Servant of a Dark God (Dark Gods, #1)

Nov 29, 2010 Chris Hawks rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: owned, reviewed, review-copies

Hum. Hrm. Where to start? I enjoyed Servant of a Dark God, for the most part. In general, books I enjoy get 3 stars as a baseline rating, to be modified in full- or half-star increments depending on my feelings toward the book. Overall, John Brown's debut novel did enough right to avoid a 2.5-star rating, but not enough to earn 3.5 stars.

What did it do right? First off, there's an interesting magic system. Essentially, the consumption of life-force as a kind of magical power source. Not a brand...more Hum. Hrm. Where to start? I enjoyed Servant of a Dark God, for the most part. In general, books I enjoy get 3 stars as a baseline rating, to be modified in full- or half-star increments depending on my feelings toward the book. Overall, John Brown's debut novel did enough right to avoid a 2.5-star rating, but not enough to earn 3.5 stars.

What did it do right? First off, there's an interesting magic system. Essentially, the consumption of life-force as a kind of magical power source. Not a brand new concept by any means, but it's handled well, and it's a nice change of pace from generic fantasy magic. The social setting is also interesting, with clans of varying social status, and further clans out on the periphery; not to mention the true rulers back across the ocean—the book taking place on what is essentially colonial territory. There's a nice mix of introspection and action. And a surprise twist near the end that casts earlier events in a new light.

What did it do not-so-right? The big problem here, I think, is the protagonist, the young boy Talen. The world John Brown has devised needs an "innocent" main character to bring the reader in, a character whose role is to be as perplexed as the reader when confronted with mysteries outside his own knowledge of the world. And indeed, a child is often the best vehicle for this. But it's also become such a cliche that readers like myself practically groan aloud when we open a book, only to discover that "oh look, another young boy who'll mature into his special destiny and save the world/defeat the wizard etc." That's one strike against the book already, but sometimes an author can totally pull it off (see last year's ER book, The Warded Man by Peter V. Brett.) Talen actually compounds the child-as-protagonist problem by being totally unrelatable, and a complete jerk to boot. That's not to say that's he's mean by nature; he's justified in his thinking by his own worldview. But the reader begins to catch on to things long before Talen does, and thus finds himself in the awkward position of rooting against the protagonist. By contrast, chapters told from the perspective of adult characters "in the know" I personally found to be far more enjoyable. Another issue I had with the book was the aforementioned plot twist. Yes, it's interesting, but it also comes very much out of left field, as does the book's Big Bad Guy. At the very least, some foreshadowing would have been nice. Finally, it is a very, very bleak book. Yes, happy ending and all that, and relatively bloodless, but husbands are killed, wives are tortured, children and families devoured. A lot of my favorite authors love putting their characters through the proverbial wringer (Donaldson and Erikson, I'm looking at you) but it seems so much more merciless (and merely plot-servicing) here.

Like I said, I enjoyed it. And in all honesty, I think a lot of readers will really like it. I just had a hard time caring.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Dec 21, 2011 Somewhatbent rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: lt, early, reviewer-s, copy

Nightstand Novel?[return][return]As a debut novel Servant of a Dark God is an extraordinarily ambitious undertaking. At 442 pages, plus appendices, it has the bulk and complexity to turn ones’ brain to powder if it fails to engage. It’s not strictly Fantasy, though there are elements of Magics. It is strong Speculative Fiction but not constrained by genre limits. It is a reality construct unto itself which takes what it needs from where it finds it.[return][return]The Universe is well constructe...more Nightstand Novel?[return][return]As a debut novel Servant of a Dark God is an extraordinarily ambitious undertaking. At 442 pages, plus appendices, it has the bulk and complexity to turn ones’ brain to powder if it fails to engage. It’s not strictly Fantasy, though there are elements of Magics. It is strong Speculative Fiction but not constrained by genre limits. It is a reality construct unto itself which takes what it needs from where it finds it.[return][return]The Universe is well constructed; with form and shading, multiple Cultural Contexts .[return][return]The interactions between the various factions are colored by their perceptions of themselves, each other, and these may vary widely, and are excellent source of tension and interaction. There are racial, tribal, classist and religious elements – some of which can interact or overlap with ease, some which seem to be absolutely immutable this Universe/Societal structure. A society with a history of wars – some in which our factions are united against others in order to prevail – some where they’ve faced defeat and disgrace.[return][return]Interpersonal interactions along family/clan/tribal lines have apparently predictable patterns, but as the story develops we see that not all the patterns are as rigid nor are things ever entirely as they initially seem – for the characters and reader both. There is a great deal of interplay in the weaving of the different stories. There are subtle interplays of politics and region, warrior and farm worker, healer and orphaned child. There is pleasure of seeing how the players change as they see more of their own bigger picture. [return] [return]The story develops solidly, not at break-neck pace, nor leaving threads hanging behind for too long. As the scale of the story becomes apparent, the breadth and depth appear. The book stands on its own feet very well, without any great gaping plot holes or hanks of thread that go nowhere, but it’s easy to imagine that there’s a LOT more story to tell. Servant of a Dark God is, in fact, the first of a three book contract with Tor. John Brown has created an artful construct and I’m looking forward to seeing where he takes us next.[return][return][return]To answer my opening question; is it a nightstand novel? Only if you don’t care to sleep. I did, in fact, read it at one sitting, into the wee small hours of morning – and find the recliner a far superior place to do that.(less)

like · see review

Jul 13, 2012 Peter E. Frangel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: epic-fantasy, 2010

I remember the first fantasy novel I fell in love with. Magician: Apprentice, by Raymond E. Feist. If you’ve never read the Riftwar Saga, than you’re missing out. Needless is it for me to say that after finishing all four books of that series, I went on a search…a hunt of sorts. I needed to find a novel or a series of novels that would quench my cravings for the type of world and mastery of the language that R.E. Feist had shown me. Throughout the years, I’ve found some that were lacking to acco...more I remember the first fantasy novel I fell in love with. Magician: Apprentice, by Raymond E. Feist. If you’ve never read the Riftwar Saga, than you’re missing out. Needless is it for me to say that after finishing all four books of that series, I went on a search…a hunt of sorts. I needed to find a novel or a series of novels that would quench my cravings for the type of world and mastery of the language that R.E. Feist had shown me. Throughout the years, I’ve found some that were lacking to accomplish this and some that were in my opinion better even. But nothing ever reminded me of it and eventually I had forgotten what had got me started into the genre in the first place. Until now…

Putting comparisons aside for a moment, lets look at Servant of a Dark God on its own. Frankly, it’s difficult for an author to start a book in a way that makes you fall in love with the world and the characters right away. And, honestly, some authors have a hard time making you appreciate the lead character at all. But this is not a problem for John Brown. As a matter of fact, I believe that this is one of his strengths.

Can I stress how important good characters are to a story? I don’t care what anybody else says, if you don’t care for the character then you won’t care for the story. From the get go, John takes us into a world that is rich and well thought out, full of characters that are unique and lovable. But though the characters themselves are original and unique, the emotions and feelings they express are not. What they experience inside their minds and hearts is what most of us are able to feel at any given moment and its truthful. It speaks to the reader because it’s genuine. I’ve caught myself many times, in the process of reading this book, thinking “I can understand that,” or “I totally know what he’s thinking, that’s what I would think too.” That is talent, and it works to the advantage of the story itself.

As far as plot goes, I thought it was brilliant, but let me explain why and you can decide from there. If you take the entire story as a whole, you may think that it is similar to other things that have already been written (and really, there are so many books out there, I’m sure you could say the same of any book). But here’s what caught me off guard. Keeping spoilers at bay, the story you start with – or the story you think you are starting – isn’t necessarily the one you end with. Servant of a Dark God takes you on what I like to call the “how the crap did it come to this’ journey. Allow me to expound:

In simple words, there are stories that allow you to expect what the outcome will be or needs to be. You read the first few chapters and already know where the rest of it is going. Then there are the stories that lead you in one direction but take two, three, four…however many turns before you get to where the author wants you. When you get to the end and look at how it began, you realize that you never could have guessed it. Thus, you wonder ‘how the crap did it get to this?’

Now, this is not saying that every little aspect of the book is like this, there are some elements that are expected and even maybe a little too predictable, in my opinion. I think I might have expected some twists here and there that never came to pass. I was making myself hope for things that would have made the plot even more surprising, but they didn’t always come true. But what’s to say that what I found predictable wasn’t a surprise to others?

I’ll finish with writing style. I found John’s writing and descriptions to be intricate and luring in the most simple of ways. No big words, no tirades and no lengthy descriptions. It’s straight to the point, subtly eloquent and visually engaging.

Now, can Servant of a Dark God and the rest of the upcoming series give me what I had lost after finishing the Riftwar saga? Well, my opinion would be completely biased, say I’ll only say ‘We”ll see”. But the fact that it reminded me of Riftwar by the style, the character development and other factors is pretty substantial. Anybody who has read Raymond E. Feist will now that me even comparing anybody to him is making a bold statement.

Props to John Brown on his first novel. Written and executed like an author who truly knows what he is doing.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Jan 19, 2012 Chase Folmar rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

This book drags its stubby little feet trying to reach the hill of fantasy epic, but trips over its itself and falls into the worst pit any book can fall in: boring. The author tries to create this complex world filled with social tension and class struggle, but the way he describes it is pure exposition dumping, often interrupting character dialogue or actions to describe a key point of the culture that should have been shown in something the characters actually did. "Show, don't tell." It comp...more This book drags its stubby little feet trying to reach the hill of fantasy epic, but trips over its itself and falls into the worst pit any book can fall in: boring. The author tries to create this complex world filled with social tension and class struggle, but the way he describes it is pure exposition dumping, often interrupting character dialogue or actions to describe a key point of the culture that should have been shown in something the characters actually did. "Show, don't tell." It completely breaks any momentum the story gets, which isn't much at all. The world created by the author is extremely small and doesn't seem grand or epic at all. There are only two or three cities(mostly small villages actually) that we ever see, and then here, where detail would have helped sell the scale of these places, we get nothing. Often characters will talk about events going on across the sea in a much bigger civilization, and i think, "wow, it sounds really interesting over there, why can't our story be there?"
Now, the characters aren't terrible and most of them are fleshed out and act reasonable. And usually, I'm a fan of different POV's from different people's perspective, but here it completely ruins any tension that could have happened and makes the main character Talen quite annoying. When he suspects Sugar of being evil, it makes sense because of the culture he's used to and their fear of these things. But when there is a POV chapter one chapter before Talen's where we see everything in Sugar's mind and know she's not evil, it makes Talen's actions seem useless and stupid. Also, probably the most annoying character for me was Hunger, who for some reason lots of other people like in the reviews I've read. When I hear the name "Hunger," I imagine a monster so consumed with the desire to feed (whether it be meat or souls) that it controls any kind of personality and renders it an unthinking, unfeeling machine. But Hunger here is always whining, always complaining about how he doesn't want to serve Mother any more, always trying to do something to get away from her. It's so repetitive and boring, made worse when towards the end, he finally gives into her and agrees to do anything she asks. What was the point then?
Even with books I don't enjoy, I usually try to finish the whole thing, but I didn't make it to the end of this one and never once regretted it, never once wondered how it ended. And if that happens, the story is not good. (less)

like · see review

Sep 16, 2011 Matt Heppe rated it 4 of 5 stars

Review: Servant of a Dark God

The novel’s events take place in a world where the use of magic is strictly controlled by powerful magic wielders know as Divines. A rebel group, the Order, is secretly growing their organization in the hope they will one day overthrow the Divines. When one of the rebels is exposed, Talen, a young farm boy, finds himself caught in the middle of the ensuing conflict.

