Sundering
2 primary works
Book 1
Following the triumphant success of her Kushiel series ("Kushiel's Dart," "Kushiel's Chosen," "Kushiel's Avatar"), Jacqueline Carey now turns her hand to another startling fable, an epic tale of gods waging war in their bid to control an entire universe and the mortals they use as chess pieces in a most deadly game. Once, the Seven Shapers dwelled in accord. First-born among them was Haomane, Lord-of-Thought and with his brother and sister gods, the Seven drew upon of the power of the Souma, claimed a race of beings for their own and began Shaping the world to their will. But Haomane saw the ways of this new world and was displeased. For in his younger brother Satoris, once called the Sower, Haomane thought too prideful and in his gift, the quickening of the flesh too freely to the races...and to that of Man in particular. Haomane asked Satoris to withdraw his Gift from Men but he refused. And so began the Shapers' War. Eons have passed. The war that ensued Sundered the very world. Haomane and his siblings lay to one end of a vast ocean unable to touch their creations, Satoris and the races of the world on the other. Satoris has been broken and left adrift among the peoples of the world and is reviled, with most of the races believing that it was he alone who caused the rift and depriving them of the balm of the Seven. He sits in Darkhaven, controlling his own dominion--seeking not victory but neither vengeance. But still Haomane is not content. Through Haomane's whispers in the minds and hearts of the races of the world come a prophecy that if Satoris were defeated, the world could be made whole and all would bask in the light of the Souma again. And the few who stay by Satoris are viewed as the ultimate evil. And so the races come together to defeat Satoris, a being who helped engender them all but who is caught in his elder brother's warp. Strong storytelling with evocative, compelling, and unforgettable characters, Banewrecker ultimately asks the question: If all that is considered good considers you evil, are you?
Book 2
Once human but now immortal, Supreme Commander Lord Tanaros chose darkness when driven mad by the betrayal of his adulterous wife and his liege king who cuckolded him. A thousand years later, his only allegiance is to his master, the dark god Satoris. The name of Satoris is the word for evil throughout all the races, and the legend of Tanaros has become the byword for treachery. Now there is a new prophecy that tells of Satoris's destruction and the redemption of the world. To thwart it, Tanaros is holding captive the Lady of the Ellylon, the beautiful Cerelinde, to prevent her alliance with the last High King of Men. Though all who support Satoris clamour for her death, Tanaros refuses to act like the monster that he is made out to be. He discovers that not all of his heart has been lost - and his feelings for Cerelinde could doom Satoris, but also save the race of Men.