[Chronicles of the Kencyrath]: We continue to read on from [God Stalk]

By popular demand, we are continuing a thread for this series, which began with God Stalk. Feel free to continue the series on your own schedule and to share with us here!

After God Stalk was published in 1982, the next book was not published until 1985 and practically no one saw it then. I certainly didn’t, and I would have been looking for it. Two of her more recent publishers, Hypatia Press and Meisha Merlin,went out of business (after publishing books 3 and 4 in hard-cover), the latter in 2007, temporarily leaving her without a venue for future works. Her work was picked up by Baen in or shortly before 2010, who published the fifth "Jame" novel, Bound in Blood, and reissued the previous four books as a pair of omnibus editions, The God Stalker Chronicles and Seeker's Bane.1 Baen also released the novels as e-books.

God Stalker Chronicles
1. God Stalk, 1982 (ISBN 978-0425060797)
2. Dark of the Moon, 1985 (ISBN 978-0689311710)
3. Seeker's Mask, 1994 (ISBN 978-0739418871)
4. To Ride a Rathorn, August 2006 (ISBN 978-1592221028)
5. Bound In Blood, March 2010 (ISBN 978-1439133408)
6. Honor's Paradox, December 2011 (ISBN 978-1451637625)
7. The Sea of Time, June 2014 (ISBN 978-1476736495)
8. The Gates of Tagmeth, August 2017 (ISBN 978-1481482547) 2
Short story collection
• Blood and Ivory: A Tapestry, 2002: contains some new stories, some previously released (hardcover: ISBN 978-1-892065-73-5, paperback: ISBN 978-1-892065-72-8)
Omnibus editions
• Chronicles of the Kencyrath, 1987: contains God Stalk and Dark of the Moon (ISBN 978-0450424007)
• Dark of the Gods, 2000: contains God Stalk, Dark of the Moon, and short story Bones (ISBN 978-1892065261)
• Godstalker Chronicles, 2006: contains God Stalk, Dark of the Moon, Seeker's Mask, To Ride a Rathorn, and Blood and Ivory: A Tapestry in Baen ebook formats.5
• The God Stalker Chronicles, 2009: contains God Stalk and Dark of the Moon (ISBN 143913295X)
• Seeker's Bane, TBP July 7, 2009 from Baen: contains Seeker's Mask and To Ride a Rathorn (ISBN 1439132976)

My friends of the library is selling the first two novels - I didn't look closely but they appeared to be the size of SFBC Hardcover editions. However ISFDB doesn't list singles by SFBC so maybe they were Mesiha Merlin editions

I've got Dark of the Moon}! But first I do need to reread God Stalk! I'm on it! I'm on it!

This thread is starred for later reading!!

Thank you for setting this continuation thread up Roni! I saw Dejah had listed Dark of the Moon in February's TIOLI challenge so I'm also hoping to read it this month,

I have Dark of the Moon ordered but it may be a bit before it arrives. In the meantime, I'm with Lucy >3 sibylline: that I may reskim God Stalk before going onward!

>2 RBeffa: Atheneum published the first two books in hardcover, Ron. Then Hypatia Press also did so a few years later. So it could be either of those.
>3 sibylline: I've had fun, as part of my host duties, with not only my initial reread but also rereading each section by schedule and then dipping into again in research.
>4 Berly: Welcome, Kimmers!
>5 souloftherose: Dejah is the one who hadn't checked in, so I'm guessing this means she did read the first book, making an even 20 of us. Quite an accomplishment!
>6 streamsong: Hi, Janet. Fortunately, reskimming God Stalk is not too arduous.

If you would like to research editions of each book, try going to https://www.fantasticfiction.com/h/p-c-hodgell/
Go down past the biographical into to the listing of books and click on the one you are interested in. After you scroll down past the availability of used books, there is a section for Hardback Editions and then Paperback Editions that shows you the date, publisher and cover for every edition published.

I'm in for a later read. I have an impossibly long list for February, but I'd like to read Dark of the Moon later this year, and keep on with the rest of the series at some point.

Did a serious review of God Stalk and now I've started Dark of the Moon. Note my special bookmark, Roni!



AND I've ordered the next two!

Oh, I like that cover. Looks a bit anime-like. So, that's what an Ounce looks like eh? I was picturing something more silvery, for some reason. I like this though. Very panthery.

>10 sibylline: Love that bookmark, Lucy!!

Oh so do I Roni, more and more. It'll be my dedicated fantasy bookmark.

Just to say that I couldn't stop reading this one. Do we have some sort of schedule here? Or I suppose we could just put things in spoiler mode?

There is no schedule, as some people needed a break before going on. I do suggest putting comments in spoiler mode--then those of us who have read that far can discuss it, and when others catch up, they will enjoy the comments as well.

Sounds good! Now I have to think about what I might want to discuss!

>16 sibylline: Looking forward to what you might have to say!

Here is my review:

Very much enjoyed this second installment of the Kencyrath chronicles. Jame has left the city of Tai-Tastigon where she had found refuge and friends with Marc, her Kendar ally, and the ounce, (think big smart cat) to seek out her brother to give their father's sword and ring which she recovered. Naturally things won't go according to plan. Lots to like here -- complex world, where the dead, unless burned, are likely to transform into something in-between and where the living, if they aren't careful are also in danger of losing themselves in the darkness that surrounds. We get two protagonists this time. Jame and her brother Torisen (and brief moments in the minds of some lesser but interesting characters). Torisen balances well with Jame. He is naturally open and kind and relatively uncomplicated and it is entirely convincing that he "binds" people to be loyal to him. Some fun baddies too here, along with the scary ones. More humor as well, a sign that Hodgell is feeling more confident as she moves us deeper into the story. I've got the next two ordered and will plunge back in when they arrive. Much less confused this time. My only complaint would be that there are moments when characters drone on with explanations about why something is the way it is, exposition. Hodgell is hard pressed because the world, characters, and plot is complex and things have to be explained somehow, but. ****

Of course, these are generalized comments since it is the "official" review!

Commenting so this shows up on my 'your posts' list.

I was one of the people that liked but didn't love God Stalk so I'm very happy to say that I finished Dark of the Moon and really enjoyed it. I enjoyed the alternating points of view between Jame and Torisen. Would agree with >18 sibylline: that this had more humour and I was less confused (although I did have to keep stopping and reminding myself who was the Host and who was the Horde).

Onward to Seeker's Mask!

I agree with everything Heather said in >20 souloftherose: even though I'm only about half way through The Dark of the Moon. I'm enjoying this one much more than God Stalk - having trouble putting it down to do real life needful things.

I found the opening 'The Story So Far" very helpful.

Oooh, right, I'll try and start this soon so I can join in! I'm ahead of the crowd over on Heather's Robin Hobb group read so I can spend some time catching up here!

I'm glad people are enjoying Dark of the Moon so much. The fun is just beginning!

Well I didn't hate Dark of the Moon but I didn't find it that interesting either.

Much easier to read and follow than God Stalk it was less interesting and fairly similar to the other fantasy of its time. I don't like nasty dudes being political as a form of entertainment, and though some of the landscape and characters have the potential to interest there were too much of the former and too many of the latter to get any real feel for them. And a couple times just to show how clever she is Hodgell put words in the mouths of her characters that didn't really suit them.

I'm popping in to say that I'm well into Seeker's Mask and am enjoying it--Hodgell is beginning to write much more confidently and less choppily. Very intriguing to watch a writer grow like this.

>25 sibylline: I recently finished Seeker's mask and thought it was the best book so far.

Is Seeker's Mask the third part? I've finished Dark of the Moon and enjoyed it. It's more coherent than God Stalk, although not without it's deeply weird moments, and I like the new characters that have been introduced. I'll probably continue at some point if I can get hold of the books for the kindle.

>27 HanGerg: Yes, it's book 3. I have an omnibus edition of it and book 4, so will be carrying on soon.

fantasy ****
Seeker's Mask P.C. Hodgell

Book 3 of the Chronicles of the Kencyrath and they are getting better. Torisen, Jame's brother, is still a far more compelling person, as are many of the other people around Jame. But often the pivotal character, since they appear to be swept up in a Destiny (with a capital D) seem less dynamic. My main complaint is that Jame really doesn't eat or sleep enough. Seriously, it gets tiresome. In this story Jame is relegated to the Women's world where they all wear masks (even with one another) and they swear by one set of rules (be quiet and subordinate) and yet the matriarchs of each family group are anything but. Since Jamethiel's betrayal women have been increasingly sidelined and squashed but as far as Jame (and I agree) can see all it has done is make a pressure-cooker from where, perhaps, many of the current Kencyrath troubles arise. There are still some awkwardnesses, here and there, and I do better when I don't think too much about the almost inconsistencies (such as the abundance of very powerful women and women soldiers who don't wear masks or silly outfits in which they can barely walk). I am still confused too about the levels and degrees of the Kencyrath "shanir" with special powers, why some are "good" and some "bad" but maybe I'll figure it out one of these days. I think Hodgell knows, but somehow it hasn't quite come across, or I missed something. The story is lively and original and I'm sufficiently into it to be fully committed. ****

Roni and I chatted a bit further on my thread and I'm adding that conversation here:

Roni: Only the Highborn women have such restrictions placed upon them. The Kendar women are much less restricted, as you note. The Shanir used to be considered "good", with their powers being used for the Kencyrath at large, including healing, but since Jamethiel's fall and Gerridon's betrayal, such powers are viewed with mistrust and even loathing since they were used to destroy large portions of the Kencyrath. There's a LOT of stuff that happens in this book that turns out to be important later on.

Me:I didn't bring the book with me where I am right now-- Highborn, right! Good to be reminded! I am more or less on track. I should have said that I am glad Jame is beginning to question some of the assumptions the others make about Shanir.

Roni: Oh, and I forgot to add, there are women who were sired by Highborn on Kendar who are basically ignored and treated as regular Kendar who may indeed have some Shanir powers. You will meet up with some of them in the next book.

Just to say -- Hodgell is hitting her stride in Book 4. I've ordered the next two and they'd better turn up fast!

>30 sibylline: Woot! Woot!

I’m checking in (finally) for Dark of the Moon. It’s been sitting on my bedside table along with a pile of other partly read omnibus. I don’t know what happened to my reading in April, but I’m racing through this now and really enjoying it.

There are a couple of things I’ve noticed. ‘Knorth’ seems to be pronounced with a hard K (before I discovered that, I thought at one point that Hodgell had made a pun on ‘north’).

I also discovered that, while many of the species from the different worlds are humanoid (the Highborn, the Kendar, the natives of Rathillien, the Builders), they cannot interbreed. Which somewhat explains why, after so long (3 millennia?) on Rathillien (I hope I’m spelling this correctly) the Kencyrath are still considered intruders in this world.

We get to untangle some of Jame’s forgotten past as well as some of the overarching complexities of the Kencyrath. It does seem as though Rathillien might be the last world they can access - though I assume that Jame’s story won’t stretch to the point where this world falls to Perimal Darkling and they have to move to the next.

I've just finished Book 2. I'd quite liked Tai-Tastigon and was skeptical that the series would maintain my interest when Jame left. I was wrong: I liked Dark of the Moon even better. The weird mood was maintained -- I *loved* the half-dead cannibal horde -- and Hodgell ironed out the pacing. The clan politics and fuller backstory helped bring the world to life too, and I'm on board for more.

>33 swynn: Yes; after the intensity of Tai-Tastigon I thought I remembered Dark of the Moon as being more peaceful and bucolic. Hah! So much for my memory.

Just here to report that I have actually finished! reading all the Kencryath books up to now. Just blasted through the last four or five.

Thanks so much Roni for introducing me to Hodgell!

I think I've posted all the reviews with the books on their respective book pages. Did my best to avoid spoilers! I know that for some the story moves too slowly, but I've enjoyed every minute and there is at least ONE more book if not two to finish things up I would guess.

>32 humouress: The Kendar and Highborn can interbreed -- and while they don't intermingle with the native population -- well, you'll see if you read on! It's a mysterious place, Rathillien!

There is nothing like the thrill of introducing one who is a kindred spirit (and all of this group already are) to a book/series one loves and finding it reciprocated! Woo hoo, Lucy!!!

