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 chos... read full description
Once human but now immortal, Supreme Commander Lord Tanaros fled the realm of Men and chos... read full description
reviews
Aug 30, 2007
Talkswithwind
rated it: 
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 poi More...
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 poi More...
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Mar 18, 2008
Pandem
rated it: 
(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 More...
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 More...
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Jul 30, 2010
Bronwyn
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Jul 23, 2010
Oracleofdoom
rated it: 
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 More...
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 More...
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Jun 18, 2011
Brian
rated it: 
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
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Jun 26, 2011
Ron
rated it:
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 More...
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 More...
Oct 05, 2011
Darlene
rated it:
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 More...
I tried to decide WHY I cared about any of the characters. The good guys; not exactly all that, and the bad More...
Oct 26, 2010
John
rated it:
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, an
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Sep 13, 2010
Rachel
rated it: 
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Oct 28, 2011
Aster
rated it:
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 no More...
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 no More...
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Feb 29, 2008
Nakki
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Sep 13, 2009
Delaina
rated it:
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.
Nov 26, 2008
Nikki
rated it:
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
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Mar 02, 2010
jD
rated it:
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.
Jul 17, 2009
Janet
rated it:
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.
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Jul 03, 2009
Robb
rated it:
I would have given this a 3.5, but I wanted to show that I clearly preferred this one to the first in the series.
The tagline for this pair of books is, "If all the is good believes you are evil, are you?" I'm paraphrasing, of course, but it presents an interesting premise, but I'm not entirely sure that the stories really addressed this particular conundrum.
In spite of the fact that I enjoyed the tale and, especially, the characters, it's hard for me to avoid c More...
The tagline for this pair of books is, "If all the is good believes you are evil, are you?" I'm paraphrasing, of course, but it presents an interesting premise, but I'm not entirely sure that the stories really addressed this particular conundrum.
In spite of the fact that I enjoyed the tale and, especially, the characters, it's hard for me to avoid c More...
Sep 27, 2010
Greymalkin
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Oct 21, 2011
Aaminah
rated it:
This duology is absolutely heartbreaking. OK so we all know exactly where it's going to go, it's just a retelling of Tolkein from the dark side, but it's done so well I still rail at the unfairness of it all and root for "my" side. Definitely not one with a satisfying ending, it leaves you feeling a little hollow.
Sep 17, 2009
Karen
rated it:
This 2-book story is excellent -- the ending lives up to the premise and doesn't devolve into simpler tropes. The author does a great job of keeping the characters true to themselves, and seems to let the plot play out to its conclusion. I couldn't put it down, because I couldn't predict how each scene would go. In some ways I wish the story continued, but I'm afraid it wouldn't be as good.
Feb 02, 2011
Clare
rated it:
Brush up on your Tolkien so you can settle into Jacqueline Carey’s loving and deep deconstruction of The Lord of the Rings in The Sundering. This is how series are supposed to be written. You have got to make this series a priority.
Feb 06, 2008
Sbuchler
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Apr 19, 2010
Justin
rated it:
Awesome part 2 of 2 in a cool twist on the fantasy genre. It's told from the bad guy's perspective, and you see that sometimes the evil lord of fantasy land is not always a bad guy.
Oct 01, 2009
Kim
rated it:
Godslayer continues the stories begun in Banewreaker and brings this duology to an outstanding--and heartbreaking--conclusion. I can't help it; I want her to write more in this world.
Jun 09, 2009
John
rated it:
A satisfying and compelling conclusion to this 2 book series. Told, usually, through the eyes of Tanaros the extremely conflicted wife and Kingslayer, the story moves at a good pace towards the resolution of what slowly begins feeling like an inevitable conclusion.
Carey continues to do a great job inspecting what defines good and evil and whether those terms even matter when the majority of people think you are evil anyway.
While I enjoyed the Kushiel series, in many ways More...
Carey continues to do a great job inspecting what defines good and evil and whether those terms even matter when the majority of people think you are evil anyway.
While I enjoyed the Kushiel series, in many ways More...
Sep 01, 2009
Kat
rated it:
I wanted to love these books, I did. I love Carey's Kushiel's series! I couldn't finish this one, just too dark without purpose for me...
Jan 18, 2011
Don
rated it:
Fascinating conclusion. Ended all too soon. Tanaros, Ushahin, Vorax and the dark lord Satoris deserved better.
Jun 30, 2010
Brent
rated it:
Lord of the Rings from the bad guys perspective. Unique point of view, but I like my hero's to win.
Oct 20, 2010
Sarah
rated it:
This seemed very Lord of the Rings-esque to me but was different enough to be an enjoyable read and I admit that it ended differently than I expected to. But I wish it hadn't. Very good book!
Dec 28, 2009
mybluesunset
rated it:
It's a good sequel, and a good concept, but the story never connected.
