Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A quality ending, 12 May 2009
I have been a big fan of Brian Ruckley since reading Winterbirth, part one of 'The Godless World' trilogy, of which this is the third and final instalment.
The story is very much 'traditional' fantasy, with a gritty, realistic feel that is reminiscent of George R. R. Martin, although without Martin's more 'adult' leanings.
This book maintains the high bar he set in his previous efforts; if anything the quality of his writing actually grows, and this is what sets Ruckley apart from the crowd.
This boy can really write!
I found myself re-reading sections just because of how expertly i felt they were written, his use of language being very definitely a real pleasure, and all too rare.
Ruckley has constructed something here that is both epic and intimate, poetic yet grounded. His writing paints a picture, with a real eye for detail - his world is one you can almost feel and touch, so vivid are his descriptive abilities. In saying that, though, it is not 'wordy' or cloying. There is a stripped down, no frills feel to Ruckley's style, while at the same time providing real depth to both his characters and the world they are in.
As you have probably guessed by now, i loved this book.
In saying that, by the time i was about a hundred pages away from the end i began to feel slightly dissapointed. I think my expectations were too high. As book one and two were, for me, a masterclass of how to write modern fantasy, i had huge expectations for this book. To my mind the pace should have picked up, but i didn't get that sense of 'rushing to the finale,' that shift in gear which the third act usually achieves. It was more a steady pace rather than a sprint to the finishing line, with, in my opinion, a few sections that dragged a little (Anyara in Vaymouth, Orisian in Highfast, Kanin in the entire 'middle' section of the book), feeling almost like it lost its way a little in the middle; also i was expecting an escalation in the almost cinematic battles of the second book, from the nailbiting emotion of the duel between Shraeve and her Inkallim commander to the sweeping epic conflict in the snow where Aewult was put to route, but this did not happen. The action was still edge-of-your-seat stuff, but it just didn't seem to build from book two, with the final face-off at Kan Avor feeling a little flat compared to the previous battle scenes (also the last 'battle in the woods' between Orisian and the White Owls felt too much like the one in book two, with a serious casualty at the end of both).
Also, as i said about book one and two, there is a distinct lack of humour throughout this tale, something clearly contrasting with the other 'new crop' of fantasy authors (I am thinking of Abercrombie, Lynch and Campbell, and, to a lesser extent, Martin).
Authors that i have seen him compared to are Gemmel and Martin. I think personally that the Gemmel comparison is a little misleading; I love Gemmel's works, but this definitely has much more depth, both in terms of character and world-building. If i were to compare him to anyone it would be J. V. Jones, especially her latest series, (the 'Ice' books, the 'Sword of Shadows' series, I think) and perhaps Tad Williams, with Martin's grittiness thrown into the mix. Some would probably think this book a little slow, especially if they were reading it because of the Gemmel comparisons, as the pacing is definitely not as frenetic as anything by Gemmel, but this is more of a 'stop and smell the roses' offering, something definitely worth savouring.
So overall, a great book, written with real style and heart, although not quite the step up from books one and two that i had hoped for. Ruckley is clearly a talent that will be around for the long run; for my money his ability to write balances out any flaws in plot and pacing that might have appeared in this offering.
In a word: brilliant!
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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
fall of thanes, 5 Jul 2009
GRIM AND BLOODY IT GIVES A REALISTIC VIEW OF WAR AS MESSY AND NOT EVERYTHING BEEN NEATLY TIED UP WHICH MAKES IT REFRESHINGLY DIFFERENT FROM ALL THE OTHERS I SRONGLY RECOMEND THIS BOOK
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0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An apology to make..., 15 Oct 2009
The Fall of Thanes was a fitting conclusion to the Godless World Series it concludes the inevitable train of events that started in Winterbirth setting Orisian and his sister on a long and dark road into war and bloody politics. My only complaint is that the battles in this book were not as dramatic as those in the second installment but the ending did not disappoint, it was fitting for the characters to finish the tale as they did and I thought the epilogue a nice touch.
When I read the first in the trilogy Winterbirth I stated that it read like the start of a trilogy which lead to my being disappointed by it. I have therefore an apology to make to Mr Ruckley and thosse people who read my previous review...I judged too quickly, in setting the scene using so much information in the first book it left him free to tell a story across the next two which meant that in Fall of Thanes the story could be concluded without long winded background explanations that are so often necessary to explain the actions and motivations of the characters.
If you have red books one and two I urge you to read this and find out the conclusion it will not disappoint and if you have not read the previous books do read them first and after all that look forward to what Brian Ruckley publishes next. I know I will.
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