The Blackgod - Softcover

Greg Keyes

3.89

747 ratings by Goodreads

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1857236637 ISBN 13: 9781857236637

Publisher: Time Warner Abacus & Orbit, 1998

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The River flowed from the mountains to the distant sea, and everywhere he touched, he ruled. And his blood ran thick in the veins of Nhol's Royal Family. But the god's power had a price: some members of the Family were never seen after puberty, and dark rumours abounded concerning their fate. When the magic woke in her, Princess Hezhi fled for her life into the lands beyond the River's reach. With Perkar, a youth in search of honour, and loyal Tsem, her half-Giant bodyguard, she sought refuge among the barbarian Mang. But in those demon-infested hinterlands, until she learned to wield the powers of her birthright, her sanity and her soul would be at risk. And grisly danger pursued her - the River bent all his might and slumbrous cunning to the task of finding his wayward child. Only the Blackgod knew how to defeat the River. But the Blackgod was a creature of guile and limitless duplicity; to trust him might be the most perilous move she could make ...

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Review:

The Blackgod brings the tale begun in The Waterborn to a satisfying conclusion. J. Gregory Keyes continues the adventures of Princess Hehzi of Nhol and her unwilling champion, Perkar of the Cattle People, as they struggle to survive the machinations of both the insatiable River God and his brother, the trickster Blackgod, Karak. This is epic fantasy at its best--original, richly textured, and filled with compelling characters.

Hehzi and Perkar are with the Mang, nomadic, horse-worshiping people. Under the protection and guidance of a shaman, Brother Horse, Hehzi learns to control and use her ability to manipulate the spirit world. But Ghe, the priestly assassin Perkar beheaded in The Waterborn, has been restored by the River and sent after Hehzi, and another clan of the Mang has declared war on Perkar's people. Their shaman has had a vision that demands Perkar's death. And the Blackgod wants them to journey to the River's source and slay him. People who don't read epic fantasy can enjoy this high adventure. Fans of the genre may be reminded of Kate Elliott's Jaran series and Philip Jos� Farmer's Riverworld saga. Don't be put off by the size of these books; Keyes has the storytelling power to carry you swiftly through them. --Nona Vero

From the Publisher:

True story: my sister, Joan Narvaez (you can call her and ask if this isn't the truth), had really enjoyed THE WATERBORN, Book One of this two-book series. So naturally, I let her know when THE BLACKGOD was coming out. Now, Joan is a good sister and normally insists on buying our books, but in this case, she begged me to get her one of the advance reading copies we were doing for THE BLACKGOD--not to save the cost of the hardcover, but so she could have the book in hand by the time she was due to have her first baby: she wanted her husband to read THE BLACKGOD to her in the delivery room. She said it was the only thing she could think of that could possibly take her mind off the ... what do they call it these days, discomfort? Which is about the highest praise you can give an author.
Of course--as those of you who have been through the birthing process may have anticipated--it didn't work. But she did love the book, when she finally got the chance to read it.
--Veronica Chapman, Senior Editor

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