What do you think?
Rate this book
The Sundering #1
Banewreaker
If all that is good thinks you evil... are you? Once upon a time, the Seven Shapers dwelled in accord and Shaped the world to their will. But Satoris, the youngest among them, was deemed too generous in his gifts to the race of Men, and so began the Shapers' War, which Sundered the world. Now six of the Shapers lay to one end of a vast ocean, and Satoris to the other, reviled by even the race of Men. Satoris sits in his Darkhaven, surrounded by his allies. Chief among them is Tanaros Blacksword, immortal Commander General of his army. Once a mortal man who was betrayed by King and Wife, Tanaros fled to Darkhaven a thousand years ago, and in Satoris's service has redeemed his honor-but left his humanity behind. Now there is a new prophecy that tells of Satoris's destruction and the redemption of the world. To thwart it, Satoris sends Tanaros to capture the Lady of the Ellylon, the beautiful Cerelinde, to prevent her alliance with the last High King of Men. But Tanaros discovers that not all of his heart has been lost--his feelings for Cerelinde could doom Satoris, but save the race of Men...
512 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
200 people are currently reading
4897 people want to read
About the author
Jacqueline Carey
73 books8,411 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Jacqueline Carey (born 1964 in Highland Park, Illinois) is an author and novelist, primarily of fantasy fiction.
She attended Lake Forest College, receiving B.A.'s in psychology and English literature. During college, she spent 6 months working in a bookstore as part of a work exchange program. While there, she decided to write professionally. After returning she started her writing career while working at the art center of a local college. After ten years, she discovered success with the publication of her first book in 2001.
Currently, Carey lives in western Michigan and is a member of the oldest Mardi Gras krewe in the state.
Jacqueline Carey (born 1964 in Highland Park, Illinois) is an author and novelist, primarily of fantasy fiction.
She attended Lake Forest College, receiving B.A.'s in psychology and English literature. During college, she spent 6 months working in a bookstore as part of a work exchange program. While there, she decided to write professionally. After returning she started her writing career while working at the art center of a local college. After ten years, she discovered success with the publication of her first book in 2001.
Currently, Carey lives in western Michigan and is a member of the oldest Mardi Gras krewe in the state.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 291 reviews
October 21, 2016
If all that is good thinks you evil... are you?
This was an interesting deconstruction of LoTR that turned the normally black and white tale of good vs. evil into a much more ambiguous and challenging one and it was really brought to life by Carey's typically lush and ornate prose which fitted the epic scope and grandeur of the story well.
The main premise of this series is the idea that what if, instead of being a the malice-driven force of pure evil spitefully trying to destroy all that is good, Sauron (Satoris in this) was instead an emo kid having a row with his older, kinda arrogant and douchey, brother? As a fan of morally ambiguous storytelling I really enjoyed this change up and I especially appreciated how I found myself rooting for both the "good" and "evil" sides at different times.
Carey's lush, ornate prose was perfectly suited to this story. I enjoyed her writing style in the Kushiel's series although it sometimes seemed she was pushing it a bit, here her style is perfectly suited and has a great synergy with an epic tale of the battle between good and evil, mortals and gods over the course of millennia. Her writing style reminds me a bit of Tolkien's style and the old sagas he was inspired by but at the same time it's undoubtedly Carey's own unique style.
Carey did a brilliant job of creating a cast of likeable and understandable characters on both sides of the divide but ultimately I always sympathized the most with the "villains". Tanaros was probably the standout character for me as he was a really well done example of the "honorable warrior" fantasy trope done well with the added twist that he was serving the, apparent, Lord of Evil. I probably could have done without the constant brooding about his past but I guess your wife banging your best mate will do that. Incidentally it seems that no one in this world stumbled on the "bros before hos" (or whatever that would be in Carey's sweeping prose) code of conduct. A copy of Barney Stinson's the Bro Code would have saved a lot of trouble.
This was an enjoyable read that served as a nice introduction to a fantasy series with an intriguing premise that has been lived up to so far by a cast of sympathetic and brilliantly drawn characters and a well-developed plot.
This was an interesting deconstruction of LoTR that turned the normally black and white tale of good vs. evil into a much more ambiguous and challenging one and it was really brought to life by Carey's typically lush and ornate prose which fitted the epic scope and grandeur of the story well.
The main premise of this series is the idea that what if, instead of being a the malice-driven force of pure evil spitefully trying to destroy all that is good, Sauron (Satoris in this) was instead an emo kid having a row with his older, kinda arrogant and douchey, brother? As a fan of morally ambiguous storytelling I really enjoyed this change up and I especially appreciated how I found myself rooting for both the "good" and "evil" sides at different times.
Carey's lush, ornate prose was perfectly suited to this story. I enjoyed her writing style in the Kushiel's series although it sometimes seemed she was pushing it a bit, here her style is perfectly suited and has a great synergy with an epic tale of the battle between good and evil, mortals and gods over the course of millennia. Her writing style reminds me a bit of Tolkien's style and the old sagas he was inspired by but at the same time it's undoubtedly Carey's own unique style.
Carey did a brilliant job of creating a cast of likeable and understandable characters on both sides of the divide but ultimately I always sympathized the most with the "villains". Tanaros was probably the standout character for me as he was a really well done example of the "honorable warrior" fantasy trope done well with the added twist that he was serving the, apparent, Lord of Evil. I probably could have done without the constant brooding about his past but I guess your wife banging your best mate will do that. Incidentally it seems that no one in this world stumbled on the "bros before hos" (or whatever that would be in Carey's sweeping prose) code of conduct. A copy of Barney Stinson's the Bro Code would have saved a lot of trouble.
This was an enjoyable read that served as a nice introduction to a fantasy series with an intriguing premise that has been lived up to so far by a cast of sympathetic and brilliantly drawn characters and a well-developed plot.
March 19, 2008
(The date above applies to my most recent reading.)
If you're looking for epic battles, mighty and mysterious powers clashing in a fierce battle for survival, this book is a great place to look for that.
If you're looking for a battle with clear-cut, cleanly defined sides of good and evil. . .walk away. Run away. Fast.
This book and its companion, Godslayer, are the absolute greyest books I've ever read, by which I mean that the characters do not fall into such simple categories as merely "good" and "evil." Instead, they all act as they feel they must, and in that, all of them believe that they are right, and Jacqueline Carey spins the tale in such a manner that it's completely up to the reader which side, if either, is truly "good" or "evil." And she does this on the framework of another well-known archetypal fantasy series, with an examination of the characters and motivations that may change the way you look at that series as well.
These two books provoked great philosophical debate among me & me about the subjective natures of good and evil, and provoked a lot of thought on the topics. I heartily, highly recommend this book to anyone looking for something a bit more real in their fantasy reading, something a bit more human, more grey, and only heartily recommend it to others. *s*
The back cover of the book asks, "If all that is good thinks you're evil... are you?"
Are you?
It's a hard question, I will admit, but looking for the answer makes for an excellent book.
If you're looking for epic battles, mighty and mysterious powers clashing in a fierce battle for survival, this book is a great place to look for that.
If you're looking for a battle with clear-cut, cleanly defined sides of good and evil. . .walk away. Run away. Fast.
This book and its companion, Godslayer, are the absolute greyest books I've ever read, by which I mean that the characters do not fall into such simple categories as merely "good" and "evil." Instead, they all act as they feel they must, and in that, all of them believe that they are right, and Jacqueline Carey spins the tale in such a manner that it's completely up to the reader which side, if either, is truly "good" or "evil." And she does this on the framework of another well-known archetypal fantasy series, with an examination of the characters and motivations that may change the way you look at that series as well.
These two books provoked great philosophical debate among me & me about the subjective natures of good and evil, and provoked a lot of thought on the topics. I heartily, highly recommend this book to anyone looking for something a bit more real in their fantasy reading, something a bit more human, more grey, and only heartily recommend it to others. *s*
The back cover of the book asks, "If all that is good thinks you're evil... are you?"
Are you?
It's a hard question, I will admit, but looking for the answer makes for an excellent book.
May 3, 2012
Another old review from the blog:
Just finished Banewreaker the other night. I honestly didn't think I'd like it this much. The characters are just great and everything's a nice shade of grey. It's really hard not seeing the struggle from both perspectives and thinking, well I don't know who to root for.
Thanks Ms. Carey for a fun read, on to Godslayer.
Full Review Here
When I heard that this book was basically The Lord of the Rings told from the perspective of the losing side, I had to check it out. It’s told in a similar lyrical manner and it is reminiscent of LotR, but it is its own story in its own world just in case you were wondering.
I have to say that Banewreaker really grew on me. At first I thought it would be a likeable book that would be fun just for the fact that it’s told from the “bad” guys’ perspective. But, I’ve really grown to enjoy the world of Urulat along with the great cast of characters who are all trying their hardest to do their best, good or bad.
In the first few pages, we find out that there are 7 Shapers who have created the world of Urulat. Each Shaper has a certain gift. Satoris, the third born, is free with his gift to all of the creations of his siblings, but he is refused by his older brother, Haomane, who created the Ellylon (or pretty much the Elves). Haomane wants Satoris to take his gift back from Men and Satoris refuses. Thus begins the Sundering of the world and a time when Haomane spreads rumors declaring Satoris evil and Satoris is forced to take shelter with the Fjel (or the orcs for all intensive purposes).
And there you have it. Those that are considered “evil” are really just misunderstood. Don’t worry, this isn’t a huge spoiler since you learn all this in the first bit. What is great about this book is that each character believes he or she is doing the right thing. And really, who’s to say? Is it really the Ellyllons’ fault for following something they believe to be true? Are the Fjel really evil for helping a fellow being who’s in distress?
And the wonderful grey area continues to spread throughout the book. Tanaros, the immortal human general of Satoris’ army, really exemplifies this. Betrayed by his wife and king who had an adulterous affair, Tanaros kills them both and then finds sanctuary with Satoris in Darkhaven. Even though he is despised as the Betrayer or the Kingslayer in the realm of man, he is a champion in the eyes of those in Darkhaven.
One negative thing, but it really only has to do with the publishers. The Sundering was split into two books, Banewreaker and Godslayer, because it was getting too big. Together they total around 880 pages in mass market paperback, which normally isn't a big problem. Anyway, it's happened before and it's not a huge problem. The book's still great and I guess not so unwieldy to carry.
Who should read this? This is epic and lyrical and yet moves the plot very nicely. Read this when you’re in the mood for a change, when you want to get the feeling of what the other side is thinking; maybe it’s not all bad. Maybe we’re all just selfish and prideful. Whatever you do, you really should read it soon because it’s a great book.
Just finished Banewreaker the other night. I honestly didn't think I'd like it this much. The characters are just great and everything's a nice shade of grey. It's really hard not seeing the struggle from both perspectives and thinking, well I don't know who to root for.
Thanks Ms. Carey for a fun read, on to Godslayer.
Full Review Here
When I heard that this book was basically The Lord of the Rings told from the perspective of the losing side, I had to check it out. It’s told in a similar lyrical manner and it is reminiscent of LotR, but it is its own story in its own world just in case you were wondering.
I have to say that Banewreaker really grew on me. At first I thought it would be a likeable book that would be fun just for the fact that it’s told from the “bad” guys’ perspective. But, I’ve really grown to enjoy the world of Urulat along with the great cast of characters who are all trying their hardest to do their best, good or bad.
In the first few pages, we find out that there are 7 Shapers who have created the world of Urulat. Each Shaper has a certain gift. Satoris, the third born, is free with his gift to all of the creations of his siblings, but he is refused by his older brother, Haomane, who created the Ellylon (or pretty much the Elves). Haomane wants Satoris to take his gift back from Men and Satoris refuses. Thus begins the Sundering of the world and a time when Haomane spreads rumors declaring Satoris evil and Satoris is forced to take shelter with the Fjel (or the orcs for all intensive purposes).
And there you have it. Those that are considered “evil” are really just misunderstood. Don’t worry, this isn’t a huge spoiler since you learn all this in the first bit. What is great about this book is that each character believes he or she is doing the right thing. And really, who’s to say? Is it really the Ellyllons’ fault for following something they believe to be true? Are the Fjel really evil for helping a fellow being who’s in distress?
And the wonderful grey area continues to spread throughout the book. Tanaros, the immortal human general of Satoris’ army, really exemplifies this. Betrayed by his wife and king who had an adulterous affair, Tanaros kills them both and then finds sanctuary with Satoris in Darkhaven. Even though he is despised as the Betrayer or the Kingslayer in the realm of man, he is a champion in the eyes of those in Darkhaven.
One negative thing, but it really only has to do with the publishers. The Sundering was split into two books, Banewreaker and Godslayer, because it was getting too big. Together they total around 880 pages in mass market paperback, which normally isn't a big problem. Anyway, it's happened before and it's not a huge problem. The book's still great and I guess not so unwieldy to carry.
Who should read this? This is epic and lyrical and yet moves the plot very nicely. Read this when you’re in the mood for a change, when you want to get the feeling of what the other side is thinking; maybe it’s not all bad. Maybe we’re all just selfish and prideful. Whatever you do, you really should read it soon because it’s a great book.
June 22, 2020
Have you ever asked yourself "what if Sauron wasn't as bad as everyone said he was?"
Yeah I know I haven't either but apparently Jacqueline Carey has and the result is a kind of okay, realllllllyyyyy long, tragic (?), maybe love story, fantasy duology that probably left me scratching my head more than it did anything else.
You've heard this story eighty gazillion times if you're even marginally into fantasy epics. In the beginning the world was perfect. There were seven god types who all had various powers and dominion over various things and then mr. chief of the gods got all pissy at the god who controlled procreation and told him to take procreation away from man but procreation god is all "nuh uh" and chief god is all "you better!" and procreation is like "not happening" and so chief god sunders the world (I never quite got a handle on exactly what that meant) but blames procreation god and thousands of years pass during which all the "good" guys believe chief god even though he's a jerk and the "bad" guys follow procreation god.
Honestly its a really, really cool idea and quite a bit of the story really works. I really, really liked the main character Tanaros Blacksword who's procreation's immortal general. He's very layered and tragic and cool. A thousand years ago he killed his wife and liege lord after learning they'd betrayed him together and went to serve Satoris (procreation god). Satoris is all a bitter and wounded creature but unlike his brother, chief god, he's hands on with his followers, cares for them and gives them free will.
Its really, really interesting in Tanaros's head (much of the story is told from his perspective) and his whole backstory and journey are pretty epic.
The problem is this duology is essentially the other side of the Lord of the Rings. Don't get me wrong I don't think Carey is trying to pull a fast one, I think that's literally what she wanted to do, write the Lord of the Rings from like the perspective of the Nazgul Witch King.
Unfortunately that means that the ending is more or less a forgone conclusion and it all becomes very frustrating because you end up spending all your time just kind of wishing that the "good" guys would get their heads out of their asses and stop blindly following the "good" god. You also don't really get to spend ANY time with the good guys and when you do they're annoyingly perfect while they spout vague metaphors about chosen ones and prophecy's that you already know are bullshit.
There somehow just isn't enough here to really make a complete story. Like all the pieces are there, interesting characters, strong mythology, excellent writing and still it doesn't really work. The best comparison I can make is the movie "Solo" which also had all the right pieces of a hit film and yet still flopped spectacularly. Great director, screenwriter, solid actors, great special effects etc. but somehow no heart.
This ones a bit of a mystery.
Yeah I know I haven't either but apparently Jacqueline Carey has and the result is a kind of okay, realllllllyyyyy long, tragic (?), maybe love story, fantasy duology that probably left me scratching my head more than it did anything else.
You've heard this story eighty gazillion times if you're even marginally into fantasy epics. In the beginning the world was perfect. There were seven god types who all had various powers and dominion over various things and then mr. chief of the gods got all pissy at the god who controlled procreation and told him to take procreation away from man but procreation god is all "nuh uh" and chief god is all "you better!" and procreation is like "not happening" and so chief god sunders the world (I never quite got a handle on exactly what that meant) but blames procreation god and thousands of years pass during which all the "good" guys believe chief god even though he's a jerk and the "bad" guys follow procreation god.
Honestly its a really, really cool idea and quite a bit of the story really works. I really, really liked the main character Tanaros Blacksword who's procreation's immortal general. He's very layered and tragic and cool. A thousand years ago he killed his wife and liege lord after learning they'd betrayed him together and went to serve Satoris (procreation god). Satoris is all a bitter and wounded creature but unlike his brother, chief god, he's hands on with his followers, cares for them and gives them free will.
Its really, really interesting in Tanaros's head (much of the story is told from his perspective) and his whole backstory and journey are pretty epic.
The problem is this duology is essentially the other side of the Lord of the Rings. Don't get me wrong I don't think Carey is trying to pull a fast one, I think that's literally what she wanted to do, write the Lord of the Rings from like the perspective of the Nazgul Witch King.
Unfortunately that means that the ending is more or less a forgone conclusion and it all becomes very frustrating because you end up spending all your time just kind of wishing that the "good" guys would get their heads out of their asses and stop blindly following the "good" god. You also don't really get to spend ANY time with the good guys and when you do they're annoyingly perfect while they spout vague metaphors about chosen ones and prophecy's that you already know are bullshit.
There somehow just isn't enough here to really make a complete story. Like all the pieces are there, interesting characters, strong mythology, excellent writing and still it doesn't really work. The best comparison I can make is the movie "Solo" which also had all the right pieces of a hit film and yet still flopped spectacularly. Great director, screenwriter, solid actors, great special effects etc. but somehow no heart.
This ones a bit of a mystery.
September 17, 2007
I picked up this book because I enjoy the author - Jacqueline Carey - and her other series, Kushiel's Dart. She is an extremely talented author and I have not yet read a book by her that has not been wonderful.
This book, of course, is no exception and has not failed the high standards I set when reading Carey for the first time. As far as I am concerned, she is one of the very best fantasy writers. In this book, she has embraced the all-too standard fantasy setting of heroes, magic, dragons, and war, and has renewed what becomes stagnant in this genre. It's like reading this genre for the first time again.
The story itself is not told from the Heroes' point of view; there is your standard group of Companions; the warrior, the ranger, the archer, the sorcerer, and so forth. But rather, it is told from the 'bad guys' side, from the side that everyone is taught is supposed to be evil. The characters from whose view we see this story are not the good guys, but they're not the villains you're expecting; in fact, I've come to view the 'good guys' in the wrong light through this expert storytelling. What also makes this book so well worth reading is the fact that a lot of the story is seen through characters that most fantasy books consider 'minor'; they play major roles in this book unlike I've read anywhere else.
I am simply blown away by Carey and her ability to create characters that could be real, settings that are entirely viewable in the mind's eye, and by the way she writes.
This book, of course, is no exception and has not failed the high standards I set when reading Carey for the first time. As far as I am concerned, she is one of the very best fantasy writers. In this book, she has embraced the all-too standard fantasy setting of heroes, magic, dragons, and war, and has renewed what becomes stagnant in this genre. It's like reading this genre for the first time again.
The story itself is not told from the Heroes' point of view; there is your standard group of Companions; the warrior, the ranger, the archer, the sorcerer, and so forth. But rather, it is told from the 'bad guys' side, from the side that everyone is taught is supposed to be evil. The characters from whose view we see this story are not the good guys, but they're not the villains you're expecting; in fact, I've come to view the 'good guys' in the wrong light through this expert storytelling. What also makes this book so well worth reading is the fact that a lot of the story is seen through characters that most fantasy books consider 'minor'; they play major roles in this book unlike I've read anywhere else.
I am simply blown away by Carey and her ability to create characters that could be real, settings that are entirely viewable in the mind's eye, and by the way she writes.
October 31, 2014
A high fantasy novel but an epic tragedy rather than a heroic epic. This is closely based on the events in Tolkien's Silmarillion and the lord of the rings. But simply describing it as the lord of the rings told from Sauron's point of view would be doing it injustice. All the similarities are only superficial as the characters and the emotionally powerful prose add a lot of interesting nuances to the story.
Like in her previous books themes of passion and sexuality play an important part in the story. But it also raises interesting questions regarding morality, fate, loyalty and honor and love and hatred.
In the end it does a reasonably good job of challenging the notions of good and evil in a typical epic fantasy setting.
I would recommend this if you don't mind Carey's dense, overwrought and self-indulgent prose.
Like in her previous books themes of passion and sexuality play an important part in the story. But it also raises interesting questions regarding morality, fate, loyalty and honor and love and hatred.
In the end it does a reasonably good job of challenging the notions of good and evil in a typical epic fantasy setting.
I would recommend this if you don't mind Carey's dense, overwrought and self-indulgent prose.
April 14, 2010
Reasons I disliked this book:
1. Flagrant ripoff of LOTR plot, themes, and characters. I can appreciate some similarities but it got ridiculous when the Galdalf character was momentarily removed from the plot while trying to save the unsuspected small hero from detection and death (with the obvious implication that he would be back soon). A couple other ones:
- Deity organization of an overarching god (Uru-Alat from Carey and Iluvatar from Tolkien), who made a family circle of under gods (Shapers and Ainur), who then made the various races of the land.
- One of the gods rebels and causes a split in the world (Satoris and Melkor)
- An object of power is misused and split up (Souma and Silmarils)
- Massive war splits the world (both referred to in terms of 'Sundering') and creates an antagonist who holds some kind of grudge against the gods.
- Races of the land (Ellylon, Men, Fjeltrol, and Dwarves in Carey, Elves, Men, Orcs, and Dwarves in Tolkien) bear many similarities in who makes them and what they can do.
- Formation of a company to put an end to the antagonist's power, including a bearer (of the Water of Life or the One Ring), a mysterious magician (Malthus or Gandalf), a warrior, an elf, and some tag along characters.
That's as many as I can bear to think of but it just gets more and more flagrant the longer the book carries on. I understand paying tribute to Tolkien and I can even accept some plot similarities but this was just so painfully obvious that it felt like Carey had just decided to do Tolkien her way. In short, it was poorly done.
2. The characters were flat and didn't seem to be connected to their actions at all. For example, Tanaros is devoted to his master, Satoris but he feels some inexplicable urge to justify everything to Cerelinde.
3. The chapters presumably cover a specific period of time and are made up of of small sections about the main characters, but they disjointed and just don't make sense.
4. Everyone ruminates over everything. All. The. Time. Tanaros is bitter about his wife sleeping with the King. Satoris hates his brothers and sisters for sundering the world. Cerelinde plays at loving Aracus Altorus, the man she is supposed to marry to fulfill the prophecy that drives the plot (and which also bears an alarming resemblance to "All that is gold does not glitter"). Ushahin the Dreamspinner gnaws on his anger at human and the Ellylon (see Elves) and backs himself into self-pity corner. Lilias constantly worries about her stolen power and is obsessed with the beauty of her "pretty ones." I just don't see how obsession is meant to accomplish anything except to make the characters extremely annoying, like whinny children.
5. Carey is not suited to writing sweeping epics, her writing style is more suited to writing character driven stories like the books in the Kushiel series. She can't carry the elevated writing style that usually characterizes epics and she spends too much time on the thoughts of each character, when really she should be weaving plot lines together. The book is a disjointed mess of poorly developed character emotions and motivations and confusing plot lines.
I love Carey's Kushiel series but this was not at all what I expected. Also, not nearly enough sensuous sex scenes; I think she referenced penises twice in the first half of the book, which is a stark contrast to her Kushiel books, where "phallus," "shaft," and other tasteful references are rife.
1. Flagrant ripoff of LOTR plot, themes, and characters. I can appreciate some similarities but it got ridiculous when the Galdalf character was momentarily removed from the plot while trying to save the unsuspected small hero from detection and death (with the obvious implication that he would be back soon). A couple other ones:
- Deity organization of an overarching god (Uru-Alat from Carey and Iluvatar from Tolkien), who made a family circle of under gods (Shapers and Ainur), who then made the various races of the land.
- One of the gods rebels and causes a split in the world (Satoris and Melkor)
- An object of power is misused and split up (Souma and Silmarils)
- Massive war splits the world (both referred to in terms of 'Sundering') and creates an antagonist who holds some kind of grudge against the gods.
- Races of the land (Ellylon, Men, Fjeltrol, and Dwarves in Carey, Elves, Men, Orcs, and Dwarves in Tolkien) bear many similarities in who makes them and what they can do.
- Formation of a company to put an end to the antagonist's power, including a bearer (of the Water of Life or the One Ring), a mysterious magician (Malthus or Gandalf), a warrior, an elf, and some tag along characters.
That's as many as I can bear to think of but it just gets more and more flagrant the longer the book carries on. I understand paying tribute to Tolkien and I can even accept some plot similarities but this was just so painfully obvious that it felt like Carey had just decided to do Tolkien her way. In short, it was poorly done.
2. The characters were flat and didn't seem to be connected to their actions at all. For example, Tanaros is devoted to his master, Satoris but he feels some inexplicable urge to justify everything to Cerelinde.
3. The chapters presumably cover a specific period of time and are made up of of small sections about the main characters, but they disjointed and just don't make sense.
4. Everyone ruminates over everything. All. The. Time. Tanaros is bitter about his wife sleeping with the King. Satoris hates his brothers and sisters for sundering the world. Cerelinde plays at loving Aracus Altorus, the man she is supposed to marry to fulfill the prophecy that drives the plot (and which also bears an alarming resemblance to "All that is gold does not glitter"). Ushahin the Dreamspinner gnaws on his anger at human and the Ellylon (see Elves) and backs himself into self-pity corner. Lilias constantly worries about her stolen power and is obsessed with the beauty of her "pretty ones." I just don't see how obsession is meant to accomplish anything except to make the characters extremely annoying, like whinny children.
5. Carey is not suited to writing sweeping epics, her writing style is more suited to writing character driven stories like the books in the Kushiel series. She can't carry the elevated writing style that usually characterizes epics and she spends too much time on the thoughts of each character, when really she should be weaving plot lines together. The book is a disjointed mess of poorly developed character emotions and motivations and confusing plot lines.
I love Carey's Kushiel series but this was not at all what I expected. Also, not nearly enough sensuous sex scenes; I think she referenced penises twice in the first half of the book, which is a stark contrast to her Kushiel books, where "phallus," "shaft," and other tasteful references are rife.
November 29, 2012
The Sundering is basically Jacqueline Carey's retelling of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, but from the perspective of what we think of as "the bad guys". It's beautifully written with language that is reminiscent of Tolkien, but without being nearly as long-winded when it comes to descriptions of basic fantasy elements (race, class, politics, etc). Both this book and the sequel (Godslayer) do a marvelous job of blending shades of grey. The characters that should be "evil" are actually very likeable, and you find yourself understanding why they do everything and even rooting for them much of the time, while the "good" characters come off almost like religious fanatics - believing blindly in something that may or may not be for the good of all, even when faced with conflicting evidence. Plus, they wind up seeming overly righteous and uppity. If you're a fan of old school fantasy (and Tolkien in particular) you will either love these books for the the new and interesting perspective, or hate them because you can recognize characters that you think are over done. I, personally, enjoyed them greatly...but I'm also a hard core fantasy nerd.
