What do you think?
Rate this book
The Lords of Dûs #2
The Seven Altars of Dûsarra
Garth of Ordunin had been set a new task by the Forgotten Bring back to Skelleth whatever he found upon the altars of the seven temples of Dusarra. As he went about his blasphemous errand he learned more about the Dark Gods -- and more about his own destiny!
254 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1981
6 people are currently reading
193 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
December 30, 2012
Watt-Evans expands his story and sends Garth, via the Forgotten King, to another portion of the map, this time with the job of stealing "whatever lies upon the seven altars of Dusarra." Soon Garth arrives in Dusarra and discovers that this job is, in fact, a hell of an undertaking.
What is a straightforward, fearless overman to do? How about throwing himself into any situation or opportunity that arises without forethought or strategy, relying on his martial prowess and gumption to get him through? Seriously, this guy fails in the planning department, and there were many times I wondered just how he was going to get out of the shit.
This frequent uncertainty--combined with an eerie city that is obsessed with the "dark gods" of the national pantheon--made for good reading, and I enjoyed paging through this in a day. The setting and plot reminded me of Leiber's Lankhmar stories, especially all of the scenes set in ill-lit temples devoted to perverse deities. The story takes a violent turn in the last act, and some of the gore surprised me; brutal as Martin may get in Westeros, Garth and his warbeast do not hesitate to spill mass quantities of blood to achieve their means. The finale sets the stage for bigger things, and I remain interested in seeing where this all goes.
I gotta say: this series hit me from nowhere, and now I wonder what other fantastic tales are out there, hiding behind the wind namers and dancing dragons and black prisms and smart-mouthed city wizards that dominate the genre. Time for some digging...and boy do I love digging for good books.
What is a straightforward, fearless overman to do? How about throwing himself into any situation or opportunity that arises without forethought or strategy, relying on his martial prowess and gumption to get him through? Seriously, this guy fails in the planning department, and there were many times I wondered just how he was going to get out of the shit.
This frequent uncertainty--combined with an eerie city that is obsessed with the "dark gods" of the national pantheon--made for good reading, and I enjoyed paging through this in a day. The setting and plot reminded me of Leiber's Lankhmar stories, especially all of the scenes set in ill-lit temples devoted to perverse deities. The story takes a violent turn in the last act, and some of the gore surprised me; brutal as Martin may get in Westeros, Garth and his warbeast do not hesitate to spill mass quantities of blood to achieve their means. The finale sets the stage for bigger things, and I remain interested in seeing where this all goes.
I gotta say: this series hit me from nowhere, and now I wonder what other fantastic tales are out there, hiding behind the wind namers and dancing dragons and black prisms and smart-mouthed city wizards that dominate the genre. Time for some digging...and boy do I love digging for good books.
May 2, 2013
I rather like this series. It's very easy to read, with something deceptively simple about the narration that nonetheless gives it a strangeness. Garth, the main character, is not human: this makes the rather typical fantasy quest seem rather different because he has different reactions and different motivations. He does seem genuinely inhuman, and yet he wishes to avoid causing deaths -- unlike many fantasy heroes who don't think about the people they have to kill on the way to their goal, but without agonising over it in the way a conventionally "good" character might. There's a kind of practicality to him that makes him morally ambiguous, though when you examine it he's better or at least no worse than other fantasy heroes.
This installment furthers the overall plot arc, which you can start to see forming a lot more clearly than at the end of The Lure of the Basilisk. Looking forward to seeing where Lawrence Watt-Evans took this.
This installment furthers the overall plot arc, which you can start to see forming a lot more clearly than at the end of The Lure of the Basilisk. Looking forward to seeing where Lawrence Watt-Evans took this.
July 30, 2022
I think I liked this one even more than the first. The quests from the Forgotten King may have a deeper intent beyond some mysterious personal purpose for the king, and instead are instrumental as a transformation of Garth into some kind of manifestation of the god Bheleu. There seems to be much more purpose to the various trials that Garth fights through, even down to things like his sword breaking. I woke up this morning with the realization that part of why I'm liking this series is because there is no intrusion of romance or sex into the story, which is in some part due to the fact that Garth is not human. This may not be great literature but I am enjoying the hell out of the fantasical ride.
January 31, 2019
A very good fantasy series with an interesting storyline and a great main character. Very recommended.
August 21, 2020
I’m back with the second installment in the Lords of Dûs series from Lawrence Watt-Evans. I mentioned in my last review that The Lure of the Basilisk was Watt-Evans’ first book and that you could tell. The second book in the series was actually a little better for me.
Like the first book, there are a lot of fantasy tropes here again. Garth returns to Skelleth with a few other overman to set up trade with the human lands. While there, he’s summoned again by the Forgotten King and asked to complete another set of tasks, which he reluctantly accepts. The rest of the book details his journey to steal items from each of the seven altars to the gods in Dûsarra.
The story is told again in third-person, but rather than staying with Garth’s third-person limited point of view, Watt-Evans opens it up to limited omniscient, with a couple of instances where we delve into the minds of other characters. Even so, it’s still Garth’s story. And Garth continues to show some depth. Despite being considered a monster by humans, he continues to live by a code in which he does his best to limit hurting other people, especially the innocent.
The pacing was still strange in some parts. We still follow Garth’s every action, which means we spend pages reading about mundane tasks like changing out of dirty clothes or trying to avoid being seen when it really had no impact on the story. Even so, it perfectly set up the book in the series that I actually read when I was a teen, so I’m really interested to read that book again and see if it matches my memory now that I have the added benefit of knowing the full back-story.
Like the first book, there are a lot of fantasy tropes here again. Garth returns to Skelleth with a few other overman to set up trade with the human lands. While there, he’s summoned again by the Forgotten King and asked to complete another set of tasks, which he reluctantly accepts. The rest of the book details his journey to steal items from each of the seven altars to the gods in Dûsarra.
The story is told again in third-person, but rather than staying with Garth’s third-person limited point of view, Watt-Evans opens it up to limited omniscient, with a couple of instances where we delve into the minds of other characters. Even so, it’s still Garth’s story. And Garth continues to show some depth. Despite being considered a monster by humans, he continues to live by a code in which he does his best to limit hurting other people, especially the innocent.
The pacing was still strange in some parts. We still follow Garth’s every action, which means we spend pages reading about mundane tasks like changing out of dirty clothes or trying to avoid being seen when it really had no impact on the story. Even so, it perfectly set up the book in the series that I actually read when I was a teen, so I’m really interested to read that book again and see if it matches my memory now that I have the added benefit of knowing the full back-story.
August 29, 2017
Garth's new journey is a better experience than his first. I enjoyed the opening with the rest of the overmen Garth brought along, and I too was disgruntled by the Baron's scheming. Proceeding toward Dusarra, things became much more interesting than had toward Mormoreth previously. The raiding of the Altars carried interesting challenges for Garth to overcome, but when he claimed the sword and became a berserker-like being for a time, I was surprised and secretly delighted despite the appeal of Garth's usual more reluctant personality.
I think the reveal about the Forgotten King was quite nice. I had not actually considered him a candidate for that role, and it explains much of his behavior.
Once more Koros must step in and save Garth's bacon from being roasted. It was also nice to see both Frima contributing in her own ways and the priests of P'hul helping quell the mob. I am very interested in what more the sword does in Garth's hands going forward.
I think the reveal about the Forgotten King was quite nice. I had not actually considered him a candidate for that role, and it explains much of his behavior.
Once more Koros must step in and save Garth's bacon from being roasted. It was also nice to see both Frima contributing in her own ways and the priests of P'hul helping quell the mob. I am very interested in what more the sword does in Garth's hands going forward.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 10, 2021
4.0
Slightly better than the first. Watt-Evans is finding his voice. I kept thinking as I was reading this how Gath’s name could easily be substituted for Conan ... and the story, actions or thinking wouldn’t change ... at all!
Not the Conan of REH but of Sprague de Camp or Roy Thomas ... and surprise, surprise at the end of book there is a dedication to Roy Thomas and Barry Windsor and an interesting afterward about the inspiration Watt-Evans drew for Garth and Koros from Frank Frazetta’s painting, “The Death Dealer.”
So classic swords and sorcery stuff ... very easy to read - uncomplicated - rips along at a real speed and is good fun. There’s some interesting dilemmas in Gath’s head which I enjoy and look forward to seeing how this adventure continues. I’ll be with it to the end.
Slightly better than the first. Watt-Evans is finding his voice. I kept thinking as I was reading this how Gath’s name could easily be substituted for Conan ... and the story, actions or thinking wouldn’t change ... at all!
Not the Conan of REH but of Sprague de Camp or Roy Thomas ... and surprise, surprise at the end of book there is a dedication to Roy Thomas and Barry Windsor and an interesting afterward about the inspiration Watt-Evans drew for Garth and Koros from Frank Frazetta’s painting, “The Death Dealer.”
So classic swords and sorcery stuff ... very easy to read - uncomplicated - rips along at a real speed and is good fun. There’s some interesting dilemmas in Gath’s head which I enjoy and look forward to seeing how this adventure continues. I’ll be with it to the end.
March 31, 2024
I’ve tried to get into a couple of these books but he’s just not a good author. The idea of a nonhuman antihero riding a giant panther should be cool but it’s bogged down by an aimless narrative. The author has a fixation on spending page after page narrating the hero climbing up walls. Plus, the author bio page makes this guy sound like a real tool.
December 21, 2024
This book is better than the first one. It's got some repetitive parts, but it's better and more polished. It's very straightforward, and there's a lot of action. It's also short, so it's a great adventure. The battle against the worm was one of the best parts.
May 24, 2021
I originally read this book in paperback when it first came out more than 30 years ago, and it's still fun. I've decided if I ever adopt a black kitten again (which will probably happen!) I will name it Koros.
March 12, 2010
Althought I can say I liked the book, it ended not only extremely abruptly, but without finishing..
In fact, I found myself roused from the outwardly coma-like apperance of my bookreading self and peered at the bindings to see if I had ruined the book by losing pages.(it is an older copy- at least 15 years- and bindings do go)
No just a cliffdrop to nothingness. Oh, well there was dissapointment waiting, so not absolute nothingness.
AHHH!
I have found there are more books! A series has arisen!
I stand in error!
thank god. I thought that ending stunk for such a short but good read
In fact, I found myself roused from the outwardly coma-like apperance of my bookreading self and peered at the bindings to see if I had ruined the book by losing pages.(it is an older copy- at least 15 years- and bindings do go)
No just a cliffdrop to nothingness. Oh, well there was dissapointment waiting, so not absolute nothingness.
AHHH!
I have found there are more books! A series has arisen!
I stand in error!
thank god. I thought that ending stunk for such a short but good read
October 14, 2014
An intriguing continuation of a great story. The second of a series of four; it fills in details about characters and twists delightfully. There is further information appended to make more rich a compelling tale. It is almost a cliff hanger but never fear, all the books in the series are out and available so get them all up front.
January 5, 2016
Quick read. Very enjoyable.
Violence and mayhem pretty much throughtout this second volume in this quite outstanding sword & sorcery series.
A few questions are answered that were left from the first volume. Yet, there are still more questions by the end of this second novel.
Great series! Fast pace and the main character, Garth (the Overman), is very well developed.
Worth the five stars!
Violence and mayhem pretty much throughtout this second volume in this quite outstanding sword & sorcery series.
A few questions are answered that were left from the first volume. Yet, there are still more questions by the end of this second novel.
Great series! Fast pace and the main character, Garth (the Overman), is very well developed.
Worth the five stars!
February 22, 2022
While I will never understand Garth, and I believe we are meant not to, this series is one I feel I'm always going to enjoy. The Seven Altars and those who worshipped at them were all very distinct and different from other fictional religions. While this wasn't great on its own, I'm excited to see what comes next with the Forgotten King.
March 26, 2014
This book develops the mythology of the culture and give critical backstory for the series. Fascinating detail and layers of complexity to enrich the tale. Also appended are other sources to fill in and connect dots in this marvelous series.
January 31, 2021
Muy buena obra. Para mi, de los cientos de obras de fantasia que he leido puede que sea la mejor, me parece que tiene una gran complejidad siendo fantasia épica sin llegar a ser tan vacía como una obra de Alta Fantasía plena. Me resulta extraño que está obra sea tan desconocida....una lástima.
March 19, 2009
The Garth series picks up with this third book, as Garth must single-handedly (or almost so) loot the temples of a series of evil deities.
July 2, 2010
I've enjoyed all of Lawrence Watt-Evans books that I've read.
July 11, 2015
Nice escapism
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews