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yodamom's review against another edition
5.0
One of my favorite series. I get deeply lost in the turmoil that is this world created by these master writers. This second book in the series lives up to the excellence of the first novel. Greyfriar and Adele have been separated by species and hatred for months. Adele is to wed the horrible Mr Clark, combining America to Equatoria. She dreams of her Greyfriar but knows where her duty must be. The wedding day arrives, she is escorted down the isle.. something happens, and the two (Greyfiar and Adele) are united once again. Their journey will lead them and others to death and discoveries never thought possible. Many beliefs and loyalties will be tested.
I loved every word, held my breath many times and felt exhilarated and exhausted at the end. I wish the book did not end...waiting for book #3.
I loved every word, held my breath many times and felt exhilarated and exhausted at the end. I wish the book did not end...waiting for book #3.
clairedrinkstea's review against another edition
5.0
Amazing!
This is a great follow-up to The Greyfriar and I can't wait for The Kingslayer.
The characters are very well written and well rounded, each have faults and redeeming features and even the bad guys can be respected, I find there is always one character who you just don't like and don't want to read about but with the Vampire Empire series I'm intrigued by them all.
I love the relationship between Adele and Greyfirar/Gareth and you want them desperately to have the have the life the Penny-Dreadfuls depict and the book(s) are so well written that it pulls at your heart strings each time something happens and they give a little more of their lives to their duty.
Read these books,you'll not be disappointed.
This is a great follow-up to The Greyfriar and I can't wait for The Kingslayer.
The characters are very well written and well rounded, each have faults and redeeming features and even the bad guys can be respected, I find there is always one character who you just don't like and don't want to read about but with the Vampire Empire series I'm intrigued by them all.
I love the relationship between Adele and Greyfirar/Gareth and you want them desperately to have the have the life the Penny-Dreadfuls depict and the book(s) are so well written that it pulls at your heart strings each time something happens and they give a little more of their lives to their duty.
Read these books,you'll not be disappointed.
hidingincorners's review against another edition
5.0
Fantastic. Adele is my daily inspiration. The imagery is so vivid, I can almost see it.
reddyrat's review against another edition
5.0
The Vampire Empire series is one of those rare creatures where almost everyone who gives it a chance falls head over heels in love. It is probably the most sophisticated, action-oriented, and romantic vampire series I've read to date. I had high expectations for The Rift Walker after reading Greyfriar and luckily it did not disappoint.
Greyfriar and Adele are even better characters in The Rift Walker than in Greyfriar. I liked that the Griffiths avoided the common second novel theme in which the happy couple is torn apart and remains separated throughout most of the novel. In Rift Walker, Greyfriar and Adele begin the novel apart but are soon reunited. From that point, they are a team.
Adele and Greyfriar are definitely a partnership in every meaning of the world. Adele is increasingly coming into her own knowledge of geomancy and able to use the powers to possesses. Moreover, she is a stronger person - more mature, more determined, and more morally certain. Greyfriar is definitely my favorite character. Unlike most male heroes, Greyfriar is not too proud to let Adele lead. Throughout much of this novel, Adele was at the advantage. The climate, terrain, and people were much easier for her to manage than Greyfriar. He had no problem in allowing her to take charge. Certainly he wanted and tried to protect her, but he recognized that she was no shrinking violet.
The side characters become increasingly complex in The Rift Walker. Colonel Anhalt is ever the loyal support. He places Adele's interest above all else, including his country. Mamoru is harder to characterize. He truly cares for Adele, but his desire to capitalize on Adele's geomancy powers leads him to take actions that seem deplorable. Senator Clark continues to be a somewhat cardboard foil to Adele and Greyfriar's love. He becomes even more odius in The Rift Walker. The main political characters in the novel, Lord Aden, the Emperor, Cesare, and Flay, also play an important role. The political and power-wielding machinations grow more complex and nefarious on both sides.
Edinburgh Castle is almost entirely absent from The Rift Walker. I missed glorious Scotland and characters like Morgana and Baudin. However, I admire the Griffiths for introducing a new setting. Adele and Greyfriar were on the run for most of the novel - running south. The book was full of tense scenes as they barely escaped their pursuers or faced enemies head on. The pacing was a little slow in the beginning, but once Greyfriar and Adele got back together so many different things occurred that the book flowed quickly.
The only criticism I can come up with for this series is that I still have difficulty understanding the idea of geomancy. It's not for lack of explanation as both books speak about it in significant detail. However, I still don't see why the rifts create energy and why Adele is able to channel that energy more than others. Perhaps it will make sense as the book goes on, but if not, it doesn't interfere with my enjoyment of the book.
Rating: 4.5 / 5
Greyfriar and Adele are even better characters in The Rift Walker than in Greyfriar. I liked that the Griffiths avoided the common second novel theme in which the happy couple is torn apart and remains separated throughout most of the novel. In Rift Walker, Greyfriar and Adele begin the novel apart but are soon reunited. From that point, they are a team.
Adele and Greyfriar are definitely a partnership in every meaning of the world. Adele is increasingly coming into her own knowledge of geomancy and able to use the powers to possesses. Moreover, she is a stronger person - more mature, more determined, and more morally certain. Greyfriar is definitely my favorite character. Unlike most male heroes, Greyfriar is not too proud to let Adele lead. Throughout much of this novel, Adele was at the advantage. The climate, terrain, and people were much easier for her to manage than Greyfriar. He had no problem in allowing her to take charge. Certainly he wanted and tried to protect her, but he recognized that she was no shrinking violet.
The side characters become increasingly complex in The Rift Walker. Colonel Anhalt is ever the loyal support. He places Adele's interest above all else, including his country. Mamoru is harder to characterize. He truly cares for Adele, but his desire to capitalize on Adele's geomancy powers leads him to take actions that seem deplorable. Senator Clark continues to be a somewhat cardboard foil to Adele and Greyfriar's love. He becomes even more odius in The Rift Walker. The main political characters in the novel, Lord Aden, the Emperor, Cesare, and Flay, also play an important role. The political and power-wielding machinations grow more complex and nefarious on both sides.
Edinburgh Castle is almost entirely absent from The Rift Walker. I missed glorious Scotland and characters like Morgana and Baudin. However, I admire the Griffiths for introducing a new setting. Adele and Greyfriar were on the run for most of the novel - running south. The book was full of tense scenes as they barely escaped their pursuers or faced enemies head on. The pacing was a little slow in the beginning, but once Greyfriar and Adele got back together so many different things occurred that the book flowed quickly.
The only criticism I can come up with for this series is that I still have difficulty understanding the idea of geomancy. It's not for lack of explanation as both books speak about it in significant detail. However, I still don't see why the rifts create energy and why Adele is able to channel that energy more than others. Perhaps it will make sense as the book goes on, but if not, it doesn't interfere with my enjoyment of the book.
Rating: 4.5 / 5
blodeuedd's review against another edition
3.0
I could not believe how the last book ended! Adele going back to marry that ass Clark, and greyfriar staying behind to save humans. I could not wait to get my hands on book 2 because I needed to know what would happen.
And that is where this book starts. Clark is pressuring Adele to marry him at once, she is staling, Prince Cesare is planning revenge back in London and Greyfriar is missing her. What we have is a book that promises lots of action and that it sure delivers. There are assassinations, vampire fights (and new vampires to meet) and Adele finding a power within her that can change the upcoming war.
I like how they have created this world where vampires came out of hiding and took over the northern hemisphere and more (since the heat makes them slow.) They rule and eat the humans who did manage to flee. It's a great world, the creation that is, because life back north is horrible. I also like how they use magic, that it can be found and used by some, at stone circles and other places, and that the vampires do not like these places. And of course the steampunk elements are just awesome.
To the story then, even if I did not like it as much as book 1 (which was freaking awesome), I still liked it a lot. It had the forbidden romance, and this is a romance that can never work. He is a vampire, she is human and a future empress. I just can't see a happy ending and it is breaking my heart.
There is action, plots, politics and so much more. It has a great cast of side characters too, from Senator Clark (whom I do not like), Prince Cesare (gotta love a crazy vampire prince), Adele's teacher Mamoru (another guy I just do not like anymore, you will find out why) and many more.
So if you have not read book 1 yet then do go and buy it because else you will miss a lot of good things. And if you have read book 1 then enjoy this one.
Conclusion:
Vampire steampunk, and a series you just have to try. It's feels fresh and the mix of things makes it something for everything to like.
And that is where this book starts. Clark is pressuring Adele to marry him at once, she is staling, Prince Cesare is planning revenge back in London and Greyfriar is missing her. What we have is a book that promises lots of action and that it sure delivers. There are assassinations, vampire fights (and new vampires to meet) and Adele finding a power within her that can change the upcoming war.
I like how they have created this world where vampires came out of hiding and took over the northern hemisphere and more (since the heat makes them slow.) They rule and eat the humans who did manage to flee. It's a great world, the creation that is, because life back north is horrible. I also like how they use magic, that it can be found and used by some, at stone circles and other places, and that the vampires do not like these places. And of course the steampunk elements are just awesome.
To the story then, even if I did not like it as much as book 1 (which was freaking awesome), I still liked it a lot. It had the forbidden romance, and this is a romance that can never work. He is a vampire, she is human and a future empress. I just can't see a happy ending and it is breaking my heart.
There is action, plots, politics and so much more. It has a great cast of side characters too, from Senator Clark (whom I do not like), Prince Cesare (gotta love a crazy vampire prince), Adele's teacher Mamoru (another guy I just do not like anymore, you will find out why) and many more.
So if you have not read book 1 yet then do go and buy it because else you will miss a lot of good things. And if you have read book 1 then enjoy this one.
Conclusion:
Vampire steampunk, and a series you just have to try. It's feels fresh and the mix of things makes it something for everything to like.
betterbeereading's review against another edition
4.0
Ammetto che ad un certo punto nella lettura ho temuto il peggio. La storia per la maggior parte del libro è piuttosto statica i colpi di scena ci sono ma ad una distanza tra loro tale da non tenere alta l'attenzione. Fortunatamente tutto sembra riprendersi verso le ultime 100 pagine del libro. E per me va bene così!
Quattro stelle più che meritate!
Quattro stelle più che meritate!
mayetra's review against another edition
2.0
I'm finished. It's all one big blur. This book was one of those that I ground my way through just so I could get it off my list. I had such high expectations after the first novel. What I got was two superpowers and their quest for Twue Wuve. Gareth is the only vampire that his opinion/attitude towards humans? That seems statistically unlikely. After a while the vampires were just cartoonishly boring. All in all this book suffered from a lot of problems.
andimontgomery's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. I didn't enjoy this one as much as the first - it just seemed a bit slow to me. It still ended on a good note, and I'll definitely read the final book when it comes out.
anzuk's review against another edition
5.0
The Rift Walker Y U HAVE TO END???
And ugh the next book is coming out in September! And it has a cover! And it seems amazing! And it’s the final book in the series!!!
Ugh so much pressure!! How am I supposed to handle all this?
Breathe Anzu, breathe. All will be well!!!
Oh gosh I love this series! I guess this gives me an excuse to act like a mindless fangirl. Or mostly swoon over Gareth, cheer for Adele and yell at Cesare and Flay.
Yep, that’s what happened throughout the book. This and wiping tears from my eyes because of all those sweet emotional moments between Gareth and Adele.
Favorite book couple ever!!
Oh, and Colonel Anhalt is added to my favorite characters list as well. The problem is that I keep on reading his name as Colonel Asshat. So that’s what he is for me now. Asshat. Sorry bro, you had it coming.
But he sure is an amazing character. I admire him so much and I’m happy that he’s on the Greyfriar’s side.
Another thing that I love about this series is the take on vampires. Vampires in this world are gruesome creatures. They are monsters; their cruelty does not know limits. Even Gareth is no different than the rest of his people. The scene where he slaughtered and fed on the men who attacked them in the temple was frightening. But I loved it because it shows their true nature. They are not pampered rich creatures that hunt for sex and feed off stored blood. They don’t get smitten and turn into domesticated pets. They are wild, they kill, they plot and they conquer. Humans are mere cattle for them.
And Adele understands this perfectly. Only a powerful woman could face a partner such as Gareth. This is why I think that all those spoiled and weak heroines who fall in love with so called vampires are a bunch of trash. A frightened little girl could never understand the depth of such a relationship. Their mind could never process such a thing. They would probably be in shock, then clank up and the story would end there.
You probably got who I’m talking about. If not, the previous image should make it clear enough.
I actually live in Alexandria myself and I wish I could witness Adele leading the kingdom (of course it will be a kingdom) with Greyfriar by her side. That would totally make my day.
Hell, that would totally make my life!
I can’t wait to get my hands on [b: The Kingmakers|13417066|The Kingmakers (Vampire Empire, #3)|Clay Griffith|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1343648904l/13417066._SX50_.jpg|18742039]!!
And ugh the next book is coming out in September! And it has a cover! And it seems amazing! And it’s the final book in the series!!!
Ugh so much pressure!! How am I supposed to handle all this?
Breathe Anzu, breathe. All will be well!!!
Oh gosh I love this series! I guess this gives me an excuse to act like a mindless fangirl. Or mostly swoon over Gareth, cheer for Adele and yell at Cesare and Flay.
Yep, that’s what happened throughout the book. This and wiping tears from my eyes because of all those sweet emotional moments between Gareth and Adele.
Favorite book couple ever!!
Oh, and Colonel Anhalt is added to my favorite characters list as well. The problem is that I keep on reading his name as Colonel Asshat. So that’s what he is for me now. Asshat. Sorry bro, you had it coming.
But he sure is an amazing character. I admire him so much and I’m happy that he’s on the Greyfriar’s side.
Another thing that I love about this series is the take on vampires. Vampires in this world are gruesome creatures. They are monsters; their cruelty does not know limits. Even Gareth is no different than the rest of his people. The scene where he slaughtered and fed on the men who attacked them in the temple was frightening. But I loved it because it shows their true nature. They are not pampered rich creatures that hunt for sex and feed off stored blood. They don’t get smitten and turn into domesticated pets. They are wild, they kill, they plot and they conquer. Humans are mere cattle for them.
As he walked away from her, Adele took guilty pleasure in the fact that he was once again the man she knew, despite the heavy price.
And Adele understands this perfectly. Only a powerful woman could face a partner such as Gareth. This is why I think that all those spoiled and weak heroines who fall in love with so called vampires are a bunch of trash. A frightened little girl could never understand the depth of such a relationship. Their mind could never process such a thing. They would probably be in shock, then clank up and the story would end there.
You probably got who I’m talking about. If not, the previous image should make it clear enough.
I actually live in Alexandria myself and I wish I could witness Adele leading the kingdom (of course it will be a kingdom) with Greyfriar by her side. That would totally make my day.
Hell, that would totally make my life!
I can’t wait to get my hands on [b: The Kingmakers|13417066|The Kingmakers (Vampire Empire, #3)|Clay Griffith|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1343648904l/13417066._SX50_.jpg|18742039]!!