The Killing God (The Great God's War)

This was a fantastic conclusion from start to finish, and I would have willingly read a longer book; Elgart flirting with earthquake-decimate-wielding Astride had me in stitches and the el-Algreb could have their own series. (Seriously, if on the VERY SMALL off-chance Donaldson sees these reviews, I want el-Algreb novels. Or short stories. Or anything, really.) I'm glad they survived their insane and unprotected charge at the end--decimated, as is thematically appropriate, but not wiped out. The end of this series is surprisingly upbeat and hopeful. It was what I wanted, and also followed organically from what came before. So while I'd love a little more development for the tragic fates of Mattwil and Cloras, for example--and I will *never* have too much gun-happy el-Algreb and eye-rolling kickass Astride--what we got was worth the wait, it hangs together, and I will happily read it again. Probably tomorrow.Strap in; here be spoilers.Those who remember the forced marches and desperate war sacrifices in The Illearth War will probably find the central section of the novel familiar, but I consider it superior, not least because it isn't unremittingly grim. There's a good mix of wins and losses--the Pyrrhic victory at the Bay of Lights and the follow-up with widows and children hits particularly hard, and the el-Algreb show up at just the right moment to prevent the entire war strategy from spiraling--so it's not a total downer, and there's genuine suspense to every battle. Set Ungabwey's daughters, I am pleased to say, are alive and happy at the end of this, and his heroic deeds in literally bringing a castle down on the heads of his enemies is a standout scene that made me catch my breath. I haven't been so excited by the battle scenes in a Donaldson book since Angus sucked a spaceship into a black hole. There are inventive strategies here (some quite horrific on the Great God Rile's side) that make me think that Donaldson would be an excellent war writer and war correspondent of real-world violence. His battles have the right adrenaline-high feeling: the mix of fear, desperation, anger and raw survival need that I've only seen done this well in a handful of books, including books on actual warfare.But of course, the main thrust of the plot is Estie's gift, and Bifalt's struggle to hold back the Great God Rile. Early on, it becomes obvious that Estie will accept her gift, and that Belleger will fail to prevent an invasion from the Great God Rile. Both revelations are devastating; Bifalt believes Estie has rejected him forever by coming into her power, and he believes he's failed himself and oceans of innocent people when the bad guys come steamrollering in. For her part, Estie's gift leaves her completely cut off from the world, able to talk to a tiny handful of people; she struggles in isolation and is infuriated when she discovers that this didn't have to be the case. (Sirjane Marrow is an absolute jerk, and is pretty much a villain; it's nice to see some of Bifalt's opinions validated.) The internecine conflict within the library is intriguing--this book briefly becomes a whodunit--and the appearance of the Great God Rile himself, in the flesh, outside the Great Repository begins a chicken-with-their-heads-cut-off kind of battle, to the point where I was worried about a Second or Third Chronicles of Thomas Covenant-style slaughter.That doesn't happen, I'm pleased to say. Forces from the library, the army (General Klamath has several standout scenes as a moral voice and desperate commander), and Bifalt and Estie each contribute to bringing down the Great God Rile (just as nasty in person as you've imagined), and after that we even get the benefit of some closure. (The book doesn't end with the battle!)Bifalt's final speech accepting victory--and what he was right and wrong about--strikes a nice warm note, and the ending is open enough for us to imagine our own fates for the characters. The world they live in is considerably less hazardous. The knowledge of the Last Repository is in better hands and is more accessible. I call it a good ending, hard-fought and hard-won. Knowledge does no good unless it is shared.When I was 15 I met Donaldson at a World Fantasy Convention. I don't know what prompted the conversation, I've forgotten, but he looked me in the eyes and told me he'd never die. And he hasn't. I hope he's like one of those old irascible mountain men who writes or dictates books until he's 120 years old or something. I need more stories like this.

Bottom line up front, if you read the first two books, you will not be disappointed. It definitely pays off the trilogy and then some.Like many of the people who have left reviews, I have read everything I can put my hands on that Stephen R Donaldson has published over the years. I was absolutely delighted to find this trilogy, and this final book. It was everything I could have asked, but didn’t realize I wanted to ask. I read belatedly that the publishers asked him to trim back 100,000 words, and he fought hard and managed to trim only 59,000. I can only imagine what that cost him, but the prose and the poetry both are still moving. His characters live and breathe and die, people struggle, and care, and love, and the king and his queen meet and surpass burdens and troubles that would exceed so many people in the best of times. No one will ever confuse my run-on sentences for great writing, but I recognize it, and I am grateful.I hope he writes again, but if he chooses not to, he has left us with something unique and inspiring.

The Killing God is a fitting conclusion to this excellent series. The third book is a series of battles, something I don't always like, but there were just enough wins and losses to keep me interested. The stakes are high, and Donaldson doesn't believe in plot armor, as those who've read his other books know.The writing style reminded me of his duology Mordant's Need, one of my favorite fantasies. It's not quite as dense as his later Covenant novels, yet it conveys the anguish of Estie, Bifalt, and the other characters as they struggle desperately to defeat the Great God Rile.A central theme in the series is where magic fits in this world. Bifalt hates sorcery for good reasons, but he struggles as Estie awakens her gift and becomes a sorcerer. The Magisters have always stayed behind the lines, protecting themselves in previous wars and allowing the soldiers to take the brunt of any assault. Finally, they are united, and I liked how they learned to work together, just as Belleger and Amika did in previous books. There are some fantastic characters involved in the fighting - too numerous to mention - but each one contributes to the war effort.There's another theme regarding religion. How many of Rile's people worship him freely, or is it the result of his Decimate of coercion? It's an interesting debate.As I mentioned, the characters are varied and so likable. Their sacrifices are immense, but they unite to save the Last Repository, despite traitors and other obstacles. I've really enjoyed this series and I can't wait to see what Mr. Donaldson comes up with next.

The reviews really do say it all about this series and the author. He is arguably unequaled in his ability to tell a story, create characters and worlds, craft believable psychological conflicts, and author books that are both literary and entertaining. He is a true master of prose without being ponderous or repetitious. And it is especially rewarding to find an author who knows how to conclude all of his story arcs in such a satisfying manner.

I started reading Stephen R Donaldson decades ago, starting with his first Thomas Covenant trilogy. I went on to read his next 2 Covenant trilogies and enjoyed them all. Now with the Great God’s War I have once again found myself with 3 books that I couldn’t stop reading once I started them.

A continuation of great erudite storytelling by a real master. No more YA novels with insipid plots or story lines repeated over and over. Donaldson has been a great.read since I first read his Convenant novels in the 1977s. Like gems in the rubble, one must search hard to find comparable reads. Well done and looking for more

This book, everything about this book, is why I keep coming back to Stephen R. Donaldson. I've been a devoted reader of his for more than forty years, and he still rewards every turn of every page. As many others have said, the first two books of this trilogy were kind of uphill going, but this last book? Especially the last three or four hundred pages of it? It makes everything worthwhile. All of Donaldson's gifts are on display -- the larger-than-life characters, the operatic emotions, the impossible decisions, the deep inner lives. And there's all the fun stuff as well -- wild magics, sharp plot-turns, what Shakespeare called "hairbreadth 'scapes in the imminent deadly breach." The last two hundred pages were almost one long nail-biting battle scene, but it wasn't exhausting to read. It was just so, so good!Once again, Mr. Donaldson, I'll follow you anywhere. I sure hope there's more to come. This book was as good as any of the Coventants. I cannot praise it highly enough.

Worth the wait a slow burn working towards a mighty crescendo! A typical Donaldson to snatch victory from despair. Worth the read!

BrilliantWhat can I say? I read the first two and was looking forward to the completion of the trilogy with this and I wasn’t disappointed.As a trilogy this is not only one of Donaldsons’s best just behind his first chronicles and on par with the second - it’s also up there with the best - after the disappointing last chronicles of Thomas covenant Donaldson was back to his best with the first in the trilogy and hasn’t relented.The length is just right and Donaldson doesn’t do what Martin, Jordan, Feist, Eddinga and Eriksen amongst others do and dawdle on superfluous nonsense and page fillers or meaningless sub plots - this tells the tale and sticks to the story - being told in Donaldson’s meaningful and descriptive way.The first part was a quest, the second was full of intrigue and manoeuvring setting the scene for this which is the war.My only gripe is that Donaldson was forced by the publisher to shorten this a great deal - so there are characters along with the Great God Rile himself whose reason, history and such isn’t mentioned.Stephen Donaldson has created a world here which is ripe for another story.

Stephen Donaldson did it again.I did not think he could match the Thomas Covenant series, which I first read in my late teens.Then I thought he could not match The Gap series which I re-read regularly.This has matched them and again has delivered another world for me to step into and love.Stephen Donaldson, please keep doing what you do!

Donaldson's usual, fine writing concludes this series well. A trilogy that got better and better as it went on. I'll never love another series as much as The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, but Donaldson doesn't disappoint.