What do you think?
Rate this book
The Stone Dance of the Chameleon #3
The Third God
Amidst the massacre he helped bring about, Carnelian is now desperate to find a way to avoid more carnage. His spurned lover Osidian—seeking revenge and determined to win back his stolen throne—has deliberately stoked the wrath of the Masters who rule the world from its center, Osrakum. Osidian's actions threaten to overturn the repressive order of the Commonwealth, and Carnelian soon learns that he and those he loves are inextricably enmeshed in the terrible power game of the Masters. If he is to survive, he has no choice but to stand with Osidian in defiance of the invincible power of the Masters. In his struggle, Carnelian will unleash apocalyptic forces that will bring his world to a reckoning none could have foreseen, though it has been simmering for 4,000 years.
704 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
7 people are currently reading
373 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
June 27, 2010
Wow! At 900 pages, this one took me a couple of months, but in a good way. The closing volume of a most original fantasy trilogy, this long-awaited book had a lot to do. Having kept us waiting 7 years for this one, Pinto could have thrown us a little rope with a quick summary of the story so far: instead I spent the first 100 pages desperately trying to recall earlier details. Still, this will not be a problem for new readers coming to this remarkable trilogy.
This is a fantasy unique in many ways. For instance, there is no magic, no [verified:] gods, no separately-created races (despite appearances). The nearest thing to the supernatural is a handful of prophetic(?) dreams - more sauce than sorcery. The books depict a world in which an aristocratic elite, the Chosen, live in unthinkable splendour, supported by rigid law that routinely inflicts ceaseless brutality on everybody else. Our hero Carnelian, by an accident of upbringing, is unaccustomed to the world to which he belongs, and finds himself bound to follow the dictates of a conscience that is alien to the rest of his kind.
The most strikingly unusual feature of these books for me is that the 'problem' to be solved is unnassailably vast. It is not a simple matter of destroying a ring, swapping to the right king, or defeating a dark lord in a final battle: rather, the entire structure of society is rotted through, and it seemed impossible that this third volume could get the job done without massive catastrophe and all hell breaking loose.
So, what ingenious solution did Pinto have up his sleeve? Massive catastrophe and all hell breaking loose! Carnelian and his ruthless ex-lover Osidian (the gay content is another novelty) head back to Osrakum, pushing a wave of destruction before them, equally responsible despite their wildly differing motives. This huge book is a relentless crescendo, in which Pinto constantly ups the ante of spectacle and atrocity - all this in a graceful prose that is exotic without drawing attention to itself:
And at the end of this journey, even as a new balance seems to have been achieved, the inescapable consequences of both action and history produce an extraordinary outcome, packed with startling revelations.
This turns out to be a moral fable of a high order, refreshing both in its imagination and its sense of purpose. Where can Pinto go from here? I look forward to finding out.
This is a fantasy unique in many ways. For instance, there is no magic, no [verified:] gods, no separately-created races (despite appearances). The nearest thing to the supernatural is a handful of prophetic(?) dreams - more sauce than sorcery. The books depict a world in which an aristocratic elite, the Chosen, live in unthinkable splendour, supported by rigid law that routinely inflicts ceaseless brutality on everybody else. Our hero Carnelian, by an accident of upbringing, is unaccustomed to the world to which he belongs, and finds himself bound to follow the dictates of a conscience that is alien to the rest of his kind.
The most strikingly unusual feature of these books for me is that the 'problem' to be solved is unnassailably vast. It is not a simple matter of destroying a ring, swapping to the right king, or defeating a dark lord in a final battle: rather, the entire structure of society is rotted through, and it seemed impossible that this third volume could get the job done without massive catastrophe and all hell breaking loose.
So, what ingenious solution did Pinto have up his sleeve? Massive catastrophe and all hell breaking loose! Carnelian and his ruthless ex-lover Osidian (the gay content is another novelty) head back to Osrakum, pushing a wave of destruction before them, equally responsible despite their wildly differing motives. This huge book is a relentless crescendo, in which Pinto constantly ups the ante of spectacle and atrocity - all this in a graceful prose that is exotic without drawing attention to itself:
"Welcome, Celestial," said Labyrinth's homunculus. "We have brought the means by which you shall be cleansed of the taint of the outer world."
It seemed to Carnelian it would take more than unguents to do that.
And at the end of this journey, even as a new balance seems to have been achieved, the inescapable consequences of both action and history produce an extraordinary outcome, packed with startling revelations.
This turns out to be a moral fable of a high order, refreshing both in its imagination and its sense of purpose. Where can Pinto go from here? I look forward to finding out.
July 26, 2016
The Third God is the third and final book in Ricardo Pinto's The Stone Dance of the Chameleon series, published by Bantam in 2009. In The Chosen we were introduced to Carnelian and Osidian, got to explore the politics and brutality of The Three Lands, and felt angry when Carnelian and Osidian were betrayed by the ones they loved. In The Standing Dead we were introduced to the people of the Earthsky, fell in love with beauty of the sprawling plains, and came to loathe Osidian as he systematically conquered each tribe to create his own personal army.
