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In a land where gods walk on the hills and goddesses rise from river, lake, and spring, the caravan-guard Holla-Sayan, escaping the bloody conquest of a lakeside town, stops to help an abandoned child and a dying dog. The girl, though, is the incarnation of Attalissa, goddess of Lissavakail, and the dog a shape-changing guardian spirit whose origins have been forgotten. Possessed and nearly driven mad by the Blackdog, Holla-Sayan flees to the desert road, taking the powerless avatar with show more him. Necromancy, treachery, massacres, rebellions, and gods dead or lost or mad, follow hard on the their heels. But it is Attalissa herself who may be the Blackdog's--and Holla-Sayan's--doom. show lessTags
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Member Reviews
So, checking this out from the library was an experiment--should it or should it not stay on the TBR?
It is indeed worth reading. The story is set in a multi-deistic world (which reminds me slightly of Bennett's Divine Cities) where one of the goddesses has chosen to become embodied, lifetime after lifetime. She's accompanied and protected by The Black Dog. The dog is an avatar, more or less, and ends up being passed to a mercenary soldier who wants to be kind to a young, helpless child.
At page 170, it's vivid, well done, with an interesting mix of male and female characters that defy traditional stereotypes. Cultural setting feels solid, pre-industrial with vaguely nomadic mercenaries on one side, with mountain village-dwellers on the show more other side. Writing is solid, a good mix of reflection and dialogue. The involvement of the gods with their followers seems intriguing, as does the set up.
I'm just not into epic fantasy right now. Though it is billed as a stand-alone, it sounds like there may be other books in this world. When I want a solid epic fantasy, this should be near the top. show less
It is indeed worth reading. The story is set in a multi-deistic world (which reminds me slightly of Bennett's Divine Cities) where one of the goddesses has chosen to become embodied, lifetime after lifetime. She's accompanied and protected by The Black Dog. The dog is an avatar, more or less, and ends up being passed to a mercenary soldier who wants to be kind to a young, helpless child.
At page 170, it's vivid, well done, with an interesting mix of male and female characters that defy traditional stereotypes. Cultural setting feels solid, pre-industrial with vaguely nomadic mercenaries on one side, with mountain village-dwellers on the show more other side. Writing is solid, a good mix of reflection and dialogue. The involvement of the gods with their followers seems intriguing, as does the set up.
I'm just not into epic fantasy right now. Though it is billed as a stand-alone, it sounds like there may be other books in this world. When I want a solid epic fantasy, this should be near the top. show less
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Published Reviews
"The author... creates a larger-than-life story of gods and demons at play in the world of humans. Despite their divinity, or lack thereof, Johansen’s characters project believability, and her world is full of rich and vivid detail... High fantasy for lovers of mythology and of powerful beings in human form, this adult fantasy debut should appeal to fans of Robert Jordan’s “Wheel of show more Time” series." show less
added by PaulMarlowe
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mom
729 works; 1 member
Author Information
25 Works 603 Members
Awards and Honors
Awards
Series
Common Knowledge
- Original publication date
- 2011
- First words
- Evening prayers took place on the flat-topped bell-tower that rose above the gatehouse.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)And perhaps some of the devils are free in the world, and perhaps some are working to free themselves still.
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Statistics
- Members
- 172
- Popularity
- 189,794
- Reviews
- 1
- Rating
- (3.80)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 4
- ASINs
- 2
