Book Description
All of Myrillia is held in a grip of unease when a skull, twisted and corrupted by dark Graces, is found. It's the work of the Cabal, a faction of daemonic naethryn intent on destroying the Nine Lands. Former Shadowknight Tylar must unravel the mystery of the skull before all of Myrillia is threatened.
To save the Nine Lands-and himself-Tylar must enter the Hinterland, the desolate territory beyond the blessed Lands, where rogue gods roam and dark Graces flow-and from which no Shadowknight has ever returned.
Customer Reviews:
Only Tolkien gets 5 stars.........but this is darn good........2007-05-13
I'm pretty satisfied with both the book and it's predecessor. If youre looking for fantasy in the sword and sorcery vein BUT with good writing this is it. I've read quite a lot fantasy over the last 25 years and this has an unusual world with imaginative characters.
Looking forward to book 3.
Much better!.......2007-01-19
This book didn't focus so much on bodily fluids so I was able to enjoy the book more.
Some gods are dissatisfied with Tylar's current position and make their displeasure known, Castellan Mirra's fate is discovered. Some new characters are introduced and they're very likeable. We also learn something quite interesting about Dart and her pet.
Clemens opens up and takes us on a journey through his new world. As in Witch War, Clemens has some surprises for his readers. I look forward to his next book.
action oriented sword and sorcery saga .......2006-11-10
Tylar Ser Noche has been called many things in his life including Shadowknight, murderer, and Godslayer amongst the kinder epitaphs. Warden Fields pursued hum until he caught him and sold him into slavery; there Tylar was broken in body and spirit. He healed as he provided comfort to a dying goddess who put her naethryn inside him so that his humors flowed with Grace (magic). Now he returns to the stronghold of the Shadowknights where Fields and Tylar's treacherous ex-lover live in order to be inducted back into the Shadowknights.
When Tylar and his entourage arrive at the stronghold of Tashijan, everyone inside knows they are trapped. Ulf the God of Eyrie sends a storm that will kill everyone unless they hand over Tylar to him. He believes that Tylar is an abomination because a mortal must never carry a God's Grace. At the same time in the underground beneath the building is the former castellan who has joined the dark, who wnts everyone inside Tashijan dead so she can rule as the First Land. Tylar is the tug of war between godly forces that could devastate a world.
HINTERLAND is an action oriented sword and sorcery saga as James Clemens creates an intricately detailed fantasy world that readers will easily visualize. Similar to Greek mythology, the realm is an interesting place where gods live and interact with humans on a daily basis. The protagonist and the key support cast are fully developed and critical to this fine tale. It is easy to understand what motivates them though at least Tylar is quite a deep character. As the audience learns who is arranging for a full second God War, questions left dangling concerning the plot should be answered in the next Godslayer Chronicle.
Harriet Klausner
Book Description
IF ALL THAT IS GOOD CONSIDERS YOU EVIL, ARE YOU? Once human but now immortal, Supreme Commander Lord Tanaros fled the realm of Men and chose darkness when he killed his adulterous wife and his liege king who cuckholded him. A thousand years have passed in service to his master, the dark god Satoris. The world view Satoris as Evil Prime and the name of Tanaros is the byword for treachery.The races have united in their quest to rid the world of the Dark God and his minions. The key to the prophecy is the beautiful Elvish princess Cerelinde-and Satoris has captured her. Yet not all tales told are true and evil may have another face. Satoris refuses to act like the monster that he is made out to be for he recognizes in Cerelinde a spark of the love that he once bore for his fellow gods. But this spark of light might prove to be a danger to Satoris....and a greater danger for Tanaros and all that he holds dear. For Cerelinde might remind him that the heart that he willed to iron an eon ago is still very much mortal.
Customer Reviews:
Not Quite as good as Banewreaker.......2007-09-03
One of the problems with sequels is that, everything that you held in wonder from the first book, is now old hat. There's not really much one can do about that except read the sequel and hope it stands on its own merits.
If I could give this book 3.5 stars, I would. It's almost as good as Banewreaker, but not quite. In this volume, I think Carey spends too much time with the two characters that stand in for Frodo and Sam from LOTRs (named Dani and Thulu). I was never keen on their storyline from the beginning, so the attention she gives them here wears upon me.
