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The Lighthouse Duet #1
Flesh and Spirit
In the first volume of a proposed duology, Valen, the rebellious scion of a dynasty of pureblood cartographers and diviners, has spent years denying his heritage, until he nearly ends up dead, addicted to a spell that converts pain to pleasure and possessing only a stolen book of maps, a mystical volume that could hide the secret to the doom of the entire world. Original.
408 pages, Paperback
First published January 2, 2007
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5974 people want to read
About the author
Carol Berg
33 books1,128 followersCarol Berg is the author of the epic fantasy
The Books of the Rai-kirah, The Bridge of D'Arnath Quartet, the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award winning Lighthouse Duet - Flesh and Spirit and Breath and Bone - the standalone novel Song of the Beast , and the three novels of the Collegia Magica.
Berg holds a degree in mathematics from Rice University, and a degree in computer science from the University of Colorado. Before writing full-time, she worked as a software engineer. She lives in Colorado at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, and is the mother of three mostly grown sons.
The Books of the Rai-kirah, The Bridge of D'Arnath Quartet, the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award winning Lighthouse Duet - Flesh and Spirit and Breath and Bone - the standalone novel Song of the Beast , and the three novels of the Collegia Magica.
Berg holds a degree in mathematics from Rice University, and a degree in computer science from the University of Colorado. Before writing full-time, she worked as a software engineer. She lives in Colorado at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, and is the mother of three mostly grown sons.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 297 reviews
December 22, 2022
I broke my own "no reading series back to back" and "no encouraging cliffhanger endings" rules for this book, and I really don't understand why.
CONTENT WARNING:
Things to love:
-Mysterious. I think, if I had to guesstimate, there are something like 5? different mysteries going on in this.
-Broody boy. I think this is a lot of it, I'm a sucker for masculine protagonists with daddy issues, and boy howdy does this one have that.
-The last 25%. The first 75% was...fine. A bit bloated, a bit repetitive and torture porny in a weird way (hang on, do I now think there's a NORMAL way to do torture porn?! Must examine this further) and then when everything starts coming together I couldn't put it down.
-No easy answers. I like that this is a complicated world, and that even the stereotypical doom cult feels that way because life is shit when you're a peasant in a feudal world and if the current system is leading to death by starvation, why not try literally anything else.
Things I didn't love:
-Woman writing men like they think men write men. There's a sort of patriarchal inception going on, where she thinks that she needs to be relatable to the presumed audience of men, so she spends a LOT of time talking about taking maidens in haystacks and drinking until a lass brings you home and all that. What we end up with is the most phallic fixation in an epic I've read in quite some time and a lingering question about imitation and appreciation.
-Exciting vs. Excited. So, in the grand tradition of late 90s/early 2000s fantasy, this guy goes through the ringer, twice and once on fire. I think there was a period of time where pain was sort of the kink du jour and instead of dealing with trauma we just kept showing it and showing someone suffering beautifully. We spend a LOT of time in the "belle douleur" rather than anything actually happening to move the story along. In short, I think we conflated different types of excitement, to the detriment of the story.
-Lots of telling. A lot of exposition and world building in lieu of storytelling.
-No end. It just stops midstory!
Normally this would be a 2 or 3 star read and I'd move on with my life. I don't know what it says about me that I actually quite liked it and immediately started the next book--probably that I grew up on late 90s and early 00s fantasy and that I probably ought to mention this to a therapist.
CONTENT WARNING:
Things to love:
-Mysterious. I think, if I had to guesstimate, there are something like 5? different mysteries going on in this.
-Broody boy. I think this is a lot of it, I'm a sucker for masculine protagonists with daddy issues, and boy howdy does this one have that.
-The last 25%. The first 75% was...fine. A bit bloated, a bit repetitive and torture porny in a weird way (hang on, do I now think there's a NORMAL way to do torture porn?! Must examine this further) and then when everything starts coming together I couldn't put it down.
-No easy answers. I like that this is a complicated world, and that even the stereotypical doom cult feels that way because life is shit when you're a peasant in a feudal world and if the current system is leading to death by starvation, why not try literally anything else.
Things I didn't love:
-Woman writing men like they think men write men. There's a sort of patriarchal inception going on, where she thinks that she needs to be relatable to the presumed audience of men, so she spends a LOT of time talking about taking maidens in haystacks and drinking until a lass brings you home and all that. What we end up with is the most phallic fixation in an epic I've read in quite some time and a lingering question about imitation and appreciation.
-Exciting vs. Excited. So, in the grand tradition of late 90s/early 2000s fantasy, this guy goes through the ringer, twice and once on fire. I think there was a period of time where pain was sort of the kink du jour and instead of dealing with trauma we just kept showing it and showing someone suffering beautifully. We spend a LOT of time in the "belle douleur" rather than anything actually happening to move the story along. In short, I think we conflated different types of excitement, to the detriment of the story.
-Lots of telling. A lot of exposition and world building in lieu of storytelling.
-No end. It just stops midstory!
Normally this would be a 2 or 3 star read and I'd move on with my life. I don't know what it says about me that I actually quite liked it and immediately started the next book--probably that I grew up on late 90s and early 00s fantasy and that I probably ought to mention this to a therapist.
December 5, 2021
This one went straight onto my all-time favourites shelf.
Hands down one of the best books I've ever read. Series RTC after finishing the second book.
Re-read for a proper review and my Read-Along on Instagram.
Hands down one of the best books I've ever read. Series RTC after finishing the second book.
Re-read for a proper review and my Read-Along on Instagram.
January 11, 2019
This book is sort of a 3.5 I think. The author keeps making up weird words every few pages, but once you get into it Valen's story is interesting, and I feel a lot of sympathy over his desire for freedom and the ability to control his own fate.
Valen starts out as a magical drug addict and a bit of an opportunist hedonist, but when you realize what he's been through, you can't blame him. I wanted to take him out of the book and bake him some cookies, I felt so bad for him.
Oh, good. I added another star ages ago. I'm reading this book again. I swear, it's probably the most enjoyable book I've read this year.
