Winterbirth by Brian Ruckley

[Deornoth]

I saw a big banner on top of scifi.com advertising winterbirth today.

I'm around 70 pages in so far, seems a bit worldbuilding heavy, predictable and the characters are good but not stand out so far, but I'll keep reading)

It is slow to start off with but does pick up the pace as it gets further in. I've heard that 'Blood Heir' is going to be lighter on the world building and more stuff is going to actually happen!

[The Wolf Maid]

I got the book about a week ago. Almost went into a seizure at the sight of it (and the price, as it was very reasonable, very rare in these parts) and bought it immediately.

I enjoyed the book very much, stayed up late to read it. I have to say Inurian was my favorite character in the book.

This book also made me think that in celebrations, the warriors/soldiers should NEVER get drunk or partcipate in such things. Bad things happen if they do.

[aidan]

I'm currently reading this for review and am enjoying it immensely.

In fact, I'm surprised at the quality of the novel and how easy it is to read. I knew I would enjoy the novel (I had pretty high expectations for it, in fact), but I'd have to say that it's even better than I thought it would be. The pages are just flying by for me and that hasn't happened for several novels now.

I love the world that Brian has created. His Scottish heritage really shines through and helps to create a world not like any other I've seen in a novel before. He takes standard fantasy cliches and puts his own spin on them and though he doesn't necessarily hide the fact that they are cliches, he does a good job of making the interesting again.

His version of elves, the Kyrinin, remind me a lot of Tad Williams' Sithi and I'll be interested to see where he takes them as the novel, and the trilogy, moves on. I'll also be interested to see where he takes the na'kyrim, who are turning out to be some of the most interesting characters in the novel.

In any case, you'll be able to find a full review from me sometime pretty soon once I finish off the novel.

[briruc]

It is slow to start off with but does pick up the pace as it gets further in. I've heard that 'Blood Heir' is going to be lighter on the world building and more stuff is going to actually happen!

This 'slow start' thing does seem to get mentioned by some readers now and again (duly noted by the eager-to-learn author and filed away for future reference). As far as Bloodheir's concerned, it does still contain some worldbuilding-type stuff but yes, by the end of the book the plot developments have come fairly thick and fast.

His version of elves, the Kyrinin, remind me a lot of Tad Williams' Sithi and I'll be interested to see where he takes them as the novel, and the trilogy, moves on. I'll also be interested to see where he takes the na'kyrim

Glad you're enjoying the book, Aidan. As for where I'm taking all these folk: into deeper trouble, like pretty much all the characters. I'm mean like that.

[Lawrence]

I just finished reading Winterbirth today and reviewed it over at FantasyBookSpot here.

I did enjoy reading Winterbirth, it was as Aidan already pointed out an easy read and very accessible albeit on the slow side in terms of pace. I loved the worldbuilding, it was very extensive and well thought out. Definitely one of the main strenghts of the novel. Also the development of the character Orisian was very well done, it was a slow but graduate progression and the fact that a bit of romance was added to the mix made it only better. It is, I feel, one of the areas where some authors seem to go wrong by rushing the development of the adolescent hero into the full grown-up hero. I am glad Brian Ruckley did not fall for the same trap. Another element that should be noted positively is the fact that Brian Ruckley chose to feature both sides of the conflict, Lannis Haig perspective and the Black Road perspective. It provided an interesting (different) view on the conflict, now you knew what was going on both sides and the reasoning behind their actions.

However, there were some things that I did not like all too much. The setting, the world and pretty much most of the character were not that entirely original I felt. Especially the Kyrinin which seem to be your average Elves, apart from their skin color. It was a bit of shame that they were not too challenging to read about. Also, the pace.. aah the pace. That was I guess the reason why it took me so long (combined with the fact that I have not so much time these days) to get this novel finished. First it takes a hundred or so pages to pick up some pace, but even after that the book cannot be called fast-paced. I found that the focus on extensive worldbuilding, deepening relationships between major and minor characters and the multitude of dialogues slowed it down immensely. Still, I would have to admit, a very solid, decent debut. Certainly good enough for me to be considering picking up Bloodheir when it is released.

[MinDonner]

Heh, looks like all us bloggers are finishing Winterbirth at the same time; I just got my review up today too... I liked it; the setting was solid if not that original, and I'm very keen to find out what happens in the next book.

[Lawrence]

Heh, that may be just coincidence. I checked out your review and I have to give it to you that is was very well thought out. I did not really perceive some of the things in the novel the way you did, but hey that is why we all write our seperate reviews.

[oneeye]

ok almost finished now, the osirian arc is pretty good, and kalin and wain are intriguing too.

It's no blade itself or loll but could be worse for sure.

[Happy Ent]

Just started, after reading MinDonner's review. Like it a lot.

And now, page 181: Sentient Trees! Hugely powerful, even! Woot!

[Larry.]

Although I was much more interested (due to a colleague of mine at wotmania/OF Blog having already reviewed the three books in more detail) in the authors' style choices, I just now posted a piece on Winterbirth and Brandon Sanderson's two Mistborn novels.

[Lawrence]

Interesting musings there, Dylanfanatic, plenty of food for thought. You agreed with those who said that the setting feels 'gritty' but can you explain exactly in what elements of the book that 'grittiness' can be found? Personally, I did not find the novel all that 'gritty' at all. Sure, there is plenty conflict between the two bloods (bloodshedding etc), the Black Road characters are grim but on the other hand most of the characters were very accessible (maybe a bit too much, in the sense that they did not had a multi-layered personality) and the focus of the story was mostly on Orisian and his fortunes. This specific approach of developing the adolescent hero into a more grown-up hero, did diminish that 'gritty' feel I thought. And as far as the violence is concerned, I thought it was not all that explicit at all.

The other point was quite interesting too, you hit the nail on its head with that some reader have come to associate gritty with "refreshing lack of stereotypical genre conventions" which does not have to be true. (In fact, Winterbirth did had quite some 'stereotypical genre conventions')

[The Wolf Maid]

Oddly, I didn't find this quite as 'gritty' as some say it was, and not quite as 'bloody' as what the cover seems to suggest. Many of the deaths in the book I had expected long before it happened.

Just started, after reading MinDonner's review. Like it a lot.

And now, page 181: Sentient Trees! Hugely powerful, even! Woot!

Really? Guess I missed that. *rereads*

[Larry.]

Lawrence,

I put the word "gritty" in quotes because I don't think that is the most appropriate word to use to describe epic fantasies that focus more on the more dour aspects of a violent conflict. I explained it a bit further down in the article about how not everyone thinks that a setting in which there is explicit suffering and violence is the best way to tell a fantasy story. That is why I use "gritty" in this fashion.

[Maltaran]

Really? Guess I missed that. *rereads*

I think technically, the Anain aren't really trees, and the trees were just representations of them.

[Happy Ent]

I think technically, the Anain aren't really trees, and the trees were just representations of them.

Semantics.

[aidan]

Oddly, I didn't find this quite as 'gritty' as some say it was

Wolfy, I actually happen to agree with this. I'm enjoying Winterbirth, but it's not exactly what I was expecting. From all the buzz and cover blurbs I was expecting something along the lines of Bakker, Glen Cook, Steve Erikson, etc.... The world Ruckley has created and the plot that moves the story along is dark, brutal and bloody (I'd say it lives up to the bloody part!), but I wouldn't exactly call it gritty. In many ways it actually reminds me of Tad William's Memory, Sorrow and Thorn series in tone.

I think one of the things that detracts from the sense of grittiness is Ruckley's language. He has an almost poetic prose through most of the novel and his description is very evocative, but his dialogue also takes on these characteristics and doesn't feel as realistic and gritty as the dialogue used by authors such as Abercrombie and Martin. This isn't to say it's bad, just not gritty. One topic that's come up recently is swearing, and this is a case where I think a bit more harsh language could perhaps have helped the story feel a bit more realistic.

[The Wolf Maid]

I think technically, the Anain aren't really trees, and the trees were just representations of them.

Thanks, Malt. I really missed that...

Wolfy, I actually happen to agree with this. I'm enjoying Winterbirth, but it's not exactly what I was expecting. From all the buzz and cover blurbs I was expecting something along the lines of Bakker, Glen Cook, Steve Erikson, etc.... The world Ruckley has created and the plot that moves the story along is dark, brutal and bloody (I'd say it lives up to the bloody part!), .

I think one of the things that detracts from the sense of grittiness is Ruckley's language. He has an almost poetic prose through most of the novel and his description is very evocative, but his dialogue also takes on these characteristics and doesn't feel as realistic and gritty as the dialogue used by authors such as Abercrombie and Martin.

I agree on this. Perhaps my view has been colored by comparing works described as 'gritty' and 'bloody' to the works of Lynch and Martin. I will also add that I felt the world he created was not quite as bloody or brutal as I've thought it would be. Maybe it's because much of the 'bloody and dark' scenes happened 'off-screen' (or we're simply told how bloody it was, rather than shown it), or as you mentioned, written in 'almost poetic prose'. Somehow it loses the power of evoking that 'gritty' feel. I also wondered about the swearing bit (nobody seemed to swear for such a violent culture).

(Or maybe I just have overblown expectations. The book was an enjoyable read, but I wouldn't say it's dark, brutal, bloody, or gritty...so far).

[Calibandar]

About the Anain the gazetteer says:

Anain: Most potent of all the races, the Anain are the thoughts of the green world. They have no settled form and dwell as much in the Shared as in the physical world. They forced an end to the War of the Tainted – for reasons that remain their own – by raising the immense forest known as the Deep Rove from out of the earth. Their capacities are vast but seldom displayed. Some Kyrinin clans in the north revere them; most humans have almost forgotten them as anything other than legends.

So something for Happy Ent to rejoice in as Ruckley has mentioned they will become more prominent in the next book.

[Astra]

Guys , I need your help

When you say the book is gritty..what does it mean?

I tried to google for "definition gritty", however, I am not sure.

[The Wolf Maid]

About the Anain the gazetteer says:

So something for Happy Ent to rejoice in as Ruckley has mentioned they will become more prominent in the next book.

Great! More trees!

I think gritty, when used to describe fiction, means that the book has a tough, unflinching and uncompromising portrayal of reality. I means the book doesn't try to sugar-coat the nastier stuff that happens in real life, but shows it as realistically as possible, even revels in it.