Characters

The novel does not have a single protagonist, nor does it have a single point of view. The ma...more Review: Servant of a Dark God

The novel’s events take place in a world where the use of magic is strictly controlled by powerful magic wielders know as Divines. A rebel group, the Order, is secretly growing their organization in the hope they will one day overthrow the Divines. When one of the rebels is exposed, Talen, a young farm boy, finds himself caught in the middle of the ensuing conflict.

Characters

The novel does not have a single protagonist, nor does it have a single point of view. The main character is Talen, the son of a prosperous farmer. He is a well-written, but sometimes irritating character who steadfastly stays true to his beliefs. I didn’t always like his thoughts or actions, but they were realistic and believable actions for him to take. The reader also spends a good bit of the book in other characters’ POV’s--for most part those of Talen’s friends and family. I will not go through all of them, but will simply say that they were distinct characters with their own interesting story lines. One of my favorite POV’s was that of Hunger, a dreadful, powerful monster.

World Building

Good world building is extremely important for me as a reader. Without it I cannot build the willing suspension of disbelief required to become fully engaged in the novel. Having said that, John Brown has done an fabulous job at world building. The magic system is unique and interesting. There are no fireballs or spells of invisibility, instead magic-capable people steal Fire and Soul from others in an effort to multiply their own strength and longevity. The world building also includes a very realistic conflict between foreign overlords and the oppressed locals they have conquered. The cultures are creative and believable, with their own rules and rites. I’m also pleased by the fact that Brown knows his weapons and armor (as well as the tools of everyday living). Nobody tries to “load” a bow (is that longbow magazine fed, or bolt action?) and they draw their bows with a thumb-ring. Small details like these, well-placed, enhance the realism of Servants of a Dark God.

Engagement/Willing suspension of disbelief

For most of the novel I was completely engaged in the story. The process of discovery and the ever-growing threat to the protagonists had me reading the novel as fast as I could. As the novel reached its climax there were two elements that pulled me out of the story. One was the non-stop series of disasters that befell the protagonists. It was relentlessly grim--to the point I believed only a miracle could save the day. The problem is, miracles are really unbelievable. I want the protagonists to save the day. The story got to the point where I didn’t believe they could realistically do it. This left me expecting an unrealistic ending and not fully engaged. The other aspect that pulled me out was the incredible power some of the magic wielding humans and creatures possessed. Anyone on the next “level” above you in the hierarchy of magical power was completely out of your league. You had absolutely no hope of defeating them.

These were not major flaws in the novel, but they did create some space between me and the story. They certainly did not slow the pace of my reading. I had the novel in my hands every moment I could spare.

Impact

Despite the small complaints, I highly recommend this book. It was a great adventure in a wonderfully realized world. The richly textured world and unique magic system are still with me days after finishing the novel. I look forward to what the author will bring us in his next novel. (less)

1 like · like · see review

Jun 15, 2011 Critical Mind rated it 3 of 5 stars

Servant of a Dark God is rambling, eccentric adventure. It reads like Alice in Wonderland on cocaine, sliding down an excruciatingly long rabbit tunnel with an unfortunate and noxious bout of dysentery.

The plot and pacing of Servant is uneven then agonizingly slow in turns. It takes 150 pages to solve the mildly interesting hook of Chapter One: where did the protagonist's pants go? It's a classic case of suffering the first 1/3 of the book watching the main character go round and round, acting...more Servant of a Dark God is rambling, eccentric adventure. It reads like Alice in Wonderland on cocaine, sliding down an excruciatingly long rabbit tunnel with an unfortunate and noxious bout of dysentery.

The plot and pacing of Servant is uneven then agonizingly slow in turns. It takes 150 pages to solve the mildly interesting hook of Chapter One: where did the protagonist's pants go? It's a classic case of suffering the first 1/3 of the book watching the main character go round and round, acting pathetic and annoying because everybody but him knows the big secret of his disappearing pants. A pointless 150 pages because there is no good reason why the author is keeping this information from the reader. Unnecessary Mystery watching the protagonist try and convince everyone of something that everyone already secretly knows. Wasted pages requiring the reader to constantly forgive the protagonist for being irritating because of the Unnecessary Mystery, the extra pages filled with unconvincing, compulsive and often unnecessary worldbuilding, and worst of all, an unreasonably clique and vague magic system that could bore even the most patient fantasy reader.

A bit regarding Unnecessary Mystery. After suffering the reader through the first 1/3 of the book, you would think Brown would pick up the pace. Not so. We languish through another 100 pages when the father of the protagonist randomly ditches his son, resulting in 10 chapters of falling down the rabbit hole. The boys encounter all sorts of terrible things; bullies, snakes, chases by nasty soldiers and an ear-slicing, all due to unexplained parental negligence. Then we reach a dramatic whopla when the protagonist conveniently realizes his supernatural prowess in a dire moment of need, and then nearly dies from it because nobody ever bothered to tell him the truth about his identity. This is called Unnecessary Mystery which equals Disrespect for the reader. Readers are smart creatures and to drag them through half a book of false climax and silly tension because somebody-didn't-tell-somebody-else-something-important-for-no-good-reason is Disrespect.

And using the excuse `but you weren't old enough' is not a good enough reason to bore a reader for half a book, unless your target audience is only 9-12 year old boys who still accept that as a valid excuse for everything.

A few things made the magic system not work for me. The magic is not well defined nor unique, jumping from ill defined (but very powerful) `weaves' to magically animated teeth, shiny explosions of ribbons of light, and rare shimmering crowns. This may have been acceptable except that the author takes liberties to inject random self-serving rules into the magic to explain the story, giving it sense of false bravo. (Danger! We must leave now! But halfway through our night escape, let us stop and listen to the rabbit trail story of this magical crown. But be warned. It requires a trio to awaken this crown. Dun-dun-dunnn!)

Servant requires a patient and magnanimous reader to ride along author's bipolar journey, sometimes wading through irrelevant side stories, then slamming into sudden plot shifts, all the while accepting instant, indiscriminate magic as it happens. The author tells an alternately convenient and confusing story, too often choosing the easy way out of conflict, and other times catapulting the reader through well intended but bumpy plot surprises. By the second half of the book, one gets the distinct feeling that they have jumped off a cliff with someone who may or may not know how to open the parachute that they may or may not have packed.

Conclusion: Fair shot if this was a working draft of a debut book. Unfortunate; another year of work and the service of a few frank and clever wise readers could have turned Servant of a Dark God from a mediocre sputtering campfire to a fireworks extravaganza debut. May I ask...? John Brown, where is the Zing?(less)

like · see review

Jun 10, 2010 Russell Anderson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: maren-would-probably-like

The story is set in a somewhat prototypical feudal society, complete with ethnic friction and the typical forward-thinking (read human-rights minded) individuals and the seemingly ever-prejudiced, narrow-minded aristocracy. As per usual, the story is told from the point of view of a seemingly normal youth from a farm far enough out of town that nobody notices that his father is a little odd, and, as they always do, circumstances combine to force this hapless youth to contend with powers seemingl...more

1 like · like · see review

May 04, 2010 Shelah rated it 2 of 5 stars

I purposely left three books, Servant of a Dark God, Warbreaker, and The Undaunted, until the end of my reading for the Whitney Awards, and not because I wanted to reward myself with good books at the end. These were all big, huge books, and two of them, Servant of a Dark God and Warbreaker, are science fiction (and not just science fiction, but the Tolkien-esque "secondary creation" kind of science fiction that I avoid with all costs). So as I write this review, keep in mind that I was stepping...more

2 likes · like · see review

Jan 23, 2010 Paul rated it 3 of 5 stars

Disclaimer: I received this book via the Library Thing Early Reviewers program.

John Brown's Servant of a Dark God is a debut fantasy novel that spoils some of its very good elements with some frankly clumsy mistakes and misccues.

The fantasy world Brown posits a hierarchy of magical beings of which mankind sits at the bottom (although there are Gnostic hints this was once not the case) Magical power and talent is tightly and strictly controlled, and those who dare to use such magic are accused of...more Disclaimer: I received this book via the Library Thing Early Reviewers program.

John Brown's Servant of a Dark God is a debut fantasy novel that spoils some of its very good elements with some frankly clumsy mistakes and misccues.

The fantasy world Brown posits a hierarchy of magical beings of which mankind sits at the bottom (although there are Gnostic hints this was once not the case) Magical power and talent is tightly and strictly controlled, and those who dare to use such magic are accused of "Slethery", that is to say, witchcraft. And yet there are those who practice and cultivate such arts in secret, both human and inhuman.

Servant of a Dark God focuses on a family in a land recently conquered by overseas invaders, and the dynamics of the rights of the overlord conquerors versus the native population adds to the complexity and depth of the world Brown has created. Characters have confused, divided and conflicting loyalties that shows a depth that many writers with far more experience than Brown never learn or bother to give to their characters and worlds. The magic and arcane aspects of the universe are a bit of a "jump in the deep end", but Brown's ideas are fresh and relatively unique and I liked learning more and more about how it actually worked.

Also, unlike the usual epic fantasy, this novel stays within and provides detail for a relatively narrow geographic area. There was no 1000 mile walks across the countryside. This is a local story, which is a nice change of pace from the usual novels of this type.

I would have highly enjoyed this novel, with all of these interesting elements, except for two major missteps.

First of all, the main character, Talen, was not one drawn well enough to be engaging and interesting enough for my taste. Brown manages to characterize and develop the secondary characters in a much better fashion than Talen, but since this is Talen's story, he gets the lion's share of the action and story. Worse, his story takes far too long to develop. It was a rough slog in the first third of the book, when one of the major mysteries of the novel was who stole Talen's work pants. I stuck it out, and matters improved, but my taste for Talen as a character was permanently ruined by a very weak opening.

Second, Brown is a little too complex and clever for his own good. The obfuscation in the novel can be thick and heavy, and while any writer must balance infodump with telling the reader nothing, I think Brown withheld too much information at certain points, to the determent of the narrative. While puzzling out some of this was a positive to reading the novel, in some cases, it only served as a millstone to the reader.

This book very nearly failed the "100 page test." By contrast, the last 100 pages of the novel were very good.

Overall, though, like some of the best from Sanderson, or Drake, the fantasy here is not of the cookie-cutter epic fantasy type that is eptiomized in the Tough Guide to Fantasyland. I am unsure if I want to continue with subsequent novels in the series, due to not warming up to Talen as a character, but I think I would be inclined to read other novels by this author otherwise in the future. (less)

2 likes · like · see review

Nov 17, 2009 Mike rated it 4 of 5 stars

John Brown’s debut, and the first in a new series, is a blend of both classic fantasy tropes and more modern themes. With its unassuming boy hero it might be easy to write this off as a return to the farm hands and kitchen help of fantasy’s yesteryear but Brown, through delicate crafting of his world manages to avoid this potential pitfall creating something that, while it hearkens back the roots of classic fantasy, manages to become something slightly different.

The world of Servant of a Dark on...more John Brown’s debut, and the first in a new series, is a blend of both classic fantasy tropes and more modern themes. With its unassuming boy hero it might be easy to write this off as a return to the farm hands and kitchen help of fantasy’s yesteryear but Brown, through delicate crafting of his world manages to avoid this potential pitfall creating something that, while it hearkens back the roots of classic fantasy, manages to become something slightly different.

The world of Servant of a Dark one is ruled by the mysterious and powerful Divines who ask for and wield the “fire” or life energy of their subjects in order to power their magic. We learn over the course of the novel that the Divines weren’t the only ones in charge and a multitude of conquered people are not necessarily satisfied with their rule. One such people, the Koramites, are a subjugated minority, servants to the powerful Mokkaddians who, in turn, serve the Divines. Tossed into this mix is a magical abomination and the machinations of unknown powers throwing one small corner of this world into near chaos.

Read on for more, though some minor spoilers may occur….

If the background of Brown’s world sounds a bit confusion then you’ll likely hit upon one of the novel’s slight weaknesses. The relationships between the various clans and peoples: Koramite, Mokkadian, Shoka, and Fir Noy is never quite clear (excepting the lesser place of Koramites of course) and even the glossary is not always helpful in this regard. Regardless a tenuous grasp of the various interrelationships between clans and people is certainly possible and even that much is enough to spot the tensions between these groups particularly the hatred and distrust the Fir Noy sow with regards to the Koramites.

The novel’s other main problem comes with pacing. Part of the trouble here lies with the number of characters who, while all interesting, make for a narrative that is spread rather thin by a desperate juggle of world-building and plot. Save for a few minor stumbles here and there Brown manages to pull this off quite nicely and, while the plot certain stalls in some sections, such as Argoth’s encounter with the Divine skir master which, while interesting, did little to serve the novel’s main conflict (at least initially), there is always something interesting and exciting going on.

Then again despite a large number of character viewpoints to follow along with each manages to create a sympathetic and well-drawn character. The sections from the monster Hunger’s point of view I found particularly enjoyable and it was great to get inside a villain’s, even if he was something of a henchman, head. Brown’s attention to character is the, in my opinion, the novel’s strongest quality. I mean the novel begins with a character, Talen, sitting sans pants calmly eating breakfast and waiting to enact revenge on the siblings who he believes stole his pants which is followed by a bit of madcap scene that reveals, with excitement, humor, and action precisely the kind of relationship this family has. That, as far as I’m concerned, is some excellent storytelling. While the split perspectives mean we never have a clear protagonist Talen, I think comes closest to the role of traditional fantasy hero. We learn early on that the way in which Talen perceives the world is not precisely correct and is even somewhat ignorant. While the reader comes around rather quickly to another way of thinking Talen’s glacial move towards that same point of view, while frustrating, is wholly believable.

Servant of a Dark God is, at times, a serious novel. It is a story full of heartbreak and sadness but it isn’t all doom and gloom. Brown manages to inject seeds of hope to much of his narrative, even in Hunger’s point of view, and frequently leaven’s the darkness with dashes of genuine humor that never feels forced. While it does take a while getting there Servant of a Dark God comes to a stellar conclusion with a climatic battle that, in the best possible way, leaves the reader and the characters with as many questions as answers. Servant of a Dark God’s flaws are slight and easily overlooked for what amounts to an exciting and well-realized debut novel that fans of fantasy are sure to enjoy. I will definitely be looking forward to future work by Mr. Brown.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Oct 23, 2009 Dale Cooper rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, series

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. A year ago at this time I had been amidst a five year abstinence from the fantasy genre. I felt the genre was tired, unexceptional, and hackneyed. My faith in the genre has been (selectively) reborn since then due to the efforts from Patrick Rothfuss (”The Name of the Wind”), Brandon Sanderson (The Final Empire Trilogy), and now John D Brown and the first entry in his new trilogy, “Servant of a Dark God.”

First of all let me say that I love the fact that serious and erudite fantasy is making the...more

2 likes · like · see review

Aug 24, 2009 Laurel Amberdine rated it 5 of 5 stars

It starts out with Talen sitting pantless at the kitchen table, plotting revenge. After some whirlwind antics between Talen and his two older siblings -- revealing much of their situation and personalities -- Talen heads out to the next village for some normal chores. But nothing will ever be so simple again.

Terrifying magic is affecting people who had appeared to be normal, and rumors are flying. Talen himself is accused, though he is as ordinary and suspicious of the dark arts as any teenage f...more

like · see review

Dec 19, 2011 Kristine rated it 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed reading this, more or less. The story follows a couple of families of sleth--humans capable of making themselves stronger or faster using their "fire," or their life-force. Not all the characters realise they are sleth, and since sleth are hated by normal people, there's some tension as some of the characters threaten to reveal the identities of the rest. The more important conflict, though, comes from a creature who consumes human souls and is trying to collect this group of sleth to...more

like · see review

May 26, 2012 Isaac Hooke rated it 5 of 5 stars

Wow.

That's all I can say after reading John Brown's debut novel, Servant of a Dark God. This is a work that defies the standard tropes of the genre. The novels focuses on the lives of a group of people who are on the side of "evil," the Sleth, as labelled by the men and women who wield the "good" powers, the Divines. One of those is the young boy Talen, who grows from hating and fearing the "Sleth" power of this evil group, to embracing it. I'm not a big fan of spoilers, so I won't get into the...more Wow.

That's all I can say after reading John Brown's debut novel, Servant of a Dark God. This is a work that defies the standard tropes of the genre. The novels focuses on the lives of a group of people who are on the side of "evil," the Sleth, as labelled by the men and women who wield the "good" powers, the Divines. One of those is the young boy Talen, who grows from hating and fearing the "Sleth" power of this evil group, to embracing it. I'm not a big fan of spoilers, so I won't get into the plot too much here, other than to say you won't be disappointed.

I wanted to talk a bit about the unique magic system, which involves the use of "Fire" and "Soul" which come from human bodies, and "Earth," which comes from the earth. There are also "weaves," which are items imbued with magical properties, usually refilled with Fire. Humans have limited Fire in their lives, and when you run out, you die. Fire can be transferred between humans however, either willingly or unwillingly. If unwillingly, a piece of the soul usually is transferred with it, harming the giver. I found these magical concepts original and refreshing, and a far cry from some of the usual D&D-style magic that seem to be everywhere in epic fantasy of late.

The chapters are nice and short, like the chapters of a thriller novel. Indeed, the chapters end at those points where you'd most want to continue reading, and the effect is page-turning. You'll probably read it in one session, and find yourself looking at your watch at 4 AM on a Friday night and wondering what you're still doing at home, yet feeling strangely satisfied. I can understand why John Brown is working on a thriller as one of his next novels. He has that flair for the genre. I can see him putting together something along the lines of Lee Child's mystery-thrillers.

With Servant of a Dark God, John Brown has set himself up for many sequels to come. I for one, can't wait. If you're looking to read an epic fantasy thriller, you won't go wrong with this book. Highly recommended for all ages.(less)

like · see review

May 22, 2010 Karen rated it 4 of 5 stars

I never read fantasy. This is the first Tor published book I've ever read. I've picked up a few recommended by fantasy loving friends but was never able to get through them. After hearing author John Brown speak and visiting with him at the signing table, I purchased his book determined to get through it if it killed me.

Well, I wondered at times about the strange names and references to odd things completely foreign to reality. However, I carried on and by the time I finished it, I was thinking...more

2 likes · like · see review

Mar 30, 2010 Rob rated it 3 of 5 stars

After a slow start and somewhat initially repellent characters this story found its legs. It was rendered in somewhat unsophisticated (but at least unobtrusive) prosody but the dialogue left much to be desired. It veered between the cliched faux-archaisms that plague the genre and too contemporaneous modes of speech (which ironically will soon be literally anachronistic making the unfortunate faux-archaic stand out even more). Most disruptive of all was the grab-bag appropriation of Mormonism's...more

1 like · like · see review

Jan 24, 2011 Carrie Hinkel-Gill rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone liking a good adventure!

Shelves: personal-interest, mlm-fantasy

I really enjoyed this book! In fact, I felt sad putting it down, and I really didn't want to give it back to the library. Thank you to the library I go to for putting this book on a display by the checkout counter where you come in - I never would have discovered it otherwise!

It had a slow beginning. In fact, I felt that the story really didn't begin until Chapter 3. That's where I got sucked in! Plus, while Talen, Nettle and some of the other characters appear well defined and developed, I fel...more I really enjoyed this book! In fact, I felt sad putting it down, and I really didn't want to give it back to the library. Thank you to the library I go to for putting this book on a display by the checkout counter where you come in - I never would have discovered it otherwise!

It had a slow beginning. In fact, I felt that the story really didn't begin until Chapter 3. That's where I got sucked in! Plus, while Talen, Nettle and some of the other characters appear well defined and developed, I felt that River and Ke were lacking, even with the first two chapters. I was going to mark this book down a star for all of this, however, I realized how well it went to putting you in Talen's head - you know his siblings as well as he does, and as he finds out, he doesn't know them as well as he thought he did. I must admit that River did begin to get more fleshed out towards the end of the story, and Ke a little, but it wasn't enough for me. You don't quite really understand or know what motivates them, but it really didn't seem to matter until the end, and that's when Talen truly begins to understand the people he called family. Besides, there's more books in the future for this story, so I have no doubt these characters will definitely be further developed.

Brown did very well to make sure readers were never lost. From the map in the front to the glossary of terms in the back - I really liked both - he made sure that, if you felt you needed to know what something was before it was revealed or needed to refresh your memory, you could. He also did an excellent job of putting the reader in Talen's, Sugar's and Hunger's heads.

Sugar is a character who could be more defined as far as I'm concerned, but again, this went to the readers knowing the character as well as Talen does - which keeps Talen as the main character. Even though it seems like Talen and Sugar are building towards something, Talen's the one to focus on.

The plot - very deep, convoluted and complex! - didn't disappoint this lover of adventure! It wasn't so much that you couldn't follow it, but it was just enough to make you go, "Huh? What the heck is going on?" a couple of points along the way. Now you don't ask this in a bad way, you truly are trying to unravel the truth along with Talen! That's what I really liked about this - even though you were given information, you never really quite knew who was the good guy or the bad guy until the very end. Even then, you're still as unsure as Talen!

What's also great about this book is that just about anyone can read it. Yes, there some parts that made me go "Eeew!" but all in all, I think that these parts will strike fancy of some of those readers looking for "Eeew!" :)

Because I was so reluctant to give this book back to the library - yes, I am giving it back - and the fact that I was so mad the next one isn't out yet for me to read, I felt I could give it nothing less than a 5. Any book that gets me this invested into it's world that I don't want to leave and will be grateful to return deserves full marks. (less)

1 like · like · see review

Aug 11, 2010 Katrina rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, fantasy

I was extremely disappointed in this book, but mostly in Tor for publishing it as they did. The edition I have (hard back) has an insufferable number of grammatical and editing errors. At times the author seemed to forget what he had written just two sentences above.

The story itself was fairly decent and rather enjoyable, so I did manage to finish it despite the gross number of errors, which will often keep me from finishing a work. The plot was different than most of what I have read, but I wo...more

like · see review

Apr 24, 2012 Jesse Whitehead rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book I thoroughly loved.

John Brown, which I’m fairly sure is his real name, does a masterful job of grabbing your brain and shoving it directly into the heads of each of his characters.

Add to that the fact that he has crafted a masterful story around a beautifully imagined world with great depth of culture and history and religion and it’s almost like it was written just for me.

He even gives us an evil minion point of view that didn’t annoy me (I’m almost always happier not having anything...more This book I thoroughly loved.

John Brown, which I’m fairly sure is his real name, does a masterful job of grabbing your brain and shoving it directly into the heads of each of his characters.

Add to that the fact that he has crafted a masterful story around a beautifully imagined world with great depth of culture and history and religion and it’s almost like it was written just for me.

He even gives us an evil minion point of view that didn’t annoy me (I’m almost always happier not having anything from the point of view of the evil minions). In fact the evil minion has a real and sensible motivation so that when you are in his head you are just as confused and obstructed and frustrated and sympathetic as he is.

That’s right Dan Brown succeeded in writing a book about black and white good versus evil while still making the evil not only sympathetic but also maybe not evil. (It makes sense when you read it.)

What I think I loved about this story is that it is one of morals. It is the morality of the heroes that sets them apart from others and in the end I believe that is how our world works as well. Ethics and morality is the core of what make us human. I think that much of fantasy has forgotten that. Betrayal and assassination and theft can all be justified if the stakes are saving the world. But what if it’s not the whole world at stake but just your family? Would you sacrifice all of your beliefs to save your family? Would you sacrifice one child if it meant saving several of them?

And more importantly, to me, he does it all without ever resorting to portraying (or even talking about) rape, and other despicable crimes. So many writers now seem to think that by adding those sins to the litany of horrors perpetrated by the antagonists – and sometimes the protagonists – of a story make it somehow grittier and raises the stakes. The greater challenge then is to write a gripping narrative that does not resort to that.

John Brown succeeds spectacularly at telling a story that will make you anxious and scared to read more. Because time after time, things just keep changing. Every time I thought things were about to start working out for the characters they would get worse until I was desperate to finish and almost afraid to at the same time.

If you can’t tell, I really enjoyed this book. I can’t imagine anyone not feeling the same way – this is the kind of story that everybody should be reading.(less)

like · see review

Dec 28, 2010 Daron rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction-and-fantasy

This is the first ebook I read on my new Kindle, and I really enjoyed it. I think that the publisher should have spent a little more time on the editing, however. I found about ten places with misspelled words, incorrect word choice (I knew what the author meant, but the word was wrong), and similar mistakes. It is quite possible that these problems only exist in the ebook edition. Don't blame the author. :)

The only gripe I have with the writing is that I had a hard time following the story at f...more

like · see review

Mar 23, 2013 Jake Dejarnette rated it 2 of 5 stars

Brown had an excellent start--interesting concept, interesting characters--and then managed to mess it all up. While reading the book, I found myself constantly wondering, "Why am I even reading this?" The plot quickly becomes tired, with no danger or tension and I struggle to empathize with any of the characters. Additionally, he tends to tell, rather than show the background or importance of something, the exact opposite of what writers are encouraged to do. I ended up being rather disappointe...more

like · see review

Oct 31, 2011 Suzanne Vincent rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Thoroughly engaging and fascinating book, with some fresh, original takes on the fantasy genre--especially if you're NOT Mormon. Brown, being LDS, has infused a great deal of LDS doctrine into the book's world, which makes for some pretty fascinating reading for those not familiar with it, and some comfortable reading for those who are. As a Mormon, I enjoyed how he used those points of doctrine and incorporated them into the story.

I gave the book four stars instead of five for three reasons:

1....more

1 like · like · see review

May 16, 2010 joby rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

Intriguing...

The Good
------------------------------------
Unique: The nature of the world is quite different from standard epic fantasy with a very dark history. Discovering a new and unique world is part of the fun of this genre.

Secondary Good Guys: Many of these characters are well defined and interesting -- it always helps a novel when the secondary cast improves the color of the world and aren't just placeholders

The Bad
------------------------------------
Another Superman Farmer: Can't the sav...more

1 like · like · see review

Sep 27, 2009 Cindy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

I thought this was an alright start to a series. It appeared at times that Brown was a little over eager as a writer and made the story almost too complex for the casual reader to enjoy.

I had a lot of trouble following the story after I would put the book down because it was just too complex. I didn't understand the magic or what was going on.

Sometimes the writing did seem a bit choppy and short but other then those two problems it was a good first book.

But I did enjoy some of the characters...more

1 like · like · see review

Sep 24, 2011 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Okay. Let's face it. You pick up a fantasy book these days and think two things: 1. I wonder how many decades it's gonna take for the series to actually be completed, and 2. how soon will they be on the road?

Imagine my complete shock and delight to realize that THIS IS A STANDALONE NOVEL! Not part of a series! AND, AND, AND, at page 100 I literally said out loud, "Holy frak, I don't think they're going to go on a quest! They're actually going to stay home and solve their problems!"

Groundbreaking...more Okay. Let's face it. You pick up a fantasy book these days and think two things: 1. I wonder how many decades it's gonna take for the series to actually be completed, and 2. how soon will they be on the road?

Imagine my complete shock and delight to realize that THIS IS A STANDALONE NOVEL! Not part of a series! AND, AND, AND, at page 100 I literally said out loud, "Holy frak, I don't think they're going to go on a quest! They're actually going to stay home and solve their problems!"

Groundbreaking. Refreshing. Choirs of angels came down and I nearly wept.

Don't get me wrong: I do love fantasy. Heck, you may notice that I have written a few paltry volumes of the stuff. But after a while you become jaded. After a while, you start thinking, I wonder if they'll be taking an elf, a dwarf, and four hobbits on their quest? and snickering cynically to yourself. I do not actually read much grown up high fantasy these days, for that very reason. But I know John Brown, and he's a great guy, so I bought his book and dipped one toe in, then another, so to speak. Read with one eye closed, if you will. Half-afraid that the next time I saw John, I would have to lie.

BUT I DON'T HAVE TO LIE! I really, really, really just enjoyed the HELL out of this book! I loved the characters! I loved the conqueror/conquered prejudice that was bringing their community to the boiling point even before a monster made out of rocks and dead grass started eating people. (FYI, there's a monster made of rocks and dead grass, and he's fully awesome.) I loved the fact that Talen, who was our Callow Youth on this Hero's Journey, to use Campbell's parlance, could be extremely stubborn and even kind of a jerk, because hey, it made him more believable! The world was meticulous, the language and customs of the book were very well done, giving a real sense of a strange, exotic world, but without leaving me scratching my head wondering what was going on or what they were wearing. The action was well done, and so were the quieter moments. If I have to lodge one complaint, it's that this book was almost too stressful. I cared about the characters so much, and they went through so much awfulness, that I actually had to put the book down for a day or two and read something fluffy, because I just couldn't stand it for a little bit. But don't let that deter you! John is a great writer, and you will (I hope) enjoy this book as much as I did!

Just all around a fresh, enjoyable fantasy! (less)

5 likes · like · see review

Apr 20, 2010 Mason Hoffman rated it 5 of 5 stars

I got this book as a gift after asking for it when I heard Brandon Sanderson recommend it. I am a huge fan of Brandon's Elantris, Mistborn series, and he is writing the latest WoT books.

I can very honestly say that I am more than glad that I read this book. It had a good start and set up the characters very well. We got to see most of the main characters in their natural daily life and find out who they were before all of the action started.
I will say that the action was one thing that struck me...more

like · see review

Feb 20, 2010 D.w. rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, reviewed

This is a first novel and to some extent you can tell that. It is overly ambitious or complex in the delving of fantasy that it portends. David Drake has been quoted and he too says it is complex. Perhaps that is where I get lost. In the beginning we see the world through the eyes of a young man not quite a full man (college age perhaps) and he has a view of the world that is slightly different from the view we have of the world by the end of the story.

That it changes as we read the book is detr...more

1 like · like · see review

Feb 01, 2013 April rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc

Servant of a Dark God is John Brown's debut novel. At the end of the novel, I felt very similar to when I read Sanderson's first Mistborn novel. I think this series could go somewhere awesome- but it's going to depend on Brown.
First thing first, I got into it pretty easily. As a moody reader, my interest has to be grabbed pretty much right away. And I had a hard time putting it down at the end, so thumbs up to Mr. Brown for that. There are also some creative and unique elements to the story.
Th...more

1 like · like · see review

Jul 12, 2010 Rachael rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

Overall, I enjoyed this book. Despite having the typical "youth destined to save the world" type plot, the story managed to remain interesting throughout the book. The magic system was fairly unique and I liked that the book had some small bits of humor. I generally liked the characters, even though I never really connected with any of them (though I don't think that was due to the writing). Though I admit that I wasn't too fond of the main character Talen during the first half of the book but l...more

like · see review

Feb 18, 2011 Garrett rated it 5 of 5 stars

I have known John for many years, and I have even been an early reader of the second book in this series. John had me be a naive reader for his second book, which he is still working on (and I really hope gets finished really soon, really). So, I was pretty antsy to read the first one with the taste I had of the second one already.

I thought this was a brilliantly written book. There is much that I am still unsure on, such as whether I like Talen or exactly how the magic works, but I didn't reall...more

like · see review

title link	preview: Servant of a Dark God
avg rating	preview: Servant of a Dark God Goodreads rating: 3.48 (359 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6567484-servant-of-a-dark-god?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1312029252l/6567484.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6567484-servant-of-a-dark-god?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Servant of a Dark God by John Brown[/url]

Servant of a Dark God (Dark Gods #1)

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (2)

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About John Brown

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Servant of a Dark...

Servant of a Dark God (Dark Gods #1)

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topicDiscuss This Book

combineOther Editions (2)

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About John Brown

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Servant of a Dark...

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (2)