Shadowfall: Book One of the Godslayer Chronicles

by James Clemens

Overview

Four millennia have passed since the gods came to Myrillia, creating the nine lands of peace as a haven from the nightmarish, accursed Hinterlands. In all this time nothing has disturbed the harmony of the nine lands.

But now the goddess of the Summering Isles has been murdered. The only witness is Tylar de Noche, a crippled and disgraced former Shadowknight. As he holds the dying goddess, her last breath bestows a powerful blessing on him-a mark that heals his broken body. A mark that many see as proof that he killed a god. A mark that unleashes a powerful force of darkness within him.

Chased across Myrillia by enemies both human and ethereal, Tylar must uncover and face down a being powerful enough to kill an immortal-the true godslayer. For if he fails, all of Myrillia will fall into shadow.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781101098295
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	11/07/2006
Series:	Godslayer , #1
Sold by:	Penguin Group
Format:	eBook
Pages:	528
Sales rank:	823,884
File size:	690 KB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

James Clemens was born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1961. With his three brothers and three sisters, he was raised in the Midwest and rural Canada. He attended the University of Missouri and graduated with a doctorate in veterinary medicine in 1985. The lure of ocean, sun, and new horizons eventually drew him to the West Coast, where he established his veterinary practice in Sacramento, California. He is the author of the Godslayer Chronicles.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"With every new book... Clemens's storytelling expertise becomes more compelling." - Terry Brooks
"A dazzling new entry in the world of epic fantasy... Shadowfall is likely to become a favorite of fantasy lovers worldwide." - SF Revu

Editorial Reviews

The Barnes & Noble Review
From James Clemens, author of the wildly popular Banned and the Banished saga (Wit'ch Fire, Wit'ch Storm, et al.), comes an electrifying new series set in a vast realm where a hundred benevolent gods walk the earth -- but when an immortal deity is mysteriously murdered, the peaceful realm begins to fall into shadow…

Tylar de Noche is a disgraced Shadowknight. Years earlier, Tylar was Graced by the gods as a respected -- and feared -- soldier and arbiter of peace; now he's a crippled beggar whose only dream is to fade away into shadowy oblivion. But when he witnesses a nightmarish monstrosity kill the goddess Meeryn, his life is turned upside down in an instant. As the goddess lies dying in his hands, she gifts him with her Grace and sends him on an impossible quest with one whispered word. But the world thinks Tylar is the infamous godslayer and with countless deities and Shadowknights closing in, Tylar must find the real killer before it's too late.

Meanwhile, a teenage girl named Dart begins a similar quest of her own…

Reading -- no, experiencing -- Shadowfall is like contemplating a singularly masterful work of art. The sheer depth and detail of this novel are absolutely breathtaking -- the fastidious characterization of protagonists Tylar de Noche and Dart, the incredibly tight plotlines, the brilliantly realized realm of Myrillia, the ever-increasing velocity of the narrative -- this isn't just Clemens's best work to date; it's easily one of the best fantasy novels in years. Paul Goat Allen

bn.com

For 4,000 years, the people of the Nine Lands have lived peacefully under the guidance of their hundred gods. When the goddess Meeryn is murdered, the peace is shattered, and Tylar de Noche, a defrocked knight who as sole witness is now sole suspect, must, rather predictably, find the killer and prove himself innocent. Tylar isn't too bright, but fortunately he can turn to Delia, a priestess who conveniently doubles as love interest, and to Rogger, a thief wise to the ways of the criminal underworld. Slogging hither and yon for scraps of clues, the three begin to suspect that the supposedly pacific gods are in fact engaged in an ongoing struggle for power and control. The self-absorption of the gods and the apathetic ignorance of the people form stumbling blocks on Tylar's quest, forcing a slow pace that makes sense in context but is frustrating. Once Clemens (Wit'ch Fire, etc.) understands that what characters do with their knowledge is more interesting than how they get it, things should pick up in future installments. Agents, Russ Galen and Danny Baror. (July) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

For thousands of years, the hundred gods have protected their creation, the Nine Lands, from the barbarous Hinterlands that lie along their borders. When the unthinkable happens, and one of the gods is slain, the only witness-and soon the only suspect-is Tylar de Noche, formerly one of the elite Shadowknights who keep order in the Lands. Now a fugitive, Tylar finds other outcasts willing to follow him on a mission to accomplish the impossible: find and slay a creature strong enough to kill a god. The author of the "Wit'ch" series begins a new multivolume saga with a compelling tale filled with richly developed characters. A strong addition to any library's fantasy collections. Highly recommended. Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal

"With every new book... Clemens's storytelling expertise becomes more compelling." - Terry Brooks
"A dazzling new entry in the world of epic fantasy... Shadowfall is likely to become a favorite of fantasy lovers worldwide." - SF Revu

From the Publisher