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Immortal Treachery #4
The Abject God
Vykers once killed some of the Emperor’s soldiers; now, the Emperor has crossed the sea with all his legions to exact a revenge that will impact not only the Reaper, but Kittins, Spirk, Eoman, and even the Virgin Queen herself. Meanwhile, pieces to the puzzle of Vykers’ origins begin to fall into place, revealing people and purposes both unexpected and heretofore unimaginable. And then there is the long-suffering Long Pete, who must now contend with an utterly reshaped reality that threatens his very existence.
- GenresFantasy
498 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 22, 2016
11 people are currently reading
153 people want to read
About the author
Allan Batchelder
10 books195 followersAllan is a professional actor, educator and former stand-up comedian. In addition to Steel, Blood & Fire, he's also written plays, screenplays, online articles, dialogue for computer games, greeting card sentiments and more. He holds a Master of Fine Arts in acting from the National Theatre Conservatory and a Master's in Teaching from Seattle Pacific University. He is a huge fan of Shakespeare, Steven Erikson, Joe Abercrombie, Glen Cook, George R.R. Martin, Tad Williams, and R. Scott Bakker. Allan lives in Seattle with his wife and son, where he enjoys walks on the beach, reading in the garden and puttering around on his computer. Oh, and naps. He LOVES naps.
Allan is a professional actor, educator and former stand-up comedian. In addition to Blood, Steel & Fire, he's also written plays, screenplays, online articles, dialogue for computer games, greeting card sentiments and more. He holds a Master of Fine Arts in acting from the National Theatre Conservatory and a Master's in Teaching from Seattle Pacific University. He is a huge fan of Shakespeare, Steven Erikson, Joe Abercrombie, Glen Cook, George R.R. Martin, Tad Williams, and R. Scott Bakker. Allan lives in Seattle with his wife and son, where he enjoys walks on the beach, reading in the garden and puttering around on his computer. Oh, and naps. He LOVES naps.
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Allan is a professional actor, educator and former stand-up comedian. In addition to Blood, Steel & Fire, he's also written plays, screenplays, online articles, dialogue for computer games, greeting card sentiments and more. He holds a Master of Fine Arts in acting from the National Theatre Conservatory and a Master's in Teaching from Seattle Pacific University. He is a huge fan of Shakespeare, Steven Erikson, Joe Abercrombie, Glen Cook, George R.R. Martin, Tad Williams, and R. Scott Bakker. Allan lives in Seattle with his wife and son, where he enjoys walks on the beach, reading in the garden and puttering around on his computer. Oh, and naps. He LOVES naps.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
July 31, 2017
This is the fourth book in the Immortal Treachery series and again a great read. I did struggle with this book in the first half, but somewhere along the way (about 40% into the book) I really got immersed and couldn't put it down anymore. The story nicely builds and has some great surprises towards the end. It really ends on a high note!
But why did I struggle with this book to begin with?
I still don't really know myself. It has been almost a year since I read the first three installments, and some details had become a bit blurry, so this probably played along. It made it more difficult to get immersed into the story from the start. I also think the story didn't start out as strong as the previous three books. What also didn't help for this book was that I have been reading MBotF the last couple of months (I finished the first five books). This is the only fantasy serie I was giving all my attention to before I read "The Abject God". I suppose this is also an important reason for my difficulties. Even though I love the Immortal Treachery series and Allan Batchelder's writing, there's still a big difference between both series. I suppose I just didn't cope well with that difference in the beginning.
But what made this book still great are the characters. A lot of the characters from the previous books return in this one and many of them get a separate POV. Main protagonist is still the Reaper, Tarmun Vykers. With a pending war on the way he is the perfect guy to save the kingdom once more. And still, Vykers surprises in this book by not doing what is expected from him.
Another important characters is Long Pete
Long Pete really struggles with his new situation; after the big revelation in "Corpse Cold" he lost his family and because of it he sets out on a sole journey, longing for death. His friends (Kittens, Spirk, Ron, Rem, Yendor) have also their role to play, and once more they provide for the fun parts in the story.
The Queen also returns with her fool. We have the giants and the Svarren who work out some sort of alliance to deal with the pending threat, and a lot of other smaller characters return as well.
The most important new character in the book is the Emperor. After the events in book two he sets out on to the continent of the protagonists. He wants to deal once and for all with Tarmun Vykers and conquer the new land to expand his empire. With him he brings along the largest army the world has ever seen. Contrary to what the Emperor expects, the inhabitants barely provide any resistance at all. It seems the inhabitants are war-tired after all the events in the previous books . The Emperor does have a couple of small defeats but in the end the invasion seems unstoppable. During the advancement of the army the Emperor however comes along someone who quickly becomes his greatest weakness. He has difficulties to cope with this change in his life and it seems this will play a major role in events to come.
What this books does very well is also tying some loose ends together from previous books. Along the way we also learn some small details about the history of Tarmun Vykers. The Queen further hints on her overall goal, but it seems big revalations will have to wait for book 5. Although the story didn't appeal to me from the start, it still brings an interesting tale. We again have some great action scenes, blood and gore, some unexpected surprises and a thrilling ending.
Conclusion
With only one book to go, the story has advanced massivly, but still a lot remains unknown. I'm really looking forward to the conclusion in the final book: "The End of All Things".
Rating: 7.8/10
But why did I struggle with this book to begin with?
I still don't really know myself. It has been almost a year since I read the first three installments, and some details had become a bit blurry, so this probably played along. It made it more difficult to get immersed into the story from the start. I also think the story didn't start out as strong as the previous three books. What also didn't help for this book was that I have been reading MBotF the last couple of months (I finished the first five books). This is the only fantasy serie I was giving all my attention to before I read "The Abject God". I suppose this is also an important reason for my difficulties. Even though I love the Immortal Treachery series and Allan Batchelder's writing, there's still a big difference between both series. I suppose I just didn't cope well with that difference in the beginning.
But what made this book still great are the characters. A lot of the characters from the previous books return in this one and many of them get a separate POV. Main protagonist is still the Reaper, Tarmun Vykers. With a pending war on the way he is the perfect guy to save the kingdom once more. And still, Vykers surprises in this book by not doing what is expected from him.
Another important characters is Long Pete
Long Pete really struggles with his new situation; after the big revelation in "Corpse Cold" he lost his family and because of it he sets out on a sole journey, longing for death. His friends (Kittens, Spirk, Ron, Rem, Yendor) have also their role to play, and once more they provide for the fun parts in the story.
The Queen also returns with her fool. We have the giants and the Svarren who work out some sort of alliance to deal with the pending threat, and a lot of other smaller characters return as well.
The most important new character in the book is the Emperor. After the events in book two he sets out on to the continent of the protagonists. He wants to deal once and for all with Tarmun Vykers and conquer the new land to expand his empire. With him he brings along the largest army the world has ever seen. Contrary to what the Emperor expects, the inhabitants barely provide any resistance at all. It seems the inhabitants are war-tired after all the events in the previous books . The Emperor does have a couple of small defeats but in the end the invasion seems unstoppable. During the advancement of the army the Emperor however comes along someone who quickly becomes his greatest weakness. He has difficulties to cope with this change in his life and it seems this will play a major role in events to come.
What this books does very well is also tying some loose ends together from previous books. Along the way we also learn some small details about the history of Tarmun Vykers. The Queen further hints on her overall goal, but it seems big revalations will have to wait for book 5. Although the story didn't appeal to me from the start, it still brings an interesting tale. We again have some great action scenes, blood and gore, some unexpected surprises and a thrilling ending.
Conclusion
With only one book to go, the story has advanced massivly, but still a lot remains unknown. I'm really looking forward to the conclusion in the final book: "The End of All Things".
Rating: 7.8/10
January 20, 2017
I've just finished reading this, and wow, what a book.. brilliant stuff from start to finish, which to be fair, is what we've come to expect from Allan!
The series has taken a step up with this book in my opinion. The first three books now almost seem to be scene setters for what's to come in this book, and undoubtedly the next one, because it's fairly clear that these last two instalments of the series are almost going to be a 'finale in two parts'.
There are new and old characters alike. The old ones have been developed beyond their earlier selves, and are growing nicely into their positions in the story. The new characters fitted in seamlessly and ended up being some of my favourite story lines, Qinsup and her relationships in particular.
Now hurry up Allan and write book 5!
The series has taken a step up with this book in my opinion. The first three books now almost seem to be scene setters for what's to come in this book, and undoubtedly the next one, because it's fairly clear that these last two instalments of the series are almost going to be a 'finale in two parts'.
There are new and old characters alike. The old ones have been developed beyond their earlier selves, and are growing nicely into their positions in the story. The new characters fitted in seamlessly and ended up being some of my favourite story lines, Qinsup and her relationships in particular.
Now hurry up Allan and write book 5!
November 8, 2019
That's the ending??? Four books and that's it? No epilogue, just got tired of writing or something and wrapped it up. Almost feels like a waste of time except I thoroughly enjoyed 7/8's of this series.
Edit. I may have jumped the gun a bit and lost my shit over the fact I thought this series had ended. The good author kindly responded and noted that there will be a book five and I feel like a bit of a bastard. To be fair I enjoyed the whole series, the 7/8's was me walking around for two days wondering what the hell happened to everyone. Thanks for reaching out to me, sir!
Edit. I may have jumped the gun a bit and lost my shit over the fact I thought this series had ended. The good author kindly responded and noted that there will be a book five and I feel like a bit of a bastard. To be fair I enjoyed the whole series, the 7/8's was me walking around for two days wondering what the hell happened to everyone. Thanks for reaching out to me, sir!
January 27, 2017
I just finished this puppy and wow-ee, what a fantastic ride it was. As I've come to expect from Batchelder, the action in this book was fast-paced, the humour top-notch and the story engaging.
The Immortal Treachery books rely on a relatively small group of characters. Each of these characters is larger than life. Almost (but not quite) caricatures of themselves. There's the idiot shaper (wizard) Spirk Nessno, who is so ridiculously idiotic that you can't help but laugh at his antics. The taciturn one-liners by captain Kittens have the same effect. And then there is our protagonist Tarmun Vykers himself. Uncompromising and unyielding, the man simply waltzes over anything and anyone in his path. Although often violent, the Vykers chapters are always good for a laugh in a "oh no he didn't" kind of way.
Yes, dear reader: the keyword in this series, and so also in the Abject God, is fun. The characters are fun. The banter between them is fun to read, but above all: you can really tell the author had a blast writing the story.
Another cool thing about this book, and this also holds true for the previous installments in the series, is the way in which the story is presented. There are about 12 parts to the story, which are basically groups of chapters. Then there are the actual chapters, which are quite short. Each of these is introduced with a short introduction where it is stated which of the characters the chapter focuses on and what the location is. In the chapter you basically look through the eyes of 1 of the characters mentioned in the chapter introduction. This works -and let me emphasise here- extremely well. Each of the chapters is written as a mini-story (or an act, if you will) and has a proper start, middle and ending. Because the chapters are rather short it just makes you want to keep turning the pages. Anyway, I think this approach is quite refreshing. I'm almost certain Batchelder was inspired in this approach by his history as a playwright. In any case, it's awesome and in my opinion an example that I wish other fantasy authors would follow.
The only gripe I have is that the book ended quite abruptly in a cliffhanger. The book set the stage for the fifth and final novel, and I just can't wait for it to be released. Get to it Alan!
