Food of the Gods (Gods and Monsters Book 4)

Cassandra Khaw is a woman whose polished erudition is matched by her macabre imagination. Drawing on mythologies largely unknown to Western readers— Malaysian horrors interspersed with Chinese gods— she tells stories about a Malaysian chef working for ghouls, cooking poor runaways and obese Australian sex tourists for the ghouls’ table.This book contains two novellas about Rupert Wong, Cannibal Chef, which is itself a slight misnomer. Other than the bits Rupert must taste to ensure the flavors are just so— the small intestine, cleaned, cut into segments and deep fat fried until crisp like calamari, the sweetbreads tender and delicately spiced— the ghouls eating the meal aren’t actually human, so “cannibal” doesn’t apply.The humor is sharp and constant, the descriptions of the monsters appropriately nightmare-inducing (penanggalans, for example, are female Malay vampires whose heads, spinal columns and gastrointestinal tracts detach from the rest of their bodies to fly off after their victims, leaving their torsos standing headless until their heads’ return), the plots cheerfully convoluted and chaotic.In addition, her writing is consistently good and sometimes even better, as her vocabulary shifts from the mundane to the more extravagant: “In the penumbra, his face is garish, a chiaroscuro of flat lines and shadow, a drawing that occasionally stirs to three dimensionality.” Her descriptive language rings true, too, as in this description of early morning in the city: “Morning arrives slate-gray and appallingly cold. I’m awake long before the sun clambers above the city, a sickly radiance behind the smog, largely useless except as an indication that the day has begun.”These two novellas are the first of Ms. Khaw’s works I’ve read, but won’t be the last. She is interesting and inventive, and opens doors to cultures well beyond those available in most fantasy writing.Recommended.

Cassandra Khaw is a genius of sorts , what sort may be in question.FOOD OF THE GODS is the most imaginative book I've read in years.Khaw throws one bit of invention after another at the reader.It's dazzling and demented.The plot is utterly ridiculous. Rupert Wong is some kind of detective in Kuala Lampur.He makes cannibal food for Malay ghouls!He descends to Chinese Hell.He fights the Greek pantheon of gods in London.He encounters a new breed of gods out of H.P.Lovecraft.It's completely insane, grotesque and kind of funny.This is not for those with weak stomachs.It's alot of fun provided you have a high tolerance for blood and guts.

Didn't like Rupert, didn't care much for the mythology. It felt forced, like "let's pick what will people find the most revolting, and make it a delicacy". Which, in a way, is a great satire itself on the current mania of foodie-ism. Maybe throw in a little Dark Instagramming next time......

Interesting work from an author with a unique voice. It has many pithy and clever sentences. Plenty of unique ideas too. But the structure and pacing of this is a little wonky. It's one of those books that I like more than I probably should, but I'd hesitate to recommend it to someone unless I knew their tastes exceedingly well.

What if the American Gods mythos was reimagined by a foody with a gift for Lovecraftian horror and Gene Wolfe-style allusive prose?This. This is what would happen.And it's glorious.

Loved the writing. JUST SO EVOCATIVE!

When you see this is a book about an endentured cannibal chef it makes you go hmm, might be interesting. This is one of the best books I have read recently with a ton of for and laugh out loud funny moments not to mention the great plot that will have you hungry for what comes next. Horror doesn't get much better.

All about the deliciousness of cannibalism. Not funny. Not entertaining. Just gross.

It's been a long time since I've enjoyed a book so beautifully written. I love the supernatural drama and the twists and turns of the main plot, but also since it is the first I have read (I think in the middle of a series?) I felt as if I had all the information I needed to jump in at this point. It's a great introduction to Khaw's work for me and I will be reading a lot by her in future.

Cassandra, I will send you as many fluffy things you want if you stop invading my nightmares. I love your imagination your horrible, horrible imagination. Your writing is elegant and your central character -Rupert- is strangely likeable, the story line is part mystery, part horror and all gore, but so entertaining. I am now a follower.

A little gory, a little macabre, a little humorous and a thoroughly good read.Looking forward to reading the rest of Cassandra's work.

I like a good gorefest as much as the next canibalistic psychopath. The opening image of blood drinking undead babies negotiating to unionize definitely set the mood for fun. But even for me this book got to be a bit much at times. There is a point when gore for the sake of gore becomes just plain boring. The author seems to have a thing about tendons stuck in between teeth to the point it becomes distracting.Still, this book is pretty good. Good enough to rise above four stars into the five star realm. Maybe not an enthusiastic five stars but at least a 4.6. Reminiscent of some of the great godpunk novels such as American Gods it will definitely please fans of the genre.