Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #172168 in Books
• Published on: 2006-10-31
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 528 pages

Customer Reviews

Good story buried in there somewhere
In this book Glen Cook seems to be setting the stage for a new epic series to rival the Black Company. Unfortunately, he packs too much background information in, especially early on, and skips between too many widely-separated points of view, making it hard to keep track of the plot. If you can last the pace, it all starts to make sense eventually.

If you don't like large complex fantasy novels, this isn't for you. If you enjoy complex world-building and can keep track of political manoeuvres between different cultures on separate continents, you might like this. I certainly plan to look out for the second volume.

Brilliant, complex, challenging
Glen Cook has been one of my favourites for a long time. I truly enjoy the PI Garret stories (please keep them coming) - a kind a tribute to Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin - and I also liked the Black Company series. But in the Instrumentalities of the Night he has taken a big step towards becoming one of the true giants of science fiction!

So much more mature than anything he has written before, yet the text flowing easily along the pages! Complex it is, and with many characters, but easily read all the same. Gripping story and beautifully balanced.

Warmly recommended.

A good start to an epic series.
The story follows a Praman warrior named Else Tage from his battle with a dark god and his unexpected victory, from there we see Else called his boss to go into the western world and spy on the Patriarchy, a western religion who have been sending crusades in his home land to kill and slaughter what they see as being an heretical religion, we see Else now under the alias of Piper Hecht spy on and assassinate anyone in his way while he is slowly climbing the ladder in the Patriarchy power base that will eventually see him leading armies into the heart of his own country, following close behind him are assassins, political rivals and more dark gods who have promised death because of the death of their brother.

This is the first Glen Cook novel I have read and I must admit I really enjoyed it, it is a well written and had a great plot with likable characters that you really find yourself rooting for, there are also some great one liners that you just have to laugh at, the only fault was that the action in this book just to slow paced, it could have been a lot better.

I hope this review was of some help to you.