The story picks up immediately from the events of the second book with Carnelian, Fern and Poppy learning that Osidian has massacred the whole Ochre tribe as a means to unite the Earthsky tribes into an army that can challenge his brother Molochite and help regain his rightful place as God Emperor. With Osidian severely weakened after his communion with his God, Carnelian takes up the leadership of the army hoping that he can bring some meaning to the senseless destruction of his tribe by toppling the brutal reign of the Chosen and bring freedom to the people of the Earthsky. As Carnelian and Osidian close in on Osrakum, the battles become bloodier and the consequences become much greater and much more horrific than Carnelian could have imagined. And while the representatives of the two Gods are waging their bloody war, the third God is watching, waiting for the opportune moment to exact the revenge that has been simmering for hundreds of years.
This was a very difficult book to read. I wanted to keep reading it because the settings were amazingly detailed and the characters were so complex and fascinating, but at times I couldn't bring myself to keep reading because just looking at the book reminded me of how slow the pacing was and how long it was taking me to read. As in his two previous books, Pinto has again demonstrated a rare mastery of the English language allowing him to create settings and characters abundant with substance and detail. At times this abundance can be quite excessive and unbalanced, but when Pinto does get the balance right the pages just melt away and this book becomes a pleasure to read.
I think the biggest improvement from the second book is that I have finally come to care about the characters and their stories, even Osidian towards the end. The main cast has been reduced which I believe has allowed Pinto to tighten his control in order to maintain a consistency with his characters that had previously been lacking. The characters just seem far more polished and believable and it makes for a much more engaging story.
This book is very much a showcase of the very best and the very worst that Pinto has to offer, with the brilliant prose and exquisite imagery offset by some very poor pacing that can be quite boring at times. Fortunately, there are enough hooks to keep you coming back during the slow times as the pace picks up dramatically in the second half of the book. This is one book you really need to keep coming back to because in one of the final chapters Pinto delivers two of the most stunning pages of fantasy writing that manages to completely redefine the way you look at the whole series. Those two pages on their own have elevated The Stone Dance of the Chameleon from what was a very good fantasy series to what I think is a great fantasy series that you must read.
The story picks up immediately from the events of the second book with Carnelian, Fern and Poppy learning that Osidian has massacred the whole Ochre tribe as a means to unite the Earthsky tribes into an army that can challenge his brother Molochite and help regain his rightful place as God Emperor. With Osidian severely weakened after his communion with his God, Carnelian takes up the leadership of the army hoping that he can bring some meaning to the senseless destruction of his tribe by toppling the brutal reign of the Chosen and bring freedom to the people of the Earthsky. As Carnelian and Osidian close in on Osrakum, the battles become bloodier and the consequences become much greater and much more horrific than Carnelian could have imagined. And while the representatives of the two Gods are waging their bloody war, the third God is watching, waiting for the opportune moment to exact the revenge that has been simmering for hundreds of years.
This was a very difficult book to read. I wanted to keep reading it because the settings were amazingly detailed and the characters were so complex and fascinating, but at times I couldn't bring myself to keep reading because just looking at the book reminded me of how slow the pacing was and how long it was taking me to read. As in his two previous books, Pinto has again demonstrated a rare mastery of the English language allowing him to create settings and characters abundant with substance and detail. At times this abundance can be quite excessive and unbalanced, but when Pinto does get the balance right the pages just melt away and this book becomes a pleasure to read.
I think the biggest improvement from the second book is that I have finally come to care about the characters and their stories, even Osidian towards the end. The main cast has been reduced which I believe has allowed Pinto to tighten his control in order to maintain a consistency with his characters that had previously been lacking. The characters just seem far more polished and believable and it makes for a much more engaging story.
This book is very much a showcase of the very best and the very worst that Pinto has to offer, with the brilliant prose and exquisite imagery offset by some very poor pacing that can be quite boring at times. Fortunately, there are enough hooks to keep you coming back during the slow times as the pace picks up dramatically in the second half of the book. This is one book you really need to keep coming back to because in one of the final chapters Pinto delivers two of the most stunning pages of fantasy writing that manages to completely redefine the way you look at the whole series. Those two pages on their own have elevated The Stone Dance of the Chameleon from what was a very good fantasy series to what I think is a great fantasy series that you must read.
January 22, 2012
Wow. Finally finished. This has been one of the hardest reads of my life. Not that I'm saying it wasn't a good read - it very much was. A complex, challenging fantasy-bordering-science-fiction with amazing characters and a world so alien and yet so deeply realised it's hard to describe the level of detail in it, or indeed even picture it while reading. What made it hard was the unrelenting brutality of it - first, the cold, aloof brutality of the Masters, the ruling class of Nephilim-like humans possessing incredibly beauty, learning and military might; last, the earthy, gross brutality of the rising lower classes in all their beastialism. In between, the brutality of love lost, of self lost, of way of life lost, of hope lost.
And yet, among all this, sparks of hope, of love, of compassion. It was the kind of book that you walk away from knowing you're read something special, something that you're probably not going to read again for a while. You don't necessarily walk away having truly enjoyed the experience, not in the frothy, escapist entertainment sense of the word, but you know it was Important.
