Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Godslayer (The Sundering #2)

by Jacqueline Carey (Goodreads Author)

3.61 of 5 stars 3.61 · rating details · 1,739 ratings · 82 reviews

IF ALL THAT IS GOOD CONSIDERS YOU EVIL, ARE YOU?

Once human but now immortal, Supreme Commander Lord Tanaros fled the realm of Men and chose darkness when he killed his adulterous wife and his liege king who cuckholded him. A thousand years have passed in service to his master, the dark god Satoris. The world view Satoris as Evil Prime and the name of Tanaros is the byword...more

Paperback, 416 pages

Published June 27th 2006 by Tor Fantasy (first published 2005)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

Best Books of 2005

196th out of 280 books — 188 voters

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke

Best Fantasy Novels of the 21st century

114th out of 150 books — 21 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 2,818)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Aug 30, 2007 Talkswithwind rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

This is a review for the series. The other book is Banewreaker.

If you hear "Jacqueline Carey" and think Kushiel's Dart, you may be mighty tempted to pick up this series based on that.

Don't.

There are no subby women with bottomless capacities for pain in this series. Heck, it isn't even D'angeline. Very little sex, in fact, and none of it kinky. Different universe completely.

This is rather nakedly The Lord of the Rings but done from the point of view of the Nazgul. At least, that's the concept I t...more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 18, 2008 Pandem rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: everybody

Shelves: fantasy, fiction

(The above date is my most recent reading.)

This book is the companion to Banewreaker, which I've already reviewed; I'd really recommend reading that review first.

As for this one, well. . .the first time I read it, I screamed at it more than once. Just saying.

There are only three words to describe this book.

The first is, "grey." Like the first book, it has no absolutes of good and evil; morality and truth continue to be purely subjective here.

The second word is "excellent." If I hadn't already be...more

2 likes · like · see review

Jul 30, 2010 Bronwyn rated it 5 of 5 stars

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

like · see review

Jul 23, 2010 Oracleofdoom rated it 2 of 5 stars

I loved her Kushiel series. And I knew, getting into these books, that they are essentially Lord of the Rings from the bad guys' point of view. I knew, going in, that this meant it probably wouldn't end well.

I think she did a good job, but the problem is with my personal taste. I cannot stand reading books where the characters do nothing but repeatedly fail at every single thing they do. And that seems to be what these books were about. I know some people must like that sort of thing, otherwise...more

1 like · like · see review

Jul 21, 2012 Macha rated it 4 of 5 stars

sequel to Banewreaker, the pair collected as The Sundering. there's a grandeur to it, the Godslayer forces doggedly trying to outrun both fate and time. and there's a poignancy to the characters, as magnificent in defeat as they are in ascendance. it's a Tolkeinian clash of forces with a world at stake, a larger battle between good and evil. but where it really becomes interesting is: who holds the high ground really on that moral plane? they all have honour, justification, the greater good in m...more

like · see review

Jun 11, 2012 Adam Fuller rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This book is the second half of a duology that had so much potential but wound up managing to throw it all away. The author took the perspective of the "other" side typically found in fantasy novels, and she managed to populate that faction with interesting characters that had their own, legitimate hopes, dreams, and grievances. By doing this she persuades the reader to make an emotional investment in those characters on the "other" side...

BEGIN SPOILERS!!!

...an emotional investment that is ulti...more

like · see review

Mar 20, 2012 K. Bird rated it 4 of 5 stars

If you liked the overly-angsty ridden and stilted formality of the prose in Banewreaker, then you will continue to eat up Godslayer, a direct continuation of the Middle Earthlike tale of Lord Satoris the Sunderer of the World and his three immortal human servants against the "good" allies of Haomane in the world of Urulat.

"Ways of the Marasoumie had been destroyed. Lord Satoris had done this in his wrath. The Dragon of Beshtanag was no more, slain by the Arrow of Fire; the lost weapon, found. Be...more If you liked the overly-angsty ridden and stilted formality of the prose in Banewreaker, then you will continue to eat up Godslayer, a direct continuation of the Middle Earthlike tale of Lord Satoris the Sunderer of the World and his three immortal human servants against the "good" allies of Haomane in the world of Urulat.

"Ways of the Marasoumie had been destroyed. Lord Satoris had done this in his wrath. The Dragon of Beshtanag was no more, slain by the Arrow of Fire; the lost weapon, found. Bereft of her Soumanie, the Sorceress of the East was nothing more than an ordinary woman; Lilias, mortal and powerless. The Were had struck a bitter bargain with Aracus Altorus, ceding to his terms; defeated ere they rose. Aracus was coming, his heart filled with righteous fury, knowing he had been duped."

