The Gates of Tagmeth

Kencyrath #8

by P.C. Hodgell

Destruction is in Jame Knorth’s nature. She is the avatar of of a god known at That-Which-Destroys, the god of chaos and ruin. Yet Jame is also a noblewoman within an ancient race, and the designated heir of her twin brother Torisen Knorth, High Lord of the Kencyrath. Jame’s people are fleeing, world by world, from a terrible enemy that has pursued them through a multitude of universes. Its name is Perimal Darkling.

Obeying instructions from her brother, Jame sets out with a force of Southron warriors to reestablish the long-fallen castle keep of Tagmeth. By Jame’s side is Lyra, a devious Kencyrath noble girl who is determined not to be forced into a marriage with a man she despises. Jame’s old friends Mark and Brier Iron-thorn stand with her, as well: Marc, steward and organizer of Jame’s household and Brier, the only captain under her command wholly sworn to support Jame no matter the cost. Jame finds more allies in the forest surrounding the ancient keep where the wild people of the woodlands, the Merikit, hold court. And Jame’s adopted mother, Gran Cyd, matriarch and queen of the Merikit, may once again provide the voice of calm that Jame requires to survive her own tempestuous nature.

Jame sets about establishing Tagmeth as an outpost against the gathering power of Perimal Darkling. But Tagmeth hides a secret, a gateway to a mystery that may save this world from eternal darkness—or plunge it to destruction and ruin all the sooner. It is up to Jame to find her way through Perimal Darkling’s traps, and to come to terms with the god of pandemonium and destruction within her who grows stronger every day. If she succeeds it may be that Perimal Darkling can finally be defeated after eons of fear and flight. And if she fails, yet another world will fall to darkness forever.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Epic Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy, High Fantasy, Ebooks

496 pages, Mass Market Paperback

Published September 25, 2018

Reviews

[Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since Jame has completed her training at Tentir, in an effort to allow her to prove herself (and possibly to shuffle her off to someplace out of sight), her brother the Highlord Torisen tells her to reclaim one of the abandoned Riverland keeps.

So rather than one of the more obvious choices, she sets her sights on Tagmeth, a site that the Caineron (one of the rival Kencyrath houses) has always considered theirs, even if they weren't actually doing anything with it.

And Tagmeth Keep is hiding its own share of magical secrets.

What could possibly go wrong?

[Ry Herman · Rating 4 out of 5]

In many ways this is a transitional novel in the series. Although there are certainly events, alarums and excursions, and some new and potentially game-changing revelations, the book is more focused than many of the others were on resolving some long-standing subplots, setting up others to be resolved, and beginning to put things in place for the upcoming grand finale. That makes it a welcome and necessary addition to the series, but somewhat difficult to judge on its own. The writing is, as ever, wonderful, but the necessities of the plot required a bit more overt references to the events of previous books than I might have preferred -- although it is entirely possible that this would be much less of a problem for someone who didn't have this series nearly memorized (I'm a huge fan); there are probably many people who would welcome the information and reminders. All in all, I'm happy to have read it, and now that I've seen the set-up, I'm eager to see how it all plays out.

[Assaph Mehr · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've recently decided to re-read this excellent epic fantasy cycle, and review as I go.

What to Expect

The Gates of Tagmeth is the (currently) latest novel in the series, but not the last. Jame has a unique task for her third year as a randon cadet, and naturally it comes with her penchant for unique adventures. More importantly, the novel ends at a point that has been long in the coming, with a final stage-setting for the series conclusion. It's great to see all the characters (main and side) mature and develop.

From reading Hodgell's blog, my understanding is that the next novel -- "By Demons Possessed" -- is currently with her editors, and that she has started writing the next, and possibly final, volume. Naturally, writing and publishing is a lengthy exercise, but at least as a fan I know the grand finale is in the works and should be coming soon(ish). It's been an amazing journey (definitely for the protagonists and for me as a reader since childhood -- and I can only imagine for Hodgell as an author), well worth the read.

