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Godserfs #1
Silent Hall
A coward’ son, a merchant’s daughter, a young prince, a wild girl, and a half-dragon all find themselves refugees from their island home. When a plague destroys their home, they try to forge their own future. Along with a sinister wizard, they awaken a dragon and defy the gods.
After their homeland is struck with a deadly plague, five refugees cross the continent searching for answers. Instead they find Psander, a wizard whose fortress is invisible to the gods, and who is willing to sacrifice anything - and anyone - to keep the knowledge of the wizards safe. With Psander as their patron, the refugees cross the mountains, brave the territory of their sworn enemies, confront a hostile ocean and even traverse the world of the fairies in search of magic powerful enough to save themselves - and Psander’s library - from the wrath of the gods. All they need to do is to rescue an imprisoned dragon and unleash a primordial monster upon the world. How hard could it be?
Story Locale: Fantasy island of Tarphae and the nearby continent
Series Overview: Five refugees find their own way, running afoul of some gods, becoming chosen of others, and tangling with wizards, dragons, and other strange powers.
After their homeland is struck with a deadly plague, five refugees cross the continent searching for answers. Instead they find Psander, a wizard whose fortress is invisible to the gods, and who is willing to sacrifice anything - and anyone - to keep the knowledge of the wizards safe. With Psander as their patron, the refugees cross the mountains, brave the territory of their sworn enemies, confront a hostile ocean and even traverse the world of the fairies in search of magic powerful enough to save themselves - and Psander’s library - from the wrath of the gods. All they need to do is to rescue an imprisoned dragon and unleash a primordial monster upon the world. How hard could it be?
Story Locale: Fantasy island of Tarphae and the nearby continent
Series Overview: Five refugees find their own way, running afoul of some gods, becoming chosen of others, and tangling with wizards, dragons, and other strange powers.
522 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 7, 2016
406 people are currently reading
1993 people want to read
About the author
N.S. Dolkart
3 books76 followersN.S. Dolkart spent the better part of a decade working in Alzheimer's and dementia care, but is now an ecstatic stay-at-home dad. Besides writing, he likes cooking, singing, and Israeli Folk Dancing. He does not like doing laundry, but he'll do it anyway.
Current writing project: A Breach in the Heavens, the concluding volume in the Godserfs trilogy.
Current writing project: A Breach in the Heavens, the concluding volume in the Godserfs trilogy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 107 reviews
August 25, 2021
https://koeur.wordpress.com/2016/05/0...
Publisher: Angry Robot
Publishing Date: June 2016
ISBN: 9780857665683
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 2.6/5
Publishers Description: Five refugees from a plague-stricken island cross the continent searching for answers. Instead they find Psander, a wizard whose fortress is invisible to the gods, and who is willing to sacrifice anything – and anyone – to keep the knowledge of the wizards safe.
Review: An obvious first attempt at writing that strangely works.
The world building is what really stood out in this novel. Descriptive elements are the emphasis rather than the character development. Each character has named chapters that give their unique perspective on the traveling entourage and their own internalizations. Add in some wizards, Elfs, a dragon and a few angry Gods and the patterned recipe is set.
Publisher: Angry Robot
Publishing Date: June 2016
ISBN: 9780857665683
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 2.6/5
Publishers Description: Five refugees from a plague-stricken island cross the continent searching for answers. Instead they find Psander, a wizard whose fortress is invisible to the gods, and who is willing to sacrifice anything – and anyone – to keep the knowledge of the wizards safe.
Review: An obvious first attempt at writing that strangely works.
The world building is what really stood out in this novel. Descriptive elements are the emphasis rather than the character development. Each character has named chapters that give their unique perspective on the traveling entourage and their own internalizations. Add in some wizards, Elfs, a dragon and a few angry Gods and the patterned recipe is set.
June 22, 2016
Wow. So good. You won't be able to put it down.
This book is incredible in its character creation. Everyone will have their favorites (mine is Narky) but each one is created so realistically and thoroughly that you will hate and love each one of them in certain points. Dolkart builds off traditional fantasy tropes (like questing) and characters to make them into real characters. The uppity princess, the brawny hero, the outcasts.
Characters - SOME SPOILERS BELOW - DON'T READ ON IF YOU DON'T WANT TO READ SPOILERS
Phaedra: twist on the classic "uppity princess." Think Cimorene from Patricia C. Reade or Ella from Ella Enchanted. Phaedra is the upper class girl who is smart and wants a broader life - but yet, realistically, she is unable to throw off all aspects of her former life - particularly her world view. This is so much more realistic than simply disregarding everything about that life. What I loved most about Dolkart's characterization of her is that he made me hate her in places and uppity princesses are usually my favorite. Initially she is the leader of the group, but as they learn to work together, she can't seem to let go of this role even as she is no longer needed in it. Really realistic.
Criton: twist on the "outcast because of magic" - Criton is really similar to many characters in books who are outcasts for possessing certain types of magic. However, unlike them, he realistically bears these scars. Criton is a bad person trying to be a good person. (Love the careful prodding to the reader to think about this as Bandu's back and forth about him being "good" or "wicked"). He is pretty deeply messed up and as a result doesn't always do the right thing - not as in "leave my friends in danger" as in "physically harm them myself." Criton is my least favorite character for this reason, but also one of the best written. I definitely know a few Critons in my life.
Bandu: twist on the outcast of society. Think Daine from Tamora Pierce. But Bandu has much more depth. Dolkart uses Bandu's unfamiliarity to explore and critique some very obvious social norms. Unlike some other reviewers, I found Bandu and Phaedra's discussion of virginity to be beautifully written (especially given Bandu's lack of command of English), enlightening, feminist and realistic. (Think Broadway's Spring Awakening)
Hunter: twist on classic brawny hero - many fantasy books now make fun of this trope by making these characters dumb comic relief, but Hunter realizes this issue with his character and really tries to be something different that what he's trained as. One of my favorite characters by the end and I usually despise the brawny hero.
Narky: where to begin? Narky is almost totally original. Social outcast, but otherwise - completely free-speaking, not always morally right, character. So good.
This book is incredible in its character creation. Everyone will have their favorites (mine is Narky) but each one is created so realistically and thoroughly that you will hate and love each one of them in certain points. Dolkart builds off traditional fantasy tropes (like questing) and characters to make them into real characters. The uppity princess, the brawny hero, the outcasts.
Characters - SOME SPOILERS BELOW - DON'T READ ON IF YOU DON'T WANT TO READ SPOILERS
Phaedra: twist on the classic "uppity princess." Think Cimorene from Patricia C. Reade or Ella from Ella Enchanted. Phaedra is the upper class girl who is smart and wants a broader life - but yet, realistically, she is unable to throw off all aspects of her former life - particularly her world view. This is so much more realistic than simply disregarding everything about that life. What I loved most about Dolkart's characterization of her is that he made me hate her in places and uppity princesses are usually my favorite. Initially she is the leader of the group, but as they learn to work together, she can't seem to let go of this role even as she is no longer needed in it. Really realistic.
Criton: twist on the "outcast because of magic" - Criton is really similar to many characters in books who are outcasts for possessing certain types of magic. However, unlike them, he realistically bears these scars. Criton is a bad person trying to be a good person. (Love the careful prodding to the reader to think about this as Bandu's back and forth about him being "good" or "wicked"). He is pretty deeply messed up and as a result doesn't always do the right thing - not as in "leave my friends in danger" as in "physically harm them myself." Criton is my least favorite character for this reason, but also one of the best written. I definitely know a few Critons in my life.
Bandu: twist on the outcast of society. Think Daine from Tamora Pierce. But Bandu has much more depth. Dolkart uses Bandu's unfamiliarity to explore and critique some very obvious social norms. Unlike some other reviewers, I found Bandu and Phaedra's discussion of virginity to be beautifully written (especially given Bandu's lack of command of English), enlightening, feminist and realistic. (Think Broadway's Spring Awakening)
Hunter: twist on classic brawny hero - many fantasy books now make fun of this trope by making these characters dumb comic relief, but Hunter realizes this issue with his character and really tries to be something different that what he's trained as. One of my favorite characters by the end and I usually despise the brawny hero.
Narky: where to begin? Narky is almost totally original. Social outcast, but otherwise - completely free-speaking, not always morally right, character. So good.
May 27, 2016
Five teenagers leave their island for very different reasons. Soon after, they discover that the world they left behind has disappeared forever, because everyone they knew has died from a mysterious plague. The wanderers manage to find sanctuary in the wizard Psander's fortress, but is not long before their patron sets them off to complete tasks that will change them all, more than they could have ever imagined.
This is a very special debut novel because the quality of writing takes this tale way beyond a simple fantasy adventure. The style of writing is interesting because the story is told from the perspective of all of the five main protagonists, and therefore makes for some interesting perceptions of the world of Silent Hall and the people in it. This type of narrative also has the feel of a narration by someone sitting with you as you both huddle by a roaring fire. This creates the type of distance between you, as the reader, and the characters in a way that gives you the space to get a grandstand view of all their enthralling adventures, while feeling as if you're in the thick of the action.
The interactions of the teenagers are wonderfully subtle as they come together in individual conversations to share confidences with each other, or as a group to take part in decision-making which affects the future of all of them.
The five characters each have different qualities. The extent of these is gradually revealed and forms part of the rich texture of the story, rather than dominating it. Each of them has strengths, but also weaknesses which shift and change as the story moves on, and they are able to see their way through by working as a tight knit group.
As teenagers, they have the same kind of issues that developing adults must face, and yet must deal with crises that would test even the most experienced hero. But they begin to build the type of strong bonding that is usually only found in a family, which is essentially what they become.
It is not only the quality of the writing that makes this novel exceptional. Silent Hall is a book which fits comfortably into the adult fantasy genre, but will also appeal as powerfully to a young adult market.
This is a book which rewards with good old fashioned story telling that relates an epic story on a very intimate scale.
Silent Hall was courtesy of Angry Robot via NetGalley
If you want to know more about the writing of this book, then there is an interview on my blog Strange Alliances https://strangealliances.wordpress.co...
This is a very special debut novel because the quality of writing takes this tale way beyond a simple fantasy adventure. The style of writing is interesting because the story is told from the perspective of all of the five main protagonists, and therefore makes for some interesting perceptions of the world of Silent Hall and the people in it. This type of narrative also has the feel of a narration by someone sitting with you as you both huddle by a roaring fire. This creates the type of distance between you, as the reader, and the characters in a way that gives you the space to get a grandstand view of all their enthralling adventures, while feeling as if you're in the thick of the action.
The interactions of the teenagers are wonderfully subtle as they come together in individual conversations to share confidences with each other, or as a group to take part in decision-making which affects the future of all of them.
The five characters each have different qualities. The extent of these is gradually revealed and forms part of the rich texture of the story, rather than dominating it. Each of them has strengths, but also weaknesses which shift and change as the story moves on, and they are able to see their way through by working as a tight knit group.
As teenagers, they have the same kind of issues that developing adults must face, and yet must deal with crises that would test even the most experienced hero. But they begin to build the type of strong bonding that is usually only found in a family, which is essentially what they become.
It is not only the quality of the writing that makes this novel exceptional. Silent Hall is a book which fits comfortably into the adult fantasy genre, but will also appeal as powerfully to a young adult market.
This is a book which rewards with good old fashioned story telling that relates an epic story on a very intimate scale.
Silent Hall was courtesy of Angry Robot via NetGalley
If you want to know more about the writing of this book, then there is an interview on my blog Strange Alliances https://strangealliances.wordpress.co...
September 22, 2017
This book is a mixed batch. It had some really amazing parts, but it also had quite some things that annoyed me.
I'll start with the bad part - to me it felt like there wasn't any real plot. The characters wander around, get some rather random feeling quests now and then, and wander around some more. It all lacks a sense of direction or meaning. Some of the decisions about where to go just didn't make any sense to me.
The characters were really, really tropey. I did still like them, and I found them interesting, but they were: The warrior who isn't too bright, the intelligent girl who reads a lot, the coward who would rather run away, a girl who grew up alone in the forest since she was about 6 and therefore isn't too good at communicating, and a half breed, who doesn't really know who he is, looking for more of his kind. I would have really liked them a bit less stereotypical, even though I kinda liked them. They could be more divers and a bit more depth would help.
There's a romance in this that just didn't work too well for me. Two of the characters get together, and though the girl is told that one doesn't have sex before marriage, and one shouldn't run around naked in front of others, still they all simply pretend they don't notice if the two go away to have sex. Or as the wild girl calls it "mate". I could have done with less mating, without the described birth and the relationship problems between the two, which are at least rather realistic.
This book just has too much. It has gods - and plenty of them. It has fae, and wizards. God magic and Fae magic. And wizards do learn to use a mix of both of them. It has a war, and a curse, and sacrifices and different religions and priests, and living fortresses and god knows what else. And while I love a deep and rich world to explore - this did feel like a disordered mess instead. It just did too much instead of fewer things, but those well. The worldbuilding didn't suck me right in, but rather flowed by me on both sides.
The prose was ok, but felt rough in some parts. Definitely not especially good or fluent, but not so bad it would distract from the story.
The good things - I really liked the perspective of a character growing up in the wilderness. Even if at some points it got too repetitive. The other characters were interesting enough to let me care about what happens to them.
The curse at the start of the book was really well done! I just hoped a relevant plot would have sprung from it.
All in all it was one of those books that fall under the category "I don't regret the time and money spend on it, but I also wouldn't miss it if I had read something else instead"
I'll start with the bad part - to me it felt like there wasn't any real plot. The characters wander around, get some rather random feeling quests now and then, and wander around some more. It all lacks a sense of direction or meaning. Some of the decisions about where to go just didn't make any sense to me.
The characters were really, really tropey. I did still like them, and I found them interesting, but they were: The warrior who isn't too bright, the intelligent girl who reads a lot, the coward who would rather run away, a girl who grew up alone in the forest since she was about 6 and therefore isn't too good at communicating, and a half breed, who doesn't really know who he is, looking for more of his kind. I would have really liked them a bit less stereotypical, even though I kinda liked them. They could be more divers and a bit more depth would help.
There's a romance in this that just didn't work too well for me. Two of the characters get together, and though the girl is told that one doesn't have sex before marriage, and one shouldn't run around naked in front of others, still they all simply pretend they don't notice if the two go away to have sex. Or as the wild girl calls it "mate". I could have done with less mating, without the described birth and the relationship problems between the two, which are at least rather realistic.
This book just has too much. It has gods - and plenty of them. It has fae, and wizards. God magic and Fae magic. And wizards do learn to use a mix of both of them. It has a war, and a curse, and sacrifices and different religions and priests, and living fortresses and god knows what else. And while I love a deep and rich world to explore - this did feel like a disordered mess instead. It just did too much instead of fewer things, but those well. The worldbuilding didn't suck me right in, but rather flowed by me on both sides.
The prose was ok, but felt rough in some parts. Definitely not especially good or fluent, but not so bad it would distract from the story.
The good things - I really liked the perspective of a character growing up in the wilderness. Even if at some points it got too repetitive. The other characters were interesting enough to let me care about what happens to them.
The curse at the start of the book was really well done! I just hoped a relevant plot would have sprung from it.
All in all it was one of those books that fall under the category "I don't regret the time and money spend on it, but I also wouldn't miss it if I had read something else instead"
June 13, 2016
You know that little voice in the back of you head when you start a highly touted debut novel, "can this live up to the hype"? Well, in the case of N.S. Dolkart's Silent Hall, the answer is an enthusiastic yes! This is an original fantasy, with elements of coming of age, epic fantasy quest, and social commentary. In turns funny, action packed, tragic and thought provoking, it is a character driven story that has you rooting for the main characters, warts and all.
The five main characters are Hunter, a noble's brave, selfless son trained as a warrior; Phaedra, a rich merchant's daughter who lives for books; Bandu, a wild girl with fairie magic that was raised by a wolf; Criton, a Dragon Touched (some draconic features, such as scales, magic and fire breathing, as well as basic shape shifting) and Narky, a coward's son who is running from his past.
After barely escaping from their homeland as the inhabitants were cursed to death by an angry god, the five travelers find themselves on the mainland, shunned for being from a cursed island and for their dark skin. Determining they cant afford to stay in the port city they landed in, they head inland, determined to find a place in the world. In a small village they come to, they discover the village is about to be raided by "freedom fighters", and the party hears of a local wizard from the villagers. Determining the village can't afford to be robbed yet again, they convince them all to come with them to the wizard's castle for shelter. The castle is Silent hall, and is home to Psander, who appears to be an old man. Bandu and criton see through the Glamour, though, and realize Psander is a middle aged woman, hiding under an illusion. Silent Hall was constructed to hide Psander from the eye of the gods, who years earlier had roused their followers to destroy the wizards. Psander interviews each of the party, and she agrees to help them attain their goals, in exchange for performing services for her. These task include helping the "freedom fighters" help slay a Sacred boor and bring the skin back, as well as bring back some magical mineral and mushrooms from an old dragons lair. On these quests, they meet suspicious villagers, travel to exotic locales, and are almost killed by an invading army. The story takes months to progress, but the author isn't one of those writers that fills pages with fluff. If a journey is uneventful, he just says, a month later, they arrived at their destination. He is very focused. The party decides to go start searching for some of their own goals, but they decide to keep together to do it. This has mixed results, as they are captured by elves, and not the Tolkien kind, more like the Brothers Grimm, the children are so tasty, kind. They escape in an action packed sequence, rescuing a bunch of kids as well. As they are returning the kids to their families, the fanatical High Priest of the City of Ardis, goes on the warpath, and crosses paths with them. Since he slew all of Criton's kind, he sees it as his mission to kill him and his companions too. The party determines they need to find and bring back the dragons if they can, and with some clues left by a goddess, they manage to cross the veil and find one. They figure out that to free him they need something from the elves home, and some help from the gods. They find out the last thing they need is the tears from someone cursed, which basically means the king of their homeland, left alive all alone on the island with the dead. This means a trip home for them. After a nerve racking trip, they discover the King and convince him to come with them, with the wrath of the vengeful god nipping their heels. When they return to Silent Hall, it is surrounded by two armies, and they have to make their way in to save the day. What follows is a mix of magic and steel, single combat and the return of dragons to the world. The story leaves off there, with the party having won the day, but a long fight for justice ahead of them.
The thing I really enjoyed most about this story was how character driven it was. Yes, the book has magic and battles, but the author really chose to focus on the characters, their differing personalities and the way they interact together and grow as individual characters. He doesn't get heavily into explaining every facet and detail of the magic, giving a quick view as they are used, and leaving lots of room for future growth. I think my favorite character was Narky. His character arc is probably the biggest, because he keeps trying to fight his true nature, and only at the end is he able to reconcile that he will never be selfless like Hunter, magical like Criton, educated and cultured like Phaedra, or fearless like Bandu. He can just be Narky, the guy who will help his friends, but is willing to do the job dirty, as long as it gets done, as well as the guy who will scream "run away" when theres danger as well.
As far as who will enjoy this book, I believe any fan of epic fantasy, or anyone who just like a well written, focused character driven story, will enjoy this book. If your big into Anthony Ryan's Blood Song series, Michael Sullivan's Ryiria series, Tim Marquitz's Blood War series, or Jeff Salyard's Bloodsounder's Arc series, then this book should be a must read for you.
The five main characters are Hunter, a noble's brave, selfless son trained as a warrior; Phaedra, a rich merchant's daughter who lives for books; Bandu, a wild girl with fairie magic that was raised by a wolf; Criton, a Dragon Touched (some draconic features, such as scales, magic and fire breathing, as well as basic shape shifting) and Narky, a coward's son who is running from his past.
After barely escaping from their homeland as the inhabitants were cursed to death by an angry god, the five travelers find themselves on the mainland, shunned for being from a cursed island and for their dark skin. Determining they cant afford to stay in the port city they landed in, they head inland, determined to find a place in the world. In a small village they come to, they discover the village is about to be raided by "freedom fighters", and the party hears of a local wizard from the villagers. Determining the village can't afford to be robbed yet again, they convince them all to come with them to the wizard's castle for shelter. The castle is Silent hall, and is home to Psander, who appears to be an old man. Bandu and criton see through the Glamour, though, and realize Psander is a middle aged woman, hiding under an illusion. Silent Hall was constructed to hide Psander from the eye of the gods, who years earlier had roused their followers to destroy the wizards. Psander interviews each of the party, and she agrees to help them attain their goals, in exchange for performing services for her. These task include helping the "freedom fighters" help slay a Sacred boor and bring the skin back, as well as bring back some magical mineral and mushrooms from an old dragons lair. On these quests, they meet suspicious villagers, travel to exotic locales, and are almost killed by an invading army. The story takes months to progress, but the author isn't one of those writers that fills pages with fluff. If a journey is uneventful, he just says, a month later, they arrived at their destination. He is very focused. The party decides to go start searching for some of their own goals, but they decide to keep together to do it. This has mixed results, as they are captured by elves, and not the Tolkien kind, more like the Brothers Grimm, the children are so tasty, kind. They escape in an action packed sequence, rescuing a bunch of kids as well. As they are returning the kids to their families, the fanatical High Priest of the City of Ardis, goes on the warpath, and crosses paths with them. Since he slew all of Criton's kind, he sees it as his mission to kill him and his companions too. The party determines they need to find and bring back the dragons if they can, and with some clues left by a goddess, they manage to cross the veil and find one. They figure out that to free him they need something from the elves home, and some help from the gods. They find out the last thing they need is the tears from someone cursed, which basically means the king of their homeland, left alive all alone on the island with the dead. This means a trip home for them. After a nerve racking trip, they discover the King and convince him to come with them, with the wrath of the vengeful god nipping their heels. When they return to Silent Hall, it is surrounded by two armies, and they have to make their way in to save the day. What follows is a mix of magic and steel, single combat and the return of dragons to the world. The story leaves off there, with the party having won the day, but a long fight for justice ahead of them.
The thing I really enjoyed most about this story was how character driven it was. Yes, the book has magic and battles, but the author really chose to focus on the characters, their differing personalities and the way they interact together and grow as individual characters. He doesn't get heavily into explaining every facet and detail of the magic, giving a quick view as they are used, and leaving lots of room for future growth. I think my favorite character was Narky. His character arc is probably the biggest, because he keeps trying to fight his true nature, and only at the end is he able to reconcile that he will never be selfless like Hunter, magical like Criton, educated and cultured like Phaedra, or fearless like Bandu. He can just be Narky, the guy who will help his friends, but is willing to do the job dirty, as long as it gets done, as well as the guy who will scream "run away" when theres danger as well.
As far as who will enjoy this book, I believe any fan of epic fantasy, or anyone who just like a well written, focused character driven story, will enjoy this book. If your big into Anthony Ryan's Blood Song series, Michael Sullivan's Ryiria series, Tim Marquitz's Blood War series, or Jeff Salyard's Bloodsounder's Arc series, then this book should be a must read for you.
March 18, 2016
I had the opportunity to get my hands on an early draft of this book, and it's glorious.
The characters are as real and differentiated as they come. Like teenagers generally, they have gaps in their knowledge which lead to some hilarious moments, and their interactions have real depth. The setting is a fantasyland, but with plenty of individual quirks that set it apart, like vengeful, petty Gods in the classic Greek tradition. The ending is epic and just right, if you know what I mean. Appropriate in all the ways you'd want from a fantasy novel.
The author knows exactly how to subvert tropes like the kindly bearded wizard mentor, but also how to play them straight effectively.
Like all the best fantasy, it has analogies for contemporary issues. The characters, like us, have to confront these issues on a personal basis, and can't magically solve them for the whole world any more than we can.
Can't wait for a sequel!
The characters are as real and differentiated as they come. Like teenagers generally, they have gaps in their knowledge which lead to some hilarious moments, and their interactions have real depth. The setting is a fantasyland, but with plenty of individual quirks that set it apart, like vengeful, petty Gods in the classic Greek tradition. The ending is epic and just right, if you know what I mean. Appropriate in all the ways you'd want from a fantasy novel.
The author knows exactly how to subvert tropes like the kindly bearded wizard mentor, but also how to play them straight effectively.
Like all the best fantasy, it has analogies for contemporary issues. The characters, like us, have to confront these issues on a personal basis, and can't magically solve them for the whole world any more than we can.
Can't wait for a sequel!
October 19, 2018
Well done fantasy adventure! I really enjoyed it.
July 28, 2016
~ARC Kindly provided by Netgalley and Angry Robots in exchange for my honest review~
DNF at 51%
Silent Hall follows the adventures of five teenagers – Hunter, Narky, Bandu, Criton, and Phaedra – who find themselves together in the same boat (both figuratively and literally) ending up as the only survivors of the mysterious curse sent by the gods on their homeland. This is just the trigger event that will lead them to face a series of adventures and even to challenge the gods themselves.
I really, really wanted to like this book… The premise was really interesting and the first chapters seemed to start off on the right foot...
But then, sadly, it was all downhill from here.
That’s the problem of this book in a nutshell:
Even though good, old Tolkien reminds us that not all those who wander are lost, in this case I really felt lost in all that wandering aimlessly.
The plot fluctuated between dragging in some parts and being too rushed in others. The world-building lacked details and the complex mythology - maybe a bit too ambitious for a single book -never felt smoothly embedded inside the whole story. The characters are interesting (especially Bandu and Criton), but I struggled to connect because they lack depth and their emotions, motivations and reactions felt superficial.
All in all, this book had some potential but apparently that was not enough to hold my attention or make me care for the story and its characters.
DNF at 51%
Silent Hall follows the adventures of five teenagers – Hunter, Narky, Bandu, Criton, and Phaedra – who find themselves together in the same boat (both figuratively and literally) ending up as the only survivors of the mysterious curse sent by the gods on their homeland. This is just the trigger event that will lead them to face a series of adventures and even to challenge the gods themselves.
I really, really wanted to like this book… The premise was really interesting and the first chapters seemed to start off on the right foot...
But then, sadly, it was all downhill from here.
That’s the problem of this book in a nutshell:
"It seems to me we’re wandering aimlessly," Narky remarks, "until we find something better to do."
Even though good, old Tolkien reminds us that not all those who wander are lost, in this case I really felt lost in all that wandering aimlessly.
The plot fluctuated between dragging in some parts and being too rushed in others. The world-building lacked details and the complex mythology - maybe a bit too ambitious for a single book -never felt smoothly embedded inside the whole story. The characters are interesting (especially Bandu and Criton), but I struggled to connect because they lack depth and their emotions, motivations and reactions felt superficial.
All in all, this book had some potential but apparently that was not enough to hold my attention or make me care for the story and its characters.
July 15, 2016
For the longest time I've been searching for a fantasy novel that captivates me. Anthony Ryan's Debut trilogy did just that, ever since however, as been a slew of books I've picked up, and never finished.
I found this at my bookstore, picked it up, and put it down. Quite a few times actually. My hesitation with books lately has really spoiled the magic of reading for me - I eventually picked it up, bought it, and read it all quite quickly.
I devoured it.
This book to me wasn't so much about the story (though that is a huge point to why it captivated me) but about the characters. Five very different, loveable, troubled teens who felt so real to life that I found myself caring for them, rooting for them, and cursing myself that I have to wait for book 2.
All I can truly say is, thank you for finally giving me a novel I can read from beginning to end. Something that truly gripped me and will find itself a much welcome place on my bookshelf.
I found this at my bookstore, picked it up, and put it down. Quite a few times actually. My hesitation with books lately has really spoiled the magic of reading for me - I eventually picked it up, bought it, and read it all quite quickly.
I devoured it.
This book to me wasn't so much about the story (though that is a huge point to why it captivated me) but about the characters. Five very different, loveable, troubled teens who felt so real to life that I found myself caring for them, rooting for them, and cursing myself that I have to wait for book 2.
All I can truly say is, thank you for finally giving me a novel I can read from beginning to end. Something that truly gripped me and will find itself a much welcome place on my bookshelf.
January 16, 2019
I felt like it was time that I checked out this novel by a fellow Hampshire alum. I think I really liked this book. There's a part of me that's still not quite sure how to feel, and there's a part of me that's remembering things I didn't like about it, but for the most part, I think that there was enough good in it and that I spent enough time thinking about it while not reading that I must have liked it.
So, the story has five protagonists: Narky, Phaedra, Hunter, Bandu, and Criton. One of the things I really didn't like about the book was Narky, and the novel begins by introducing him, and that kinda set me in a bad mood for a while. Also, while I don't like Narky on the whole, the handful of times this book made me laugh were all because of him, so *shrug emoji*. Criton started out as my favorite. I mean, dragon boy? Sign me up. However, though it's Criton's quest around which the plot revolves, really, he as a character grows remarkably little. I liked him less and less as the story went on, and that's a shame. I'm hoping that he takes some significant steps in the other two books. I also really liked Phaedra at the beginning of the novel, and while I don't dislike her now, her flaws became more and more apparent as the story progressed. As far as storytelling/craft goes, that's great and it was well done, but as I reader I like to like characters, so again *shrug emoji*. I found Bandu very grating at the beginning, but the more time you spend with her the clearer it is that, despite her honestly feral upbringing and lack of any sort of study/learning, she's incredibly clever. I've come to really appreciate Bandu, and I also really appreciated that Bandu and Phaedra, the only girls in the bunch, were close friends instead of rivals. Female friendship is in, female rivalry is out. Hunter was just fine to me at the start of the story, but he grew on me a whole lot. Like Narky, I expected much more alpha male behavior from him based on how he's characterized at the start, but he's not that at all. He's a follower, and he's shy, and he's unsure, and none of this makes him less badass it just makes him not the leader of the group, and I think that was a really cool and thoughtful choice.
So, character thoughts aside, I was also interested in the plot and worldbuilding. I think there are a lot of interesting things being said about the fantasy quest, about religion, about academia, about prophecy. There were so many ideas and concepts that I was really drawn to, so many things I highlighted because they made me go hmm or YES, and that was awesome.
However, I think that, for one novel, it was maybe too much. There were so many gods and so many places (I would have killed for a map!) that I quickly gave up trying to situate myself on the continent and trying to remember godly family ties/allegiances/rivalries. I also found that the plot did not have a satisfying narrative arc. It was back and forth and roaming and meandering, and while the individual narrative beats were all pretty satisfying in their own rights, the way that they were put together wasn't ideal.
All that being said, I'm definitely coming back for the next book (after I get through some more books that I actually already own lol), and I'm excited to find out how these dragons do.
So, the story has five protagonists: Narky, Phaedra, Hunter, Bandu, and Criton. One of the things I really didn't like about the book was Narky, and the novel begins by introducing him, and that kinda set me in a bad mood for a while. Also, while I don't like Narky on the whole, the handful of times this book made me laugh were all because of him, so *shrug emoji*. Criton started out as my favorite. I mean, dragon boy? Sign me up. However, though it's Criton's quest around which the plot revolves, really, he as a character grows remarkably little. I liked him less and less as the story went on, and that's a shame. I'm hoping that he takes some significant steps in the other two books. I also really liked Phaedra at the beginning of the novel, and while I don't dislike her now, her flaws became more and more apparent as the story progressed. As far as storytelling/craft goes, that's great and it was well done, but as I reader I like to like characters, so again *shrug emoji*. I found Bandu very grating at the beginning, but the more time you spend with her the clearer it is that, despite her honestly feral upbringing and lack of any sort of study/learning, she's incredibly clever. I've come to really appreciate Bandu, and I also really appreciated that Bandu and Phaedra, the only girls in the bunch, were close friends instead of rivals. Female friendship is in, female rivalry is out. Hunter was just fine to me at the start of the story, but he grew on me a whole lot. Like Narky, I expected much more alpha male behavior from him based on how he's characterized at the start, but he's not that at all. He's a follower, and he's shy, and he's unsure, and none of this makes him less badass it just makes him not the leader of the group, and I think that was a really cool and thoughtful choice.
