Dustin (dragonarmybooks)

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtZkbCE_Ww_rSdLb99F_0eQ

https://www.goodreads.com/dustin-johnston

Dustin’s Bookshelves

read‎ (709)
currently-reading‎ (6)
to-read‎ (219)
dnf‎ (12)
probably-won-t-read‎ (5)
audiobook‎ (335)
fantasy‎ (288)
sci-fi‎ (144)
comics‎ (114)
2021‎ (104)

2020‎ (90)
fiction‎ (90)
young-adult‎ (87)
2016‎ (79)
2022‎ (76)
2023‎ (67)
2024‎ (61)
favorites‎ (61)
2018‎ (50)
2017‎ (48)

2019‎ (46)
spirituality‎ (43)
mystery‎ (38)
classics‎ (33)
2015‎ (31)
childrens‎ (31)
leadership‎ (29)
arc‎ (28)
non-fiction‎ (25)
ender-saga‎ (24)

theology‎ (20)
christian‎ (16)
thriller‎ (11)
church-health‎ (9)
2025‎ (7)
textbook‎ (3)
finances‎ (2)
cosmere‎ (1)
gave-up-on‎ (0)

Stats | More…

Dustin is Currently Reading

Dustin (dragonarmybooks) is currently reading

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (Chronicles of Narnia, #3)

by C.S. Lewis

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Jan 23, 2025 08:28PM

Dustin (dragonarmybooks) is currently reading

No Fail Meetings

by Michael Hyatt (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: 2018, leadership, currently-reading

Reading for the 2nd time

read in August 2018

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Dustin (dragonarmybooks) said: " Most leadership books I read are 25% great content and 75% fluff, and that's being generous. Michael Hyatt cuts the fluff and takes us straight to the point.

Don't get me wrong. It's not that I am against anecdotes and analogies and allegories and al ...more "

Aug 02, 2018 07:12AM · see review

Dustin (dragonarmybooks) is currently reading

Gunmetal Gods (Gunmetal Gods, #1)

by Zamil Akhtar (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: 2022, audiobook, fantasy, currently-reading

Reading for the 2nd time

read in September 2022

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Dustin (dragonarmybooks) said: " I have a BookTube channel where I review books, give reading suggestions, and more! Check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/dragonarmybooks

---

This is a unique one, for sure. It's squarely fantasy, but the route author Zamil Akhtar takes to get the I have a BookTube channel where I review books, give reading suggestions, and more! Check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/dragonarmybooks

---

This is a unique one, for sure. It's squarely fantasy, but the route author Zamil Akhtar takes to get there paves his own path which is both the best parts of the novel, and it's worst parts.

Gunmetal Gods (sick title, btw) has been described as "Game of Thrones and the crusades set in the Middle East." While I've never read GoT and I wasn't around to witness the crusades, I could certainly see this being an apt description. Our two lead characters, Kevah the janissary and Micah the Metal, are on opposing sides of this bloody conquest. However, they have startling similar pasts. The beauty is in how they use their pasts to propel them forward in incredibly different ways. This is a world of living gods, unwieldy magic, powerful guns, and political intrigue.

Akhtar writes in first-person, alternating POVs between Kevah and Micah with every chapter. While this is somewhat an unfamiliar tactic, it worked for me. I was instantly drawn into the world of the characters and their respective plights. This also helped with worldbuilding, making it far more seamless than it tends to be in fantasy novels of this size and scope. Due to the personalities and behaviors of the two leads, readers will obviously side with one character because the other is, let's just say, not a good guy. Nevertheless, everything is a shade of gray in this world.

We do step into "grimdark" territory in Gunmetal Gods. It gets dark quick and it stays dark. Infanticide, genocide, holy war, torture, and sexual assault is just the beginning of a long list of dark deeds. Akhtar doesn't glorify any of these behaviors, but he certainly tells it like it is. And that's just the outright brutality on display, there is a lot of inside commentary on religion, religious zeal, and the lengths people are willing to go for their beliefs. Some of these handlings are just as dark as characters loosing limbs in the heat of battle.

Like with a lot of books of this size, I think the cardinal sin here has to do with pacing. I was glued to the page for well over half of the book. Somewhere in the later half, things seemed to slow down and I didn't care as much. Sure, there were some cool moments and reveals to be certain, but even those couldn't make up for the plodding plot. Again, things are happening, but it felt disjointed from the excitement in the first half of the book.

This novel is gaining the attention of many readers for good reason. Akhtar is doing something unique here and I'm along for the ride. And I'm certainly looking forward to reading more in the series! ...more "

Sep 07, 2022 07:55AM · see review

See all 6 books that Dustin is reading…