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The Godless World #2
Bloodheir
The world has fallen from its former state. The war between the clans of the Black Road and the True Bloods has spread. For Orisian, thane of the ruined Lannis Blood, there is no time to grieve the loss of his family, brutally slain by the invading armies. The Black Road must be stopped. However, as more blood is spilled on the battlefields, so each side in the conflict becomes more riven by internal dissent and disunity. Amidst the mounting chaos, Aeglyss the na'kyrim uses his new-found powers to twist everything and everyone around him to serve his own mad desires Meanwhile, the long-dormant Anain are stirring - and when the most potent race the world has ever known returns, the bloodletting may never stop.BLOODHEIR is the stunning sequel to Winterbirth, one of the most acclaimed epic fantasy debuts of recent years.
544 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
21 people are currently reading
821 people want to read
About the author
Brian Ruckley
112 books169 followersI was born and brought up in Edinburgh. After studying at Edinburgh and Stirling Universities, and after a good deal of displacement activity (varying from spending three months in the rainforests of Borneo trying to record the dawn chorus of gibbons to briefly working in a tea warehouse / factory), I moved to England to enter the world of full-time employment.
As much by luck as judgement, I had a series of on the whole enjoyable and interesting jobs, mostly based in London. All of them save one have been in the charity sector, and at various times they have involved extensive overseas travel, environmental and community projects, nature conservation and fundraising.
Writing was a big feature of my childhood, and has ebbed and flowed as a spare-time occupation ever since. I sold a couple of short stories in the 1990s, but didn’t really start thinking seriously about writing novels until the 21st Century had got underway.
At the start of 2003, I turned myself into a freelance consultant on environmental projects, partly in order to devote more time to writing; since then, the writing side of things has taken over almost completely.
I am now back in Edinburgh, where I live with my lovely wife, and miss the excitement of London only a little, and only occasionally.
As much by luck as judgement, I had a series of on the whole enjoyable and interesting jobs, mostly based in London. All of them save one have been in the charity sector, and at various times they have involved extensive overseas travel, environmental and community projects, nature conservation and fundraising.
Writing was a big feature of my childhood, and has ebbed and flowed as a spare-time occupation ever since. I sold a couple of short stories in the 1990s, but didn’t really start thinking seriously about writing novels until the 21st Century had got underway.
At the start of 2003, I turned myself into a freelance consultant on environmental projects, partly in order to devote more time to writing; since then, the writing side of things has taken over almost completely.
I am now back in Edinburgh, where I live with my lovely wife, and miss the excitement of London only a little, and only occasionally.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews
September 17, 2008
Bloodheir is Ruckley's second novel in his Godless World series. I'm enjoying this series a bit more than Abercrombies' (see my review of Last Argument of Kings) because it isn't quite so cynical and hopeless, and there are some characters who believe a better world is possible. Not necessarily easy, though. The world is godless because it's been abandoned by its makers (at least that's the mythology) which leaves its hapless inhabitants to their own devices.
I think Abercrombie is better at drawing distinct characters than Ruckley but Ruckley's are just as believable and compelling. He's also avoided the problem (so far) of making a character too powerful. One of the things that annoyed me about Last Argument of Kings at the end was Bayaz's evolution into an omnipotent deus ex machina. The primary villains of the Godless World are believably fallible and believably motivated (in fact, like all "villains" they don't believe they're evil at all).
I am interested in where Ruckley's going to take his story so I await Fall of Thanes with pleasant anticipation.
I think Abercrombie is better at drawing distinct characters than Ruckley but Ruckley's are just as believable and compelling. He's also avoided the problem (so far) of making a character too powerful. One of the things that annoyed me about Last Argument of Kings at the end was Bayaz's evolution into an omnipotent deus ex machina. The primary villains of the Godless World are believably fallible and believably motivated (in fact, like all "villains" they don't believe they're evil at all).
I am interested in where Ruckley's going to take his story so I await Fall of Thanes with pleasant anticipation.
March 20, 2010
The second books in trilogies are always bleak because the main action is rolling and the glorious conclusion has to be dimly far enough away to justify the third book. I understand and accept this. Ruckley, however, takes it a bit too far, I think. I raced through the last 200 or so pages of this book not because it was fascinating or captivating, but because I just wanted to finish it. One of the book's own sentences says it best, I think: "Too many people had died, now, and too many wounds had been inflicted for there to be any dawn at the end of this night."
It is that! The whole book is darkness and death and disappointment and betrayal. It's just too much, I think. Also, have I mentioned how annoying it is that Ruckley ALWAYS KILLS OF MY FAVORITE CHARACTERS? This is not cool.
I will read the third one because I can't bear to leave a story unfinished and because there are some genuinely good moments here that are wonderful stories in and of themselves. Unfortunately, the good moments do not cover this 500+ page behemoth of despair. Not one to take to the beach with you or keep on your shelves if you like things like living or hope.
It is that! The whole book is darkness and death and disappointment and betrayal. It's just too much, I think. Also, have I mentioned how annoying it is that Ruckley ALWAYS KILLS OF MY FAVORITE CHARACTERS? This is not cool.
I will read the third one because I can't bear to leave a story unfinished and because there are some genuinely good moments here that are wonderful stories in and of themselves. Unfortunately, the good moments do not cover this 500+ page behemoth of despair. Not one to take to the beach with you or keep on your shelves if you like things like living or hope.
August 18, 2008
spring08,fantasy
August 22, 2017
An excellent addition to the trilogy. Picks up where the first book left off and quickly slides the world into death and madness. Our heroes are faced with defeat and futility while hope seems out of reach. But there is still hope. A sliver of it. Eager to read the final book!
December 24, 2020
Phew, what a relief.. I'm done! Blech! An absolutely amazing writer and he created an amazing world but holy fuck was it depressing! So I found this one website describing tropes and summarizing this series. And that website felt the author avoided "Darkness-Induced Audience Apathy" but I disagree. For me I totally stopped caring, pure apathy, just skimming pages to get it done. I really liked the characters but when the bad guy wins over and over again, in some of the most unexpected, improbable ways, I just couldn't care anymore. This could be a symptom of it being book 2 and having to end on an "all is lost" story point but having read some spoilers it doesn't sound like book 3 is tremendously happy times either!
September 17, 2009
Second volume of Godless World - dark fantasy, realistic series, which was rumored to be worthy snack while waiting for next installment of George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire.
It was delicious up to page 200 - multiple characters, multiple threads, some promising politics, characters actually dying, etc.
Then it started to go downhill. Quickly.
To say it short: one threat started to dominate over all the others. Unfortunately, it pushed the realistic away and it all become: 'why magic brings madness' essay. I hated this one character so much that I took a six month break before coming back to this book. I enjoyed a few pages more of other characters, and then it started to focus all threads on that one guy.
Bloodheir is a bridging volume in terms of power shift. It goes from realistic (first volume) to magical (third volume) setting. Still, there are some very nice things in it, but I don't like the way it's going now.
It was delicious up to page 200 - multiple characters, multiple threads, some promising politics, characters actually dying, etc.
Then it started to go downhill. Quickly.
To say it short: one threat started to dominate over all the others. Unfortunately, it pushed the realistic away and it all become: 'why magic brings madness' essay. I hated this one character so much that I took a six month break before coming back to this book. I enjoyed a few pages more of other characters, and then it started to focus all threads on that one guy.
Bloodheir is a bridging volume in terms of power shift. It goes from realistic (first volume) to magical (third volume) setting. Still, there are some very nice things in it, but I don't like the way it's going now.
November 9, 2013
I loved it! Does this read like a world that is truly at war? Yes. Does the author kill off one of my fave supporting characters? Why yes he does. Am I mad at him for doing so? No. Will I read the third book? Most definitely. I am looking forward to see how the author ties up everything that takes place in this book. Believe me there is a lot going on in this story. This is definitely not a story for people looking for dwarves, dragons and wizards who use a whole lot of magic. The magic is more subtle and not a main theme, but still works. What I like most about this story is that I could actually envisage a not so distant past just like this. Well done Brian Ruckley.
September 18, 2008
Better than the first book, becomes more coherent and begins to move along better. Turns out there is a third book (I was hoping this would wrap this series) and I am commited enough to read bok 3 when it comes out, but based on 1 and 2 alone, not sure that I cna recommend this series. Also, despite the portrayals on the covers, not really a Nordic or Viking-esque story- more of just strait-up fantasy...
November 8, 2011
Pretty good.
July 13, 2014
This first book was more entertaining but this was a good read. i enjoyed it. I am definitely going to read the next in the series.
November 19, 2018
brian ruckley is een auteur uit edinburg. na wat omzwervingen,zoals 3maanden borneo om gibons te bestuderen terug beland in zijn geboortedorp
na het schrijven van 4kortverhalenheeft hij de trilogie van de goddeloze wereld geschreven
erfgenaam van bloed is het 2de deel van de trilogie.
de strijd tussen de zwarte weg en het ware bloed slaat nieuwe wegen in.verraad en wantrouwen slaat toe in beide kampen. een oude macht roert zich na lange tijd van afwezigheid.aeglyss gebruikt zijn gekregen macht om zich te moeien in het conflict.
het verhaal is goed omschreven en er gebeurt altijd wel iets .maar mist toch spanning om de lezer echt volledig mee te trekken in het verhaal.
alhoewel het einde toch doet afvragen wat er verder zou gebeuren in boek3
na het schrijven van 4kortverhalenheeft hij de trilogie van de goddeloze wereld geschreven
erfgenaam van bloed is het 2de deel van de trilogie.
de strijd tussen de zwarte weg en het ware bloed slaat nieuwe wegen in.verraad en wantrouwen slaat toe in beide kampen. een oude macht roert zich na lange tijd van afwezigheid.aeglyss gebruikt zijn gekregen macht om zich te moeien in het conflict.
het verhaal is goed omschreven en er gebeurt altijd wel iets .maar mist toch spanning om de lezer echt volledig mee te trekken in het verhaal.
alhoewel het einde toch doet afvragen wat er verder zou gebeuren in boek3
March 27, 2018
The Godless World is changing; the events of "Winterbirth" have left their scars and the Black Road is growing ever stronger. Many of the True Bloods are in mourning for their lost friends and relatives, but the battle isn't even nearly over. Encouraged by previous successes, the Black Road are pushing for further gains and they are being assisted by the rogue na'kyrim, Aeglyss, who is growing in power since being left to die on the Breaking Stone by the White Owls.
This isn't entirely welcomed, even amongst the Black Road, as many of them see Aeglyss as a half-breed and not a true follower of their creed. Whilst Aeglyss has the power to turn many of them to his way of thinking, others are not so deeply under his power and so there is discord. The same is true of the True Bloods, as whilst Aewult is the commander, as befits his position of the Bloodheir to the Thane of Thanes, the head of the most important of the True Blood families, his position seems to have gone to his head and he is not popular with many of the other Thanes.
Meanwhile, assisted by some of the na'kyrim friendly to their cause, Thane Orisian has taken some of his men in an attempt to capture K'rina, who is very important to Aeglyss, in an attempt to lessen his influence. At the same time, Aeglyss has come to the attention of the Anain, who are amongst the original beings created when the Gods were still in the world and are supposedly the most powerful beings in existence. It seems that there are to be two battles to be had; one physical battle between the two armies and a battle of power and influence between a powerful being and a powerful race.
There is an awful lot going on within the novel and it frequently proves difficult to keep everything separate. Many of the people on both sides are human and are descendents from the same ancestors many centuries ago, so there are a lot of similarities between the two sides and I was occasionally unsure of which side of the battle I was following at any given time. In addition, on either side, many of the family names were quite similar, particularly on the True Blood side and I got a little mixed up between some of the characters on that side as well, especially early on in the story.
Once I started to get a little more into things, however, this became less of an issue. As events progress, Ruckley spends more time following the major characters and switches between them a lot less, meaning you get to fully explore the personalities of each of them and they become a lot more distinct. From this point, I found it a lot easier to become involved in their struggles, as you could follow a personality, rather than a nameless and faceless army.
The beauty of Ruckley's writing is in how well he draws his characters. Unlike in many such novels, there is no clear line between good and bad. There are heroes and villains on both sides and the fact that the leaders on both sides are despised by many in their own armies blurs this line further. No character is without their flaws and even the ones who seem about to be cast as the hero often fail to live up to your expectations.
This is the other aspect of "Bloodheir" I most enjoyed; you can never guess what might happen next. Just when you think you have come to know a character, the focus switches elsewhere and by the time you return to this character, events have caused them to act in a way you might not have expected. The good characters become more hard hearted and world weary and the impulsive and blood thirsty develop caution and restraint. Whilst this meant that there was no-one you could really cheer on, the psychology of Ruckley's characters was spot on and this was by far the most realistic drawing of fantasy characters I remember reading in some time.
This, for me, was the saving grace of the novel, as I did find that the story was quite slow paced. As is common with the middle book in a trilogy, the main focus here did seem to be about moving characters into position for future events. Whilst there was a lot of jostling for position on both sides and there were a few battles later on in the story, I did find things a little slowly paced and tough to get involved in for much of the book. Had Ruckley's characters not been as strong as they were, it would have been a real struggle for me to read, but he has managed to keep me interested all the way through and by the end, the intrigue in the plans that the Black Road in particular were hatching made me long to know what was next.
I have often decried books for having a great storyline, but not having believable characters. Ruckley has provided the opposite, with a slow paced story being acted out by characters that had all the flaws of the people you meet every day. Whilst this made for a slower paced and tougher read, in the end I find that I preferred Ruckley's way of doing things and finding out whether or not you prefer it as well is no great risk. This is a story that seems to get better as it goes and, given how captivated I was by the end, events yet to come promise to be incredible.
This review may also appear, in whole or in part, under my name at any or all of www.ciao.co.uk, www.thebookbag.co.uk, www.goodreads.com, www.amazon.co.uk and www.dooyoo.co.uk
This isn't entirely welcomed, even amongst the Black Road, as many of them see Aeglyss as a half-breed and not a true follower of their creed. Whilst Aeglyss has the power to turn many of them to his way of thinking, others are not so deeply under his power and so there is discord. The same is true of the True Bloods, as whilst Aewult is the commander, as befits his position of the Bloodheir to the Thane of Thanes, the head of the most important of the True Blood families, his position seems to have gone to his head and he is not popular with many of the other Thanes.
Meanwhile, assisted by some of the na'kyrim friendly to their cause, Thane Orisian has taken some of his men in an attempt to capture K'rina, who is very important to Aeglyss, in an attempt to lessen his influence. At the same time, Aeglyss has come to the attention of the Anain, who are amongst the original beings created when the Gods were still in the world and are supposedly the most powerful beings in existence. It seems that there are to be two battles to be had; one physical battle between the two armies and a battle of power and influence between a powerful being and a powerful race.
There is an awful lot going on within the novel and it frequently proves difficult to keep everything separate. Many of the people on both sides are human and are descendents from the same ancestors many centuries ago, so there are a lot of similarities between the two sides and I was occasionally unsure of which side of the battle I was following at any given time. In addition, on either side, many of the family names were quite similar, particularly on the True Blood side and I got a little mixed up between some of the characters on that side as well, especially early on in the story.
Once I started to get a little more into things, however, this became less of an issue. As events progress, Ruckley spends more time following the major characters and switches between them a lot less, meaning you get to fully explore the personalities of each of them and they become a lot more distinct. From this point, I found it a lot easier to become involved in their struggles, as you could follow a personality, rather than a nameless and faceless army.
The beauty of Ruckley's writing is in how well he draws his characters. Unlike in many such novels, there is no clear line between good and bad. There are heroes and villains on both sides and the fact that the leaders on both sides are despised by many in their own armies blurs this line further. No character is without their flaws and even the ones who seem about to be cast as the hero often fail to live up to your expectations.
This is the other aspect of "Bloodheir" I most enjoyed; you can never guess what might happen next. Just when you think you have come to know a character, the focus switches elsewhere and by the time you return to this character, events have caused them to act in a way you might not have expected. The good characters become more hard hearted and world weary and the impulsive and blood thirsty develop caution and restraint. Whilst this meant that there was no-one you could really cheer on, the psychology of Ruckley's characters was spot on and this was by far the most realistic drawing of fantasy characters I remember reading in some time.
This, for me, was the saving grace of the novel, as I did find that the story was quite slow paced. As is common with the middle book in a trilogy, the main focus here did seem to be about moving characters into position for future events. Whilst there was a lot of jostling for position on both sides and there were a few battles later on in the story, I did find things a little slowly paced and tough to get involved in for much of the book. Had Ruckley's characters not been as strong as they were, it would have been a real struggle for me to read, but he has managed to keep me interested all the way through and by the end, the intrigue in the plans that the Black Road in particular were hatching made me long to know what was next.
I have often decried books for having a great storyline, but not having believable characters. Ruckley has provided the opposite, with a slow paced story being acted out by characters that had all the flaws of the people you meet every day. Whilst this made for a slower paced and tougher read, in the end I find that I preferred Ruckley's way of doing things and finding out whether or not you prefer it as well is no great risk. This is a story that seems to get better as it goes and, given how captivated I was by the end, events yet to come promise to be incredible.
This review may also appear, in whole or in part, under my name at any or all of www.ciao.co.uk, www.thebookbag.co.uk, www.goodreads.com, www.amazon.co.uk and www.dooyoo.co.uk
February 25, 2019
Only better than the first book because you get a few answers the first book lacked.
Read
November 20, 2023cote 3.3
December 9, 2012
The Godless world is a creation that sends chills down your spine like icicles melting, and which is a masterful trilogy of pure originality.
Book two of the Godless World is crafted with passion, vehemence and blood which seeps through the pages with such potency as to bring the intense drama to life. It is a world of ice, a place that is bleak and so harsh that you feel physically frozen to the spot and which makes the hairs on your arms stand on end. Full of electric tension, bloodthirsty and very realistic, graphic (although not sickening) battle scenes the writing really does bring the author’s vision to life – literally before your very eyes!
