The God Engines

The God Engines is a science fiction novella by John Scalzi. The main character is Ean Tephe, captain of a starship with a god as its source of power. The society is ruled by a theocracy and uses the captured enemy gods of its Lord to power its technology. Tephe's counterpart is the religious leader on board his ship, Priest Andso. Tephe and Andso are occasionally at odds as they vie for power, but it is Tephe who is assigned a special task to convert the people of newly found planet.

As the story unfolds the faith of Tephe and Andso are tested. Tephe must figure out what he believes, for his faith has implications on the structure of their society and the life of everyone aboard his ship. The climax is a distillation of the conflicts of faith as it is tried by reason. At the crucial moment, he must make a decision based on conflicting lines of thought.

The story is largely driven by dialogue and the inner thoughts of the protagonist. I felt like there was room for more detail on the society, the ship, and the people; however it works well as it is. The style is sparse yet the plot is gripping. The end provides a set of intriguing twists that keep the reader pulled in. B