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Yuval Kordov
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The Hand of God (Dark Legacies Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Yuval Kordov (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 out of 5 stars 94 ratings

The world ended—twice. Only Esther, the Eternal One, saw it all happen. As head of the powerful Revenant Sisterhood, she shepherds humanity from Cathedral, the Last City. Except Cathedral isn't the last city, and her sisterhood's power is far from holy.

It’s the year 2500, give or take. The passage of time has become as blurry as the gray wastes that cover most of North America. No moon or stars light the night, and demonic hordes smash against the last outposts of civilization.

Two reborn nations vie for humanity’s future. In the west, Cathedral unleashes its God-engines—ancient walking war machines—in a final bid to cleanse the earth. In the east, the struggling city-state of Bastion turns to the last living AI for salvation. Between them, a tribe of technological scavengers unwittingly holds the balance of power.

Hell is on the horizon. Who will survive?

--

For fans of Dan Simmons’ Hyperion Cantos, Iain Banks’ Culture novels, Dune, and other classic metaphysical science fiction.

This compelling new trilogy explores questions of family, faith, and the human condition on the backdrop of a dark post-apocalyptic future.

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  1. Book 1 of 3
    Dark Legacies
  2. Print length
    376 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Accessibility
    Learn more
  5. Publication date
    February 13, 2023
  6. File size
    2.9 MB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Kordov secures a place amongst my favourite authors with his unique, beautiful, expansive novel The Hand of God, which is equal parts Evangelion, S.T.A.L.K.E.R, 40k, and Lovecraft." —Steven William Hannah, sci-fi author

"A very emotional and thrilling start to the Dark Legacies series that I highly recommend for readers who enjoy their post apocalyptic SF with loads of mystery and imaginative world-building."—Nick Borrelli, book blogger

"The Hand of God is a great debut, and sets up a great foundation for what can be an excellent sci-fi series." —JamReads, book blogger

"A captivating read that pulled me right out of my comfort zone."—Austin Novo, book blogger

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BVGV912D
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 13, 2023
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2.9 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 376 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1738802500
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Book 1 of 3 ‏ : ‎ Dark Legacies
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 out of 5 stars 94 ratings

About the author

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Yuval Kordov

Yuval Kordov

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Yuval Kordov is a chronically creative nerd, tech professional, husband, and father of two. Over the course of his random life, he has been a radio show DJ, produced experimental electronic music, created the world of Dark Legacies™, and designed custom mechs with LEGO® bricks.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
94 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers praise this sci-fi book's engaging storyline and well-developed characters, with one review noting its many story threads woven throughout. The prose is exquisite, and customers find the narrative thought-provoking and relatable. They appreciate the vivid world-building, with one review describing it as a rich, well-built world, and another highlighting its unique gothic style. Customers find the book authentic and terrifying, with one review specifically mentioning its intense war machines.

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Narrative qualityThought provokingProse qualityCharacter developmentAuthenticityDepthTerror levelArt style
18 customers mention "Narrative quality"16 positive2 negative

Customers praise the narrative quality of the book, highlighting its engaging storyline and killer imagination. One customer describes it as a high-concept sci-fi experience, while another notes its fleshed-out world with lore.

"...You'll be rewarded with epic characters and engaging plot threads." Read more

"...Kordov has a killer imagination, and the job he does of making you see and feel some of the same things going on in his head is top shelf stuff...." Read more

"...I highly recommend reading this awesome dark sci-fi book!" Read more

"...The story itself flows effortlessly, with a good amount of intrigue, horror, 'quiet moments' and action. I'm absolutely looking forward to book 2." Read more

15 customers mention "Thought provoking"11 positive4 negative

Customers find the book thought-provoking and relatable, with one customer noting it provides hints about the world.

"...Even the characters like Esther, that I didn't enjoy as much, were compelling and believable and grew on me from around midbook...." Read more

"...They aren’t on page often, but are rather awe inspiring and terrifying war machines. When they’re present, they steal the show...." Read more

"...Exploring themes of messianism, AI vs human consciousness, Machiavellian pragmatism . . . these themes are played out through the story...." Read more

"...All the main POVs are really well developed, nuanced and relatable (I couldn't decide who to root for)...." Read more

9 customers mention "Prose quality"9 positive0 negative

Customers praise the prose of the book, describing it as exquisite, with one customer noting its impeccable attention to detail and another highlighting the well-described setting.

"...typically do nothing for me except perhaps add flavor, but A11 was excellently written and one of his early chapters made me a bit teary...." Read more

"...As a writer, I really enjoyed Kordov’s prose...." Read more

"...By a long shot. This is the most beautifully written piece of fiction I've read in a long time...." Read more

"...The prose is exquisite, the attention to details impeccable, the characters breathing with depth and humanity...." Read more

7 customers mention "Character development"7 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the well-developed characters in the book, with one noting how Esther's character development is particularly strong.

"...to the plot before that, though it does have a great deal of character development for Esther, I feel she's authentic enough even without the..." Read more

"...The characters are well-developed, especially those of Esther and Philippe Baptiste...." Read more

"...is exquisite, the attention to details impeccable, the characters breathing with depth and humanity. HIGH CONCEPT NARRATIVE:..." Read more

"...written from Aleph's and Rebekah-6's POVs; both of whom are incredibly unique characters..." Read more

4 customers mention "Authenticity"4 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the authenticity of the book, with one noting its strong start and another mentioning its well-crafted nature.

"...like Esther, that I didn't enjoy as much, were compelling and believable and grew on me from around midbook...." Read more

"...In one sense. They’re real. Kordov engineered them himself. He’s held them and knows them inside and out...." Read more

"...how much love the author poured into it, everything about it is so well crafted...." Read more

"This book started out so strong...." Read more

4 customers mention "Depth"4 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the depth of the book, finding it vivid, with one customer noting its well-built world and another describing it as jaw-droppingly amazing.

"...Imaginative. Intense. Graphic. Vivid. I’ve settled on vivid. Kordov flexes a bigger vocabulary than most authors and he uses it well...." Read more

"...All the main POVs are really well developed, nuanced and relatable (I couldn't decide who to root for)...." Read more

"3.8 stars. The setting was painted well. It was dark and hopeless. Yuval writes with ambiguity but not so much that you’re confused...." Read more

"...It is very original. This is a rich in depth well-built world with amazing mystery and intrigue. And giant mechs! I am down for the mechs!" Read more

4 customers mention "Terror level"4 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the terror level of the book, with one mentioning its frightening world and another highlighting its intense and terrifying war machines.

"...Imaginative. Intense. Graphic. Vivid. I’ve settled on vivid. Kordov flexes a bigger vocabulary than most authors and he uses it well...." Read more

"...The story itself flows effortlessly, with a good amount of intrigue, horror, 'quiet moments' and action. I'm absolutely looking forward to book 2." Read more

"...A fully realized and fleshed out world with lore, and it feels lived in...." Read more

"...book in the series full of rich prose and a fascinating and frightening world. I'm looking forward to the next book and where he takes the story!" Read more

3 customers mention "Art style"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the art style of the book, with one noting its unique gothic elements and another praising the cover design.

"The Hand of God is “It could only be Indie” book. It features a one of a kind gothic, post apocalypse with witches, a faction that feels a touch of..." Read more

"...Again, the atmosphere is what sold me on this story. Cover art A plus. Editing excellent...." Read more

"...But the second half... I can't think of anything like it. It is very original...." Read more

Engaging. Thrilling. Brutal. A true gem!
5 out of 5 stars
Engaging. Thrilling. Brutal. A true gem!
“The Hand of God,” by Yuval Kordov, is a superb example of an engaging storyline. If you’re into post-apocalyptic mysteries, thrillers, with a tinge of hardy science fiction, then what a ride that awaits you. What really sold me on “The Hand of God” was the atmosphere Kordov built. An enchanted technological world where the possibility of danger lays in every shadow. My favorite scene was the character Baptist situated in the fortress city of Bastion, being given a secret mission by the Lord Commander. Again, the atmosphere is what sold me on this story. Cover art A plus. Editing excellent. Prose flowed from the pages and into my mind, a testimony to Kordov’s mastery of this strange alchemy we call writing. Would recommend 1000%
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Top reviews from the United States

  • El
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great postapoc multipov
    Reviewed in the United States on June 29, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    This opened with one of the most beautifully written prologues that gives hints about the world and how it works post-apocalypse.

    It then dives into the character of Esther for... a long while. Esther starts out as a child, and I'm not really a fan of child PoVs. The prose in Esther's PoV was also a bit cumbersome, long sentences that perhaps just had too much going on. I nearly DNFed the book because of this, but I'm glad I didn't.

    Once it left Esther's PoV and entered the other PoVs, the voices of those characters were much smoother and cleaner. The other PoVs were also just more interesting to me. I adored A11 and Rebecca 6, who had character voices, motivations, personalities, and quirks that won my heart with ease. I enjoyed them enough that it brought the rest of the book up to five stars for me.

    Even the characters like Esther, that I didn't enjoy as much, were compelling and believable and grew on me from around midbook. With the revival of societies in fashions that leave humanity morally askew, these characters make decisions that are at times questionable but, largely, for the greater good. Maybe.

    The relationships between the various characters were intriguing and felt authentic. I found myself cheering some on and suspensefully worried about others. AI characters typically do nothing for me except perhaps add flavor, but A11 was excellently written and one of his early chapters made me a bit teary.

    As far as action goes, the book had plenty. There was blood and death and high stakes throughout.

    If you find yourself tempted to DNF, skip ahead to Esther 4:3 and read from there. There is nothing particularly essential to the plot before that, though it does have a great deal of character development for Esther, I feel she's authentic enough even without the earlier section. You'll be rewarded with epic characters and engaging plot threads.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Michael Kane
    4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, vivid prose held back an experimental structure that doesn't always work.
    Reviewed in the United States on February 28, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    The Hand of God is “It could only be Indie” book. It features a one of a kind gothic, post apocalypse with witches, a faction that feels a touch of mad max, another that will remind some of the Imperium in Warhammer 40k, and more. That more includes mechs and those mechs are easily one of the most glorious parts. You can feel the author’s love for writing these war machines when they’re on page.

    Yup. It’s a lot. So let’s do some pros and cons. This is, of course, my take and your mileage may vary. I hope from this review that, regardless of what I thought, you’ll have an idea about whether or not this book is for you.

    Pro: The prose. I’ve actually struggled to find the right word to describe it. Imaginative. Intense. Graphic. Vivid. I’ve settled on vivid. Kordov flexes a bigger vocabulary than most authors and he uses it well. When the horror and other worldly elements are on page it really shines. When twelve meter tall mechs show up, you feel their power and weight through fantastic descriptions. Kordov has a killer imagination, and the job he does of making you see and feel some of the same things going on in his head is top shelf stuff. One particular detail I liked was the way he described demonic creatures warping and glitching reality. It’s the sort of thing you take for granted in a movie, strange perception altering effects. Kordov pulls off a similar stunt in prose, something I’m not sure I’ve encountered quite like this, and he does it well.

    Pro: Some of the characters. This would get into more spoiler territory, but Kordov’s more unusual characters are his best. Esther, Aleph, Rebekah 6 are the shining standouts with their not entirely human perception of the world. Their points of view are like his prose. Vivid and unique. Easily the high points of the book.

    Pro: The World. If there’s anything else like it, I’ve sure never read it, or else nothing with this exact combination of mechs. A conventional end of the world. A supernatural end of the world. A madness inducing deadlands. Religious/Military factions desperate for survival. Scavrats collecting the junk of the old world subservient to a faction of supernatural witches. Oh and mechs. And body horror tentacle demons trying to kill everyone. Can’t forget those. It’s a lot and I think the world and all its oppressive weight works well. (Even if it’s a bit too much for my taste. I think I’ve decided I’m not a huge post-apoc fan in general, but I’m not going to dock Kordov for that)

    Alright let’s talk about the cons. There are a couple of big ones for me and they’re fairly intermingled.

    Structure. This is the big one that’s going to be a hurdle for some folks. The Hand of God is fairly experimental with its structure and while I know exactly what the dramatic intention is…

    I’m not sure it fully works. At least it didn’t for me.

    The book is divided into 4 Acts, the first two being the longest.

    Act 1 is amazing and the best part of the book. No question. Oddly it’s pretty much a prologue telling the story of Esther, the Eternal One. And wow is it amazing in every way. This is a story and character you can get into. Kordov’s vivid prose is front and center here and it just works. Absolute 5 star stuff.

    Act 2 starts ~400-500 years later. Big jump. Big shift in narrative and story and unfortunately it doesn’t hit well right off the bat. You start with the character Baptiste and… Well I just could never get behind this particular POV, which was a problem considering he was an important vehicle for the narrative. Part of the problem is I just never found a reason to root for him. He’s a bit of a downer character, though driven by duty. All of this makes sense given the setting but I was just never compelled to feel or root for him. He’s a member of Bastion’s military, something we weirdly didn’t get to see in action much until later. Part of me thinks we needed to see that sooner to help build some support for Baptiste.

    The other main character in this act is Sophus. He’s better. A grizzled veteran that’s seen things, lost people, and gets the job done he’s not going to surprise you. He probably also won’t blow your socks, but he generally gets the job done The other characters in this act are less often, but they’re the good ones I wouldn’t want to spoil much of.

    The other Issue with Act2 going forward is that it’s difficult to reconcile timelines between the various points of view. Or even with a single point of view. I’m not remotely sure how long a period Acts 2-4 take place over. One of the POVs take place definitely in the past. Another I’m not sure about but think it’s before Baptiste and Sohpus’ by some extent. Further Kordov uses lots of nested scenes. IE a character in the present reliving, remembering, hallucinating a scene that happened in the past. When done well these aren’t a problem, but with the general confusion about the timeline and what comes before and after what, it sometimes made me scratch my head and reread paragraphs to make sure I knew WHEN we were.

    And then we get to Act 3 which is entirely before Act 2. That was clear, but after the previous vagueness it didn’t make me particularly happy. (It was also better than Act 2)

    Act 4 is generally straightforward (and short) but ends VERY abruptly right when threads start to come together, leaving me unsatisfied when I closed the book. I left with the feeling that I had read a prologue for a series rather than the first book of a series.

    So yeah I’ve got some complaints about the books structure. And this is because there was stuff I really admired. As a writer, I really enjoyed Kordov’s prose. I WANTED it to be as good as Act 1 was, but some of the out of sequence nature of the rest of the book really didn’t land for me. Combined with a reliance on some less exciting POVs made it hard to slog through the second Act.

    Will I read book 2? Umm. Probably, maybe, yeah. I like to finish things. I didn’t DISLIKE the book. And like I said. I feel that the threads have finally come together so that we can have the story I was waiting for. So I actually expect book 2 to be better. I’ll get around to it at some point down the road.

    Who is The Hand of God for?

    If you like Dark, Gothic settings, my goodness you’ll probably love this, structural issues and all. The book has a feel to it, and if you like that feel, you’re gonna be into it. I’m less into ultra dark settings so I was more in analytical mode and some of the shortcomings stood out more to me.

    If you like Mechs, my goodness this will be a treat. They aren’t on page often, but are rather awe inspiring and terrifying war machines. When they’re present, they steal the show. They’re made out to be almost creatures of myth in the plot and you feel it when they appear.

    Btw Kordov has Lego models of these things and they are jaw droppingly amazing. He’s worth the follow on Twitter just for when he posts pictures of his vehicles from in-universe. (This is another reason I suspect they’re so good on page. In one sense. They’re real. Kordov engineered them himself. He’s held them and knows them inside and out. Who better to write a book about mechs than a man that designs them?)

    So there we have it. 5 Star Prose and 3 Star Plotting. That’s my take. For those of you closer to the target demographic, I don’t think my complaints will bother you much. If you’re like me and a little outside the target, you’ll probably have some quibbles. If you’re outside the target demo and don’t have an analytical writer mind to pick it apart, you might struggle.

    Final note for those that care, this book does have strong content in general. Violence and language especially. What sexual content there is is relegated more to the horror and body horror aspects. So just be aware that there’s a lot. It’s dark.

    Oh. Final, final note. There’s a lot of spiritual elements to the book. The supernatural is definitely real. I can’t say for sure what Kordov is trying to say about these things (Have to finish the series probably for that), though I suspect we’ll have disagreements on that front in the real world. It’s well integrated into the book though, just know it’s a big deal.

    Fin.
    5 people found this helpful
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  • Kentucky Squirrel
    5.0 out of 5 stars How Do You Handle the End of the World?
    Reviewed in the United States on February 27, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    The world has ended. Not once, but twice. Earth now cut off from the rest of the cosmos, the sun hangs bloodred in the sky. The stars are gone. How do you handle these catastrophic changes? Yuval Kordov games that out with this amazing debut novel!

    Exploring themes of messianism, AI vs human consciousness, Machiavellian pragmatism . . . these themes are played out through the story. Sometimes they are synchronized, but often they are smashed against one another like competing forces of God-engines facing off in the Deadlands.

    The characters are well-developed, especially those of Esther and Philippe Baptiste. We see the struggles that both characters face as they each struggle to lead their respective communities as best they know how. Both are broken, one far more so than the other.

    This is a dark book. There are some portions that may be hard to stomach. But they serve the story. There is no shock value here like so much of grimdark. And there are small glimmers of hope even in this first book. I highly recommend reading this awesome dark sci-fi book!
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  • Felix Ortiz
    5.0 out of 5 stars Glorious apocalyptic epicness
    Reviewed in the United States on August 16, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    The whole book is incredible (I almost knew for certain I would like it just from looking at the cover). The book really shows how much love the author poured into it, everything about it is so well crafted. The prose style really plunges you into the book's dark setting, which felt to me like something between Mad Max and Warhammer 40k, with its own fresh twist. All the main POVs are really well developed, nuanced and relatable (I couldn't decide who to root for). The story itself flows effortlessly, with a good amount of intrigue, horror, 'quiet moments' and action. I'm absolutely looking forward to book 2.
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Mirien Silowendë
    5.0 out of 5 stars Superb book
    Reviewed in Germany on April 9, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    This is beautifully crafted prose with a complex layered post - apocalyptic world. The author doesn't hand hold you, he throws you right in and expects you to keep up. There are a lot of POVs here, but they all are distinct from each other.
    This story will stay with me a fair while.
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  • Steven William Hannah
    5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 9, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    Kordov secures a place amongst my favourite authors with his unique, beautiful, expansive novel The Hand of God, which is equal parts Evangelion, S.T.A.L.K.E.R, 40k, and Lovecraft.

    God has forsaken Earth for the sin of mass suicide in a nuclear war, and 400 years later the remains of humanity fight an endless war against the literal forces of Hell.

    It is not going well.
    If only there were giant AI battle mechs that could level the playing field.

    I expected Pacific Rim and instead I got Philip K Dick. The battle walkers are eldritch beings themselves, caught daydreaming during battles, having spent 400 years alone reading the internet archives and gone a little bit mad.

    We've got militant theocracies, war nuns with mechs, literal demons, Mad Max scavengers... And whilst I don't usually enjoy so many POV characters, the breadth and range of the cast is fantastic, as is the scale of their struggle - and I loved how it all comes together in the end.

    Speaking of the end, I won't spoil anything except to say that I was crushed by the cliffhanger. Sequel soon please.

    So let's talk good and less good.

    Kordov indulges in some exposition during bad moments sometimes. The pace drops a few times as we switch POVs.

    None of this put me off. Kordov's worldbuilding can take as much space as it likes, given how incredibly strong it is. This setting was designed for a tabletop RPG, and if you know me, you know how I adore the effort a good DM puts into their world.

    Iv not even mentioned the writing yet. The prose is wordy, but I didn't skip a single line. Kordov manages to squeeze vivid imagery, clear direction, and emotional weight into every paragraph. The movie played seamlessly in my head the entire time.

    The atmosphere is so bleak, the characters so vivid, and whilst the overarching plot takes a while to really get going, good golly is it a ride.

    Let's not even start on the detailed political drama playing out behind "giant robots fight demons".

    If I had any other complaints, it's that I wanted more. I wanna see the fruits of this tense and detailed buildup. The plot assumes an intelligent and invested reader to pick up on clues and motives.

    I suspect that Kordov draws inspiration from many of the places I do.

    Perhaps that's why I enjoyed it so much.

    Kordov goes straight onto my "automatically read everything this author produces" list and I cannot wait for the next sequel.

    Still mad about the ending, but I recommend this to anybody who enjoyed Icebreaker and it's sequels.
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  • GMc
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic new sci fi, with a terrifying vision of a future for humanity
    Reviewed in Canada on February 27, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    The Hand of God is a fantastic novel that pulls from a number of genres and ideas. Mostly sci-fi, but with fantasy and horror elements too. The book has a richly built, post-apocalyptic world where humanity is struggling for survival, and to define itself. The story explores the complex, and often fraught, relationship between science and religion.

    The book is full of fascinating technological concepts, from mechanical demons to developing artificial intelligence. It has a lot of great action, but the book's deeper themes, (hope, fear, familial love, religion/society) are explored in a fantastic way. Kordov does an excellent job of capturing the many conflicting emotions and desires that drive the characters, and the result is characters that feels truly real and relatable.

    Overall, Hand of God is an outstanding work of science fiction. I strongly recommend you read it.
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  • Benjamin
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great
    Reviewed in Australia on April 7, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    I was drawn to The Hand Of God by the promise of religious battle mechs. What I got was not the, battle mech action book I had envisioned, but a much deeper character driven novel, exploring life in the post apocalypse, with fantastic prose, beautifully written examples of religions and pacing that kept me glued to the book the entire read.
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  • Offer Kuban
    5.0 out of 5 stars Thoroughly enjoyed this book!
    Reviewed in Canada on June 4, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    Let me start by first saying "wow!"

    I'm not usually drawn to stories of the post-apocalyptic ilk. It feels to me as if there's rather a plethora of these, and many are not so much done poorly as they appear to be repetitive of what's come before. Granted, it's not an easy thing to envision fresh chaos to the possible end of civilization as we know it.

    That being said, gosh, there's a lot going on here in Yuval Kordov's "The Hand of God". There is a richness to the world he's built here, obviously time well-spent in his attention to detail and lore, with a full and vast history (back-story) that he draws effortlessly from to share as we progress through the novel's storyline. The characters are well-drawn and well-rounded, with back stories of their own and motivations that are not always what they seem.

    The action takes a little time to pick up steam, but as it does, we're introduced to a landscape that is only marginally familiar, the world as we knew it having been altered dramatically--in fact, having ended twice! Oof! And to make the ground beneath our feet feel a little shakier, there's no attempt to lead the reader or ease them into the setting or the circumstance. We're right in the thick of it from the get-go, learning alongside the characters how to navigate this landscape without succumbing to it.

    Kordov's prose is tightly packed, but not florid or wasteful in the way it conveys us from character to character, situation to situation, and always leaving us with the question "what happens next?"

    I highly recommend The Hand of God, and I'm looking forward to the next instalment! Thanks for opening up another avenue of storytelling for me to explore further. Cheers!
    Report

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