Fall of Thanes, the conclusion to Brian Ruckley’s Godless World trilogy, wraps up this amazing series in a neat, yet bloody, package.
It has been a while since the events of Winterbirth and Bloodheir. Ruckley kindly gives the reader a brief yet helpful reminder of “What Has Gone Before” at the beginning of Fall of Thanes. Orisian is the Thane of a practically extinct blood, his sister Anyara still a “guest” of Aewult (Bloodheir of the Haig Blood). Orisian continues to travel with the Fox Kyrinin, Ess’yr and her brother Varryn, his attraction for Ess’yr still growing. His hopes of defeating an ever more powerful Aeglyss rest on Aegylss’ foster mother K’rina, who has been unmistakably marked by the Anain.
As Orisian musters his few remaining shieldmen, Kanin (of the Black Road) does the same, taking unprecedented measures and training even those not of his blood to join his motley army and march against Aeglyss. Meanwhile, the world slowly slips into an even more chaotic state as Aeglyss exerts his power over the Shared, breaking boundaries never before thought possible.
Ruckley is once again to be commended for his worldbuilding and poetic writing. His battle scenes can only be described as bone-crunchingly cinematic. Ruckley’s series is also refreshing in the way that Orisian isn’t a typical heroic figure, and that the reader is never *quite* sure if the “good guys” will overcome the odds. My only complaint is the multitude of characters, each with their various alliances and motivations, was difficult to keep track of.
Also worth noting is Ruckley’s treatment of women—in this particular world, it would be easy to make women of little or no consequence. However, Ruckley deftly paints Anyara, Tara Jerain, and others as strong, noble women that influence the course of events, even if not directly on the battlefield.
Fall of Thanes concludes the Godless World trilogy in an unforgettable way. I’ll admit–I am not much of a cryer, especially when reading, but the final chapter brought me to tears. If that’s not an endorsement, I don’t know what is.
The first two chapters can be found on Brian Ruckley’s site, and he is also conducting a giveaway for those that join his Facebook group!
