God Stalk
Ratings8
Average rating3.3
15
Ratings8
Average rating3.3
Jame is a Kencyr. Kencyrs are not native to the planet where they now live. For thirty centuries they have been the weapon that their Three-Faced God has used against the power of the Perimal Darkling. And though they have fought well, the Darkling has come to planet after planet, and the Kencyrs have moved on.
Jame knows this as she stumbles out of the hilly, barren Haunted Lands into the city of Tai-tastigon. But she knows little else. She does not remember where she has been or what she has done for the last ten years of her life. Her memory goes back only a week or two—to finding her home destroyed and all her family dead.
In Tai-tastigon Jame begins a new life that seems to be at odds with all that the Kencyrs stand for. Kencyrs are honest and just, but Jame becomes an apprentice to the most renowned thief in the powerful Thieves' Guild. Kencyrs are confirmed monotheists, yet Jame explores the rituals and activities of the thousands of gods, templed and untempled, in this religious center; she even kills a god and then resurrects him. And at the inn, the Res aB'tyrr, where she lives, she finds herself using the most sacred dances of her people, dances she does not even remember learning, for the entertainment and sometimes the destruction of the inn's patrons.
Within herself Jame finds power she does not want and doubts she defies her heredity to harbor. She moves through the rich and bloody stew of Tai-tastigon like a hot spice. Her probings, to find herself and to discover what her powers mean to her and her people, combined with influences already at work, very nearly destroy the city. And yet, they bring her face to face with a destiny she must accept.
Series
10 primary books11 released booksKencyrath is a 13-book series with 12 primary works first released in 1982 with contributions by P.C. Hodgell.
Books
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Reviews with the most likes.
I have heard some good things about this series and I wanted to like it. However, this story didn't really work for me. The plot seems to jerk along. I would be reading a section and getting into the story and suddenly the story would move in time and space and something seemingly unrelated would happen. Also, I really couldn't develop any empathy for the characters – not even Jame the main POV character. This reduced my enjoyment of the story. Things did finally pull together ... but I really didn't care so much by that time.
Lankhmar, Ankh-Morpork, Ambergris, New Crobuzon — näiden nimekkäiden fantasiakaupunkien joukkoon kuuluu ehdottomasti P. C. Hodgellin luoma Tai-Tastigon, joka on God Stalkin tapahtumapaikkana. Tunnelmalliseen kaupunkiin tutustutaan ensimmäistä kertaa hurjimpana mahdollisena päivänä, kuolleiden jumalien juhlana, kun riivaajien takaa-ajama Jame kompuroi turvaan kaupunginmuurien sisäpuolelle, vain joutuakseen uudenlaiseen vaaraan.
Jame löytää onnekseen itselleen sijan majatalosta ja ystäviäkin. Ensimmäisen yön hetkellinen tuttavuus johtaa oppipojan paikkaan Tai-Tastigonin maineikkaimman varkaan alaisena. Varkaan ammatti on kummallinen valinta Jamelle, joka on kencyr, osa kummallista kansaa. Kencyreille kunnia-asiat ovat siinä määrin iso juttu, että kencyrin syyttäminen valehtelemisesta on takuuvarma keino päästä hengestään. Ja sitten varkaaksi?
Jamesta tuleekin kaupungin erikoisin varas, eikä kaupunki muutenkaan ole enää entisensä, kun Jame pääsee vauhtiin. Kasvukertomuksen tapaisessa tarinassa riittää toimintaa ja pohdittavaa, kun Jame muistaa pikkuhiljaa menneitä — kas kun Jamella on muistissaan ainakin muutaman vuoden mittainen aukko.
P.C. Hodgell on kehitellyt aidosti omaperäisen fantasiamaailman. Kencyrit ovat äärimmäisen kiehtova luomus, samoin kyllä koko muukin maailma. Alkuun tarina lähinnä hämmästyttää, mutta pikkuhiljaa asiat selviävät. Tarina jatkuu ainakin kolmen kirjan verran, joten paljon jää vielä epäselväksi tässä ensimmäisessä osassa.
Parikymmentä vuotta työn alla ollut sarja on ollut paikoin varsin vaikeasti saatavilla. Kirjojen oikeudet ovat nykyään Baenilla, joka on onneksi julkaissut uusintalaitoksia. Ensimmäiset kaksi osaa (God Stalk ja Dark of the Moon) on koottu yksiin kansiin nimellä The God Stalker Chronicles (tai Dark of the Gods), Seeker's Bane sisältää seuraavat kaksi (Seeker's Mask ja To Ride a Rathorn). (23.7.2009)
