The Breath of God (Tom Doherty Associates Books) [Hardcover]

Harry Turtledove (Author)

Book Description

Series: Tom Doherty Associates Books | Publication Date: December 23, 2008

Once the great Glacier enclosed the Raumsdalian Empire. Now it’s broken open, and Count Hamnet Thyssen faces a new world. With the wisecracking Ulric Skakki, the neighboring clan leader Trasamund (politely addressed as Your Ferocity), and his lover, the shaman Liv, Hamnet leads an exploration of the new territory in hopes of finding the legendary Golden Shrine.

But dangers abound. A violent and implacable group known as the Rulers has already killed many, and now they attack again. Riding deer and woolly mammoths and using powerful magic, the Rulers triumph and force the Raumsdalians to flee.

In the spring another battle ends even more badly for Hamnet's side, but the Glacier is also retreating, so they are able to escape. Meeting a tribe whose desperate living conditions have led them to overcome the Raumsdalian taboo against eating fallen foes, they find unexpected allies. Now, returning to the capital city and its intrigues, Hamnet prepares to lead an army against the merciless Rulers. The world, once so bounded and comprehensible, will never be the same…

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The second Opening of the World fantasy novel (after 2007's The Gap) can easily be enjoyed on its own terms. The rise of the Rulers, a powerful group who ride mammoths to war and wield potent magic powers, poses a major threat to the Raumsdalian Empire. Count Hamnet Thyssen, a master warrior, rallies a ragtag mix of magicians, shamans and soldiers against the Rulers, who deal them a crushing defeat. The survivors make a perilous escape over an enormous glacier, where they encounter a band of cannibals and acquire a new shaman, the lovely and skilled Marcovefa. Sparks fly between her and Hamnet as the Rulers threaten further battle. While the prolific Turtledove may be best known for his alternate history works, he demonstrates his versatility and considerable imagination in this fast-paced military fantasy. (Dec.)
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From Booklist

For centuries the Raumsdalian Empire was cut off from the north by great glaciers. Of the region’s people, only the nomadic Bizagots were in the empire’s ken. But melting has opened a gap. Count Hamnet Thyssen, scouting for the legendary Golden Shrine, has found a people calling themselves the Rulers, who regard all other peoples as herd animals. Unfortunately, they are skilled warriors who know magic that neither Bizagot shamans nor imperial wizards can counter. The Rulers have been breaking Bizagot tribes, leaving survivors scattered and hungry. Hamnet tries to get the survivors to work together, which proves nearly impossible, and to learn as much as he can about the Rulers’ magic. He doesn’t get much assistance from his own people, to whom everything beyond the glaciers is so much legendry. The tale’s copious action includes some fascinating sorcerous battles, and Turtledove’s development of Hamnet is captivating. The count, introduced in Beyond the Gap (2007), is a man facing myths become reality and trouble that for now he must deal with virtually alone. Terrific adventure. --Frieda Murray

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Tor Books; First Edition edition (December 23, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0765317117
• ISBN-13: 978-0765317117
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,191,705 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Harry Turtledove is the award-winning author of the alternate-history works The Man with the Iron Heart; The Guns of the South; How Few Remain (winner of the Sidewise Award for Best Novel); the Worldwar saga: In the Balance, Tilting the Balance, Upsetting the Balance, and Striking the Balance; the Colonization books: Second Contact, Down to Earth, and Aftershocks; the Great War epics: American Front, Walk in Hell, and Breakthroughs; the American Empire novels: Blood & Iron, The Center Cannot Hold, and Victorious Opposition; and the Settling Accounts series: Return Engagement, Drive to the East, The Grapple, and In at the Death. Turtledove is married to fellow novelist Laura Frankos. They have three daughters: Alison, Rachel, and Rebecca.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Characters, February 19, 2009

By 

carrollk (Kerrville, TX United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Breath of God (Tom Doherty Associates Books) (Hardcover)

I have been a Turtledove fanatic for years and thrive on his alternate (whys isn't it alternative?) history stories. This book and its predecessor, "Beyond the Gap," are more fantasy than alternate history, but great reading. What makes them so good is more due to the great characters; Hamnet, Ulric, and Gudina(sp?); but the stories are good. I am awaiting the sequel.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fewer bad habits, September 22, 2009

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Mike S. Haxton "Gendotte" (Kansas City) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Breath of God (Tom Doherty Associates Books) (Hardcover)

Thanks to Harry for not reminding us every thousand words what he says on page 1.

The Breath of God is a wind that flows from the great glacier that - up to now, divided the world. Now there is a crack, and the protagonists are going exploring to see what's there. Turtledove as usual paints a great picture of what might have been, and this one is very plausible. The book is good enough that I immediately bought and read the second book in the series. Now, please hurry up with book three.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars good ole 'arry, September 10, 2009

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J. M. Porter (CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Breath of God (Tom Doherty Associates Books) (Hardcover)

Turtledove does it again; he earns his money. This is a great book, but too short. Question: how does he write so many books a year? Does he use helpers?
Read this book, but be prepared to wait for the ending.
Johnthebookman