Just to add my thanks to Roni and to say that I'm planning to get back into the series in June with Seeker's Mask.

>35 sibylline: Yes of course; that’s how you get the ‘pure’ highborn, right? I meant they don’t interbreed with the indigenous population. Although....

ETA: I must get back to the series soon! At the moment, I’m on holiday in Sydney so my LT Time is reduced to even less than usual. In the meantime, Roni suggested I post my review of Dark of the Moon here.

I’ve finished Dark of the Moon for the group read. Since I reviewed it the first time I read it, I’ll just copy it over and add a few more details.

(Omnibus 1: first two of 6: Chronicles of the Kencyrath series. High fantasy)
(Re-read. LT group read)



2 - Dark of the Moon

This, book two of the Chronicles of the Kencyrath, forms the second half of the omnibus, The God Stalker Chronicles.

Jame, having fulfilled her obligations in Tai-Tastigon, can now leave for the Riverlands of the Kencyrath together with Marc, another Kencyr, and her blind golden ounce, Jorin. However, circumstances dictate that they leave precipitately and they have to cross the deadly pass over the Ebonbane mountains in the teeth of winter, which no-one has even attempted before.

Meanwhile, Jame's twin brother Tori, whom she is desperately seeking to hand over the hereditary ring and sword of their father, has problems of his own. In spite of missing these artefacts, he has been accepted as Highlord of the Kencyrath and has administered them peaceably, although some of the Highborn lords have their own agenda. Now the Kencyrarth have received word that the Hoard which endlessly circles the Southern Waste has broken the circle and is heading for the Riverlands, so he must first convince the lords to march against them, and then lead the badly outnumbered Kencyr Host into battle.

The pieces of the missing years of Jame's past start to fall into place as changers, those high Kencyr turned to evil by the fallen Master of Knorth, appear outside Perimal Darkling hunting Jame and involving themselves in the matters of the Kencyr.

The strength of Perimal Darkling on Rathillien is growing. If the thin crescent doesn't rise after the dark of the moon, the Kencyr will know that the moon has been swallowed and this world, too, has finally fallen.

I enjoyed this book as much as the first. Though the detail and richness might have been a bit less intense than in God Stalk (but this could just be that the vivid personality of the city of Tai-Tastigon was - necessarily - missing), the action was fast-paced, with Jame, Tori and their friends leaping from one fraught situation to the next as they battled unknown enemies. I liked the quirks of fantasy, such as a tree whose leaves swarmed to more temperate climes for the winter, and the humorous touches of the first book are still present. For example, after a battle against supernatural creatures during which her companion, Marc, has been lost, Jame is on trial by the Arrin-ken of the Kencyrath for her soul when she is interrupted:

Jame stared at the great cat. She must say something - yes, no - but her mind had gone completely blank.

Then there was a sound behind her. A hand came up over the edge of the crevasse and fumbled for a hold. Before the other one could appear, clutching a double headed war-axe, Jame was on her knees grabbing for Marc's sleeve.

"Sorry it took me so long," he said apologetically, hauling himself up. "I heard you call, but I'd just landed on a scrap of a ledge down there and had the breath knocked out of me. Then it rained fire. Then a wyrsa fell on me - or at least I think it was a wyrsa. But what's happened here?"

I love Marc. He's not intentionally funny, but he's so placid and easy going, not much ruffles his equanimity. This was his summary dismissal of the last hour or so of intense life-and-death fighting.

And this one tickled me:

When Torisen had invited all the High Council to dinner tonight, Caineron had sent back word that he was indisposed.
"Not feeling quite in touch with things yet," his randon commander Sheth Sharp-Tongue had added with a sardonic smile.

It's not a big part of the story, by any means, but I found it funny. You'll have to read to the end of the book to find out why ;0)

Four and a half stars. Looking forward to the next book. Updating to five stars; this book definitely deserves it.

Five stars overall for the omnibus.

>38 humouress: Doesn't it mean that they only two pure highborn parents produce pure a highborn child? One Kendar ancestor seems to disbar from pure blood though Arrin-ken traits seem part of pure blood.

>40 quondame: It’s not been that long since I read DotM and already I’m getting lost. *sigh* This is why I need to get to the next book soon. I suspect you may be ahead of me.

Yes, Highborn must have both parents be Highborn. By now, there are a whole bunch of Highborn/Kendar mixes. While Highborn ladies can prevent conception of Kendar-sired children, Kendar women don't have that luxury and there are plenty of Highborn males pleasuring themselves. This is resulting in a disconcerting incidence of Shanir traits in those of mixed blood, traits that were previously found only in Highborn, and we see these particularly in the randon college. An unintended consequence, as it were.

Well, with The Gates of Tagmeth I have reached the end of the currently published main story line. I liked that it was mostly one view point, but thought the whole gate thing did nothing to prove Jame's competence, and she didn't show much development as a leader, though some. Finally, daddy is out of Torisen's inner closet!
But over all, I feel like Vol. 7-9 of WoT.

>43 quondame: But we do keep getting more pieces of the world-building that I think are going to end up being really important. And Jame keeps binding more people to her, even if not formally. And then, your spoiler is a REALLY BIG DEAL! And the next book goes back to Tai-tastigon...I suspect the pace is about to pick up dramatically.

>>44 ronincats: I just feel the REALLY BIG DEAL! could have happened two books ago and most of the other development in the last 3 all re-plotted into a single volume. Not that it wouldn't cut a lot of fun stuff, just that there is a lot of tedious stuff that could be cut along with it.

Once the series picked up and started rolling around book 3, I've enjoyed every minute. And I expect if I go back and read the first two now I would find them much more interesting. But perhaps I've a taste for the leisurely and detailed development? I love the Foreigner books even though wosname (sorry I am so immersed in Pratchett it leaks out everywhere!) Bren, does sometimes go on and on and on in his mulling processes until I want to scream. And yet. There is an element here of that kind of confident, this-is-going-somewhere-complexity, at least, Hodgell has convinced me there is. Debatable, of course. And a matter of taste too! And mood. And many other things. Vive la difference.

>45 quondame: I've floated along happily in the extended middle of some series Patrick O'Brian, so it's not really the pace that is my issue, more the choice of the author to wear down Torison to transparency over more than 4 books, it is just as bad as Perrin stuck outside Malden for however long that took in Wheel of Time. Lots of pain, not much gain. Yes, there is a payoff, but with a whole interesting world to pull from just way far from my favorite sort of reading.

Yep, Torisen's story is, in some ways, dragged out too much--the mechanics of delay too revealed.

I'm trundling along behind (somewhat like Mount Alban's shed) and have just reviewed Seeker's Mask. Straight on to To Ride a Rathorn since I have the omnibus edition.

I have to say that the cover (on my omnibus, Seeker's Bane) is very distracting; I kept wanting to cover it up as I was reviewing. As Roni pointed out, Jame is slim and boyish, but the illustrator has given his figure Pamela Anderson-like enhancements. Not to mention that if she's going to be running around the Riverland like that, she's got to wear something a bit more substantial than a dressing gown. I had a look at the illustrator's (Caldwell?) website and all his females are equally unrealistic; I wonder why he was chosen? But looking at the cover illustrations for the (much) later books, he seems to have toned it down, usually by having Jame's arm across her ... enhancements.

I’m at the point in To Ride a Rathorn where Jame is about to officially become a Tentir cadet. I’m a bit confused as to where the line between Kendar and Highborn is.

I’ve just worked out that randon are soldiers, so either race can be randon.

Now I’m finding out that apparently they can cross breed, where I thought before that they couldn’t. So there are some Kendar with Shanir traits?

But why is Graykin looked down on for being a half-breed if it’s not unusual. Is it because he’s The unacknowledged son of the lord of a house?

I don’t think there are any (huge) spoilers in that, but if you do, please let me know and I’ll put the spoiler tags in.

https://www.baen.com/by-demons-possessed-earc.html

>51 quondame: WooWoo! *wild happy dance*

(better get on with reading the rest of the series, then)

>51 quondame: Yes, it's been on pre-order, and I don't know if being able to read the first few chapters now is a blessing or a bane!

I'm finally starting By Demons Possessed!