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The Grudgebearer Trilogy #1
Grudgebearer
Kholster is the first born of the practically immortal Aern, a race created by the Eldrennai as warrior-slaves to defend them from the magic-resistant reptilian Zaur. Unable to break an oath without breaking their connection with each other, the Aern served the Eldrennai faithfully for thousands of years until the Sundering. Now, the Aern, Vael, and Eldrennai meet every hundred years for a Grand Conjunction to renew their tenuous peace.
While the tortures of slavery remain fresh in Kholster's mind, most of the rest of the world has moved on. Almost six hundred years after the Sundering, an Eldrennai prince carelessly breaks the truce by setting up a surprise museum exhibit containing sentient suits of Aernese armor left behind, never to be touched, lest Kholster kill every last Eldrennai. Through their still-existing connection with their ancient armor, the Aern know instantly, and Kholster must find a way to keep his oaths, even those made in haste and anger. While Kholster travels to the Grand Conjunction with his Freeborn daughter and chosen successor Rae'en, his troops travel by sea, heading for war.
While the tortures of slavery remain fresh in Kholster's mind, most of the rest of the world has moved on. Almost six hundred years after the Sundering, an Eldrennai prince carelessly breaks the truce by setting up a surprise museum exhibit containing sentient suits of Aernese armor left behind, never to be touched, lest Kholster kill every last Eldrennai. Through their still-existing connection with their ancient armor, the Aern know instantly, and Kholster must find a way to keep his oaths, even those made in haste and anger. While Kholster travels to the Grand Conjunction with his Freeborn daughter and chosen successor Rae'en, his troops travel by sea, heading for war.
400 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 2, 2014
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895 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
June 15, 2016
I don't know what it is with J.F. Lewis and likable protagonists who eat people, but after the Void City vampire series, he's gone and done it again in the realm of epic fantasy.
Grudgebearer is an overlooked gem of a new fantasy series, and an absolute blast to read. Lewis's most interesting and original creation in this series are the Aern, a cannibalistic warrior/slave offshoot of a more traditional (snooty, decadent) race of elves. What makes them unique is the idea that they are physically incapable of breaking any oath, whether made personally or by Kholster, their supreme leader. So, when said leader swears (for instance) that if any of their former masters should disturb the resting place of the Aern's sentient suits of armor, he and his kind would return and wipe the elves off the face of the earth, that's exactly what he has to do, even if said offence is committed by a lone, idiot elf prince six hundred years later.
Moral shades of gray are so yummy in epic fantasy. The Aern can be considered noble for their determination to keep their promises, but when those promises include genocide does that really put them on the side of right? Or is it mitigated by the fact that their targets, historically speaking, really did have it coming?
The book's ending is a rather abrupt cliffhanger, so it's a good thing the sequel will be coming out shortly.
Grudgebearer is an overlooked gem of a new fantasy series, and an absolute blast to read. Lewis's most interesting and original creation in this series are the Aern, a cannibalistic warrior/slave offshoot of a more traditional (snooty, decadent) race of elves. What makes them unique is the idea that they are physically incapable of breaking any oath, whether made personally or by Kholster, their supreme leader. So, when said leader swears (for instance) that if any of their former masters should disturb the resting place of the Aern's sentient suits of armor, he and his kind would return and wipe the elves off the face of the earth, that's exactly what he has to do, even if said offence is committed by a lone, idiot elf prince six hundred years later.
Moral shades of gray are so yummy in epic fantasy. The Aern can be considered noble for their determination to keep their promises, but when those promises include genocide does that really put them on the side of right? Or is it mitigated by the fact that their targets, historically speaking, really did have it coming?
The book's ending is a rather abrupt cliffhanger, so it's a good thing the sequel will be coming out shortly.
September 26, 2014
This review originally appeared on my blog, Books Without Any Pictures:
http://bookswithoutanypictures.com/20...
Before I jump into the synopsis, I’m just gonna take a moment to say how much I love love love love love this book. Grudgebearer is epic on every level and chock full of squee-worthy goodness.
The protagonist, Kholster, is the leader of a race called the Aern. The Aern are a nearly immortal slave race created by the Elderanni. One of the traits that was used to control them is that if the Aern break an oath, they lose their psychic connection to the other members of their race and can’t even be near them. It’s not a good fate, and so the Aern become known as Grudgebearers, making a conscious effort to keep every oath, even if it’s centuries old.
The book is set many years after the Aern have won their freedom from the Elderanni. A stupid Elderanni prince unearths the Aern war suits and puts them in a museum. The problem is that Kholster swore an oath many years before that if the suits were touched, he would kill every last Elderanni. Kholster doesn’t really have a problem with this, because he is the oldest of the Aern and still remembers the horrors of his captivity in excruciating detail. He hates the Elderanni and all that they stand for, seeing them as evil overlords even though most of the men who were alive during his enslavement are now dead. At the same time, he doesn’t *want* to have to do it. The problem is that this particular oath binds all of his people, and if he breaks it, then the very essence of what it is to be Aern will be destroyed. There’s no good option or easy way out.
Now, part of the Aern truce with the Elderanni is that every hundred years, there’s a Grand Conjunction that renews the peace treaty between them. Kholster can’t wipe the Elderanni off the map until the Conjunction is passed, because he’s also sworn an oath to be there. As he bides his time, a reptilian race called the Zaur are preparing an attack of their own, and this time, they mean to see the Elderanni destroyed. So basically, the Elderanni are fucked. Meanwhile, the gods themselves are interfering with mortal lives, and the outcomes of their games could change the fate of the world.
So. Frickin. Epic.
Okay, so my favorite part of Grudgebearer? There’s this character named Wylant. She’s Kholster’s ex-wife (it’s complicated), and a legend on the battlefield. She’s also allergic to the Zaur. She shows up for battle and needs to pop allergy meds because her eyes start watering and nose starts running and she’s miserable. IT’S A FANTASY CHARACTER WITH ALLERGIES! I am allergic to life, so I can sympathize with her, and it’s a great weakness for a character to have.
Kholster reminds me of Thrall from World of Warcraft. He’s this powerful angry leader who fights against the injustice of his people’s enslavement, but once they are free, he has a hard time moving on. And it’s perfectly understandable, because what the Elderanni did to him was horrific, both physically and emotionally. And yet, the world is changing, and Kholster needs to lead the Aern in such a way that ensures a promising future. And ensuring a future needs to mean learning how to let his children go. One of Kholster’s internal conflicts throughout the book revolves around his daughter Rae’en. He’s grooming Rae’en to be his replacement one day, but he’s afraid to let her make her own mistakes, and therefore discover her own strengths. He’s proud of her, he believes in her, and yet he’s overprotective. I loved seeing how their relationship evolved throughout the course of the book and how Rae’en stepped up to the plate in moments where it looked like she was in major trouble.
Grudgebearer isn’t a quick read. I started reading it more than a month ago, but it’s so complex and action-packed that I found myself taking my time and savoring it slowly. It’s worth every minute. And of course it’s the first book in a trilogy, so I’m *dying* to know what happens next, especially since the ending was not at all like anything I’d expect. Highly recommended
http://bookswithoutanypictures.com/20...
Before I jump into the synopsis, I’m just gonna take a moment to say how much I love love love love love this book. Grudgebearer is epic on every level and chock full of squee-worthy goodness.
The protagonist, Kholster, is the leader of a race called the Aern. The Aern are a nearly immortal slave race created by the Elderanni. One of the traits that was used to control them is that if the Aern break an oath, they lose their psychic connection to the other members of their race and can’t even be near them. It’s not a good fate, and so the Aern become known as Grudgebearers, making a conscious effort to keep every oath, even if it’s centuries old.
The book is set many years after the Aern have won their freedom from the Elderanni. A stupid Elderanni prince unearths the Aern war suits and puts them in a museum. The problem is that Kholster swore an oath many years before that if the suits were touched, he would kill every last Elderanni. Kholster doesn’t really have a problem with this, because he is the oldest of the Aern and still remembers the horrors of his captivity in excruciating detail. He hates the Elderanni and all that they stand for, seeing them as evil overlords even though most of the men who were alive during his enslavement are now dead. At the same time, he doesn’t *want* to have to do it. The problem is that this particular oath binds all of his people, and if he breaks it, then the very essence of what it is to be Aern will be destroyed. There’s no good option or easy way out.
Now, part of the Aern truce with the Elderanni is that every hundred years, there’s a Grand Conjunction that renews the peace treaty between them. Kholster can’t wipe the Elderanni off the map until the Conjunction is passed, because he’s also sworn an oath to be there. As he bides his time, a reptilian race called the Zaur are preparing an attack of their own, and this time, they mean to see the Elderanni destroyed. So basically, the Elderanni are fucked. Meanwhile, the gods themselves are interfering with mortal lives, and the outcomes of their games could change the fate of the world.
So. Frickin. Epic.
Okay, so my favorite part of Grudgebearer? There’s this character named Wylant. She’s Kholster’s ex-wife (it’s complicated), and a legend on the battlefield. She’s also allergic to the Zaur. She shows up for battle and needs to pop allergy meds because her eyes start watering and nose starts running and she’s miserable. IT’S A FANTASY CHARACTER WITH ALLERGIES! I am allergic to life, so I can sympathize with her, and it’s a great weakness for a character to have.
Kholster reminds me of Thrall from World of Warcraft. He’s this powerful angry leader who fights against the injustice of his people’s enslavement, but once they are free, he has a hard time moving on. And it’s perfectly understandable, because what the Elderanni did to him was horrific, both physically and emotionally. And yet, the world is changing, and Kholster needs to lead the Aern in such a way that ensures a promising future. And ensuring a future needs to mean learning how to let his children go. One of Kholster’s internal conflicts throughout the book revolves around his daughter Rae’en. He’s grooming Rae’en to be his replacement one day, but he’s afraid to let her make her own mistakes, and therefore discover her own strengths. He’s proud of her, he believes in her, and yet he’s overprotective. I loved seeing how their relationship evolved throughout the course of the book and how Rae’en stepped up to the plate in moments where it looked like she was in major trouble.
Grudgebearer isn’t a quick read. I started reading it more than a month ago, but it’s so complex and action-packed that I found myself taking my time and savoring it slowly. It’s worth every minute. And of course it’s the first book in a trilogy, so I’m *dying* to know what happens next, especially since the ending was not at all like anything I’d expect. Highly recommended
September 21, 2014
Looking forward to the rest of the trilogy. The characters are compelling, the internal conflicts as well as the external were engaging. My only wish is that there was an appendix, as some of the words and names, history, and races were hard for me to remember/figure out. Oh and a map! And a roleplaying game?
September 29, 2014
I really loved this. It's a long, well thought out, well written introduction to a new fantasy world. If I had to describe the Aern, I'd say they're something like a mix of Charr from Guild Wars and the Sidhe (Fairies) from the Dresden Files. But that doesn't do them justice, this is a fantastic novel and I couldn't get over how in depth it was. Really looking forward to the next one! If you like epic fantasy tales you'll probably like this.
January 22, 2015
I tried but could not finish the book. Love previous J. F. Lewis books but somehow this one is not up to my alley.
January 3, 2018
The Aern were created by the Eldrennai, their main purpose was to battle the Zaur, a race of lizard-like beings who are resistant to Eldrennai magic. The Aern, warrior-slaves nearly impossible to kill, cannot break an oath without losing their connection to each other and becoming Forsworn. For thousands of years they fought for the Eldrennai, until the Sundering, when the Aern were freed. Now the three races - the Eldrennai, the Vael, and the Aern - must come together once every hundred years to reestablish a truce, which if broken would mean the death of the Eldrennai.
Nearly six hundred years after the Aern went into exile, a foolish, young Eldrennai prince breaks the truce by removing some of the Aern armor. Kholster, leader of the Aern, bound by his oaths, must find a way to uphold them and protect his people. He travels with his daughter Rae’en to the hundred year conjunction while his troops prepare for battle against the Eldrennai.
However, a new threat has arose and Kholster and Rae’en must find a way to overcome the past, battle the creatures they were created to destroy, and uphold the oaths they have made.
This was a very interesting read, and nothing like I expected it to be. Full of multiple races, unique characters, intriguing settings, and a riveting storyline, this novel was captivating and mysterious.
The characters in this novel are completely unique and unlike anything I have read before. The storyline focuses on a couple of characters from multiple races - the Aern, the Eldrennai, the Vael, the Zaur, the Dwarves, and the humans - and the conflicts between the races. Their past issues continue to emerge due to differences of opinion and the grudges they hold against one another.
I found this novel to be more violent than I originally thought it would be. However, considering the hatred and the war looming before them, I probably should have expected it.
I enjoyed this novel, and I was so shocked by the ending that I know I will be trying to read book two sooner rather than later.
I would recommend this novel to fans of David Gemmell or George R. R. Martin.
I won my copy of this novel from Goodreads Firstreads and have permission from the publishers at Pyr to use an image of the cover artwork featured above.
stephanietiner.weebly.com
Nearly six hundred years after the Aern went into exile, a foolish, young Eldrennai prince breaks the truce by removing some of the Aern armor. Kholster, leader of the Aern, bound by his oaths, must find a way to uphold them and protect his people. He travels with his daughter Rae’en to the hundred year conjunction while his troops prepare for battle against the Eldrennai.
However, a new threat has arose and Kholster and Rae’en must find a way to overcome the past, battle the creatures they were created to destroy, and uphold the oaths they have made.
This was a very interesting read, and nothing like I expected it to be. Full of multiple races, unique characters, intriguing settings, and a riveting storyline, this novel was captivating and mysterious.
The characters in this novel are completely unique and unlike anything I have read before. The storyline focuses on a couple of characters from multiple races - the Aern, the Eldrennai, the Vael, the Zaur, the Dwarves, and the humans - and the conflicts between the races. Their past issues continue to emerge due to differences of opinion and the grudges they hold against one another.
I found this novel to be more violent than I originally thought it would be. However, considering the hatred and the war looming before them, I probably should have expected it.
I enjoyed this novel, and I was so shocked by the ending that I know I will be trying to read book two sooner rather than later.
I would recommend this novel to fans of David Gemmell or George R. R. Martin.
I won my copy of this novel from Goodreads Firstreads and have permission from the publishers at Pyr to use an image of the cover artwork featured above.
stephanietiner.weebly.com
January 8, 2016
Three things drew me to this book.
1) Todd Lockwood. No mortal can resist the allure of cover art by Lockwood. Yes, I judged this book by its cover.
2) I am always drawn by loyalty and stringent rule-keeping characters, so the idea of a created race who are somehow utterly unable to break an oath was really intriguing. I really love all the concepts the Aern were forged from.
3) Father-daughter relationship!
This book was a fun read, but didn't stand out enough to warrant 4 stars, quite. There was a lot of repetition of words that could have been implied (so much emphasis on race names) and some lengthy prose that made reading slow or tore me from the narrative. Though it builds on a base of pretty typical humans-elves-dwarves, there's a lot of worldbuilding and a lot of it is mentioned cursorily, but I can't tell if it will be expanded on later or if it's an immersive technique. But what I do love is that the author seems to really enjoy the world that he's built, and he's packed it full of mystic history that feels like legend but was acted out by the main characters. It's an epic high fantasy that spans more time than space, and it's not about saving the world. It's pretty cool. Actually, there's a lot of stuff in this world that seems to be there just for cool factor, but I get the feeling that the author does it with a passion, not that it's a pass at making something sound cool to be appealing. The one thing that gets me is that you have names from Kholster and Rae'en, which flow very well, to M'jynn that don't seem to fit the same assumed language, to the Ghaiattri which are apparently demons (the demon world thing isn't really explained) but sound more like an Italian artisan family. Maybe it reminds me of Ghirardelli chocolate. And Shidarva, which sounds Hindi or Sanskrit. I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with anything-goes naming, but personally it breaks my immersion.
In short, the writing could use some polish IMO and some elements seemed slapped together, but this book was obviously crafted with love and passion, with a lot of cool ideas. It was fun to read, and a fun world to explore, though I'm not really sure what happened at the end...?
I'm interested in reading the sequel, but honestly it's largely because I want to admire its cover on my shelf. Todd Lockwood art of dragons and badass ladies in well-designed armor? I'll support that. I'm happy to read more about Rae'en and Wylant.
1) Todd Lockwood. No mortal can resist the allure of cover art by Lockwood. Yes, I judged this book by its cover.
2) I am always drawn by loyalty and stringent rule-keeping characters, so the idea of a created race who are somehow utterly unable to break an oath was really intriguing. I really love all the concepts the Aern were forged from.