Also, like the movie version of Return of the Kings, Carey has trouble finishing this book. There's like 6 different endings. Loose ends do indeed need to be tied up, but it just goes on and on.
I was, however, glad to see that my favorite character, the Dreamspinner, played a significant role, and I hope Ms. Carey will consider doing another series with him at the helm.
She lost me.......2007-06-20
I had a difficult time getting into Banewreaker, but when I did I was interested enough in what was happening to purchase Godslayer.
As it was, I read another book in between Banewreaker and Godslayer, one that was extremely well written, and when I came back to Godslayer the problems I had with Carey's prose multiplied. As is the problem with many fantasy novels, the prose was rather purple, and contained an abuse of words that made you look to a dictionary. I found myself struggling to turn pages.
Then, out of nowhere, she "pulled a Gandalf". If you don't believe me, he's on the cover for all to see: a reincarnated character who comes back robed in white, with white hair and a white beard, and on a white horse!
I had argued that in Banewreaker Carey was imitating Tolkien's works so much (and to a lesser extent, other works) because she was telling a story that could apply to any epic or high fantasy series. That allowed me to get past the numerous unnecessary similarities to Tolkien's world (Soumanië = Silmarils, etc.), but just barely. This last one, the "Gandalf", I can't get past. It could reasonably argued that the Soumanië were necessary to the story, and it couldn't have been told without them, but it cannot be argued that "pulling a Gandalf" was necessary, because it just isn't. It NEVER is.
plot on autopilot.......2007-06-14
As other reviewers have noted, the story borrows heavily from LOTR, but with a well-developed cosmology and mythology of its own that make it an interesting read. Unfortunately, it's pretty clear from relatively early on that the supposedly evil guys are really not all that bad, and the supposedly good guys are little better (and in some ways possibly worse), and while that's an interesting concept, it's not really enough. I think Jacqueline Carey sold her readers a little short with this one: the second half of this novel was boringly predictable, as if, having turned good and evil on their heads, she feared to do anything else.
Very Good .......2007-05-03
I have not read the Kushiel series as yet as I wanted to give the Sundering a fair chance. I must say that it was very enjoyable, although there are some elements of Tolkien. But, it is still worth reading. I wonder if Ms. Carey will write another one. I am hoping that she will.
The beautiful shades of grey.......2006-09-04
I love stories that explore moral ambiguity, and Carey's new trilogy is a beautiful example.
And, no, it's not as great as her Kushiel trilogy, but that's setting the bar kind of high. lol And, for all the people bemoaning it as a thinly veiled rip-off of LOTR, perhaps the publishers should require people to take a basic level IQ test before buying the book...
What it *is*, is a beautifully crafted retelling of the traditonal high fantasy story, in which 'good' battles 'evil'. Maybe this isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I loved it.
Now to be a bit critical, I thought this one dragged a bit in the middle, but it definitely picked back up for its sad and poignant ending.
I'm definitely looking forward to its sequel. (There will be one won't there?)
Product Description
This is a two-in-one volume with both of Jacqueline Carey's top sellers Banewreaker and Godslayer. (Inside jacket: with her successful Kushiel series, Jacqueline Carey proved herself a force to be reckoned with in the fantasy field. Now she returns with another extraordinary epic, a shattering tale of gods at ware and the mortals they use in their deadly game.) Once the Seven Shapers dwelled in accord. First-born among them was Haomane, Lord-of-Thought, and with his six sibling gods, they Shaped the world and its children to their will. But Haomane was displeased with Satoris' Shaping, for he thought his younger brother too generous in his gifts to Men, who made war upon Hoamane's Children, the Ellylon. Though the First-Born asked his brother to withdraw his Gift, Satoris refused. So began the Shapers' War, which sundered the world and cast Satoris and his kindred to opposite ends of a vast ocean.
