P.C. Hodgell Books In Order

Publication Order of Kencyrath Books

Publication Order of Anthologies

P.C. Hodgell is an American author of fantasy novels that has won numerous awards for her Kencyrath series.

+Biography

Patricia Christine Hodgell was born in 1951 to professional artists. Growing up in such an artistic household, it came as no surprise that Patricia also aspired to pursue the artistic side of the job market.

The author’s love for reading was ignited at a very young age. P.C. Hodgell was especially enamored by science fiction and fantasy. She will happily regale you with stories of David Star Space Ranger by Paul French.

Paul French was the first author to truly inspire Patricia. She loved his book so intensely that she even began making a copy of the library book in her spiral notepad. Her dedication was such that she even recreated the frontispiece.

To learn that Paul French and Isaac Asimov was the same person was a shocking revelation for P.C. Hodgell and that set her on the path to discovering more of Asimov’s works. It wasn’t that difficult to notice Patricia’s love for all things Science Fiction and Fantasy. After all, as she grew up, Patricia made a habit of collecting piles of fantasy and science fiction novels, not to mention comic books. By the time she entered college, reading science fiction and fantasy was no longer enough to quiet the desire in her heart.

So Patricia began to write. The results were not immediately appealing. Even though she had spent her life storing up ideas and concepts for stories, P.C. Hodgell didn’t know the first thing about putting a story together.

So she stumbled and failed quite a number of times. But that didn’t dissuade her from her goal. Patricia used every opportunity that came her way to learn and to master her craft. And it didn’t even take her that long to get her bearings; she eventually began to churn stories out, with her work getting P.C. Hodgell an invitation to the Clarion Writer’s Workshop.

It wasn’t as if Patricia had been yearning to attend the Workshop. Rather, she was swept away by the idea of being surrounded by so many people who understood her, individuals that yearned to tell stories the same way that she did.

The experience was life changing. P.C. Hodgell met and received great encouragement from professionals in the industry. If she had doubted her skills before, those doubts were quickly banished, and it only took her two years after she got her invitation to sell her first story.

The author’s educational background reflects the strides she took to cement her place in the literary arena. P.C. Hodgell’s qualifications include an English Literature Master’s Degree and a Nineteenth Century English Literature Doctorate.

A student of the University of Minnesota and the Milford Writer’s Workshops, Patricia initially pursued teaching. She was a member of the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh English Department. Though she left the position to become a full-time writer; Patricia attempted to balance writing with teaching for a couple of years.

But her love for storytelling eventually outweighed her interest in the education of younger minds.

Working with publishing houses like Hypatia Press, Meisha Merlin and Baen, P.C. Hodgell is best known for the God Stalker Chronicles. The books tell the story of the three-faced God who brought together three different groups of people to fight a deadly threat. The books tackle themes like politics, religion, honor, and identity.

When P.C. Hodgell isn’t writing, she is attending science fiction conventions. The author also knits and embroiders.

+God Stalk

Jame is a young woman with a problem. She has amnesia. While she seems to remember several aspects of her life, some crucial elements are definitely missing. Circumstances conspire to leave Jame stranded in Tai-tastigon. The city is rich but corrupt and infested with gods. And it stands close to the lost lands of the kencyrath.

Jame has quite a few tasks to accomplish. She needs to gather her strength. She must also regain her memories even while accumulating the resources necessary to make the journey to her people. Along the way, she makes new relationships, some of them affectionate and others bitter.

The first novel in the God Stalker novels is considered by many to be a mixed bag. The book begins well enough by introducing an interesting female protagonist whose intrigue only grows as the truth of her situation becomes clear.

Jame is stranded in a strange city. She has covered quite the distance, traversing mountains and haunted lands. And if that wasn’t bad enough, Jame has lost her memories. This introduction succeeds in working readers up.

However, P.C. Hodgell kills the momentum by having Jame purposelessly meander about for dozens of pages on end. She eventually joins a Thieves’ Guild but the decision makes absolutely no sense.

Jame is opposed to stealing. She explains on more than one occasion that her God frowns upon such activities. As such, her decision to join a Thieves Guild makes little sense. The fact that she is able to operate as a thief’s apprentice for so long without offending her own honor or moral sensibilities makes even less sense.

There is more padding than actual plot in this book, which is already short, to begin with. Fortunately for readers who choose to stick with this book to the end, the city proves to be quite the interesting location. It is filled with interesting people doing interesting things, not to mention all the elemental spirits that are floating about.

+Dark of the Moon

Jame undertakes a difficult journey over the mountains. She is ready to face enemies who threaten the future of the planet in order to find her twin brother Tori.

The second novel in P.C. Hodgell’s series introduces Tori to readers. The book attempts to tell the stories of both Tori and Jame at the same time by alternating between the two over the course of the novel.

Tori’s story takes a political angle while Jame’s revolves around a mystical journey. Kencyrath is explored in great detail, not to mention the concept of the three-faced God and the role he plays in the overall plot.

The complexity of Kencyrath society comes to life as the nature of their faith is scrutinized.