Customer Reviews

Bloodwinter (Bantam Spectra Book)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Bloodwinter is about a special gem found deep in a mine that conveys special ability (That much is on the back of the book) However, most of the book centered on the lives and interactions of the people who eventually come into contact with the gem, or wish to have the gem. Though this was interesting and it was good to see that Tom can develop personalities and socialism between his characters, I felt that it lacked in adventure substance. In some of Tom's other books, the entire substance of the story has been one great adventure after another: IE the David Sullivan series. Those are fantastic books, but leads you to expect something of the same from his new story. I will say I like his effort to create a new world and populate it with a religion and a people who are not really like anything else anywhere else, but in some ways the world seems a little too surreal and unrealistic in its aspirations. For the most part, the book was somewhat occasionally active in the: 'oh no! What is going to happen next to our favorite characters?' department, and it was definitely descriptive, but made me hope that there would be more things 'happening' in the next book that would increase the excitement quotient. I felt that this book was mainly a story to set everything up, giving us background into the life of its people, and the key players, while placing them all into a position that he wished them to be in so that he could start the 'real' story. This is only the beginning of what looks like could be a fairly long ordeal. He's not afraid to hurt his main characters, or make them look less than perfect. Though as I said, I felt that the emotional interactions between his characters seemed a bit unreal in regards to their personal relationships and the like.

This book has some great ideas. It does not fall prey to the "I've read a million of these so mine will sound identical to ALL of them" phenomenon. But this book is fundamentally flawed.

The characterization starts well, and the characters are consistent... until something happens. Anything. At the slightest influence of event, stress, or simply the introduction of a new character or item, the characters in this book re-write themselves to spice up the plot. Every time I thought I knew a character, they would turn into someone else in a page or two.

The honest hero cheats and spys on his opponent in an honerable contest. His long suffering and completely noble wife steals away and breaks trust with her hero husband mere hours after he has revealed the 'gem' as a strange and dangerous secret. The nasty rapist antagonist has his moments of nobility to, after all, as his victim(s) regularly agree, 'he's not really such a bad person"...

I finished the book. That was about all I could do. I just HAD to see how many different, inconsistent personalities one book and a few characters could actually encompass (I lost count).

Despite the clumsy manipulation of characters to fit the plot, the author has good descriptive talent. He just doesn't seem to know who or what he wants to portray. He describes a foster brotherhood at the beginning of the book, only to surprise the reader that 'brotherhood' includes homosexuality. Not necessarily a bad thing in terms of plot, but it just happens without warning, and at odds with the scenario he started with. He seems to be experimenting with a variety of sexual themes in this way throughout the book. Again, not necessarily a bad thing for a novel, but none of the experimentation seems to be necessary or even relevant, and much of it flys in the face of the rest of the book. I won't move to the next book simply because of this inconsistency in character and focus.

I think this author should have spent his time on an anthology of short stories to get all this out of his system, and THEN write his novel. Unfortunately, this offering will simply reinforce the shallow image this genre has gained.

When I first saw this novel in Barnum Noble, I was not particularly impressed by the description on the back cover, and thus decided to wait for it to appear in the local library. When it did, I checked it out, and now, in retrospect, had wished I had bought it before. The Kirkus review adequately summarizes the plot, so I won't rehash the details. Suffice it to say that the story itself, while interesting, is not necessarily the strength of this work. What jumped out at me is the outstanding writing ability of the author, which is on a level of that of Tad Williams. Dietz has an ability for detail rarely found in the genre. His characterizations and world-building are outstanding as well. While this work may not appeal to all fantasy readers, especially those who enjoy authors who write books that are simplistic and are designed for adolescents (read: Terry Goodkind), I would heartily recommend this for anyone who needs a change of pace from the mediocrity that permeates the genre today.

David out, Eron and her people in in a wonderful new Chronicle by the man who made Georgia faeries cool. In Bloodwinter (released almost simultaneously with the terminus of his David Sullivan series)Deitz has created an interesting new backdrop in the fictitious world of Eron. His characters, as always, are richly textured, if often generous to a fault, and have absorbing, engaging relationships. More description of the hierarchy of the major peoples in the story would be nice, but all the pieces are there for the observant reader to uncover. Pacing, as mentioned before, is a problem (I have joked that the printer ommitted the last three chapters), but as with his other work, this only serves to leave the reader wanting more. (Another books of his that started a series actually have "capped" to nicely for my taste for one that was leaving that way clear for a sequel) All in all, one of, if not the best, of Deitz's books. The creation of a new "universe" rather than the expansion of existing ones is the true mark of his growth as a fantasy writer. Anthony and McCaffery, watch your back... Deitz has arrived.

This review covers both BLOODWINTER and SPRINGWAR.

Tom Deitz has a pretty good idea for a story in these two books, the first half of a four volume fantasy cycle. The tale has a broad sweep and conceptually, I like how the harsh winters have created a strongly regimented society in Eron, one that unfortunately has been decimated by a plague. The discovery of a magical gem with mysterious powers sets Eron on a collision course with the rival kingdom of Ixti to the south. The crown prince of Ixti and his father the king have a falling out over accidental fratricide. A secret order of priests emerges with its own agenda for the gems.

There's good raw material here. It's a shame, really, that Deitz is a long-winded storyteller with no instinct for conflict or motivation.

In the first 100 pages of SPRINGWAR, for example, there are maybe 3 important story points. The rest of the pages dwell on repetitive scenes that rehash the same personal dilemmas from Bloodwinter. How many times do I need to be told the 5 things that Avall cares about, "in that order." And can we please stop using the phrase "for the nonce"?

The fact that characters continually make very big decisions based on flimsy rationale is a problem. What would drive someone to undertake a weeks-long trek in arctic weather that would freeze dry you like Han Solo if you stood naked in it for 10 minutes? Apparently Deitz thinks you'd do it if you calmly reason out that it's the course of action that makes the most sense, because a variety of bad things MIGHT happen if you don't. He's wrong. You undertake such a trek if you're boxed into a corner, desperate, and have exhausted all possible other options.

Of course, that would require more complicated narrative. Much easier to just have the characters do what you, the writer, decree they should do because that's the way you want the story to go. The gems themselves are introduced in a particularly lazy fashion. Avall, the protagonist, just happens on one in a mine. Despite its amazing uniqueness, when Deitz needs more gems in the hands of his heroes, they too just conveniently appear.

Another problem: everyone just looooves Avall. If they don't love him, then they must be the baddies of the story. Thus, instead of encountering challenges in his personal relationships, Avall finds himself easily believed and accepted among people of power. Interchangeably fresh-faced young people yearn to be near Avall so they can help him. Where are the differing personal agendas? And why, toward the end of Springwar, does Deitz just conveniently set aside the secret order of priests, when he could have used them to raise the stakes even higher?

Let's talk about the fluid sexuality and the free love. In Eron, husbands and wives routinely sleep with other men, or women, or both at the same time. Jealousy never seems to become a factor. There are, of course, people who are able to live that way. But it's simply not believable that jealousy, insecurity, and possessiveness don't cause any tension in this story. Instead of taking advantage of the potential for conflict this kind of behavior creates, Deitz prefers to write the world of human relationships as he would like it to be. Enlightened perhaps, but... yawn. Moreover Deitz misunderstands a fundamental point: the more regimented a society is, the more harshly regulated sex tends to be as well. "So what?" you might ask. "It's a fantasy." Sorry, you still have to have believable characters with recognizable emotional dilemmas. In fact, it's even more important, because the reader is already asked to suspend disbelief on so many other things.

I turned the pages willingly enough, but found myself getting frequently annoyed. Since reviews suggest that the 3rd and 4th books in the series (SUMMERBLOOD and WARAUTUMN) are even worse than these, this is as far as I go. It's a pretty good stopping point, too, since several story arcs do resolve themselves at the end of SPRINGWAR.

As a long time fan of Mr. Deitz, I anticipated this book to be more of a romp, and got a full-fledged novel instead. I think his writing has evolved and has matured - his characters are much more fully realized than in any of his other books. While some other readers have pointed out the amount of character detail and found it boring, I found that it layered on texture and depth to the overall story. Yes, it took me a while to grasp the clan structure and the familial relationships, but to me, that only lends it more credence as truly original fantasy. If it's so familiar that you know what the author is talking about by using simple shorthand (a technique used far too often in the world of fantasy writing), than it's not unique and stimulating.

Deitz has crafted a world and society that is dramatically different than typical fantasy worlds - magic doesn't exist, except within the realm of the Eight-Fold God. The political and religious repurcussions of the discovery that unfolds in the book are truly monumental and are worthy of the pages that Deitz spends writing about them.

There are a number of flaws, however. First off, his editor must not have been reading very carefully since he uses the phrase "for the nonce" about a dozen times. Since it's not a commonly used phrase, it sticks out like a sore thumb, and distracted me. Secondly, the pacing is really uneven. While I do care what happens to Kraxxi and Merryn, I was annoyed when we kept switching back and forth. I am still waiting to see how these characters meet back up with the main storyline, if they ever do.

The first quarter of the second book is really the ending of the first book. The first book ends abruptly, and I fortunately had the second at hand so I could continue on. Unlike his other collections, this one does not have a single story or adventure contained in a single volume. He seems to be taking lessions from Robert Jordan and the Wheel of Time series in that regard. Hopefully, unlike that collection, this will end in the number of books the author and publisher have promised.

Overall, I enjoyed the story and look forward to reading the rest.

Tom Deitz has created a very intriguing new world in that of Eron and Ixti. The characters are very realistic and easy to sympathize with. Although this book may start off somewhat slow, it eventually becomes so engaging that I personally could not put it down! I look forward to reading more of this strange and utterly different land.

Pros: Intruiging story, unique characters, some page turning action.

Cons: Characters are inconsistent in behaviour and emotions in a clumsy way that doesn't support the storyline. Plot seems to have trouble finding the right gear and shifts back and forth willy nilly. My number one pet peeve:The author spends a lot of time telling the reader things directly rather than showing them through the story and the characters behaviour. I know this is standard stuff in this genre, but it's the one thing that separates the really good writers from the so so ones. This author takes it to new limits resulting in a herky jerky read where the plot is moving along nicely then it stops (often in the middle of great action) to go into a long rambling section, apparently designed to show this characters motivation in the scene they are in. This authors editor let him down or they were desparate to fill out the page requirements. The author did not do his research when it comes to trees or surviving in the wild and made many glaring mistakes.

Despite all this I still enjoyed the story due to his great ideas, (maybe he should partner with a more experienced author) and would purchase the rest as they come out with the thought that the author will undoubtedly get better at his craft or if the book is popular the publisher will assign a better editor.

"Bloodwinter" is one of the rarest of finds: a fantasy novel by an intelligent adult who treats his readers like intelligent adults. This book barely contains any magic prior to the very end, and instead focuses on the travails of a large cast of major characters. The story takes place in two rival countries, Eron and Ixti, both of which have recently been devastated by plague. We follow sets of characters in both countries as their lives are slowly drawn into the conflict. Deitz's worldbuilding is outstanding, and we get very detailed pictures of what life is like for people who live in these places.

Deitz also avoids a lot of fantasy tropes, such as wise old wizards or armies of orcs. Instead, he gives us a big slate of human characters, and what human characters they are! As with almost all good modern fantasy, Deitz has eschewed the standard 'evil overlord vs. reluctant hero' storyline and instead devised a complex and realistic political situation. In Eron, there is no inherited monarchy. Instead, the King is elected, and members of twenty-four different clans vie for control during the process. Deitz takes a sophisticated approach to characterization. The heroes all have their flaws and struggle with conflicting loyalties, while the villains are treated with a degree of sympathy.

I'm not usually a fantasy reader, preferring Asimov and Ellison to Tolkien. Deitz's books in the past have been entertaining, however I've mostly read them because I wanted to support a fellow UGA alum and to see if I recognized characters/places. Bloodwinter is terrific on its own. From the beginning the story takes a hold of the imagination and keeps it to the last page. It's not often that a book grips you so that you stay up `til 1 AM to finish it (and risk your boss's wrath in sneaking a few pages here and there at work.) Three days after finishing the book I was wishing I was reading more of the story.