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Dhulyn and Parno #1
The Sleeping God
Masters of weapons and martial arts, Mercenaries Dhulyn Wolfshead and Parno Lionsmane have just saved one of the Marked, those gifted with special powers, from a mob that appears to be under the influence of a priest of the Sleeping God. Learning that this is not an isolated incident and realizing that Dhulyn's own unique gift will make them a target, the two take ship for safer climes. Once ashore the partners take on a seemingly simple mission of escorting a young woman to distant relatives. But not even Dhulyn's talent can warn them of the threat that awaits at the far end of their journey.
448 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
11 people are currently reading
970 people want to read
About the author
Violette Malan
26 books92 followersViolette Malan lives in a nineteenth-century limestone farmhouse in southeastern Ontario with her husband. Born in Canada, Violette’s cultural background is half Spanish and half Polish, which makes it interesting at meal times. She has worked as a teacher of creative writing, English as a second language, Spanish, beginner’s French, and choreography for strippers. On occasion she’s been an administrative assistant and a carpenter’s helper. Her most unusual job was translating letters between lovers, one of whom spoke only English, the other only Spanish. She can be found at violettemalan.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
January 30, 2014
Dhulyn Wolfshead and Parno Lionsmane, members of the Mercenary Brotherhood, hired to escort a young orphaned woman to the House of her family in a distant city. What could possibly go wrong?
Engaging characters and a first glimpse of an interesting world -- I enjoyed this one and look forward to following their further adventures.
Engaging characters and a first glimpse of an interesting world -- I enjoyed this one and look forward to following their further adventures.
August 16, 2009
Dhulyn (Dill-lyn") and Parno are Mercenary Brothers, and Partners. The Mercenaries are elite fighters, a guild that crosses continents with a long history of nobility and honour. Being Partnered, they also share a bond that cannot be severed.
Having finished one commission, they arrive in Imrion, Parno's birthplace, to find that the Marked - those people born with the ability to Find, Mend or Heal - are being persecuted by angry mobs and New Believers, Jaldean priests who have branched off from the original Jaldeans. They preach that the Marked will awaken the Sleeping God, who will destroy them.
Dhulyn herself is Marked, one of the rarest of them all: she's a Seer. Parno is the only one who knows. They both see something suspicious when they arrive in Imrion at the town of Navra, just in time to help a family of Finders to escape an angry mob's justice. But work is work, and when a Weaver pays them to take their adopted daughter, Mar, to the capital of Gotterang where her noble House wants to have her back, they accept the mission - they were on their way there anyway, and at least now they'll be paid.
But in Gotterang the persecution against the Marked is even more intense, and those who go to the temple for their "blessing", return senseless and mad, if they return at all. There's something in the city, something possessing people, that is taking, or "unmaking", the Marks within people. In Mar's house, Tenebro House, the heir, Lok-ikol, is working with the Jaldeans for his own ends, and he's discovered that Dhulyn is a Seer.
Now Dhulyn and Parno are drawn into a battle the likes of which they've never encountered. What they're working against is a NOT, and cannot be killed - except by the Sleeping God, which saved the people centuries before. If only they knew how to summon it.
My summary probably makes no sense - it probably reads like a Harry Potter movie, where you only get it if you've read it. It's a classic fantasy with some new and original twists, and doesn't follow a predictable pattern, so it's hard to know what to say and what to leave alone.
It starts slow and a bit frustratingly, because you're coming from ignorance of this world and some of what they say doesn't make sense at first because you have no basis for understanding. As you get drawn further into the world though, things gain clarity and it works, so it's worth sticking with it. I do like it when fantasy novels draw you in slowly, revealing bits of the world as if it were real and assuming the reader already knows all about it - it just makes it more realistic. It was a bit tough at first, here, and there's still a great deal to discover about this world, but it did achieve that sense of realism.
Dhulyn was a strong female lead, different and alien almost, at times. In comparison, Parno was a bit ordinary, but also solid and reassuring - he was the familiar character, the one to ground you while you felt your way with Dhulyn, who's less predictable. Their relationship, the extent of it, wasn't terribly clear, but by the end it was less vaguely implied that they are lovers as well as Partners, though not exclusive ones.
There are many other characters here as well - it's a broad tapestry of perspectives. The culture of Imrion was a mix of familiar medieval and Asian - not in appearances, but in the structure of families and households. And then other parts were original.
I found the ending to be very satisfying, and unexpected. I loved what Malan did with the Sleeping God - when that was revealed, it clicked and made complete sense and I even made a noise out loud, one of those "Ahhhhh" sounds. It was especially satisfying because it came together so naturally, which takes skill to write.
There were slow parts, and parts where I got impatient with a level of detail that normally I appreciate - sometimes a novel needs to move faster and not take a moment to describe the furniture of a room. It did take me longer to read than otherwise, and my only other disappointment was not getting more than glimpses of Dhulyn and Parno's relationship, their close bond, in order to understand it better and understand them more. It was established and then repeated when needed, but not delved into in any personal, intimate way to give it more substance.
Having finished one commission, they arrive in Imrion, Parno's birthplace, to find that the Marked - those people born with the ability to Find, Mend or Heal - are being persecuted by angry mobs and New Believers, Jaldean priests who have branched off from the original Jaldeans. They preach that the Marked will awaken the Sleeping God, who will destroy them.
Dhulyn herself is Marked, one of the rarest of them all: she's a Seer. Parno is the only one who knows. They both see something suspicious when they arrive in Imrion at the town of Navra, just in time to help a family of Finders to escape an angry mob's justice. But work is work, and when a Weaver pays them to take their adopted daughter, Mar, to the capital of Gotterang where her noble House wants to have her back, they accept the mission - they were on their way there anyway, and at least now they'll be paid.
But in Gotterang the persecution against the Marked is even more intense, and those who go to the temple for their "blessing", return senseless and mad, if they return at all. There's something in the city, something possessing people, that is taking, or "unmaking", the Marks within people. In Mar's house, Tenebro House, the heir, Lok-ikol, is working with the Jaldeans for his own ends, and he's discovered that Dhulyn is a Seer.
Now Dhulyn and Parno are drawn into a battle the likes of which they've never encountered. What they're working against is a NOT, and cannot be killed - except by the Sleeping God, which saved the people centuries before. If only they knew how to summon it.
My summary probably makes no sense - it probably reads like a Harry Potter movie, where you only get it if you've read it. It's a classic fantasy with some new and original twists, and doesn't follow a predictable pattern, so it's hard to know what to say and what to leave alone.
It starts slow and a bit frustratingly, because you're coming from ignorance of this world and some of what they say doesn't make sense at first because you have no basis for understanding. As you get drawn further into the world though, things gain clarity and it works, so it's worth sticking with it. I do like it when fantasy novels draw you in slowly, revealing bits of the world as if it were real and assuming the reader already knows all about it - it just makes it more realistic. It was a bit tough at first, here, and there's still a great deal to discover about this world, but it did achieve that sense of realism.
Dhulyn was a strong female lead, different and alien almost, at times. In comparison, Parno was a bit ordinary, but also solid and reassuring - he was the familiar character, the one to ground you while you felt your way with Dhulyn, who's less predictable. Their relationship, the extent of it, wasn't terribly clear, but by the end it was less vaguely implied that they are lovers as well as Partners, though not exclusive ones.
There are many other characters here as well - it's a broad tapestry of perspectives. The culture of Imrion was a mix of familiar medieval and Asian - not in appearances, but in the structure of families and households. And then other parts were original.
I found the ending to be very satisfying, and unexpected. I loved what Malan did with the Sleeping God - when that was revealed, it clicked and made complete sense and I even made a noise out loud, one of those "Ahhhhh" sounds. It was especially satisfying because it came together so naturally, which takes skill to write.
There were slow parts, and parts where I got impatient with a level of detail that normally I appreciate - sometimes a novel needs to move faster and not take a moment to describe the furniture of a room. It did take me longer to read than otherwise, and my only other disappointment was not getting more than glimpses of Dhulyn and Parno's relationship, their close bond, in order to understand it better and understand them more. It was established and then repeated when needed, but not delved into in any personal, intimate way to give it more substance.
February 8, 2018
This is a story of mercenary partners, but though there is plenty of both sword and sorcery to be found there was also rather more political intrigue than I expected, along with ethical and unethical scholarship, one (1) eldritch body-snatching horror from another dimension determined to kill all of the mages who could harm it, and a bit of romance between secondary characters. The central Partnership could be read as either romantic or intensely platonic- it is explicitly not a marriage, and Dhulyn and Parno are lovers but it's mentioned that both of them have also had lovers outside their partnership while being partnered too.
The pacing lets this one down a bit- it feels at times every one of its five hundred pages long- not necessarily because things aren't happening but because it's obvious what is going to happen (a problem somewhat exacerbated by a main character being a Seer, especially if the reader is experienced in picking out clues from this type of foreshadowing). There are some characters and subplots that are introduced as if they'll be important and then set aside (slight spoiler, a particular group of antagonists suddenly disappearing en masse and the issue being treated as therefore resolved was a bit of a surprise) and overall it felt like the book could have been streamlined a great deal without much impact to the character arcs or themes.
The POV is also prone to shifting around between characters within a scene in sometimes confusing ways (not helped by formatting issues in the ebook edition where scene breaks are often not obvious), and especially towards the beginning I found myself having to reread scenes to be sure of who was doing what or who had said what.
All of that said, it was overall an enjoyable read, probably three and a half stars that I've decided to round up because I liked the way the main conflict was resolved and I enjoyed the partnership between the main characters a lot (yay established and low-internal-conflict central relationships!) I plan to pick up the next one of the series, though I probably won't read it right away. I think readers of this series would probably also like Moira J Moore's Heroes series and vice versa.
The pacing lets this one down a bit- it feels at times every one of its five hundred pages long- not necessarily because things aren't happening but because it's obvious what is going to happen (a problem somewhat exacerbated by a main character being a Seer, especially if the reader is experienced in picking out clues from this type of foreshadowing). There are some characters and subplots that are introduced as if they'll be important and then set aside (slight spoiler, a particular group of antagonists suddenly disappearing en masse and the issue being treated as therefore resolved was a bit of a surprise) and overall it felt like the book could have been streamlined a great deal without much impact to the character arcs or themes.
The POV is also prone to shifting around between characters within a scene in sometimes confusing ways (not helped by formatting issues in the ebook edition where scene breaks are often not obvious), and especially towards the beginning I found myself having to reread scenes to be sure of who was doing what or who had said what.
