Winterbirth

From Publishers WeeklyStarred Review. Scottish author Ruckley's outstanding fantasy debut, the first installment of the Godless World trilogy, introduces a sprawling realm abandoned by the gods after two races united to destroy a third. The peoples left behind struggle with centuries-old prejudices and unresolved conflicts that threaten to destroy them all. The start of winter is traditionally a time of celebration, but when the elflike Kyrinin and religious fanatics called Inkallim interrupt the festivities at Castle Kolglas with a masterfully planned attack, the bloodshed is just the first move in an apocalyptic war that won't end until the world itself is unmade. As Ruckley chronicles the plight of numerous characters through an increasingly chaotic landscape, he develops unsubtle allegories to recent world history and some of humankind's more obvious shortcomings like bigotry, greed and apathy. The author's unapologetically stark yet darkly poetic narrative displays a refreshing lack of stereotypical genre conventions, ensuring a fervent audience of epic fantasy fans looking for something innovative in a genre that can be anything but. (Sept.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. FromScotsman Ruckley's first novel launches a promising trilogy set in the unromanticized medieval Highlands. The gods and their magic have departed, and grim feuds and endless skirmishing prevail as the weather gets ever colder. Chief among feuding clans are the Haigs, and chief among their warriors is a thane in whom some of the old powers may be awakening. This isn't necessarily good news for the Haig clan, for those powers will make their already murderous battles even grislier. But it isn't bad news for readers, since it makes the book much more difficult to put down. Green, Roland