Customer Reviews:
An extraordinarily complex, moving achievement.......2007-07-13
Yes, I have read and loved all the Kushiel series; they are astonishing, wonderful books. Yet those who pick up the two volumes of the Sundering because they loved Phedre, and come away disappointed and complain the books fail to measure up, are missing the point entirely. These books are a different genre, and a different kind of accomplishment; they are a fantasy epic which is also a philosophical and ethical critique of the epic genre.
Of course, the similarily in narrative structure to the Tolkien epics is conscious and purposeful. Almost every character from the Lord of the Rings is found here: Gandalf-Malthus, Frodo-Dani, Aragorn-Aracus. Previous reviewers may have missed that the arguable "heroes" of this story, Tanaros Cavaros and the "Misbegotten" Ushahin Dreamspinner, are analogous to the leader of the Ringwraiths and Gollum. And Satoris Banewreaker, of course, is the Sauron who the Elves/Ellylon so lyrically claim to be bent on the destruction of all that is good and beautiful, working tirelessly "to cover all the world in a SECOND darkness!!!"
I wonder, how many of us who read and loved the Lord of the Rings ever wondered why Sauron would wish such a thing? Did the explanations of his motivations ever seem thin? Sauron was supposed to have created the Orcs "in savage mockery" of the Elves; a force of pure evil, needing no purpose other than destruction, with no desires, even in creation, except to mock and ruin. What Carey's epic is meant to show, and it succeeds beautifully, is that there are no such villains. There can be no races, such as the Orcs in Tolkien, without redeeming characteristics. To exist at all, especially to exist as a living community of any kind, living creatures must manifest certain virtues. The "Orcs" on the Sundering epic are ugly, certainly, and the "Elves" fear and despise them; yet Carey shows the Ellylon hatred and fear of the trollish Fjel as a product of their own limited aesthetics and the enmity between their races. The Fjel lack the beauties and brains of Elves and Men, yet they are real creatures, and therefore, in order for them to continue as a race at all, they must reproduce and rear their children, they must have some forms of love and loyalty. As this epic unfolds, the awareness grows in the reader that the "orcs" of Tolkien could never have been anything but a savagely distorted picture, a lie wrought by those who hated them from a distance. The power of the Ellylon to tell their stories with beauty, and thus inscribe their point of view as history, is explicitly thematized by Carey's hero Tanaros, who reminds the lovely Ellyl lady that every story has two sides, and that no Elf or Man has ever listened to the stories of the Fjel.
Tanaros himself stands as one of only two counter-examples; he himself is a Man, one who once served the ruling house of the oldest of Men's kingdoms. Once a hero in the best epic style, a loyal general who loved his king and his wife, now he is the most famous villain of his own race of origin. Long ago, he discovered his wife's new child to be, not his own son, but the son of his own best friend and beloved liege. The power of his loves fueled the violent madness of his hatred when those loves were betrayed, and he killed both his wife and her lover. Only in the service of Satoris can he re-discover loyalty and purpose, as only Satoris was willing to allow him the "dignity of his hatred" and allow him the chance to make a new life. The kingdoms of Men call Tanaros "Wifeslayer" the worst of comicbook villains, and see his service to Satoris as simply confirming how evil he is; a man who killed both wife and king could only flee to bad black Satoris in his evil dark fortress. Yet Carey shows us Darkhaven through the eyes of Tanaros as a haven, a place of beauty and dignity, and Satoris as the being who has given Tanaros sanctuary-- as well as a love that has never failed nor been untrue.
The Darkhaven of this epic, this Mordor, was built by Satoris after his first war with his older brother, who, wrathful at his younger brother's refusal to obey, burned the world with the fires of the sun and left Satoris wounded and scorched. Darkhaven is dark not to symbolize evil, but because light hurts as well as illuminates, and because fire is the weapon of the elder Shaper who believes, on thin grounds, that his own will is the entirety of truth and goodness, and that Satoris' refusal to obey him is the essence of wrong and evil. Darkhaven is guarded by Fjeltroll and staffed by madlings, and here is the poignant heart of Carey's vision. For Tanaros is only one of the ambiguous and complex heroes of this story. The other is his counterpart Ushahin, like Tanaros a byword for evil among the Elves and Men of this world, and like him a product of the very world and races who fear and hate him.