All of that said, it was overall an enjoyable read, probably three and a half stars that I've decided to round up because I liked the way the main conflict was resolved and I enjoyed the partnership between the main characters a lot (yay established and low-internal-conflict central relationships!) I plan to pick up the next one of the series, though I probably won't read it right away. I think readers of this series would probably also like Moira J Moore's Heroes series and vice versa.
May 14, 2011
I had to stop around page 250. This book was awful, for several reasons. My main gripe concerns the characters, who all have really bizarre and forgettable names. It took me a hundred pages into the book before I could discern between the two main characters. The woman's name, Dhulyn (pronounced "Dillin"), fit the man (Parno) better than his own name. The way the two act is also so interchangeable that it was pretty easy to get them mixed up. The author made it even worse by switching between the thoughts or perspectives of each randomly, once even mid-paragraph.
I didn't really like any of the characters themselves, either. Dhulyn seems to be perfect at everything she does already, and Parno almost so. Dhulyn has no character flaws whatsoever, and Parno's are so small they're insignificant to the story. So what the author does instead is create all these obstacles for them, and both characters have absolutely no trouble in getting out of these situations. The book is pretty boring to read when you know that the characters are going to get out of everything that comes their way. I can only remember one instance where Dhulyn was really stuck, and that was about the only exciting part in the entire book. In a way, both Dhulyn and Parno are like robots. A lot of other characters who should have been stronger also seem pretty foolish and helpless. The author doesn't go into nearly enough detail on personalities, which attributes to everything feeling pretty mechanized.
The author's style of writing was another major problem. I didn't mind that the book was confusing at first because that's how I usually prefer it, but the author has wrapped up too many characters into the plot, and a lot of them haven't done anything at all as far as I had read except wonder and disobey orders and such. It wouldn't be too much of a problem, except that the author keeps going back and dedicating several pages out of a chapter to each, during which they do almost nothing to advance the main conflict. The author switches between different characters' point of views every couple pages, which to me was horrible because I would never get to focus on one character long enough.
All in all, I can't believe I stuck with it as long as I did. The book showed some promise at the beginning, but if anything ever happens later on, then the author took way too long to introduce it.
I didn't really like any of the characters themselves, either. Dhulyn seems to be perfect at everything she does already, and Parno almost so. Dhulyn has no character flaws whatsoever, and Parno's are so small they're insignificant to the story. So what the author does instead is create all these obstacles for them, and both characters have absolutely no trouble in getting out of these situations. The book is pretty boring to read when you know that the characters are going to get out of everything that comes their way. I can only remember one instance where Dhulyn was really stuck, and that was about the only exciting part in the entire book. In a way, both Dhulyn and Parno are like robots. A lot of other characters who should have been stronger also seem pretty foolish and helpless. The author doesn't go into nearly enough detail on personalities, which attributes to everything feeling pretty mechanized.
The author's style of writing was another major problem. I didn't mind that the book was confusing at first because that's how I usually prefer it, but the author has wrapped up too many characters into the plot, and a lot of them haven't done anything at all as far as I had read except wonder and disobey orders and such. It wouldn't be too much of a problem, except that the author keeps going back and dedicating several pages out of a chapter to each, during which they do almost nothing to advance the main conflict. The author switches between different characters' point of views every couple pages, which to me was horrible because I would never get to focus on one character long enough.
All in all, I can't believe I stuck with it as long as I did. The book showed some promise at the beginning, but if anything ever happens later on, then the author took way too long to introduce it.
June 17, 2013
This was a Tor.com recommendation and it ticked a few of my boxes. Firstly it was an epic fantasy series that I haven't read (or even heard about before). Secondly it was by a female author which gets extra points as I'm pretty much over male authors at this point in time, particularly new male authors who write 'grimdark' (yuck and double yuck). Thirdly it has a female protagonist. So how could I resist? Particularly with a holiday coming up and a kindle to fill.
I think the fact that I downloaded the second in the series to my kindle whilst away, and have ordered the last two in the series from book depository (mysteriously unavailable for the kindle, says that I enjoyed myself. I have some gripes; in particular the writing is a trifle pompous on occasion. There are a few too many repetitions of the main characters names and monikers. And to be honest, if you have to keep telling us how to pronounce the name (it's Dillin not Dhulynne) then maybe you should spell it differently or not care so much. Also D&P are superduper amazing fighters as are all of the mercenary brotherhood, and basically everyone else is just playing around with swords. But really, I'm happy to go along with that.
I won't dwell on the plot as the synopsis is pretty good, other than it is pretty original and I rattled through it. A worthy addition to my bookshelves, virtual or otherwise.
I think the fact that I downloaded the second in the series to my kindle whilst away, and have ordered the last two in the series from book depository (mysteriously unavailable for the kindle, says that I enjoyed myself. I have some gripes; in particular the writing is a trifle pompous on occasion. There are a few too many repetitions of the main characters names and monikers. And to be honest, if you have to keep telling us how to pronounce the name (it's Dillin not Dhulynne) then maybe you should spell it differently or not care so much. Also D&P are superduper amazing fighters as are all of the mercenary brotherhood, and basically everyone else is just playing around with swords. But really, I'm happy to go along with that.
I won't dwell on the plot as the synopsis is pretty good, other than it is pretty original and I rattled through it. A worthy addition to my bookshelves, virtual or otherwise.
February 14, 2010
decent light reading fantasy about mercenary soldiers who while escorting a cousin of a noble family find themselves involving in an plot to dispose the king and also a plot by an alien monster who is shapeless and inhabits the bodies of the citizens. The alien at this time is inhabiting the bodies of the head of the priesthood and using its minions to try to capture Marked individuals -- that is individuals with special talents as healers, menders and finders, because these people can destroy it. It is a little unconventional in that one of the mercenaries is a Seer, a very rare talent that the alien monster is seeking. the Seer, Drulyn must ultimately find the other talents including something called the Lens to wake the Sleeping God and kill the alien.
December 6, 2010
Admittedly, I picked up this book because I liked the cover. Nice color, cool picture of a male/female pair of warriors. I read the back cover, thought the story sounded interesting (I've got a thing for mercenaries), and bought it. I was definitely not disappointed. Sometimes judging a book by its cover actually works! The two main characters, Dhulyn and Parno, are compelling; the supporting characters are great as well. And the story puts this book in the "don't want to put it down" category.
March 23, 2021
Thoroughly enjoyed this sword and sorcery adventure. Constructed as a tribute and homage to Leiber's immortal duo, this novel had two additional aspects that increased their impact and, dare I say, relevance. Those two are:
1. Presence of Dhulyn— a truly awesome woman warrior who is a more realistic and grounded version of Red Sonja, with all her ruthlessness and efficiency brought forward.
2. Underlying theme of persecution of minorities, reminding one of the politics of hate perpetrated everywhere.
The world-building was awesome. Characters were all realistic and skilfully drawn. And in the glorious tradition of high fantasy, this adventure gradually became an inner quest for our protagonists as well.
The only reason behind me dropping one star is the middle one-third which got bogged down by too much politics and introspection. Otherwise, this is as good as it gets, in terms of fantasy.
Recommended.
1. Presence of Dhulyn— a truly awesome woman warrior who is a more realistic and grounded version of Red Sonja, with all her ruthlessness and efficiency brought forward.
2. Underlying theme of persecution of minorities, reminding one of the politics of hate perpetrated everywhere.
The world-building was awesome. Characters were all realistic and skilfully drawn. And in the glorious tradition of high fantasy, this adventure gradually became an inner quest for our protagonists as well.
The only reason behind me dropping one star is the middle one-third which got bogged down by too much politics and introspection. Otherwise, this is as good as it gets, in terms of fantasy.
Recommended.
September 14, 2009
This book is tough for me to review. On one hand I really enjoyed it. it reminded me of Moira J. Moore's "Heroes" series except a little more series and more blood and death.
Dhulyn - pronounced Dillon -- and Parno are Brothers. Mercenary Brothers. Their bond (like Taro's and Lee's) is a difficult one to explain and one, as a reader, I'm not exactly sure what it entails. They are best friends, soul mates (possibly literally carrying around the soul of the other???), sometimes lovers (not too clear on this one) and partners.
Partners is an all encompassing term and I will not get into an essay about what I think it means but I will say that Dhulyn and Parno emobody what I think a good partnership is. They know each quite well and yet they can still surprise each other. Both have secrets and not everything is revealed to the other but they love each other - which may be too paltry a word - and respect each other and above all else are always there for each other; In Battle and In Death.
Dhulyn is blessed and cursed with something like foresight. She had VISIONS and she has seen her partner's death, a conversation not allowed to be had between the two of them. She is an orphan and quite possibly the last of her race. Tall, fair skinned, Red-headed and thin she sounds as if Malan is drawing on some sort of Gaelic connection here. Dhulyn is the senior partner who hates bloodshed and is a fierce warrior and protector. She is also a scholar, not something that can be written well. Malan pulls it off.
Parno is a son of a noble house, how noble? well you'll have to read this book, and he came to the Mercenary brotherhood after being Cast Out. He is Dhulyn's other half. He is a Chanter, what seems to me to be some sort of Bard? He plays something similar to bagpipes and has the ability to be both affable and deadly. Courtly manners coupled with the fact that he'll cut you down if he deems you to dangerous (or if Dhulyn asks) makes him quite formidable.
This story delves into Parno's past and Dhulyn's gifts. Each bringing to the table secrets and fears that will need to be laid out in order to save the world.
The book itself is told in different POVs with Dhulyn receiving the most written word time followed by Parno and then the other characters.
The secondary cast of characters are as interesting as the main. Some are deadly, some are dubious, some are dumb and some are devious. Some are innocent.
It is up to Dhulyn and Parno to find who is who and what is what before the world as they know it is swallowed up by a darkness that promises Nothing.
Dhulyn - pronounced Dillon -- and Parno are Brothers. Mercenary Brothers. Their bond (like Taro's and Lee's) is a difficult one to explain and one, as a reader, I'm not exactly sure what it entails. They are best friends, soul mates (possibly literally carrying around the soul of the other???), sometimes lovers (not too clear on this one) and partners.
Partners is an all encompassing term and I will not get into an essay about what I think it means but I will say that Dhulyn and Parno emobody what I think a good partnership is. They know each quite well and yet they can still surprise each other. Both have secrets and not everything is revealed to the other but they love each other - which may be too paltry a word - and respect each other and above all else are always there for each other; In Battle and In Death.
Dhulyn is blessed and cursed with something like foresight. She had VISIONS and she has seen her partner's death, a conversation not allowed to be had between the two of them. She is an orphan and quite possibly the last of her race. Tall, fair skinned, Red-headed and thin she sounds as if Malan is drawing on some sort of Gaelic connection here. Dhulyn is the senior partner who hates bloodshed and is a fierce warrior and protector. She is also a scholar, not something that can be written well. Malan pulls it off.
Parno is a son of a noble house, how noble? well you'll have to read this book, and he came to the Mercenary brotherhood after being Cast Out. He is Dhulyn's other half. He is a Chanter, what seems to me to be some sort of Bard? He plays something similar to bagpipes and has the ability to be both affable and deadly. Courtly manners coupled with the fact that he'll cut you down if he deems you to dangerous (or if Dhulyn asks) makes him quite formidable.
This story delves into Parno's past and Dhulyn's gifts. Each bringing to the table secrets and fears that will need to be laid out in order to save the world.
The book itself is told in different POVs with Dhulyn receiving the most written word time followed by Parno and then the other characters.
The secondary cast of characters are as interesting as the main. Some are deadly, some are dubious, some are dumb and some are devious. Some are innocent.
It is up to Dhulyn and Parno to find who is who and what is what before the world as they know it is swallowed up by a darkness that promises Nothing.
August 11, 2011
Rather than sitting the characters down for a history lesson they already know, Violette Malan introduces her world through the actions and personalities of her protagonists. And the actions begin with a well orchestrated scape goating campaign by the New Believers, a sect of the Sleeping God’s priesthood, against the Marked, those with special abilities to Heal, Find, Mend and See. Enter Dhulyn Wolfshead, mercenary partner of Parno Lionsmane and a carefully hidden Seer. They have returned to Parno’s homeland, where unknown to them, the priesthood is coming to greater power. Their job to escort Mar-eMar to the capital takes several unexpected turns involving kidnapping, assassination and mob violence.
September 21, 2012
I love Dhulyn and Parno. I was unsure of this book at first, but the duo quickly won me over and I eagerly await their next adventures. Dhulyn and Parno novels are on my radar. It was so refreshing to read about two people so effortlessly devoted to each other and the lack of conflict between them only adds to the story. You want to know more about this remarkable duo. I won't lie, being a woman I was secretly thrilled that Dhulyn was senior brother.
July 8, 2013
A light, fun read, and the final solution is something I've toyed around with on my own fiction projects, so I was particularly delighted to find it here. Still... the instances of "In Battle and/or in Death" began to grate a little by the end.
August 11, 2013
I love the characters. Dhulyn and Parno feel so real to me. I usually read heavy epics and needed a break, but I didn't want to leave the genre. This was a quick read, packed with epic adventure, and and fun. Loved the twist as I wasn't expecting the sleeping god to be who it ended up being.
July 28, 2011
A fantastic new book from a fantastic new author. Each book is a self contained story in an overarching world that contains a ocntinuous story line. More detail to come
September 8, 2017
This novel had a pretty good premise, decent characterization, and an engaging narrative voice. It was, in general, pretty well written, and I kinda liked quite a few characters.
A couple of those characters I liked got killed off like throwing out old socks that had developed holes in the toes, which wasn't exactly fun. Some of the villainy stuff involved felt a bit thin at times, but at other times it felt like it had some depth to it. All in all, this was a solid three stars ("liked it") on the Goodreads scale, until the end.
The climax resolution felt a bit half-assed, and was not terribly vivid at all. It fell flat, and the denouement was no great revelation, either. In fact, while the actual events of climax, resolution, and denouement were fine, the delivery was disappointing enough to drop a star from the book's rating overall. There were a few other weird details that did not really work well for me, such as one of the protagonists being a golden-haired man with a deep tan (golden haired people always look weird with deep tans) and the other major protagonist's description and background coming off a smidgen Mary-Sue-ish, but these things weren't enough to significantly detract from the story. The ending dragged it down to two stars all on its own.
The cover of the book, by the way, seems like it was painted by someone who went to some pains to make the characters true to their descriptions in the book, but the painter either did not read the whole book in its final form or forgot some very obvious details about one of the two central protagonist characters, because things clearly don't match up in Dhulyn's coloring. I know it's all the rage to ethnicity-bend characters in film or television adaptations of novels these days, and sometimes it works quite well, but this is the cover art for the novel. I really don't think it works in this case. This doesn't contribute in any way to my rating; I judge the book by its contents, not its cover, when reviewing on Goodreads. It's just an amusing failing that stood out for me.
A couple of those characters I liked got killed off like throwing out old socks that had developed holes in the toes, which wasn't exactly fun. Some of the villainy stuff involved felt a bit thin at times, but at other times it felt like it had some depth to it. All in all, this was a solid three stars ("liked it") on the Goodreads scale, until the end.
The climax resolution felt a bit half-assed, and was not terribly vivid at all. It fell flat, and the denouement was no great revelation, either. In fact, while the actual events of climax, resolution, and denouement were fine, the delivery was disappointing enough to drop a star from the book's rating overall. There were a few other weird details that did not really work well for me, such as one of the protagonists being a golden-haired man with a deep tan (golden haired people always look weird with deep tans) and the other major protagonist's description and background coming off a smidgen Mary-Sue-ish, but these things weren't enough to significantly detract from the story. The ending dragged it down to two stars all on its own.
The cover of the book, by the way, seems like it was painted by someone who went to some pains to make the characters true to their descriptions in the book, but the painter either did not read the whole book in its final form or forgot some very obvious details about one of the two central protagonist characters, because things clearly don't match up in Dhulyn's coloring. I know it's all the rage to ethnicity-bend characters in film or television adaptations of novels these days, and sometimes it works quite well, but this is the cover art for the novel. I really don't think it works in this case. This doesn't contribute in any way to my rating; I judge the book by its contents, not its cover, when reviewing on Goodreads. It's just an amusing failing that stood out for me.
April 11, 2022
Dhulyn and Parno don't disappoint. I accidentally read the second book of their quartet first. I liked it so much I had to read the other books, too.
This first book held my interest with its twists and turns. The characters seemed real, and I cared what happened to them. I look forward to reading the final two books and will be sad when I have to say goodbye to the likeable mercenaries.
This first book held my interest with its twists and turns. The characters seemed real, and I cared what happened to them. I look forward to reading the final two books and will be sad when I have to say goodbye to the likeable mercenaries.
March 1, 2021
I didn't finish this in 2013 but in 2020 I was riveted by the excellent competence porn and the stable adult relationship. Also the author makes really interesting choices about what scenes are skipped over and the action inferred.
November 17, 2021
Did not draw me in at all.
June 3, 2023
A decent read with interesting characters, but a little dry and slowly paced. Still, I'm willing to read another.
December 2, 2010
Original review of mine at Amazon.de:
I'm just in the middle of reading The Sleeping God, which I honestly bought on the strength of the cover illustration and the general description at Amazon.
It's quest fantasy and the two heroes are mercenaries (with secrets in their personal history), so there is the "one more take" feeling - but I do like quest fantasies when done well, and most of the time there isn't a feeling of unalterable doom (a la LOTR) or the fate of the world will be decided (a la Belgariad). The author places the clues for what's going on sparsely and mostly I'm concerned about the current situation in the country where the mercenaries find themselves at lose ends, because they get caught up in a palace revolution and in a witch hunt of gifted people (I haven't finished the book yet, but I peeked at the end and we do get some spectacular fantastic things - but the magic is usually just small stuff - finding, mending, healing and foreseeing).
The strength of the book for me lies in the cast of characters (and the setting of the world), not just the main ones, but all the other major and minor people who get drawn into the problems(SPOILEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEER!! there's one young mercenary who has maybe two scenes in which he shows up and when he has to sacrifice his life for the good of the others you really feel the loss END SPOILER).
I'm on page... wait... 336 and I'll put the Soldier King on my wishlist and look into the Mirror Prince forthwith.
P.S. One thing: However close the cover came to fairly well presenting the two heroes, Dhulyn ought to be very, very pale-skinned (and she's not) which is mentioned a few times in the text. Parno simply looks as if he's lost his tan (which he shouldn't quite, from how it is described in the book). Since I've been reading more author sites I do know that they don't usually have all that much influence on the choice of the cover illustration.
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This was as good as I remembered. The character interaction, the world-building and the plot all interwove into a dense story but I never felt info-dumped upon. As a matter of fact I would have liked to have seen more of various facets, like the Mercenary training or their every day interaction in their houses.
And the first time I read of the death of Heryn the Shield, whom we only get to see in four or five scenes, I cried.
An aside: I wish they had a different depiction of Parno Lionsmane on the cover, but I think Dhulyn looks very close to the description in the book.
I'm just in the middle of reading The Sleeping God, which I honestly bought on the strength of the cover illustration and the general description at Amazon.
It's quest fantasy and the two heroes are mercenaries (with secrets in their personal history), so there is the "one more take" feeling - but I do like quest fantasies when done well, and most of the time there isn't a feeling of unalterable doom (a la LOTR) or the fate of the world will be decided (a la Belgariad). The author places the clues for what's going on sparsely and mostly I'm concerned about the current situation in the country where the mercenaries find themselves at lose ends, because they get caught up in a palace revolution and in a witch hunt of gifted people (I haven't finished the book yet, but I peeked at the end and we do get some spectacular fantastic things - but the magic is usually just small stuff - finding, mending, healing and foreseeing).
The strength of the book for me lies in the cast of characters (and the setting of the world), not just the main ones, but all the other major and minor people who get drawn into the problems(SPOILEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEER!! there's one young mercenary who has maybe two scenes in which he shows up and when he has to sacrifice his life for the good of the others you really feel the loss END SPOILER).
I'm on page... wait... 336 and I'll put the Soldier King on my wishlist and look into the Mirror Prince forthwith.
P.S. One thing: However close the cover came to fairly well presenting the two heroes, Dhulyn ought to be very, very pale-skinned (and she's not) which is mentioned a few times in the text. Parno simply looks as if he's lost his tan (which he shouldn't quite, from how it is described in the book). Since I've been reading more author sites I do know that they don't usually have all that much influence on the choice of the cover illustration.
____________________________
This was as good as I remembered. The character interaction, the world-building and the plot all interwove into a dense story but I never felt info-dumped upon. As a matter of fact I would have liked to have seen more of various facets, like the Mercenary training or their every day interaction in their houses.
And the first time I read of the death of Heryn the Shield, whom we only get to see in four or five scenes, I cried.
An aside: I wish they had a different depiction of Parno Lionsmane on the cover, but I think Dhulyn looks very close to the description in the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 22, 2013
I really wish I could have liked the story more. The cover is amazing and immediately caught my attention. The book starts out really good and I was happy to have found a little gem. The world building is very well done and kept me going for a while.
Unfortunately, the story begins to loose its appeal after around 150 pages. The plot is okay, if a bit cheesy and even without reading the ending first one can easily guess how the story is going to continue and will finally end.
But the main problem for me was that I couldn't connect emotionally to the story and its protagonists. I had a hard time believing that Dhulyn & Parno are as important to each other as the author wants me to believe. It simply isn't enough to write about a connection - I need to feel it to believe it. Yes, I'm very well aware that this isn't planned to be a love story but a sword-and-sorcery novel. Still, I want to feel an emotional connection to and between the main characters. I need to either love or hate them and. And this simply didn't happen here.
Someone else pointed out that there aren't really a lot fighting scenes and I would agree. Let them fight some more in the next book. I want to see some of the things they are able to do.
Overall, I didn't regret reading the book but I'm a bit disappointed... it could have been done better. However, I will buy the sequel and give Dhulyn & Parno a second chance.
Unfortunately, the story begins to loose its appeal after around 150 pages. The plot is okay, if a bit cheesy and even without reading the ending first one can easily guess how the story is going to continue and will finally end.
But the main problem for me was that I couldn't connect emotionally to the story and its protagonists. I had a hard time believing that Dhulyn & Parno are as important to each other as the author wants me to believe. It simply isn't enough to write about a connection - I need to feel it to believe it. Yes, I'm very well aware that this isn't planned to be a love story but a sword-and-sorcery novel. Still, I want to feel an emotional connection to and between the main characters. I need to either love or hate them and. And this simply didn't happen here.
Someone else pointed out that there aren't really a lot fighting scenes and I would agree. Let them fight some more in the next book. I want to see some of the things they are able to do.
Overall, I didn't regret reading the book but I'm a bit disappointed... it could have been done better. However, I will buy the sequel and give Dhulyn & Parno a second chance.
November 21, 2008
My main issues are with Dhulyn & Parno being billed to among the greatest warriors known ,but there are only a few fight scenes. Malan makes it clear in the book and builds the prowess of the Dhulyn and Parno but just doesn't deliver or back it up enough. The few battle scenes in the book are glossed over and end quickly which doesn't seem to be consistent with her two battle loving main characters. The pacing was also off amd again I have to point to the main characters not being involved in as much action as you might expect. At times the story moves slow enough where a reader could very well lose interest, but luckily the plot is good enough to give it time to unravel. A patient reader will be rewarded.
In the end I can recommend The Sleeping God to those who enjoy a good political intrigue fantasy. The characters and plot are strong enough to make you stick around even if the action that the reader is expecting never materializes. I would not recommend this to anyone who is looking for an action packed slug fest. Overall, Malan manages to pull off an intriguing story of politics, love, and the fate of the world without being clichéd and should not disappoint readers in those aspects.
In the end I can recommend The Sleeping God to those who enjoy a good political intrigue fantasy. The characters and plot are strong enough to make you stick around even if the action that the reader is expecting never materializes. I would not recommend this to anyone who is looking for an action packed slug fest. Overall, Malan manages to pull off an intriguing story of politics, love, and the fate of the world without being clichéd and should not disappoint readers in those aspects.
February 1, 2013
A well-plotted book with a slightly slow beginning and a too drawn out ending.
I liked all the House intrigue and plotting but, in my opinion, the book would've benefited from being shorter - it's 476 pages long - and more condensed. Also, the POV jumps - please, authors, please, don't jump between people's POV from one paragraph to another. It's confusing as hell when I can't be certain who is actually talking before I see the speaker's name.
I loved the characters - but there is a "but" again. I loved all of them - except for Dhulyn and Parno, the main characters. I thought they were the weakest links. Too self-righteous, too good at everything to be simple Mercenaries and not elders of the guild. Gun, Mar, Dal, Karlyn, the Tarkina... All of these characters were more interesting than the main two. Maybe because Dhulyn and Parno reminded me too much of Magiera and Leesil from Hendee's "Dhampir" series.
To sum it up, I liked the book a lot and I would be interested in reading the next one in the series - but more in the hope of seeing Dal-eLad, Mar-eMar, Gundaron and Karlyn-Tan again than Dhulyn and Parno.
I liked all the House intrigue and plotting but, in my opinion, the book would've benefited from being shorter - it's 476 pages long - and more condensed. Also, the POV jumps - please, authors, please, don't jump between people's POV from one paragraph to another. It's confusing as hell when I can't be certain who is actually talking before I see the speaker's name.
I loved the characters - but there is a "but" again. I loved all of them - except for Dhulyn and Parno, the main characters. I thought they were the weakest links. Too self-righteous, too good at everything to be simple Mercenaries and not elders of the guild. Gun, Mar, Dal, Karlyn, the Tarkina... All of these characters were more interesting than the main two. Maybe because Dhulyn and Parno reminded me too much of Magiera and Leesil from Hendee's "Dhampir" series.
To sum it up, I liked the book a lot and I would be interested in reading the next one in the series - but more in the hope of seeing Dal-eLad, Mar-eMar, Gundaron and Karlyn-Tan again than Dhulyn and Parno.
December 21, 2008
I had a real hard time getting through this book. On paper the plot and the characters are all that I could ask for, but I felt like something was missing. At the very beginning the two main characters already have an established relationship and years of living together. You get no real flashback or history of how they met or how their lives got to this point. It's almost as if this is a second book of a series. It made it hard to care what happens to these people not knowing anything about them. I read all the way up to the last chapters and returned it to the library-I couldn't care to finish it. I think it's kind of sad because I think it could have been a good book if the author had spent a little more time laying out the groundwork between the main characters. (side note: strangely enough, the author has no problem giving the backgrounds on all the side characters, but stays oddly mum about the main ones...maybe they planned on going into more detail in another book or something? I guess I'll never know.)
August 23, 2011
A story of political machinations complicated by demon possession, ancient conflicts and long lost heirs.
This is a good solid fantasy story. The characters come to life with a verity of concerns and desires that seem totally reasonable for people with their back stories. Violette keeps the pace moving and the reader guessing as villains become victims and heroes stumble. The skill set of the lead characters is impressive and reminiscent of actual warrior casts from the history of our world. The weapons play is nicely handled. One man with a sword can hold a narrow passage against hundreds. No man with a sword can defeat five swordsmen at once in an open field. It was nice to see this reasoning applied as it is so often neglected in fantasy books.
It is a game of kings and king makers and want to be kings as well as the drive to ‘be not’ that can invade us all.
In short a very enjoyable read.
This is a good solid fantasy story. The characters come to life with a verity of concerns and desires that seem totally reasonable for people with their back stories. Violette keeps the pace moving and the reader guessing as villains become victims and heroes stumble. The skill set of the lead characters is impressive and reminiscent of actual warrior casts from the history of our world. The weapons play is nicely handled. One man with a sword can hold a narrow passage against hundreds. No man with a sword can defeat five swordsmen at once in an open field. It was nice to see this reasoning applied as it is so often neglected in fantasy books.
It is a game of kings and king makers and want to be kings as well as the drive to ‘be not’ that can invade us all.
In short a very enjoyable read.
September 19, 2009
Dhulyn Wolfshead is a Seer who is partnered and Bonded with Parno Lionsmane and both are Mercenary Brothers. They return from an assignment across the ocean and discover that those who have talents like Dhulyn are categorized as Marked and are being targeted and persecuted at the behest of followers of the Jaldeans. Insiduous influences combine to force them to go to the capital city of Gotterang as escort for a young women who is a member of one of the ruling Houses. They become embroiled in multiple struggles for the city, hierarchy and lifestyle that they are accustomed to and discover facets of themselves and each other that both help and hinder their fight against the evil that threatens to destroy their world. A wonderful introduction to the series.
January 12, 2009
As with any new series, there is a little bit of time getting 'into' the book. I am looking forward to reading the next in the series.
Even though I struggled a little at first with the "different font" that indicated different visions by several different people, once the light went ON in my brain about what was being seen and which were futures and which were pasts, I became quite enamored with the book. I believe that it was not through any issue with the writer in this case, but with the reader just being a bit slow. :-)
In any event, once I had my 'lightbulb' moment, I found this book to be VERY enjoyable and I am looking forward to the next installment.
Even though I struggled a little at first with the "different font" that indicated different visions by several different people, once the light went ON in my brain about what was being seen and which were futures and which were pasts, I became quite enamored with the book. I believe that it was not through any issue with the writer in this case, but with the reader just being a bit slow. :-)
In any event, once I had my 'lightbulb' moment, I found this book to be VERY enjoyable and I am looking forward to the next installment.
June 11, 2013
Sword and sorcery fantasy done quite very well. I particularly liked the mercenary culture. Heavy on action and political intrigue, lighter on the character interactions (alas, as I'm particularly fond of character interactions), backstory somewhat uneven — perhaps to be filled in later novels.
Three and half stars. I didn't quite fall madly in love with it, but I very much look forward to reading more about these characters.
Related reviews:
The Mirror Prince
Three and half stars. I didn't quite fall madly in love with it, but I very much look forward to reading more about these characters.
Related reviews:
The Mirror Prince
August 7, 2014
First in a series, featuring Dhulyn Wolfshead and her Mercenary Partner, Parno Lionsmane. They hire on to escort a young woman to the capitol city, but things turn strange when it appears that a priest of the Sleeping God is looking for Marked people - those gifted with such powers as the ability to Find, to Mend, To Heal, to See - and their charge is one of these. Not to mention the secrets that each mercenary holds close.
Nice plot, that doesn't drag, nice character development, and a denouement that doesn't involve massive amounts of violence.
I'll be looking for more in this series.
Nice plot, that doesn't drag, nice character development, and a denouement that doesn't involve massive amounts of violence.
I'll be looking for more in this series.
August 27, 2015
Great world-building in this fantasy. I liked the concept of the Mercenary Brothers (who BTW could be women, too) and their Partners who were "together in Battle or in Death". I liked the different categories of the Marked (Finders, Healders, Menders and Seers) and the naming customs in Imrion. I loved how a lot of separate things came together in the ending to wake the Sleeping God and defeat the Green Shadow.
Quibble: The pacing was a bit slow in places, and Dhulyn's visions sometimes telegraphed what was going to happen next a bit too much.
Quibble: The pacing was a bit slow in places, and Dhulyn's visions sometimes telegraphed what was going to happen next a bit too much.
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