Too grandiose a statement for 'just a book'? Maybe. But this is the kind of thing that separates the casual escapist readers from the true believers. This would defeat those who aren't prepared to give a story - a highly demanding and deeply rewarding story - their everything. It almost defeated me (particularly at Book 2), but I am so so glad I soldiered through.
And yet, among all this, sparks of hope, of love, of compassion. It was the kind of book that you walk away from knowing you're read something special, something that you're probably not going to read again for a while. You don't necessarily walk away having truly enjoyed the experience, not in the frothy, escapist entertainment sense of the word, but you know it was Important.
Too grandiose a statement for 'just a book'? Maybe. But this is the kind of thing that separates the casual escapist readers from the true believers. This would defeat those who aren't prepared to give a story - a highly demanding and deeply rewarding story - their everything. It almost defeated me (particularly at Book 2), but I am so so glad I soldiered through.
July 2, 2011
Nunca demorei tanto tempo a acabar de ler um livro como este. Não sei porque é que demorei tanto, mas valeu a pena. É fantástico, o autor consegue virar o mundo de cabeça para baixo nas últimas 100 páginas, e pôr em questão tudo aquilo que lemos nos quase três volumes. Genial, simplesmente genial. Com camadas sobre camadas de sentidos e de significados, é um livro que é impossível ler apenas uma vez. A trilogia está no meu top de livros favoritos, como é lógico, e o autor também.
Aconselho vivamente a quem queira ler uma história complexa, em que as personagens têm uma profundidade incrível e não se ficam pelo vulgar "bom/mau".
Aconselho vivamente a quem queira ler uma história complexa, em que as personagens têm uma profundidade incrível e não se ficam pelo vulgar "bom/mau".
February 9, 2018
I loved this book and how Ricardo Pinto wrapped up The Stone Dance of the Chameleon. There are some plot twists in here I did not see coming. I also came to terms with one of the villains from the first book, which I did not expect at all. While only a minor part of the story, I loved the family themes in here.
December 3, 2021
The Stone Dance of the Chameleon trilogy is a captivating yarn. The story takes place in a utopian world in which authority is given to The Chosen, those with supposed divine blood. And The Chosen thus create a complex political balance to maintain their desired utopian existence. The main political players are the God Emperor, The Wise and The Masters; all of which reside in the hidden city of Osrakum. The plainsmen, considered barbarians, reside far removed from the walls of Osrakum scattered into tribes throughout the vast surrounding land, named The Greenland. The Chosen oppress the plainsmen through strict rule and punishment. Chosen individuals wear elaborate masks to conceal their divine countenance; for a plainsmen (or any un-chosen) to look upon the face of The Chosen results in immediate blinding. Mutilation, torture and death are oft used by The Chosen to enforce the Law-that-must-be-obeyed. Themes of punishment and overt pain run throughout the Stone Dance of the Chameleon.
Carnelian is the protagonist of The Stone Dance of the Chameleon. Carnelian is a Master thus meaning he's Chosen. Carnelian's blood has a high taint making him (and his role in politics) of great importance. The Chosen are cruel. There is very little compassion among The Chosen, save for Carnelian. Carnelian is compassion personified.
The reader is introduced to Carnelian in the first book titled "The Chosen". Carnelian is exiled with his father, Suth Carnelian. Suth is sought out by three Masters - Aurum, Jasper, and Imago - to return to Osrakum to participate in the election of a new God Emperor. And thus Carnelian begins to learn of the cruel nature of politics and the unquestionably harsh cannon of the Law-that-must-be-obeyed. Once in Osrakum, Carnelian falls in love with a brilliant young man named Osidian. The book ends with the election gone awry, resulting in Carnelian and Osidian forcibly removed from Osrakum to the barbarian lands.
The second book "The Standing Dead" chronicles Carnelian and Osidian among the Ochre plainsmen tribe and Osidian's machinations for return to Osrakum. Plainsmen are considered barbarians; however, the reader quickly learns that they are of sophistication. What plainsmen lack in Chosen complexity they make up with compassion and understanding. It is here that Carnelian witnesses the blight that is The Chosen and thus doffs his Chosen birth and adopts a Ochre plainsmen lifestyle. The readers is also made aware of Osidian's superior political intellect, tactical military mind and resolve to ultimately have what he considers to be his. Osidian's actions ultimately lead Carnelian to fall out of love with him, and to fall in love with a Ochre plainsman named Fern. The book concludes with Osidian manipulating Carnelian and Fern, and forcing all of the plainsmen tribes in laying seize to Osrakum.
The third book "The Third God" recounts Osidian's war with Osrakum and his ultimate rise to God Emperor. Facts are made aware that redefine The Chosen world and Carnelian's actions lead to the ultimate dissemination of the Law-that-must-be-obeyed, resulting in a rebirth of sorts (I won't give specifics away).