February 27, 2022
10/5 🌟 😂
Les ténèbres dans un écrin d'élégance ❤️
Ce livre est une beauté !! Une épopée d'epique Fantasy comme on en lit peu et qui va me rester très longtemps en tête et dans mon cœur.
C'est un coup de foudre magistrale et pour peu que vous aimiez Tolkien, ce livre est comparé au Silmarillion, version Jacqueline Carey 🌹... Le poids des mots est savamment pesé et l'histoire qui se déroule sous nos yeux m'a totalement pris aux tripes ❤️😭
Le rythme est très bien dosé, entre mise en place de l'univers, des pions, moments d'introspections et batailles épiques.
La magie est sublime.
Jacqueline Carey a un don incroyable pour mettre en lumière les ténèbres...
J'adore et j'en redemande 🤩
Les ténèbres dans un écrin d'élégance ❤️
Ce livre est une beauté !! Une épopée d'epique Fantasy comme on en lit peu et qui va me rester très longtemps en tête et dans mon cœur.
C'est un coup de foudre magistrale et pour peu que vous aimiez Tolkien, ce livre est comparé au Silmarillion, version Jacqueline Carey 🌹... Le poids des mots est savamment pesé et l'histoire qui se déroule sous nos yeux m'a totalement pris aux tripes ❤️😭
Le rythme est très bien dosé, entre mise en place de l'univers, des pions, moments d'introspections et batailles épiques.
La magie est sublime.
Jacqueline Carey a un don incroyable pour mettre en lumière les ténèbres...
J'adore et j'en redemande 🤩
January 12, 2019
I firmly believe that fantasy novels should have magic and excitement and not just be a worse version of the War of the Roses. So Banewreaker totally fits the bill for an excellent fantasy novel, unlike a certain high fantasy novel where you have to wait 806 pages for the dragons to show up. (I'm gonna roast GOT til I die probably. Can't stop, won't stop.) Banewreaker is brimming with fierce battles, courtly love, and cool terminology & internal logic. And there are awesome talking dragons that you meet early on! (This is a high selling point to me, as it should be for you. Dragons are lit when you actually get to see them. No pun intended.)
In the beginning, seven gods called the Shapers populated the world of Urulat and filled it with their creations. The sibling gods lived in harmony until the eldest, Haomane, decided his brother Satoris needed to revoke his gift from humans. When Satoris refused, Urulat was Sundered and the Shapers' War began. The other six Shapers waged war against Satoris from across the sea, using humans and Ellyl (beautiful immortal people) to fight on their behalf. Satoris retreated to Darkhaven, a stronghold he created for himself and his followers. Eventually, Tanaros became his right-hand man. Disillusioned and betrayed, Tanaros was a human general who defected to Darkhaven. In exchange for immortality, Tanaros became Satoris's general. Over a thousand years later, Satoris has Tanaros kidnap the Ellyl Lady Cerelinde in order to prevent a prophecy of Haomane's—that would spell the end for Darkhaven—from coming true. But meeting Cerelinde awakens long dormant vestiges of humanity in Tanaros. And both Tanaros and Cerelinde begin to question their long held beliefs in their respective sides of the war.
Carey lays out the whole history of Urulat's creation and the Sundering in the prologue. It's refreshingly clear to the reader and feels like a creation myth you could find in a classic book of mythology. With its rich mythology and history, you can feel all the 1,000s of years that brought things to this point in Banewreaker. Carey adds seamlessly to the initial worldbuilding throughout. Like in Kushiel's Dart, Carey explores the pitfalls of religion and blind faith. She shows both sides of the conflict, especially depths you don't always get to see for the traditional "villain" characters. No side seems completely right or wrong, each believes in the validity of what they're trying to achieve, and they fervently think their respective Shapers are in the right. It brings into sharp relief the futility of war. When characters from opposing sides cross paths, it's fascinating to see them hear a different viewpoint after hearing propaganda their whole lives.
In Banewreaker, Carey subverts fantasy tropes. Darkhaven is a literal haven for outcasts from human society and other creatures who are undervalued compared to Men and Ellyl in Urulat. The "good" guys can be so righteous and are definitely sometimes the instigators. Haomane is an absent god, tyrannical, vengeful, and jealous. He can't abide anyone challenging him, even millennia later when Satoris just wants to be left in peace.
There's a pleasingly archaic quality to the prose. There are repeating phrases throughout that feel like the repetitious lines of a ballad, giving the writing a music & flow, a poetry. Carey delivers beautiful descriptions and language. Banewreaker contains epic images and set pieces (at one point I literally felt like I was charging across Urulat on a fearsome steed. I got way into this novel). The landscapes of Urulat are fabulous.
I liked how even though Cerelinde is a prisoner, Satoris and Tanaros treat her with courtesy and respect. Tanaros admires Cerelinde and is chivalrous to her: "Though he was her enemy, he treated her with unfailing courtesy."
I love that medieval shit, don't @ me. The magic is really cool, including the magically gifted animals. There's something called a Ravensmirror! (It's as cool as it sounds.) And the talking dragons! I can't stress this enough. These dragons are both sassy and wise, wryly amused by the humans & other creatures of Urulat and their comparatively trifling concerns. This tale of adventure has an impressively wide scope. There are various characters on different quests, many of them at cross-purposes. Carey shifts from one storyline to the next with ease. Here are vast vistas of storytelling. It's an all-encompassing view of this world. Banewreaker has a great ending, paving the way for the next book perfectly.
I'm so glad I read Banewreaker and got back into Jacqueline Carey, years after loving her novel Kushiel's Dart. In Banewreaker, Carey does some cool riffing on LOTR (which I haven't read yet, but I want to this year and I love the movies). The story raises issues of agency and free will. From the gorgeous cover to the wonderful map to the enthralling story itself, Banewreaker is a great novel. I loved it. I can't wait to get back to the action and the varied cast of characters and see how The Sundering duology concludes. I have some predictions but we shall see!
In the beginning, seven gods called the Shapers populated the world of Urulat and filled it with their creations. The sibling gods lived in harmony until the eldest, Haomane, decided his brother Satoris needed to revoke his gift from humans. When Satoris refused, Urulat was Sundered and the Shapers' War began. The other six Shapers waged war against Satoris from across the sea, using humans and Ellyl (beautiful immortal people) to fight on their behalf. Satoris retreated to Darkhaven, a stronghold he created for himself and his followers. Eventually, Tanaros became his right-hand man. Disillusioned and betrayed, Tanaros was a human general who defected to Darkhaven. In exchange for immortality, Tanaros became Satoris's general. Over a thousand years later, Satoris has Tanaros kidnap the Ellyl Lady Cerelinde in order to prevent a prophecy of Haomane's—that would spell the end for Darkhaven—from coming true. But meeting Cerelinde awakens long dormant vestiges of humanity in Tanaros. And both Tanaros and Cerelinde begin to question their long held beliefs in their respective sides of the war.
Carey lays out the whole history of Urulat's creation and the Sundering in the prologue. It's refreshingly clear to the reader and feels like a creation myth you could find in a classic book of mythology. With its rich mythology and history, you can feel all the 1,000s of years that brought things to this point in Banewreaker. Carey adds seamlessly to the initial worldbuilding throughout. Like in Kushiel's Dart, Carey explores the pitfalls of religion and blind faith. She shows both sides of the conflict, especially depths you don't always get to see for the traditional "villain" characters. No side seems completely right or wrong, each believes in the validity of what they're trying to achieve, and they fervently think their respective Shapers are in the right. It brings into sharp relief the futility of war. When characters from opposing sides cross paths, it's fascinating to see them hear a different viewpoint after hearing propaganda their whole lives.
In Banewreaker, Carey subverts fantasy tropes. Darkhaven is a literal haven for outcasts from human society and other creatures who are undervalued compared to Men and Ellyl in Urulat. The "good" guys can be so righteous and are definitely sometimes the instigators. Haomane is an absent god, tyrannical, vengeful, and jealous. He can't abide anyone challenging him, even millennia later when Satoris just wants to be left in peace.
There's a pleasingly archaic quality to the prose. There are repeating phrases throughout that feel like the repetitious lines of a ballad, giving the writing a music & flow, a poetry. Carey delivers beautiful descriptions and language. Banewreaker contains epic images and set pieces (at one point I literally felt like I was charging across Urulat on a fearsome steed. I got way into this novel). The landscapes of Urulat are fabulous.
I liked how even though Cerelinde is a prisoner, Satoris and Tanaros treat her with courtesy and respect. Tanaros admires Cerelinde and is chivalrous to her: "Though he was her enemy, he treated her with unfailing courtesy."
I love that medieval shit, don't @ me. The magic is really cool, including the magically gifted animals. There's something called a Ravensmirror! (It's as cool as it sounds.) And the talking dragons! I can't stress this enough. These dragons are both sassy and wise, wryly amused by the humans & other creatures of Urulat and their comparatively trifling concerns. This tale of adventure has an impressively wide scope. There are various characters on different quests, many of them at cross-purposes. Carey shifts from one storyline to the next with ease. Here are vast vistas of storytelling. It's an all-encompassing view of this world. Banewreaker has a great ending, paving the way for the next book perfectly.
I'm so glad I read Banewreaker and got back into Jacqueline Carey, years after loving her novel Kushiel's Dart. In Banewreaker, Carey does some cool riffing on LOTR (which I haven't read yet, but I want to this year and I love the movies). The story raises issues of agency and free will. From the gorgeous cover to the wonderful map to the enthralling story itself, Banewreaker is a great novel. I loved it. I can't wait to get back to the action and the varied cast of characters and see how The Sundering duology concludes. I have some predictions but we shall see!
March 9, 2012
oh my, it has been a long time since I read something so overwhelmingly pretentious.
Other people have mentioned in their reviews that this was a pastiche of the Lord of the Rings, it's not, it's more like the very old fantasy novels, the ones Tolkien had pretty much stamped out. For a reason.
The very first fantasy novel in print was not the lord of the rings, it was "The Well at the World's End" by William (Wallpaper) Morris from 1896. And his prose was like his wallpaper overwrought and heavy, and here Miss Carey has very clearly aped it.
The idea (as most of hers are) is good, but the book itself has that same wonderful medievalism that is so common in those books, the girl stolen from the bower, the damned general, the young king searching for the byrd helen, etc
but those books fell out of favour for a reason, they were old fashioned when they were new. This felt awkward and contrived and I gave up at about five hundred pages in.
I admit as a modern reader I like my prose simple and starkly lovely. I do not need thirty lines of prose describing a woman's hair, I want the writer to get on with it and tell me the story. If I want to read that kind of thing I will find the originals. It's mastubatory and that drives me nuts, this is a book which is proud of it's own cleverness, and wants to stand up with Chrettiene de Troyes and Lord Dunsany but lacks spark and replaces it with a heavy thesaurus.
I really didn't like this book, so why i read another book by the author soon after I do not know, but I did.
I will not be reading the sequel.
Other people have mentioned in their reviews that this was a pastiche of the Lord of the Rings, it's not, it's more like the very old fantasy novels, the ones Tolkien had pretty much stamped out. For a reason.
The very first fantasy novel in print was not the lord of the rings, it was "The Well at the World's End" by William (Wallpaper) Morris from 1896. And his prose was like his wallpaper overwrought and heavy, and here Miss Carey has very clearly aped it.
The idea (as most of hers are) is good, but the book itself has that same wonderful medievalism that is so common in those books, the girl stolen from the bower, the damned general, the young king searching for the byrd helen, etc
but those books fell out of favour for a reason, they were old fashioned when they were new. This felt awkward and contrived and I gave up at about five hundred pages in.
I admit as a modern reader I like my prose simple and starkly lovely. I do not need thirty lines of prose describing a woman's hair, I want the writer to get on with it and tell me the story. If I want to read that kind of thing I will find the originals. It's mastubatory and that drives me nuts, this is a book which is proud of it's own cleverness, and wants to stand up with Chrettiene de Troyes and Lord Dunsany but lacks spark and replaces it with a heavy thesaurus.
I really didn't like this book, so why i read another book by the author soon after I do not know, but I did.
I will not be reading the sequel.
January 21, 2012
I have to admit that I have (provisionally) decided to put this book down (after reading perhaps 20%, because it is simply too boring.
I can understand that it is a deliberate pastiche of Lord of the Rings, and similar fantasy works, told from the point-of-view of the "evil" characters. However, it simply doesn't have the quality of Jacqueline Carey's other works.
My strong suspicion is that this was her first attempt at writing a novel, which was rejected by publishers, and then picked up again after the success of the excellent Kushiel Trilogy. Unfortunately, there is just too much information overload at the beginning - unfamiliar names, a large backstory, and a large cast of characters that are just dumped on the reader in the first couple of chapters. Other series have all of the above, but introduce them gently, so the reader doesn't feel overwhelmed. A good editor could have done wonders here...
I can understand that it is a deliberate pastiche of Lord of the Rings, and similar fantasy works, told from the point-of-view of the "evil" characters. However, it simply doesn't have the quality of Jacqueline Carey's other works.
My strong suspicion is that this was her first attempt at writing a novel, which was rejected by publishers, and then picked up again after the success of the excellent Kushiel Trilogy. Unfortunately, there is just too much information overload at the beginning - unfamiliar names, a large backstory, and a large cast of characters that are just dumped on the reader in the first couple of chapters. Other series have all of the above, but introduce them gently, so the reader doesn't feel overwhelmed. A good editor could have done wonders here...
January 15, 2024
Epic in scope.
Adventurous in pacing.
Sometimes dense and slow.
But the build-up of the backstory is quite epic.
All characters are well-developed and worth getting to know
Solid 4 Stars
Adventurous in pacing.
Sometimes dense and slow.
But the build-up of the backstory is quite epic.
All characters are well-developed and worth getting to know
Solid 4 Stars
May 11, 2024
"We are all pawns in the Shapers' war. The difference is that some of us know it and some do not."
It's a story about perspective. It's a story about gods and mortals who find themselves their pawns. It's a story about prejudice and hate. It's a story about love and sacrifices.
It's an epic fantasy from the Dark Lord Satoris perspective. He really does not want to harm anyone least of all his siblings but he isn't given a choice. And he cares for his people as best as he can. This review is gonna discuss the setup and themes so not much spoilers but beware.
Satoris has three emissaries also called the Branded because they wear his brand.
"It is Ushahin's choice to wear this broken face, these crippiled hands. He was not denied. He chose to keep his pain and his madness. Again and again he has chosen."
Ushahin is halfbreed who's a result of a war crime and who has been treated horribly because of it. Now he takes in all the unwanted people in Darkhaven and makes them servants of the Darkhaven. Also he's the spymaster with ravens. Person who has every reason to hate the world but chooses not to is my favorite trope ever.
Tanaros is the war general who upon finding out his king slept with his wife had killed then both and fled from Darkhaven. Some 1000 years later he still misses her every day.
Vorax is the simplest character in this book. He is responsible so supply lines and money. And in his free time he drinks and enjoys pretty things.
I couldn't put this book down I NEED TO KNOW IF MY FAVES ARE OKAY PLS. 😭 I loved every second of it.
P. S. You know thr book's been written by a woman when she mentions people begging for death because giving birth is really painful.
It's a story about perspective. It's a story about gods and mortals who find themselves their pawns. It's a story about prejudice and hate. It's a story about love and sacrifices.
It's an epic fantasy from the Dark Lord Satoris perspective. He really does not want to harm anyone least of all his siblings but he isn't given a choice. And he cares for his people as best as he can. This review is gonna discuss the setup and themes so not much spoilers but beware.
Satoris has three emissaries also called the Branded because they wear his brand.
"It is Ushahin's choice to wear this broken face, these crippiled hands. He was not denied. He chose to keep his pain and his madness. Again and again he has chosen."
Ushahin is halfbreed who's a result of a war crime and who has been treated horribly because of it. Now he takes in all the unwanted people in Darkhaven and makes them servants of the Darkhaven. Also he's the spymaster with ravens. Person who has every reason to hate the world but chooses not to is my favorite trope ever.
Tanaros is the war general who upon finding out his king slept with his wife had killed then both and fled from Darkhaven. Some 1000 years later he still misses her every day.
Vorax is the simplest character in this book. He is responsible so supply lines and money. And in his free time he drinks and enjoys pretty things.
I couldn't put this book down I NEED TO KNOW IF MY FAVES ARE OKAY PLS. 😭 I loved every second of it.
P. S. You know thr book's been written by a woman when she mentions people begging for death because giving birth is really painful.
dnf
June 6, 2023Look I can't fault this one, it's the most extreme of it's not you it's me I've encountered in all my reading years. I just did not enjoy the stress of two sides at war and wanting both to "win."
December 14, 2016
Jacqueline Carey's "The Sundering" series (Banewrecker and Godslayer) is something I want to write — almost. It's approximately Lord of the Rings from the point of view of Sauron and his chief lieutenants. Except in one or two important regards, like Satoris (the Sauron-equivalent) is not particularly evil, basically passive, and, crucially, not particularly winning at any point in the book.
The writing kinda needs editing. There's a shck-ton of repetititititition. Yes, we remember that Satoris has an unhealable, eternally-dripping wound. It's a major plot point. It is fine and sensible to mention it when the wound or its side effects are on-screen. But Carey mentions it at every available opportunity, which is about twice too often. Ditto another dozen points of setting. A crucial final conversation between two characters is replayed at least half a dozen times, complete with funny accent.
Aside from that: Satoris is a quasi-hero. He has been vilified by Ellyl (elves) and Men and the head god, but for an act that was not particularly wicked. So we don't exactly get to see how evil characters justify their wickedness to themselves — we get the less-interesting but still worthwhile point of view of characters who most of the world portrays as evil based on flimsy evidence.
And of course Satoris pretty much never wins a battle in the book. Lord of the Rings is notable because the forces of good are so badly outnumbered and outgunned, and Sauron's forces regularly win battles, capture hobbits, and send the heroes fleeing. But Satoris, not the forces of good, is in that position here.
BTW, Ellyl is approximately the Welsh word for "fiend". Carey seems to have used quasi-real Welsh at least one other place (cysgod=shadow), so maybe she intended this. The Ellyl are not fiends in their own eyes of course.
And there's the prophecy and the Great Story, into which most of the main events of the book fit. I fricking hate that trope.
Anyhow, I'm kinda vilifying it here, but this is more by way of notes of what I want to do differently if I ever get into that.
Good features: the orc-equivalents and warg-equivalents are pretty reasonable. (Except I dunno how they are said to "not have the gift of thought".) They're not caricatures, which orcs so often are. The Water of Life storyline is handled quite nicely, and that interesting fluid's special properties are original and well-used. The Aragorn-equivalent got just enough screentime, which isn't very much. The LotR nods were cute (like the spidery path to get into Mordor-equivalent — normal spiders). Actually I was pretty happy with most of the characters and plot.
The writing kinda needs editing. There's a shck-ton of repetititititition. Yes, we remember that Satoris has an unhealable, eternally-dripping wound. It's a major plot point. It is fine and sensible to mention it when the wound or its side effects are on-screen. But Carey mentions it at every available opportunity, which is about twice too often. Ditto another dozen points of setting. A crucial final conversation between two characters is replayed at least half a dozen times, complete with funny accent.
Aside from that: Satoris is a quasi-hero. He has been vilified by Ellyl (elves) and Men and the head god, but for an act that was not particularly wicked. So we don't exactly get to see how evil characters justify their wickedness to themselves — we get the less-interesting but still worthwhile point of view of characters who most of the world portrays as evil based on flimsy evidence.
And of course Satoris pretty much never wins a battle in the book. Lord of the Rings is notable because the forces of good are so badly outnumbered and outgunned, and Sauron's forces regularly win battles, capture hobbits, and send the heroes fleeing. But Satoris, not the forces of good, is in that position here.
BTW, Ellyl is approximately the Welsh word for "fiend". Carey seems to have used quasi-real Welsh at least one other place (cysgod=shadow), so maybe she intended this. The Ellyl are not fiends in their own eyes of course.
And there's the prophecy and the Great Story, into which most of the main events of the book fit. I fricking hate that trope.
Anyhow, I'm kinda vilifying it here, but this is more by way of notes of what I want to do differently if I ever get into that.
Good features: the orc-equivalents and warg-equivalents are pretty reasonable. (Except I dunno how they are said to "not have the gift of thought".) They're not caricatures, which orcs so often are. The Water of Life storyline is handled quite nicely, and that interesting fluid's special properties are original and well-used. The Aragorn-equivalent got just enough screentime, which isn't very much. The LotR nods were cute (like the spidery path to get into Mordor-equivalent — normal spiders). Actually I was pretty happy with most of the characters and plot.
March 9, 2009
Where Terry Brook's "Sword of Shannara" read like an embarrassing echo of Tolkein, Carey is clearly doing what she is doing with deliberation: Haomane's children are the Elves, the Charred Ones the ignorant-yet-wise hobbits. Sartoris Third-Born is Morgoth, and more. Carey even echoes Tolkein's fascination with layered and complex histories weaving as they do into mythology until it is difficult to truly judge where one ends and the other begins.
I admire greatly Carey's goal. Take "The Lord of the Rings" as it would be if Morgoth and Sauron were in fact merely victims of an effective public relations campaign by the Free Peoples. Here, the trolls are good, the betrayers are justified, and the elves are arrogant, condescending pricks.
Still, I hesitated to give this better than three stars because despite her intent at redirecting Tolkein's work, it was jarring to what degree it instead mirrored it. The problem is that Carey's theme didn't really require the Tolkein-esque allusions, and in fact suffered from them. She took Tolkein's layered and complex histories and mimicked them too well, including the information overload aspect of Tolkein's work, something that didn't really benefit anything beyond overwhelming any reader not blessed with a flowchart or an eidetic memory.
All this being said, I genuinely did enjoy the book, specifically the ideas behind it and her primary protagonist character. The tapestry this played out against, however, would have benefited from Carey being more confident in her own well-proven ability to establish her own world and trust the reader to embrace her underlying themes for themself.
I admire greatly Carey's goal. Take "The Lord of the Rings" as it would be if Morgoth and Sauron were in fact merely victims of an effective public relations campaign by the Free Peoples. Here, the trolls are good, the betrayers are justified, and the elves are arrogant, condescending pricks.
Still, I hesitated to give this better than three stars because despite her intent at redirecting Tolkein's work, it was jarring to what degree it instead mirrored it. The problem is that Carey's theme didn't really require the Tolkein-esque allusions, and in fact suffered from them. She took Tolkein's layered and complex histories and mimicked them too well, including the information overload aspect of Tolkein's work, something that didn't really benefit anything beyond overwhelming any reader not blessed with a flowchart or an eidetic memory.
All this being said, I genuinely did enjoy the book, specifically the ideas behind it and her primary protagonist character. The tapestry this played out against, however, would have benefited from Carey being more confident in her own well-proven ability to establish her own world and trust the reader to embrace her underlying themes for themself.
November 26, 2008
Jacqueline Carey's Banewreaker is nothing like her Kushiel books. It's written in third person, not first, which brings a lot of differences right there. You're not as close to the characters, for one thing, which makes it slightly less intense. The writing is still lovely, though. Less personal, more epic and Tolkienesque, but still nice to read.
It's an interesting concept, though: the epic like Lord of the Rings from the point of view of the bad guys, sympathetic to the bad guys. I think it's done pretty well, it's quite a good reflection of the old 'there's two sides to every story'. It actually makes me hesitant to read Godslayer, because of what's likely to happen. Doesn't good always win?
The parallels to Lord of the Rings are pretty blatant. There's a Frodo equivalent, the Nazgul equivalents, a Saruman equivalent... I didn't mind it because the point isn't a new story, it's a new side to an old story, which I think Carey brings across just fine.
The characters, as I said, you don't get as close to as in the Kushiel books, but they're still interesting characters. There's a huge range of them: humans, elf-equivalents, god-equivalents, troll-equivalents... It's going to hurt no matter which side loses, thanks to the affection I have for the some of the characters. There are a lot of interesting characters, too, despite the derivative plot -- the Three immortal servants of Satoris are pretty interesting, but especially Ushahin, with his adoption by the Were and his double heritage. Very, very interesting.
I both can't wait to read Godslayer and don't want to. I'm futilely hoping for a happy end, but I know Carey doesn't mind hurting characters she loves, so I know it's pretty much futile.
It's an interesting concept, though: the epic like Lord of the Rings from the point of view of the bad guys, sympathetic to the bad guys. I think it's done pretty well, it's quite a good reflection of the old 'there's two sides to every story'. It actually makes me hesitant to read Godslayer, because of what's likely to happen. Doesn't good always win?
The parallels to Lord of the Rings are pretty blatant. There's a Frodo equivalent, the Nazgul equivalents, a Saruman equivalent... I didn't mind it because the point isn't a new story, it's a new side to an old story, which I think Carey brings across just fine.
The characters, as I said, you don't get as close to as in the Kushiel books, but they're still interesting characters. There's a huge range of them: humans, elf-equivalents, god-equivalents, troll-equivalents... It's going to hurt no matter which side loses, thanks to the affection I have for the some of the characters. There are a lot of interesting characters, too, despite the derivative plot -- the Three immortal servants of Satoris are pretty interesting, but especially Ushahin, with his adoption by the Were and his double heritage. Very, very interesting.
I both can't wait to read Godslayer and don't want to. I'm futilely hoping for a happy end, but I know Carey doesn't mind hurting characters she loves, so I know it's pretty much futile.
May 20, 2013
This is probaly one of the most exciting books I have ever read. I usually skip alot of the descriptive parts, but not this book. I literally read every single word. I could not put this book down. I carried it with me everywhere. It's a highly addictive read if you like paranormal/fantasy. This book, which is book one, is appropriate for teens. There was no sex in this book.
It begins with the way the world came into extistence, followed by shapers who gave the earth and its children, gifts such as: the moon and stars, the sun, magic, immortality etc. The eldest brother of the shapers became annoyed at the youngest who gave his gifts to everyone, which was immortality. Commanded he stop, but the shaper refused. The eldest, turning the other shapers against the youngest, made war. The young shaper being wounded fled far away and created his own little world for himself and those who made alliance with him including, soldiers, dreamspinner, ravens, dragons, sorceresses, the were, the well of life and much more. Lying in wait, til one day, a red star appeared marking the filling of prophecys and ending the world as they knew it. So, another battle commences. The author tells the story so intriguingly, you will want to read it again.
This book was truly wonderful.
It begins with the way the world came into extistence, followed by shapers who gave the earth and its children, gifts such as: the moon and stars, the sun, magic, immortality etc. The eldest brother of the shapers became annoyed at the youngest who gave his gifts to everyone, which was immortality. Commanded he stop, but the shaper refused. The eldest, turning the other shapers against the youngest, made war. The young shaper being wounded fled far away and created his own little world for himself and those who made alliance with him including, soldiers, dreamspinner, ravens, dragons, sorceresses, the were, the well of life and much more. Lying in wait, til one day, a red star appeared marking the filling of prophecys and ending the world as they knew it. So, another battle commences. The author tells the story so intriguingly, you will want to read it again.
This book was truly wonderful.
July 31, 2010
I have to admit that this book did not capture me right away, and it was only through forcing myself to continue reading that I got to the meaty goodness of the story. The book is a loose parallel to Tolkein's Lord of the Rings trilogy, as told from the side of, well, evil. I wish now that I hadn't found this out beforehand, because getting attached to the "bad guys" and knowing their ultimate fate made it that much harder to stomach, but let's not get ahead of ourselves.
This was a masterful treatment of a much-beloved trilogy, from a completely engaging perspective. What WAS the other side of the story? As Carey has made clear in the Kushiel series, she is very good at taking inspiration from a world and making it her own- so don't go into this expecting an exact rehashing of Lord of the Rings. It's inspired, and if you know that you can pick out the similarities, but you probably wouldn't notice the parallels until looking for them.
I'm glad I forced myself to keep reading!
This was a masterful treatment of a much-beloved trilogy, from a completely engaging perspective. What WAS the other side of the story? As Carey has made clear in the Kushiel series, she is very good at taking inspiration from a world and making it her own- so don't go into this expecting an exact rehashing of Lord of the Rings. It's inspired, and if you know that you can pick out the similarities, but you probably wouldn't notice the parallels until looking for them.
I'm glad I forced myself to keep reading!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 10, 2017
When I decided to read this, it was because reviews were saying this is The Lord of the Rings, but written from the point of the view of the vilain. I am a big fan of the LotR and this made me curious and excited.
When I read it my enthousiasm faded a bit. Yes, it is easy to recognize the characters of the LotR and this is indeed written from the point of view of the vilain, but he it isn't very exciting. I have to say the vilain, although morally ambiguous, is rather campy.
A like of excitement and camp blocked me from reading the second partof this duology. It is shame. I really wanted to know the Sauron of this novel motivations, but it was just a let down.
I do not recommend this book.
When I read it my enthousiasm faded a bit. Yes, it is easy to recognize the characters of the LotR and this is indeed written from the point of view of the vilain, but he it isn't very exciting. I have to say the vilain, although morally ambiguous, is rather campy.
A like of excitement and camp blocked me from reading the second partof this duology. It is shame. I really wanted to know the Sauron of this novel motivations, but it was just a let down.
I do not recommend this book.
September 18, 2020
I have mixed feelings about this book. I enjoyed it while I was reading, but when I put it down I wasn’t racing to pick it back up again like I have with Carey’s other books.
This duology is a take on the Lord of the Rings trilogy, but told from the perspective of those who many see as evil. It’s main interesting feature is the way it makes the reader question the good vs evil dichotomy so present in most epic fantasy and shows that it is not all black and white.
I thought the world was interesting, but I wished the characters, particularly Cerelinde, were less one note. Maybe because many characters are an homage to LotR, but some fell a little flat.
This was not my favorite Jacqueline Carey book, but I own the other book in the series so I’ll read that next and see if it improves on Banewreaker.
This duology is a take on the Lord of the Rings trilogy, but told from the perspective of those who many see as evil. It’s main interesting feature is the way it makes the reader question the good vs evil dichotomy so present in most epic fantasy and shows that it is not all black and white.
I thought the world was interesting, but I wished the characters, particularly Cerelinde, were less one note. Maybe because many characters are an homage to LotR, but some fell a little flat.
This was not my favorite Jacqueline Carey book, but I own the other book in the series so I’ll read that next and see if it improves on Banewreaker.
February 23, 2015
Great book. She aimed for Tolkienesque and she got it. Amazing characters and storyline. But that's par for the course with JC.
No not that JC the other one.
The Three were amazing and I really really hated the "good" guys. Aracus, Malthus, Ingolin to name a few. Blaise was alright. But he's no Blacksword.
Can't wait to read the next one. And I'll tell you I'll never be able to watch Lord of the Rings again without thinking "Have you tried listening to what Sauron has to say?"
No not that JC the other one.
The Three were amazing and I really really hated the "good" guys. Aracus, Malthus, Ingolin to name a few. Blaise was alright. But he's no Blacksword.
Can't wait to read the next one. And I'll tell you I'll never be able to watch Lord of the Rings again without thinking "Have you tried listening to what Sauron has to say?"
June 13, 2007
This book is not my usual kind of favorite, but I think the author does a brilliant job of telling a story from an unusual perpective. Of course this story is the quintissential lord of the rings group adventure story, but the perspective is from the dark side. She gives this classic epic a great deal of depth and complexity. I love the second one too.
September 17, 2019
It started with a typical made-up pantheistic creation story: the gods being a bunch of spoiled brats who fight each other. Their various peoples fight each other too. Well, with such role models, what else should they do?
I flipped ahead, checked a few pages, and all I found was gloomy endless war and hatred. Tossed into the 'return to library' pile.
I flipped ahead, checked a few pages, and all I found was gloomy endless war and hatred. Tossed into the 'return to library' pile.
March 28, 2018
A poignant and a intense tale written with heart-wrenching passion. This is pure classic epic fantasy, but, is more shaded in grey. It definitely bears the influence of Tolkien, and is done in a more humanely manner than its great predecessor. Many of the readers tend to dismiss it as a LOTR clone, and, I admonish the rest not to fall into this fallacy. Banewreaker is the unexplored potential of Tolkien's mythopoeia, a continuation of the grand legacy in a more profound and original manner of subversion more suited to the modern sensibilities.
The worldbuilding and the mythology has echoes of Tolkien's 'Silmarillion'. Jacqueline Carey has undoubtedly taken inspiration from the lores and myths of Tolkien's world, but, she has succeeded in making it her own. She imbues her tale with an Miltonic majesty, which is subtle, limited, and sublime at the same time. Critically, I would say it as a Deconstruction of the LOTR in ways we have never imagined, but, it is also much more and beyond that Derridian concept. Of course, one can read it as the other side of the story, whom the victors painted as the villain in their grand songs and stories. Whereas, doing so will limit the reader's vision of encompassing the epic panorama of events.
Gods, Immortals, and mortals clash in Carey's world. There is a Fallen God, who is pursued by his kin as the root of evil. There are Dragons with their ancient knowledge and wisdom. There are magical races, dwarves, trolls, and men caught in an ancient war since time began. There are prophecies, manipulations, and alliances. It's totally incredible how each layers are weaved like an intricate tapestry.
The characters are as complex as anything that one might find in current fantasy. They are cloaked in various shades of grey. Be it the Lord Shaper Sartoris, who is in war against his elder brother. Sartoris is one of the most intriguing, and complex divine characters ever written. His downfall, betrayal by his kin, his grievous wound and unfathomable sorrow resounds in every page of the story. Tanaros is also one such character who is changed by pain of betrayal, a great tragedy of love. Ushashin the half-breed, with his tinge of pain, suffering, and a flicker of insanity is too changed by his fate. There is so much of emotional depth in the characters, with our own echoes of fears, doubts, the strong bond of friendship and loyalty. One cannot help but admire them, root for them in their grand struggle and plight.
Banewreaker is filled with passion to the brim. Carey writes with such a lyrical intensity that, it will leave the reader moist-eyed in some occasions. Never had I loved the trolls this much after reading them in this novel. Their sense of unflinching loyalty, simple camaraderie touched my heart. And, gods, the Dragons were majestic. There is a magic in this book, deeper and filled with tragic undertones that wrings the heart. Carey has created something special in this novel. I urge the fantasy lovers out there to read this beautiful tale.
The worldbuilding and the mythology has echoes of Tolkien's 'Silmarillion'. Jacqueline Carey has undoubtedly taken inspiration from the lores and myths of Tolkien's world, but, she has succeeded in making it her own. She imbues her tale with an Miltonic majesty, which is subtle, limited, and sublime at the same time. Critically, I would say it as a Deconstruction of the LOTR in ways we have never imagined, but, it is also much more and beyond that Derridian concept. Of course, one can read it as the other side of the story, whom the victors painted as the villain in their grand songs and stories. Whereas, doing so will limit the reader's vision of encompassing the epic panorama of events.
Gods, Immortals, and mortals clash in Carey's world. There is a Fallen God, who is pursued by his kin as the root of evil. There are Dragons with their ancient knowledge and wisdom. There are magical races, dwarves, trolls, and men caught in an ancient war since time began. There are prophecies, manipulations, and alliances. It's totally incredible how each layers are weaved like an intricate tapestry.
The characters are as complex as anything that one might find in current fantasy. They are cloaked in various shades of grey. Be it the Lord Shaper Sartoris, who is in war against his elder brother. Sartoris is one of the most intriguing, and complex divine characters ever written. His downfall, betrayal by his kin, his grievous wound and unfathomable sorrow resounds in every page of the story. Tanaros is also one such character who is changed by pain of betrayal, a great tragedy of love. Ushashin the half-breed, with his tinge of pain, suffering, and a flicker of insanity is too changed by his fate. There is so much of emotional depth in the characters, with our own echoes of fears, doubts, the strong bond of friendship and loyalty. One cannot help but admire them, root for them in their grand struggle and plight.
Banewreaker is filled with passion to the brim. Carey writes with such a lyrical intensity that, it will leave the reader moist-eyed in some occasions. Never had I loved the trolls this much after reading them in this novel. Their sense of unflinching loyalty, simple camaraderie touched my heart. And, gods, the Dragons were majestic. There is a magic in this book, deeper and filled with tragic undertones that wrings the heart. Carey has created something special in this novel. I urge the fantasy lovers out there to read this beautiful tale.
February 15, 2019
The premise is a Tolkeinesque high fantasy told from the perspective of the "evil" characters, although the character of Satoris seems more influenced by Milton's Satan than by Sauron. It was really hard for me to get into this book at first. The author bombards you with info dump backstory in the beginning, with character switches every couple of pages. But with time, the world sucked me in and grew on me and I ended up really enjoying it. It does get a bit slow at times, and there are some problems with the execution, but I appreciated the concept and how she created empathy for both sides of this battle who believe they are in the right.
July 14, 2017
a challenging and not particularly enjoyable(for me) read.
May 13, 2017
Long Ages ago, the Seven Shapers forged the world in accordance with the will of their creator, out of whose death they were born. However, Satoris the Sower refused the command of Haomane Firstborn and was named a traitor. For many long Ages Haomane and Satoris struggled, until the world was Sundered. The other six Shapers now dwell in the uttermost west, whilst Satoris finds himself constantly assailed by their servants in Urulat.
Tanaros, one of the Three and Satoris's most stalwart servant, is given an important mission. He must prevent Haomane's Prophecy from coming to pass by seizing the Lady of the Ellylon, Cerelinde, before she can marry the Aracus Altorus, the rightful King of the West. But this kidnapping itself may have set in motion the events that Satoris has long tried to avoid...
Read at a purely surface level, the plot precis of Banewreaker (the first book in the Sundering duology) sounds more than a bit familiar. But this is deliberate: in these two novels Jacqueline Carey launches a revisionist broadside at the works of J.R.R. Tolkien. At a very simple level, this is the story of The Silmarillion, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings (though chronologically mixed-up) as told from Morgoth's point of view (and, more overtly, the Witch-King of Angmar's, though Sauron also plays a role).
Of course, Carey reworks the names, concepts, races and ideas a fair bit so she doesn't get sued into oblivion by the Tolkien Estate, but these changes are hardly impenetrable, and it's still straightforward enough to work out who is who from the Tolkien mythos. At the same time, Carey imbues her characters with enough depth that they stand on their own two feet and after a while you start to forget the artistic intent behind the series in favour of its own narrative and storyline.
The Sundering is essentially an 'epic tragedy', and it's telling that each book opens with a quote from Paradise Lost. The duology is set in a world where there are two distinct sides, the 'dark' forces led by a fallen deity and consisting of an army of trolls led by 'fallen' Men, and a 'light' side led by stalwart heroes, noble Ellylon (elves with the serial numbers filed off) and a plucky innocent hero who has to take a magical trinket of enormous power (in this case, slightly oddly, a bucket of water) into the heart of enemy territory. The 'good guys' are also advised by a wise and powerful wizard who at one point undergoes an unexpected transformation. The story, spun by the wizard and his cronies, is that Satoris wrecked the world through greed and avarice, and continues to be responsible for all that is evil in Urulat. However, Satoris claims that he only desired freedom of voice and expression and was brutally supressed by the supposedly wise Haomane, who has incessantly pursued Satoris out of vengeance ever since.
The reader is invited to make their own judgement on the truth of the matter, mostly through the character of Cerelinde who is initially a paid-up supporter of Team White Hat. Arriving at Satoris's fortress of Darkhaven, she finds it guarded by fell trolls and maintained by an army of ugly and twisted minions...but the trolls turn out to be honourable and brave warriors, and the minions are outcasts turned out from the world of Men and Ellylon who have been given shelter by Satoris and are treated kindly. As the book progresses, Cerelinde finds herself questioning her own rote acceptance of the written version of history, but at the same time Satoris and his own minions, attacked once again by their enemies, find it difficult to resist becoming what Haomane's PR makes them out to be, evil and destructive monsters.
It's a clever idea for a book, going beyond the mild revisionist intent of Tad Williams' Memory, Sorrow and Thorn (where he merely gave his dark lord a motivation, but didn't attempt to justify the evil he'd still carried out), but the book cannot survive on its intent alone. As an individual work with its own storyline and characters, Banewreaker is satisfying and well-written, with Carey managing the trick of echoing Tolkien's prose style without slavishly following it (and thankfully not even attempting any poems). Events build to a tragic conclusion as an epic battle is fought between two sides where both are in the right and in the wrong, and the stage is set for a bigger confrontation to come in the concluding volume of the story, Godslayer (although the actual ending of the book is a little random, the result of this being one long novel split in two and not two separately-written instalments).
Banewreaker (****) is an intelligent and refreshing take on the traditional epic fantasy novel and is a well-written and enjoyable story in its own right.
Tanaros, one of the Three and Satoris's most stalwart servant, is given an important mission. He must prevent Haomane's Prophecy from coming to pass by seizing the Lady of the Ellylon, Cerelinde, before she can marry the Aracus Altorus, the rightful King of the West. But this kidnapping itself may have set in motion the events that Satoris has long tried to avoid...
Read at a purely surface level, the plot precis of Banewreaker (the first book in the Sundering duology) sounds more than a bit familiar. But this is deliberate: in these two novels Jacqueline Carey launches a revisionist broadside at the works of J.R.R. Tolkien. At a very simple level, this is the story of The Silmarillion, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings (though chronologically mixed-up) as told from Morgoth's point of view (and, more overtly, the Witch-King of Angmar's, though Sauron also plays a role).
Of course, Carey reworks the names, concepts, races and ideas a fair bit so she doesn't get sued into oblivion by the Tolkien Estate, but these changes are hardly impenetrable, and it's still straightforward enough to work out who is who from the Tolkien mythos. At the same time, Carey imbues her characters with enough depth that they stand on their own two feet and after a while you start to forget the artistic intent behind the series in favour of its own narrative and storyline.
The Sundering is essentially an 'epic tragedy', and it's telling that each book opens with a quote from Paradise Lost. The duology is set in a world where there are two distinct sides, the 'dark' forces led by a fallen deity and consisting of an army of trolls led by 'fallen' Men, and a 'light' side led by stalwart heroes, noble Ellylon (elves with the serial numbers filed off) and a plucky innocent hero who has to take a magical trinket of enormous power (in this case, slightly oddly, a bucket of water) into the heart of enemy territory. The 'good guys' are also advised by a wise and powerful wizard who at one point undergoes an unexpected transformation. The story, spun by the wizard and his cronies, is that Satoris wrecked the world through greed and avarice, and continues to be responsible for all that is evil in Urulat. However, Satoris claims that he only desired freedom of voice and expression and was brutally supressed by the supposedly wise Haomane, who has incessantly pursued Satoris out of vengeance ever since.
The reader is invited to make their own judgement on the truth of the matter, mostly through the character of Cerelinde who is initially a paid-up supporter of Team White Hat. Arriving at Satoris's fortress of Darkhaven, she finds it guarded by fell trolls and maintained by an army of ugly and twisted minions...but the trolls turn out to be honourable and brave warriors, and the minions are outcasts turned out from the world of Men and Ellylon who have been given shelter by Satoris and are treated kindly. As the book progresses, Cerelinde finds herself questioning her own rote acceptance of the written version of history, but at the same time Satoris and his own minions, attacked once again by their enemies, find it difficult to resist becoming what Haomane's PR makes them out to be, evil and destructive monsters.
It's a clever idea for a book, going beyond the mild revisionist intent of Tad Williams' Memory, Sorrow and Thorn (where he merely gave his dark lord a motivation, but didn't attempt to justify the evil he'd still carried out), but the book cannot survive on its intent alone. As an individual work with its own storyline and characters, Banewreaker is satisfying and well-written, with Carey managing the trick of echoing Tolkien's prose style without slavishly following it (and thankfully not even attempting any poems). Events build to a tragic conclusion as an epic battle is fought between two sides where both are in the right and in the wrong, and the stage is set for a bigger confrontation to come in the concluding volume of the story, Godslayer (although the actual ending of the book is a little random, the result of this being one long novel split in two and not two separately-written instalments).
Banewreaker (****) is an intelligent and refreshing take on the traditional epic fantasy novel and is a well-written and enjoyable story in its own right.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 291 reviews