Seventh Decimate

The Great God's War, Book 1

By: Stephen R. Donaldson

Narrated by: Scott Brick

Length: 9 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's summary

The acclaimed author of the Thomas Covenant Chronicles launches a powerful new trilogy about a prince's desperate quest for a sorcerous library to save his people.

Fire. Wind. Pestilence. Earthquake. Drought. Lightning.

These are the six Decimates, wielded by sorcerers for both good and evil.

But a seventh Decimate exists - the most devastating one of all....

For centuries, the realms of Belleger and Amika have been at war, with sorcerers from both sides harnessing the Decimates to rain blood and pain upon their enemy. But somehow, in some way, the Amikans have discovered and invoked a seventh Decimate, one that strips all lesser sorcery of its power. And now the Bellegerins stand defenseless.

Prince Bifalt, eldest son of the Bellegerin King, would like to see the world wiped free of sorcerers. But it is he who is charged with finding the repository of all of their knowledge, to locate the book of the seventh Decimate - and reverse the fate of his land.

All hope rests with Prince Bifalt. But the legendary library, which may or may not exist, lies beyond an unforgiving desert and treacherous mountains - and beyond the borders of his own experience. Wracked by hunger and fatigue, sacrificing loyal men along the way, Prince Bifalt will discover that there is a game being played by those far more powerful than he could ever imagine. And that he is nothing but a pawn....

©2017 Stephen R. Donaldson (P)2017 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“It promises to be as rich in detail as its predecessors - and, Mr. Donaldson’s trademark, as emotionally deep and as psychologically unpredictable.” (The Wall Street Journal)

“A new Stephen Donaldson book is always a cause for celebration. Seventh Decimate will whet your appetite for a sequel.” (Terry Brooks, New York Times best-selling author)

"Fantastic." (Booklist)

a book for all the earths warmongers

what a great lesson for all who love war. may they understand the lesson. the narrator was wonderful.

A great take

Love the internal struggle. The culture shock. The world building. The magic. Yum.
A worthy new adventure by Donaldson.

I accept this gift

And therein hope to honor the giver...

When Stephen Donaldson put pen-to-paper, or pecks at his keyboard, I will stand until he is done. Any opportunity to watch his mastery with words is a joy. Any opportunity to enter his worlds so vividly imagined is a welcome Escape.

I look forward to delving deeper into this world, and hope for a satisfyingly rich trip into the unknown. You would be wise to join me if you enjoy a yarn of excitement and character.

Very Donaldson 🤩

When War is within
Desperation kicks in
World building and Magic are really interesting… can’t wait .. the next installment!

Oh my god, give me Covenant!

The Prince really needs a good slap around. He makes Covenant look adorable. The End.

Good but not up to the Covenant Chronicals

The protagonist does not have the depth of those in Donaldson's other works. The anger, despair, rage present in the early works is here but without the underlying deprh of reason. The story also has some logical flaws. How did the prince or king not even suppose that Amica had also lost its magic.

awesome start to a new series

Donaldson starts a new series in an awesome way. A great storyline waiting for book two. Thank

Amazing!

I already read the first to books in the series, but I thought I’d listen to them before I read the The Killing God. So glad I did! It’s even better the second time through. Scott Brick’s narration made this an entirely new experience for me. Donaldson and Brick are a perfect duo.

Hard to Enjoy

I feel that I can't give a full assessment of tge book until I've finished the series. I hope that this will be similar to the author's Mordant's Need books.
The main character is an angry, stubborn man of privilege and at the end he only feels his anger is justified. I found it very difficult to enjoy his story and lack of any real growth.

Table Setting

typical of Donaldson's initial books in a series, this book does a lot of table setting. Many might find it ponderous and slow, but I've been trained to expect the details offered within to become both relevant and valuable later.