Noah Primeval by Brian Godawa Review
- Z.D.Boxall
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
I have decided to start 2026 by reviewing all the books I read in 2025. My reviews are not long and are not certainly meant to be taken with anymore seriousness than if a stranger in your second-hand bookstore where to tell you the same thing.
Brian Godawa takes the Biblical epic of Noah and his arc and creatively builds around it in a way that, while creative, does not contradict the themes of the story. I found myself quite interested in the world he had created, with the Watchers and the Nephilim. I could image this brutal world and really begin to see why God wanted to wipe it all out.
The characterisation of Noah is solid, and highlights a progress and willingness in his faith. The other characters are generally well established and the villains were a standout for me. I quite enjoyed following Lugal-Anu and his story, he was a compelling villain. There was plenty of action, which I liked and a real sense of epic in the battles.
A concern I did have was the pacing, everything felt rushed. I won’t spoil it, but there is a certain character who dies and there is maybe a paragraph to mourn, not even that before they move on. It felt like this character was useless, it held no reason in its existence and the family didn’t even say a word. It felt like the author just wanted one less character to write and so discarded them.
I also disliked the tone. At its best, it is a gritty Biblical epic, but at its worst it is a quippy, Marvel-lite movie. I understand the desire to lighten the mood and there are times when it is done well, but the eye-rolling and quippy shots that the characters take at each other just feel forced and even take away from the grounded nature of the characters. Some characters go from being a serious and angelic force of destruction to an eye-rolling teenager within minutes.
Overall, I would still recommend Noah Primeval, as the action and world building alone make it a worth while read.
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