Thus begins the further exploration of what evil is, and how evil can contain love and how that which is good can become evil so easily. (Reading this book has infected my writing!)

We get more of Tanaros Blacksword's dueling love for Lord Satoris, his Fjeltroll army, and the hostage Lady Cerelinde. More self-sacrifice from both "good" and "bad" characters, and the continuing flow of irony and ichor (how many times can one use "ichor" in a book, without going completely overboard, I wonder, Godslayer at least skims the boundary) from Lord Satoris himself.

And it still isn't stale. Despite the highblown and emotional dialogue of everyone from Fjeltroll to Yarru-yami (aborigine) and the adjective-heavy prose, it's still a delicious journey through good and evil and satisfying to anyone craving Middle Earth.

The ending almost made me knock down my stars to three. Many of the characters lives' are brought to a close, but a main thread is left loose, and while promising hope, we are left with some major gloom and doom from both sides' perspectives.

But I could not get over the pure, self-indulgent pleasure of the prose and the angst-ridden characters that never cross the line into tedium or buffoonery.

This Book's Snack Rating: More Cheetos for the cheesy, compulsive flavor of the prose and the still satisfying crunch of meaty characters.(less)

like · see review

Dec 12, 2012 Erin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Godslayer finishes the Sundering epic fantasy by basically rebuilding the Battle of Helm's Deep (that's from Lord of the Rings if you don't speak dork), only smarter. I don't mean to get down on Tolkien - I do love those books - but he and buddy C.S. Lewis were pretty hung up on the whole good/evil, white hats/black hats binary thing, and Carey is more into how individual choices made by those as great as gods and those as small as birds effect outcomes. Personally I find this the more interesti...more

like · see review

Aug 06, 2012 Wise_owl rated it 5 of 5 stars

I'll start this review by saying this book made me Hate Gandalf. If that isn't a recommendation I don't know what is.

The sequel to Banewrecker, this book continues the tale of an epic fantasy-esque land, at once different yet familiar, in which the forces of Santoris, the Sunderer, the Dark God among the Seven who led to the present world, and his 'minions' are in constant fight against the forces of 'Light'. The thing is of course, we are getting the story from the 'minions' point of view.

The S...more

1 like · like · see review

Jun 18, 2011 Brian rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

I hesitate to give the book three stars, but at the same time I feel four stars is really what it deserves. Unlike BanewreakerGodslayer moves away from some of the LotR motifs but not all. Yes the wizard returns and is garbed all in white and the bearer and his guide face all forms of trails and pain. These trails and the pain of the bearer I think is where Carey diverges from Tolkien. Godslayer left me with a sense that Carey was upset with how Frodo was treated in LotR and she drew a sharp com...more I hesitate to give the book three stars, but at the same time I feel four stars is really what it deserves. Unlike BanewreakerGodslayer moves away from some of the LotR motifs but not all. Yes the wizard returns and is garbed all in white and the bearer and his guide face all forms of trails and pain. These trails and the pain of the bearer I think is where Carey diverges from Tolkien. Godslayer left me with a sense that Carey was upset with how Frodo was treated in LotR and she drew a sharp comparison to the ordeal he had undergone. Dani the Bearer is nothing more than a pawn in Malthus' game to wrest power from Satoris (aka the Dark Lord). While Gandalf is very similar to Malthus the compassion and care he gives the Hobbits makes him a greater than Malthus who seeks only to bring about Haomane's will (departed god).

Carey does a wonderful job of blurring the lines of good and evil. She gets the reader to question whether or not the villains are truly villains or are they the real heroes. Cast against the unbending forces of good it is really easy to see them in a positive light. The Three make their return and are once again the best part of the novel. Add this time is the trails of the Bearer and the pain of the Sorceress of the East who is now mortal for the first time in hundreds or thousands of years and watches as her once pristine body begins to wither. Her role is really interesting and adds a new depth to the story.

Other than the obvious Tolkien homage (being nice) there were several instances of editorial failure. Often times misspellings of a word that gave the wrong thoughts to a section and at other times character names were wrong. I do not blame the author for these, but I do feel that the editors need to be held accountable.

In the end I liked this book much better than the first. For those who have not read the first I wish there was a way for you to skip it and just read this one. I guess just skim through it with out thinking about anything else and it might be alright, but for sure read this one. (less)

like · see review

Jun 26, 2011 Ron rated it 5 of 5 stars

Godslayer is not quite the second book of The Sundering series. It is the second half of a single story, and it is impossible to read one instalment without reading the other.

While Banewreaker depicted a world tethering on the verge of war, closing off with the inevitable fall into conflict, Godslayer offers us an agonising resolution to the epic struggle of thought versus passion: the tension mounts with every new development. Even when we think that the rope is so taut that it must surely bre...more Godslayer is not quite the second book of The Sundering series. It is the second half of a single story, and it is impossible to read one instalment without reading the other.

While Banewreaker depicted a world tethering on the verge of war, closing off with the inevitable fall into conflict, Godslayer offers us an agonising resolution to the epic struggle of thought versus passion: the tension mounts with every new development. Even when we think that the rope is so taut that it must surely break Ms. Carey keeps on weaving her tale, taking us to higher and higher places... And setting us up for an ending that should leave no one untouched.

The Sundering series is a deconstruction of the Lords of the Rings so the reader knows – thinks he knows – the ending. Actually, we think we know what is going to happen from the very beginning. And... we are not wrong, entirely. We are far from right, though. The characters, who are the ones driving this particular story, add all sorts of nuances to the tale. There are twists we would not expect, gestures that leave us gaping in wonder, and an underlying hopeless hope for Satoris to be left alone and in peace shadows our every step of the way.

This is perhaps the best aspect: suspension of belief, perfectly achieved. We know, but we hope. And thus the tension is born and it never lets up.

Another most interesting aspect of Godslayer is the way it makes us think. Fantasy is often used to address issues such as racism, sexism, good versus evil... Most books do this using half-breds, charismatic heroines and orcs versus elves. It is nothing new. But to change the point of reference, to explore the views of those both sides, to be able to empathize with both sides of the field... That makes for an entirely new level of grey, and for some nutritious food for thought. And on top of these classic themes, Jacqueline Carey presents us with a chance to reconsider the meaning of loyalty, of heroes, of destiny, of fate, of the choices we make and of so many other things. I could not have asked anything more from a book.

The characters keep the same voice and feeling they had in Banewreaker, while they react and evolve according to their circumstances and to the events. They are alive in their own world, and they are consistent with their motivations, their beliefs, their hopes. Particularly touching is the Sorceress from the East and her loneliness. Or Satoris and his honour, his humanity even in godhood. The Lady Cerelinde, whose kindness is an invisible knife in truth.

And Tanaros, always Tanaros.

Godslayer is not just a great book. The Sundering is not just an amazing series. I feel I'm the richer person now that I've read it.

Godslayer made me cry. Not many tales can touch you so deeply, and I'd never change that experience. (less)

like · see review

Oct 05, 2011 Darlene rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Jacqueline Carey fans

Recommended to Darlene by: Jacqueline Carey

Shelves: fantasy, jacqueline-carey, kindle

Um, yeah. Not as exciting as Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel's series. The story felt predictable to me. Yet, I couldn't stop reading. Was up until three in the morning finishing the book. I think what kept me reading was HOW the ending would happen and HOW it would be justified. Meanwhile, the talent of a poet brings to life a whole world never seen except in Ms. Carey's imagination.

I tried to decide WHY I cared about any of the characters. The good guys; not exactly all that, and the bad have reaso...more

like · see review

Jun 08, 2012 Debra rated it 3 of 5 stars

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

like · see review

Oct 26, 2010 John rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure-fantasy, 3

My dear sister-in-law once said of Romeo and Juliet that it would have been much shorter and happier if the people in it would simply talk to each other. And that is very true of Godslayer. I would like to say that this book is a study of lack of communication and how prejudices can hurt, and that the author meant to say this or that about all kinds of social subjects and that it's all one big allegory for the Civil Rights Movement or something. But I don't think it is. It's just a story, and it...more My dear sister-in-law once said of Romeo and Juliet that it would have been much shorter and happier if the people in it would simply talk to each other. And that is very true of Godslayer. I would like to say that this book is a study of lack of communication and how prejudices can hurt, and that the author meant to say this or that about all kinds of social subjects and that it's all one big allegory for the Civil Rights Movement or something. But I don't think it is. It's just a story, and it's a good story. Occasionally you want to reach through the pages and slap the characters, but they're the characters in the book and not some real life equivalent.

We left our anti-heroes and anti-villains at the end of Banewreaker all tied up in knots over the imminent war that the other side started. No matter who you ask in this series it's always the other side's fault. And they are usually right. Through out Godslayer it becomes increasingly apparent that the "Good" guys started the war to keep up a peaceful, but entirely un-human, status quo in which nothing bad ever happened, but also nothing ever changed, there was no progress. And the "Bad" guys want the war... well, mainly because their Lord wants it. But He wants it because he has actually see the Real Plan, has seen the birth and death of the ages and the worlds and knows that it's all part of a pattern that's meant to happen. And He wants it to happen, even if it means his end. I would have inserted a spoiler alert just there, but the main "baddie", Lord Satoris, comes right out and say just that at the beginning of the book. I think he even says it in Banewreaker at some point. He even tells several people exactly how it's all supposed to go down, but either no one believes him or they don't understand what he's saying. It's as if he says: "The end is nigh, and this is how it will happen." And people hear: "Ham gives you brain worms, so wear pink on Wednesday." Then his underlings and even his enemies hear this and say; "My Lord, I don't understand." and Satoris just gets tired of them and sends them away without bothering to explain.

But who cares. If they got it at first this would be a boring book. Once again the parallels to Tolkien abound, but in even less order than Banewreaker. For those of you versed in Tolkien Lore, you will see the Grey Rider become White at the very beginning of Godslayer/end of Banewreaker, and the ascent of Sauron at the end of Godslayer. The Breaking of the Fellowship halfway through Banewreaker ends with the Chaining of Hurin towards the end of Godslayer. Ms Carey seems to have definitely read and borrowed elements from Tolkien, but put them in her own order to make her own story. (Big readers of Robert Jordan could see this as the events of Middle Earth on another turning of the Wheel of Time. [psst! I did])

So the verdict is in and it is good. Read these books. It won't take you very long and you'll feel better about yourself when you're done.

Unless you have to have a happy ending. Then don't.(less)

like · see review

May 23, 2012 Barbara rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

This one is better than part one. That is until the endgame starts. Then it feels like carey has a list with names of persons who have to die and works through them one by one without feeling or eye to the story.
(view spoiler)
But maybe that is just my opinion. Maybe I was just disappointed because I expected so much...more

like · see review

Jun 02, 2012 Russ rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I had heard such good things about this two book series, good things from authors I enjoy. It was supposed to be incredibly novel (pun intended) and look at high fantasy from the viewpoint of the bad guys. Many said it was pretty much Lord of the Rings through Sauron's eyes.

The description of the book is certainly true. It is a sort of novel approach, but I just don't think it's written that well. It is very high fantasy, and I just felt like that made it go a little slow. A lot of nothing happe...more

like · see review

Aug 04, 2010 Rachel rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I'd previously enjoyed books by the author of Godslayer, Jacqueline Carey. Her Kushiel books were thick stories of political intrigue in a fantasy world (with more focus on the courtesans than I appreciated, but that happens), and I loved the cover of the first book in this duology when I picked it up, so high hopes ensued.

Before I began reading Banewreaker, I had heard a vague rumor around the internet (because I can't remember where exactly), that the inspiration for the story was a what-if: W...more I'd previously enjoyed books by the author of Godslayer, Jacqueline Carey. Her Kushiel books were thick stories of political intrigue in a fantasy world (with more focus on the courtesans than I appreciated, but that happens), and I loved the cover of the first book in this duology when I picked it up, so high hopes ensued.

Before I began reading Banewreaker, I had heard a vague rumor around the internet (because I can't remember where exactly), that the inspiration for the story was a what-if: What If Sauron wasn't the bad guy Middle Earth thought he was? This sounding like a fascinating jumping-off point- an interesting take on good, evil, and how people can be manipulated into one or the other.

What I didn't count on was that it wasn't so much inspired by LotR as a near-direct mirror image copy. I tried, really hard, to give the books a chance. I slogged through the difficult-to-get-into first half of the first book, and then found myself having an easier time telling what was going on simply because of the relation to LotR.

Yes, there were a few characters that weren't exact copies of Tolkien's, but those were few. I found myself annoyed by the lack of originality, and irritated by the total lack of empathy that any of the characters inspired. I've always found it difficult to tolerate stories that are blatant rip-offs, but this was one of the worst offenders I've ever dealt with.

Fast-forward several years, and I found the second book at Half-Price Books, and figured it couldn't possibly be as dreadful as I remembered. So I bought it. And it took me months upon months to dreg up the interest enough to actually start reading this book.

Oh, it was hard to read. Again, it took my a good quarter of the book before I sank into the rhythm of just remembering characters by their LotR equivalents, and the parallels (to be as kind as possible) grated on my nerves.

Add in the fact that it was difficult to read at work based merely on the title... for example:

Customer: Godslayer! What a terrible title!
Me: It's a fantasy novel.
Customer: Well! Talking about killing gods! (flounces off)
Me: (sigh...)

...and you get a book that while I was able to finish it, I didn't enjoy it. At all.

Seriously, they even have the White Wizard on a White Horse, convincing the people who are known for their Awesome Horses to fight back against The Bad Guy (who is soooooo emo and not at all sympathetic or A Good Guy), the King of Men taking his throne and wedding The Elf Chick, while his sidekick dies to buy time for The Bearer (of a clay vial and not a ring) and his companion to get down to the bowels of The Bad Guy's Fortress and enable the death of The Bad Guy by falling into a pit of lava.

I am not kidding.(less)

like · see review

Jul 09, 2012 Matthew rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 10toreadb4grrm, fantasy

Like the rating states ... I liked it. It wasn't earth-shattering or so full of philosophical awesomeness that my worldview changed. It's a decent story with excellently written characters. I liked the viewpoint it was written from and the critique it had on good vs. evil, but it was just ok. I could definitely tell it was written by a woman because it focused a significant more time on relationship and talking about getting to the important times. The number of times we were reminded who a char...more

like · see review

Sep 11, 2012 Julia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: written-reviews

This two-book series is so in-depth and full of so much detail, I do not recommend reading the first and the second book very far apart. Read them one after the other, no other books in between. In my case, it has been a few years since I read the first book, Banewreaker, around the time when I first discovered Jacqueline Carey's novels and began to devour them. So I started Godslayer feeling slightly confused for a chapter or two, because Jacqueline Carey's world building is sooooooo intricate,...more This two-book series is so in-depth and full of so much detail, I do not recommend reading the first and the second book very far apart. Read them one after the other, no other books in between. In my case, it has been a few years since I read the first book, Banewreaker, around the time when I first discovered Jacqueline Carey's novels and began to devour them. So I started Godslayer feeling slightly confused for a chapter or two, because Jacqueline Carey's world building is sooooooo intricate, and I needed to relearn Uru-alat's history all over again.

This book is the first time in a long while I was cheering for the "bad guy" the whole time. I didn't like the "good guys"; I thought they were pretentious pricks. I really do understand Tanaros's reaction to finding out about his wife's affair (in the worst way possible, of course). I don't think that his descendants were making up for much, considering who betrayed who. The great white wizard was an asshole with no empathy. The "evil" god was all-accepting and (I thought) more loving.

Jacqueline Carey is a master world builder. Granted, Uru-alat and its "history" are very confusing because of how complicated it is. One of the reasons I strongly suggest reading both books very close together. The story has the feel of Middle Earth, with the different "races" and a Frodo character thrown in, but with seven "gods" added to the mix. The only god you get to meet is the equivalent of the devil, but he is so much more awesome than the god who is the "good" one (this is only my opinion of course). Carey builds Uru-alat better than Tolkein builds Middle Earth, I think. Too much death of the major characters... three are left at the end. And I hate all three of them.

If you are looking for the same type of content from her Kushiel and Naamah series, it's not here. This is a book about epic battles and failures and successes, mostly from the point-of-view of the "bad guys." No sex (although I don't really think it would fit into this story anyway). I really really really wanted the bad guys to win this time. I knew they weren't going to. Those damn prophesies...(less)

like · see review

Aug 18, 2012 Cassandra rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: People who love Lord of the Rings or epic fantasy

Shelves: fantasy

My review of Banewreaker, the first part of the series, is here: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

If you are thinking about reading Godslayer but haven't read Banewreaker yet, don't. The two are parts of one overall story; neither stands alone - so much so that I wondered as I was reading them whether Carey had written them as one book and her publisher had decided to split them into two.

I think Godslayer is the better book - it's much easier to get absorbed in - but it has the advantage...more

like · see review

Oct 28, 2011 Aster rated it 3 of 5 stars

Lord of The Rings, but with Character Development and Moral Ambiguity! What's not to love?

If you're interested in knowing more that surface level about what makes evil so evil, why heroes persist in their quests, and what's really in it for the wizard, this series should be your thing. It's high fantasy with believable people and realistic, human-scale (and dragon-scale) motivations and conflicts. (If you like Jacqueline Carey for the eroticism and romance, look elsewhere, that's not what's goi...more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 19, 2012 Christal rated it 2 of 5 stars

Def not my favorite by Carey, whom I generally love. This comprises both books in one, and while Banewreaker couldn't live up to my expectations, Godslayer was worse. I couldn't feel for most of the characters, they were 2 dimensional. It's supposed to be an epic fantasy from the villains point of view, only I couldn't find it interesting enough to feel anything for the villains or want to be sympathetic to their plight. The one lord of the shadows was very interesting, and his halfings as well,...more

like · see review

May 02, 2012 Seak (Bryce L.) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009, fantasy

Old review:

What an amazing conclusion to a great series. I really don't know why I'm even writing a review, if you liked the first, you'll have to continue with this whether I say so or not. But definitely do so.

In some of the interviews I read of Jacqueline Carey on The Sundering series, she always mentions that it is a tragedy, so I don't feel too bad letting you know that she is correct. No matter how much I wanted it to be different, it was so. But, that only makes the amazingly well-crafted...more

5 likes · like · see review

Feb 29, 2008 Nakki rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: everyone

Recommended to Nakki by: adriel montoya

Shelves: fantasy

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

like · see review

Jun 22, 2012 Jackie rated it 5 of 5 stars

To start, I loved it. Both books. I admit, though, at the beginning, I knew there was no way it could end happy, and it made me a little reluctant. I like happy endings. Despite that, I couldn't stop thinking and talking about these books. It's the other side of the story, tragic and doomed, and also so relatable- not in an emo way, but I could see in the fight between the opposing sides an echo of the religious argument we are surrounded by today. I highly recommend it.

like · see review

Sep 13, 2009 Delaina rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was such a fascinating read. I was intensely interested in finding out how closely Carey would follow the familiar plot lines of epic journey fantasies, to see what she would do with it in this inverted telling. I had the feeling of being backstage, watching strings being pulled and hearing confessions, seeing the heroes through other characters' eyes. Carey does a commendable job with this dark vision of a Tolkein-esque epic.

like · see review

Nov 26, 2008 Nikki rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

You know what's coming, and yet it's still a punch to the gut. Some things actually caught me by surprise, in some ways, while making absolute sense in the end. The similarities to Tolkien are still very strong, but it brings something new to it as well: the noble enemy, the moral ambiguity. Deaths of characters who would be seen as completely evil from the other side of the argument turn out to be noble sacrifices. A lady gets a chance to kill her side's greatest enemy, and hesitates. Love grow...more

like · see review

Mar 02, 2010 jD rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: different-and-strange, paranormal-political, genre_fantasy, fantasy_adventure_worldbuilding

I did not like the ending of this book. It reminds me not so much of LotR but more like Scarface. Only three people survived that film at the end. If not for the Kushniel series I would not have anything positive to say about Ms. Carey writing. She is very talented and usually balances her stories in the end. It made no sense how this was a worthy ending for all the characters.

like · see review

Jul 30, 2012 Katrina rated it 5 of 5 stars

A deliberately derivative mythology that has remarkable, unique elements of its own; a shadow tale of the Tolkien quest that gives us the hearts and minds of every side, most significantly that of the Enemy. This is a heavy, portentous read that nonetheless carries you along, aching all the while.

This chapter broke my heart.

like · see review

Jul 17, 2009 Janet rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of high fantasy and The Lord of the Rings

Shelves: fantasy, kindle

Carey brings her Sundering duology to a hard but satisfying finish. The characters on both sides of the conflict are all driven by their deepest values, but Carey focuses her attention on the valor, loyalty, and dignity of the so-called "forces of darkness" and on the pivotal choices of those who do not seem powerful enough to shape great events.

1 like · like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 93 94 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

combine
Other Editions (5)

More editions...

Genres

Fantasy

237 users

Science Fiction Fantasy

14 users

Fantasy > Epic Fantasy

11 users

Fantasy > High Fantasy

9 users

Romance

4 users

Heroic Fantasy > Sword And Sorcery

4 users

Speculative Fiction

4 users

Tragedy

3 users

Adult Fiction

3 users

Fantasy > Dark Fantasy

3 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

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

More about Jacqueline Carey...

Books by Jacqueline Carey

Kushiel's Justice (Imriel's Trilogy, #2)

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Godslayer

1 quiz

More quizzes & trivia...

title link	preview: Godslayer
avg rating	preview: Godslayer Goodreads rating: 3.61 (1739 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40220.Godslayer?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1316727907l/40220.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40220.Godslayer?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Godslayer by Jacqueline Carey[/url]

Godslayer (The Sundering #2)

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website