Continuing the compelling and dramatic saga you are plunged into a changed world, where the land has fallen from its former state and with the Great War between the two mighty clans of the black road & the true bloods has now spread further. Thane Orisian, of Lannis Blood has no time to greave for his great loss as the invading armies who brutally and mercilessly slaughtered his family, have now all but gone. As more blood is shed upon this tainted soil he comes to realize the significance of stopping the Black Road and how imperative his mission is, for it to succeed would not only be in his own interests but those of the free people of this arctic world. Each side of this unending and highly charged conflict is driven to into a dramatic frenzy by deeply ingrained feelings of internal dissent and disunity, as the divide between races expands with every passing year…Meanwhile the long dormant Anain begin to stir, and as the most potent race of this world makes its re-appearance once again and emerges into the forefront, one begins to wonder if the bloodletting and never-ending war will end.
Brian Ruckley gives this epic saga breath and his characters such strong emotions of hatred, revenge and determination as to even challenge the might of the ‘War of the Roses’ or ‘the Templar Knights’. Bloodheir is the stunning sequel to Winterbirth (which has to be the greatest heroic fantasy novel I have EVER encountered), and similarly it blows you away with such authenticity, dramatic twists & turns as to freeze your inner soul so that you become indifferent to all other works within this genre – for a moment in time that I will re-live time and time again! The intriguing and imaginative story is so distinctive that you cannot compare it to any other work nor the writing style to any other author, for Brian Ruckley is so unique and a true master of his craft. Complete with detailed maps of the lands of Kilkry-Haig blood, the Glas valley and surrounds and the Haig bloods this really is a book that contains such depth and fantastic world-building that is unmatched.
The striking blood red cover complete with a fearsome Thane rider is just so eye-catching, hence this really is a book to treasure and one that stands out on the bookshelf as not only something atypical and different, but which puts the ‘epic’ back into ‘epic fantasy’.
I give this trilogy a 4 ½ stars for the reason that it is extremely descriptive and so the ‘wordy-ness’ is quite lengthy at times.
Book two of the Godless World is crafted with passion, vehemence and blood which seeps through the pages with such potency as to bring the intense drama to life. It is a world of ice, a place that is bleak and so harsh that you feel physically frozen to the spot and which makes the hairs on your arms stand on end. Full of electric tension, bloodthirsty and very realistic, graphic (although not sickening) battle scenes the writing really does bring the author’s vision to life – literally before your very eyes!
Continuing the compelling and dramatic saga you are plunged into a changed world, where the land has fallen from its former state and with the Great War between the two mighty clans of the black road & the true bloods has now spread further. Thane Orisian, of Lannis Blood has no time to greave for his great loss as the invading armies who brutally and mercilessly slaughtered his family, have now all but gone. As more blood is shed upon this tainted soil he comes to realize the significance of stopping the Black Road and how imperative his mission is, for it to succeed would not only be in his own interests but those of the free people of this arctic world. Each side of this unending and highly charged conflict is driven to into a dramatic frenzy by deeply ingrained feelings of internal dissent and disunity, as the divide between races expands with every passing year…Meanwhile the long dormant Anain begin to stir, and as the most potent race of this world makes its re-appearance once again and emerges into the forefront, one begins to wonder if the bloodletting and never-ending war will end.
Brian Ruckley gives this epic saga breath and his characters such strong emotions of hatred, revenge and determination as to even challenge the might of the ‘War of the Roses’ or ‘the Templar Knights’. Bloodheir is the stunning sequel to Winterbirth (which has to be the greatest heroic fantasy novel I have EVER encountered), and similarly it blows you away with such authenticity, dramatic twists & turns as to freeze your inner soul so that you become indifferent to all other works within this genre – for a moment in time that I will re-live time and time again! The intriguing and imaginative story is so distinctive that you cannot compare it to any other work nor the writing style to any other author, for Brian Ruckley is so unique and a true master of his craft. Complete with detailed maps of the lands of Kilkry-Haig blood, the Glas valley and surrounds and the Haig bloods this really is a book that contains such depth and fantastic world-building that is unmatched.
The striking blood red cover complete with a fearsome Thane rider is just so eye-catching, hence this really is a book to treasure and one that stands out on the bookshelf as not only something atypical and different, but which puts the ‘epic’ back into ‘epic fantasy’.
I give this trilogy a 4 ½ stars for the reason that it is extremely descriptive and so the ‘wordy-ness’ is quite lengthy at times.
January 16, 2011
Re-posting my review as it appears on my book review column "Reading Realms" from The Outhouse Website:
http://www.theouthousers.com/index.ph...
Bloodheir picks up where Winterbirth leaves off and has the same momentum the first book had built. So far though, Ruckley's writing hasn't used the familiar formula of acts to build his story. It felt more like you just hopped in the midst of this world and got picked up for a ride in the first book and it moved steadily on whether a section was covering a huge battle or minor political argument. Bloodheir does the same for the first half of the story. It's the second half that slowed a bit for me.
