Winterbirth (The Godless World) [Paperback]

Arriving in the post with advertising that said "combines the epic scope of David Gemmell with the political human drama of George RR Martin"; this novel had a lot to live up to. Not only that but it was promoted with additional material stating that it would be enjoyed by fans of Robert Jordan, Bernard Cornwell and Steven Pressfield.

With so many big names on the material connected to the novel it put my back up to start with. Not that there's anything wrong with press like this but I reserve my judgement until I've read the piece rather than believe the hype that publishers tend to add to this sort of thing.

So, whilst this may sound like I'm on a negative vibe to start off with, I just thought that I'd clarify my position before getting into the novel. I'm not the sort of guy that's easily impressed with titles.

However that said, I have to admit that I did enjoy this novel, although the first 20-30 pages read a little on the clunky side the novel picked up quite sharply after that and became something that I enjoyed sitting down to read. Although I would say that the use of Jordan's name isn't something that I think is favourable. This author actually seems to have an idea as to where he's going with a definite plot and strong characters that don't conform to the stereotype presented by other authors.

They have a realistic 3d presence with subtle nuances that strike a chord with the reader. A hard trick to learn and an even harder one to pull off well. The tale moves along at its own pace which keeps the reader wondering what's going to happen and with the guerrilla war being fought within the pages the readership will be greatly split as to which side they wish to route for. The scenes are easily visualised with clear descriptive text that doesn't get too flowery or bog the reader down from the tale. Likewise the language flows (apart from my initial gripe) and the reader will find that they just fly through the novel, surprised at how little time it takes to devour. Set for a trilogy, it promises a tale that will keep you gripped right to the end with no real clear idea as to which side will emerge victorious.

Well, 2006 is turning out to be the year of the hot debuts. Hal Duncan, Naomi Novik, Scott Lynch, Joel Shepherd, Joe Abercrombie, and now Brian Ruckley. In any other year, Winterbirth would undoubtedly be considered the best fantasy debut. But this year, the opening chapter of The Godless World trilogy must share the spotlight with powerhouses such as Vellum, The Lies of Locke Lamora, and a bunch of other spectacular debuts. Such is the quality of this year's new talent. . .

I learned about Winterbirth while browsing through the various threads on asoiaf.westeros.org. Some readers there opined that fans of George R. R. Martin would probably enjoy this one. Upon reflection, I agree with their assessment. Yet I wish to clarify one thing: Winterbirth is nothing like A Song of Ice and Fire in terms of story. In style and tone, however, Winterbirth is similar to Martin's series. It's a dark and gritty fantasy; don't expect humour and bantering dialogues in this novel. And not unlike GRRM, Ruckley is not averse to killing off his characters.

This book is a fine example of good worldbuilding, even though we only catch a glimpse in this first volume. Still, the author provides many hints which indicate that this universe has a lot more depth. A past not yet buried offers a few fascinating glimpses which truly piqued my curiosity. The dissension among the True Bloods was a bit predictable at times, though.

I enjoyed the way magic is subdued to some extent -- again very similar to the manner with which Martin portrays it. The na'kyrim resemble Katherine Kurtz's Deryni in many ways. The storylines involving the Bloods of the Black Road and the Inkallim were my favourites. The presence of those fundamentalists and their religion in a godless world added another dimension to this tale.

The characterizations are typical at the beginning of the book. But when Ruckley starts to kill characters that appeared to be there for the long run, one immediately realizes that the author has several surprises in store for his readers.

The pace is good, meaning that the novel contains no dull moments. The fact that this is a trilogy forces Ruckley to write a tight story, thus preventing him from leading readers astray with a panoply of subplots that serve little or no purpose.

I felt that the ending was a bit rushed. Other than that, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. As the first volume in a trilogy, it is, in essence, an introduction to a vaster tale. Yet the ending brings closure to certain storylines and it leaves the door wide open for a lot more to come.

If you are looking for another fine debut, Brian Ruckley's Winterbirth should not disappoint. This title will be one of the first novels published by the new US Orbit imprint. Those who cannot wait can order it from amazon.ca. . .

Definitely one of the best fantasy novels of 2006.

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I just picked up Winterbirth by Brian Ruckley. It's a brand new epic Fantasy debut in the UK which Orbit is very keen to market as one of the most promising new works in this field, and they are comparing it Martin, Erikson and Gemmell.

I have to say I really flew through this book. I was eager for it come out to see if this could be yet another worthwhile new debut ( after "Lies of Locke Lamora" and "The Blade itself") and IMO this is as good as any debut I've read this year. It's a good read, realistic, has a low magic setting, has some intriguing characters ( and some less so), definitly good worldbuilding and it can be very gritty.

I would actually say that from my reading experience, I would compare this mostly to David Gemmell's Rigante series, and to JV Jones's fine "Sword of Shadows" trilogy. It's clearly set in a northern country, with different clans duking it out with each other, but there are slightly supernatural elements as well ( similar to Song of Ice and Fire). The comparison with Martin is not bad, but Ruckley doesn't have Martin's skill at characterization. He uses different POV's but not so many as Martin or for instance Erikson. Gemmell and Jones are better indicators of how good this is, while Erikson fans who are not into Malazan purely because of the high magic might also really like this.

I do think it will lack the broad appeal of a series like The Gentleman bastards because this really is straight up epic Fantasy. The characters are not witty nor is the narrative sprinkled with quips. This is a serious drama that is unfolding. One of the most interesting things Ruckley has done is two have a "villain" with a character arc. This man, Aeglyss, is born of the union between man and Kyrinin and has a potential for power that hasn't been seen in hundreds of years. However in this first book he is mostly an insecure character with a pathological need to ingratiate himself and be accepted, having been outcast wherever he went ever since he was a small child. He has great potential ( those more wise but less gifted sense him as a "Black-hearted beast") but lacks the key to unlock his abilities. His is one of the two main character arcs of that trilogy, the other being the son of a brutally slain Clanlord.

You've also got factions like the Inkallim ( Hunters and warriors deeply devoted to their Black Road religion), human clan rulers who wish to use the war to advance their own position of power in as many ways as possible, when in fact they should be standing shoulder to shoulder ( very much ASOIAF that), and the Kyrinin, an Elflike race, except the Kyrinin have no magic and are not considered to be superior to men ( nor are they inferior). They are simply very different, and the insight Ruckley shows into their culture was a strength of this story.

I rate the book 8 out of 10. I thought his writing was a lot more coherent than for instance Steven Erikson, but his characterization is not on a Hobb/Martin/Kay level at this point. I mentioned parallels to Gemmell but would point out that Ruckley's world has more depth.