3) Father-daughter relationship!
This book was a fun read, but didn't stand out enough to warrant 4 stars, quite. There was a lot of repetition of words that could have been implied (so much emphasis on race names) and some lengthy prose that made reading slow or tore me from the narrative. Though it builds on a base of pretty typical humans-elves-dwarves, there's a lot of worldbuilding and a lot of it is mentioned cursorily, but I can't tell if it will be expanded on later or if it's an immersive technique. But what I do love is that the author seems to really enjoy the world that he's built, and he's packed it full of mystic history that feels like legend but was acted out by the main characters. It's an epic high fantasy that spans more time than space, and it's not about saving the world. It's pretty cool. Actually, there's a lot of stuff in this world that seems to be there just for cool factor, but I get the feeling that the author does it with a passion, not that it's a pass at making something sound cool to be appealing. The one thing that gets me is that you have names from Kholster and Rae'en, which flow very well, to M'jynn that don't seem to fit the same assumed language, to the Ghaiattri which are apparently demons (the demon world thing isn't really explained) but sound more like an Italian artisan family. Maybe it reminds me of Ghirardelli chocolate. And Shidarva, which sounds Hindi or Sanskrit. I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with anything-goes naming, but personally it breaks my immersion.
In short, the writing could use some polish IMO and some elements seemed slapped together, but this book was obviously crafted with love and passion, with a lot of cool ideas. It was fun to read, and a fun world to explore, though I'm not really sure what happened at the end...?
I'm interested in reading the sequel, but honestly it's largely because I want to admire its cover on my shelf. Todd Lockwood art of dragons and badass ladies in well-designed armor? I'll support that. I'm happy to read more about Rae'en and Wylant.
April 22, 2015
Honestly I expected nothing less from Lewis, who wrote one of my favourite versions of vampires in Void City series.
I think there are still a few kinks to work out which I imagine will be solved in the next novel that I can hardly wait to read!
I think there are still a few kinks to work out which I imagine will be solved in the next novel that I can hardly wait to read!
July 7, 2020
I enjoyed reading this book, but decided not to read the sequel. The story has a lot going for it, but the characters are wafer-thin, and that is allowed to drive the plot. Kholster leads a race of super-soldiers - there are a lot of them and they are virtually immortal - who cannot survive breaking an oath. When his people broke free of their enslavers, he promised to let the enslavers live, as long as they didn't do something stupid and petty. Dolvek is a prince of the former enslavers - and he does something stupid and petty. Meanwhile a major inter-species war is breaking out because the gods are playing a game - and they're that petty too.
June 30, 2015
‘Grudgebearer’ is a layered and complex story with multifaceted characters that is perfect when you want to immerse yourself in a whole new world and its rich history. I wasn’t sure how to feel about the book when I first started it, but after finishing it I can’t help but really love it.
The first book in the Grudgebearer trilogy introduces you to a new world, new races and their Deities. The Eldrennai are an ancient and arrogant race of elves. The Zaur are a reptilian race and the mortal enemies of the Eldrennai. To battle the Zaur, the Eldrennai wizard Uled created a race of nearly immortal male fighters, the Aern. The Aern were enslaved by the Eldrennai, with no choice but to follow every single command they got. The magic of their enslavement was however connected to oaths, and as soon as one of the Eldrennai kings broke an oath they made to the Aern, the magic that bound them together lifted. The Aern were free and the Eldrennai were from then on known as Oathbreakers. The Aern are however still connected to the their oaths. They can’t break an oath they make. Doing so makes them wither away, reducing them to a shell of what they once were.
When the Aern were still enslaved the Eldrennai wanted to breed with them and because Eldrennai women were to fragile to bear more than one Aern child, the Vaelsilyn, or Vael as they prefer, were created. A beautiful plant-like species, completely one with nature, that is specifically made to please the Aern and to breed with them. The When the the Aern were freed, so were the Vael. A huge battle between the Eldrennai and the Aern erupted, only stopped by the destruction of the Life Forge that created the Aern. The Aern agreed to give up their warsuits and live a life in isolation. To keep the peace, all three races agreed to come together every hundred years to complete the Grand Conjunction and renew their oath of peace.
The Gods in ‘Grudgebearer’ resemble the Greek or Roman system. They all have their specific function: God of War, God of Knowledge, God of Secrets, … And like the Greek Gods, they don’t always get along and are entangled in subterfuge and backstabbing to best each other. What is even worse is that they use mortal lives to do so. Torgrimm, the Harvester, who collects the souls of the departed, despairs and wonders what will happen if the Gods continue with their destructive games.
Oh, and there’s a dragon as well! I just thought I’d let you all know ;-)
The story begins with a young and arrogant Eldrennai prince relocating the famous warsuits the Armored Aern wore during their enslavement. These aren’t just warsuits however, because part of the Aern’s soul is imbedded in it and the warsuit also has the ability to think for itself and communicate with the Aern.
Kholster, the first Aern that was ever made, made an oath to wipe the Eldrennai off the face of the planet if they ever dared touch the warsuits. Bound by this oath, Kholster sets out with his daughter Rae’en to the Grand Conjunction, with war on his mind.