It seemed much of the tension in the story faded a bit as power shifted between the various players in the book and the pieces on the board were being setup for book three. Bloodheir also focused more on characters I least liked verse the first volume. Despite the story not feeling like it follows the typical highs and lows of writing, it did manage to leave us with the expected rather bleak ending the middle volume of a series often does.
Magic is still handled quite well here. Even with the growing power of the Aeglyss character it still comes across quite mysterious and unknown. Even Aeglyss himself not understanding his own limits.
The play for power in the story continues to be interesting as well. Though you might label one side of the war the "bad guy" verse the other, within both sides are people made up of shades of gray. Both sides of the battle have their own internal struggles that risk tearing them apart more than the war itself.
It was quite a bit easier to follow the story this time. My last review I mentioned the confusion with all the family names and more; but it was all quite familiar to me by now. Also the structure of the story was familiar as well. Instead of the typical chapter to chapter layout, each book has been made up of five huge chapters (with prologue and epilogues as well) and then each chapter is broken up into sub-chapters. It was a bit 'different' when I started 'Winterbirth', but works perfectly for the structure of the story.
Bottom Line:
Though I felt the story lost a bit of momentum about 2/3rd's of the way through, it still easily held my interest due to the being already pulled deeply into this world. Ruckley has built to an interesting point so far and I am very interested in seeing how it plays out. My recommendations to read this series from the first book review still stand.
http://www.theouthousers.com/index.ph...
Bloodheir picks up where Winterbirth leaves off and has the same momentum the first book had built. So far though, Ruckley's writing hasn't used the familiar formula of acts to build his story. It felt more like you just hopped in the midst of this world and got picked up for a ride in the first book and it moved steadily on whether a section was covering a huge battle or minor political argument. Bloodheir does the same for the first half of the story. It's the second half that slowed a bit for me.
It seemed much of the tension in the story faded a bit as power shifted between the various players in the book and the pieces on the board were being setup for book three. Bloodheir also focused more on characters I least liked verse the first volume. Despite the story not feeling like it follows the typical highs and lows of writing, it did manage to leave us with the expected rather bleak ending the middle volume of a series often does.
Magic is still handled quite well here. Even with the growing power of the Aeglyss character it still comes across quite mysterious and unknown. Even Aeglyss himself not understanding his own limits.
The play for power in the story continues to be interesting as well. Though you might label one side of the war the "bad guy" verse the other, within both sides are people made up of shades of gray. Both sides of the battle have their own internal struggles that risk tearing them apart more than the war itself.
It was quite a bit easier to follow the story this time. My last review I mentioned the confusion with all the family names and more; but it was all quite familiar to me by now. Also the structure of the story was familiar as well. Instead of the typical chapter to chapter layout, each book has been made up of five huge chapters (with prologue and epilogues as well) and then each chapter is broken up into sub-chapters. It was a bit 'different' when I started 'Winterbirth', but works perfectly for the structure of the story.
Bottom Line:
Though I felt the story lost a bit of momentum about 2/3rd's of the way through, it still easily held my interest due to the being already pulled deeply into this world. Ruckley has built to an interesting point so far and I am very interested in seeing how it plays out. My recommendations to read this series from the first book review still stand.
May 29, 2012
I enjoyed the first book in this series (Winterborne), but I must admit that this one bored me to tears. The first book told a complete story, incorporating Ruckley creative ability and a strange (and enjoyable) theological system. This book...well
It's true that the second book in many works doesn't measure up to the first, yet few are as sorely lacking in energy as Bloodheir. One can almost see the outline behind the work, feel Ruckley thinking 'If I can only get to book 3..." He all but abandons his primary characters from the previous books and relies on stupendously pig-headed antagonists to advance the plot.
Winterborne wasn't a great book, but it was adequately exciting. Bloodheir is the reason I won't bother looking for book 3. I often feel that characters spend too much time running around to no purpose in the second book of fantasy trilogies, and Winterborne is a great example of ambiguous motivation leading to strenuous and page-intensive journeys across questionable territory. There are a number of concepts lifted from some of the great fantasy writers, but few of them have the same depth or power as the original. The relationship between the elfin Kyrinin and human Huanin (easily the most interesting part of the first book) is all but abandoned in favour of a series of bloody and pointless battles in which the main characters are either prisoners or play no role whatsoever.
If you read the first book, you'll want to read the second one, but if you read the second one you'll wish you hadn't touched either.
It's true that the second book in many works doesn't measure up to the first, yet few are as sorely lacking in energy as Bloodheir. One can almost see the outline behind the work, feel Ruckley thinking 'If I can only get to book 3..." He all but abandons his primary characters from the previous books and relies on stupendously pig-headed antagonists to advance the plot.
