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Jacqueline Carey
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Banewreaker: Volume I of The Sundering Mass Market Paperback – August 1, 2005

by Jacqueline Carey (Author)
3.9 3.9 out of 5 stars 206 ratings
See all formats and editions

If all that is good thinks you evil... are you?

Once upon a time, the Seven Shapers dwelled in accord and Shaped the world to their will. But Satoris, the youngest among them, was deemed too generous in his gifts to the race of Men, and so began the Shapers' War, which Sundered the world. Now six of the Shapers lay to one end of a vast ocean, and Satoris to the other, reviled by even the race of Men.

Satoris sits in his Darkhaven, surrounded by his allies. Chief among them is Tanaros Blacksword, immortal Commander General of his army. Once a mortal man who was betrayed by King and Wife, Tanaros fled to Darkhaven a thousand years ago, and in Satoris's service has redeemed his honor-but left his humanity behind.

Now there is a new prophecy that tells of Satoris's destruction and the redemption of the world. To thwart it, Satoris sends Tanaros to capture the Lady of the Ellylon, the beautiful Cerelinde, to prevent her alliance with the last High King of Men.

But Tanaros discovers that not all of his heart has been lost--his feelings for Cerelinde could doom Satoris, but save the race of Men...

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  1. Book 1 of 2
    The Sundering
  2. Print length
    512 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Tor Fantasy
  5. Publication date
    August 1, 2005
  6. Dimensions
    1.11 x 1.11 x 1.11 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    0765344297
  8. ISBN-13
    978-0765344298
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“A grand epic...showcasing Carey's intimate development of deeply wounded, sometimes deeply flawed, yet utterly dignified and sympathetic characters, with some of the best dragons in all fantasy literature.” ―Booklist on Banewreaker

“A memorable beginning to what should be another strong series.” ―Publishers Weekly on Banewreaker

“Carey creates a masterful interplay of subjective views...Whereas Tolkien kept Sauron mainly on the sidelines as the embodiment of Ancient Evil, less a main actor than a smoldering threat, Carey restores him and his lieutenant's to the stature they had Milton.” ―Locus on Banewreaker

“An intriguing fantasy world with interesting characters and more than a touch or romance.” ―Chronicle (UK) on Banewreaker

About the Author

Jacqueline Carey is the author of the bestselling Kushiel trilogy (Kushiel's Dart, Kushiel's Chosen, and Kushiel's Avatar) and her epic fantasy duology, The Sundering (Banewreaker and Godslayer). She has won the Locus Award for Best First Novel and the Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award for Best Fantasy Novel. Her books have been listed on many booksellers' top ten fantasy books lists. Always an avid reader, Carey began writing fiction as a hobby in high school. After graduating from Lake Forest College, she worked for six months at a bookstore in London, and returned to the United States with a driving passion to write professionally. She resides in western Michigan.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Tor Fantasy; Reprint edition (August 1, 2005)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 512 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0765344297
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0765344298
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8.8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 1.11 x 1.11 x 1.11 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.9 3.9 out of 5 stars 206 ratings

About the author

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Jacqueline Carey

Jacqueline Carey

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Jacqueline Carey is the author of the New York Times bestselling Kushiel's Legacy series of historical fantasy novels, The Sundering epic fantasy duology, postmodern fables "Santa Olivia" and "Saints Astray," and the Agent of Hel contemporary fantasy series. Carey lives in west Michigan. Although often asked by inquiring fans, she does not, in fact, have any tattoos.

Customer reviews

3.9 out of 5 stars
206 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book engaging and well-written. They describe it as a fantastic read with beautiful prose and a serious tone. The characters are well-developed and the plot is dynamic. However, some readers feel the pacing is depressing and lacks excitement.

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EvocationReadabilityWriting styleCharacter developmentEffectivenessPacing
20 customers mention "Evocation"14 positive6 negative

Customers enjoy the thoughtful and entertaining fantasy tale. They find it an engaging new perspective on an old story. The concept is well-loved, though some feel the writing lacks richness. Overall, it's a good starter fantasy with a dynamic plot.

"...First, it is an entertaining piece of epic fantasy, written from the perspective of the nominal villains...." Read more

"...as Kushiel's cast, which I love dearly, but this is a wonderful, imaginative, truly gifted writer and I wanna read whatever flows from her pen,..." Read more

"...I gave the book 3 stars because I do love the concept of the book; however, this is a book that I can put down at long lengths of time without..." Read more

"...fantastic lines packed with wisdom, uncommon intellect, and actions, thoughts, and environment effects that I would never have thought of in my own..." Read more

10 customers mention "Readability"10 positive0 negative

Customers find the book readable. They describe it as a fantastic read and not horrible. The concept is unique and in a class of its own.

"...-dimensional as Kushiel's cast, which I love dearly, but this is a wonderful, imaginative, truly gifted writer and I wanna read whatever flows from..." Read more

"...It is a very unique book and in a class to itself...." Read more

"This is probably one of the best books I've ever read. I have highlighted SO MUCH of this book...." Read more

"...That made this worth reading. The other aspect I found redeeming, Jacqueline Carey wrote this and her poetic nature is found throughout...." Read more

10 customers mention "Writing style"7 positive3 negative

Customers enjoy the writing style. They find the prose beautiful and engaging, with a serious tone. The writing is strong and the action compelling. The stories demonstrate a poetic nature throughout with deft language use and fantastic lines packed with wisdom.

"...The writing is strong and the action is compelling. On its second level, the series is a hilarious poke in Tolkein's eye...." Read more

"...which I love dearly, but this is a wonderful, imaginative, truly gifted writer and I wanna read whatever flows from her pen, because she is..." Read more

"...Jacqueline Carey is a wonderful writer and I do enjoy her style of writing but I just cannot get fully into this story line...." Read more

"...There was absolutely no editing or quality control involved in transcribing these volumes for e-book release, and while I thought for a while that..." Read more

3 customers mention "Character development"3 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the well-developed characters and dynamic plot. They mention it's an epic fantasy written from the perspective of the nominal villains.

"...it is an entertaining piece of epic fantasy, written from the perspective of the nominal villains...." Read more

"...The story was fantastic; relatively well developed characters you care about and a dynamic plot, but they lack the richness of detail in the Kushiel..." Read more

"...The characters were very well written and you almost want the bad guys to win...." Read more

3 customers mention "Effectiveness"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book effective. They say it works well on many levels, with a few flaws.

"...The series can be read at three different levels and works quite well on any of them...." Read more

"...As a well-executed perspective-flip, it succeeds wonderfully. There are a few flaws, of course...." Read more

"Quick turnaround, no problems." Read more

4 customers mention "Pacing"0 positive4 negative

Customers find the pacing of the book slow and the story depressing, gloomy, and hopeless. They say it lacks character development and is not one of Carey's best works.

"...stories and other books while reading this book so it's not a real attention grabber. But at the same time it is not a horrible book...." Read more

"...mentioned, and to my mind, is the biggest fault in the story, is how depressing, gloomy and hopeless it is...." Read more

"For a good portion of this book I found it very lacking - character development seemed weak, backstory was only barely hinted at, I just couldn't..." Read more

"Good, but not Carey's best...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • GRiM
    5.0 out of 5 stars Thoughtful fantasy that works on many levels
    Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    This review applies to both Banewreaker and it's sequel, Godslayer. The series can be read at three different levels and works quite well on any of them.

    First, it is an entertaining piece of epic fantasy, written from the perspective of the nominal villains. The central character is an anti-hero somewhat in the mode of Michael Moorcock's classic Elric. The writing is strong and the action is compelling.

    On its second level, the series is a hilarious poke in Tolkein's eye. While I have no access to Ms. Carey's thinking, it's completely clear to me that the novels contain strong elements of parody, although they are written in a completely serious tone. While not borrowing completely literally from the Lord of the Rings, the choice of characters, themes and settings is not coincidental. And if any doubt remained, Carey actually places some of Tolkein's most easily identifiable quotes ("How has it come to this?") in the mouths of characters on the opposite side.

    But on its third level, this novel tackles moral issues that have vexed philosophers and theologians. Satoris, the Sunderer, is a Satanic character drawn from Milton's Paradise Lost (quite explicitly - Carey quotes Milton). But this is also a view of the Tempter as Prometheus, bringing an essential gift to the world. At the same time, Carey raises one of the fundamental questions that underlies Kierkegaard's "Fear and Trembling" - why is it a moral necessity to obey the Most High? Satoris is evil because of his disobedience to Haomane, first among the Shapers - but it is never clear why Haomane must be unquestioningly obeyed. The Ellyon (obviously elves in the Tolkein mold) live to worship Haomane in the same way that Christian doctrine describes the Seraphim perpetually worshipping God - but seem to be almost entirely lacking in free will. Indeed, even accepting the concept that Haomane is infinitely good, Satoris is still necessary to the existence of free will - also a concept explicitly acknowledged in the series. (I think it was Borges who argued that the only two relevant characters in the New Testament were Jesus and Judas - it's the same sort of idea.)

    The effortless functioning of the series on all three levels ranks Carey's work right up with Gene Wolfe in the pantheon of "important" fantasy, in my opinion. Highly recommended.
    16 people found this helpful
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  • Litlover
    4.0 out of 5 stars Support good writers!
    Reviewed in the United States on March 10, 2005
    Verified Purchase
    Give Ms. Carey a break! Listen, like another recent reviewer, the Kushiel stories demonstrated an incredibly deft use of language, poetic in all sorts of ways. No, Banewreaker is not Kushiel, but like Kushiel's characters, Banewreaker's characters are a bit like the oatmeal your mother made you eat [or grits if you are Southern born as am I, although Gaelic to the core, she made me oatmeal during winters]; it sticks to your ribs. No, the characters may not be as three-dimensional as Kushiel's cast, which I love dearly, but this is a wonderful, imaginative, truly gifted writer and I wanna read whatever flows from her pen, because she is writing not only for herself, but for us, to give us pleasure and joy and to make us think .... to have a bit stick to our ribs metaphysically speaking. To view the absolute from a different angle and find it not so absolute and have a heck of a good time wallowing in her delicious prose while so doing. I have purchased Banewreaker in hardcover and plan to purchase Godslayer in hardcover as well; I have all three Kushiel novels in hardcover. I am an intellectual snob, but her works are in the same room as the leather-bound Faulkner and dear Ms. Welty and lately, I've spent a bit longer with Ms. Carey than some of my other much loved countrymen.
    10 people found this helpful
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  • BLS
    3.0 out of 5 stars Unique Concept and Fair Book
    Reviewed in the United States on January 24, 2005
    Verified Purchase
    I like how she has the view point from the losing side but I would not call the losing side Evil. It is more from the side of a Shaper who said no to remove his gift from men for the 1st born Shaper causing this 1st born Shaper to try and desroy this Shaper. Since the introduction to the book says this is the story of the Evil side & they must lose - you can kind of figure what's going to take place. I'm sure it will be a nice twist based on my reading books from Jacquline in the past.

    It's a Fantasy book so most fantasy books are about alternative worlds with different kinds of creatures like men and at times can have dragons and magic. Also, there are fights between good and evil in some fantasy books. Maybe this is what people mean when they compare the book to Lord of the Rings? Other than that I do not see it being a rip off of Lord of the Rings. It is a very unique book and in a class to itself.

    The Kushiel trilogy was possibly my favorite story that I have read and so I wanted to give this book a chance. I gave the book 3 stars because I do love the concept of the book; however, this is a book that I can put down at long lengths of time without missing it. I'm only half way through the book so maybe that will change when I get 3/4's into the book. I'm finding myself reading short stories and other books while reading this book so it's not a real attention grabber. But at the same time it is not a horrible book. It does keep my attention enough to want to know how things will end up by the end of this book.

    Jacqueline Carey is a wonderful writer and I do enjoy her style of writing but I just cannot get fully into this story line. I love how she updates her website [...] & keeps her fans up to date. I'm going to finish reading this book & then I'm going to look forward to her new series that is a continuation from her Kushiel trilogy. I do miss reading about Phedre and her friends/associates.
    6 people found this helpful
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully written with rounded
    Reviewed in Australia on April 19, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Jacqueline Carey always weaves stories in unexpected ways. Beautifully written with rounded, intriguing characters who are real in their completeness. No one is is good or evil, everyone is a creature trying to make sense of their world.
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  • S A Norton
    4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable if standard fantasy fare
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 1, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    I've seen this book described as the Lord of the Rings told from the point of view of the Lord of the Nazgul and while the book is full of parallels with Tolkien's works this is an oversimplification. It written more as a romance than an epic fantasy, it focuses on the characters and their motivations as much as the events they are caught up in. It is also not as simple as a struggle between good and evil. Sauron had no motivation beyond gaining power, Carey's characters are caught up in a struggle between thought and emotion rather than good and evil. The problem with the book is none of the characters are especially sympathetic or even interesting, with the possible exception of the Fjeltroll. The characters are less two dimensional than Tolkien but only just.
    However, it is an enjoyable book if you are familiar with Tolkien. The events of Lord of the Rings have their parallels in Banewreaker and Godslayer. Fortunately it has been done well and most of the time you don't see them coming (I didn't spot the Gollum analogue until the end of Godslayer) so spotting them is fun. Even replacing the One Ring with a glass of water isn't as ludicrous as it first sounds.
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  • Erinome
    4.0 out of 5 stars Was ist gut? Was ist böse?
    Reviewed in Germany on October 15, 2009
    Verified Purchase
    Die sieben Shaper schufen die Welt Urulat und alle Lebewesen darauf. Sie verteilten großzügig ihre Gaben und lebten lange Jahrhunderte in Harmonie. Dann kam es über eben diese großzügige Verteilung der Gaben zu Uneinigkeiten zwischen den Geschwistern. Satoris wurde von den anderen verstoßen und ihr ältester Bruder und Anführer Haomane versuchte mehrmals ihn zu töten. Um sich selbst zu schützen, zog sich Satoris in eine unzugängliche Bergfestung zurück und er begann, Verbündete zu sammeln um der gebündelten Macht der Menschen und Ellylon etwas entgegensetzen zu können.
    Tanaros Blacksword ist einer von Satoris Männern. Einst diente er einem König der Menschen und war glücklich verheiratet, nach einem schrecklichen Verrat flüchtete er sich zu Satoris und schwor ihm ewige Treue. Jahrhundertlang führen sie ein halbwegs friedliches Leben, Haomanes Anhänger ruhen jedoch nicht. Sie rüsten auf und wollen mit Hilfe einer Prophezeiung das vermeintliche Böse endgültig vernichten. Satoris will nicht kampflos untergehen. Zu diesem Zweck lässt er die Ellylon-Adelige Cerelinde entführen, die eine tragende Rolle in eben dieser Prophezeiung spielt. Diese Verzweiflungstat löst eine wahre Kettenreaktion aus, die ganz Urulat umspannt und Satoris in große Bedrängnis bringt.

    In BANEWREAKER versucht Jacqueline Carey der Frage auf den Grund zu gehen, ob man tatsächlich böse ist, nur weil einen die vermeintlich Guten dafür halten. Carey zeigt beide Seiten des Konflikts, der Urulat erschüttert, und auf beiden Seiten gibt es sympathische Charaktere, die nachvollziehbare Motive haben. Im Grunde gibt es in BANEWREAKER wie auch im wahren Leben keine "Guten" oder "Bösen". Es ist alles eine Frage der Perspektive. Das macht es wiederum nicht einfach, sich klar für eine der Seiten zu entscheiden. Man sieht, dass alle nach bestem Wissen und Gewissen handeln und den anderen Standpunkt nicht verstehen wollen oder können. Die Katastrophe erscheint unausweichlich, was zumindest bei mir beim Lesen öfter das Bedürfnis ausgelöst hat, mir die Haare zu raufen.
    Wie auch schon in der KUSHIEL'S LEGACY Serie gibt es eine wahre Fülle an Personen im Roman. Im Gegensatz zu KUSHIEL gibt es aber keine wirkliche Hauptperson, die durch das Geschehen führt. Die Geschichte wird abwechselnd aus der Warte von einer ganzen Reihe von Charakteren vorangetrieben. Am ehesten könnte man noch Tanaros als Hauptcharakter bezeichnen, aber auch andere Figuren wie etwa die Zauberin Lilias, der Drache Calandor oder der Krieger Carfax spielen tragende Rollen.
    Der Weltenbau und der grobe Handlungsverlauf in BANEWREAKER orientieren sich stark an Tolkien, und zwar mit Absicht. Es gibt Drachen, Trolle, Werwölfe, Zwerge und Elben (Ellylon), es bestehen teilweise Ähnlichkeiten bei Namen und Figuren (Aracus - Aragorn, etc.). Mich persönlich hat diese Ähnlichkeit nicht gestört, vor allem da sie beabsichtigt war, und so die Wirkung von Careys Aussage noch verstärkt und deutlicher vor Augen führt.
    Ich muss sagen, dass ich etwas skeptisch war, was BANEWREAKER betrifft, da der Roman vor allem auf amazon.com sehr zwiespältige Reaktionen ausgelöst hat, aber ich war durchaus angetan von dem Buch. Jacqueline Carey hat es wirklich geschafft, innerhalb kürzester Zeit zu einer meiner Lieblingsautorinnen zu werden und sie enttäuscht auch mit BANEWREAKER nicht.
    BANEWREAKER dürfte Freunde von traditioneller Fantasy wohl eher nicht ansprechen. Wer kein Problem mit Ambiguität, starker Charakterorientierung und gebrochenen Heldenfiguren hat, der dürfte schon eher seine Freude an dem Roman haben.
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  • Michalke
    1.0 out of 5 stars You don't get in contact - Man kommt nicht in Kontakt
    Reviewed in Germany on December 10, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    After reading 20% on my kindle, I still wonder what this book is about. The language is kind of biblical, sometimes interesting, most often difficult to read. The Cast is obscure, I'm still not in contact with the acting persons. This might be a book for fans of "Silmarillion", who love sermons about who did what without ever getting close to the action.

    Sorry, this is not for me - at least not now. Maybe I will try again later...

    Nachdem ich 20% auf meinem Kindle gelesen habe, frage ich mich noch immer, worum es geht. Die Sprache ist biblisch, manchmal interessant, oft einfach schwierig zu lesen. Die Protagonisten bleiben obskur, ich habe noch immer keinen Kontakt zu den handelnden Personen. Dies könnte ein Buch für Fans des "Silmarillion" sein, die Geschichten darüber lieben, was wer getan hat, ohne jemals in die Handlung einzusteigen.

    Tut mir leid, das ist nichts für mich - jedenfalls jetzt nicht. Vielleicht versuche ich es später noch einmal...
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  • Annie-kindlefan
    4.0 out of 5 stars Hard work to start with…
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 31, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    But really worth the effort to get on top of the Sundered World Mythos. I have the Kindle edition and map image is too small. The book could do with a Glossary as it takes awhile to get your head round the characters shaping and being shaped in this subtle turning of Tolkien’s Middle Earth First / Third Age. A masterpiece in the making. If you want a deeply satisfying read, in my view (never thought I’d say this) it is one up from Tolkien’s Middle Earth, this is it. If you have read and enjoyed Tolkien’s Silmarillion then you will appreciate the Sundered World of the Shapers. Read, relish and read again.
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