Ushahin Dreamspinner, unique in this fantasyworld, is half Ellyl and half mortal Man. The Ellyl, children of Haomane FirstBorn, are a race gifted with mind and heart, rationality and love, but immortal, and without the gift Satoris was asked to give to every other race: Desire. It was Haomane's command that Satoris withdraw Desire from Men which Satoris refused, the refusal for which he is called the Sunderer. Desire is an ambiguous gift, and one both Men and Elves find easy to blame for the crime one Man committed upon a daughter of the Ellylon; the crime of rape. Ushahin Dreamspinner was conceived in that rape, abandoned by the kindred of both parents, and almost killed in childhood by a crowd of other children with rocks. His appearance is all the more monstrous for the remains of remarkable beauty ruined, elegant bones shattered and ill set, wide-set eyes permanently dilated and crazed; he embodies all the horror of human cruelty and callousness, and walks in their dreams to show them the image of a child's fist with a rock breaking another child's face to bits. Called "The Misbegotten" by both the races from which he sprang, Ushahin serves Lord Satoris for the sanctuary Satoris gives to all the mad and broken of the world, those Ushahin calls to Darkhaven where they are safe and loved.
It is Satoris' relationship with Ushahin and his madlings that thematizes the true heart of this amazing critique of epic storytelling, this reply to Tolkien's brutal aesthetic of bright beautiful Elves versus nasty ugly orcs. When the lovely Ellylon lady arrives in Darkhaven and learns that it is a sanctuary for madlings, for all those beings broken and maimed by the cruelty of the world, she is of course appalled. The lovely, the perfect lady, of course she cannot fail to feel pity and mourn for the victims of cruelty and neglect who find safety and love in Darkhaven. Yet she protests they could be fixed, that Satoris ought to heal them and make them pretty again, a response that Tanaros shows in its selfishness with his reply: "To my lord Satoris, she is already beautiful." He loves them as they are, and finds the beauty they have in themselves, not needing to transform them into pretty elf maidens to find them lovely. Similarly, the Ellylon cannot realize the limitations of their own attitudes towards the half-elven Ushahin; they blame Satoris for not "fixing" him, never imagining that it is tghe Dreamspinner himself who refuses to be "healed" to erase the signs of what has made him what he is.
The Elves can only imagine beauty as being like themselves: perfect, tall, glowing with light, and above all, lucky. The scars of the unlucky, of all those who have been hurt, the stories of all those whose lives have been shaped by pain-- they can only see those things as flaws to be erased. What the limited aesthetic of the Ellylon cannot understand as valuable is the same thing that disappears in the caricatures of "orcs"-- the values and features of *life*. Life that struggles through pain and trauma, life that nurtures young, life that makes the best of ambiguity, life that goes on imperfectly.
It is finally an aesthetic of life with which Carey counters the simplistic aesthetic of epic in the Tolkien vein. In place of a god whose mysterious will must be obeyed as the definition of Goodness, we have a god who wishes only to live as he sees best, and survive the despite of his older brother's wrath. Haomane First-Born believes his own vision to be the definition of truth and reality, and his own will as the determiner of goodness. In such a belief-system there can only be one kind of choice: obedience is good, and defiance, evil. Counterpoised to that simplistic lie, Carey gives us a meditation on the nature of choice as life-determining, or choice and responsibility, of truth itself as ambiguity and complexity.
Good first half of a story. What next?.......2007-04-15
I love Jacqueline Carey's series about Phedre, beginning with Kushiel's Dart. It is one of my favorite stories. I also enjoyed The Sundering, though not as much.
The Sundering is a takeoff on Lord of the Rings, upside down. Sauron is the good guy here, and Gandalf is the bad guy. Frodo is a bit of a dupe, sent to destroy Sauron's power, even though Sauron was much kinder to him than the good guys ever were.
In this story, Gandalf's name is Malthus. "Mal" means something bad, as in malady. Frodo's name is Dani. He is accompanied by his uncle Bilbo, whose name here is Fat Uncle Thulu.
The dwarves are intact, but the elves are here called Ellylon, and are not as short as the elves of LOTR. Instead, they are the size of the elves in the LOTR movie, man-size.
Aragorn is in this story as well. His name is Aracus Altorus rather than Aragorn son of Arathorn. Same guy. Leader of the Borderguard, and the hereditary king. And as in LOTR he is scheduled to marry an elf, the Ellylon beauty Cerelinde.
Sauron, here called Satoris, isn't half bad. He inspires love and loyalty. It is his big brother Haomane who is the real pain in the butt. All of Satoris's brothers and sisters have ditched our world, gone across the sea, I suppose across the Atlantic Ocean to settle in America while the action of the story is in Europe, more or less, though Haomane's home is described as an island, not a continent.
Haomane wages unjust war against Satoris. On Satoris's side are Jackie's version of orcs or trolls, which she calls fjeltrol. They are big and strong and ugly. They are bigger than humans. But they have hearts of gold and are the good guys. The beautiful Ellylon are a bit of a load, conceited as all hell. So while Tolkein made it obvious who to root for because his good guys were cute and his bad guys were ugly, Carey turns that upside down for us. Ugly good guys, cute bad guys.
I was confused with some of her terminology. Souma. Soumanie. Marasoumie. Rhios. Half the time I barely knew what she was talking about when she mentioned these things. Apparently there is a lot of magic in her world, and the souma is a great source of magic.
Her characters are so interesting that I always wish the books were illustrated.
The main additions she has to LOTR are some new characters. Satoris (Sauron) has his three main helpers. I suppose they could be compared to the ring wraiths, and once in a while one of them is a Black Rider, but these three really aren't ring wraiths, and have interesting characters of their own. One of them, Tanaros, is the star of the book.
I enjoyed this book but it cries out for a sequel. Everything about the ending screams out SEQUEL.
A tragedy.......2006-05-27
This is an interesting book. The world is believable. the different races recognizable. It is told from the perspective of Satoris, the third born shaper of the world. He is supposed to be the bad guy that caused the world to be sundered.
And war is coming. It is led by the children of the first born shaper, Satoris' brother Haomane. They are allegedly the good guys. So now we have a classic battle between good and evil, only good isn't that good, and evil might actually be innocent of the charges against him.
I found myself cheering for Satoris as everything about him fell apart. I really didn't like Haomane at all. There are magical weapons, prophecies, but no one becomes all powerful that none can stand before him.
This is a story filled with rich characters, and they experience the spectrum of love, betrayal, honor and pride. This is good story and fine fantasy.
Recommended.
Book Description
Four millennia have passed since the gods came to Myrillia, creating the nine lands of peace as a haven from the nightmarish, accursed Hinterlands. In all this time nothing has disturbed the harmony of the nine lands.
But now the goddess of the Summering Isles has been murdered. The only witness is Tylar de Noche, a crippled and disgraced former Shadowknight. As he holds the dying goddess, her last breath bestows a powerful blessing on him-a mark that heals his broken body. A mark that many see as proof that he killed a god. A mark that unleashes a powerful force of darkness within him.
Chased across Myrillia by enemies both human and ethereal, Tylar must uncover and face down a being powerful enough to kill an immortal-the true godslayer. For if he fails, all of Myrillia will fall into shadow.
Customer Reviews:
Good Fantasy.......2007-07-30
I don't read many fantasy novels but this is an enjoyable read. The characters are well developed and there are numerous monsters and creatures throughout the story. The plot gets a little tough to follow but it is at its core a good vs. evil story. The action sequences throughout the book are very well written and suspensful. Clemens is a great writer with a vivid imagination. I am looking forward to the second book in the Godslayer chronicles.
Getting Better.......2007-02-15
I read Mr. Clemon's first series "The Banned and the Banished", otherwise known as the Wit'ch books. I enjoyed the 5 book series, but the accent in just about every name was a bit annoying, and it often fell into a generic fantasy mode. The unusual group of adventuring characters that come together for a grand quest, the child with extraordinary powers, etc. But the strength of his writing brought me to his second series. The writing is even better on this one, and I must say that he is so much more original with this one. His take on gods and magic is very unique. I feel that the end of this book suffers a little from the generic fantasy grouping of odd characters and the powerful child, but it is only a little slip. For the most part, this is a very strong novel. If Clemons continues to improve in the fantasy genre, he will quickly become one of my favorite authors.