The story is captivating. But Ricardo Pinto's presentation could have used refinement. This was Pinto's first professional attempt at writing and it shows throughout the trilogy's progression. The first book is difficult, painful to get through. First half of "The Chosen" is driven by geography. Pinto goes through great length to describe Carnelian's journey from exile to Osrakum to the point that my eyes glazed over at excessive landscape descriptions. Then, it is as if Pinto realizes his error and switches to character driven plot at the second half of "The Chosen". Pinto continues this momentum throughout the second book and then somehow stumbles in his third volume. Pinto's mastery of the English language and stylized pros are unfortunately interrupted by unneeded verbiage. Pinto's "The Third God" is the longest of the three novels but in truth the book could have dropped approximately one-hundred to one-hundred and fifty pages and still maintained the thrust of the story.
Verbosity aside, Pinto did deliver a fantastic conclusion to a truly original story. The final chapters were just beautiful. Definitely worth the journey. I would expand more on the story but I don't want to give away too much. In closing, The Stone Dance of Chameleon is a refreshing fantasy piece. But I suspect many a reader lacks the resolve to make it through the first novel and the perseverance to navigate the third novel to the trilogy's resplendent conclusion.
Post Script: I very much appreciated that Pinto wrote a fantasy involving a gay protagonist (Carnelian) and his love triangle. As a gay man, I can say that Carnelian's romantic emotions and actions felt authentic. I found it fascinating that homosexuality wasn't an issue in The Stone Dance of the Chameleon universe.
Carnelian is the protagonist of The Stone Dance of the Chameleon. Carnelian is a Master thus meaning he's Chosen. Carnelian's blood has a high taint making him (and his role in politics) of great importance. The Chosen are cruel. There is very little compassion among The Chosen, save for Carnelian. Carnelian is compassion personified.
The reader is introduced to Carnelian in the first book titled "The Chosen". Carnelian is exiled with his father, Suth Carnelian. Suth is sought out by three Masters - Aurum, Jasper, and Imago - to return to Osrakum to participate in the election of a new God Emperor. And thus Carnelian begins to learn of the cruel nature of politics and the unquestionably harsh cannon of the Law-that-must-be-obeyed. Once in Osrakum, Carnelian falls in love with a brilliant young man named Osidian. The book ends with the election gone awry, resulting in Carnelian and Osidian forcibly removed from Osrakum to the barbarian lands.
The second book "The Standing Dead" chronicles Carnelian and Osidian among the Ochre plainsmen tribe and Osidian's machinations for return to Osrakum. Plainsmen are considered barbarians; however, the reader quickly learns that they are of sophistication. What plainsmen lack in Chosen complexity they make up with compassion and understanding. It is here that Carnelian witnesses the blight that is The Chosen and thus doffs his Chosen birth and adopts a Ochre plainsmen lifestyle. The readers is also made aware of Osidian's superior political intellect, tactical military mind and resolve to ultimately have what he considers to be his. Osidian's actions ultimately lead Carnelian to fall out of love with him, and to fall in love with a Ochre plainsman named Fern. The book concludes with Osidian manipulating Carnelian and Fern, and forcing all of the plainsmen tribes in laying seize to Osrakum.
The third book "The Third God" recounts Osidian's war with Osrakum and his ultimate rise to God Emperor. Facts are made aware that redefine The Chosen world and Carnelian's actions lead to the ultimate dissemination of the Law-that-must-be-obeyed, resulting in a rebirth of sorts (I won't give specifics away).
The story is captivating. But Ricardo Pinto's presentation could have used refinement. This was Pinto's first professional attempt at writing and it shows throughout the trilogy's progression. The first book is difficult, painful to get through. First half of "The Chosen" is driven by geography. Pinto goes through great length to describe Carnelian's journey from exile to Osrakum to the point that my eyes glazed over at excessive landscape descriptions. Then, it is as if Pinto realizes his error and switches to character driven plot at the second half of "The Chosen". Pinto continues this momentum throughout the second book and then somehow stumbles in his third volume. Pinto's mastery of the English language and stylized pros are unfortunately interrupted by unneeded verbiage. Pinto's "The Third God" is the longest of the three novels but in truth the book could have dropped approximately one-hundred to one-hundred and fifty pages and still maintained the thrust of the story.
Verbosity aside, Pinto did deliver a fantastic conclusion to a truly original story. The final chapters were just beautiful. Definitely worth the journey. I would expand more on the story but I don't want to give away too much. In closing, The Stone Dance of Chameleon is a refreshing fantasy piece. But I suspect many a reader lacks the resolve to make it through the first novel and the perseverance to navigate the third novel to the trilogy's resplendent conclusion.
Post Script: I very much appreciated that Pinto wrote a fantasy involving a gay protagonist (Carnelian) and his love triangle. As a gay man, I can say that Carnelian's romantic emotions and actions felt authentic. I found it fascinating that homosexuality wasn't an issue in The Stone Dance of the Chameleon universe.
August 20, 2020
A beautifully described world full of class complexities, at times perhaps too confusing. This book is the end of a trilogy I started reading as a teenager (took the author a couple of years to write the final novel). The main characters are homossexual which is an interesting and refreshing take on personal relationships in this kind of novels.
The plot thickens and the end is fascinating and unexpected. Perhaps the only issue I have with this book, apart from being too long, is that I never developed any sense of sympathy towards Carnelian, the main character. His role is mostly passive although he is the key to all events. Most of the times it just feels that he is an observer and goes with the flow. I also couldn't really develop any feelings for any other of the characters despite their many sufferings.
Lastly , there seems to be an extreme obsession with rot and dead, with the scatological and visceral, perhaps to show that there is no paradise and everything is human.
Still, would recommend reading. At times feels like we are in a video game.
The plot thickens and the end is fascinating and unexpected. Perhaps the only issue I have with this book, apart from being too long, is that I never developed any sense of sympathy towards Carnelian, the main character. His role is mostly passive although he is the key to all events. Most of the times it just feels that he is an observer and goes with the flow. I also couldn't really develop any feelings for any other of the characters despite their many sufferings.
Lastly , there seems to be an extreme obsession with rot and dead, with the scatological and visceral, perhaps to show that there is no paradise and everything is human.
Still, would recommend reading. At times feels like we are in a video game.
December 16, 2025
It was the conclusion of the trilogy. While it had some really nice spins, it felt like it could have worked more on the details that got the characters there. And I mean giving a stronger sense of the details that mattered. The book is highly detailed, but to a point where sometimes it feels too much and unecessary, and some focus was overdue. Overall nice conflict thar got me engaged with the story and moved away from black and white villains. The ending while beautiful, left with a bittersweet taste, as I wish we could have seen the characters arriving at their destination and rebuild their community. It was so detailed so far, might as well gift us that. Wish there had been more of Fern. In this book he felt a bit as token. Very mixed feeling about the whole series, but still impacted me to a point where a I still think about it and have this lingering sense of the world and the conflicts within.
Read
October 24, 2020Honestly don't know how I feel about the conclusion of this book. Closest I can say was it was like game of thrones leading to the great War with the white walkers, then subsequent chapters spluttering on towards the end. Also found repetitive and quite a stretch in the way Carnie would stop and accurately use beyond Sherlock Holmes style deductive skills to leap to far reaching conclusions.
Nevertheless I've found a new role model in Pinto and the way he writes. Aim to read and enjoy the set again in the future.
Nevertheless I've found a new role model in Pinto and the way he writes. Aim to read and enjoy the set again in the future.
May 3, 2024
(I read the second edition, in which this is the last of 7 books rather than the last of 3).
Greatly enjoyed this whole series. Consistently well-paced, prose is evocative and of consistently high quality, and it succeeds as excellent speculative fiction by introducing and using lots of interesting ideas.
Greatly enjoyed this whole series. Consistently well-paced, prose is evocative and of consistently high quality, and it succeeds as excellent speculative fiction by introducing and using lots of interesting ideas.
March 9, 2017
Being a slow reader, this trilogy took me quite a while to finish. It was worth it, though. Very descriptive, sometimes a bit difficult due to the complex language, definitely full of brutal and gory details, but it all fits in this world. A very detailed world, in terms of geography, demography, nature, politics, religion, etc (Ricardo Pinto must be very much into creating worlds, because this is indeed one of the strong points of the story). In any case, it kept me interested and it was a pleasure to follow the path of Carnelian throughout this world and eventually learn about the fate of the beautiful, and ugly, Masters.
March 18, 2021
Picking up from The Standing Dead, The Third God finds Aurum, now exiled, in in the Earthsky wreaking havoc and seeking to capture Osidian to return him to Osrakum where he will meet his fate. Osidian however intends returning to Osrakum to a very different destiny, a triumphant return to claim from his usurping brother what he sees as rightfully his. Carnelian now sees his only way forward is to aid his former lover Osidian in his battle, his hope is to avert any reprisals by the Chosen against his beloved Plainsmen. So it is, along with Fern, Poppy and Krow and an assorted army of Plainsmen, Marula and Sartlar that Osidian and Carnelian begin their struggle to return to Osrakum. In the face of overwhelming odds, and not without a few setbacks they slowly claim one victory after another; yet they have still not encountered the defending forces of Osrakum or Molochite's scheming. Nor do they know what role the Wise will play in the outworking of events.
Driven by dreams he does not always fully understand yet feels certain foretell that they will succeed, Carnelian fights alongside Osidian. Throughout Carnelian is torn between his hope of saving those he loves and serving as Osidian's ally and accomplice in his seemingly malicious and relentless carnage. Despite all that Osidian has done it is clear he still has some affection for him, but he struggles to avoid resuming the relationship they once enjoyed, despite Fern seeming ever more distant and cold toward him, any hope of the longed for intimacy with him seeming now lost. To add to his worries Carnelian fears what effects their assault may be having on his family in Osrakum.
Despite its length, The Third God never for one moment wanes in its attention grabbing narrative; from the drama of the battles to the intimacy of relationships, from the squalor and degradation of the slaughter to the the order and grandeur of Osrakum, the minutiae and intricacy of the plot always encouraging careful reading. There is certainly much blood and gore, along with assorted other bodily fluids, through which Carnelian and the others sometimes literally have to wade; in addition to the often graphic carnage and mutilation; but as we eventually learn some of the history of The Three Lands we gain some understanding. A remarkable epic that moves relentlessly forward, there are times when the story seems on the verge of falling into a clichéd delaying diversion, but it never does, on each occasion it surprises with a new twist. A most rewarding story with a very satisfying conclusion, I enjoyed every word of The Third God.
