In The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, human beings exploit their gods as literal slaves, using their magical abilities as weapons.
In Book 2 (name undecided), human beings exploit their gods’ very flesh and blood in various ways. For example, a drug called “godsblood” has become popular in the mortal world, and it’s exactly what it sounds like — small vials of blood drawn from (willing) gods. When humans ingest this, they gain magic power.
Book 3 is still in flux, but the core story is solid in my head, and it occurs to me that the gods are exploited in this one too — the protagonist uses one godling’s magic and knowledge to advance herself politically, and later she plays one god against another in an attempt to gain power over them all.
Maybe “Inheritance” isn’t the right name for this trilogy; maybe I should call it the Godsploitation Saga!
…No.
They say this cat Shiny is a bad mother
(Shut your mouth!)
I’m talkin’ ’bout Shiny!
(We can dig it!)
He’s a complicated god.
No one understands him but his woman.
SHINY!
::whips out Cleopatra Jones’ gun, takes aim at Jo, but is laughing too hard to shoot::