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Dewey Decimal Number: 813.6 Format: Kindle Book Label: Tor Books Manufacturer: Tor Books Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 352 Publication Date: August 01, 2005 Publisher: Tor Books Release Date: July 28, 2005 Studio: Tor Books Editorial Review: Product Description: Supreme Commander Lord Tanaros was once human. But he chose darkness and immortality when his wife betrayed him with his king. He killed them both, and fled the realms of Men and now cares nothing for their fates. A thousand years passed. His only allegiance is to his master, the dark god Satoris, who gave the gift of Life to the race of Men. Satoris, who rebelled against his elder brother God Haomane who had demanded that gift be taken away. Their fight cracked the very world in two; the name of Satoris became the word for evil throughout all the races, while the legend of Tanaros is the seminal tale of treachery. And yet not all tales told are true. A final prophecy has begun to unfold, and the races are uniting in their quest to rid the world of Satoris. The elder gods and goddesses, stranded on the other side of the world, send dreams to spur all to destroy Satoris and Tanaros, but those loyal to their god know a different side of the story and try to defend their citadel of Darkhaven, where Satoris sits in sorrow, controlling his own dominion, seeking neither victory nor vengeance. Satoris's followers capture the beautiful Elvish princess Cerelinde, and without her the Allies cannot fulfill the prophecy. All who support Satoris clamor for her death-but Satoris refuses to act like the monster that he is made out to be, for he recognizes in Cerelinde a spark of the love that he once bore for his fellow gods. She is a great danger to Satoris--and a greater danger for Tanaros and all that he holds dear. For she reminds him that not all women need be false... and that though he may be immune to death, his heart is still very much mortal. Strong storytelling with evocative, compelling, and unforgettable characters, Godslayer is the thrilling conclusion to the events begun in Banewreaker, a haunting tale of love and loss that ultimately asks the question: If all that is considered good considers you evil, are you? Related Items:      see moreAverage Rating:
 Rating:  - Complicated, Beautiful StoryI just finished the second novel of this series. Yes, I understand why people are bound to characterize this story as a reversal of Tolkien's archetypical good versus evil story. But it is not! That view is an oversimplification and it saddens me to see people fall into that comfortable rut. No one is good. No one is evil. That is Carey's point, I believe. Both sides are giving every last ounce of themselves for their Truth, for what they believe to be vital and necessary, and worth their lives. Inseparable and undeniable is the truth that neither side truly understand what they are fighting for. They are loyal and honorable, and they hold on to those values as if they are enough without answering the questions: What is honorable? Loyal to what? Over and over, the offer and plea is made: "Choose." Over and over, both sides decline to choose. They toy with the idea, but it's too grand, too vast. It is easier to slip back into the known; into loyalty; into honor. Those are comfortable and familiar. Therein, lies the most pointed of Carey's observations. It is shocking how frequently and consistently these smart, good people choose comfort and familiarity over Truth, Knowledge, Possibilities... and, frankly, their own good. They keep sacrificing, keep giving up their own happiness - and for what? If they stopped long enough, they might think it through and understand that there are no sides; that they are fight what, in some sense, is an imaginary war with good people and good intentions on both sides. If they stopped long enough to think, they might realize that they could do worse than show a little weakness, let their honor slip a little and just let themselves be happy. It's heartbreaking - and, I tell you, it makes for a great, great story. The prose is not so elegant here as in the Kushiel books, not so refined. The reality of the story, too, it not so twisted or poetic. But could a novel bound by those elements get at the raw, unpoetic and very beautiful truth of this story, and at the vivid, human, flawed and lovable characters who reside within in? I don't think so. Not quite like this. Rating:  - Skillfully written and ultimately pointlessSPOILER WARNING. I was very disappointed by this book. Not because of how it does or doesn't relate to Tolkien (I don't care), but on its own merits. It's skillfully written, but the emotion foremost in my heart at the end was: so what? There is almost no evolution of the main characters, which is a capital sin of storytelling, and what evolution does happen matters little, as Carey kills almost everyone off at the end. I love (and most highly recommend) Carey's other works, but I found this book (and its predecessor) a well-wrought, colossal waste of time. Rating: - Better than the first bookMy biggest criticism of the first book in this pair was that she waited til near the end of the book to really give the background history and motivations, even personality, of most of the characters. But once I had that, I really enjoyed the end of the last book. Then, with that basis set, I really enjoyed this second book much more. There are so many ways Carey could have taken the story, and I found myself extremely satisfied with the ending. The majority of the major characters wrestle on their own level with the thesis behind the whole book - what makes one evil? Do you stick by your principles when you aren't sure your side is right or not? How each resolves this quandry is what brings the plot to its culmination, with each and every decision integral to the final outcome. Rating:  - Quite Nordic in tone for the EndingI can't understand why people compare this to the story as told from the perspective of the Nazgul, or compare it to LotR at ALL - this is completely different! The Nazgul were intent on world domination and the complete and total subjugation of all people and races underneath them; Satoris only wants to be left alone. Haomane would be more accurately compared to the Nazgul than Satoris, and even HE isn't THAT bad - he just wants his way like a spoiled child! That's not to say I got the ending I wanted in the book! But the book ended as it should - as the dragons say - "All thingss mussst be asss they are." And, although this story was being told from the point of view of the so-called "dark" Lord, it still clings to the conventions for this type of story. However, I don't wish to spoil the story, so I won't go any further with those thoughts. In this book we continue to follow the attempts of Haomane's Allies to fulfill Haomane's Prophecy, and Lord Satoris' Allies attempts to stop them. We spend a good bit of time with the Bearer - Dani of the Yarru Yami - in his travels to get to Darkhaven, as well as with Lilias in her captivity among the Rivenlost. Unfortunately, years of indoctrination leaves the Rivenlost and the races of Men completely unable to believe anything of what they are told of Satoris. Only the Lady Cerelinde - held in the fastness of Darkhaven, begins to question her beliefs. And, of course, by the time she does it really is too late. Again, I actually really liked this story - those who compare it to LotR or the Belgariad are not really giving the story the credit it is due, I think. I have read LotR well over a dozen times, and must have read the Belgariad close to that - and I can't see that much of a similarity. I'll grant you that the very basic premise is somewhat the same, but it is a standard convention in this sort of story - however, Ms. Carey takes it into new and unexpected directions and I was happy to see it. I can, with confidence, suggest this to anyone who is willing to read this and take the time to really think about it. Rating:  - A bit disappointingI know this is a re-write from the perspective of the King of the Nazguls from Lord of the Rings, so we know how the story ends. That's not why I knocked off two stars. I did that because the characters just aren't that interesting. The only two who held my interest was the half-breed who seemed to hate everything and Lord Sartoris himself. He was interesting. The others just felt like place-holders. I will say that this world is dissimilar enough from Middle-Earth and the remaining characters and possibilities are intriguing enough that if the author returns to this world with an original series, I'd probably read it. |
Continuing a fortuitous tradition of capturing the Sondheim legacy on video recordings, this performance was filmed before a live audience in Los Angeles during the 1982 national tour. Almost 20 years later, Hearn returned to the role opposite Patti LuPone in an acclaimed concert production. But Sweeney Todd is an especially compelling experience in this 1982 version, complete with the clever staging tricks (e.g., the barber's chair) and as close to the original cast as we're likely to see. --David Horiuchi