The character of Wylant, Kholster’s ex-wife, shows us the story from the unique perspective of an Aiannai, an Eldrannai who has been deemed worthy to be exempt from the oath. The Aiannai carry the scars of an Aern on their back, just like the offspring of that Aern, to show their status. I really liked the character of Wylant, a strong female warrior that can still admit to having strong, sometimes distracting feelings of love and regret. You can really feel she still cares a whole lot about Kholster. Throughout the book she corrects herself constantly, still thinking of herself as Kholster wife. But Wylant isn’t the only strong female character in this book! Rae’en, Kholster’s daughter, is destined to take over her fathers position and she tries her best to impress him every step of the way. She is however still very young and the young make mistakes. I enjoyed reading about the relationship between Kholster and Rae’en. They both value their relationship very much and are constantly aware how they treat each other. Especially the ‘race’ they did while travelling to the Grand Conjunction was fun to read. The Vael send a female princess, Yavi, to the Grand Conjuction. Reading her point of view gave a strong image of how playful, but peaceful the Vael really are. The Vael representative has to make sure the Aern and Eldrennai part in peace and renew the oath every 100 years and that is also the only thing they really want. They are naturally attracted to the Aern, because they were made to be, but it is interesting to see how Yavi thinks about this, never having met Kholster before.
I read ‘Grudgebearer’ at a rather slow pace. I think a complex story like this needs to be savoured and put down sometimes to let it all sink in. It made the story richer for me.
If you like complex, layered books that give you the chance to discover brand new cultures and intriguing characters, you should give this one a go. It is a perfect blend between action and exhilarating fights, the politics of a world bearing the scars of its history and the characters inner struggles to come to terms with that history. Next to all that we slowly learn more about the Aern’s history through the retelling of some of the key moments that changed their lives forever.
I was impressed by ‘Grudgebearer’ and started in the second book ‘Oathkeeper’ right away, because I just couldn’t wait to visit that world again.
The first book in the Grudgebearer trilogy introduces you to a new world, new races and their Deities. The Eldrennai are an ancient and arrogant race of elves. The Zaur are a reptilian race and the mortal enemies of the Eldrennai. To battle the Zaur, the Eldrennai wizard Uled created a race of nearly immortal male fighters, the Aern. The Aern were enslaved by the Eldrennai, with no choice but to follow every single command they got. The magic of their enslavement was however connected to oaths, and as soon as one of the Eldrennai kings broke an oath they made to the Aern, the magic that bound them together lifted. The Aern were free and the Eldrennai were from then on known as Oathbreakers. The Aern are however still connected to the their oaths. They can’t break an oath they make. Doing so makes them wither away, reducing them to a shell of what they once were.
When the Aern were still enslaved the Eldrennai wanted to breed with them and because Eldrennai women were to fragile to bear more than one Aern child, the Vaelsilyn, or Vael as they prefer, were created. A beautiful plant-like species, completely one with nature, that is specifically made to please the Aern and to breed with them. The When the the Aern were freed, so were the Vael. A huge battle between the Eldrennai and the Aern erupted, only stopped by the destruction of the Life Forge that created the Aern. The Aern agreed to give up their warsuits and live a life in isolation. To keep the peace, all three races agreed to come together every hundred years to complete the Grand Conjunction and renew their oath of peace.
The Gods in ‘Grudgebearer’ resemble the Greek or Roman system. They all have their specific function: God of War, God of Knowledge, God of Secrets, … And like the Greek Gods, they don’t always get along and are entangled in subterfuge and backstabbing to best each other. What is even worse is that they use mortal lives to do so. Torgrimm, the Harvester, who collects the souls of the departed, despairs and wonders what will happen if the Gods continue with their destructive games.
Oh, and there’s a dragon as well! I just thought I’d let you all know ;-)
The story begins with a young and arrogant Eldrennai prince relocating the famous warsuits the Armored Aern wore during their enslavement. These aren’t just warsuits however, because part of the Aern’s soul is imbedded in it and the warsuit also has the ability to think for itself and communicate with the Aern.
Kholster, the first Aern that was ever made, made an oath to wipe the Eldrennai off the face of the planet if they ever dared touch the warsuits. Bound by this oath, Kholster sets out with his daughter Rae’en to the Grand Conjunction, with war on his mind.
The character of Wylant, Kholster’s ex-wife, shows us the story from the unique perspective of an Aiannai, an Eldrannai who has been deemed worthy to be exempt from the oath. The Aiannai carry the scars of an Aern on their back, just like the offspring of that Aern, to show their status. I really liked the character of Wylant, a strong female warrior that can still admit to having strong, sometimes distracting feelings of love and regret. You can really feel she still cares a whole lot about Kholster. Throughout the book she corrects herself constantly, still thinking of herself as Kholster wife. But Wylant isn’t the only strong female character in this book! Rae’en, Kholster’s daughter, is destined to take over her fathers position and she tries her best to impress him every step of the way. She is however still very young and the young make mistakes. I enjoyed reading about the relationship between Kholster and Rae’en. They both value their relationship very much and are constantly aware how they treat each other. Especially the ‘race’ they did while travelling to the Grand Conjunction was fun to read. The Vael send a female princess, Yavi, to the Grand Conjuction. Reading her point of view gave a strong image of how playful, but peaceful the Vael really are. The Vael representative has to make sure the Aern and Eldrennai part in peace and renew the oath every 100 years and that is also the only thing they really want. They are naturally attracted to the Aern, because they were made to be, but it is interesting to see how Yavi thinks about this, never having met Kholster before.
I read ‘Grudgebearer’ at a rather slow pace. I think a complex story like this needs to be savoured and put down sometimes to let it all sink in. It made the story richer for me.
If you like complex, layered books that give you the chance to discover brand new cultures and intriguing characters, you should give this one a go. It is a perfect blend between action and exhilarating fights, the politics of a world bearing the scars of its history and the characters inner struggles to come to terms with that history. Next to all that we slowly learn more about the Aern’s history through the retelling of some of the key moments that changed their lives forever.
I was impressed by ‘Grudgebearer’ and started in the second book ‘Oathkeeper’ right away, because I just couldn’t wait to visit that world again.
May 25, 2019
Well, the story is vast and well-written by showing conflicts and actions, but I'm got more confused on the races and the characters. I just don't understand what was going on in the story since I was reading and stopping so I went on this site to find out what's the story is about. It feels very complex and detailed, I just couldn't hang on it. It took me 5 months to finish the story.
April 12, 2020
J.F. Lewis has created a new and original storyline and universe. As usual, the characters are fully developed and evolving. A true joy to read.
January 28, 2021
I couldn't get into it.
January 10, 2017
Grudgebearer is the start to an epic fantasy trilogy. Unfortunately, it wasn’t to my tastes. If I weren’t reading it for review, I wouldn’t have finished.
Grudgebearer is set in a world with a wide array of species, some of whom are immortal. Kholster is the first of the immortal Aern, a wolf-like, carnivorous warrior species with no qualms about eating other sentient beings. They were created as slaves for the Eldrennai but gained freedom six hundred years ago. Every hundred years the peace between the Eldrennai and the Aern must be reforged at the Grand Conjunction. But an Eldrennai prince has moved the armor the Aern left hostage, and if he’s going to follow his oath, Kholster must destroy them all. And if he doesn’t follow his oath, then he will no longer be an Aern.
To be honest, I’m not exactly sure what happened with Grudgebearer‘s plot. I simplified things a lot in my summary. There’s also a race of sentient lizard people who are attacking. Then there’s an entire pantheon of gods who are meddling in the affairs of the mortal world, playing some game which I don’t think is ever quite explained. There’s also something about portals into other dimensions and demons? I spent a lot of time confused and pretty much gave up on understanding near the end.
The author clearly put a lot of work into world building, but it never worked for me. Maybe because there was just so much going on. There were steampunk elements with the dwarfs, the aforementioned pantheon of gods, thousands of years of backstory… However most of the world building elements were fairly familiar fantasy elements in one way or the other. Dwarfs, elves, dragons, dryads/nymphs, ect. Names with apostrophes in them for no apparent reason. That sort of thing. Even with all this effort clearly put into creating the world, I always felt like I was skimming on the surface of the story, not truly immersed in it. It’s hard for me to explain why – I’ve read books with completely inhuman casts and alien worlds and enjoyed them more than Grudgebearer. Possibly narrowing the cast of POV characters and focusing on showing the world through the viewpoints of only a few would have helped. I would also have found an appendix useful at points.
I find the presence of female characters with agency important in every book I read, and the back blurb’s mention of Kholster’s daughter Rae’en as his heir factored into my decision to read Grudgebearer. Like the world building, effort is clearly put into the female characters, but it never quite works. There’s three significant female characters in the book – Rae’en, Kholster’s daughter; Wylant, Kholster’s ex-wife, and Yavi, a diplomat from a plant-like species, the Vael, which are reminiscent of nymphs. All three characters had significant page time devoted to them, and I actually found Yavi’s sections the most preferable parts of the book due to her lighthearted personality. But while there were these three among the main cast, female characters were noticeably lacking in the supporting cast. There’s one human women who briefly appeared, a little girl who was in one scene, the queen of the Vael, and a handful of goddesses. We never saw an Aern besides Rae’en who was female or an Eldrennai besides Wylant. The vast majority of characters who appear in this world are male.
There’s other problems with the female characters. Both Rae’en and Wylant feel defined by their relationships with Kholster, and while Yavi is a bit more independent, her narrative still largely revolves around him. The Vael were created to be all female “companions” for the all male Aern. They apparently cannot help but be attracted to the Aern, especially Kholster. And in turn males of other species (primarily the Eldrennai) find the Vael supernaturally attractive and have trouble controlling themselves around them. As a result the Vael usually wear veils when traveling among the Eldrennai. While it’s possible that this was an attempt to undermine tropes, women having to cover themselves so that men “can control themselves” doesn’t sit right with me when we live in a world where women are told to do this so frequently. The female characters were also all attractive, and at times I felt like they were being described through the male gaze:
I got through Grudgebearer by assigning myself a certain number of pages to read each day. That’s generally not a good sign for how much I’m enjoying a book. While I’m glad that I was able to finish this one and write a review for it, I am not planning on reading the sequels.
Review originally posted on The Illustrated Page.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy from Pyr in exchange for an honest review.
Grudgebearer is set in a world with a wide array of species, some of whom are immortal. Kholster is the first of the immortal Aern, a wolf-like, carnivorous warrior species with no qualms about eating other sentient beings. They were created as slaves for the Eldrennai but gained freedom six hundred years ago. Every hundred years the peace between the Eldrennai and the Aern must be reforged at the Grand Conjunction. But an Eldrennai prince has moved the armor the Aern left hostage, and if he’s going to follow his oath, Kholster must destroy them all. And if he doesn’t follow his oath, then he will no longer be an Aern.
To be honest, I’m not exactly sure what happened with Grudgebearer‘s plot. I simplified things a lot in my summary. There’s also a race of sentient lizard people who are attacking. Then there’s an entire pantheon of gods who are meddling in the affairs of the mortal world, playing some game which I don’t think is ever quite explained. There’s also something about portals into other dimensions and demons? I spent a lot of time confused and pretty much gave up on understanding near the end.
The author clearly put a lot of work into world building, but it never worked for me. Maybe because there was just so much going on. There were steampunk elements with the dwarfs, the aforementioned pantheon of gods, thousands of years of backstory… However most of the world building elements were fairly familiar fantasy elements in one way or the other. Dwarfs, elves, dragons, dryads/nymphs, ect. Names with apostrophes in them for no apparent reason. That sort of thing. Even with all this effort clearly put into creating the world, I always felt like I was skimming on the surface of the story, not truly immersed in it. It’s hard for me to explain why – I’ve read books with completely inhuman casts and alien worlds and enjoyed them more than Grudgebearer. Possibly narrowing the cast of POV characters and focusing on showing the world through the viewpoints of only a few would have helped. I would also have found an appendix useful at points.
