Slow Gods

By: Claire North

Narrated by: Peter Kenny

"An astonishing, thought-provoking and above all touching story of found meaning and lost humanity.” —Adrian Tchaikovsky, Arthur C. Clarke Award-winning author of Children of Time

Slow Gods is the galaxy-spanning tale ​of one man's impossible life charted against the fate of humanity amongst the stars—a powerfully imaginative space opera from multi-award-winning author Claire North, perfect for fans of A Memory Called Empire and The Vanished Birds.

My name is Mawukana na-Vdnaze, and I am a very poor copy of myself.

In telling my story, there are certain things I should perhaps lie about. I should make myself a hero. Pretend I was not used by strangers and gods, did not leave people behind.

Here is one truth: out there in deep space, in the pilot's chair, I died. And then, I was reborn. I became something not quite human, something that could speak to the infinite dark. And I vowed to become the scourge of the world that wronged me.

This is the story of the supernova event that burned planets and felled civilizations. This is also the story of the many lives I've lived since I died for the first time.

Are you listening?

Critic reviews

"An astonishing, thought-provoking and above all touching story of found meaning and lost humanity.”

—Adrian Tchaikovsky, Arthur C. Clarke Award-winning author of Children of Time

"Deeply imaginative and achingly human, Slow Gods lures you gently into the dark between the stars." —Megan E. O'Keefe, author of The Blighted Stars

"[An] epic and enthralling galactic adventure. North’s worldbuilding is dizzying and dazzling, full of fascinating and convincing characters, and thought-provoking meditations on destiny, duty, and power. Add in a doomed romance and stirring action, and this immersive, inventive space opera proves a sheer delight."
—Publishers Weekly

"A deeply philosophical standalone SF epic that brilliantly and subtly utilizes elements of cosmic horror to complement its metaphysical speculations. The best kind of science fiction: mind-blowing and wildly thought-provoking."

—Kirkus

"Riveting and complex. I expect it to prove to be one of the best science fiction books of 2025." —Locus

"Claire North’s latest is a dark and intricate space opera with a highly intelligent narrator, which makes for a satisfying and mind-boggling read." —Reactor Magazine

"A gloriously inventive story with a protagonist as unique and compelling as Martha Wells Murderbot or Anne Leckie’s Justice of Toren. A wide-ranging enthralling, resonant and cathartic fable." —Fantasy Hive

DNF and returned.

I have no issue with inventive takes on pronouns, but the ad nauseum gutteral pronunciation by the narrator was a deal breaker for me... such a silly performance choice. Returned.

The slow, but interesting storyline

This is a book that takes a little work to get into, but once in, you’re trapped until the end. You definitely get a lot more out than you put in. This is true for most if not all books, with the exception of Dennis Taylor’s Bob series, which just gives for the first page. Slow Gods takes a little more work, but you wend up with more than you thought, and wishing for a second book and a third…

Original

Great and original story. I will read more from this author. Very talented and entertaining.

Mood and pace of new ideas

As above so below. I dislike “minimums” attempting to force long winded reviews when a few words and personal experience suffice. It’s worth the listen - I preferred 95% speed to better focus on the interesting grammar.

Narrator was horrible

The narrator spoke too fast, had to slow down to .8 to get anything to sound clear enough to understand. The story wasn’t the greatest either.