Winterborne wasn't a great book, but it was adequately exciting. Bloodheir is the reason I won't bother looking for book 3. I often feel that characters spend too much time running around to no purpose in the second book of fantasy trilogies, and Winterborne is a great example of ambiguous motivation leading to strenuous and page-intensive journeys across questionable territory. There are a number of concepts lifted from some of the great fantasy writers, but few of them have the same depth or power as the original. The relationship between the elfin Kyrinin and human Huanin (easily the most interesting part of the first book) is all but abandoned in favour of a series of bloody and pointless battles in which the main characters are either prisoners or play no role whatsoever.
If you read the first book, you'll want to read the second one, but if you read the second one you'll wish you hadn't touched either.
January 1, 2015
A Black Road For The True Bloods
Much the same as the first book, this fantasy tale set in a feudal world or warring Huanin (Human) of different religions is well plotted and paced, it just lacks though that spark which makes the reading all the easier, I honestly felt more liking overall for the black road Huanin than the true bloods, the novel is well planned with some instances which I was not expecting but if Brian Ruckley is to become more than a standard fantasy writer he needs to look into his character building as I did not emphasise with the lead character (Orisian), he has however written some strong dark characters with the Shadowhand and Black Road leadership, the big lead up also to the Anain was ultimately disappointing as this lead to nothing that I could see, needs more close in battle scenes and stronger character building for the last novel to bring this series above average.
Much the same as the first book, this fantasy tale set in a feudal world or warring Huanin (Human) of different religions is well plotted and paced, it just lacks though that spark which makes the reading all the easier, I honestly felt more liking overall for the black road Huanin than the true bloods, the novel is well planned with some instances which I was not expecting but if Brian Ruckley is to become more than a standard fantasy writer he needs to look into his character building as I did not emphasise with the lead character (Orisian), he has however written some strong dark characters with the Shadowhand and Black Road leadership, the big lead up also to the Anain was ultimately disappointing as this lead to nothing that I could see, needs more close in battle scenes and stronger character building for the last novel to bring this series above average.
January 9, 2009
Ruckley takes up the threads from the end of Winterbirth and brings us successfully through the difficulties of a second volume. Though not as much as we would have liked happens here that will convince someone who didn't enjoy Winterbirth that this series is worth their time, those who enjoyed Winterbirth should feel that the ante has been upped and that the forthcoming volume will be a must-read. Bloodheir is a fantastic squall to Winterbirth with fantastic plot twist, gruesome detail and an ending that will leave you wanting the next book to come out right after you finished this one. Anyone who read the first one and liked it this is a most read and even if you didn’t think it was a mind blowing novel you should still give it a go and see if it changes your mind. Ruckley truly puts the ‘epic’ into his work and all I have to say is more please! I’m looking forward to the final book…
February 7, 2012
Just to be clear, unless you are a lover of gritty fantasy novels, this book is not for you. It is not the great cross over book like Game of Thrones.
Ok, that aside, this is a good read. There is nothing really terribly innovative here. I do like the theological element, but it plays less of a role than I would have liked. What is good is that Ruckley balances a number of interesting plot lines and keeps the action moving. I also like that he paints a grim world, but does not take a perverse interest in that grimness. Terrible things are happening, but he doesn't dwell nor have his characters do unspeakable things. This is supposed to be entertainment after all.
I've read mixed things about the final volume, but I am going to give it a try anyway. Of course, that in and of itself is a blessing. This trilogy is complete, no waiting around for the next one.
Ok, that aside, this is a good read. There is nothing really terribly innovative here. I do like the theological element, but it plays less of a role than I would have liked. What is good is that Ruckley balances a number of interesting plot lines and keeps the action moving. I also like that he paints a grim world, but does not take a perverse interest in that grimness. Terrible things are happening, but he doesn't dwell nor have his characters do unspeakable things. This is supposed to be entertainment after all.
I've read mixed things about the final volume, but I am going to give it a try anyway. Of course, that in and of itself is a blessing. This trilogy is complete, no waiting around for the next one.
March 19, 2010
This is the second grim fantasy novel in the "Godless World" trilogy. Deaths and misfortune continue, and the few shining lights - courage and principaled behavior - make the book worth reading.
The book moves too quickly from character to character, skipping large tracts of time (not much in the way of overlapping timeline) for my personal preferences, but it is about as well done as that sort of narrative can be.
Not a lot of fun to read, but interesting enough that I didn't mind turning the pages. If you like grim narratives where the lines between right and wrong are a bit blurred, you'll probably like this series.
The book moves too quickly from character to character, skipping large tracts of time (not much in the way of overlapping timeline) for my personal preferences, but it is about as well done as that sort of narrative can be.
Not a lot of fun to read, but interesting enough that I didn't mind turning the pages. If you like grim narratives where the lines between right and wrong are a bit blurred, you'll probably like this series.
October 16, 2010
I consider Bloodheir the "real" stat of The Godless World series. Winterbirth introduces you to the world and characters but it isn't until Aeglyss is broken and reborn, until the Inkallim move south en masse, until we see some other Thanes, that the series *really* starts in earnest.
Unfortunately, the broadening scope of the plot means the now standard fantasy problem of more characters. That means less time on each character. In Bloodheir you begin to feel that there are no real "bad guys". This isn't a story about fighting the Ultimate Evil.
Essyr and her brother continue to be ciphers. It wasn't really until the 3rd book that I became comfortable with that.
Unfortunately, the broadening scope of the plot means the now standard fantasy problem of more characters. That means less time on each character. In Bloodheir you begin to feel that there are no real "bad guys". This isn't a story about fighting the Ultimate Evil.
Essyr and her brother continue to be ciphers. It wasn't really until the 3rd book that I became comfortable with that.
July 10, 2012
I believe, after finishing this book (#2 of 3), that Ruckley's "Godless World" series falls somewhere between Joe Abercrombie and George R.R. Martin. Two books in now, and I find the series does not display near the excessive brutality and grittiness of Abercrombie's "First Law" series, yet at the same it does portray a harsher world than what was offered me in Martin's "Song of Ice and Fire" series. The mystic aspect of Ruckley's world is more accessible as well. As I think I mentioned before, I was not too keen on this series the first couple of times I had seen it, but it just kept grabbing my attention so I finally broke down and picked it up. I have not been disappointed.
December 28, 2009
I sometimes find fantasy closely modeled after medieval times frustrating and not "fantasy" enough, but this series has begun to grow on me. I started reading this second book and stopped and was pleasantly surprised, when I like it better on a disciplined second try. (I hate to leave a book unfinished.)
I particularly like the gritty realism (if that term can be used to describe a sword and sorcery fantasy). The character struggle, get bloody, muddy, and deal with the pervasive cold.
I can only say that I'm curious to see how it all wraps up.
I particularly like the gritty realism (if that term can be used to describe a sword and sorcery fantasy). The character struggle, get bloody, muddy, and deal with the pervasive cold.
I can only say that I'm curious to see how it all wraps up.
November 28, 2011
I can't really remember why I liked the first book as much as I did, and I think I liked the first half of this books as well but it has taken me such a long time to read it and I couldn't really get into in the second half, that I don't remember the first half at all. I will popbably but the last part, becuase I hate having unfinished series at home, but it will take a while before I will find an urge to read it, but I will try to keep an open mind. I think I don't like this book becuase it was really depressing, nothing went well and yeah the bad guy sure seems to be winning.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 26, 2015
Konečne som sa zorientoval v tej veľkej spleti mien, rodov, klanov a kmeňov. Možno to je tým, že plno ľudí je už mŕtvych a je jednoduchšie si udržať prehľad. Orisian putuje do Highfastu hladať odpovede ako ďalej, Anyara sa snaží udržat Aewulta zo stavu zúrvosti voči ich klanu, Aeglyss nadobúda väčšiu a väčšiu moc a stáva sa tak hlavnou hybnou silou invázie. Svojou mocou ale prebudil Anainov, ktorých zjavne nezaujíma, koho a čo všetko zničia pre návrat do rovnováhy. So veľmi zvedavý ako to zavŕši tretia kniha trilógie aj keď úprimne sa bojím, že sa mi do toho nebude chcieť.
September 15, 2014
Orisian continues his quest to become a competent Thane amidst all of the inherent chaos of the Godless world. Anduran has long since fallen and Kolkyrie threatens to do the same under the inept leadership of Aewault. Anyara and Orisian will be tested as Aeglyss grows in power. The relationships shift as once-old allies become entangled, and once mighty powers become enfeebled. This is a dark series and one that isn't for those readers who seek refreshment in good outcomes, or success to the good.
April 20, 2015
Found this one to be tough going and I'm not really sure why. The writing was illustrative and flowed well and the story line was well paced but none of the characters really evoked any emotion in me. It felt a bit like watching a movie in high definition grey scale, everything was clear and sharp but lacked depth and colour. That said the bleakness of the world really came through alongside the harshness of the environment. I'll read the last book in the series but not right away, it hasn't left me with the desperation to know what happens that a truly engaging series would.
July 12, 2008
Middle novels in trilogies get a bad rap, and this book busts through it. Where the 1st book is a ton of loose threads, this combines them into a addicting story were no character is safe (Seriously, I have never read an author who was so willing to kill off is main characters). This story is great and I will probably cry myself to sleep because I will have to wait forever for the final book to come out.
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