What I liked

Hodgell's story-telling and world-building are top-notch, her story pacing is excellent, and she balances light and dark themes perfectly. We get a lot more background in this volume (for questions that have been hinted at for a while). If you've read this far in the series, you should know why this is excellent epic fantasy.

What to be aware of

This is book 8 of a long running series (over 35 years, so far). You really need to start at God Stalk if you're to have any chance of understanding what is going on. The series is not yet complete (though I imagine that wouldn't stop any GRRM fans).

Summary

A highly recommended series. This is epic fantasy done right, with perfect balance of light and dark, and excellent, slowly-building pacing. If you love fantasy, I strongly suggest you add God Stalk to your TBR pile.
--
Assaph Mehr, author of Murder In Absentia: A story of Togas, Daggers, and Magic - for lovers of Ancient Rome, Murder Mysteries, and Urban Fantasy.

[brian dean · Rating 3 out of 5]

I gotta be honest, giving this book only three stars hurt. I read the first book in the series thirty-five years ago(!) and have enjoyed every one - including this one. But this one is more of placeholder, not much happens but it sets up what I expect to be a great #9.

We learn a little more about the planet Rathillien and meet some creatures thought extinct.

This is not the place to start the series as events from previous books are referred to but not explained. I will probably reread the series soon.

I still can't wait for the next book.

[kvon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't start with this book.

This is a slowly evolving series, lots of players, lots of history, lots of sites; I like this one as we are finally getting some movement on Tori's mental state. Jame gradually getting more responsibility, this time an old ruined keep, conveniently near the native settlement where she keeps running into the old gods. (Merikit conflict between woman-centered past and man-centered future continues here.) She has her usual beknighted adventures, and occasional flashes of power. Good surrounding cast, including comforting Marc, and fiery Brier.

I think I need to go back and do a reread to see how all of this is tying together. Unclear how many books will be in this series.

[R · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been reading this series since the early 90s. The third novel was my very first purchase from Amazon (don't even ask how much it cost). If you've been reading from the beginning you'll need to read this. She's tying up loose ends and bringing it all together. Tori is still a pain in the arse and Jame still awesome and there's a surprise couple I did not see coming. Loved it.

If you haven't read any of these turn back and find them from the beginning.

[Alecia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love this series. I started it as a young teenager, and rediscovered it over 10 years later--my local library didn't have a large selection of fantasy books and I never knew the author wrote more after the first 3 books. Then college and law school got in the way of my voracious reading habit. Hodgell is really a master writer, and here she has created a world that rivals George R. R. Martin's "Song of Ice and Fire" books for complexity. However, it seems like after those first four books, the progress has slowed down considerably. With each installment we seem to get progressively less information. Jame was reunited with her brother 3 books ago and they've only had one significant conversation per book. We discovered Kindrie in book 5 I believe, but his appearances in this book and the last were disappointingly few and far between. Despite being a lengthy book, not much happens, and 8 books in we don't need 2/3 of the book to be character development. We know exactly who Jame, Torisen and Kindrie are and we know their motivations. But where is the action? We have another digression with the Merikit that yields a nugget of interesting info, but is much too long in proportion to the importance of that information. We even meet the mysterious Builders who prepare the world of the Kencyrath but get ZERO INFORMATION from them. As a fan, it's very frustrating to read book after book after book that essentially treads water. I hope that the series will wrap up soon, not because I don't enjoy it but because it seems that only an imminent ending will result in answers to some of the many plot threads that have come up.

[Charty · Rating 3 out of 5]

It pains me to give this a 3 star, because I have been a long-time fan and supporter of this series, but lately it feels like Hodgell is stuck, and unable to advance her story. Not sure if she isn't confident about where the plot is going or has been hung up with she has the end game down, but can't see how to get there, but this book continues to circle around Jame, Tori and Kindrie's connections to each other as the leaders of the Knorth House, as well as beginning to acknowledge their Shanir heritage and only lightly touching on their potential as the Three aspects of their God: Creation, Destruction and Preservation. Unfortunately the pace of the narrative has slowed considerably and I confess I am getting impatient to see the books tackle some of the big issues and get them resolved, or at least advance the story further along. The hints seem to indicate that their world is the last in the chain of creation and therefore it is up to them to hold and hopefully destroy, Perimal Darking. But if that is the ultimate end game of the series, there is a lot of character work and plot that needs to to happen to bring that about. I'm all for more books, but I want the books to be meaningful and have purpose and lately they seem rather episodic and retreading old ground. Amazing characters, exceptional worldbuilding, the work as a whole deserves to have better books be part of it's pantheon.

[Henry Lazarus · Rating 3 out of 5]

P. C. Hodgell has been writing about the Kencyrath who have been fleeing the Primal Darkness from world to world for three thousand years with the amazing God Stalk (found in Godstalker Chronicles) in 1982. The heroine Jamethiel lived with her traitor father in the Primal Darkness and since has been finding her place. Her twin brother, a decade older rules the Kencyrath despite powerful heads of Houses who have their own agendas. Jame has been sent with the command of a hundred to an abandoned Keep. But The Gates of Tagmeth (trade from Baen) include not only physical gates but also magical gates hidden in darkness that link the keep to places all over Rathillien. The series in no closer to an end in this episode. Jame deals with house politics like refugees from houses whose rulers have gone mad, local gods awakened when the Kencyrath arrived, and the problems her friends and enemies force on her. It helps that Jame has claws and can ride a Rathorn (sort of a lion horse) Rathillien is a strange world in which people can breathe underwater if certain conditions are met, and in which the local gods like the Earth Mother appear at will. Even though this is a minor addition to the saga, I eagerly lapped it up. Hopefully there will be more tales.Review printed by Philadelphia Free Press

[Robert Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

One has to get used to the fact that Jame lives a ridiculous life. If you can't get over that fact, you'll be disappointed with this book. Then again if you're here on the eighth volume in the Kencyrath series you're probably well accustomed to the ludicrous.

Well lets get on with it then. As has become habit, Jame is drawn into one or another improbable situation or another mostly falling on Rathillien's various equinoxes. Among this, a myriad of confusion, misconceptions, ignorance supernatural influences lead weird consequences.

Add in the ordered move to the abandoned keep of Tagmeth (which has it's own issues), the whispered rumor of a saboteur, conversations on starvation and a few other reoccurring annoyances, plots and malcontents. There is so much to unpack, I wonder how they got it all in to these few pages.

Customs are all well and good but repetition can get tiresome. The ground work is set for starting the end to this series, I think. I will be sad to see it go but I would rather a proper ending. I can see it now. Along with lingering issues resolved by the end we get glimpses to a few new ones. But nothing that Jame can't halfheartedly destroy.

[Charlie Moses · Rating 4 out of 5]

The worst thing about Hodgell's Kencyrath books is how long it takes her to produce a new one. The wait for a new one is interminable. Jame's story has moved along to a new venue. She has survived the last couple of years' adventures at the Randon college and with the Southern Host, plus the attendant weirdnesses that crop up everywhere she goes. She is now coming to understand who and what she is. Her brother sends her off with supplies and barely sufficient personnel to man and restore the abandoned fortress of Tagmeth with the goal of making it a viable, self-supporting community. A challenging task, indeed, the fortress being situated between the border with Perimal Darkling and territories held by enemy clans. But Jame has always been able to make friends in unexpected places, and to come up with unexpected solutions. Which she does, in her own, inimitable style.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Next book in my series read through. This volume feels like a return to elements in Jame’s saga that made the first couple of books so much fun. She’s back building alliances, messing up, getting better at what she does best and it’s a good fun read (bear in mind that the series is not a jolly romp in the park, however, and bad stuff happens). On the downside, the ending feels rushed and there is a tendency on Hodgell’s part in these last few books to equate obesity with villainy. But on the whole, a fine addition to the series and I enjoyed it quite a bit.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though none of the sequels have come even close to the excellence of GODSTALK, reading them is like slipping on comfy old slippers and settling down with a cuppa in familiar surroundings. This one's no exception---the main storyline only moves an inch or so, but each incident and encounter along the way is a satisfying, entertaining set piece.

[Jm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally time to settle down and read the latest installment for Jame! This was a quicker read than many of the previous books. It was easier for me to follow too. It seemed pretty tame, by comparison. The weird things were reunions, for the most part. The treacherous things ... diminished and less dire, although still dangerous.

That being said, Jame is still herself, falling into trouble and making it up as she follows honour and tried to do her best for her people. She is growing in her command, and I enjoyed watching her be more supported. Rathillion is a strange, fun-house kind of world. I always enjoy reading PC Hodgell's world-building.

If you have not been following this series and just read this book, you will either be very confused or miss of the significance of what happens in much of the book. I strongly recommend starting at the beginning (Godstalk) and working your way up to this book.

Spoilers -

I think my favourite new things were .. the cows! The contrast between sleepy cows that I see almost every day and demonic, Valkyrian killer cows from Rathillion = tremendous fun. And the lone bull ... heh. Nice to see the three young highborns having some fun. Marc as Jame's Steward is perfect.

Least favourite: VERY tired of Ganth haunting Tori. Are we done now? Really, REALLY done? Here's hoping the broom wielded by Kindrie did its job.

Waiting now to see if we get re-acquainted with Tai-tastigon, Bane, and Granny Sit-by-the-fire!

[Dot Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jame’s Adventures Continue!

I really enjoyed this book! For her 3rd year as a randon, Jame has been granted leadership of a hundred command and can choose any empty and abandoned keep in the Riverlands. She deliberately chose Tagmeth because it was so far away from Tori and Gothregor and she could prove that she could stand on her own. This book deals with her experiences at Tagmeth, including dealing with the Caineron who want to claim the keep for themselves, to further interactions with the Merikit, and the (mis)adventures that you come to expect around Jame. You’ll also find out what the book title means.

This series is such a complex tale that’s like no other fantasy I’ve ever read before. The world building continues to grow in each book and paints the world of Rathillien in rich and vibrant detail. The character development includes not only Jame and Tori and Jame’s 100 command, but the other characters encountered in the book. My only complaint is that I really, really hope that Ms. Hodgell brings this story to a conclusion within my lifetime! I started the series about 40 years ago and I’m not getting any younger!
My Rating: 5 Stars!

[David Allenson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Kencyrath books are always a delight to read. That being said, many elements of this book feel like a set up for a conclusion than organic plot lines.
It's good that Jame has FINALLY told Tori that he must also be a Shanir - though he had largely come to that conclusion independently. He's also gotten rid of their father's ghost in his head. But that development happened largely off-stage.
It's hard to believe that Lord Caineron is so influential at the same time he has become ludicrous. Fiction has to be more logical than reality.
I was delighted by the return of the Builders.
The subplots concerning the Merikit felt like they belonged in a separate book.
Jame works as a Plot Devise in her own stories since she is the manifestation of That-Which-Destroys. Her presence destabilizes corrupt elements in the societies around her. Lyra Lackwit is less successful in this role.
I question why Jame didn't send any messages about what was happening to anyone other than her brother.
i'm looking forward to the next book(s) in the series as they move to the conclusion of the story.

[Michael · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF. Got most of the way, but I just had to stop, especially with so many other books to be reading. Frankly, this addition to the series is the plummeting point. Hodgell has always had a problem of her plot going in circles with no real development. This book is about the worst that it gets. So many characters that don't seem to matter, so many subplots that don't seem to go anywhere or contribute in any meanigful way. The writing is drivel, and is condescending as well, treating the reader as if they'd skipped every other book in the series, constantly explaining every single aspect that has ever occurred past the point of redundancy.

I don't see how this series gets an appropriate ending within . . what, three more books? It would feel so rushed, so improper. Eight books in and we don't even know what the true enemy looks like or how they intend to fight it. A shame I wasted so much time on the series. I had such high expectations and it just never quite got there. At least I can move on to something more entertaining now.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

her worst book, but do read the rest of the series

I hate to give just three stars to one of my favorite authors, but this is nowhere near as good as her other books. It seems like a pastiche of scenes, rather than a fully plotted novel, and I got to the end without being quite sure what the point was or how this book moved the series much. Important steps are taken at the end of the book, but up til then, the work is thin and largely disconnected. Hope the next one returns to Hodgell's usual fine writing.

[Arshad Ahsanuddin · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the less mystical Kencyrath books, focussing on plot and character development. It was a refreshing change, though the final chapters seemed a little rushed. I have been reading this series since God Stalk, back in the 1980’s, and each of the books have significantly built on the mythology, until this one. I felt like this book was setting up the final stages of the story, when all the mythology, plot, and character developmental will come to a head and reach the final climax. I look forward to the ultimate resolution!

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jame is given a group to command as part of her training. She sets off to establish a holding in the abandoned castle of Tagmeth. The old castle holds its secrets that slowly come to life such as gates that allow access to other locations and maybe worlds. So her location on the edge of the wilderness is less precarious than thought. But will the success Jame have there aid her twin brother or rebound to cause more chaos as often occurs around her.

[Shaddo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm afraid I was disappointed with this last book... there was really nothing new in it. Not much in the way of tension & resolution. Although at the absolute very last few pages Tori did seem to be more accepting of his own & Jame's Shanir traits (finally!). Tori has been little more than a cardboard cutout for too long.

I've been following this series for many years now, loving the wonderful weirdness of this world setting. I hate to think that it may just peter out at the end.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another interesting book

Every time I learn more about Rathellien, I am fascinated. The world is so very fantastic and odd. The book comes together towards the end, with some characters finally talking to each other. Hopefully, they continue talking to each othet and begin working together.

[Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book! Thanks to Baen I was able to grab this as an eARC, some three months before the general publishing date - no the cheap option, mind you, but well worth the money.
P.C. Hodgell's eight book in the Kencyrath cycle follows Jame's exploits after her return to the Riverlands. For her final year of randon officer training, she's sent off with a hundred-troop to rebuild the fortress Tagmeth - a task which happily also keeps her out of her brother's hair...

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The overall story arc continues to develop ...

Great book. I have followed this series since the first (God Stalk) came out in paperback.
For best effect, do not read out of order ...

Recommended.

[Xenophon Hendrix · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this volume of the series because it was a visit with old friends. In truth, though, it didn't have a lot of action. For those new to the Kencyrath, this isn't the place to start. They really should start with the first novel.

[skye mccloud · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better than many of the recent...

But i am afraid there may Never be again The Masterpieces that were her first two...Godstalk...Dark of the Moon
That is All you will Ever need to Know about P.C. Hodgell

[Joan Wendland · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Gates of Tagmeth are a welcome addition to the Chronicles of the Kencyrath series. It ties together many disparate pieces of the saga together and gives me hope I will live long enough to read the exciting conclusion some day.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like this series. I was introduced to PC Hodgell’s Kencyrath when I was in high school. I feel like she was ahead of her time. I think if this series was repackaged, and re-published, as a YA fantasy series, Hodgell would make a fortune. And so would some publishing house.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rather meandering story filled with a multitude of minor dramas and references to events in books I originally read thirty years ago. Enjoyable, not essential but with a satisfying climax that sets up things well for the next book.

[Alison Vibert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant

I choose this rating because each book seems to get better and better!
The more I read about Jame and the others the more I want to know.
Roll on for the next book - looking forward to it.