Better than Wi'tch?.......2007-02-07
I really enjoyed Clemens first series, The Banned and Banished, and I didn't think he would be able to do it again but I really enjoyed Shadowfall. Maybe even more so than Wi'tch??? We'll see.
Clemens is definitly the master of multiple POVs. Once again he has brought together a group of people to save the world. It's just the getting there that Clemens has made so interesting.
Best new epic fantasy in years.......2006-12-20
After the Sundering, gods fell to the barbaric world of man. Chaos and war reigned for centuries until the gods bonded themselves to the different lands. Then, with their powerful Graces, they bring the world back from the brink, and help mankind to build great cities. Now civilization spreads to all but the Hinterlands, where the crazed, rogue gods rule. But through the years a darkness starts to grow, stirring the winds of war. All-out conflict between the gods means a bloody anarchy for man that will be worse then ever before. All hope falls to the Shadowknights; the blessed, elite warriors of the world, but who can the Shadowknights save? They may have been infiltrated so deeply by the same evil that threatens all, that their very core may be rotted.
Epic fantasy is my favorite genre, but in the last few years I'd all but given it up. Seems like most everything out there now-a-days, is predictable, too whimsical, low on action and description, and/or magic is as commonplace as a cell-phone. The few good fantasy books that I've come across, the writer runs the story into the ground or they make you wait so long between books that your interest fades
Not so with Clemens. His writing moves quickly. The story and setting is unique, the characterization is superb, the action is two-fisted, and, intrigue abounds. While most epics have the formula climatic battle at the end, Clemens sticks a major part or two, right smack in the middle. You'll find yourself surprised when you still have half-book left. Be careful of which character you get attached to. They could get knocked-off so suddenly, you'll find yourself re-reading your last completed sentence; just to be sure you got it right. Also judging by Clemens's other series, he seems to put them out regularly, so you won't die of old-age waiting on the next book.
I've already finished the next "Godslayer's Chronicles" book, "Hinterland" and I'm now hunting down his other fantasy series, "The Banned and the Banished." Give "Shadowfell" a go, you'll probably find yourself hooked too.
Book Description
Here, for the first time in one volume, are the first three novels in Mickey Zucker Reichert's most startlingly original series: an epic saga of a Vietnam soldier sent through time and space to a battlefield where the weapons are not bullets and grenades but swords and spells-and where elves, thieves, and martial arts masters can find themselves unwillingly enlisted in a war between the gods....
Customer Reviews:
Badly Written.......2004-12-22
As much as I love Norse mythology, I just couldn't finish this book; it's just too badly written. It reads like it was written by a high school student with a good imagination, but one who has spent more time playing D&D than actually practicing the skill of writing.
The writing is careless, clunky, and clumsy, and Reichert's many mistakes and stumbles in the simple details make it impossible to suspend disbelief in the fantasy aspects of the story. There's no sense of place, and not much more sense of character, just a long series of events.
Don't waste your time on this book.
Very Entertaining!.......2000-07-28
This was a very entertaining norse-myth fantasy.I really liked the characters: Al Larson, vietnam soldier transported to norse-myth oriented world in a body of elf and his battles with evil dark elf sorcerer.I also enjoy Taz the noble thief as well. This book was easier read than most of Reichert's novels. Bifrost Guardians is less convoluted not as depressing as her other norse myth series:Renshai and has more light-hearted humor as well.
Book Description
From national bestselling author James Clemens, whose Wit'Ch novels have been compared to the fantasies of Guy Gavriel Kay and George R. R. Martin, comes the first novel in a new series-about a world where mysterious gods hold powerful secrets, knights walk in the shadows, and demons claw up from the darkness, as one man struggles to prove he didn't kill a god.
Customer Reviews:
Heroic fantasy burger-and-fries (godly humors on the side).......2007-02-27
Over 4,000 years ago, the gods of the Nine Lands suffered a cataclysm that divided them into three aspects. One aspect of each god, neither celestial nor infernal, materialized in the Nine Lands, and in time, 100 such gods assumed dominion over the people and forged an era of peace and prosperity, the latter largely due to the magical properties (graces) inherent in each god's bodily fluids (humors).
One night in the seedy town of Punt, Tylar de Noche, a defrocked and crippled Shadowknight, witnesses a previously unthinkable event: the murder of a goddess. Before she dies, the goddess gives Tylar divine powers and a one-word clue that serves as the first stepping-stone in his quest to prove his innocence in her murder, regain his honor, and otherwise save the world from an erupting, god-led war.
If your eyes haven't yet rolled or glazed over, Shadowfall, the first part of James Clemens's Godslayer Chronicles, may be a worthwhile escape. Clemens, with the concept of grace-filled humors, has created an innovative magic-system (albeit one whose nuances aren't well-defined) that also allows for science-fantasy touches in the forms of air- and sea-craft powered by gods' blood. Clemens writes decently, and using a multi-character point-of-view, he sets a torrid plot-pace for Tylar and his future allies (including his ex-fiancée Kathryn, who conveniently happens to become the Shadowknights' second-in-command, and Dart, a girl with a mysterious past and equally mysterious, almost-imaginary friend).
Make no mistake--this is not fantasy filet mignon, but it's tasty fast food. (I'll save my list of weaknesses for the end.) I devoured it and its successor, Hinterland, quickly ... and forgot them quickly. The closest comparison to Shadowfall may be Heir of Autumn (Giles Carwyn), another sweeping, plot-driven, heroic fantasy; but both lack polish and resonance in comparison with the best work of George R.R. Martin (A Game of Thrones) and Greg Keyes (The Briar King). Recommended as a used purchase or library loan. Three-and-a-half stars.
The novel's weaknesses (minor spoilers)
* Characterization: most of the characters are so cookie-cutter that you'd almost expect to find crumbs in the pages. Tylar, in particular, is a bland and faceless protagonist. If well-realized characters resemble actors, these are high-quality puppets: they look fine, but you can often see the plot-strings tugging them to and fro.
* Limited character diversity: the main characters all occupy high stations in the world. (Kathryn becomes second-in-command of the Shadowknights. Dart becomes a god's Hand/humor-handler. Tylar is a former knight who gains godly powers.) Consequently, there is little ability for the reader to experience the world from the ground-up; and I can only wonder if the lands and their humor-driven economy would really hold up under closer examination.
* Limited sense of wonder: an extension of the first two weaknesses. For the most part, due to the characters' powers/stations and the rapid pacing, the variety of "fantastic" locales do little to invoke awe or wonder--to say nothing of the gods. Imagine a scene where a mortal sits beside a god in a candlelit library and asks why mankind was created. Now go and write the scene, as it isn't in this book.
* Shadowknights: their purpose and powers are initially vaguely defined, giving the impression they exist only because their name sounds cool. (E.g., their blessed cloaks can draw power from shadows ... but wouldn't it have been more practical to draw power from light? Of course not, because "Lightknights" sounds silly.)
* Linguistics: everyone apparently speaks the same language, regardless of their homeland.
* Humors galore: a word of caution to anyone squeamish about bodily functions--you might wrinkle your nose more than once, especially at repeated mentions of "black bile."
Grace of the Gods.......2007-01-19
This is the second series of James Clemes that i have had the pleasure to read (first was the Banned and the Banished which i throughly enjoyed).
In this novel Clemens brings us into a world ruled by 100 Gods who shared their 'Grace' (magic/powers) with the mortals. Our Hero in this story, Tylar, was once a Shadowknight but was disgraced and crippled.
Cleme's writing style, though a little fustrating is put together very thoughtfuly and i can see that lots of planning went into the plot development, (i was only interested in parts concerning Tylar, but admitedly Dart was an interesting character by herself). I have to admit that i did not like all the characters that were brought forth, like Kathryn, another Shadowknight and Tayler's ex-fiance (we could probably guess why the 'ex-' is present) Although i did not like all the main characters i have to admit that they brought a variety to the story and made it much more interesting.
The 'mystery' behind the death of one of the Hundred (the Gods that ruled this world) resulting in Tyler's imprisonment and later his escape had made me curious and more determined to find the 'killer' if only to find some proof that my favorite character was not the killer...
All in all a wonderful read, another great job for Clemens! (a cookie to Clemens for an exciting read)
good book, relatively speaking.......2007-01-19
I throughly enjoyed Clemens's Witch War books so I looked forward to this book very eagerly. I'm very well-read in fantasy, so I can say that Clemens's plot is unique. A dishonored knight is accused of killing a god. All evidence conclusively points to his being the murderer, including from the now-deceased god herself.
Clemens focuses so much on bodily fluids that I found it somewhat offputting. Nevertheless, I gave the second book, Hinterlands a chance and enjoyed that as well.
Great book!.......2007-01-03
I read the book a year ago, and have been waiting for the second one to come out. It was a really good book. James Clemens cretes an entire new world, an entirely new universe and makes it seem believable with his great story telling. Every detail, every little story in the book ties back to the main theme.
What I like most about it is that the reader solves the great mystery right along side the main character.
Outstanding writing, character development and plot........2006-12-06
I thought that I had already read all the worthwhile fantasy authors, but somehow I missed James Clemens. Shadowfall immediately grabs your interest and quickly develops your sympathy for the main characters. After reading two chapters, I ordered his other books.
Average customer rating:
- Godslayer
- Excellent
- Entertaining in it's theories and ideas
|
Godslayer (Bifrost Guardians)
Mickey Zucker Reichert
Manufacturer: DAW
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books | Adventure | Alternate History | Anthologies | General | Graphic Novels | High Tech | History & Criticism | Series | Short Stories | Space Opera
Reichert, Mickey Z. | ( R ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0886773725 |
Customer Reviews:
Godslayer.......2000-06-17
Once again Reichert does an outstanding job of storytelling. She has an ability to bring readers to to another world where anything is possible. However, this one is a little far-fetched. The story and the characters were totally unbelievable and not well developed. After reading Nightfall, I was greatly disappointed. But, Reichert forces readers to open their minds and really think about war and how the "family man" in all of us can be transformed into someone we find very hard to live with. Luckily for Al Larson there is a "God" that protected him and allowed him to carry on, even if it was in another world. This story line was a great tribute to all of those young men who served in Vietnam.
Excellent.......2000-04-08
I read this book...as well as the other four and i must tell you i loved them all. the characters are well developed, fun and realistic. good job Micky!
Entertaining in it's theories and ideas.......1998-09-18
An entertaining novel that is easy to read even for younger readers though the ideas and subjects are more adult oriented. Where others see shallowness in characters, I can see the focus in the depth of two, Larson and his Mentor. Honor, integrity, guilt, pain, insanity, anger, fear, and many more emotions constantly flowing. I enjoyed this.
Average customer rating:
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Shadow Fall (Godslayer)
James Clemens
Manufacturer: Orbit
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books | Alternate History | Anthologies | Arthurian | Contemporary | Epic | General | Historical | History & Criticism | Magic & Wizards | Series
ASIN: 1841493945 |
Product Description
story by BRIAN HOLGUIN art & cover by JAY ANACLETO In a far distant age of a world not our own, the Old Gods are dying, slaughtered one by one by the dark blade of a mysterious, unearthly marauder... Under the protection of the goddess Llyra, the island kingdom of Endra-La, oldest and most storied of the Shrouded Isles, has avoided the cruel fate suffered by lesser kingdoms. But on the eve of a royal wedding, black sails are spotted on the horizon. Alarms are sounded and fire fills the skies. The Godslayer has come for them at last. SPAWN: GODSLAYER is a dramatic re-imagining of TODD McFARLANE's Spawn, a sweeping tale of fallen kingdoms, ancient curses and doomed love, sure to appeal to fans of epic fantasies like Elric, Conan and The Lord of the Rings.
Books:
- History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2 (Chronology)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- House of Chains (The Malazan Book of the Fallen, Book 4)
Books Index
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