I find the presence of female characters with agency important in every book I read, and the back blurb’s mention of Kholster’s daughter Rae’en as his heir factored into my decision to read Grudgebearer. Like the world building, effort is clearly put into the female characters, but it never quite works. There’s three significant female characters in the book – Rae’en, Kholster’s daughter; Wylant, Kholster’s ex-wife, and Yavi, a diplomat from a plant-like species, the Vael, which are reminiscent of nymphs. All three characters had significant page time devoted to them, and I actually found Yavi’s sections the most preferable parts of the book due to her lighthearted personality. But while there were these three among the main cast, female characters were noticeably lacking in the supporting cast. There’s one human women who briefly appeared, a little girl who was in one scene, the queen of the Vael, and a handful of goddesses. We never saw an Aern besides Rae’en who was female or an Eldrennai besides Wylant. The vast majority of characters who appear in this world are male.
There’s other problems with the female characters. Both Rae’en and Wylant feel defined by their relationships with Kholster, and while Yavi is a bit more independent, her narrative still largely revolves around him. The Vael were created to be all female “companions” for the all male Aern. They apparently cannot help but be attracted to the Aern, especially Kholster. And in turn males of other species (primarily the Eldrennai) find the Vael supernaturally attractive and have trouble controlling themselves around them. As a result the Vael usually wear veils when traveling among the Eldrennai. While it’s possible that this was an attempt to undermine tropes, women having to cover themselves so that men “can control themselves” doesn’t sit right with me when we live in a world where women are told to do this so frequently. The female characters were also all attractive, and at times I felt like they were being described through the male gaze:
“Moonlight touched the smooth, attractive lines of Wylant’s face, revealing red, puffy eyes and chapped lips. Her coverlet lay cast aside on the floor, exposing her nakedness to no one but the gods.”
I got through Grudgebearer by assigning myself a certain number of pages to read each day. That’s generally not a good sign for how much I’m enjoying a book. While I’m glad that I was able to finish this one and write a review for it, I am not planning on reading the sequels.
Review originally posted on The Illustrated Page.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy from Pyr in exchange for an honest review.
December 11, 2015
This is my first time reviewing a book on Good Reads (SPOILER-FREE)Grudgebearer:
J.F. Lewis is an author that I became acquainted with when I first read (and subsequently re-read) the Void City series. Void City was a fun, twisted Urban Fantasy adventure populated by vampires and numerous other supernatural species. For it what it was, I enjoyed that series and had a good time while reading.
His latest novel, Grudgebearer (the first in a trilogy), pleasantly surprised me. It is a completely different beast (despite sharing numerous themes and archetypes).
The characters, major and minor, are excellent. I related to them (even the Zaur, oddly enough), their motivations make complete sense and I am wholly invested in what will become of them in subsequent books. In Kholster and Wylant especially, I believe Lewis has crafted two of his richest characters to date.
In terms of worldbuilding this book is very impressive. It's roughly 400 pages in length and manages to depict a sprawling, unique fictional world, introduce multiple different humanoid species (all of whom have complicated relationships with the others), along with multiple magic systems without forcing the book's narrative to a grinding halt. Unavoidably, there are some aspects of the world that has been built here that I don't quite grasp and I felt weren't explained as well as they could have been. I think a map would have been very useful to help the reader track Kholster and Rae'en's journey.
Also, this being book one, some punches are pulled (so to speak) to pave the way for future conflicts in future installments to the series. There is a fair amount of set-up but the pay-off won't be found in this book.
However, the ending is fantastic and is in no way a cliffhanger. It was an unexpected place to finish but also an organic ending that does not feel forced. The climax to this book is more of character-driven than action-packed and I found it refreshing. The final sentence of the book honestly borders on perfection.
I'm a fantasy reader who enjoys reading Jordan, Salvatore, Sanderson, Rothfuss, Erikson, Goodkind (his early work only!), Hobb, Weis & Hickman, Brooks and many more. If you liked any of the authors mentioned above there is a strong chance you will read Grudgebearer and enjoy the hell out of it.
Rating: Four out of Five Stars.
J.F. Lewis is an author that I became acquainted with when I first read (and subsequently re-read) the Void City series. Void City was a fun, twisted Urban Fantasy adventure populated by vampires and numerous other supernatural species. For it what it was, I enjoyed that series and had a good time while reading.
His latest novel, Grudgebearer (the first in a trilogy), pleasantly surprised me. It is a completely different beast (despite sharing numerous themes and archetypes).
The characters, major and minor, are excellent. I related to them (even the Zaur, oddly enough), their motivations make complete sense and I am wholly invested in what will become of them in subsequent books. In Kholster and Wylant especially, I believe Lewis has crafted two of his richest characters to date.
In terms of worldbuilding this book is very impressive. It's roughly 400 pages in length and manages to depict a sprawling, unique fictional world, introduce multiple different humanoid species (all of whom have complicated relationships with the others), along with multiple magic systems without forcing the book's narrative to a grinding halt. Unavoidably, there are some aspects of the world that has been built here that I don't quite grasp and I felt weren't explained as well as they could have been. I think a map would have been very useful to help the reader track Kholster and Rae'en's journey.
Also, this being book one, some punches are pulled (so to speak) to pave the way for future conflicts in future installments to the series. There is a fair amount of set-up but the pay-off won't be found in this book.
However, the ending is fantastic and is in no way a cliffhanger. It was an unexpected place to finish but also an organic ending that does not feel forced. The climax to this book is more of character-driven than action-packed and I found it refreshing. The final sentence of the book honestly borders on perfection.
I'm a fantasy reader who enjoys reading Jordan, Salvatore, Sanderson, Rothfuss, Erikson, Goodkind (his early work only!), Hobb, Weis & Hickman, Brooks and many more. If you liked any of the authors mentioned above there is a strong chance you will read Grudgebearer and enjoy the hell out of it.
Rating: Four out of Five Stars.
August 4, 2016
It will have to be a slow Sunday for me to stick with the Grudgebearer trilogy, as J. F. Lewis’s first installment, “Grudgebearer” (Pyr, $18, 400 pages), is at best confusing and at worst uninvolving. After all, the protagonist, who is your basic killing machine who tops off his triumphs by eating his opponent raw and then admits “I’m a monster,” is far from cuddly. Yes, Kholster has a great sense of honor, and he’s tortured by the ethical implications of his devotion to death and destruction of the Eldrennai, but it’s hard to really empathize.
Oh, and he’s not human … he’s an Aern, which is a race created by the Eldrennai to kill the Zaur, who are a reptilian race that makes an appearance late in the book. Humans are around too, but they are just spectators to the Aern’s hatred of the Eldrennai, who treated the Aern as slaves, and the intercession of the Vael, who are very sexy plants. Everyone can mate with everyone else, everyone kills everyone else, and some very twisted gods intervene whenever they feel like it.
It’s reasonably well-written, but not well enough to overcome its several flaws. Maybe if the second and third volumes get great reviews, I’ll try again, but as of now, one is enough.
Oh, and he’s not human … he’s an Aern, which is a race created by the Eldrennai to kill the Zaur, who are a reptilian race that makes an appearance late in the book. Humans are around too, but they are just spectators to the Aern’s hatred of the Eldrennai, who treated the Aern as slaves, and the intercession of the Vael, who are very sexy plants. Everyone can mate with everyone else, everyone kills everyone else, and some very twisted gods intervene whenever they feel like it.
It’s reasonably well-written, but not well enough to overcome its several flaws. Maybe if the second and third volumes get great reviews, I’ll try again, but as of now, one is enough.
December 12, 2014
This is rich and detailed fantasy with many layers to it. There are several races of immortals, and a lot of what happens could be looked on as complications stemming from immortality. Several cultures are well depicted, and the clashes between them make sense and read well.
The Aern are immortal warriors, created to serve the Eldrennai. But the Aern won free centuries ago, and, as you can guess from the title, not all is forgiven. Long memories can harbor deep hatreds.
As the Aern and Eldrennai clash, an old enemy returns, seeking to kill them all. Add in sentient suits of armor, a race of plant like people, and disagreement among the gods themselves, and you get a lot of complication.
This is some fine fantasy writing with some really original ideas.
My one complaint is that a few things get a bit confusing. Kholster is one of the main characters, but because he's been around so long, his name is also a rank, a verb, and even a unit of measurement once. It's a nice detail, but occasionally left me wondering "Wait, what?" when I read something.
Overall really well done. Recommended to fantasy fans.
The Aern are immortal warriors, created to serve the Eldrennai. But the Aern won free centuries ago, and, as you can guess from the title, not all is forgiven. Long memories can harbor deep hatreds.
As the Aern and Eldrennai clash, an old enemy returns, seeking to kill them all. Add in sentient suits of armor, a race of plant like people, and disagreement among the gods themselves, and you get a lot of complication.
This is some fine fantasy writing with some really original ideas.
My one complaint is that a few things get a bit confusing. Kholster is one of the main characters, but because he's been around so long, his name is also a rank, a verb, and even a unit of measurement once. It's a nice detail, but occasionally left me wondering "Wait, what?" when I read something.
Overall really well done. Recommended to fantasy fans.
September 6, 2016
I am a huge fan of JF Lewis's Void City books, and I was really looking forward to this book.I have to say, it completely blew away my expectations. In depth world building, thousands of years of back story, engaging and interesting characters, awesome magic, gunpowder weapons and multiple interesting races, beings and Gods. This is actually a good lesson to kids about keeping your word, being honorable, and the consequences of betrayal. I can't even compare this to other writers work, since I think it takes such a unique path. I recommend this book to anyone who likes fantasy with some bite! Can't wait for the next book, Oathkeeper.
June 22, 2015
Very rich and detailed fantasy novel with great world building. Sentient soul bonded armor, telepathic communication, created races, and great back stories to it all. The reason its not rated higher is that it takes some adjusting in thought processes to understand where things are taking placing and where people are talking to each other. Telepathic communication works good once your used to it but starting to read it really throws you off. Will definitely read next in series.
July 3, 2015
wow. i was expecting a maybe 3 1/4 star book, and got oh, say, 4 3/4 stars.
turns out making the main characters into unstoppable killing machines can enable a better plot than i'd thought possible, by eliminating much of the will they/won't they win/escape/die/whatever shenanigans, and allowing things to focus on whether or not the characters want to win/escape/die/whatever.
turns out making the main characters into unstoppable killing machines can enable a better plot than i'd thought possible, by eliminating much of the will they/won't they win/escape/die/whatever shenanigans, and allowing things to focus on whether or not the characters want to win/escape/die/whatever.
Want to read
August 1, 2014¡Nueva serie de fantasía! http://www.laespadaenlatinta.com/2014/08/nuevas-series-fantasia-grudgebearer-staveley.html
October 20, 2014
Liked it, hope there is more to come....
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