Bloodheir (Godless World #2) [Mass Market Paperback]

Brian Ruckley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2009

The world has fallen from its former state. The war between the clans of the Black Road and the True Bloods has spread.

For Orisian, thane of the ruined Lannis Blood, there is no time to grieve the loss of his family, brutally slain by the invading armies. The Black Road must be stopped. However, as more blood is spilled on the battlefields, so each side in the conflict becomes more riven by internal dissent and disunity.

Amidst the mounting chaos, Aeglyss the na'kyrim uses his new-found powers to twist everything and everyone around him to serve his own mad desires.

Meanwhile, the long-dormant Anain are stirring - and when the most potent race the world has ever known returns, the bloodletting may never stop.

BLOODHEIR is the stunning sequel to Winterbirth, one of the most acclaimed epic fantasy debuts of recent years.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This awkward middle volume, the second installment of Ruckley's Godless World trilogy (after 2007's acclaimed Winterbirth), lacks the thematic impact and emotional intensity of its predecessor. As the armies of the Black Road, a fatalistic religious movement revolving around a creed of predestination, descend from their northern exile, the quarrelsome leaders of the True Blood clans must join forces or die, but supernatural forces beyond their understanding are playing with their destiny. Multiple plot threads featuring dozens of integral characters bog down the pacing considerably, creating a narrative that, like the unwieldy and poorly led True Blood army, becomes a lethargic thing emanating resentment and reluctance. New readers will be utterly lost and fans left impatient for book three. (June)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

The latest addition to one of the durable institutions of modern fantasy, McKiernan’s Mithgar saga, is a quest yarn in which a warrior, his true love, and a stalwart band of men and dwarves set off to find the legendary City of Jade and its lost magic. They encounter more than enough perils, of which enough of the magical sort are pretty original. Apparently a stand-alone story, the book is an unexpectedly good introduction to McKiernan and Mithgar, as well as a solid treat for long-haul fans. --Roland Green --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 656 pages
• Publisher: Orbit; Reprint edition (April 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316068071
• ISBN-13: 978-0316068079
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 1.2 x 6.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #107,659 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars There's a good book in here somewhere, January 21, 2009

By 

Pharaoh (Erie, PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bloodheir (The Godless World) (Kindle Edition)

A Godless World is... problematic, and unfortunately not as good as I expected it to be. I get the sense that Ruckley started out with a good story and is now making it unnecessarily complex. My main sticking point is how superfluous half of this book is. Take the characters, for instance. There's a lot. Too many. Some are supposed to be powerful and influential but do nothing to pull the plot in any particular direction. Others are introduced for no apparent reason and fade out of the story halfway through. Most of these walk-ons are only given the barest of characterization to explain their actions, so you don't care if they succeed or fail or live or die or what. Even among the main characters (the ones introduced in book one) you won't find a lot of personality to hang your hat on. Surprisingly among this original group it's the "bad guys" (Aeglyss, Kanin, etc.) I enjoyed reading about the most. Aeglyss is clearly shaping up to be the End of Level baddie, and I'm interested in finding out how his steady descent into megalomania will end. Kanin, by contrast, is becoming Aeglyss's opposite: someone who started out bad but now finds himself overcome with self-doubt. It's these two who kept me turning the pages, albeit unenthusiastically. I also feel like I need to say something positive about the Kyrinin, especially after incorrectly comparing them to elves in the first book. Now they remind me more of Native Americans. I'm really surprised at how well Ruckley is defining them thus far: we're only given glimpses into their culture, but it's easy to tell they don't think and act like normal humans. Then, dear reader, at the other end of the scale you have the "good guys". It's here where I think the book falls down. The True Bloods are boring. They all come across as competent but overwhelmed losers. Even Orisian, especially Orisian, the would-be savior. I appreciate that Ruckley isn't making him gallop from victory to victory like "other" fantasy writers, but at the same time he does nothing to make you root for him, making him come across as just another ordinary supporting character and not an exiled prince on a mission of vengeance. And did I mention there's no humor whatsoever in this book? I think that's a big mistake; even ASOIAF, the best series I've ever read, would be a slog if we didn't have Martin's wit to liven it up. And that's what Bloodheir is. A slog. The desperate running battle at the end sends the book out on a high (or rather low) note, and the refreshing lack of magicians, goblins and elves will appeal to a lot of jaded fantasy readers, but I dunno, I really don't want to roll around in the muck and grime of Ruckley's world any longer then I have to. I'll still probably read the last book, though, mostly BECAUSE it's the last book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Enter the Godless World, June 22, 2008

By 

Dale E. Mommer "dmedwards" (Modesto, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Bloodheir (The Godless World) (Paperback)

I strongly recommend this book to anyone who likes dark, action intense fantasy. I would say this wasn't as good as the first book and some of the parts seemed to trail on and on, but overall this was a great book that ended well leading up to the third one which I hope comes out soon.

There is more infighting in this one among the different factions and the boy Thane Orisian is off doing his own thing while the rest of the Godless World gets smashed into oblivion.

Aglyss becomes the main protragonist and uses his powers to further weaken his enemies and allies alike, bending them to his will.

Taim is my favorite characters in the second installment. He is the good guy in this story who you really want to root for and see come out on top more than any of the others. I hope in the end of the series he gets to see his wife and daughter, at least one more time.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantasy with depth of character, June 24, 2008

By 

Christopher S. Cooper "Composer/Audio Engineer" (SF Bay Area) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Bloodheir (The Godless World) (Paperback)

Brian Ruckley has done an even better job with book two of his Godless World series. The writing is more concise and full of tension and all of his characters have individual depths. Some yet to be explored to the fullest. As someone who reads few fantasy novels, I was very taken with the simplicity of style as it allows the story, and the character's lives, to breath and grow on you. Not too much magic or special powers, just enough to make it feel real and keep my interest. With every page turn, I await the next chapter of each characters story.
Well done!