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Banewreaker: Volume I of The Sundering (The Sundering #1)

by Jacqueline Carey (Goodreads Author)

3.35 of 5 stars 3.35 · rating details · 2,449 ratings · 164 reviews

Following the triumphant success of her Kushiel series (Kushiel's Dart, Kushiel's Chosen, Kushiel's Avatar), Jacqueline Carey now turns her hand to another startling fable, an epic tale of gods waging war in their bid to control an entire universe and the mortals they use as chess pieces in a most deadly game.

Once, the Seven Shapers dwelled in accord. First-born among them...more Following the triumphant success of her Kushiel series (Kushiel's Dart, Kushiel's Chosen, Kushiel's Avatar), Jacqueline Carey now turns her hand to another startling fable, an epic tale of gods waging war in their bid to control an entire universe and the mortals they use as chess pieces in a most deadly game.

Once, the Seven Shapers dwelled in accord. First-born among them was Haomane, Lord-of-Thought and with his brother and sister gods, the Seven drew upon of the power of the Souma, claimed a race of beings for their own and began Shaping the world to their will.

But Haomane saw the ways of this new world and was displeased. For in his younger brother Satoris, once called the Sower, Haomane thought too prideful and in his gift, the quickening of the flesh too freely to the races...and to that of Man in particular. Haomane asked Satoris to withdraw his Gift from Men but he refused. And so began the Shapers' War.

Eons have passed. The war that ensued Sundered the very world. Haomane and his siblings lay to one end of a vast ocean unable to touch their creations, Satoris and the races of the world on the other. Satoris has been broken and left adrift among the peoples of the world and is reviled, with most of the races believing that it was he alone who caused the rift and depriving them of the balm of the Seven. He sits in Darkhaven, controlling his own dominion--seeking not victory but neither vengeance.

But still Haomane is not content. Through Haomane's whispers in the minds and hearts of the races of the world come a prophecy that if Satoris were defeated, the world could be made whole and all would bask in the light of the Souma again. And the few who stay by Satoris are viewed as the ultimate evil. And so the races come together to defeat Satoris, a being who helped engender them all but who is caught in his elder brother's warp.

Strong storytelling with evocative, compelling, and unforgettable characters, Banewrecker ultimately asks the question:

If all that is considered good considers you evil, are you?

At the publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management software (DRM) applied.(less)

ebook, 432 pages

Published August 1st 2005 by Tor Books (first published January 1st 2004)

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Mar 18, 2008 Pandem rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: anybody with a pulse

Shelves: fantasy, fiction

(The date above applies to my most recent reading.)

If you're looking for epic battles, mighty and mysterious powers clashing in a fierce battle for survival, this book is a great place to look for that.

If you're looking for a battle with clear-cut, cleanly defined sides of good and evil. . .walk away. Run away. Fast.

This book and its companion, Godslayer, are the absolute greyest books I've ever read, by which I mean that the characters do not fall into such simple categories as merely "good" an...more

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Sep 16, 2007 Jillian Benavidez rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Anyone who likes fantasy

I picked up this book because I enjoy the author - Jacqueline Carey - and her other series, Kushiel's Dart. She is an extremely talented author and I have not yet read a book by her that has not been wonderful.

This book, of course, is no exception and has not failed the high standards I set when reading Carey for the first time. As far as I am concerned, she is one of the very best fantasy writers. In this book, she has embraced the all-too standard fantasy setting of heroes, magic, dragons, and...more

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May 20, 2013 Cristy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is probaly one of the most exciting books I have ever read. I usually skip alot of the descriptive parts, but not this book. I literally read every single word. I could not put this book down. I carried it with me everywhere. It's a highly addictive read if you like paranormal/fantasy. This book, which is book one, is appropriate for teens. There was no sex in this book.
It begins with the way the world came into extistence, followed by shapers who gave the earth and its children, gifts suc...more

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Nov 28, 2012 Becky Koski rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Sundering is basically Jacqueline Carey's retelling of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, but from the perspective of what we think of as "the bad guys". It's beautifully written with language that is reminiscent of Tolkien, but without being nearly as long-winded when it comes to descriptions of basic fantasy elements (race, class, politics, etc). Both this book and the sequel (Godslayer) do a marvelous job of blending shades of grey. The characters that should be "evil" are actually very likea...more

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May 20, 2012 Barbara rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

oh where to start. I read this book because it was written by Jacqueline Carey and I love her Terre D'Ange books and because I was promised dwarves. Well there were dwarves and although they play a small part it is an important part, but I did not love this book.
It is very similar to other epic fantasy novels without the advantage of having an original idea in it.
The only nice thing is is that I think there is no clear good and evil in this book. I know everyone says it is told by the side of e...more

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Mar 09, 2012 Tessa rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

oh my, it has been a long time since I read something so overwhelmingly pretentious.
Other people have mentioned in their reviews that this was a pastiche of the Lord of the Rings, it's not, it's more like the very old fantasy novels, the ones Tolkien had pretty much stamped out. For a reason.
The very first fantasy novel in print was not the lord of the rings, it was "The Well at the World's End" by William (Wallpaper) Morris from 1896. And his prose was like his wallpaper overwrought and heavy,...more

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Jul 07, 2011 Krystal rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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Jun 12, 2011 Ron rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: people who enjoy good developped characters, people who like to think about what they are reading.

Some books hook you from the very first sentence. Other books fail to capture you at all.

And then, there are books like Banewreaker: tales what will coax you subtly, irrevocably, word by word, without you realizing it, until you cannot stop poring over its pages.

I started reading this series because I found an interesting comment by George R.R. Martin in his own website: he said that it was a good read, that it told the story of the Lord of the Rings from the point of view of Sauron's minions....more Some books hook you from the very first sentence. Other books fail to capture you at all.

And then, there are books like Banewreaker: tales what will coax you subtly, irrevocably, word by word, without you realizing it, until you cannot stop poring over its pages.

I started reading this series because I found an interesting comment by George R.R. Martin in his own website: he said that it was a good read, that it told the story of the Lord of the Rings from the point of view of Sauron's minions. Both the source and the recommendation were enough to make me grab my own copy, but it turned out that things were, as they are wont to be, much more complex. A retelling of the Lord or the Rings? No: so much more.

Banewreaker's first lines are not very easy to read. The first chapter might be slow, as Carey explains with her flowery, descriptive prose the intricacies of the world's origin, of its deities, its inhabitants, its myth and lore. Perhaps the reader will find trouble remembering the names, or recognizing what the names refer to. But, as pages start to flow with increasing speed, it is obvious that these seeming faults are, in truth, great strengths:

The prose has a cadence, a rhythm to it, that will immediately evoke a powerful epic in the reader's mind: he reading does not pick up because of a change in the writer's style, but because the reader understands the pace and dances along with it.

Descriptions abound, but are never overused: I could feel every nuance of atmosphere in this book and did not feel the need to skip a paragraph once. Races, places, items are mentioned, and the reader is supplied with enough information to know “what” the author refers to without having their imagination limited in any way when it is unimportant to the plot. This helps to create a feeling of realism and continuity as well: if the fantastic things Carey is writing about (such as “rhyos”, for example) are not painstakingly detailed, the reader is left with the impression that the item is common, real, part of their life, and thus does not require further presentation.

Every character, from the Shapers and the ancient dragons to the lords to the soldiers, is a piece that fits perfectly in the tapestry that is Banewreaker. They all have motivations to be where they are, to do what they do. They know hate and duty and passion. They might seem bitter at times, or haunted by their past, but that is because such is the nature of man: yes, Lord Ushahin has never forgiven those who tried to kill him with stones and sticks when he was but a child because of his mixed heritage. But, can we honestly ask him to forgive and forget? Satoris feels the hatred of his older brother, and becomes more and more bitter, but, can we ask anything else, when he has been turned into the paradigm of evil because he did what he had to to protect life as it was? The villains of this tale are, indeed, the heroes from the other side, and it doesn't take long before we can empathize with their trials and their plight.

Surprisingly enough, the alliance of elves and men and charred ones who set out to stop Satoris, those who would bring destruction to the characters we have come to love following blindly after a prophecy , are not hateful. While I personally hoped with all my might that they would not succeed, I found their dedication well placed, their hopes reasonable, the mercy real. They are characters just as fascinating as the heroes, who have placed their beliefs in Satoris' enemy and who follow him to the end, no matter how bloody it might be, how much they suffer.

And these all these heroes and villains clash in a riveting storyline wherein Satoris' attempts to prevent the prophecy of his destruction to come to fruition: the words have always been there, but now that his enemies are on the move, he decides to strike first and capture one of the integral parties: the Lady Celerinde, whose wedding to the descendant of a particular House of men would signal the beginning of the end. But was this move to stop the prophecy, or to follow it through? Satoris is not the evil he's been made to look like, but will Celerinde understand this in time to make a difference?

Because all things are as they must be, and the darkness of Darkhaven shines bright even as the alliance of his rival brings the shadows to its doorstep.

One final word of personal opinion: Banewreaker is a must-read. It is a renovation of the fantasy genre, with choices and shades of gray. It is also a deep work that will make the reader think, not only about Satoris and his fight, but about the very nature of conflict, of good, of evil. (less)

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Jul 30, 2010 Bronwyn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 02, 2010 jD rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: different-and-strange, fantasy_adventure_worldbuilding, genre_fantasy

Honestly, the story was 4 almost 5 stars but because Ms. Carey did not bother to provide an explanation of her strange terminology, I had to go with three. I have googled and binged trying to find out what a "rhios" is and there is no definition anywhere.

I was able to follow the story as long as I did not try to visualize anything beyond dragons, trees, weres, elves, trolls, and rivers. Everything else she went out of her way to make it complicated. She needed to provide two things that would ha...more

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Jul 19, 2012 Macha added it · review of another edition

3 stars at the start (generously), three & a half and a bit more at the end. starts very slow, and the language is stilted. but it gets better. the setup is not uninteresting: a god figure drives his brother out for the gifts he gave this world, which number among them creation, compassion, and knowledge; the brother, a benign version of Lucifer, reviled, is cast down, banished, but still holding to his best self, only to see those races he has gifted and protected turn on him at the behest...more

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Oct 17, 2012 Erin rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

While there are shades of her Kushiel series in this book, Banewreaker is far more in the Tolkien-esque tradition of high fantasy. Men, Ellylon (elves without the pointy ears), trolls, dwarves, you get the idea. What Carey does with this that is interesting is she takes the idea of prophecy and turns it on its head. What if a prophecy is really just one godlike being's plan for the destruction of his little brother? The little brother who has been painted as evil because of his refusal to fall i...more

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Aug 02, 2012 Paul rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is densely worded, overwrought fantasy. Honestly I wouldn't recommend it as a great book: it's a bit pretentious with it's slightly archaic language, and heavy dark gothic sentiments. Everything about the book is a bit unsubtle. The characters are an interesting cast, with great backstories and complex motivations, but they're written a bit one-dimensionally (you'd think having lived for thousands of years they'd have a bit more... poise and self awareness - their interior monologues t...more

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Mar 11, 2012 K. Bird rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Banewreaker is pure, unadulterated, Epic Fantasy. If you like Dungeons and Dragons, Lord of the Rings, Fionavar, The Belgarion, George RR Martin, etc, you will like this series.

I haven't been an Epic Fantasy fan since junior high. Somehow, after reading the aforementioned take on elves and orcs and dragons, the usual "quest for the magical object" and "politics of race" lack luster; it's all been said before.

And yet...Banewreaker manages to slog around in a swamp of cliches and archetypes and st...more Banewreaker is pure, unadulterated, Epic Fantasy. If you like Dungeons and Dragons, Lord of the Rings, Fionavar, The Belgarion, George RR Martin, etc, you will like this series.

I haven't been an Epic Fantasy fan since junior high. Somehow, after reading the aforementioned take on elves and orcs and dragons, the usual "quest for the magical object" and "politics of race" lack luster; it's all been said before.

And yet...Banewreaker manages to slog around in a swamp of cliches and archetypes and still be interesting.

We begin with Lord Satoris, the Banewreaker, who refused his brother-god (called Shapers here) a request to withdraw fertility from humans.

He did it out of love for his sister-god, and because, let's face it, his brother-god's people (the elves) the Ellylon just weren't keeping up in the fertility department and were dwindling, so not really a selfless request on the brother-god's part.

Lord Satoris is served by the Fjel (orcs) who everyone hates because they are ugly and brutish, but as we enter this world we are shown their purity of heart, their artistic leanings, and their overwhelming honor/loyalty. We are show this by Lord Satoris' human servant, Tanaros, who was betrayed by his King and Wife, both of whom he loved, and whom he slew in a rage. Lord Satoris forgave this crime, gave him sanctuary and immortal life, and has been nothing but kind to him...or has he? Are the madlings Lord Satoris takes in used by him in their madness? Or does his assertion that they are beautiful as they are ring true?

Here is the crux of why Banewreaker isn't stale: it is the in depth, sympathetic, and unswervingly brutal portrayal of the "villains" of the story, making them into heroes, that causes this book to rise from the muck.

And the language, flowery, grandiose prose all the way, baby. All the characters have dire, meaningful conversations. Every phrase is dripping with historical and emotional repercussions.

If you like that kind of thing (as I do in measured doses) than the prose itself is baroquely pleasing. On the other hand, it wore at me a little to have "sundered" used about ten times a page as well as the flowery names and phrases such as "Tanaros Blacksword/Kingslayer", etc.

Even for jaded tastes like mine, Banewreaker is worth the read. However, jump into this swamp knowing full well that you're going to get covered head to toe in flowery, epic prose. If that's what you like, you'll love this book.

This Book's Snack Rating: Cheetos, because every page gets cheesy epic prose all over your fingers, but really the crunchy characters are a familiar in their deliciousness.
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Jun 05, 2012 Wise_owl rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is fantastically interesting, and continues my love affair with the work of Jacqueline Carey. I short, it's a typical 'Epic Fantasy' but told from the perspective of the 'bad guys'. It's Tolkien influence is deeply felt, but here we get a work were the Monstrous creatures of the 'Dark Lord' have feelings, intentions, and a reason for what they do. Where the Dark Lord Himself is less 'bent on controlling the world' and more sees himself as a figure for freedom from his over-bearing 'bro...more

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Sep 21, 2011 Darlene rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: LOTRs fans

Recommended to Darlene by: Jacqueline Carey's name

Shelves: fantasy, jacqueline-carey, kindle, magick

Epic, but not my cup of tea. If you liked LOTRs this might strike yours. But I don't like stories of war even if magic and dragons do reside therein.

As opposed to most of the Kushiel's Dart series, this book is very male heavy and the women were weaklings or brought to that state by the loss of their particular magic.

The beginning, more like the first half of the book was difficult to read. It was the set up of the characters and the planet. I think it would have been better to have a list of ch...more

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Jun 01, 2012 Christina rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

i wish i could give this book no stars. i love love LOVE the Kushiel books. Phedre has got to be one of the most amazing female characters in all of literature. The Naamah books didn't click for me in the same way, but i still read them. This book... I couldnt finish it. I could barely start it. Its so overwritten that i wondered if it had the same author. There's so much backstory, its nearly impossible to troll through it to get to the actual plot.

I may decide to try it out again in the future...more

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Jan 21, 2012 Paul rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction-fantasy-all, fiction-fantasy-standalone

I have to admit that I have (provisionally) decided to put this book down (after reading perhaps 20%, because it is simply too boring.

I can understand that it is a deliberate pastiche of Lord of the Rings, and similar fantasy works, told from the point-of-view of the "evil" characters. However, it simply doesn't have the quality of Jacqueline Carey's other works.

My strong suspicion is that this was her first attempt at writing a novel, which was rejected by publishers, and then picked up again a...more

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Jul 09, 2011 Naiya rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Tolkien and high fantasy fans

When I marched up to the library shelf at the Ca-Ch section, I was ready. I was gonna grab myself something by the prolific Jaqueline Carey, and I was gonna find out what the fuss was about. The first Kushiel books were out, but here was another series, with properly artsy covers.

The Banewrecker blurb hit all the right keywords. We have a banished, immortal general, scarred by the betrayals of his past and serving the dark lord. We have the kidnapping a elf-ish princess in an attempt to prevent...more When I marched up to the library shelf at the Ca-Ch section, I was ready. I was gonna grab myself something by the prolific Jaqueline Carey, and I was gonna find out what the fuss was about. The first Kushiel books were out, but here was another series, with properly artsy covers.

The Banewrecker blurb hit all the right keywords. We have a banished, immortal general, scarred by the betrayals of his past and serving the dark lord. We have the kidnapping a elf-ish princess in an attempt to prevent a prophecy from coming to pass. And we have the book pointing its metaphorical finger and saying in a stage whisper, "They're so gonna get together!"

Well, so much for my assumptions.

What I really got was a face-full of epic-style yarn-weaving. It's Tolkien-style high fantasy about the underdog with a hefty dose of gray-shade morality. The story itself was maddening in the best sense of the word. The characters were human enough to be dynamic, each with their own lives, loyalties and reasons for doing what they did. The protagonists got themselves shoulder deep in some objectionable activities, ranging from enslaving people to their will to slaughtering innocents.

At each turn, Satoris' forces are faced with mounting odds, their plans failing as the forces of good begin their inevitable march towards the inevitable triumph of good over evil.

The potential for the romantic subplot I mentioned at the beginning is, indeed, still there, but muted. After I finished the book, I had no sense of whether I could expect any of the protagonists to survive in the book's sequel.

But the story remains at a solid three not because of my expectations of luff-fluff or the pretty standard fare of the world-building, but because of my overall reaction to the book. The gray narrative stretched out into a sense of hopelessness. The characters maneuvered, and in turn were maneuvered by each other into actions they would not have chosen otherwise. When I got to the bottom page 431, I had no interest in finding out what was going to happen in the next book.

Full review can be found here.
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Jul 16, 2009 Janet rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, kindle

I just finished reading this book for the second time, and was glad to find that it was just as rewarding as the first time.

Carey undertakes the astonishing challenge of braiding together "Paradise Lost" and "The Lord of the Rings" and does so with surprising success. Even though some of her characters are clearly inspired by characters in the original stories, most manage to be completely unique individuals -- and some of her best characters are entirely her own creation.

"Banewreaker" is saved...more

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Jun 12, 2007 Adriel rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: people who want to subvert lord of the rings

Shelves: fantasy

This book is not my usual kind of favorite, but I think the author does a brilliant job of telling a story from an unusual perpective. Of course this story is the quintissential lord of the rings group adventure story, but the perspective is from the dark side. She gives this classic epic a great deal of depth and complexity. I love the second one too.

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Apr 13, 2010 Capella rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Reasons I disliked this book:
1. Flagrant ripoff of LOTR plot, themes, and characters. I can appreciate some similarities but it got ridiculous when the Galdalf character was momentarily removed from the plot while trying to save the unsuspected small hero from detection and death (with the obvious implication that he would be back soon). A couple other ones:
- Deity organization of an overarching god (Uru-Alat from Carey and Iluvatar from Tolkien), who made a family circle of under gods (Shapers...more Reasons I disliked this book:
1. Flagrant ripoff of LOTR plot, themes, and characters. I can appreciate some similarities but it got ridiculous when the Galdalf character was momentarily removed from the plot while trying to save the unsuspected small hero from detection and death (with the obvious implication that he would be back soon). A couple other ones:
- Deity organization of an overarching god (Uru-Alat from Carey and Iluvatar from Tolkien), who made a family circle of under gods (Shapers and Ainur), who then made the various races of the land.
- One of the gods rebels and causes a split in the world (Satoris and Melkor)
- An object of power is misused and split up (Souma and Silmarils)
- Massive war splits the world (both referred to in terms of 'Sundering') and creates an antagonist who holds some kind of grudge against the gods.
- Races of the land (Ellylon, Men, Fjeltrol, and Dwarves in Carey, Elves, Men, Orcs, and Dwarves in Tolkien) bear many similarities in who makes them and what they can do.
- Formation of a company to put an end to the antagonist's power, including a bearer (of the Water of Life or the One Ring), a mysterious magician (Malthus or Gandalf), a warrior, an elf, and some tag along characters.
That's as many as I can bear to think of but it just gets more and more flagrant the longer the book carries on. I understand paying tribute to Tolkien and I can even accept some plot similarities but this was just so painfully obvious that it felt like Carey had just decided to do Tolkien her way. In short, it was poorly done.

2. The characters were flat and didn't seem to be connected to their actions at all. For example, Tanaros is devoted to his master, Satoris but he feels some inexplicable urge to justify everything to Cerelinde.
3. The chapters presumably cover a specific period of time and are made up of of small sections about the main characters, but they disjointed and just don't make sense.

4. Everyone ruminates over everything. All. The. Time. Tanaros is bitter about his wife sleeping with the King. Satoris hates his brothers and sisters for sundering the world. Cerelinde plays at loving Aracus Altorus, the man she is supposed to marry to fulfill the prophecy that drives the plot (and which also bears an alarming resemblance to "All that is gold does not glitter"). Ushahin the Dreamspinner gnaws on his anger at human and the Ellylon (see Elves) and backs himself into self-pity corner. Lilias constantly worries about her stolen power and is obsessed with the beauty of her "pretty ones." I just don't see how obsession is meant to accomplish anything except to make the characters extremely annoying, like whinny children.

5. Carey is not suited to writing sweeping epics, her writing style is more suited to writing character driven stories like the books in the Kushiel series. She can't carry the elevated writing style that usually characterizes epics and she spends too much time on the thoughts of each character, when really she should be weaving plot lines together. The book is a disjointed mess of poorly developed character emotions and motivations and confusing plot lines.

I love Carey's Kushiel series but this was not at all what I expected. Also, not nearly enough sensuous sex scenes; I think she referenced penises twice in the first half of the book, which is a stark contrast to her Kushiel books, where "phallus," "shaft," and other tasteful references are rife. (less)

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Oct 10, 2009 Denise rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I love and miss Robert Jordan and he recommended reading Jacqueline Carey. I read Banewreaker and Godslayer together and thoroughly enjoyed them.
Seven shapers formed the world, Urulat, named after the world god Uru-alat whose death gave birth to it. Haomane, the Lord-of-Thought was the first born and his children, the Ellylon were shaped "before the final throes of Uru-alat's death and time touched them not... {he} wrought his children of pure thought." Second born Arahila the Fair, Born-of-the...more

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Aug 26, 2009 Delaina rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It's been probably 10 years since I last read an epic high fantasy novel, especially one that begins a new series. Especially one that's not designated 'trilogy' or something else with a foreseeable ending number. I don't know if the tropes in this novel will feel stale to those who've been devouring this genre consistently (unlike me), but to me this novel was an amazing adventure. Eloquently written, deeply detailed, sympathetically realistic characters -- all that, and the pace kept moving. C...more

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Sep 08, 2011 Sarah rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ok, I love Jacqueline Carey. I went to library to pick up anything else she had written, and Banewreaker and Godslayer were on the shelf, so I took them both. I HATED THIS BOOK. I love her, but hated this book.

I felt that the entire book was completely devoted to explaining this alternate world, explaining the relationship between the Shapers and the rest of the persons of the world. I felt she repeated this over and over and over, basically taking over the actual story: So rather than getting o...more

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Oct 11, 2010 John rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adventure-fantasy, 3

This book has been accused- or maybe 'credited' would be a better word- with ripping off Tolkien's universe. Well, that is true. There are many moments while reading that I could see characters from Fellowship trekking across the plains or the Gods from the Silmarillion creating this or that. (Shaping, it is called in this book.) Even the all-father god is pronounced nearly the same: Eru for Tolkien, Uru here. There are immortal Elves, mortal Men with their passion and ambition, Dwarves with the...more This book has been accused- or maybe 'credited' would be a better word- with ripping off Tolkien's universe. Well, that is true. There are many moments while reading that I could see characters from Fellowship trekking across the plains or the Gods from the Silmarillion creating this or that. (Shaping, it is called in this book.) Even the all-father god is pronounced nearly the same: Eru for Tolkien, Uru here. There are immortal Elves, mortal Men with their passion and ambition, Dwarves with their reclusiveness. And Dragons. Never forget about the Dragons. But rather than follow the heroes on their epic quest to defeat Evil, we read Banewreaker from the perspective of the "Evil" side and follow their quest to just be left alone and survive. The bad guys are determined to stop a Prophecy made by the main Good god that predicts their destruction. They are nerely reacting to the aggression of the Good Guys, who are determined to see Evil destroyed for... whatever reason. Even Good isn't sure why they are fighting: they were just told to. Told that Sauro- sorry, Satoris (the Banewreaker himself) broke the world so he could steal power for himself and horde everything and generally be a rotten bastard. When, in truth, Satoris was just trying to help out when his Elder Brother Haomane got jealous and angry at something completely unrelated and decided to take it out on Satoris. Haomane, not being one to make mistakes- much less admit them- blames the ensuing war and it's devastation (which he caused) on Satoris. Following old William Randolf Hearst, Haomane gives the survivors what they want: a story and a villain.

One review I've read called this the most grey book they had ever read. Very true. While the "Evil" characters are presented as protagonists, they are far from innocent. You just need to go back far enough. Tanaros, for instance, follows Satoris because Satoris accepted him when he was cast out. He was cast out for murdering his wife and king. He murdered his wife and king because they cuckolded him. They cuckolded him because Haomane's Prophecy.... And it goes on and on with all the characters.

The writing is very heavy. Though I could circumlocute most of the words, I kept a dictionary handy. It was like reading Stephen Donaldson, only Carey doesn't appear to have gotten paid by the word with a grant from The Oxford English Dictionary people. She does things like use the word "suppurating" and "quiescent" instead of "festering" and "still."(less)

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Feb 08, 2012 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was a sucker for the whole "lord of the rings-esque story from the perspective of the villains" concept, so that gave it points from the start. I really enjoyed the book. Good pacing and an interesting world. The characters were just alright--I felt like they could have been developed to be a little more interesting. Even the bad guys seemed to fall back on misunderstood anti-hero stereotypes a bit more often than I liked. And I missed the presence of a really interesting, strong female charac...more

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Aug 08, 2009 Espresso rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Banewreaker is the first novel of Jacqueline Carey’s sundering epic tragedy. Seven shapers created the present races of beings on the body of Uru-Alat. The story mentions all of the shapers in regard to their gifts, birth, and created children, but the three most important are Haomane First-Born, Lord of Thought creator of the Ellylon, Arahila Second-born, the fair, creator of Men, and Satoris Third-born, the sower, creator of none. Haomane gifted his Ellylon with thought and eschewed the gifts...more Banewreaker is the first novel of Jacqueline Carey’s sundering epic tragedy. Seven shapers created the present races of beings on the body of Uru-Alat. The story mentions all of the shapers in regard to their gifts, birth, and created children, but the three most important are Haomane First-Born, Lord of Thought creator of the Ellylon, Arahila Second-born, the fair, creator of Men, and Satoris Third-born, the sower, creator of none. Haomane gifted his Ellylon with thought and eschewed the gifts of all his brethren save Arahila who gifted them with love. Arahila’s children were touched by time thus she asked not only for the gift of thought for her children but the gift of sowing. Mankind, Children of Arahila were lesser shapers themselves and changed the world to their liking, they bred quickly and soon out paced the timeless Ellylon. Haomane disliked this and demanded thrice that his younger brother Satoris stripe the gift of sowing from Arahila’s children. Satoris, in his pursuit of education saw what would transpire should his gift be torn from the purview of man and refused. Thus did Haomane in his prideful rage bring war between the Shapers and their created children.

This story opens after the first conflicts of the shapers war. Six of the seven shapers are islanded away from their children and set with Haomane against Satoris, while wounded Satoris remains in the lands of man, vilified and loathed by most. Satoris angered at the cruelties he is blamed for and dismayed at the cost that the lesser beings are strapped with continues to refuse his eldest brother’s desire and sets to defend himself.

Comparisons of this book to the J.R.R. Tolkein’s The Lord of the Rings abound, but I think that it is a poorly done comparison. Satoris is labeled evil but his character does not show true evil intent. This cannot be said for the villains in the Lord of the Rings as they do seek true dominion and power over all creatures. Satoris seeks only to allow mankind to retain his blessing and to move through the world unmolested. It is true that he orders atrocities committed in this book, but they are no less justified than the atrocities committed by Haomane’s dutiful followers. In fact they are more justified, as he is the only one of the shapers willing to answer the questions of the lesser beings in full.

Haomane’s wizard seeks to bend the truth and leave gapping holes in reality in order to bend the minds of mankind to his desire. In the end, I think the answer to the premise is no, even if you are labeled evil, you are only as evil as your intent and actions. This book sets the stage for heartbreak, as truly the likeable characters are not those billed as wholly good. (less)

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Apr 09, 2009 Ariestess rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Wow! This book was definitely different. I got it at Value Village for like $2 as it sounded interesting, particularly in light of the high fantasy novel I've been trying to work on for the last 7 years now.

As I read Banewreaker, I was really struggling initially because it seemed like there was too much information to get out about the universe and its religions/creation. I wasn't sure initially that I'd actually finish it, because it was so hard to digest SO MUCH information without knowing wh...more

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Mar 28, 2013 Nick rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Probably one of the most boring books I have ever had the displeasure of reading. I'm a huge fantasy reader and also a fan of the Lord of the Rings (which this was supposed to be an alternate interpretation of). I've read books where the action takes a while to take place. I've also read books that started slow and gradually got more intriguing and compelling about 100 or so pages in. Well I kept waiting for either of those scenarios to happen and they just never did. This book was one giant sno...more

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About Jacqueline Carey

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Jacqueline Carey (born 1964 in Highland Park, Illinois) is an author and novelist, primarily of fantasy fiction.

She attended Lake Forest College, receiving B.A.'s in psychology and English literature. During college, she spent 6 months working in a bookstore as part of a wo...more

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title link	preview: Banewreaker: Volume I of The Sundering
avg rating	preview: Banewreaker: Volume I of The Sundering Goodreads rating: 3.35 (2449 ratings)
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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10805481-banewreaker?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1315805054l/10805481.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10805481-banewreaker?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Banewreaker: Volume I of The Sundering by Jacqueline Carey[/url]

Banewreaker: Volume I of The Sundering (The Sundering #1)

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