Bound in Blood

Kencyrath #5

by P.C. Hodgell

The long-awaited fifth novel in P. C. Hodgell's acclaimed fantasy adventure series.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, High Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Adventure, Military Fiction

308 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2010

Reviews

[Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first of five (thus far) "new" Kencyrath books after the rather ... torturous publishing history, as recounted in my review of Seeker's Bane.

And it was great! The worst (and best) thing I can say about it is: It's very, very much a middle book in a lengthy series -- mostly Jame engaged in shenanigans back at Tentir again, with occasional intercessions by her brother, the Knorth Highlord Tori. But it's so much fun that I don't really care -- this is a fascinating world populated by great characters, and if it's going to be a slow burn up to (I presume) the eventual final confrontation with Perimal Darkling, well, I'm very, very happy to be along for the ride.

[Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

The imagination of Hodgell continues to impress in this fifth installment of the Kencyrath series and the surprises just keep coming, along with the adventure. I am not even going to try to summarize the events leading up to this one, but be aware that the prior novels are a must before digging into this one. Jame, our main protagonist, starts Bound in Blood back at the warrior training 'school' of Tentir, which has representatives of all the major 'houses' as cadets. While the houses have deep rivalrys and divisions, Tentir attempts to bridge that and create some cohesion among them; are they not all 'united' to defend this world against the 'darkness' after all?

Jame's brother Torisen, the 'king' if you will of all the households, also plays a major role here as Hodgell often oscillates POVs between them, with Torisen largely at the Knorth hall stronghold. As in prior installments, Hodgell often fills in the backstory of the Knorth clan via 'dreamscapes' and conversations with the dead, who never really die. The 'death banners' of the highborns, woven from the skin and such of the fallen have a life of their own and often communicate with Jame. Her father and other relatives haunt the present from wherever they are now. Jame is still discovering her powers and as Torisen's sister, she is the leader of the Knorth faction at Tentir.

I really love Hodgell's dry wit and world building, which is unlike anything I have ever read. She also manages to pack in some killer action sequences along the way! I have no idea if Hodgell will ever finish this series; it seems like every 4-5 years she produces another installment. I am looking forward to the next one, but need to give my brain a break first. 3.5 stars, rounding up!!

[Assaph Mehr · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

What to Expect

Bound in Blood sees Jame continuing her military education in the randon college of Tentir, as well as increasing involvement with the Merikit hill-tribes and the native forces on the Kencyrath's adopted world. Some of the mysteries that were painfully obvious to readers who have been following the books diligently are becoming clearer to the characters, and they in turn are growing up towards their inevitable final role in what would one day be a climatic resolution to this epic cycle. If you've read so far in the series you probably like Hodgell's style, but if you haven't this isn't the place to jump in.

What I liked

Hodgell's story-telling and world-building are top-notch, her story pacing is excellent, and she balances light and dark themes perfectly. I love the tantalising glimpses into Jame's past, and the slowly-building tension around her. One can't help but feel immersed in the story, love Jame's vibrancy, and wish to learn more.

What to be aware of

This is book 5 of a long running series (over 35 years, so far). You really need to start at God Stalk if you're to have any chance of understanding what is going on. The series, as I understand it, is still not complete (though I imagine that wouldn't stop any GRRM fans).

Summary

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

[Laura (Kyahgirl) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5; 5 stars; A

You know that saying 'its not the destination, its the journey'? Well, the books in this series definitely take the reader on a journey. I have had a strong sense since the beginning that ultimately there will be a huge conflict of the good guys versus the bad guys and that might be considered 'the destination' but the journey is rather complex and diverting!

The author manages to show the good and bad in all the players while at the same time weaving parts of the past and present story lines and having quite a few mini conflicts and crises along the way.

I have really enjoyed the development of Jame's character and her relationships with various people and animals. In this book, Tori is still someone who needs a good whack upside the head and a few people deliver that whack so there is hope for his character. Slowly the key players are getting into position for the final showdown but it will be a while yet!

[Cait · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, I think I have sufficiently recovered from the crazy awesome to write a review.

Probably the first thing I should say is that I have loved this series for years and years and I have been counting down to this particular book since its publication date was first floated, so those five stars are pretty much a gimme: this book would have had to be actively bad in order to get fewer stars than that. However, even given this bias, I'm quite sure that this book is very, very good.

Although there is the usual attempt to provide context and some recapping, I don't see how anyone could pick up this book to start the series; you really need to read from the beginning. In fact, I went back and re-read book four before starting this one just to be sure I had the proper grounding, and I think it helped a lot. (Also, it drew out my anticipation, but you probably don't care about that.) With that in mind, this is a spoiler flag for the whole series as well as details about book five, so if you haven't read any of it yet, I suggest backtracking!

A lot of the character focus in this book is on Tori and Jame as the lord and lordan of the Knorth; Mullen the forgotten Kendar continues to have a big impact, and Jame especially is dealing with the perils of being an authority figure. Tori's story doesn't really move forward as much as I'd hoped and Kindrie's story was oddly subdued -- so if you're a big Kindrie fan, this is probably somewhat disappointing, since the big reveal goes about how you'd expect but then Kindrie wanders off out of the book again. I'm all about Jame, though, so I didn't mind so much. (I love that Kindrie's first solution to the problem of forgotten names is to write them down, though! Sensible movement away from an oral culture in times of need! It was a jolt to realize that I'd been so immersed in the world myself that that simple solution hadn't occurred to me.)

We actually meet some of the Merikit at last in this book. I'd been a bit worried about the potential wrongness of having someone outside the Merikit culture taking such an important cultural role role in the Merikit religion -- in terms of the cliches in the risk columns, the Merikit are bit Noble Savage, but Jame does not come in as the White Highborn Savior. She saves the village, in fact, by virtue of her in-between gender position. Although gender is something that the Merikit highlight and formalize for her, gender uncertainty and nonconformity have been with Jame since her Talisman days. (The running gag of mistaken identity between Jame and her brother reaches a new height toward the end of this book when Tori wanders around Tentir being constantly mistaken for his sister.) I do admire Gran Cyd's solution to Jame's right-hand-braid problem as well! I admire Gran Cyd quite a bit, actually, despite the clumsy device of having the Noyat ambassador insult her to emphasize his place as a bad guy. Part of that is that she took the Earth Mother's word that Jame was the Earth Mother's Favorite for the year and didn't make her prove herself all over again; that's real faith for you.

Speaking of faith, Jame seems well settled on being the forefront of the Tyr-ridan these days. Perhaps some of that weapons training is paying off? Although she's moving awfully fast toward physical violence, and I'm still not sure what to make of the scene with Vant (especially since its actual occurrence from Jame's point-of-view was much calmer than Jame's berserker flares usually are, for all that her reaction afterward (and Harn and Sheth's comfort) are highly suitable. (Can I mention, tangentially, how much I really admire Sheth? He's a fantastic role model for Jame, Caineron and all.) I also really like Trishien's role in this and feel stunningly sorry for her. The play of politics is getting really complex here, with the Ardeth sinking into degeneracy and madness and the Caineron and Randir breaking free and rising. I'm really starting to need a diagram of alliances, though!

Which leads me to the awesome glass map that Marc is rebuilding. I really love the details on this. There were a lot of really nice little touches in this book, like the Body-Becomes-Water exercises and the purring cocooned wyrm, and really creepy ones, like the sargent who carved her son's name in her arm or Harn helping his father with the white knife.

Looking back over it, this isn't a book in which a great deal of plot happens; almost everything which goes on is in the character development and the behind-the-scenes shifting alliances. I really enjoy this, but partly I feel free to revel in this little breather while something big is clearly building with Urakarn and poor Graykin. ...When's the next book already?

[Jeffrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is definitely not the best book in this series. It feels slight and it involves too much of Jame's past "dead" family.

If you read To Ride a Rathorn, Hodgell's first original novel in this series from Baen, you would find that Tori, the leader of the Kencyrath and the Lord of the Knorth, has made Jame his heir and assigned her to the military college to train as a soldier. There Jame, who has special talents and powers has impressed the leadership and at the same time seeks to find out what happened to her father and her family. She, and the readers, know from "Rathorn" that the Witch of the Randir are behind some of what became of her family. This slim volume, about 297 pages, devotes a lot of time to Jame's struggle to get to that but also shows that the past in the person of Ganth Grey Lord continues to haunt Tori.

However, the main plot in this series, that is how will Jame, Tori and Kindrie come together to battle Perimal Darkling is not significantly advanced. Tori still does not understand the abilities of his sister and discounts her efforts to show him the other local Gods namely the Earth Wife.

Yet, Bound in Blood does continue to show Jame's adventures and her ability to make others better, and for that alone the book is a worthwhile advance in the story.

We can home that Hodgell's production of these novels has picked up and that we will get more stories of the Kencyrath and Jame in a shorter time frame.

So, ultimately, I think the book is good and interesting but needs more to be really good.

[Paradoxical · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these books. This series. There is just something so utterly compelling about it, even if you have to wait years for the next book to come out or even if everything is pretty damned confusing and you don't quite get it, but enough that you enjoy it anyway. It's confusing because, yes, the wait time between books can be long (though much faster now, it seems), and if you don't reread the books, you're going to forget whole chunks of important information (or at least I did, aha). It's also high fantasy. You're going to get a new, confusing world with lots of made up words that yes, you will need to know. Situations and people and the politics of it all is complex and layered and I love it.

Enough that I am abusing run-ons with large amounts of glee.

These are definitely not stand alone books. You can't take a new reader and pitch them head first into book five because they're not going to understand a thing. Or they will, but it will only be half of the picture, which would be a shame.

Like I said, I was confused at first because it has been a while since I've read the last book, but I picked it up again pretty quickly. Jame is a character that is both prickly and deadpan, and it's hard to describe what makes her so likeable other than the fact that she is. Likeable. She's strong, with a good head on her shoulders, and I find it kind of hilarious how she always gets into these situations and scrapes and somehow always manages to land on her feet. I find it even more hilarious how everyone else expects this of her; are, in fact, resigned to it.

Tori is growing as a character himself and it's about damned time (is pretty much all I can say about that, aha). I like him. I really, really do. I think he's a complex character that wavers between being strong and weak, but is trying his best. I'm pretty much rooting for him all the way as long as he gets his head out of his ass.

I thought the book was a brilliant addition to the series, even if, in retrospect, not so much has been done to advance the main plot line. Though I don't mind this either because I find the book compelling enough in its own right to make up for it. I don't think it's a series for everyone because it can be a bit slow at times, and the plot does meander a bit, but it's a rich world with complex characters more than makes up for this. 5 stars.

[Metaphorosis · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars, Metaphorosis reviews

Summary
Jame having survived the first cull at the military college, delves into its mysteries, and into her own family's bloody past.

Review
While the action here is interesting (and Hodgell takes further steps to confront the opacity of her symbolism), this entry in the series feels much more clearly episodic than its precursors. It’s a decently-sized book, but feels very much a chapter, rather than a story in itself.

Hodgell does at last address some long-standing issues, such as the question of Jame’s servant Graykin. In previous books, and for much of this one, she’s presented him as a clearly miserable figure who is Jame’s responsibility and for whom she does nothing at all. The mentions tend to follow the template: “Graykin is unhappy. I should do something about that. Don’t feel like it.” It’s hard to generate much sympathy for Jame’s own issues when she seems so determined to treat her own dependent badly. In this book, there’s at least a change, if not a resolution.

In other elements of the book, we get clues about some long-standing mysteries, some are extended, and some nuance added.

This is the last of the Kencyrath books I have and have read, though I was surprised to learn recently that it’s not only up to 10 books, but even more. I gave up on the series way back when, when I had trouble differentiating between omnibus and single volumes. The titles were so similar that the omnibuses were a pain. Having come back to the series now, this book strikes me as short enough that it could have been combined with another (as a single volume, not an omnibus). Still, I’m interested and invested enough to keep going, picking up the next books as they come on sale.

As a side note, it’s irritating that this and prior volumes’ covers show a big-bosomed, scantily clad woman, when Jame is clearly described otherwise.

[Estara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second of Jame in Tentir subplot books and I really like where it goes in making us more aware of the interconnection of Rathillien and the Kencyrath. I really enjoy the characters of Timmon, Gorbel (even when they are a++holes), Brier, for example - but especially commandant Seth and the Bear - Jame seems to have a knack, when she is anywhere for a longer period of time, to find an experienced mentor who can learn to accept her, potential and flaws all. I missed that whith Marcarn staying around Tori (love all the glass crafting bits and pieces - P.C. Hodgell does stained glass art herself, so that's all realistic - apart from the magic bits) and we get more time with the rathorn.

This has the big reveal about how Jame's and Tori's father became what he was to them (a large part of the this happened at Tentir, so that makes even more sense). As always there's the dark danger thread mixed with some fairly grin-worthy slapstick ^^ occasionally (even Tori comes in for some, when he accompanies Aerulan to Brenwyr, finally!).

Jame's treatment of Graykin remains a big problem, even when she finally does something about hish situation. He is NOT a loveable character, so it makes her extra guilty that she remains in a position of his bond lord.

It's amazing that the Kencyrath has existed as long as it did, with the way that the Highborn are abusing the Kendar... but I guess one thing that Jame does is show-up (and sometimes rip out) ALL the rottenness at the core. She definitely is a catalyst, not just a nemesis.

[Verity Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I enjoyed this book a lot, it did feel very much like a "middle" book. Almost everything that happens in this book is interesting and useful in terms of advancing the overall plotline, but few things got resolved, and the ones that did get resolved were resolved too easily to result in a big emotional pay-off. Also, what's with this cover art??? *facepalm*

[Lynn Calvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazon preorder

[Kathrin Gabriel-Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book inspires and encourages me that the world may be worth it.

[Derek · Rating 2 out of 5]

Like all involved Game of Thrones style series, this asks for devoted effort from the reader. Plopping yourself into the next book every two or three years without detailed review of what-came-before will only lead to frustration and exhaustion.

In my case, this is all about the way the series has changed since _God Stalk_: it is becoming a Game of Thrones intricate political/social device with acres of characters and a gulf of backstory and event. The first hundred pages here is a big-hammer recap of things so far followed by indications that it will become even more complicated before any hint of payoff.

All of which belabors the obvious, as far as the setting is concerned. The Kencyr society is circling the drain, frittering dwindling energy on infighting and needlessly ornate social constructions ultimately holding the entire effort back. Jame, coded as a Shiva the Destroyer equivalent within the setting and prophecies, is so obviously set up as the player that will wipe the board clean and perhaps trigger reconciliation with the Kencyr's estranged god. It's hard to keep patience with the particulars when that is squatting on the horizon.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this book was entertaining, it suffers from the compounding flaws of Hodgell's previous works. I won't lie to you - this particular book in the series is mostly filler with necessary worldbuilding aspects and the tying-up of loose ends that had been neglected in previous installments. While it's entertaining, it's also tedious. I had to pause several times to try and recall who was who and why they were important. The lexicon in the book's back was definitely needed.

As much as I wanted to rate four stars for the entertainment value, Hodgell's vague phrasing and writing that have persisted throughout the whole series has kept me from doing so. I was hoping that her typically vague wording would improve over time, and while it has in some aspects, it's still pretty atrocious in some parts of the book. Still, I'm likely going to proceed with the rest of the series, as I do want to know how it ends for our Mary-Sue, chosen one protagonist.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good book in this series that dives quite deep into the characters. I felt like in this novel more than any previous we get a sense that not just Jame is growing and learning, but also those around her.

[Fietspomp · Rating 4 out of 5]

7 intermediate story. No new discoveries of world (in previous parts new elements were introduced not in this one) 'voortkabbelend verhaal'

[Gilli Cohen · Rating 5 out of 5]

These books just keep getting better, but I've a general preference for training/school/academy-type narratives. It was excellent, anyway.

[Volpot · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars. I'm done with series. Writing is good, but overall the story just seems to be getting dragged out with no real resolutions imminent

[Macha]

3 and a half stars.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5* The series gets richer and richer as you make your way through it. Lots of slight twists on the normal high fantasy tropes. I'm so glad that Baen picked up this series to reprint and add to.

[b · Rating 5 out of 5]

Capture the flag, haunted fashionable coats, not being able to tell someone’s gender, all great content

[Catching Shadows · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bound in Blood continues not long after the events of To Ride a Rathorn. The opening reveals the aftermath of the failed assassination attempt of Randiroc, the true Randir heir whose position was usurped by Rawneth, The Witch of Wilden’s son. Jame and one of her classmates, a boy named Gari are on hand to witness a near insurrection among the Randir Kendar, which will lead to plot complications later down the road, since the insurrection is only averted by Rawneth causing her people to forget the names of the ones who died, which in turn causes them to go varying degrees of bonkers.

After a brief visit to Gothregor on Autumn Eve to see Tori and take place in a ritual honoring/remembering the dead, Jame returns to Tentir where things fail to settle down. Some of the highlights of Jame’s most recent adventures that occur while attempting to get an education: she gets closer to learning more about the events that led up to the massacre of most of the Knorth women, and exactly what that had to do with the death of her extremely unlamented uncle Greshan. She continues to make friends in strange places, gets more deeply involved with the Merikit as the Earth Wife’s Favorite, rescues Gorbel from an extremely invasive willow, and manages to ride a rathorn without falling off. She also discovers important things about taking responsibility for ones actions and one’s mistakes (Jame is like an after school special, except totally not.)

While Jame is running around at her usual break neck pace, Tori is still floundering under the weight of his position, and his extremely mixed feelings for his sister. (It doesn’t help that he’s still being haunted by his father, which it turns out, is apparently a literal haunting, instead of Tori being crazy.) He receives advice (and family counseling in some cases) from Jame’s friend Marcarn and the Jaran Matriarch Trishien. This leads to him understanding just a little bit more about himself and his sister. (He also learns that the road to long hard winters and starvation is paved with good intentions.)

Other incidents of note include Kindrie discovering that he isn’t a bastard, Jorin making friends with Mothra a darkling crawler, Gorbel complaining because Jame won’t let him kill anything, and Timmon mistaking Tori for Jame. (Not as impossible as you might think from the boobtastic cover art!) Bound in Blood is another smart, engaging fantasy novel from P.C. Hodgell. Stylistically speaking, the book is much faster paced and less “dense” than previous books in the series. (By dense I mean detail/description heavy.) This is probably not a good book to start with, since its a book from the middle of a series, but for people returning (or just discovering) the Kencyr novels, this book is a real treat.

[Alecia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was overjoyed to discover that PC Hodgell's books were back in print and she had even added new installments! I came across the first two volumes at my local library when I was 12 and always wondered what happened to Jame. I'm a voracious reader and 22 years old now, so that shows you how memorable Hodgell's stories are!

While I enjoyed this book immensely, it just wasn't up to my expectations. After having gone so in depth in the previous books, Hodgell seems to have slowed up the momentum and the two or three major issues that have to be resolved feel like they are unnecessarily delayed. Jame, who was stubborn but so tenacious and resourceful before, seems to have gotten lazy as it takes her until the final chapters to deal with a problem that is immediately evident to the reader. This is even more frustrating because the book spans only a little over a season, as compared to at least half a year in the first four books. Torisen's adventures are at times much more engrossing than Jame's, and I wish this book had focused a little more on him.

However, given that this is the 5th book in the series it's understandable that it fell prey to a bit of sequel-itis. Fans of the series won't regret reading this. I finished this book eagerly awaiting the next volume in hopes that the story will pick up once again.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

EDITED: doing a full series read through to get caught up to the last two books. Loved this even more the second time through!


If you like complicated high fantasy with fascinating world-building and strong female characters, this is definitely a series to check out. Word of warning however: the plot has reached a level of complexity, with this book, now Vol. 5, that you really need to begin at the beginning (Godstalk) for it to make sense. Provided you're familiar with the rest of this series, this is a fine addition to the adventures of Jame. More plots, more twists, more of the characters I've grown to love, like Earth Mother Ragga. It will be interesting to see what Hodgell does with them next.

Don't let the "Baenized" covers throw you - this isn't some series where the heroine's cleavage is the main character. The artwork really does the books a disservice. Ignore it in favor of the contents - they're worth it.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a rich, full universe, complex in every way. I did not realize how much had stuck with me, even with these volumes that I had not read so many times as the first two.

Some may be disturbed by the harsh realism presented in this tale of intrigue, where so much rests within the grey. Friend and foe are not so clear, and neither is the honorable path, and social mores differ from our own, but Hodgell stays true to the universe she has masterfully created and engages the reader in this intricately woven tale where right and wrong may not be easily determined but great fiction is always clear.

I am eager to finish the next volume,Honor's Paradox, so I can move on to the newest installment,The Sea of Time.

[Synger · Rating 5 out of 5]

The fifth (currently final) of the Kencyrath chronicles. One of my favorite fantasy series -- one I re-read every two-three years. Highly recommended if you like fantasy that deals with religious/philosophical issues. The Kencyrath are a people bound together and driven by their god, but many have fallen away from their mission to fight Perimal Darkling (liken to chaos) and they and their current world may fall into the Dark if they don't refocus. Enter Jame, and her unwitting talents for stirring things up and asking questions. Highly recommended, but you probably would want to read it in sequence.

[Shanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel a lot more sympathy and understanding for Tori after this book.

Ganth was despised and unloved by his family (except maybe his grandmother before she was murdered). Ganth was repeatedly blood bound by his older brother and then horribly abused. Ganth is a blood binder and is terrified of blood binders. Ganth went insane and terrorized his children. Ganth actually hated Jame because she looked like her mother. Ganth blood bound his son and is haunting him. No wonder Tori thinks all his dreams are impending madness, he is unable to accept his sister, and he is absolutely terrified of Shanir.

[brian dean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many other reviewers have described the book as lightweight, as not pushing the plot very far forward. On her personal blog, she discusses looking for more material to fill-up the next book. Maybe that is too much information from an author.
Despite that, I enjoyed the book and didn't notice a lack of content. Jame's battle with the Randir witch received about a paragraph (I'm exagerating, a little), which was disappointing as the previous book made that seem the biggest threat facing her at this time.

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

So far I think my favourite next to the first book in the series, but mostly because of the too brief moment spent with the Merikat hill tribe.

In this book, Jame continues her time at Tentir, deals with her dead uncle, gains the understanding and I believe the support of her brother - only taken 5 books for that, the ass - and continues to gain the support of her Knorth cadets (with a couple of notable exceptions). She also bonds more fully with her Rathorn companion. Remarkably, she destroys very little in this book.

[kvon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Compared to the fourth book, I think I came out of this one less confused. Answers slowly emerging as the players continue to gather. More Jame is always the best, she is the most fun character (although she's getting better about strewing destruction in her wake haphazardly. Now she's more particular about her destruction.) It still seems book 1 is off on it's own in this series, which is a bit weird.

I loved the pun in chapter XVII. I wonder how much of this world is built upon puns.