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The Grudgebearer Trilogy #3
Worldshaker
Uled, the originator of the carnivorous Aern, the plantlike Vael, and the reptilian Zaur, has completed his plan to return from the dead, unleashing an army of undead creatures on the living world.
Prince Rivvek has achieved peace between his people and the Aern, but at the cost of his capital city and the departure of a large portion of his military on a suicide mission to attempt the rescue of the Lost Command, a group of one thousand Armored Aern who carried their assault into the Never Dark as a gambit to help win the last Demon War. The goal is to gain the forgiveness of the Aern and to be accepted as something other than Oathbreakers by Rae’en, the leader of the Aern and daughter of Kholster.
Kholster, who only recently became the god of death, must work together with other new deities to bring balance to the heavens and stop Uled. Can he prevent Uled's undead army from ravaging the world in time to save Rae'en and those he still loves in the mortal realm?
Prince Rivvek has achieved peace between his people and the Aern, but at the cost of his capital city and the departure of a large portion of his military on a suicide mission to attempt the rescue of the Lost Command, a group of one thousand Armored Aern who carried their assault into the Never Dark as a gambit to help win the last Demon War. The goal is to gain the forgiveness of the Aern and to be accepted as something other than Oathbreakers by Rae’en, the leader of the Aern and daughter of Kholster.
Kholster, who only recently became the god of death, must work together with other new deities to bring balance to the heavens and stop Uled. Can he prevent Uled's undead army from ravaging the world in time to save Rae'en and those he still loves in the mortal realm?
- GenresFantasyEpic Fantasy
402 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 21, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 6, 2017
Was really looking forward to the slam-bang finale to this gem of an epic fantasy trilogy, and the conclusion of warring gods, armies, species, dragons, and monsters is everything I could have hoped for. Battles are fought against insurmountable odds, enemies become allies in ways that stay true to their characters, and schemes that have been building throughout the series blossom into fantastic a-ha! revelations.
It was kind of odd to read this book directly after finishing Ann Leckie's Ancillary Sword since both deal heavily with direct mind-to-mind communication and characters who have a certain amount of omniscience that's unusual in fiction. In Leckie's book, she uses this to explore alternate concepts of self identity. In Worldshaker, it's more about epic-level wizards and warriors playing against each other in "God Mode."
That's what I think sets the Grudgebearer series apart from other fantasies. Usually it's all about the heroic journey of young, inexperienced farmboy archetypes who grow up to be Jedi, while the all-knowing, all-seeing Elders lurk in the background, dispense cryptic advice, and get themselves killed when it's convenient for the young protagonist's journey of self discovery. In this series, on the other hand, the all-knowing all-seeing Elders take center stage. This ain't a Game of Thrones, it's a Game of Gods, and it's a blast.
Read it.
It was kind of odd to read this book directly after finishing Ann Leckie's Ancillary Sword since both deal heavily with direct mind-to-mind communication and characters who have a certain amount of omniscience that's unusual in fiction. In Leckie's book, she uses this to explore alternate concepts of self identity. In Worldshaker, it's more about epic-level wizards and warriors playing against each other in "God Mode."
That's what I think sets the Grudgebearer series apart from other fantasies. Usually it's all about the heroic journey of young, inexperienced farmboy archetypes who grow up to be Jedi, while the all-knowing, all-seeing Elders lurk in the background, dispense cryptic advice, and get themselves killed when it's convenient for the young protagonist's journey of self discovery. In this series, on the other hand, the all-knowing all-seeing Elders take center stage. This ain't a Game of Thrones, it's a Game of Gods, and it's a blast.
Read it.
July 18, 2017
Though in some ways I'd like to, I can't find a way to give a positive spin to “Worldshaker” (Pyr, $18, 349 pages). Author J. F. Lewis notes in his acknowledgments that he was battling illness while finishing this book, the third in the Grudgebearer Trilogy, but even so, the quality of the book is really the bottom line -- and the quality here is sadly lacking.
Though I read an advance copy, and it’s possible that the many typographical errors will be corrected in the finished version, it still was a sloppy effort even considering its advance status. And the complex and complicated plot veered all over the place, with dead people staying alive, live people becoming dead and then rising up from the grave, and a host of characters and relationships that were never adequately explained.
I did read both of the previous volumes, and enjoyed them somewhat, but this was a massive letdown. I cannot in good conscience recommend starting this three-book series given the huge disappointment that culminates in “Worldshaker.” The differing races, the complex and unexplained magic, the unspecified cosmology, the several planes of existence, and the general confusion that arises when mortals become gods, gods are killed, characters die and are reborn, is simply too much. Better editing certainly would’ve helped, as this seems like a slapdash effort from all concerned, and is certainly not worth the $18.
Though I read an advance copy, and it’s possible that the many typographical errors will be corrected in the finished version, it still was a sloppy effort even considering its advance status. And the complex and complicated plot veered all over the place, with dead people staying alive, live people becoming dead and then rising up from the grave, and a host of characters and relationships that were never adequately explained.
I did read both of the previous volumes, and enjoyed them somewhat, but this was a massive letdown. I cannot in good conscience recommend starting this three-book series given the huge disappointment that culminates in “Worldshaker.” The differing races, the complex and unexplained magic, the unspecified cosmology, the several planes of existence, and the general confusion that arises when mortals become gods, gods are killed, characters die and are reborn, is simply too much. Better editing certainly would’ve helped, as this seems like a slapdash effort from all concerned, and is certainly not worth the $18.
May 16, 2017
Pretty great conclusion to the trilogy. Love the world and the characters. It looks to me like there's a setup for more books in this world with Caius, Cadence and Tyree and I would very much like that.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 2, 2017
Good read but felt rushed in this book. Could have easily expanded it to double the size with better explanations of some of what was going on. Maybe it's just me.
March 11, 2017
Great ending
A wonderful conclusion to a good trilogy. Nice set up for another series later on, looking forward to another good read.
A wonderful conclusion to a good trilogy. Nice set up for another series later on, looking forward to another good read.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews