Chaosbound: The Eighth Book of the Runelords [Hardcover]

David Farland (Author)

Book Description

Series: Runelords | Publication Date: October 13, 2009

The world of the Runelords has been combined by magic with another parallel world to form a new one, the beginning of a process that may unify all worlds into the one true world.

This story picks up after the events of The Wyrmling Horde and follows two of Farland’s well-known heroes, Borenson and Myrrima, on a quest to save their devastated land and the people of the new world from certain destruction. But the land is not the only thing that has been altered forever: in the change, Borenson has merged with a mighty and monstrous creature from the other world, Aaath Ulber.

He begins to be a different person, a berserker warrior, as well as having a huge new body because of the transformation of worlds. Thousands have died, lands have sunk below the sea and, elsewhere, risen from it. The supernatural rulers of the world are part of a universal evil, yet play a Byzantine game of dark power politics among themselves. And Aaath Ulber is now the most significant pawn in that game.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The stark, dark and elegiac eighth installment of Farland's Runelords fantasy saga (after 2008's The Wyrmling Horde) centers on heroes Borenson and Myrrima, fresh from a gallant fight against unspeakably evil world dominators. Flameweaver Fallion, trying to unite the shattered One World, binds Borenson with Aaath Ulber, a giant horned berserker warrior. As their worlds and personalities merge, Borenson loses his human identity and family, but acquires a superhuman mission: to help Fallion bind all the worlds, uniting humans and defeating the wyrmlings forever. In this somber celebration of brutality, Farland ponders the fuzzy line between honor and obsession in a world where compassion comes with a high price. As the series grows in complexity, its appeal narrows, mostly drawing readers who like philosophy and complex machinations soaked in mud and blood. (Oct.)
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Review

Praise for the New York Times bestselling Runelords series:

“Stark, dark, and elegiac. . . .  Farland ponders the fuzzy line between honor and obsession in a world where compassion comes with a high price. . . .  Complex machinations soaked in mud and blood.”
--Publishers Weekly on Chaosbound

“David Farland has written a series that rivals the best of Terry Brooks, Terry Goodkind and Orson Scott Card.”
--SF Revu on Worldbinder

“The suspense is real, the action is nonstop, and the characterizations continue to convince. . . . [this is] a series that has put Farland on high-fantasy readers’ maps.”
—Booklist on The Lair of Bones

“Fans of Robert Jordan and Terry Goodkind will enjoy Farland’s Runelords.”
—Romantic Times Book Reviews on The Lair of Bones

“The author’s imaginative approach to magic, coupled with a richly detailed fantasy world and a cast of memorable heroes and villains, adds depth and variety to this epic tale of war and valor.”
--Library Journal on Wizardborn

“Sure, Brotherhood has incredible edge-of-your-seat, nail-biting battle scenes--the finale being an exceptional example--but Gaborn’s struggle to make a decision, and then facing the consequences, is equally thrilling.”
--Starlog on The Brotherhood of the Wolf

“When I reached the end of this first volume, The Runelords, and saw grace arise from a devastating battlefield where too many great hearts lay dead, Farland had earned the tears that came to my eyes. It was not sentiment but epiphany.”
--Orson Scott Card, author of Ender in Exile

"Farland has created a vivid, detailed, different world that becomes perfectly believable."
--David Drake, author of The Legions of Fire

"David Farland's Runelords books are among the best fantasies on the market today.  Great characters, a fascinating concept, and some really nasty monsters make each novel a pleasure to read."
--Kevin J. Anderson, New York Times bestselling author of The Winds of Dune

--This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Tor Books; First Edition edition (October 13, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0765321688
• ISBN-13: 978-0765321688
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #666,100 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Written for fourth grader, December 12, 2009

By 

Realistic Opinion "RO" (Madison, WI) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Chaosbound: The Eighth Book of the Runelords (Hardcover)

I love David Farlands story, and have generally liked his writing style over the last seven books in this series. But this is the most sophomoric, poorly written science fiction fantasy novel I have ever read. It is written as if for a novice reader, where Farland will say something and then follow up with an explanatory sentence. Example, he once says that the provisions on the ship are getting low. Then next sentence says the food and water were running out. As if he thought we didnt know what provisions getting low meant. There are hundreds of examples of this kind of writing throughout. Plus, the story line was weak, and hardly advanced the cause of the overall story much at all. I cant believe the editors let this out for printing, other than that they just wanted our money. Well next time i wont be a fool and buy the hardbound edition, if i buy the next one at all. Highly disappointing. Feel cheated.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Chaosbound: The Eighth Book of the Runelords, November 24, 2009

By 

Mr Andrew G Coe - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Chaosbound: The Eighth Book of the Runelords (Hardcover)

Come on David Farland, this is a joke, the last 2 books could have been put into one, it appears you are trying to cash in on the series. Good book, though far to short and does not justify the hard back cost for such little content. Please make the next one a proper novel and finish the series.
Very dissapointed.

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Horrible, April 18, 2010

By 

Matthew (Cape Town, South Africa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Chaosbound: The Eighth Book of the Runelords (Hardcover)

This series makes you feel like you are reading Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series all over again. A really awesome first couple of books, and then a decent into mindless dribble. Extremely dissapointing. I hate to leave a series unfinished, so I sincerely hope it's finished in 1 last book (please, oh please, don't drag this out any longer).

On a side note (Page Count):
Sum of All Men - 624
Brotherhood of the Wolf - 688
Wizardborn - 496
The Lair of Bones - 480
Sons of the Oak - 432
Worldbinder - 400
The Wyrmling Horde - 400
Chaosbound - 352

Notice a trend?