For those who have not read the two previous novels, The Chosen and The Standing Dead, the author has provided a synopsis:
http://www.ricardopinto.com/work/ston...
Driven by dreams he does not always fully understand yet feels certain foretell that they will succeed, Carnelian fights alongside Osidian. Throughout Carnelian is torn between his hope of saving those he loves and serving as Osidian's ally and accomplice in his seemingly malicious and relentless carnage. Despite all that Osidian has done it is clear he still has some affection for him, but he struggles to avoid resuming the relationship they once enjoyed, despite Fern seeming ever more distant and cold toward him, any hope of the longed for intimacy with him seeming now lost. To add to his worries Carnelian fears what effects their assault may be having on his family in Osrakum.
Despite its length, The Third God never for one moment wanes in its attention grabbing narrative; from the drama of the battles to the intimacy of relationships, from the squalor and degradation of the slaughter to the the order and grandeur of Osrakum, the minutiae and intricacy of the plot always encouraging careful reading. There is certainly much blood and gore, along with assorted other bodily fluids, through which Carnelian and the others sometimes literally have to wade; in addition to the often graphic carnage and mutilation; but as we eventually learn some of the history of The Three Lands we gain some understanding. A remarkable epic that moves relentlessly forward, there are times when the story seems on the verge of falling into a clichéd delaying diversion, but it never does, on each occasion it surprises with a new twist. A most rewarding story with a very satisfying conclusion, I enjoyed every word of The Third God.
For those who have not read the two previous novels, The Chosen and The Standing Dead, the author has provided a synopsis:
http://www.ricardopinto.com/work/ston...
September 3, 2010
I have been waiting a long time for this book— 7 years. The book jumps right into the story without any review of what happened before. A summary or review incorporated into the early chapters would have been a big help, as would list of characters and jargon. In retrospect, I wish I had re-read the 1st 2 books, but 'so many books, so little time...'
To be fair much additional information can be found on the author's website, http://ricardopinto.com/ , which I would have reviewed, if I had broadband. I would suggest one read the detailed summaries of the prior books, before tackling The Third God
The characterization, plot and prose continue to be up to the standards of the previous books in this 'trilogy'. My only real complaint, and it is a biggy, is that the book ends in the middle of a road. There are just too many questions remaining unresolved. Carnelian has broken the structure of society and is rescuing a small portion of humans, his loved ones and a bunch of children from the hungary Sartlar, and are journeying to 'paradise', presumably to create a new civilization. But, it just stops in the middle of a road.
My 1st thought on closing the book, was, "there's got to be another book, probably another trilogy." But I have yet to determine if that is planned. Some will certainly say leaving so much unresolved allows the reader to imagine what ultimately happens to the people we have come to know so well. But to be blunt, I felt a bit cheated. Still a wonderful journey. I would just like to complete it some day.
To be fair much additional information can be found on the author's website, http://ricardopinto.com/ , which I would have reviewed, if I had broadband. I would suggest one read the detailed summaries of the prior books, before tackling The Third God
The characterization, plot and prose continue to be up to the standards of the previous books in this 'trilogy'. My only real complaint, and it is a biggy, is that the book ends in the middle of a road. There are just too many questions remaining unresolved. Carnelian has broken the structure of society and is rescuing a small portion of humans, his loved ones and a bunch of children from the hungary Sartlar, and are journeying to 'paradise', presumably to create a new civilization. But, it just stops in the middle of a road.
My 1st thought on closing the book, was, "there's got to be another book, probably another trilogy." But I have yet to determine if that is planned. Some will certainly say leaving so much unresolved allows the reader to imagine what ultimately happens to the people we have come to know so well. But to be blunt, I felt a bit cheated. Still a wonderful journey. I would just like to complete it some day.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 28, 2011
Ok, third book much stronger than previous two. The characters continue to be very realistic and compelling, and in this final book the main protagonist finally grows a spine and demonstrates strength in the midst of his overriding characteristic of compassion.
The author continues his morbid obsession with pain, suffering and death. The battle scenes just keep building to the point of ridiculousness and boring repetition..."Oh, another thousand soldiers trampled and fried by the war dragons, hear their squishy remains, smell their fetid odor..." The author seems to have a compulsive need to describe scenes filled with the odors of rotting bodies; I think his thesaurus must be dog-eared at 'foul' and 'fetid'.
The cosmology wraps around nicely for a final click-into-place in the last 50 pages, adding a whole new depth to events throughout the previous books. While this was gratifying and inspiring to see an author hold a vision through this many books, it strikes me as a missed opportunity to not have released some of these details throughout the series, instead of saving it for an O'Henry kick at the very end.
Finally, these are the books that are made for an eReader - gigantic, heavy, and ponderous in paper form, they made me anxious in waiting the library-Kindle deal coming this fall.
The author continues his morbid obsession with pain, suffering and death. The battle scenes just keep building to the point of ridiculousness and boring repetition..."Oh, another thousand soldiers trampled and fried by the war dragons, hear their squishy remains, smell their fetid odor..." The author seems to have a compulsive need to describe scenes filled with the odors of rotting bodies; I think his thesaurus must be dog-eared at 'foul' and 'fetid'.
The cosmology wraps around nicely for a final click-into-place in the last 50 pages, adding a whole new depth to events throughout the previous books. While this was gratifying and inspiring to see an author hold a vision through this many books, it strikes me as a missed opportunity to not have released some of these details throughout the series, instead of saving it for an O'Henry kick at the very end.
Finally, these are the books that are made for an eReader - gigantic, heavy, and ponderous in paper form, they made me anxious in waiting the library-Kindle deal coming this fall.
September 30, 2011
When The Third God came out I had to get it. There was no question. I loved the first two books in the series and looked forward to reading the conclusion to 'The Stone Dance of the Chameleon.' It was a long book, and though I love reading paperback bricks I have to admit I was a bit disappointed in this finale.
I know from the previous novels that Ricardo loves his discriptive narrative, which I really enjoyed in the first two books, but in The Third God it really seemed over the top. There was a monotony as his main character "Carnie" and his ex-lover fight their way back home. Another thing I found a bit jarring was that of "Carnie" himself as he seems to suddenly start thinking like the "Masters" when before he wasn't well adapted to doing so. The leap of his ability to logic in that way was surprising and didn't seem to fit with the "Carnie" I loved in the first two books.
Regardless, I did enjoy the book, but felt that some things could have been better explained and other things could have been less described.
I know from the previous novels that Ricardo loves his discriptive narrative, which I really enjoyed in the first two books, but in The Third God it really seemed over the top. There was a monotony as his main character "Carnie" and his ex-lover fight their way back home. Another thing I found a bit jarring was that of "Carnie" himself as he seems to suddenly start thinking like the "Masters" when before he wasn't well adapted to doing so. The leap of his ability to logic in that way was surprising and didn't seem to fit with the "Carnie" I loved in the first two books.
Regardless, I did enjoy the book, but felt that some things could have been better explained and other things could have been less described.
March 1, 2011
The third and final installment of the Stone Dance of the Chameleon comes to its fiery end with no less violence, no less blood and no less difficulty than the first two. But somehow it compels its reader to its brutal and redemptive end through more than 900 relentless pages. All the pent up vengeful anger of the first two novels is released here. It is a novel for the underdog, for the oppressed, for the untouchables. It is the antithesis of the first novel in the series, a careful degradation and demystification of all the glory and guarded myth of the beginning. It is the desperate and beautiful destruction of the world in order to begin again, life after death. A satisfying behemoth as large as the dragons who so aptly cast their shadows across the breadth of the novel, The Third God delivers an ending larger than the actions of any single character and larger than the blade strokes of any single race, an ending so large and inevitable it takes all of humanity to bring it about.
March 28, 2013
Brilhante! Um livro de fantasia verdadeiramente original, com uma história que ultrapassa todos os cliches da fantasia actual. Há muito tempo que não lia um livro em que não adivinhasse o que iria acontecer a seguir.
Toda a sociedade é muito bem descrita ao longo dos três livros, e todos os pequenos pormenores têm a sua importância no desfecho da história. A estratégia em termos politicos e de controlo de povos é um dos pontos que mais me fascinou pois é de facto muito inteligente e revela um grande cuidado por parte do escritor. O facto de um dos personagens principais não ter sido transformado num herói como sucede frequentemente no género também foi um ponto positivo. A homosexualidade, aceite por aquela sociedade e descrita de um modo tão natural pelo autor, foi também a meu ver um grande contributo para o género.
Finalmente, o conceito da história e o modo como esta encerra, apesar do caos e de toda a violência, faz-nos acreditar que nenhuma sociedade é perpetua.
Toda a sociedade é muito bem descrita ao longo dos três livros, e todos os pequenos pormenores têm a sua importância no desfecho da história. A estratégia em termos politicos e de controlo de povos é um dos pontos que mais me fascinou pois é de facto muito inteligente e revela um grande cuidado por parte do escritor. O facto de um dos personagens principais não ter sido transformado num herói como sucede frequentemente no género também foi um ponto positivo. A homosexualidade, aceite por aquela sociedade e descrita de um modo tão natural pelo autor, foi também a meu ver um grande contributo para o género.
Finalmente, o conceito da história e o modo como esta encerra, apesar do caos e de toda a violência, faz-nos acreditar que nenhuma sociedade é perpetua.
January 13, 2012
A great ending to a triology that kept my atention in the past ten years. Carnelian is finally back to the center of the angelic power, in Oskarum, with Osidian. And they embraced a destiny that was beyond any of them dreams.
Although Ricardo Pinto took a while to finish this book and it was is idea, at a given time, to give up, I'm very happy that he didn't. He didn't lost his particular style of writing with his hiatus and that can be good as frustrating, as he tend to linger in details that we prefer to be told in one single page. But that makes his writing unique.
A good old triology, without the horrendus "this goes on in the next 2923489738 books", that brings to fantasy a whole new breathe.
Although Ricardo Pinto took a while to finish this book and it was is idea, at a given time, to give up, I'm very happy that he didn't. He didn't lost his particular style of writing with his hiatus and that can be good as frustrating, as he tend to linger in details that we prefer to be told in one single page. But that makes his writing unique.
A good old triology, without the horrendus "this goes on in the next 2923489738 books", that brings to fantasy a whole new breathe.
January 19, 2015
An amazing book, but not quite a masterpiece.
This series takes "epic fantasy" in a whole new direction, breaking away from the usual medieval cliches. The villain of the piece seems to be the whole messed up social structure rather than any one individual.
The ideas and scope and plot is amazing, but in a few places the pacing just drags on a bit, and a few parts of the revelations at the end seemed a bit perfunctory to me given the intricate lead up.
This series takes "epic fantasy" in a whole new direction, breaking away from the usual medieval cliches. The villain of the piece seems to be the whole messed up social structure rather than any one individual.
The ideas and scope and plot is amazing, but in a few places the pacing just drags on a bit, and a few parts of the revelations at the end seemed a bit perfunctory to me given the intricate lead up.
August 9, 2010
The Third God is the last book of the Stone Dance of the Chameleon, a much anticipated ending to the series. Although the wait for this third book has been long, it was worth it.
Continues at Spoilers and Nuts
Continues at Spoilers and Nuts
July 14, 2010
Pinto continues his saga in a like fashion to the first two books. This one moved along at a slower pace than the others, but the author had made me care enough about his characters to see it through to the end. A good read.
October 25, 2014
Stunning, an epic masterpiece. The language and descriptions are lyric and beautiful, but somehow never slow the book down. Very rich worldbuilding and characters. Amazing conclusion to the trilogy, quite different from the first two but much more powerful.
August 16, 2010
A fantastic work of art! The Stone Dance of the Chameleon will surely become a classic.
Read
July 22, 2018Now that I completed Pinto’s saga, I can say that, altogether, it is a beautiful, engrossing, harrowing, disturbingly harsh, epically proportioned, and (sometimes flawed) work of art. What takes the series into vaunted territory for me is its exploration of ideas — subordination vs. domination, among others related to the human condition — as well as the originality of its premise, its living, breathing, terrifying fantasy world, which Pinto commits to big time, baring his soul in a dark, painful tangle of drives and emotions.
As dark as things get, the redeeming facet of the story is the hero Carnelian who stands against the atrocities of his Chosen caste. He’s not a self-righteous do-gooder in the style of the “one hero who can save the world.” Really, it’s the originality of his characterization which made me such a big fan of the series and made the story more approachable than other eye-shielding dark fantasy I’ve read. I’ll try to explain what I mean.
A lot of dark fantasy titles use a broken hero formula to build interest and use redemption as a theme; and I can get behind that approach in some cases. Here, it’s refreshing that Carnelian is never broken. He never wavers from his convictions. He sobs over where his journey takes him, and he’s afraid at times, self-doubting at times, even wondering if he’s been bested toward the end; but he doesn’t struggle with the right thing to do, only how to do it amid the huge obstacles in his way. I mentioned in reviewing the previous books that Carnelian’s defining characteristic is his compassion, and I just can’t say enough how lovely that is.
I found the trilogy satisfyingly even. Each book has a suspenseful story, from book one (what kind of man will Carnelian become when he has to succeed his father?), book two (how will Carnelian & his lover survive as fugitives among the barbarians their kind oppresses?), and book three (how will Carnelian achieve peace for the people in the world his kind has wronged?). This last installment reveals history that demystifies The-Law-that-cannot-be-broken, with some nice, unexpected touches. Things don’t get more epic than a story that envisions the literal end of the world, and in this case, that vision comes with big surprises.
And
The flaws I mentioned are that IMHO the story is over-written throughout, but that was obviously forgivable for me as I sped through all three books in a few months.
As dark as things get, the redeeming facet of the story is the hero Carnelian who stands against the atrocities of his Chosen caste. He’s not a self-righteous do-gooder in the style of the “one hero who can save the world.” Really, it’s the originality of his characterization which made me such a big fan of the series and made the story more approachable than other eye-shielding dark fantasy I’ve read. I’ll try to explain what I mean.
A lot of dark fantasy titles use a broken hero formula to build interest and use redemption as a theme; and I can get behind that approach in some cases. Here, it’s refreshing that Carnelian is never broken. He never wavers from his convictions. He sobs over where his journey takes him, and he’s afraid at times, self-doubting at times, even wondering if he’s been bested toward the end; but he doesn’t struggle with the right thing to do, only how to do it amid the huge obstacles in his way. I mentioned in reviewing the previous books that Carnelian’s defining characteristic is his compassion, and I just can’t say enough how lovely that is.
I found the trilogy satisfyingly even. Each book has a suspenseful story, from book one (what kind of man will Carnelian become when he has to succeed his father?), book two (how will Carnelian & his lover survive as fugitives among the barbarians their kind oppresses?), and book three (how will Carnelian achieve peace for the people in the world his kind has wronged?). This last installment reveals history that demystifies The-Law-that-cannot-be-broken, with some nice, unexpected touches. Things don’t get more epic than a story that envisions the literal end of the world, and in this case, that vision comes with big surprises.
And
The flaws I mentioned are that IMHO the story is over-written throughout, but that was obviously forgivable for me as I sped through all three books in a few months.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews