The God and the Flightless Messenger by Hagi

 
The God and the Flightless Messenger by Hagi
My Rating: ★★★★

In a society of messengers, Shin sticks out thanks to his very small wings that prevent him from ever flying. A messenger’s duty is to care for the god they get assigned to, and it’s a job that requires the ability to fly. Flightless and ridiculed by his peers, Shin has yet to be assigned to a god… until now. It’s the moment Shin has been preparing for his entire life, and he’s not going to let this chance to prove himself as a capable messenger slip out of his hands.

I think this book came up under my Goodreads recommendations, and I’m sure glad it did because it’s such a heartwarming story. We follow Shin, who was abandoned by his parents and has been ridiculed his entire life. When he’s finally assigned a god, he doesn’t let the fact that they live on the furthest mountain from his home sway him. He’s determined to be the best messenger for his deity, who is an adorably large fluffy ball of fur who doesn’t speak.

I enjoyed following the lonely and bullied Shin on his adventures as a first-time full-fledged messenger. While he’s short tempered and acts before thinking, he’s sweet, caring, and has a lot of heart. I really liked him, and I was happy to see him go on a journey where he finally becomes a messenger, makes friends, and finds love.

While there’s a large cast of characters, only a few of them are fleshed out. I would normally wish that wasn’t the case, but I think it really works here. The primary focus is on Shin and his deity, Baku. Much of the story follows them in the present with flashbacks to their upbringing and how they’ve both always been outcasts. I do think Baku could’ve been developed more than he was, but I don’t have any complaints.

The artwork is absolutely stunning, and I also enjoyed the bits of extra information on the story and characters at the end. However, I wish the book was a bit longer or told across two books so that we could’ve seen the information we learn after the fact play out in real time. All in all, if you’re looking for a cute, heartwarming, feel-good story, I highly recommend adding this to your list.