Seventh Decimate Review

“The Magisters…do not rule the world you know. Their influence is great…. The Magisters of the Last Repository worship knowledge. The library is their temple” (261). These words revealed by Amandis, an assassin, end the quest and begin the downfall of the Prince, eventually leading him to an impossible choice. His understanding of the world around him will never be the same.

Donaldson’s Seventh Decimate is the first book in his new series, The Great God’s War. This book is packed with adventure, at least for the first three parts, with the fourth and fifth falling flat with little taking place except for annoyances and (spoiler alert) the breaking of the main character. This book is well written and exciting until the Prince and his remaining companion are in the library.

The Backstory

Bellenger and Amaika are at war and have been as long as either nation can remember so long in fact that the true reason for the war is lost. The Prince and his companions have all been through Hell, battle, at least once and understand the dire situation their home is in without magic. They are a close group who would do anything to protect each other and their nation, even die to keep their one advantage, rifles, safe. The war is beginning to wear on all concerned and they can’t make more rifles because they have lost theurgy and would be quickly destroyed by their enemies. Therefore, a quest for a way to restore their power is taken by the Prince Bifalt.

The Quest

Prince Bifalt’s quest to find the Seventh Decimate, a book of great magical power, to restore sorcery, which he despises to his homeland is one of urgency. The Prince’s determination drives him on a quest into the unknown. Donaldson creates a tale of expectation and excitement, littered with loss and regret. The company sets out with little fanfare trying not to raise hopes, each a battle-hardened soldier with experience in difficult battles. They claim to have been through Hell, most more than once. While the journey begins well, things begin to go wrong when they near the border of Amaika where seemingly at every turn the Prince and his companions seem to be thwarted, until only three remain and have crossed a desert where they are rescued by a caravan.  This rescue leads the Prince to the place he seeks, The Last Repository, but his troubles are only beginning. While there he meets the Magisters, who have called him in the hope he will agree to their terms.

Review

While I did enjoy the book I hated the ending, yes going in I knew that it was a part one but the destruction of Prince Bifalt’s spirit was just terrible. The magisters were pushy and in control of everything, the story is controlled by them in many ways. Donaldson has in effect created a group who, as the Prince explains, only care for themselves. I found the Magisters to be annoying and overly full of themselves, making the last two parts of the book terrible, but this did make me favor Bifalt, which is possibly the author’s design. The Magisters and all who are in the library keep secrets which cause more strife and difficulty for the Prince leaving him eventually stuck with an impossible choice where all outcomes cost him too much.

References

Goodreads. (2018). Seventh Decimate (The Great God's War #1) [Image]. Retrieved from https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33865836-seventh-decimate?ac=1&from_search=true 

Donaldson, S. R. (2017). Seventh decimate: The great god’s war. New York: Berkley.