and yet they don’t meddle as much… if they do meddle, they let their Elects do it for them, and these are oftentimes done in the shadows. The gods so far are: Odin, Osiris, Morrigan, Freya, and Loki. ~ The Social Potato

Protagonists[]

✥ Justin March: is a servitor. Or, well, he was. As the book opens, we find he's been both fired and exiled for reasons unknown to us. So, Justin passes his time in the provinces with women, drugs, and alcohol. Actually, this is how he passed a lot of his time back when he was in the RUNA, but it's a little worse now since he's miserable living in what he considers an uncivilized place. Part of what we'll discover about Justin is that he's smart. Really smart. He observes everything, and his brain is always in overdrive, which is why he indulges in so many substances: he wants a break from thinking sometimes. His cunning is what got him out of humble beginnings and up to a government position and affluent part of society. ~ More: Characters, part 1

✥ Mae Koskinen: (aka Maj Erja) is a patrician and a prætorian, one of the military's most elite soldiers. (In the Roman Empire, the prætorians made up the royal guard.) All prætorians have tiny implants that amp up their strength, stamina, healing, and...lust. Mae is unlike most prætorians in that she is a blond from a wealthy, aristocratic family, whereas most soldiers are dark-haired plebeians. Mae is a true soldier. ~ Fang-tastic

Gameboard of the Gods: Characters, part 2 ~ Mae

✥ Tessa: is the teenage daughter of a Panamanian man who helped Justin in his early days of exile. When Justin gets his job back at SCI, he brings Tessa with him so that she can get a proper education that will help her find a better place in the world. Justin sees in Tessa some of the same characteristics that he sees in himself, and he's determined to keep her from wasting her life in the provinces. ~ Fang-tastic

Gameboard of the Gods: Characters, part 3 ~ Tessa Mae Koskinen and Tessa.

Sidekick[]

Name: — What: — Sidekick-to: — About: — Book First Seen In:

Recurring Characters[]

Characters	What	About
Justin March (Justin Drew)	former servitor	fired and in exile to the Provinces; hard-drinking, womanizerl
Mae Koskinen	praetorian, RUNA’s military	assigned to protect Justin March;
Tessa Cruz	teenage prodigy	16 years old Panamanian girl. Justin's 'prodigy'.
Lucian Darling		Justin’s old friend and rival
Horatio & Magnus	ravens	the ravens inside Justin's head. Horatio is more outspoken; Magnus is quieter, seems to care about what happens to Justin
Leo Chan	Justin's tech guy	He is a genius with video and code and Justin believes he can solve anything tech related. He used to be a party animal like Justin but after four years, he has settled down. Justin drags him into another adventure
Porfirio	caste Praetorian	from the Mediterranean land grant; proposed to Mae but she declined. In a fury of anger, he almost raped her.
Cynthia	single mother, student	Justin March's younger sister; working for her tertiary schooling (College level). She is very smart with numbers and a good cook. She lives with Justin and tolerates his vices. still resents her brother for leaving RUNA without any notice.
Val	Mae's Scarlet cohort sister	She is one of Mae's best friend who befriend her on the first day of training. She has short black hair and dark eyes.
Francis Kyle	head of SCI	fifty-year old with a bubbly and friendly attitude. He was the one who requested Justin returns to RUNA and working for SCI and the mysterious case.
Geraki	Megalomaniac	He's a smug guy who SCI has been trying to capture for being a leader of a cult but there is no evidence. He annoys Justin to no ends with his cryptic messages. He is trying to cement Justin's commitment with a god.
Dag	cohort brother	Mae's Scarlet cohort brother and best friend.
Quentin	Cynthia's eight year old son	Justin's nephew. A cute but sharp kid with dark hair and bright eyes.
Odin	God
Hiroshi	Japanese police officer
Sergio Cruz	Tessa's father.
Lucian Darling	running for counsel	Was once Justin's college roommate and friend.
Huan Korokov
Peter

To expand the table, in Edit–Visual mode, right-press on a Row of the table (Control-press on a Mac)—choose add Row or Column. Or, in Source Mode: copy-paste rows.

Author[]

Richelle Mead

Website: Richelle Mead - Urban Fantasy Author
Genres: Urban Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Young Adult, Dystopian,

Bio: Scorpio Richelle Mead is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of urban fantasy books for both adults and teens. Originally from Michigan, Richelle now lives in Seattle, Washington where she works on her four series full-time: Georgina Kincaid, Dark Swan, Vampire Academy, and Bloodlines. A life-long reader, Richelle has always loved mythology and folklore. When she can actually tear herself away from books (either reading or writing them), she enjoys bad reality TV, traveling, trying interesting cocktails, and shopping for dresses. She's a self-professed coffee addict and has a passion for all things wacky and humorous. ~ Shelfari

Cover Artist[]

Artist: Book one: not listed
Artist: Book 2: Juliana Kolesova

Publishing Information[]

Publisher: Dalton Adult
Author Page: Richelle Mead | Penguin Books New Zealand
Book page: Gameboard of the Gods: Age of X Book 1 | Penguin Books New Zealand

Gameboard of the Gods: 448 pages, Pub. June 4th 2013—ISBN 052595368X
The Immortal Crown: Hardcover, 432 pages, Expected pub: May 29th 2014—ISBN 0525953698
The Eye of Andromeda: (expected 2015)

Book Cover Blurbs[]

✤ BOOK ONE—Gameboard of the Gods (2013): In a futuristic world nearly destroyed by religious extremists, Justin March lives in exile after failing in his job as an investigator of religious groups and supernatural claims. But Justin is given a second chance when Mae Koskinen comes to bring him back to the Republic of United North America (RUNA). Raised in an aristocratic caste, Mae is now a member of the military’s most elite and terrifying tier, a soldier with enhanced reflexes and skills. When Justin and Mae are assigned to work together to solve a string of ritualistic murders, they soon realize that their discoveries have exposed them to terrible danger. As their investigation races forward, unknown enemies and powers greater than they can imagine are gathering in the shadows, ready to reclaim the world in which humans are merely game pieces on their board. ~ Age of X Series

✤ BOOK TWO—The Immortal Crown (May 29, 2014): Richelle Mead, the #1 New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of the Vampire Academy and Bloodlines YA series—whose books have sold more than one million copies in hardcover—debuts on the Dutton list with Gameboard of the Gods, the first novel in her Age of X series. In a futuristic world nearly destroyed by religious extremists, Justin March lives in exile after failing in his job as an investigator of religious groups and supernatural claims. But Justin is given a second chance when Mae Koskinen comes to bring him back to the Republic of United North America (RUNA). Raised in an aristocratic caste, Mae is now a member of the military’s most elite and terrifying tier, a soldier with enhanced reflexes and skills. When Justin and Mae are assigned to work together to solve a string of ritualistic murders, they soon realize that their discoveries have exposed them to terrible danger. As their investigation races forward, unknown enemies and powers greater than they can imagine are gathering in the shadows, ready to reclaim the world in which humans are merely game pieces on their board. Gameboard of the Gods, the first installment of Richelle Mead’s Age of X series, will have all the elements that have made her YA Vampire Academy and Bloodlines series such megasuccesses: sexy, irresistible characters; romantic and mythological intrigue; and relentless action and suspense. ~ Age of X Series

✤ BOOK THREE—The Eye of Andromeda (expected 2015): ~ Goodreads | The Eye of Andromeda (Age of X, #3) by Richelle Mead

First Sentences[]

Gameboard of the Gods (2013) — Mae dealt out death regularly.
The Immortal Crown (May 29, 2014) — Mae Koskinen was one of her country's most elite soldiers.
The Eye of Andromeda (expected 2015)

Quotes[]

Gameboard of the Gods #1 Quotes by Richelle Mead ~ Goodreads
The Immortal Crown #2 Quotes by Richelle Mead ~ Goodreads
Age of X Series ~ Shelfari
Richelle Mead Quotes (Author of Frostbite) (all books)

Awards[]

Trivia[]

Read Alikes (suggestions)[]

— If you like these, you may like this:

see Category links at bottom page

Notes[]

External References[]

Books:

Age of X Series ~ Author
Age of X series by Richelle Mead ~ Goodreads
Richelle Mead - FF
Age of X - Series Bibliography - ISFdb
Age of X Series - Shelfari
Age of X | Series ~ LibraryThing
Age of X series by Richelle Mead ~ FictFact
Richelle Mead - Summary Bibliography ~ ISFdb (author)

Excerpts:

Chapter one: Gameboard of the Gods Excerpt
Chapter two: Gameboard of the Gods Excerpt
Chapter three: Gameboard of the Gods Excerpt

Summaries, Articles:

World, Characters, etc:

Gameboard of the Gods Glossary
Even Redheads Get the Blues ~ Five Important Things About Gameboard of the Gods:
Fang-tastic Fiction: Richelle Mead: AGE OF X SERIES

Reviews:

Interviews:

Richelle Mead on 'Gameboard of the Gods' | Shelf Life | EW.com

Artist:

Juliana Kolesova - Summary Bibliography

Author:

Community, Fan Sites:

(3) Richelle Mead