This Forsaken Earth This Forsaken Earth This Forsaken Earth

The Sea Beggars #2

by Paul Kearney

He's spoken of only in whispers. His origins are a mystery. Some say that he's descended from the last of the angels. Others say much worse. By all appearances, Rol Cortishane is just anotherruthless pirate roaming the lawless seas, raiding warships and slavers. But the truth is something far more complicated and dangerous than anyone can imagine, including Rol. Even as he seeks to escape his birthright, Rolis slowly discovering who-and what--he really is. But the revelation won't come without exacting a terrible price from Rol and all he loves. Now a treacherous figure from his past has made hima proposition it would be fatal to turn down. Racing against time, Rol must chart a harrowing course across the sea, back to the beautiful Rowen and the people she would rule as Queen. With his steadfast crew-thebattle-scarred Creed, the mirthful halftroll Gallico, and a young escaped slave named Giffon-Rol will plunge headlong into a destiny as dark as they come. And toward a terrifying battle against an enemy asdetermined to destroy the world as Rol is to save it. "From the Trade Paperback edition."

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Sword and Sorcery, Epic Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy, Ebooks

Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Paul Kearney was born in rural County Antrim, Ireland, in 1967. His father was a butcher, and his mother was a nurse. He rode horses, had lots of cousins, and cut turf and baled hay. He often smelled of cowshit.

He grew up through the worst of the 'Troubles' in Northern Ireland, a time when bombs and gunfire were part of every healthy young boy's adolescence. He developed an unhealthy interest in firearms and Blowing Things Up - but what growing boy hasn't?

By some fluke of fate he managed to get to Oxford University, and studied Old Norse, Anglo-Saxon and Middle English.

He began writing books because he had no other choice. His first, written at aged sixteen, was a magnificent epic, influenced heavily by James Joyce, Samuel Beckett, Robert E Howard, and Playboy. It was enormous, colourful, purple-prosed, and featured a lot of Very Large Swords.

His second was rather better, and was published by Victor Gollancz over a very boozy lunch with a very shrewd editor.

Luckily, in those days editors met authors face to face, and Kearney's Irish charm wangled him a long series of contracts with Gollancz, and other publishers. He still thinks he can't write for toffee, but others have, insanely, begged to differ.

Kearney has been writing full-time for twenty-eight years now, and can't imagine doing anything else. Though he has often tried.

Reviews

[The Girl with the Sagittarius Tattoo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I caved in on my resolve to slow-step this read. I started out savoring every page like I would a fine wine. Then I hit the half way point and... well, I'm running on only 3 hours of sleep today.

Rol Cortishane, you multilayered beast of a main character. The heartlessness of strapping enemy sailors to the muzzles of your twelve-pounders before firing on a man-of-war! What are you? And more specifically, what will you become?

Gallico the halftroll and second mate Elias Creed added depth to the story, and that Giffon thought stowing away to Bionar would bring him experience and adventure only made what he endured more poignant. And what of Rowen? Her limited appearance in This Forsaken Earth was disappointing. She was the most intriguing character to me in the the first novel, exceeding even Michal Psellos and Rol.

I simply must know what happens to Rol, Canker, Artimion and the survivors from Ganesh Ka, and more broadly, what becomes of Bionar. I will start a GoFundMe, sell a kidney, whatever it takes to get Paul Kearney to finish this series! I can't be left hanging like this.

[Lauregul · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rol ist nun Kapitän seines eigenen Schiffes und möchte eigentlich nur genau das sein. Doch das Schicksal hält eine andere Zukunft für ihn bereit, denn Rowen ist dabei, Bionar zu erobern, und braucht Rol, um ihre Pläne in die Tat umzusetzen. Auf seiner Reise muss er sich wiederholt seiner Herkunft sowie seinem weiteren Schicksal, das bereits vor langer Zeit festgeschrieben wurde, stellen.

This Forsaken Earth ist zwar der zweite Band der Reihe, aber das erste Viertel könnte genauso gut auch der Beginn einer neuen Reihe sein. Dazu kommt noch, dass Rol scheinbar mittlerweile viele seiner Fähigkeiten, die er im Verlaufe des ersten Bandes erlernte, wieder verlernt hat beziehungsweise dahingehend etwas eingerostet ist. Dies führt dazu, dass der Einstieg in die Geschichte sehr holprig ist. Statt eines Folgebandes könnte das Buch ebenso alleinstehend sein. Der Fähigkeitsverlust störte mich dabei besonders – denn wozu konnte ich dann im ersten Band miterleben, wie Rol sie erlernte?

Auch abseits davon scheint Rol sich zwischen den beiden Büchern deutlich verändert zu haben. Zwar war er nie eine Ausgeburt der Tugend und vergnügte sich auch im ersten Band schon mit vielen verschiedenen Frauen, doch hier wirkt das ganze noch extremer. Im Verlaufe der Geschichte wirkt er immer wieder wie ein notgeiler Teenager und scheint ständig nur an Sex zu denken. Persönlich empfand ich dies als sehr störend, da dieser Umstand viel zu sehr von der eigentlichen Handlung ablenkte.

Die Stärken des Buchs bleiben nach wie vor das außergewöhnliche Setting mit Seefahrtsfokus und ein gutes Worldbuilding. Leider konnten die Stärken in diesem Band die Schwächen nicht völlig ausgleichen. Ich musste mich lang zwingen weiterzulesen und erst nach der ersten Hälfte des Buchs hatte ich überhaupt Spaß beim Lesen.

Insgesamt ist This Forsaken Earth ein solider Nachfolgeband zu The Mark of Ran. Für mich persönlich war das Buch allerdings eine kleine Enttäuschung. Nach einem derart großartigen Start hätte ich einfach mehr erwartet. Dennoch schade, dass die Reihe wohl nie einen dritten Band erhalten wird.

[Martin Belcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannnot praise this book enough, I finished this book in record time for me, I just couldn't put it down. Rol is a great character and his adventure just gets better.

The plot starts to cobweb out in this book and we find ourselves meeting some old characters from the first book that have a devastating effect on Rol Cortishane including Canker, King of thieves from Ascari and Rowen Bar Hethrun, his half sister and rightful heir to the throne of Bionar - I wont give anymore away as it would spoil the enjoyment!

I can see some comparisons with the Pirates of the Caribbean movies in these books, although the depth of storytelling by Paul Kearney is just far better and just magnificent!

I just hope Paul is not too long in writing book 3, i'm so desperate now to find out what happens to Rol and his companions on the Revenant!

[Hilary Treat · Rating 5 out of 5]

After taking a couple weeks off from this book because of having a baby, it only took a couple of pages to get back into it. I'm glad it at least has somewhat of an ending since the third book is nowhere in sight. I can handle not knowing what happens next for a while. It's so hard to believe I had never heard of this author because every book I've read has been so unexpectedly good. Hopefully there will be more to come!

[Todd · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was quite pleased by this book. I usually stray away from fantasy novels mixed with gunpowder, but I was impressed. Rol is an excellent character and I'm stuck wondering where the story will go.

[Tim Stead · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picked this up for some holiday reading and was blown away. As a long time fan of both fantasy and Patrick O'Brian this was a very pleasant surprise. Kearney can certainly write and has done his research. This was the first book in years that I finished in just a few days. Looked for the others as soon as I'd finished it and was sorry to read of the legal trouble miring the third book.

The characters are solid, the plot not overcomplicated but credible, and the story rolls along without too many bits-you-want-to-skip.

I will certainly be reading more of Kearney's work.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really really really want the third book.

[Darren McGowan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sails away

Much like his other novels, this was excellent. Great storytelling and fantastic wordbuilding, add in top notch characters, and you've got an adventure. This story has a lot of sailing and nautical terms, which is done exceptionally good. Add in some fate from the gods and backstabbing ,and you have a wonderful tale.

[Starwolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good addition to an excellent fantasy series. It’s a shame the trilogy (or quartet?) is highly unlikely ever to be finished. I understand the third book is forever caught in a rights war between two publishers. That’s a shame.

Anyone beginning this journey should know the only way it is ever likely to finish is in your own imagination…

[Amy Campbell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better than the first, but it didn’t really capture my interest very well. I’d say it’s better than the first book

[Emmett Oneal · Rating 2 out of 5]

Promising start but as I read this book I found out that the series was never finished. Disappointing to say the least

[Patrick D · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read the first two books of the Sea Beggars series after finishing the Monarchies of God omnibus edition and the Macht series. Sea Beggars has one story line and follows the adventure of Rol.

I love his descriptions of battle scenes which involve early modern black powder warfare with pikes and other weapons. I was most invested in this portions of the book. I enjoy the side characters more than the main character who is sort of a Byronic hero.

The main focus is on Rol and that's the only story. Some of you might be disappointed because Kearney's other series juggle more plots.

That's not to say the book is mediocre. It's a good story, it's just that I like his other series more and I await Storm of the Dead. I would have given the book a 3.5 instead of 3 stars

[Micheal Boudreaux · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Stunning Sequel

I cannot fathom how a publisher would turn on an author after turning out a novel of this caliber. Kearney masterfully continues the tale of Rol Cortishane, expanding the world deftly and giving this sequel a sweep and scope the first didn't have. He never devolves into ungainly expository dumps.however, with each new revelation or bit of world building gleaned naturally throughout the narrative as the characters move through the dangerous and war-torn world.

The action is excellent, both on land and sea; the stakes and revelations are equally weighty, wondrous, and terrible; overall this is a stellar sequel that demands the publisher finally allow the conclusion.

[Mark L · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author has a deft hand when it comes to shading in details subtly over time. Everything I have ever read by Kearney has been very well written - so, I am looking forward to the next book in the Sea Beggars series. Sadly, finding out when this will be released is problematic as Mr Kearney no longer has a webpage.

This Forsaken Earth was published in 2006. I did enjoy the Macht books released since this publication. The flair in the battle scenes are some of the best I have read. I will be keeping my eyes peeled for anything Mr Kearney releases. Highly recommended.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was just as caught up in Rol and Rowan's story in This Forsaken Earth (Sea Beggars #2) as in the first of the series, The Mark of Ran. Unfortunately, the story again cuts off with much unresolved, and since Kearney hasn't touched this series since 2006, it may stay at this unsatisfactory finish. That said, I appreciated how Kearney resisted 'making it all come out right in the end' and maintained the gritty and dark tone throughout.

[Brennan Griffin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Paul Kearney seems a bit over-rated to me, but this one moved quickly enough to be interesting. I think its hard for me to get into because his characters are unrelentingly dark, with few redeeming traits. That may be my failing as a reader, but I just don't much care about his main characters because of it.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

c2006. Loved this instalment as well. Characters are well drawn and I can't believe that I have to wait for the next instalment. Good premise and original (well, to me anyway). Gallico is my favourite at the moment. "Always, the nobility built their homes on the higher ground - it was a basic of human nature that the rulers must look down on those they ruled"

[Anonymole · Rating 5 out of 5]

First was good - this one a bit less so. Still very good reading.

[Remy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good story, sad to hear next book is being held up...

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

just read it but it gives an incomplete end and there isn't a sequel, but overall is a good book

[Warner707]

its really intresting becuase it has the not really harry potter but more hbit feel to it this is one of those books if you like lord of the rings youll love this

[Andre · Rating 3 out of 5]

Further development of the pirate captain getting caught up in a civil war. A good developing story.

[T M · Rating 4 out of 5]

The setting and details were great. The story seemed to be slightly linear, without real drama or suspense. The characters are fleshed out, but many of them are not very interesting.

[O.M.A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is it too much to hope that the third book will be released , eventually?