Read it again in December 2012. See, the second book is better because that's when thing start to pick up. This book is setting up the chessboard, the second book is having the chess pieces come to life and start fighting each other. But it's not so bad. There's still the weird made up words, Valen is as lovable and imperfect as ever. It's nice how passionate he is about life even as it kicks him down and rubs his face in the mud. I hate all the torment he goes through with his relatives and such.
1/19
Read it again. I enjoy this book so much. I know it won't win a Nobel prize but I can't resist books where unlikely people come together, make friends with each other and fight for right.
It gives me hope. I need that.
Valen starts out as a magical drug addict and a bit of an opportunist hedonist, but when you realize what he's been through, you can't blame him. I wanted to take him out of the book and bake him some cookies, I felt so bad for him.
Oh, good. I added another star ages ago. I'm reading this book again. I swear, it's probably the most enjoyable book I've read this year.
Read it again in December 2012. See, the second book is better because that's when thing start to pick up. This book is setting up the chessboard, the second book is having the chess pieces come to life and start fighting each other. But it's not so bad. There's still the weird made up words, Valen is as lovable and imperfect as ever. It's nice how passionate he is about life even as it kicks him down and rubs his face in the mud. I hate all the torment he goes through with his relatives and such.
1/19
Read it again. I enjoy this book so much. I know it won't win a Nobel prize but I can't resist books where unlikely people come together, make friends with each other and fight for right.
It gives me hope. I need that.
June 5, 2016
I thought the first half of this book was four-star material. I was interested in it, I liked the characters, and I found myself thinking about the story when I wasn’t reading it and speculating what might happen next. Somewhere around the halfway point, fortunately during the weekend, this turned into a five-star book and I couldn’t put it down.
This fantasy story is told completely from the first-person perspective of Valen, a twenty-seven year old man who’s on the run for a variety of reasons. When the book begins, Valen is gravely wounded and his traveling companion abandons him penniless on the road, incapable of walking. He’s found by monks from a nearby abbey who take him in. The abbey seems like a convenient place to hide, but he soon finds that there are mysteries and dangers there as well. Meanwhile, the entire land is embroiled in a long-lasting war between the sons of their deceased king.
The story was interesting from the beginning, but it grew more intricate as it went and I really enjoyed that. The reader is given many questions, and at first I thought I could probably guess most of the answers, but some of my guesses were wrong and some of the questions turned out to be more complex than they originally seemed. There was a twist near the end that completely caught me by surprise, although in retrospect I think I should have seen it coming. There were plenty of hints.
The main character really grew on me as the story progressed. He often has a kind of sardonic way of describing things, and he has a kind of honor with certain lines he won’t cross, but his main concerns are for his own safety and he can be pretty roguish. At first I found some of his decisions exasperating, but I understood him better as the story progressed and his character also grew quite a bit throughout the book.
I look forward to reading the sequel. I don’t see people talk about Carol Berg’s work very often, but I’ve been really impressed with what I’ve read from her so far. I read her Rai-Kirah trilogy (starting with Transformation) several years ago and I really enjoyed it. It helped me recover from the funk Robin Hobb’s Tawny Man trilogy left me in. I’ve wanted to try more of her books, but this is the first time I’ve gotten around to doing so. I’ll have to fit her books into my reading plans more frequently going forward.
On BookLikes I’m giving this 4.5 stars, but I’m rounding it up to 5 stars here on Goodreads.
This fantasy story is told completely from the first-person perspective of Valen, a twenty-seven year old man who’s on the run for a variety of reasons. When the book begins, Valen is gravely wounded and his traveling companion abandons him penniless on the road, incapable of walking. He’s found by monks from a nearby abbey who take him in. The abbey seems like a convenient place to hide, but he soon finds that there are mysteries and dangers there as well. Meanwhile, the entire land is embroiled in a long-lasting war between the sons of their deceased king.
The story was interesting from the beginning, but it grew more intricate as it went and I really enjoyed that. The reader is given many questions, and at first I thought I could probably guess most of the answers, but some of my guesses were wrong and some of the questions turned out to be more complex than they originally seemed. There was a twist near the end that completely caught me by surprise, although in retrospect I think I should have seen it coming. There were plenty of hints.
The main character really grew on me as the story progressed. He often has a kind of sardonic way of describing things, and he has a kind of honor with certain lines he won’t cross, but his main concerns are for his own safety and he can be pretty roguish. At first I found some of his decisions exasperating, but I understood him better as the story progressed and his character also grew quite a bit throughout the book.
I look forward to reading the sequel. I don’t see people talk about Carol Berg’s work very often, but I’ve been really impressed with what I’ve read from her so far. I read her Rai-Kirah trilogy (starting with Transformation) several years ago and I really enjoyed it. It helped me recover from the funk Robin Hobb’s Tawny Man trilogy left me in. I’ve wanted to try more of her books, but this is the first time I’ve gotten around to doing so. I’ll have to fit her books into my reading plans more frequently going forward.
On BookLikes I’m giving this 4.5 stars, but I’m rounding it up to 5 stars here on Goodreads.
May 26, 2007
I'm very disappointed with this book; the first time ever I've been disappointed with a Carol Berg book. Flesh and Spirit is filled with sexist references to women, and very, very few female characters. The female characters involved are either 2-dimensional recepticles for male lust, or petty and vindictive. It's extremely hard to truly empathize with a male character who expresses himself in words such as "faster than a whore can raise her dress." I found myself feeling not just insulted on a regular basis, but depressed, as well.
May 5, 2022
Pretty good. After a slow beginning, the book picked up, as I got drawn into the web of intrigue and mystery which surrounded Valen, the Abby of Gillarine and the good brothers therein.
Valen is not the most likable of characters, but he's an interesting one nonetheless, and I look forward to reading the follow-up book soon.
Ratings:-⭐⭐⭐⭐
Valen is not the most likable of characters, but he's an interesting one nonetheless, and I look forward to reading the follow-up book soon.
Ratings:-⭐⭐⭐⭐
March 30, 2008
Valen is a renegade socerer who's spent his whole life ignoring his past and heritage. He was born into a pureblood family of mapmakers, and his relationships with the members of his family have been bitter and violent. Pureblood families have magical talents; there are pureblood "bents" (abilities) for just about every skill imaginable, healing, music, divination...Valen's family are not only skilled mapmakers, but are able to track anyone or anything, and can detect routes and trails that no one else could ever find. Purebloods hold a uniquie niche in society; they are above clerics, civil servants, and the nobility, but yet spend their lives as bound servants. Purebloods contract themselves out, selling their abilities to the highest bidder. Not only would Valen have been confined to a life of servitude, but in order to preserve his family's bent and prevent contaminating his lines, he would have no choice about who he married, how many children he had, or any other aspect of his life. The Pureblood Registry would have mapped his entire life out for him, and Valen wanted none of it.
One winter, after being abandoned by his partner after he was injured robbing a mansion, he's found and taken in by a group of monks. Interestingly, one of the things Valen took from the mansion was a book of maps; the very same one his grandfather gave him years ago. Valen pawned it when he ran away, and finds it extremely odd to have found it again. The monks recognize the value of the book, and Valen realizes that it could be his ticket for a warm and well fed winter. They offer him sanctuary, which he accepts, of course. The only problem is, sanctuary is only good for two weeks, after which Valen must leave or take vows. Valen decides to take vows, although during the ceremony he surreptitiously changes the wording so that come spring he can run off (with the book, of course, so he can pawn or sell it again) without actually breaking them.
At first, Valen chafes under monastic life, but things in the monastary become very interesting when he accidentally stumbles onto a conspiracy, headed by the abbot, that involves forbidden magic, the Royal succession, and Valen's book of maps.
The Review:
I don't know about anyone else, but I've gotten pretty tired of saintly heroes, and Valen is anything but. He reminds me a bit of Seregil from Lynn Flewelling's Nighrunners, with his sardonic, irreverent attitude. But unlike Seregil, he doesn't serve some higher purpose, only his own ends. And, besides being a (likeable)rogue/theif/womanizer, Valen is also a drug addict. Ultimately, of course, his jaded, bitter nature starts to change, due to his eventual involvement in the conspiracy, but it's slow, believable change, not some about face, 180 degree turn from self serving to self sacrificing. And by the end of the book, I'd say the change still isn't really complete.
One final note: go ahead and get the sequel if you decide to get this. Believe me, I would have gone crazy if I couldn't have gone strait from book 1 to book 2--it has a cliff hanger ending.
One winter, after being abandoned by his partner after he was injured robbing a mansion, he's found and taken in by a group of monks. Interestingly, one of the things Valen took from the mansion was a book of maps; the very same one his grandfather gave him years ago. Valen pawned it when he ran away, and finds it extremely odd to have found it again. The monks recognize the value of the book, and Valen realizes that it could be his ticket for a warm and well fed winter. They offer him sanctuary, which he accepts, of course. The only problem is, sanctuary is only good for two weeks, after which Valen must leave or take vows. Valen decides to take vows, although during the ceremony he surreptitiously changes the wording so that come spring he can run off (with the book, of course, so he can pawn or sell it again) without actually breaking them.
At first, Valen chafes under monastic life, but things in the monastary become very interesting when he accidentally stumbles onto a conspiracy, headed by the abbot, that involves forbidden magic, the Royal succession, and Valen's book of maps.
The Review:
I don't know about anyone else, but I've gotten pretty tired of saintly heroes, and Valen is anything but. He reminds me a bit of Seregil from Lynn Flewelling's Nighrunners, with his sardonic, irreverent attitude. But unlike Seregil, he doesn't serve some higher purpose, only his own ends. And, besides being a (likeable)rogue/theif/womanizer, Valen is also a drug addict. Ultimately, of course, his jaded, bitter nature starts to change, due to his eventual involvement in the conspiracy, but it's slow, believable change, not some about face, 180 degree turn from self serving to self sacrificing. And by the end of the book, I'd say the change still isn't really complete.
One final note: go ahead and get the sequel if you decide to get this. Believe me, I would have gone crazy if I couldn't have gone strait from book 1 to book 2--it has a cliff hanger ending.
September 27, 2022
The writing is beautiful but the story execution is kind of a mess.
I felt the whole time I was reading this that I wasn’t sure what the plot was. I kept waiting for it to name a destination so I could look forward to the journey and then it ended.
The thing is- the plot focuses on a group of characters Valen is tied to but not necessarily a part of- so we only ever get this frustratingly small glimpse of an outsider’s view of the plot. So there’s this prophecy a bunch of people are saying they are seeing signs of coming true, and Valen sort of laughs it off, like “those silly monks. Let’s go along with it anyway because I have nothing better to do.” But we don’t get many details of this prophecy or the clues and it never really seems to be taken seriously and it felt like being dragged alongside a train I didn’t want to ride in the first place.
There’s a very small mystery introduced early on in the book- and then mostly forgotten, and then we get to the end and there’s this big twist reveal that’s dropped in and all I really felt was cheated because the plot never hinted that’s that what I was supposed to be looking for in the first place. It was annoying because so much of this could have been so good but it lacked direction.
It’s a book I by no means hated, but was never really eager to get back to.
I’m sorry buddy readers because I know some of you adored this. I might feel differently about the sequel because there’s still a lot to tie up but I don’t think I’m going to pick it up any time soon. 😢
I felt the whole time I was reading this that I wasn’t sure what the plot was. I kept waiting for it to name a destination so I could look forward to the journey and then it ended.
The thing is- the plot focuses on a group of characters Valen is tied to but not necessarily a part of- so we only ever get this frustratingly small glimpse of an outsider’s view of the plot. So there’s this prophecy a bunch of people are saying they are seeing signs of coming true, and Valen sort of laughs it off, like “those silly monks. Let’s go along with it anyway because I have nothing better to do.” But we don’t get many details of this prophecy or the clues and it never really seems to be taken seriously and it felt like being dragged alongside a train I didn’t want to ride in the first place.
There’s a very small mystery introduced early on in the book- and then mostly forgotten, and then we get to the end and there’s this big twist reveal that’s dropped in and all I really felt was cheated because the plot never hinted that’s that what I was supposed to be looking for in the first place. It was annoying because so much of this could have been so good but it lacked direction.
It’s a book I by no means hated, but was never really eager to get back to.
I’m sorry buddy readers because I know some of you adored this. I might feel differently about the sequel because there’s still a lot to tie up but I don’t think I’m going to pick it up any time soon. 😢
September 12, 2022
Re-read for buddy read in SFFBC. Below is my review from the last time around:
I must have read the Lighthouse duet at least twenty times over the years. They are some of my most enjoyable comfort books. I decided to revisit with Valen, and it was just as enjoyable the twentieth time around!! Carol Berg's books have never disappointed me. Beautiful storytelling!
June 29, 2025
2.5 stars. A disappointing read overall as I thought the premise of the book was pretty cool. But in all honesty, I had no idea what the plot was throughout most of the book. Whilst the prose was beautiful, I felt like it was executed in a very confusing and disjointed way. Although I don't think the audio narration helped at all - they were extremely monotone so it was hard to discern which characters were speaking at some points and failed to hold my interest.
February 14, 2011
This is the first Carol Berg book I've read and I am now a fan. The book was a little hard for me to get into, but it may have been a personal thing as I had just finished reading a terrible book that was poorly written and I was hesitant to plunge in again and be disappointed. The other part of my hesitation had to do with the strange terminology used, and the unfamiliar world I found myself in. Berg, however, weaves her world building into the story in such a subtle way that before long you find yourself understanding. She also has information on her website that helps with pronunciation, etc. I liked that and found the reading easier when I knew how to shape the words in my own head.
The protagonist, a runaway member of the pureblood race, is at first a rather lovable scoundrel who puts himself down at every opportunity. It was about halfway through the book when I realized I was reading voraciously and that I had become concerned about this lovable scoundrel.
The plot twists and the layers are beautifully wrought, the writing strong and sometimes poetic. The characters are believable and gradually become people you care about. I'm glad I didn't read it before the second book was complete, as I find myself wanting to immediately bury myself in Breath and Bone, book 2 of the Lighthouse Duet.
The protagonist, a runaway member of the pureblood race, is at first a rather lovable scoundrel who puts himself down at every opportunity. It was about halfway through the book when I realized I was reading voraciously and that I had become concerned about this lovable scoundrel.
The plot twists and the layers are beautifully wrought, the writing strong and sometimes poetic. The characters are believable and gradually become people you care about. I'm glad I didn't read it before the second book was complete, as I find myself wanting to immediately bury myself in Breath and Bone, book 2 of the Lighthouse Duet.
September 28, 2016
So... On this one the audio seriously detracted from the quality of the story. The narrator did breath-stops way too often and he had a serious tendency to mispronounce a lot of little words. When you're narrating a fantasy story, words like "breeches" really need to be properly pronounced. Brooch, dais, bedraggled... I didn't think it was terrible at the halfway mark because I've heard worse, but it ended up really grating on me farther into the book.
Otherwise this is a gem of a story that takes multiple unexpected turns. I was kind of surprised that the beginning of the story and the end went together seamlessly. It just went from one thing to something else and then to something else again. Really an amazing story and I can't wait to read the sequel. Read. I will be reading because I'm not touching that narrator again.
Otherwise this is a gem of a story that takes multiple unexpected turns. I was kind of surprised that the beginning of the story and the end went together seamlessly. It just went from one thing to something else and then to something else again. Really an amazing story and I can't wait to read the sequel. Read. I will be reading because I'm not touching that narrator again.
April 10, 2008
Valen is a recondeur, a spell-casting Pureblood with the bent for maps, paths, trails and directions who escaped his family and the Registry to live a free life. For twelve years he has done as he pleased, living precariously and not always honestly, a slave to the nivat seeds that ease the sickness in him. Now twenty-seven, Valen - a thief, drug addict, liar, womaniser, and untrustworthy coward even - literally can't read, and is unschooled in his magic because of his rebellious childhood. The harsh treatment of his father and siblings didn't help form his character.
Abandoned by his comrade Boreus and left greviously wounded near an abbey, Valen takes the sanctuary the Abbot offers, as well as the food and dry clothes, and spins his lies to avoid detection. If found out, his own punishment will be dire, and anyone found guilty of aiding and abetting him would be executed.
He brings with him to the Abbey his grandfather's spelled book of maps, which the Abbot takes an unusual interest in. Caught in his web of lies, Valen is soon caught up in intrigue, politics and mystery but wants nothing to do with any of it. Still, he can't resist trying to unravel the secrets kept by the Cabal, and his first sighting of a Dane - one of the Danae, spirits of earth and trees, plants, rivers, lakes and mountains - affects him deeply. The monks of the abbey talk of the world's end, and as the dead King's three sons fight over the land, and the mad Harrowers burn fields and people alike, slowly Valen starts to believe in it himself.
---------------------------------
The story is narrated in the first person by Valen, which is not usual in a fantasy book - I think because it's harder to introduce a reader to an unfamiliar world when the narrator has no reason to lay down exposition and explanations where necessary. Yet because of Valen's pondering nature, Berg manages to weave in exposition etc. smoothly. The first half of the book is a bit slow, but then it picks up and gets really interesting. The plot is quite complex, the details numerous and easy to miss, so it took me a while to read. Valen is a great character: flawed, at times cowardly, yet perhaps because he's the Black Sheep and we share his thoughts and understand his fears, he's charismatic and attractive to me.
One of the things I really enjoyed about this novel is its build-up to an apocalypse that mirrors (figuratively at least) what's happening in our own world today: the land is dying, ravaged, rotting, while people go about their worldly desires and ambitions with no concern for the impact of their actions. The Harrowers are mad, making no sense as they wilfully destroy in the name of purifying - this, too, is scarily familiar. Their attraction to the lower classes, while the rich people give priceless offerings to the temples in hopes of appeasing the gods, is totally understandable. I loved the focus on the land, on the pulse of the earth and the Danae who feel betrayed and now hate humans, and it was interesting to read a pre-apocalyptic fantasy novel that wasn't centred around some powerful, corrupt magic-wielder who must be stopped: it is not one man or woman, but all men and women, who are causing ruination.
What is less understandable, and what made me struggle through the first half more so than the second, are Valen's descriptions of places, scenery and even events. I was often confused, unable to clearly picture what was going on, and in the end had to stop trying. So I have a lot of vague, unformed pictures in my head when I think on certain scenes.
It's hard to say more without giving things away, so I'll just say, for those who have read it, that the ending made me as angry and frustrated as Valen felt, and I felt sick at the thought of the precious book in the wrong hands, especially considering who Valen spelled it to reveal its secrets to.
Abandoned by his comrade Boreus and left greviously wounded near an abbey, Valen takes the sanctuary the Abbot offers, as well as the food and dry clothes, and spins his lies to avoid detection. If found out, his own punishment will be dire, and anyone found guilty of aiding and abetting him would be executed.
He brings with him to the Abbey his grandfather's spelled book of maps, which the Abbot takes an unusual interest in. Caught in his web of lies, Valen is soon caught up in intrigue, politics and mystery but wants nothing to do with any of it. Still, he can't resist trying to unravel the secrets kept by the Cabal, and his first sighting of a Dane - one of the Danae, spirits of earth and trees, plants, rivers, lakes and mountains - affects him deeply. The monks of the abbey talk of the world's end, and as the dead King's three sons fight over the land, and the mad Harrowers burn fields and people alike, slowly Valen starts to believe in it himself.
---------------------------------
The story is narrated in the first person by Valen, which is not usual in a fantasy book - I think because it's harder to introduce a reader to an unfamiliar world when the narrator has no reason to lay down exposition and explanations where necessary. Yet because of Valen's pondering nature, Berg manages to weave in exposition etc. smoothly. The first half of the book is a bit slow, but then it picks up and gets really interesting. The plot is quite complex, the details numerous and easy to miss, so it took me a while to read. Valen is a great character: flawed, at times cowardly, yet perhaps because he's the Black Sheep and we share his thoughts and understand his fears, he's charismatic and attractive to me.
One of the things I really enjoyed about this novel is its build-up to an apocalypse that mirrors (figuratively at least) what's happening in our own world today: the land is dying, ravaged, rotting, while people go about their worldly desires and ambitions with no concern for the impact of their actions. The Harrowers are mad, making no sense as they wilfully destroy in the name of purifying - this, too, is scarily familiar. Their attraction to the lower classes, while the rich people give priceless offerings to the temples in hopes of appeasing the gods, is totally understandable. I loved the focus on the land, on the pulse of the earth and the Danae who feel betrayed and now hate humans, and it was interesting to read a pre-apocalyptic fantasy novel that wasn't centred around some powerful, corrupt magic-wielder who must be stopped: it is not one man or woman, but all men and women, who are causing ruination.
What is less understandable, and what made me struggle through the first half more so than the second, are Valen's descriptions of places, scenery and even events. I was often confused, unable to clearly picture what was going on, and in the end had to stop trying. So I have a lot of vague, unformed pictures in my head when I think on certain scenes.
It's hard to say more without giving things away, so I'll just say, for those who have read it, that the ending made me as angry and frustrated as Valen felt, and I felt sick at the thought of the precious book in the wrong hands, especially considering who Valen spelled it to reveal its secrets to.
December 9, 2010
You know, I hate books which do this: just stop in the middle of the story. No conclusion, no climax, certainly no resolution.
Carol Berg gets better and better. This is a really well-written book, perhaps her best yet.
The main character is both compelling and flawed. Valen is almost human. You are dropped crashing into his world as disoriented as Valen and you thrash around trying to make sense of what's happening, stumbling from one crisis to another. Who do you trust? Who do you follow? Who is what they seem? (Hint: almost no one.)
Carol Berg gets better and better. This is a really well-written book, perhaps her best yet.
The main character is both compelling and flawed. Valen is almost human. You are dropped crashing into his world as disoriented as Valen and you thrash around trying to make sense of what's happening, stumbling from one crisis to another. Who do you trust? Who do you follow? Who is what they seem? (Hint: almost no one.)
November 3, 2015
“The delight of power is not commanding an army of sycophants, but rather bending one resilient mind beyond its comfortable boundaries.”
August 10, 2022
If not for the creativity, a solid two star book. This started out like a herd of turtles. Slow. The author could have used a glossary to define her made up vocabulary. Having started the second book, this series is really just a single novel split into two books. Zero closure of any sort in this first book and book two starts off exactly where book one ends.
Nonetheless, I finally was able to stop looking out the window instead of reading when a little more than half way through. If not for other reviews, I might have given up. Hopefully, this saga ends strongly.
Nonetheless, I finally was able to stop looking out the window instead of reading when a little more than half way through. If not for other reviews, I might have given up. Hopefully, this saga ends strongly.
December 6, 2017
This book never lets up. You get dropped in right as a character thinks he's going to die, and things just become more complicated. Valen is a very relatable character, particularly for teenagers (although this is definitely not YA) - he's rebelling against pretty much everything his family raised him to be.
The characters are all excellently done, but the plot should get just as much attention. It's mysterious and potentially world-shattering, and moves along swiftly.
I first read this book back when it had first come out, or maybe shortly thereafter, and read it again as part of a group read, and this book is just as gritty, complex, and well-written as anything being published new today.
I'd recommend this for folks looking for smaller-cast epic fantasy, characters with addiction issues, folks who want explorations of faith, and dysfunctional family dynamics.
The characters are all excellently done, but the plot should get just as much attention. It's mysterious and potentially world-shattering, and moves along swiftly.
I first read this book back when it had first come out, or maybe shortly thereafter, and read it again as part of a group read, and this book is just as gritty, complex, and well-written as anything being published new today.
I'd recommend this for folks looking for smaller-cast epic fantasy, characters with addiction issues, folks who want explorations of faith, and dysfunctional family dynamics.
July 10, 2019
"This world is naught but perilous. Nothing is simple. Nothing is innocent. And sometimes, those who think themselves the most worldly are the most innocent of all."
The first book in a duology, Flesh and Spirit started out as a solid 3 to 3.5 star book for me. It got off to a slow start but as thing started to pick up around the midway mark, it quickly climbed into solid four star territory.
Berg's writing, though this is only my second book by her, remains extremely pleasing to read. It's immersive without being overwhelming. I also quite liked Valen, the roguish main character. He's a bit wrapped up in himself and he's got some definite flaws, which includes a pretty nasty drug addiction, but he's not uncaring and there are definite reasons for why he is the way he is. He's been dodging his past for some twelve years as the story kicks off when his latest venture brings him to the gates of a monastery. It's probably the last place Valen ever though he'd wind up in but he sees it as the perfect place to drop off the radar for awhile while he licks his wounds. The story, along with Valen's past, slowly unspools from there and that's the real hook. Toss in secret societies, crazy zealots, warring princes, and a mysterious, magical race and you get a story that demands you see it through to the end. Though it doesn't end on a cliffhanger per se, as the first installment in a duology the story clearly isn't over.
The first book in a duology, Flesh and Spirit started out as a solid 3 to 3.5 star book for me. It got off to a slow start but as thing started to pick up around the midway mark, it quickly climbed into solid four star territory.
Berg's writing, though this is only my second book by her, remains extremely pleasing to read. It's immersive without being overwhelming. I also quite liked Valen, the roguish main character. He's a bit wrapped up in himself and he's got some definite flaws, which includes a pretty nasty drug addiction, but he's not uncaring and there are definite reasons for why he is the way he is. He's been dodging his past for some twelve years as the story kicks off when his latest venture brings him to the gates of a monastery. It's probably the last place Valen ever though he'd wind up in but he sees it as the perfect place to drop off the radar for awhile while he licks his wounds. The story, along with Valen's past, slowly unspools from there and that's the real hook. Toss in secret societies, crazy zealots, warring princes, and a mysterious, magical race and you get a story that demands you see it through to the end. Though it doesn't end on a cliffhanger per se, as the first installment in a duology the story clearly isn't over.
October 6, 2017
This book was so good. It had lots of mysterious elements that kept me reading. The magic was really intriguing and I grew to like Valen as the book went on. I am definitely keen to read the second book in the duology.
September 27, 2013
One of my all-time favorites. When I first read Flesh and Spirit and the sequel, Breath and Bone, I was torn between not being able to put them down and not wanting them to end. So I ended up reading both books twice in a row without a break between, and have since read them a third time, and they are among the few books on my read-again shelf.
The plot is complex and intriguing and the magic system is very cool, but what really makes Flesh and Spirit/Breath and Bone for me are Carol Berg's lovely, rich, smooth writing style and the main character, Valen. He shouldn't be such a likeable character: he's a drug addict, womanizer, con man, deserter, and thief, but he's also such a genuinely good-natured, cheerful, good-hearted guy that I couldn't help but like him. As I learned more about his background through the first part of the book, and why he is the way he is, he turned into one of my all-time favorite fantasy characters.
The other characters are engaging, too; complex and well-rounded, and full of surprises that make perfect sense once the surprise is revealed. Also, while I'm not a big fan of fantasy races, I think the Danae in this book are one of the best fantasy races ever written. There are good reasons why they're something else and not human, and they manage to be entirely alien and completely relatable at the same time.
Highly recommended if you're looking for complex, original adult fantasy with one of the best characters around.
The plot is complex and intriguing and the magic system is very cool, but what really makes Flesh and Spirit/Breath and Bone for me are Carol Berg's lovely, rich, smooth writing style and the main character, Valen. He shouldn't be such a likeable character: he's a drug addict, womanizer, con man, deserter, and thief, but he's also such a genuinely good-natured, cheerful, good-hearted guy that I couldn't help but like him. As I learned more about his background through the first part of the book, and why he is the way he is, he turned into one of my all-time favorite fantasy characters.
The other characters are engaging, too; complex and well-rounded, and full of surprises that make perfect sense once the surprise is revealed. Also, while I'm not a big fan of fantasy races, I think the Danae in this book are one of the best fantasy races ever written. There are good reasons why they're something else and not human, and they manage to be entirely alien and completely relatable at the same time.
Highly recommended if you're looking for complex, original adult fantasy with one of the best characters around.
November 4, 2025
I rate this a 2.5.
Flesh and Spirit is a dense, introspective fantasy that focuses more on reflection than momentum. Carol Berg builds a world steeped in faith, duty, and inner conflict, following Valen, a runaway noble who ends up in a monastery and slowly becomes entangled in something much larger than himself.
The writing is rich and layered, but it’s also heavy. Berg leans more on philosophy, atmosphere, and Valen’s personal journey than on action or sweeping adventure. It’s a story that makes you think, and there’s a lot to admire in how deeply it explores its ideas, but it moves slowly.
For me, that made it hard to stay fully engaged. It’s layered and complex, but it takes its time getting anywhere, and I never quite found the rhythm. Still, it’s clear how much care went into the world and the characters.
If you like slow-burn fantasy with big themes and detailed worldbuilding, this one might really click with you. But if you prefer something faster or more plot-driven, it may feel a bit too slow.
Flesh and Spirit is a dense, introspective fantasy that focuses more on reflection than momentum. Carol Berg builds a world steeped in faith, duty, and inner conflict, following Valen, a runaway noble who ends up in a monastery and slowly becomes entangled in something much larger than himself.
The writing is rich and layered, but it’s also heavy. Berg leans more on philosophy, atmosphere, and Valen’s personal journey than on action or sweeping adventure. It’s a story that makes you think, and there’s a lot to admire in how deeply it explores its ideas, but it moves slowly.
For me, that made it hard to stay fully engaged. It’s layered and complex, but it takes its time getting anywhere, and I never quite found the rhythm. Still, it’s clear how much care went into the world and the characters.
If you like slow-burn fantasy with big themes and detailed worldbuilding, this one might really click with you. But if you prefer something faster or more plot-driven, it may feel a bit too slow.
May 8, 2022
I love antiheros and this book's antohero MC didn't make exception. I also liked monastery as setting.
I loved atmosphere, secrets and politics but this book dragged so so badly! Blurp of this book is enough to tell you what happened in this book. This was clearly the first book in the series that's only purpose was to build everything ready for the next installment.
I loved atmosphere, secrets and politics but this book dragged so so badly! Blurp of this book is enough to tell you what happened in this book. This was clearly the first book in the series that's only purpose was to build everything ready for the next installment.
July 6, 2017
This review can also be found on my blog
I finished this book and immediately went to get the second book so obviously, the author did something right. But I need to make clear that here that means 'she gave me an interesting character I care about and promised me that some really interesting things will happen in the next book'.
Valen is somewhat of a typical tortured (white, male) hero but a well done one. He does have some very good reasons for being tortured (really) and he doesn't use it as an excuse to be a jerk. And it does result in some quite adorable 'Help! I am suddenly having feelings again and I care! Make it stop!' late in the book. But if you're looking for something that inverts this trope of puts a totally fresh new spin on it this isn't the book for you.
It's also not like nothing interesting happens in this book. There's a civil war going on in which three brothers are fighting for the throne. The harvests are bad and a doomsday sect is wreaking havoc and 'cleansing' people (by which they mean: killing them). Oh and for some reason thefair folk Danae are really angry about something the humans did to them but nobody quite knows what it was. (They do know that pissed of Danae are bad news, though).
So that's quite a bit going on, isn't it? Well, yes, but Valen is usually nowhere near these things happening and only learns about them afterwards. Or he is very much involved in things but he doesn't have enough information to know what exactly is going on. Or he is in a situation where he can't do anything about what is happening. Or he doesn't care because he's busy with his magic pleasure drug addiction problem (or any of his numerous other problems...).
So it's all going very slowly and for a large part of the book I had no clue where all of this was going. And only at the very end it became clear what Valen's goal is going to be in book two. Because for most of Flesh and Spirit he was, well not passive but reactive. He does things to get away from his family, he does things to make his life more comfortable and yes, with time also because he cares about the people he meets or because he wants to know what is going on.
But even with the advantage of knowing that I am reading a novel and that most of the things that are happening around/near/with Valen have to be related somehow, I still had a hard time figuring out the bigger picture. And when I began to see something the book was over. Perhaps one should rather see this less as a duet and more as one book split into two. Because as a mid-point for a book it's good. Some things are beginning to make sense, the hero now knows what to do, the sides are getting clearer. As a complete book, even one that is the beginning of a series, it had an awful lot of setting up and loose threads and very little actually happening.
I finished this book and immediately went to get the second book so obviously, the author did something right. But I need to make clear that here that means 'she gave me an interesting character I care about and promised me that some really interesting things will happen in the next book'.
Valen is somewhat of a typical tortured (white, male) hero but a well done one. He does have some very good reasons for being tortured (really) and he doesn't use it as an excuse to be a jerk. And it does result in some quite adorable 'Help! I am suddenly having feelings again and I care! Make it stop!' late in the book. But if you're looking for something that inverts this trope of puts a totally fresh new spin on it this isn't the book for you.
It's also not like nothing interesting happens in this book. There's a civil war going on in which three brothers are fighting for the throne. The harvests are bad and a doomsday sect is wreaking havoc and 'cleansing' people (by which they mean: killing them). Oh and for some reason the
So that's quite a bit going on, isn't it? Well, yes, but Valen is usually nowhere near these things happening and only learns about them afterwards. Or he is very much involved in things but he doesn't have enough information to know what exactly is going on. Or he is in a situation where he can't do anything about what is happening. Or he doesn't care because he's busy with his magic pleasure drug addiction problem (or any of his numerous other problems...).
So it's all going very slowly and for a large part of the book I had no clue where all of this was going. And only at the very end it became clear what Valen's goal is going to be in book two. Because for most of Flesh and Spirit he was, well not passive but reactive. He does things to get away from his family, he does things to make his life more comfortable and yes, with time also because he cares about the people he meets or because he wants to know what is going on.
But even with the advantage of knowing that I am reading a novel and that most of the things that are happening around/near/with Valen have to be related somehow, I still had a hard time figuring out the bigger picture. And when I began to see something the book was over. Perhaps one should rather see this less as a duet and more as one book split into two. Because as a mid-point for a book it's good. Some things are beginning to make sense, the hero now knows what to do, the sides are getting clearer. As a complete book, even one that is the beginning of a series, it had an awful lot of setting up and loose threads and very little actually happening.
June 24, 2008
One of the hardest books to get through. At least the first half. It was incredibly slow, plodding... It's a narrative from a racondeur, a person who flees their pureblood lifestyle, which is a double crime to the King and God. So the reader's plonked down in this world where there is some magic, lots of political intrigue and a really complicated world to get used to.
It's kind of sad only halfway through the book the action picks up and there is more characters added instead of lots of descriptive writing. Then again, my personal preference is more action/dialogue than description. The book that comes after this is the concluding one for the series. Flesh and Spirit leaves on a really wondrous cliff-hanger and it leaves me with mixed feelings. If I wasn't so stubborn to finish this book after 12 days of struggling through it, I wouldn't have gotten hooked up. I do want to know what happens to the characters and the new world/kingdom I'm introduced to, but I also wish the pace was more even throughout the book.
It's kind of sad only halfway through the book the action picks up and there is more characters added instead of lots of descriptive writing. Then again, my personal preference is more action/dialogue than description. The book that comes after this is the concluding one for the series. Flesh and Spirit leaves on a really wondrous cliff-hanger and it leaves me with mixed feelings. If I wasn't so stubborn to finish this book after 12 days of struggling through it, I wouldn't have gotten hooked up. I do want to know what happens to the characters and the new world/kingdom I'm introduced to, but I also wish the pace was more even throughout the book.
September 10, 2010
I hate stories where the author plops you right into the middle of a world with made up words, made up religion, made up city/region/states?? and made up political issues that you have NO CLUE about whatsoever and just expects you to read along merrily without any idea about any of it.
Seriously, how about a map? Or a glossary if you insist on making up words. Or hell, how about a little backstory and explain things a tiny smidge. I'm like 100 pages in and I only have the vaguest concept about three brother princes who are battling for the crown. They're all lords of some named area but how big those areas are or their proximity to another...? No freakin' clue.
And seriously, just use the damned word, "mile" for distance. Making up some damned random word for an unnamed amount of distance that you're supposed to assume is most likely but in no way guaranteed to be about a mile is just annoying.
I really don't even want to keep reading. I'm just annoyed so far.
Seriously, how about a map? Or a glossary if you insist on making up words. Or hell, how about a little backstory and explain things a tiny smidge. I'm like 100 pages in and I only have the vaguest concept about three brother princes who are battling for the crown. They're all lords of some named area but how big those areas are or their proximity to another...? No freakin' clue.
And seriously, just use the damned word, "mile" for distance. Making up some damned random word for an unnamed amount of distance that you're supposed to assume is most likely but in no way guaranteed to be about a mile is just annoying.
I really don't even want to keep reading. I'm just annoyed so far.
August 19, 2010
This was a difficult book to make it through for me. I kept looking around the corner expecting to find something that just was never there. That being said, I never did stop and I was glad that I saw it through. I found it tough to bond or identify with the protagonist Valen as he is such a broken fictional character. I found the prose to be beautiful, Melanie Rawn comes to my mind as I read through this first novel, only here the politics are that of the monks and pure bloods, not that of Kings and Queens. This is very much an adult oriented, dark, and gritty fantasy novel that will appeal to those that do not need flowers and roses at the end to satisfy them. On to the second novel.
October 11, 2022
This is one of my all-time favorite go-to reads when I'm feeling like I need a pick me up. I adore this story, the richness of it, the intensity of it. It's beautiful.
October 23, 2025
Temporary: what the hell!! How could Valen and I be so blind! Those last pages were harrowing (ha, get it?) - and a heads up: this does not read as a standalone.
Let me start off by saying I thoroughly enjoyed it straight from the beginning – which is rare for me in fantasy books as the set up is long and slow and not always as engaging. But I was immediately transferred to Valen’s world.
That’s how it starts, and the entire opening scene, frankly, has stuck with me. On the next page we find out he’s actually dying – exactly in the predicament that his parents spoke about. And to demonstrate what kind of character he is, not much later he goes:
That’s Valen in a nutshell. A little stubborn, self-loathing, and often has a kind of sardonic way of describing things. He’s also a bit of womanizer, a bit of a drug addict and definitely a little traumatized.
And I know that kind of protagonist doesn’t work for everyone, but it works for me. I grew fond of Valen fast: a man running from his past (that I had to gradually learn about instead of him just telling what’s up. I was like a man dying of thirst in the middle of desert trying to form a bigger picture), desperate for freedom, and always trying to make the choices that benefit himself. A bit of a scoundrel!
The reader is also given plenty of other mysteries other than Valen himself. In fact, we only get more questions piled on top of each other. There are barely any easy answers, just questions met with more questions.
And I think that’s what makes especially the second half of the book so great – the angst, the revelations, the glimpses of who Valen really is and what haunts him so. I feel so much sympathy for his desire for freedom and the ability to control his own fate. My heart clenched painfully many times.
Oh and like in my temporary review; I love a book where some of the reveals are a genuine surprise – not just to the protagonist but to me as a reader too. There’s one thing I absolutely didn’t expect. It makes perfect sense in hindsight, there were plenty of hints, but goddamn! Berg, you got me there. (What a banger ending btw- (nevermind that it is not actually an ending, the book just kinda stops midway the story) not just that reveal, but also the imagery of Valen in the bog - so BRUTAL!)
That said, there were some things in the story that sometimes felt like we kind of fluttered over them? I’m not sure how to describe it, but I guess I sometimes felt like something was missing.
Flesh and Spirit is for those that enjoy a religious (yay, fanaticism!) fantasy setting, mysteries regarding secret societies and magical races, dysfunctional families, and last but not least: a flawed protagonist.
Let me start off by saying I thoroughly enjoyed it straight from the beginning – which is rare for me in fantasy books as the set up is long and slow and not always as engaging. But I was immediately transferred to Valen’s world.
‘On my seventh birthday, my father swore, for the first of many times, that I would die facedown in a cesspool. On that same occasion, my mother, with all the accompanying mystery and elevated language appropriate for a prominent diviner, turned her cards, screamed delicately, and proclaimed that my doom was written in water and blood and ice. As for me, from about that time and for twenty years since, I had spat on my middle finger and slapped the rump of every aingerou I noticed, murmuring the sincerest, devoutest prayer that I might prove my parents’ predicitions wrong. Not so much that I feared the doom itself – doom is just the hind end of living, after all – but to see the two who birthed me confounded.’
That’s how it starts, and the entire opening scene, frankly, has stuck with me. On the next page we find out he’s actually dying – exactly in the predicament that his parents spoke about. And to demonstrate what kind of character he is, not much later he goes:
‘Groaning shamelessly, I jammed my left foot into the rut and rolled onto my back. The dark world spun like soup in a kettle, yet I felt modestly satisfied. I might be doomed to blood and water and ice – madness too if breeding held true – but by Iero’s holy angels, I would die face UP in this cesspool.’
That’s Valen in a nutshell. A little stubborn, self-loathing, and often has a kind of sardonic way of describing things. He’s also a bit of womanizer, a bit of a drug addict and definitely a little traumatized.
And I know that kind of protagonist doesn’t work for everyone, but it works for me. I grew fond of Valen fast: a man running from his past (that I had to gradually learn about instead of him just telling what’s up. I was like a man dying of thirst in the middle of desert trying to form a bigger picture), desperate for freedom, and always trying to make the choices that benefit himself. A bit of a scoundrel!
The reader is also given plenty of other mysteries other than Valen himself. In fact, we only get more questions piled on top of each other. There are barely any easy answers, just questions met with more questions.
And I think that’s what makes especially the second half of the book so great – the angst, the revelations, the glimpses of who Valen really is and what haunts him so. I feel so much sympathy for his desire for freedom and the ability to control his own fate. My heart clenched painfully many times.
‘The flaw was in me. Somewhere I was broken, not just in my ability to decipher words on paper, but in my ability to live in this world.’
Oh and like in my temporary review; I love a book where some of the reveals are a genuine surprise – not just to the protagonist but to me as a reader too. There’s one thing I absolutely didn’t expect. It makes perfect sense in hindsight, there were plenty of hints, but goddamn! Berg, you got me there. (What a banger ending btw- (nevermind that it is not actually an ending, the book just kinda stops midway the story) not just that reveal, but also the imagery of Valen in the bog - so BRUTAL!)
That said, there were some things in the story that sometimes felt like we kind of fluttered over them? I’m not sure how to describe it, but I guess I sometimes felt like something was missing.
Flesh and Spirit is for those that enjoy a religious (yay, fanaticism!) fantasy setting, mysteries regarding secret societies and magical races, dysfunctional families, and last but not least: a flawed protagonist.
dnf
October 9, 2017Just couldn’t get into this one.
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