So, character thoughts aside, I was also interested in the plot and worldbuilding. I think there are a lot of interesting things being said about the fantasy quest, about religion, about academia, about prophecy. There were so many ideas and concepts that I was really drawn to, so many things I highlighted because they made me go hmm or YES, and that was awesome.
However, I think that, for one novel, it was maybe too much. There were so many gods and so many places (I would have killed for a map!) that I quickly gave up trying to situate myself on the continent and trying to remember godly family ties/allegiances/rivalries. I also found that the plot did not have a satisfying narrative arc. It was back and forth and roaming and meandering, and while the individual narrative beats were all pretty satisfying in their own rights, the way that they were put together wasn't ideal.
All that being said, I'm definitely coming back for the next book (after I get through some more books that I actually already own lol), and I'm excited to find out how these dragons do.
August 26, 2016
Silent Hall by NS Dolkart
Silent Hall is about five island teens that are the only survivors of a particularly gruesome curse that causes everyone else on the island to die on land. We're introduced to each character quickly and in successive chapters. There's Narky, who murders a 'love rival' in the first chapter. That's how you start a book!
I'm going to talk a lot about the characters because they're what made me love this story. And the best part about Silent Hall? It never slows down when introducing characters. We meet the other four main characters--Pheadra, Hunter, Bandu, and Criton--in the next several chapters. It becomes apparent something bad is going to happen, and all of the islanders except the five teens are dead by like chapter seven. This story really waste time and keeps the plot moving. There's enough in this book for an entire trilogy's worth of action, but it doesn't feel rushed.
The entire Five Man Band--my favorite trope--is done exceedingly well here. The leader is, oddly enough, Narky, the murderer. The lancer is definitely Bandu, the feral child. Criton is the smart guy, Hunter is the big guy, and Phaedra is the chick. I loved Bandu and Hunter, and Bandu is a *motherly* version of the lancer, which is a fun twist on that character archetype. Hunter is surprisingly reserved and sensitive for the big guy, and I connected with both of these characters. As the smart guy, Criton drives a lot of the plot because it's heavily based in questing for new mythology. Out of all of the characters, Pheadra is the least developed. I feel her arc never came to completion (sequel?). I can't get out of talking about characters without mentioning Psander, the wizard who owns Silent Hall. Psander never came into focus as a character for me, and she mostly serves as a plot device. The main five are strong enough that it doesn't matter that much.
The plot moves fast, and you're constantly deciphering the new mythology that comes along. The mythology focuses on the gods and the barriers between the worlds. I was as frustrated as the characters were not to learn more or know more. The obscurification felt almost too purposeful in some parts of the story, and some explanation on how magic works was sorely needed. The most exciting part of the novel focuses around the elves, who are not the friendly, fairy creatures of folklore. They're strong warriors and gather their powers from an evil tree. We do find out--fairly quickly, too--how the elves powers work and why they work. I think that made that part of the story more concrete and helped propel the action.
The weakest part of Silent Hall is how Psander and her missions feel underdeveloped. They're basically fetch quests, and while the five characters have emotional reasons for wanting them to happen, it's never explained why Psander's magic works. This does hurt part of the ending of the book.
Notes:
I couldn't stop thinking of 'narking' every time I read Narky. I have no idea if this was intentional on the author's part.
The romance plots surprised me. They felt realistic, if not fully developed, and I felt 'sequel' in those unresolved stories.
I read a lot of fantasy series where people natter about religion this summer. Can't say I particularly enjoyed that aspect of this book.
Rating: 5 stars. This book wasn't fun, but it was action packed, and I liked all of the characters.
Silent Hall is about five island teens that are the only survivors of a particularly gruesome curse that causes everyone else on the island to die on land. We're introduced to each character quickly and in successive chapters. There's Narky, who murders a 'love rival' in the first chapter. That's how you start a book!
I'm going to talk a lot about the characters because they're what made me love this story. And the best part about Silent Hall? It never slows down when introducing characters. We meet the other four main characters--Pheadra, Hunter, Bandu, and Criton--in the next several chapters. It becomes apparent something bad is going to happen, and all of the islanders except the five teens are dead by like chapter seven. This story really waste time and keeps the plot moving. There's enough in this book for an entire trilogy's worth of action, but it doesn't feel rushed.
The entire Five Man Band--my favorite trope--is done exceedingly well here. The leader is, oddly enough, Narky, the murderer. The lancer is definitely Bandu, the feral child. Criton is the smart guy, Hunter is the big guy, and Phaedra is the chick. I loved Bandu and Hunter, and Bandu is a *motherly* version of the lancer, which is a fun twist on that character archetype. Hunter is surprisingly reserved and sensitive for the big guy, and I connected with both of these characters. As the smart guy, Criton drives a lot of the plot because it's heavily based in questing for new mythology. Out of all of the characters, Pheadra is the least developed. I feel her arc never came to completion (sequel?). I can't get out of talking about characters without mentioning Psander, the wizard who owns Silent Hall. Psander never came into focus as a character for me, and she mostly serves as a plot device. The main five are strong enough that it doesn't matter that much.
The plot moves fast, and you're constantly deciphering the new mythology that comes along. The mythology focuses on the gods and the barriers between the worlds. I was as frustrated as the characters were not to learn more or know more. The obscurification felt almost too purposeful in some parts of the story, and some explanation on how magic works was sorely needed. The most exciting part of the novel focuses around the elves, who are not the friendly, fairy creatures of folklore. They're strong warriors and gather their powers from an evil tree. We do find out--fairly quickly, too--how the elves powers work and why they work. I think that made that part of the story more concrete and helped propel the action.
The weakest part of Silent Hall is how Psander and her missions feel underdeveloped. They're basically fetch quests, and while the five characters have emotional reasons for wanting them to happen, it's never explained why Psander's magic works. This does hurt part of the ending of the book.
Notes:
I couldn't stop thinking of 'narking' every time I read Narky. I have no idea if this was intentional on the author's part.
The romance plots surprised me. They felt realistic, if not fully developed, and I felt 'sequel' in those unresolved stories.
I read a lot of fantasy series where people natter about religion this summer. Can't say I particularly enjoyed that aspect of this book.
Rating: 5 stars. This book wasn't fun, but it was action packed, and I liked all of the characters.
May 30, 2017
I found my way to this book because I very much enjoyed Noah Beit-Aharon’s essay at Prosen People about how he came to write it as an experiment in what Jewish fantasy literature might look like. That’s an articulate essay, and it asks some of my own questions from some of my own premises. Yes as Dolkart (aka Beit-Aharon) puts it, there is a strong tradition of Jewish fantasy – think of I.B. Singer or Cynthia Ozick or Steve Stern – but there is less of a tradition of Jewish “high fantasy.” As Tolkien gave that to us, there is a Christian topos woven into the DNA. So, nu, is it possible to do it Jewish style?
(As an aside, I think there are some who have tried, most successfully Lev Grossman, whose Magicians series strikes me as an attitudinally perfect Jewish teenager’s response to the saccharine Christianity of the Narnia books.)
(As a further aside, I think there are a lot of “high fantasy” forebears – like Fritz Lieber and E.R. Eddison – who give us models of the genre without the powerful Tolkien effect. I also think that the current ‘dungeon master’ of the genre, George R.R. Martin, does a fine job of altering the Christian dualism of the form. Still, the question is a good one and worth pursuing.)
And yet, as much as I wanted to like this, I can’t. I’m afraid I can’t even finish it.
Beit-Aharon seems a fine nonfiction stylist, but I’m afraid this simply doesn’t work. The prose here is just too choppy, too awkward in its structure and tone to conduct the experiment with anything like the competence it demands.
I’ll begin with my concerns about the chapters themselves. Each of these is strikingly short – we get 8-9 pages to introduce a character, then we move onto the next. I get that this is a coming together, an origin story for our merry band, but there isn’t enough character development. It’s quantity standing in for quality.
Then, he handles the change in perspective badly. It does make sense that, say, Bandu would lack the vocabulary to name something the others know at a glance, but before long it gets clumsy. We’re moving quickly through the story, but slowly through the exposition. We too often see the same instant through different eyes. In the end, without the depth we need from fully characters, they’re all coming from the same place anyway.
And, finally, there’s a deep problem with tone. For a novel with this sort of ambition, it’s awfully fairy-tale like in its voice. We get broad strokes and dependence on an implicit sense of childhood’s mystery and danger. I can see something like that working for a novel that merely suggests the dark elements it confronts, but then it gets complicated by the devastation described: an entire island’s population dies of a god’s curse, an old woman falls overboard and drowns, men get torn to pieces by a wild boar, and bodies rot in the hot sun. Even more clumsy, we get theological/magical speculation, but it comes to us like something taught to fifth-graders.
In other words, the technique just isn’t here. I suspect I’d enjoy meeting this author very much, and I’d love to trade notes on something we both want to accomplish. This feels too much like something he wrote as a young man, though, or even as an adolescent, to be anything like the success we’d both want to see.
It pains me to say it, but I can’t recommend this at all.
(As an aside, I think there are some who have tried, most successfully Lev Grossman, whose Magicians series strikes me as an attitudinally perfect Jewish teenager’s response to the saccharine Christianity of the Narnia books.)
(As a further aside, I think there are a lot of “high fantasy” forebears – like Fritz Lieber and E.R. Eddison – who give us models of the genre without the powerful Tolkien effect. I also think that the current ‘dungeon master’ of the genre, George R.R. Martin, does a fine job of altering the Christian dualism of the form. Still, the question is a good one and worth pursuing.)
And yet, as much as I wanted to like this, I can’t. I’m afraid I can’t even finish it.
Beit-Aharon seems a fine nonfiction stylist, but I’m afraid this simply doesn’t work. The prose here is just too choppy, too awkward in its structure and tone to conduct the experiment with anything like the competence it demands.
I’ll begin with my concerns about the chapters themselves. Each of these is strikingly short – we get 8-9 pages to introduce a character, then we move onto the next. I get that this is a coming together, an origin story for our merry band, but there isn’t enough character development. It’s quantity standing in for quality.
Then, he handles the change in perspective badly. It does make sense that, say, Bandu would lack the vocabulary to name something the others know at a glance, but before long it gets clumsy. We’re moving quickly through the story, but slowly through the exposition. We too often see the same instant through different eyes. In the end, without the depth we need from fully characters, they’re all coming from the same place anyway.
And, finally, there’s a deep problem with tone. For a novel with this sort of ambition, it’s awfully fairy-tale like in its voice. We get broad strokes and dependence on an implicit sense of childhood’s mystery and danger. I can see something like that working for a novel that merely suggests the dark elements it confronts, but then it gets complicated by the devastation described: an entire island’s population dies of a god’s curse, an old woman falls overboard and drowns, men get torn to pieces by a wild boar, and bodies rot in the hot sun. Even more clumsy, we get theological/magical speculation, but it comes to us like something taught to fifth-graders.
In other words, the technique just isn’t here. I suspect I’d enjoy meeting this author very much, and I’d love to trade notes on something we both want to accomplish. This feels too much like something he wrote as a young man, though, or even as an adolescent, to be anything like the success we’d both want to see.
It pains me to say it, but I can’t recommend this at all.
May 19, 2016
Silent Hall starts well and ends well. The plague on the island was great--strange and surprising. Bandu and Criton develop into intriguing characters. And who doesn't love a dragon?
"It seems to me we're wandering aimlessly," Narky remarks, "until we find something better to do."
That's the crux of the problem right there. There are two quests which bring the characters (and reader) right back to Silent Hall, for no compelling reason. A hundred or more pages might be trimmed here to good effect and move the story forward, not backwards. Twice.
Too many gods in the pantheon. "There were so many Gods to keep track of that Tav wondered how people kept them straight." Ditto. Atun and Atel, Mayar and Magor, and Eramia and Elkinar, et cetera. The names are just too similar and their attributes seem to overlap.
Love Bandu. Love Criton. Both well-developed, and could have carried the story alone.
Phaedra spews exposition. Hunter is your typical strong, silent type. Are all high-born people so dull?
Narky complains, but I liked his tendency to speak the unvarnished truth. Maybe Narky could develop a sense of humor. There is a serious need for comic relief in the book.
Two of the best (creature) characters make only a brief appearance. Four-foot and Salemis, we hardly knew ye. I hope the author isn't saving them for the next book in the series. They are needed here.
The potentially rich mythology of tree fortresses, the gateways, and the fairies seemed stripped to the barest minimum. I hope the author isn't saving that for the next book in the series. It belongs in this one, also.
And the menstruation and virgin discussions? Um, no.
"It seems to me we're wandering aimlessly," Narky remarks, "until we find something better to do."
That's the crux of the problem right there. There are two quests which bring the characters (and reader) right back to Silent Hall, for no compelling reason. A hundred or more pages might be trimmed here to good effect and move the story forward, not backwards. Twice.
Too many gods in the pantheon. "There were so many Gods to keep track of that Tav wondered how people kept them straight." Ditto. Atun and Atel, Mayar and Magor, and Eramia and Elkinar, et cetera. The names are just too similar and their attributes seem to overlap.
Love Bandu. Love Criton. Both well-developed, and could have carried the story alone.
Phaedra spews exposition. Hunter is your typical strong, silent type. Are all high-born people so dull?
Narky complains, but I liked his tendency to speak the unvarnished truth. Maybe Narky could develop a sense of humor. There is a serious need for comic relief in the book.
Two of the best (creature) characters make only a brief appearance. Four-foot and Salemis, we hardly knew ye. I hope the author isn't saving them for the next book in the series. They are needed here.
The potentially rich mythology of tree fortresses, the gateways, and the fairies seemed stripped to the barest minimum. I hope the author isn't saving that for the next book in the series. It belongs in this one, also.
And the menstruation and virgin discussions? Um, no.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 27, 2016
I don't usually read books written by men, but this book far exceeded my expectations. I loved the female character who was abandoned as a child and raised in nature. Her ability to sense the messages of the natural world and interpret them -- and her difficulty in communicating this to others was very well done (and resonant for me). I liked the remake of Biblical allusions like Noah and the flood/ark and the nomadic wanderings of this little remnant of a group that has been destroyed. The romance between the two characters who were raised outside of society was interesting and well attuned to the overall atmosphere. The prose is well-written and the plot has plenty of page-turning adventures.
I recommend it for a highly entertaining summer read.
I recommend it for a highly entertaining summer read.
September 30, 2016
Fantasy is not my usual go-to genre, but the blurb for this book immediately caught my attention. Once I started reading, I couldn't put it down. I loved the cast of characters and the changing and varied scenery. As I read, I imagined this playing out on the big screen. I cannot wait for the next installment of the Godserfs. Thank you N.S. Dolkart for a fantastic read.
December 4, 2016
3.5 stars (rounded down.) A solid but not outstanding read.
March 3, 2017
Everything someone could want from a fantasy book. An amazing debut novel.
February 14, 2019
Wasn't entirely sure how I'd get on with this, but I liked it! It's kind of like The Breakfast Club on a fantasy quest. :P OK, that's a little diminutive.
We're in epic fantasy land, and five teenagers "conveniently" (cough cough prophecy) set sail from their island home, same day, different reasons because they're strangers, right before a vengeful god strikes all their people (sans king) down with a plague. I'm more in the mindset of history, where "plague" might mean a wasting disease, but this one was magically gruesome, too.
It's a violent world, but Dolkart isn't as forward with it as George R. R. Martin is, imho. This is the world where the pantheon of gods are real. They're too powerful, usually, to interact directly with human affairs (there's a metaphor about the world being covered in mesh and only their fingers getting through.) They rely on animals that are sacred to them, as well as their priests and other devout, to be their eyes and ears. Also to do their killing for them, by war or priest magic.
Narky (the coward), Hunter (the protector), Criton (the outcast, dragon-touched), Phaedra (the brains) and Bandu (the wild one) are already on the run from one vengeful god (they're supposed to be dead with their kin, after all,) and a run in with a wizard gets them in trouble with even more. The wizard, Psander, offers protection, but only if they go on magical maguffin quests so that she can increase the magic around her home, Silent Hall. Wizards are also supposed to be extinct, but Psander is using what--and who--he can in order to hold on.
I didn't find the magical maguffins to be too irritating or convenient, because they helped flesh out Dolkart's world. Another nice feature: our protagonists were all black-skinned islanders, now fugitives on "the continent" with a bunch of paler people. We might be in a magical world, which some people use as an excuse to ignore diversity, but it makes sense here. And it adds to the drama of the story, since the islanders are physically "outsiders."
None is more of an outsider than Criton, who beyond being an islander is also dragon-touched. Usually he shape shifts into a complete human, but naturally he's scaly, breathes fire and can fly. The dragon-touched, who have mostly been wiped off the face of the planet, are a stand in for Jews. They worship "the God Most High," who is currently dormant (so the characters don't really know if he's a friend or a foe, unlike the mercurial pantheon of other gods.) Dolkart wrote in the Jewish Book Council blog about his biblical inspirations. https://www.jewishbookcouncil.org/vis... He says he peppered his series with Jewish allusions. One I got off the bat was a scroll where sages are debating the meaning of a holy text. Very Talmudic.
But unlike KING OF SHARDS by Matthew Kressel, the Godserfs series so far can stand on it's own, beyond it's Jewish inspirations. Though it's more or less a medieval questing novel, and I couldn't necesarily keep all of the geography straight, I liked the theological and magical worldbuilding. I think my biggest quibble is that his writing wasn't unique enough for me to discern between the narrators much of the time (all of the islanders--and occasionally others--got POV chapters. Bandu might be an exception because her upbringing and worldview were so markedly different than that of the others.) The characters aren't as deep as literary creations, but I was pleasantly surprised that they had some dimension. Plus, the action-packed plot did make the 500-plus page read go pretty quickly for me!
And I got the entire series all at once from the library, so onto book two! Huzzah!
We're in epic fantasy land, and five teenagers "conveniently" (cough cough prophecy) set sail from their island home, same day, different reasons because they're strangers, right before a vengeful god strikes all their people (sans king) down with a plague. I'm more in the mindset of history, where "plague" might mean a wasting disease, but this one was magically gruesome, too.
It's a violent world, but Dolkart isn't as forward with it as George R. R. Martin is, imho. This is the world where the pantheon of gods are real. They're too powerful, usually, to interact directly with human affairs (there's a metaphor about the world being covered in mesh and only their fingers getting through.) They rely on animals that are sacred to them, as well as their priests and other devout, to be their eyes and ears. Also to do their killing for them, by war or priest magic.
Narky (the coward), Hunter (the protector), Criton (the outcast, dragon-touched), Phaedra (the brains) and Bandu (the wild one) are already on the run from one vengeful god (they're supposed to be dead with their kin, after all,) and a run in with a wizard gets them in trouble with even more. The wizard, Psander, offers protection, but only if they go on magical maguffin quests so that she can increase the magic around her home, Silent Hall. Wizards are also supposed to be extinct, but Psander is using what--and who--he can in order to hold on.
I didn't find the magical maguffins to be too irritating or convenient, because they helped flesh out Dolkart's world. Another nice feature: our protagonists were all black-skinned islanders, now fugitives on "the continent" with a bunch of paler people. We might be in a magical world, which some people use as an excuse to ignore diversity, but it makes sense here. And it adds to the drama of the story, since the islanders are physically "outsiders."
None is more of an outsider than Criton, who beyond being an islander is also dragon-touched. Usually he shape shifts into a complete human, but naturally he's scaly, breathes fire and can fly. The dragon-touched, who have mostly been wiped off the face of the planet, are a stand in for Jews. They worship "the God Most High," who is currently dormant (so the characters don't really know if he's a friend or a foe, unlike the mercurial pantheon of other gods.) Dolkart wrote in the Jewish Book Council blog about his biblical inspirations. https://www.jewishbookcouncil.org/vis... He says he peppered his series with Jewish allusions. One I got off the bat was a scroll where sages are debating the meaning of a holy text. Very Talmudic.
But unlike KING OF SHARDS by Matthew Kressel, the Godserfs series so far can stand on it's own, beyond it's Jewish inspirations. Though it's more or less a medieval questing novel, and I couldn't necesarily keep all of the geography straight, I liked the theological and magical worldbuilding. I think my biggest quibble is that his writing wasn't unique enough for me to discern between the narrators much of the time (all of the islanders--and occasionally others--got POV chapters. Bandu might be an exception because her upbringing and worldview were so markedly different than that of the others.) The characters aren't as deep as literary creations, but I was pleasantly surprised that they had some dimension. Plus, the action-packed plot did make the 500-plus page read go pretty quickly for me!
And I got the entire series all at once from the library, so onto book two! Huzzah!
December 13, 2018
As others have commented I found this to be a character driven fantasy, trouble is I didn't really connect with any of the characters. Phaedra is perhaps the most interesting but even she didn't really seem to progress. Narky is annoying and stays that way even though he becomes more self-aware. The other thing that bothered me was the lack of an overarching plot; it is more of a discovery fantasy with the characters spending a lot of time being unsure of what they are doing and why. Some of the world building was interesting with the direct involvement of powerful and capricious gods. There were, however, several instances of situations that were built up to be a major problem for the characters that were suddenly no longer a problem.
May 6, 2017
If the genre (epic fantasy) isn't enough to pull you in, the absolutely fantastic interactions between the characters will! The five main characters are so vivid and real that every conversation is a true treat. Their interactions are my favorite parts.
The world of Silent Hall is broad, interesting, and complex. I love the incorporation of religion and gods, the inter-city politics, the magic... It's a great read, and the ending has some of the most epic visuals I've encountered. Read this!
The world of Silent Hall is broad, interesting, and complex. I love the incorporation of religion and gods, the inter-city politics, the magic... It's a great read, and the ending has some of the most epic visuals I've encountered. Read this!
March 15, 2018
A smarter, savvier Dragonlance.
Confused over-reaching teenage protagonists that read as confused over-reaching teenagers.
A setting where gods exist, select champions, and generally make nuisances of themselves by meddling in human affairs, and the utter preoccupation with theology, prophecy, and destiny such a world would create.
Confused over-reaching teenage protagonists that read as confused over-reaching teenagers.
A setting where gods exist, select champions, and generally make nuisances of themselves by meddling in human affairs, and the utter preoccupation with theology, prophecy, and destiny such a world would create.
May 17, 2018
The plot kind of meanders about, but I stayed interested and I'm definitely going to read the next in the series. I thought the characters were great in that they were a bit atypical for the genre.
March 18, 2018
The parenthetical title of (Godserfs) hits the nail on the head as to the role of humans with respect to the gods. With every chapter hammering another nail into the coffin, and the final one removing the last "friendly" god(ess) from the list, we have a new beginning with the Wizard Psander, and Salemis as the remaining potential paths to a better future. However, all is depressing except for the survival of those two, and the five islanders while transformed are each depressed. There may be a brighter future, but there is no foreshadowing of that, and I cannot bring myself to pursue the second book without more.
May 17, 2019
I'm excited to learn that this is a part of a trilogy, and a trilogy that is already completed! This first book has been floating around my book store for a few months and it kept catching my eye, so I finally gave it a shot. I'm glad that I did, this reads like a novelization of a REALLY REALLY good home brew D&D campaign. The characters are all very interesting and caught in a game of chess between gods far beyond their scope. There are a lot of overlying themes questioned about destiny, free will, religion and more. (Even gender double standards, which I quite appreciated!) There's a lot going on here and I am very interested in seeing where the series continues! If I have one complaint about the book, it's that if you like meaty scenes of action, character internal dialogue, or scene building, you might be slightly disappointed. Dolkart keeps things mostly surface level with SOME peaks into the character's minds, but you're not going to get deluged by inner thoughts. But I actually quite like that! It's like a tease, it keeps me wanting to keep reading and the characters are layered enough that even the characters I don't really like, I'm invested in their endgame. Will definitely read the next book!
October 29, 2019
I don't want to start this review by just gushing over it-- but I can't help it. This is one of my all time favorite books, epic fantasy or otherwise. I could not put it down. The whole trilogy, while it has its ups and downs, will always have a special place in my heart. I picked it up randomly at Barnes & Noble one day. Went in to buy a rather popular book, and came out with this for no reason I could think of. Had no idea what to expect, but I knew the moment I saw it... I was gonna enjoy it.
As much as I love it, I'll admit that our 5 main characters begin as tropes. But I think it's the world, or more importantly, the plot that kept me reading above all else. In a way, I could overlook the cliches of the characters because I was grabbed by everything else that was happening. That way, when that character development hit (and it hit!) it was just easier to digest and I cared. They grew out of their tropes and I felt proud of them. I loved, loved, loved their journeys.
I hate to be THAT person, but I also found it interesting that ALL 5 of the main protagonists are POCs. And it was handled beautifully. It was an epic fantasy with pocs that wasn't all ABOUT them being pocs. Like, hey, here are colorful protagonists, they're going a journey like any other white fantasy protagonist, and we're not gonna make a huge special showing of it. It's like they exist... as normal people. Love it.
Every character was grey, from my perspective. While some leaned more toward lawful or neutral good, every character also had their vices and most were unapologetic about it. (*cough cough* Psander. Bandu.) That's something I love. Self-aware characters who don't always feel the need to apologize for the things they've done, or felt, or choices they've made. Dolkart never tries to excuse anyone's actions, but rather gives them foundations to build more of the plot on. Everything affects everything. And I loved that. Each character was strong in their own way and continued being their authentic selves... with a little self-improvement on the side.
I loved the whole feel of the story. It was very... Man VS God like. Which is something I don't see as often. The gods of this world were treated like actual characters, even though I wasn't sure if they were real or not. The question continually lingered throughout, and for me it only added to the mystery and tension. Were the gods real and actually making things happen, or was it just man under the spell of religion and tradition? Both always felt like real possibilities and it kept me reading.
The magic system is also a huge plus to the story. While it doesn't go too in depth in this first book, the mystery of it is unique enough. There is a much more "academic" feel to it than other epic fantasies out there. Dolkart doesn't come right out in your face and hand-feed it to the reader. You explore the working of magics mostly through and alongside Phaedra. You learn with Phaedra, and that was pretty fun to read. I almost got just as excited as she did when she got her hands on more tomes or ancient scrolls.
Without getting into spoilers, I will also say that the way Dolkart handles this concept of "The Mesh," the web combining and diving the worlds of mortal and supernatural, is very creative. I loved his storytelling the most when it came to this concept in particular.
Sure, at times the book felt like a lot of wandering back and forth, but the way Dolkart manages it worked out great. He didn't linger for too long on the walks and treks and climbs that didn't matter so much. He told us they got there, summarizes, and gets back to the action or characters. So, yes, there is a lot of wandering, but it doesn't take up whole pages. It could be worse. They could unrealistically teleporting everywhere for the sake of intensity and quickening the pace of the story. So I won't complain.
Flaws and all, this book was incredibly fun to read and I am so glad I picked it up. So glad. It's creative, it's characters grow and are unapologetic... and ugh... it's just so good. I promise.
As much as I love it, I'll admit that our 5 main characters begin as tropes. But I think it's the world, or more importantly, the plot that kept me reading above all else. In a way, I could overlook the cliches of the characters because I was grabbed by everything else that was happening. That way, when that character development hit (and it hit!) it was just easier to digest and I cared. They grew out of their tropes and I felt proud of them. I loved, loved, loved their journeys.
I hate to be THAT person, but I also found it interesting that ALL 5 of the main protagonists are POCs. And it was handled beautifully. It was an epic fantasy with pocs that wasn't all ABOUT them being pocs. Like, hey, here are colorful protagonists, they're going a journey like any other white fantasy protagonist, and we're not gonna make a huge special showing of it. It's like they exist... as normal people. Love it.
Every character was grey, from my perspective. While some leaned more toward lawful or neutral good, every character also had their vices and most were unapologetic about it. (*cough cough* Psander. Bandu.) That's something I love. Self-aware characters who don't always feel the need to apologize for the things they've done, or felt, or choices they've made. Dolkart never tries to excuse anyone's actions, but rather gives them foundations to build more of the plot on. Everything affects everything. And I loved that. Each character was strong in their own way and continued being their authentic selves... with a little self-improvement on the side.
I loved the whole feel of the story. It was very... Man VS God like. Which is something I don't see as often. The gods of this world were treated like actual characters, even though I wasn't sure if they were real or not. The question continually lingered throughout, and for me it only added to the mystery and tension. Were the gods real and actually making things happen, or was it just man under the spell of religion and tradition? Both always felt like real possibilities and it kept me reading.
The magic system is also a huge plus to the story. While it doesn't go too in depth in this first book, the mystery of it is unique enough. There is a much more "academic" feel to it than other epic fantasies out there. Dolkart doesn't come right out in your face and hand-feed it to the reader. You explore the working of magics mostly through and alongside Phaedra. You learn with Phaedra, and that was pretty fun to read. I almost got just as excited as she did when she got her hands on more tomes or ancient scrolls.
Without getting into spoilers, I will also say that the way Dolkart handles this concept of "The Mesh," the web combining and diving the worlds of mortal and supernatural, is very creative. I loved his storytelling the most when it came to this concept in particular.
Sure, at times the book felt like a lot of wandering back and forth, but the way Dolkart manages it worked out great. He didn't linger for too long on the walks and treks and climbs that didn't matter so much. He told us they got there, summarizes, and gets back to the action or characters. So, yes, there is a lot of wandering, but it doesn't take up whole pages. It could be worse. They could unrealistically teleporting everywhere for the sake of intensity and quickening the pace of the story. So I won't complain.
Flaws and all, this book was incredibly fun to read and I am so glad I picked it up. So glad. It's creative, it's characters grow and are unapologetic... and ugh... it's just so good. I promise.
February 8, 2017
This is literally a Dungeons and Dragons adventure. I know, because I play D&D. This is how it goes:
A bunch of characters are thrown into an adventure together (survivors of a disaster) and have a shared goal (get to the wizard). They travel, and have random encounters along the way. Then they get a patron (the wizard), who sends them off on quests (to collect spell components) before the characters get high enough level for them to make decisions about what they want to do on their own.
That said, it's an easy read, and kind of fun. One thing I really enjoyed about this is that they talk a lot about fantasy theology. How do gods work in this fantasy world? Which I think is pretty cool from a world-building perspective.
A bunch of characters are thrown into an adventure together (survivors of a disaster) and have a shared goal (get to the wizard). They travel, and have random encounters along the way. Then they get a patron (the wizard), who sends them off on quests (to collect spell components) before the characters get high enough level for them to make decisions about what they want to do on their own.
That said, it's an easy read, and kind of fun. One thing I really enjoyed about this is that they talk a lot about fantasy theology. How do gods work in this fantasy world? Which I think is pretty cool from a world-building perspective.
July 25, 2016
I really enjoyed this book. Maybe it's because I haven't been reading much fantasy lately, but this book has some great characterization, and I couldn't put the book down until I found out what happens to the characters in the next chapter (and the next, and the next, etc. :p). Good, solid fantasy with magic, elves, gods, and more.
December 13, 2016
This was a slow read, that really picked up in the final 1/3 of the book. Some of the book upends what we think of with fantasy, especially Fairie, and other parts were slow and not quite as engaging as I'd have preferred. I think of it as a good first novel, and am interested to see how his style and writing develop in the next two.
April 16, 2021
I loved these characters. I made such strong bonds with all of them, and I can't wait to read them again (after a little break, lol)
April 18, 2019
It was good. The characters made this book. I hope the gods play a bigger roll in the next book, though. They are really interesting so I want to know more about them.
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