I rate this book with 5 stars (9.2/10)
The Immortal Treachery books rely on a relatively small group of characters. Each of these characters is larger than life. Almost (but not quite) caricatures of themselves. There's the idiot shaper (wizard) Spirk Nessno, who is so ridiculously idiotic that you can't help but laugh at his antics. The taciturn one-liners by captain Kittens have the same effect. And then there is our protagonist Tarmun Vykers himself. Uncompromising and unyielding, the man simply waltzes over anything and anyone in his path. Although often violent, the Vykers chapters are always good for a laugh in a "oh no he didn't" kind of way.
Yes, dear reader: the keyword in this series, and so also in the Abject God, is fun. The characters are fun. The banter between them is fun to read, but above all: you can really tell the author had a blast writing the story.
Another cool thing about this book, and this also holds true for the previous installments in the series, is the way in which the story is presented. There are about 12 parts to the story, which are basically groups of chapters. Then there are the actual chapters, which are quite short. Each of these is introduced with a short introduction where it is stated which of the characters the chapter focuses on and what the location is. In the chapter you basically look through the eyes of 1 of the characters mentioned in the chapter introduction. This works -and let me emphasise here- extremely well. Each of the chapters is written as a mini-story (or an act, if you will) and has a proper start, middle and ending. Because the chapters are rather short it just makes you want to keep turning the pages. Anyway, I think this approach is quite refreshing. I'm almost certain Batchelder was inspired in this approach by his history as a playwright. In any case, it's awesome and in my opinion an example that I wish other fantasy authors would follow.
The only gripe I have is that the book ended quite abruptly in a cliffhanger. The book set the stage for the fifth and final novel, and I just can't wait for it to be released. Get to it Alan!
I rate this book with 5 stars (9.2/10)
January 12, 2020
While some struggle and fail to handle to revelations of the last entry in the Immortal Treachery, Vykers, The Reaper, continues ever onward with workmanlike pragmatism. Mysteries are deepening, however, about the world surrounding these characters and about Vykers himself. Honestly thought this was the best entry in the series so far. The Emperor provides a terrific departure from previous villain The End-of-All-Things, terrifyingly sane or perhaps a whole other breed of madness. Characters and events come back into play in unexpected ways so there's plenty of surprises. And it felt like there were many more moments of humour, which were very welcome among so many grim moments. Like previous entries, felt like there was enough material for two or more books. Just a great, really worthy fantasy series.
February 2, 2022
Another of Allan Batchelder's Immortal Treachery series and, again, just as hard to put down like all the others. The Reaper is definitely developing into an interesting character that is incredibly powerful and seems to be something more than human. Long Pete is another of my favourite characters and we now know him to be a god. I wonder where this tale is leading? There are so many characters to follow and enjoy and each time the POV changed I was excited to see where the character was in the world and what they would do next. Batchelder's writing style is easy to read, and as I've said previously, immersive. Really enjoyed this book but didn't want to give away too many spoilers. This series is well worth your time in picking up!
September 15, 2017
More of the same as the previous three, with the Reapers past starting to unfold.
Some shocking moments, especially towards the end from both The Reaper and the suggested course of action from Long Pete! eek
One book to go, anyone know when it's released ?
Some shocking moments, especially towards the end from both The Reaper and the suggested course of action from Long Pete! eek
One book to go, anyone know when it's released ?
May 3, 2020
Enjoyable read
Wow an incredibly fast read and the best in the series yet. Definitely start from the beginning. Any fan of the fantasy genre should give this series a try. Interesting characters and action with magic and even gods. What more do you need?
Wow an incredibly fast read and the best in the series yet. Definitely start from the beginning. Any fan of the fantasy genre should give this series a try. Interesting characters and action with magic and even gods. What more do you need?
May 6, 2017
I love Allan's books.
September 9, 2018
Okay........
I didn't even realize I was finished reading......... These are some great books that I've read. Now what will I do?
I didn't even realize I was finished reading......... These are some great books that I've read. Now what will I do?
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews