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Kencyrath #1-2 + story
Dark of the Gods
Whether you are meeting the Kencyr Jame for the first time or reawakening an old friendship, Dark of the Gods is the place to start. Dark of the Gods is an omnibus collection of P. C. Hodgell's first two books God Stalk and Dark of the Moon, along with her short story "Bones", which takes place between the two novels. Jame is a Kencyrath, the chosen people of the Three-Faced God, who fights the demonic entity called Perimal Darkling. At the same time she fights an internal battle for her honor, because three thousand years ago the leader of the Kencyrath betrayed his people to the Darkness for his own immortality. She also must find her ten year older twin brother Tori and return to him the sword and ring of their father. If that is not enough, she has to kill a god, resurrect a god, stand before the rathorns, wear the cloak of living snakes, and visit a council room ablaze with stained glass.
672 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2000
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 27, 2018
This is another book I remembered very fondly from my teenagehood (I even had a limited-edition hardcover), and recently re-read to see how it withstood the test of time (as well as comparing older and newer young-adult fantasy). I enjoyed it tremendously. Below are my thoughts for prospective readers.
What to Expect
A highly entertaining story, setting up the beginning of an epic fantasy cycle. Hodgell is slowly building the mythology around the people, characters, and places in the world. Hints and back stories are alluded to, giving tantalising tastes of things to come. Structurally, God Stalk is told as important episodes over the span of a year and a bit. We get to know Jame, her companions, and the fantastic city and world as events interweave and grow in tempo to conclusion.
Allow me to go on a tangent: there is the question of the thieves guild. While this is a fantasy trope (and in Hodgell's defence, she published this in 1982), one always wonders about how cities can support this. There is the basic predator/pray populations ratio that every biologist will tell you about. Conversely, large enough populations to support such a large guild would be expected to develop mechanisms to cohabitate in close proximity. Be that as it may, this is handled well in the novel.
Back to the series. The second volume, Dark of the Moon, alternates viewpoints between Jame and Tori. They lead vastly different lives and adventures, and Hodgell uses both to expose us both to the world of Rathilien and to the culture of the Kencyrath. Both characters are highly engaging, and both plots leave you turning page as you (and them) make your way to meeting at the grand battle at the end.
The short story "Bones" reads just like a missing chapter from God Stalk. A fine and entertaning addition.
What I liked
Hodgell's story-telling and world-building are top-notch, her story pacing is excellent, and she balances light and dark themes perfectly. I love the tantalising glimpses into Jame's past, and the slowly-building tension around her. One can't help but feel immersed in the story, love Jame's vibrancy, and wish to learn more.
What to be aware of
The story is more or less self-contained, but it's obvious at the end that it is merely the beginning of a larger cycle. This novel was published in 1982, and I imagine some modern readers might find the style a bit dated. The latest installment (book 8) was published last year -- 35 years on. I believe the series is still not complete, though I expect GRRM fans will likely not mind this in the least.
The city of Tai-tastigon is wonderful, but the rest of the series takes place in other locations. Style also changes between novels, although I find the writing consistently excellent.
Summary
A highly recommended series. This is epic fantasy done right, with perfect balance of light and dark, and excellent, slowly-building pacing. I'm off to re-read the rest of the series (and read those newer volumes for the first time). If you love fantasy, I strongly suggest you add God Stalk to your TBR pile.
--
Assaph Mehr, author of Murder In Absentia: A story of Togas, Daggers, and Magic - for lovers of Ancient Rome, Murder Mysteries, and Urban Fantasy.
What to Expect
A highly entertaining story, setting up the beginning of an epic fantasy cycle. Hodgell is slowly building the mythology around the people, characters, and places in the world. Hints and back stories are alluded to, giving tantalising tastes of things to come. Structurally, God Stalk is told as important episodes over the span of a year and a bit. We get to know Jame, her companions, and the fantastic city and world as events interweave and grow in tempo to conclusion.
Allow me to go on a tangent: there is the question of the thieves guild. While this is a fantasy trope (and in Hodgell's defence, she published this in 1982), one always wonders about how cities can support this. There is the basic predator/pray populations ratio that every biologist will tell you about. Conversely, large enough populations to support such a large guild would be expected to develop mechanisms to cohabitate in close proximity. Be that as it may, this is handled well in the novel.
Back to the series. The second volume, Dark of the Moon, alternates viewpoints between Jame and Tori. They lead vastly different lives and adventures, and Hodgell uses both to expose us both to the world of Rathilien and to the culture of the Kencyrath. Both characters are highly engaging, and both plots leave you turning page as you (and them) make your way to meeting at the grand battle at the end.
The short story "Bones" reads just like a missing chapter from God Stalk. A fine and entertaning addition.
What I liked
Hodgell's story-telling and world-building are top-notch, her story pacing is excellent, and she balances light and dark themes perfectly. I love the tantalising glimpses into Jame's past, and the slowly-building tension around her. One can't help but feel immersed in the story, love Jame's vibrancy, and wish to learn more.
What to be aware of
The story is more or less self-contained, but it's obvious at the end that it is merely the beginning of a larger cycle. This novel was published in 1982, and I imagine some modern readers might find the style a bit dated. The latest installment (book 8) was published last year -- 35 years on. I believe the series is still not complete, though I expect GRRM fans will likely not mind this in the least.
The city of Tai-tastigon is wonderful, but the rest of the series takes place in other locations. Style also changes between novels, although I find the writing consistently excellent.
Summary
A highly recommended series. This is epic fantasy done right, with perfect balance of light and dark, and excellent, slowly-building pacing. I'm off to re-read the rest of the series (and read those newer volumes for the first time). If you love fantasy, I strongly suggest you add God Stalk to your TBR pile.
--
Assaph Mehr, author of Murder In Absentia: A story of Togas, Daggers, and Magic - for lovers of Ancient Rome, Murder Mysteries, and Urban Fantasy.
September 13, 2015
It took a long time for me to get into the second of the two books in this volume, Dark of the Moon. I had read and loved the first, God Stalk, for years, as a story that satisfied on many levels: political intrigue, fantasy world-building, and satisfying characters/plot. It turns out that much of the world-building that took place in God Stalk is sadly irrelevant to Dark of the Moon, which focuses almost entirely on the race and culture of the main character, Jame. The first book had been about Jame as well, but there she was a misfit, an outsider to the culture of city and world she found herself in, and she remembered very little of her own people and past. Dark of the Moon drops the reader smack into her people's culture, and reveals much more of its past and present, but it took nearly two-thirds of the book for me to grasp enough of that culture - and relate it to the characters I already knew - to feel like I had a real stake in the story.
On the one hand, it's nice to find that there is even more to discover in the world created in God Stalk, but on the other, picking up as it did in medias res was unsettling.
And the ending of the book brought no closure whatsoever between the main characters, and left me with a foreboding for the future of the series that I will have to read the next to see what will happen next - not so much what plot twist will next befall Jame but whether this world I thought I understood, which has been so painfully re-explained to me, turns out to be one that I can have any attachment to after all.
On the one hand, it's nice to find that there is even more to discover in the world created in God Stalk, but on the other, picking up as it did in medias res was unsettling.
And the ending of the book brought no closure whatsoever between the main characters, and left me with a foreboding for the future of the series that I will have to read the next to see what will happen next - not so much what plot twist will next befall Jame but whether this world I thought I understood, which has been so painfully re-explained to me, turns out to be one that I can have any attachment to after all.
December 2, 2008
The story in this two-novel compendium had everything: an epic setting, interesting world-building (including an interesting set of religions), magic, thieves, dark undertakings, humor, and heroism. Yet, it was lacking something. About midway through the first book, I decided that was was missing for me was a level of emotional intensity. The story and character histories suggested depth, but the writing just didn't quite carry a commensurate depth. By the end of the second book, I felt that much of that missing depth was beginning to show up, but it simply wasn't enough to leave me as satisfied with the volume as I'd hoped to be. Since the writing was improving and the story/plot is good, I'll probably read the next book in the series, but I just couldn't rate this book as highly as I would have liked to do.
June 22, 2018
The world of this book is deeply weird, and Hodgell lets the reader flounder a while in a sea of strange references and names before things start to make sense. It was a bit of a slow start, because of that. But once it gets going, a fascinating world starts to take shape, with a curiously ambiguous but compelling central character. Once it started coming into focus, I couldn’t put the book down.
May 9, 2007
I've been reading, re-reading and waiting for new volumes in this series for almost 20 years. Simply some of the best fantasy I've ever read. I'll write in more detail sometime when I've just finished a re-read!
July 1, 2007
Not actually a separate title in the series, but a combined volume of the first two titles: God Stalk and Dark of the Moon. Therefore, it should theoretically get 10 stars!
December 8, 2008
I think this definitely calls for a second read. I'm sure I didn't get all of it the first time around.
June 11, 2013
Darn good books. Very creative and engaging.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews