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Kencyrath #10
Deathless Gods
Jamethiel Knorth, Priest's Bane and Dream-Weaver, has returned victorious from Tai-tastigon, but trouble dogs the Kencyrath.
There is intrigue among the Highborn. The Randir and his allies want the larger houses to decide for all nine, which would strip the Highlordship from the Knorth. At Omiroth, a senile king struggles against his venal son-in-law—but if neither of these can rule, the next in line is a mother-dominated child. Kindrie Soul-Walker is captured and thrown in a secret dungeon, a political prisoner. And a Kendar administrator, dissatisfied with the use that Jame is making of the gates, schemes against her, and then against her house and her brother, Torisen Black Lord, Highlord of the Kencyrath.
While Tori defends Gothregor and Kindrie rots a secret captive, Jame rides south to Bashti. Here she confronts an unready and presumptuous heir, a withholding and manipulative paymaster, and invisible assassins. Her formal errand, meanwhile, is to compete in martial games with secret stakes—which she fears are a cloak for a massacre, or worse.
There is intrigue among the Highborn. The Randir and his allies want the larger houses to decide for all nine, which would strip the Highlordship from the Knorth. At Omiroth, a senile king struggles against his venal son-in-law—but if neither of these can rule, the next in line is a mother-dominated child. Kindrie Soul-Walker is captured and thrown in a secret dungeon, a political prisoner. And a Kendar administrator, dissatisfied with the use that Jame is making of the gates, schemes against her, and then against her house and her brother, Torisen Black Lord, Highlord of the Kencyrath.
While Tori defends Gothregor and Kindrie rots a secret captive, Jame rides south to Bashti. Here she confronts an unready and presumptuous heir, a withholding and manipulative paymaster, and invisible assassins. Her formal errand, meanwhile, is to compete in martial games with secret stakes—which she fears are a cloak for a massacre, or worse.
432 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 4, 2022
24 people are currently reading
107 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
October 6, 2022
My least liked book.
This was my least liked book of the series. Almost the whole first half of this book just randomly constantly ran from one plot to another, never finishing any of the plots. The storyline was all over the place. I would have liked for the story to have concentrated on one or two of the characters and not be jumping all over the place. I almost gave up on the book in the middle and that is a rare occurrence for me.
This was my least liked book of the series. Almost the whole first half of this book just randomly constantly ran from one plot to another, never finishing any of the plots. The storyline was all over the place. I would have liked for the story to have concentrated on one or two of the characters and not be jumping all over the place. I almost gave up on the book in the middle and that is a rare occurrence for me.
August 27, 2023
Short take everything kind of just falls into place. Jame helps a bit but she is pretty much a side character now. She is manhandled a bit too much for my tastes.
Not enough priests were irked.
Rate 3.5 Stars
Not enough priests were irked.
Rate 3.5 Stars
January 1, 2025
If ever a series was running on fumes….. DNF, Could not finish.
July 10, 2023
This series has been going for awhile, and this book continues a steady drop off in quality, IMHO. There were too many plotlets (tiny plots) included as if the author had a checklist of pending mysteries brought up in previous novels that needed to be resolved before she can finish the story. That’s fine I guess, but when something as important as the contract undertaken by the shadow guild to assassinate the Knorth women is finally resolved, and with so little fanfare, I think the readers can be forgiven for being unimpressed. Did we really need to spend time in Bashti? What purpose did Jurik serve save as a thorn in Jane’s side? And really he was pretty much a carbon copy of all the tiresome males that have underestimated and tried to put Jame in her place. At the very least could have been more of a real threat or....interesting? The book raced through a catalog of people and places but not in a propulsive narrative. Kindrie surfaces briefly and finally (maybe?) stands up to someone so I guess it only took like 15 books to get there. Needlessly repetitive callbacks, I do actually remember that Tori was dying from lungrot, it doesn't need to be mentioned more than once in the book.
As crabby as this book review makes me sound, at times these books have been among some of my favorite fantasy books (and series) to read, but it's hard to see the story limping to the finish line. I certainly understand the author has gotten older and life happens, and that the story she started out to tell might have changed and morphed and otherwise gone through changes she never anticipated and perhaps she's just tired of the world and characters and wants it to end. I hope she gets a chance to wrap this story up with some red ribbon and give all of her loyal readers a proper ending.
As crabby as this book review makes me sound, at times these books have been among some of my favorite fantasy books (and series) to read, but it's hard to see the story limping to the finish line. I certainly understand the author has gotten older and life happens, and that the story she started out to tell might have changed and morphed and otherwise gone through changes she never anticipated and perhaps she's just tired of the world and characters and wants it to end. I hope she gets a chance to wrap this story up with some red ribbon and give all of her loyal readers a proper ending.
June 30, 2022
I've been reading this series for 40 years now, and nothing in book 10 gives me any reason to stop. I do think this one feels like it's spinning its wheels a little bit at the beginning, but the story takes off and stays great about when the trip to the Transweald begins. Looking forward to the next one!
May 14, 2023
Deathless Gods by P.C. Hodgell is the tenth book in The Chronicles of the Kencyrath. It features a great deal of politicking, difficulties with the mercenary contracts the Kencyrath need to keep their people fed over winter, and a slowly building sense of dread. Torisen attempts to navigate the increasingly murky waters of a society under siege and possibly losing. Kindrie gets kidnapped (isn’t this the third time? Fourth?) Jame, as usual, gets tangled up in a combination of Rathilien’s metaphysics and the local politics while being in command of troops in High Bashti.
This book was a difficult read in the sense that it takes several dark turns, which makes sense given the recurring presence of Gerridon of Knorth (our series baddy and frontman for the Final Boss) and a slow reveal of the absolutely epic generational trauma caused by literally thousands of years of a crumbling infrastructure and societal dysfunction. There are a few moments of Hodgell’s dark humor but then you get hit with another horror that is the absolute opposite of funny.
Things that particularly stood out for me:
• Kindrie’s struggles to figure out how to take action when most of his life has been spent in captivity/passively surviving abuse at the hands of those who had authority of one kind or another over him.
• Kindrie and Kirien’s entire Thing. You will know when you get there. It was so sad for both of them. And of course, it immediately leads to him getting kidnapped.
• Torisen becoming stronger as a High Lord, and maybe, possibly, perhaps starting to overcome his phobia about Shanir. (My man, you are allergic to yourself, you realize that, right?)
• Torisen screwing up and sending someone to work with Jame at Tagmeth, who could not work with Jame because he was a) an idiot b) the exact kind of person who gets on Jame’s last nerve BECAUSE HE’S AN IDIOT.
• Jame tumbling into High Bashti’s politics and metaphysics in her usual reckless fashion.
• High Bashti and its culture and the way the religion there is a reflection of similar ritual formats we’ve seen in other cultures in the Riverlands, while being its own distinct thing. It’s clear that the metaphysics is similar with variations, and Hodgell is always great at this kind of worldbuilding, where everything gets built on and backed up, or removed and corrected depending on what the characters learn.
• Randiroc. I love Randiroc. He doesn’t talk much/at all but he’s such a distinct character. I wish all good things for him and success in his endeavors.
• The absolutely batshit things going on with the Randir. Followed by the WTF as Gerridon seems to be attempting to get reinstated as High Lord. To make matters more horrifying, some of the highborn seem to be willing to accept him as High Lord despite the entire “he murdered and ate the souls of most of the Host and the arrin-ken kicked him out.”
Again, this book was a difficult read. This book deals with generational trauma, abuse, and various kinds of mental illness and how people react to it. This book was particularly heavy in my opinion, but worth it if you’re a fan of the series. (And I am a fan of the series.) The only real problem I had is that my electronic book copy had so many proofing errors. So. Many.
This book was a difficult read in the sense that it takes several dark turns, which makes sense given the recurring presence of Gerridon of Knorth (our series baddy and frontman for the Final Boss) and a slow reveal of the absolutely epic generational trauma caused by literally thousands of years of a crumbling infrastructure and societal dysfunction. There are a few moments of Hodgell’s dark humor but then you get hit with another horror that is the absolute opposite of funny.
Things that particularly stood out for me:
• Kindrie’s struggles to figure out how to take action when most of his life has been spent in captivity/passively surviving abuse at the hands of those who had authority of one kind or another over him.
• Kindrie and Kirien’s entire Thing. You will know when you get there. It was so sad for both of them. And of course, it immediately leads to him getting kidnapped.
• Torisen becoming stronger as a High Lord, and maybe, possibly, perhaps starting to overcome his phobia about Shanir. (My man, you are allergic to yourself, you realize that, right?)
• Torisen screwing up and sending someone to work with Jame at Tagmeth, who could not work with Jame because he was a) an idiot b) the exact kind of person who gets on Jame’s last nerve BECAUSE HE’S AN IDIOT.
• Jame tumbling into High Bashti’s politics and metaphysics in her usual reckless fashion.
• High Bashti and its culture and the way the religion there is a reflection of similar ritual formats we’ve seen in other cultures in the Riverlands, while being its own distinct thing. It’s clear that the metaphysics is similar with variations, and Hodgell is always great at this kind of worldbuilding, where everything gets built on and backed up, or removed and corrected depending on what the characters learn.
• Randiroc. I love Randiroc. He doesn’t talk much/at all but he’s such a distinct character. I wish all good things for him and success in his endeavors.
• The absolutely batshit things going on with the Randir. Followed by the WTF as Gerridon seems to be attempting to get reinstated as High Lord. To make matters more horrifying, some of the highborn seem to be willing to accept him as High Lord despite the entire “he murdered and ate the souls of most of the Host and the arrin-ken kicked him out.”
Again, this book was a difficult read. This book deals with generational trauma, abuse, and various kinds of mental illness and how people react to it. This book was particularly heavy in my opinion, but worth it if you’re a fan of the series. (And I am a fan of the series.) The only real problem I had is that my electronic book copy had so many proofing errors. So. Many.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 1, 2023
I've been following the Kencyrath chronicles series since it first came out 40 years ago, because it's that good.
What to Expect
Another adventure for Jame, this time exploring the central lands and their various kingdoms and faiths (more or less). Things on the longer arc are happening in the background, and are nearing the climax.
What I liked
The world-building is top notch, with its fuzzy lines between life and death, real and divine. It's not your 'adventuring' setup, but rather an interesting backdrop for a unique world and epic story. Jame herself is a great character, balancing her tendencies for destruction with her desire to do the right thing (one often leads to the other, with surprising consequences).
What to be aware of
This is novel number 10 in a slow-burn epic cycle -- slow referring both to plot progression and publication journey. Absolutely worth savouring if you have the patience, but it's not a closed series yet. You should start at the beginning -- God Stalk -- and read in order, as otherwise events won't make much sense.
Felix's Review
Felix does prefer getting to the point a bit quicker. He's well familiar with the boundaries of life and death (and how surprisingly easily beings cross both ways), and gives all respect to those willing to take death on. That said, he did find some characters a bit droll, in that it's easy to spot the bad ones by the appearance and demeanor.
Summary
Amazing series, the kind of fantasy story I've consistently enjoyed over the decades. If you don't mind the slow burn and yet-to-be-completed aspect, do yourself a favour and start reading from the beginning.
Enjoying the reviews, but wondering who the heck is that Felix fellow? Glad you asked! He's the protagonist of the Togas, Daggers, and Magic series, an historical-fantasy blend of a paranormal detective on the background of ancient Rome.
Assaph Mehr, author of Murder In Absentia: A story of Togas, Daggers, and Magic - for lovers of Ancient Rome, Murder Mysteries, and Urban Fantasy.
What to Expect
Another adventure for Jame, this time exploring the central lands and their various kingdoms and faiths (more or less). Things on the longer arc are happening in the background, and are nearing the climax.
What I liked
The world-building is top notch, with its fuzzy lines between life and death, real and divine. It's not your 'adventuring' setup, but rather an interesting backdrop for a unique world and epic story. Jame herself is a great character, balancing her tendencies for destruction with her desire to do the right thing (one often leads to the other, with surprising consequences).
What to be aware of
This is novel number 10 in a slow-burn epic cycle -- slow referring both to plot progression and publication journey. Absolutely worth savouring if you have the patience, but it's not a closed series yet. You should start at the beginning -- God Stalk -- and read in order, as otherwise events won't make much sense.
Felix's Review
Felix does prefer getting to the point a bit quicker. He's well familiar with the boundaries of life and death (and how surprisingly easily beings cross both ways), and gives all respect to those willing to take death on. That said, he did find some characters a bit droll, in that it's easy to spot the bad ones by the appearance and demeanor.
Summary
Amazing series, the kind of fantasy story I've consistently enjoyed over the decades. If you don't mind the slow burn and yet-to-be-completed aspect, do yourself a favour and start reading from the beginning.
--
Enjoying the reviews, but wondering who the heck is that Felix fellow? Glad you asked! He's the protagonist of the Togas, Daggers, and Magic series, an historical-fantasy blend of a paranormal detective on the background of ancient Rome.
Assaph Mehr, author of Murder In Absentia: A story of Togas, Daggers, and Magic - for lovers of Ancient Rome, Murder Mysteries, and Urban Fantasy.
November 20, 2022
Za razliku od prethodnih romana u ovom kultnom serijalu, "Besmrtni bogovi" predstavlja povratak klasičnoj formi Džejminih pustolovina, u kojoj ona tumara unaokolo i uglavnom slučajno pravi epska sra... nezgode, koje nekako izlaze na dobro. Do sada su svi likovi fino opisani i omeđeni, ima manje filozofskog gubljenja a stiče se i utisak da se stvari konačno primiču nekakvom kraju, nakon čini mi se bezmalo četiri decenije postojanja ovog serijala.
Kao i ostali romani, deseti u serijalu "Kensirat" predstavlja mali ali važan prozor u fantaziju osamdesetih godina i silne dragulje zatrpane trendovima i marketinškim kategorijama, koje danas možemo da čitamo pre svega zahvaljujući paradoksalno nezavisnim i konzervativnim izdavačima, kakav je Bejn buks. S tim u vezi, romani Hodželove - baš kao romani Mercedes Leki i raznih drugih autorki tokom decenija - preteča su savremenog YA žanra, osim što su vanredno inteligentni i pismeni. Nažalost, njihova publika vrlo je ograničena, još više sužena zatvorenošću čak i buktjuberskih krugova za sve što nije aktuelno i hajpovano. Sad bismo mogli da se prisećamo nekih besomučno hajpovanih romana iz prethodnih godina, koje su izdavači batalili da promovišu čim je postalo jasno da nisu našli svoju publiku, što se desilo u prvih nekoliko meseci od objavljivanja. S druge strane, ovaj serijal ima vernu publiku već evo punih 40 godina. Malo li je.
5* i povratak u formu za autorku.
Kao i ostali romani, deseti u serijalu "Kensirat" predstavlja mali ali važan prozor u fantaziju osamdesetih godina i silne dragulje zatrpane trendovima i marketinškim kategorijama, koje danas možemo da čitamo pre svega zahvaljujući paradoksalno nezavisnim i konzervativnim izdavačima, kakav je Bejn buks. S tim u vezi, romani Hodželove - baš kao romani Mercedes Leki i raznih drugih autorki tokom decenija - preteča su savremenog YA žanra, osim što su vanredno inteligentni i pismeni. Nažalost, njihova publika vrlo je ograničena, još više sužena zatvorenošću čak i buktjuberskih krugova za sve što nije aktuelno i hajpovano. Sad bismo mogli da se prisećamo nekih besomučno hajpovanih romana iz prethodnih godina, koje su izdavači batalili da promovišu čim je postalo jasno da nisu našli svoju publiku, što se desilo u prvih nekoliko meseci od objavljivanja. S druge strane, ovaj serijal ima vernu publiku već evo punih 40 godina. Malo li je.
5* i povratak u formu za autorku.
December 13, 2022
I have loved P.C. Hodgell’s Kencyr tales since the eighties when God Stalk first appeared. Baen has the tale available in The God Stalker Chronicles (paper). It tells the tale of Jamethiel Knorth who stumbled out of the wild lands into Tai-tastigon where she is fascinated by the local gods. Her own Three-Faced God has used the Kencyrs in their fight against the Perimal Darkling for three thousand years and the Kencyr have retreated across worlds. Treachery has weakened the Kencyr because of Jame’s father who wanted to live forever. In the tenth tale, Jame is set as emissary to find out why the king of Badshti is refusing to pay for his Kency mercnaries. What she finds is that Mordaunt is using all his money to build a temple to his grandfather who has become one of the city’s Deathless Gods (paper). Add in a spoiled heir who wants to prove himself against Jame, and a city on the edge of revolt, and you get a fun adventure that has elements as good as the amazing first book in the series.
February 3, 2025
Not my favorite, but still good because I've invested in these characters and their stories. Three & a half stars. I've always admired how PC Hodgell creates cities and cultures; they're always interesting, vibrant, and real. However, the pantheon of saints, gods, the deified, etc. was confusing for me and eventually I just gave up trying to parse it out and went with it.
Jame seemed less of a driver of the plot and more of a passenger. She seemed more hapless than typical. I appreciate that if she was operating at the peak of her capabilities, there would hardly be any suspense, but dang, she's the incarnation of Regonerath, right? Let's see some destruction!
Spoilers ahead:
Also, Kindrie is such a wet blanket. The man exists to be kidnapped so he can be rescued. And yay (I guess) that he stood up to Caldane, but geez, I'd love to see him start to actually embody his third of the Three-Faced God.
And hooray for Adric and his absolutely baller move in killing whats-his-name before dropping dead.
Also, why isn't Caldane dead yet so Gorbel can take over?
Jame seemed less of a driver of the plot and more of a passenger. She seemed more hapless than typical. I appreciate that if she was operating at the peak of her capabilities, there would hardly be any suspense, but dang, she's the incarnation of Regonerath, right? Let's see some destruction!
Spoilers ahead:
Also, Kindrie is such a wet blanket. The man exists to be kidnapped so he can be rescued. And yay (I guess) that he stood up to Caldane, but geez, I'd love to see him start to actually embody his third of the Three-Faced God.
And hooray for Adric and his absolutely baller move in killing whats-his-name before dropping dead.
Also, why isn't Caldane dead yet so Gorbel can take over?
November 15, 2022
The first three books in this series are perfection, and my favorites by a long shot. However, this books is similarly satisfying to By Demons Possessed because all the disparate plot threads are coming together. We've done enough setup about the various theologies of Rathillien, and the Tyr-Ridan know who they are and they are communicating on good terms. So this book deals with outside threats on two fronts- the Kencyrath houses vying for power and to supplant their Knorth high lord; and the scheming kings in the south tired of supporting their world's colonizers. Jame is officially and randon and done with Tentir, so she gets dispatched to Bashti. The goings on there aren't quite as interesting as her hijinks in Tai-Tastigon, but come closer than anything that went on at the war college. Unlike previous entries, there is very little filler in this book- we move from one point of action to another which made the pages fly by! We get to see how the Tyr-Ridan are growing into their roles. Problems get resolved much more swiftly because Jame is learning how to look before she leaps (well, sometimes) while Tori and Kindrie are coming unstuck and being more proactive. It's also clear that in the final stand, Perimal Darkling will have much more to contend with than just the Tyr-Ridan.
I can't wait to see what happens next and the ending gives us a big clue. The last words of the book read "The Beginning of the End" so I can imagine that we'll get a final ending in the next couple of books.
I can't wait to see what happens next and the ending gives us a big clue. The last words of the book read "The Beginning of the End" so I can imagine that we'll get a final ending in the next couple of books.
January 15, 2024
Odd gods
Now that I'm caught up with all that has been written to this point, I almost want to cry because there isn't another book yet.
This book was...odd. Jame has been observing the way that divinity works on Rathillien and to what extent the coming of the Kencyrath has affected it. But I'm not sure this book added a lot to that. The system of gods in this Rome-like city is just weird, considering that it amounts more to worship of ancestors that have remained around instead of doing anything especially god-like.
There were good bits, and hints of shattering information to be revealed. But until the next book comes out, we can only guess what will happen next.
Now that I'm caught up with all that has been written to this point, I almost want to cry because there isn't another book yet.
This book was...odd. Jame has been observing the way that divinity works on Rathillien and to what extent the coming of the Kencyrath has affected it. But I'm not sure this book added a lot to that. The system of gods in this Rome-like city is just weird, considering that it amounts more to worship of ancestors that have remained around instead of doing anything especially god-like.
There were good bits, and hints of shattering information to be revealed. But until the next book comes out, we can only guess what will happen next.
June 20, 2024
Jame has returned from her return to Tai-tastigon just in time for the muster at Gothregor. After a number meetings with her twin Tori, she ends up being sent south to Bashti to see what is troubling Harn while Tori deals with troubles in the Riverlands. By the end of Deathless Gods, Jame has managed to upset two city rulers and learn more about the gods of the lands. Tori managed to find his missing kin while defusing some of the tensions gripping the Riverlands. A satisfying read.
October 10, 2022
Excellent as usual
This has all the twists, turns, and calamities usual when Jame is around. I found the end enticing. I hope the next book comes soon.
Note: For some reason the word "times" is missing from this book. There are multiple blank spots where it should have appeared. "It was not the best of." "They had 1000 but the others had 8 or 9 their number."
This has all the twists, turns, and calamities usual when Jame is around. I found the end enticing. I hope the next book comes soon.
Note: For some reason the word "times" is missing from this book. There are multiple blank spots where it should have appeared. "It was not the best of." "They had 1000 but the others had 8 or 9 their number."
November 27, 2022
A great cliffhanger
I got swept away by the nonstop action and intrigue. Another well-paced tale of the Kencyrath on Rathilian. The unexpected frequently happens, punctuated by humor and horror. You really need to read all previous books to get the best out of this one. Impatiently awaiting the final book!
I got swept away by the nonstop action and intrigue. Another well-paced tale of the Kencyrath on Rathilian. The unexpected frequently happens, punctuated by humor and horror. You really need to read all previous books to get the best out of this one. Impatiently awaiting the final book!
October 20, 2024
P.C. Hodgell has been working on this series for the last 40 years (work life got in her way for quite a few of them but she's retired now.) I've been along for the ride since the beginning. I think she's now working on the last one where everything gets wrapped up. It has been an amazing and intricate story
October 8, 2022
Far too slow
I have gotten bored with how the Knorth are, book after book, betrayed and threatened, lurching from bad to worse. It is far past time to wrap the threads of this story together and bring the story to conclusion.
I have gotten bored with how the Knorth are, book after book, betrayed and threatened, lurching from bad to worse. It is far past time to wrap the threads of this story together and bring the story to conclusion.
October 12, 2022
Once more Jame faces the Gods of Rethwellan along with a host of Foes
Opening Finds Jame an Torrison preparing to face new an old foes alike, will they be up to the challenge that awaits them? Read on to find out.
Opening Finds Jame an Torrison preparing to face new an old foes alike, will they be up to the challenge that awaits them? Read on to find out.
October 5, 2022
Continues a great story, with a complex hero, who is still learning and developing. She makes mistakes, but grows into a more interesting person. Hope this book leads to the final chapter,
October 8, 2022
Fantastic
As usual it ended to soon
I was waiting for something more to happen. Well written but to many ends waiting to be tied up
As usual it ended to soon
I was waiting for something more to happen. Well written but to many ends waiting to be tied up
October 9, 2022
Doesn’t wrap up things but it looks like we’re moving into the end-game!
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews