Tylar de Noche is already in trouble, he was betrayed and broken in a slave ship. He was once a shadowknight of the realm, now his sword hand is useless and his legs and back are twisted. He comforts himself with drink, and one day as he goes home he finds himself drawn to a woman's screams. He holds her in his arms as she dies and he realises that she's in fact a goddess and when other people arrive they think that he's the killer.

Tylar finds that he has to be the pivot in an attempt to save the world.

It's interesting and while it is quite a large book I found this quite an interesting read. I was drawn into the characters and really wanted to know what was going to happen next. I do want to read more of the series and see what happens next. ( )

It was a slow start, but by the end, I really enjoyed it ( )

tried it after throroughly enjoying all the james rollins stuff....its ok, a little slow, plodding....probably worth it to try the second in the series...but doesn't make me want to get it right away ( )

James Clemens paints a world crowded with schizophrenic Gods, daemons, knights and other monsters all overly obsessed with bodily functions. Full of twists and turns which while interesting are fairly predictable as the plot develops. ( )

Shadowfall centers on Tylar de Noche, a former Shadowknight who is accused of being a godslayer as he is the only surviving witness to the murder of a goddess. From there the story takes on the life of a mystery tale as the protagonist and his allies must discover who is behind the murder and what their motives may be.
This was a good story and a fast read. Clemens shows some remarkable talent for imagery and storytelling. At times the action was fast and fierce and James easily pulls the reader along. At times this was slower and methodical, allowing the reader to catch up with the plot and reveal hidden secrets.
One interesting aspect of the book/series is the authors use of humours. Humours are the fluids of the body: blood, “seed” or mense, sweat, tears, salvia, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile. Early medical science was based in a person’s humours being balanced as an indicator of good health, and in truth there is something to this notion. In Shadowfall, there are beings known as gods who “grace” humankind with their humours, each fluid having a different purpose.
I enjoyed the story, but for all its world shattering scope didn’t come off quite as epic as it should have. Nonetheless, this is an entertaining story and is continued in a second volume titled Hinterland. ( )