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a_l_deleon's review against another edition
5.0
The Riven Kingdom gave me a lot of things to consider and question, the way a good story should. I am reminded of just how much we can learn from fictional works.
As for this series: I read the first book, Empress, last year and was thoroughly impressed that Karen Miller wrote such a great story with such an unlikeable main character. I am equally impressed with how she followed up and continued the world building and story arc from there. The Riven Kingdom was well worth the read and I’m looking forward to reading the next book in this Godspeaker series.
As for this series: I read the first book, Empress, last year and was thoroughly impressed that Karen Miller wrote such a great story with such an unlikeable main character. I am equally impressed with how she followed up and continued the world building and story arc from there. The Riven Kingdom was well worth the read and I’m looking forward to reading the next book in this Godspeaker series.
nextboldmove's review against another edition
4.0
So, this book was the sequel to [b:Empress|2015492|Empress (Godspeaker Trilogy, Book 1)|Karen Miller|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1256155872s/2015492.jpg|3231480] by [a:Karen Miller|87306|Karen Miller|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1263471699p2/87306.jpg], which I found very surprising. The first book introduced us to Hekat, who quickly became apparent as the villain of the trilogy's arc. I kept reading, despite disliking Hekat, in the hopes that someone--anyone!--would give her what was coming to her.
The second book in the series introduces us to Hekat's foil--the Princess Rhiann--and it tickled me a little that Rhiann doesn't actually start out all that likable. I'd read this as a criticism of the book, but I think it's a deliberate ploy on the part of the author. Rhiann really does grow and change and mature as the book progresses, and if she'd started out perfect (gag) the story would be substantially less interesting.
So this book sets up what should be a fascinating confrontation between Hekat and her scorpion god (really a sacrifice-fueled demon) and Rhiann and her kinder, gentler (pseudo-Christian, probably real if somewhat absent) god. There's a lot going on here, under the surface, about religion and the nature of faith, and I'm very curious to see how it plays out in book three.
The second book in the series introduces us to Hekat's foil--the Princess Rhiann--and it tickled me a little that Rhiann doesn't actually start out all that likable. I'd read this as a criticism of the book, but I think it's a deliberate ploy on the part of the author. Rhiann really does grow and change and mature as the book progresses, and if she'd started out perfect (gag) the story would be substantially less interesting.
So this book sets up what should be a fascinating confrontation between Hekat and her scorpion god (really a sacrifice-fueled demon) and Rhiann and her kinder, gentler (pseudo-Christian, probably real if somewhat absent) god. There's a lot going on here, under the surface, about religion and the nature of faith, and I'm very curious to see how it plays out in book three.
mexican_ninjas's review against another edition
1.0
I stopped about 30 pages in. Plainly I'm disappointed and disgusted. In the first book, I had inklings about where this was headed. The 30 pages of this second book (along with a look at the epilogue of the last book, Hammer of God), confirmed my suspicions.
This trilogy fulfills the white savior complex and it has racial and religious implications where white and Christianity is better. The people of Mijak are brown and dark, "foreign savages" who own slaves and follow a god with harsh laws. They are painted as the bad guys. People in Riven are fair and follow a Christian-like god, they are painted as the victims who must defend themselves from these savages.
I bought these books when I was about 14. I'm happy I never got around to reading them when I had such an impressionable mind inside my brown head.
This trilogy fulfills the white savior complex and it has racial and religious implications where white and Christianity is better. The people of Mijak are brown and dark, "foreign savages" who own slaves and follow a god with harsh laws. They are painted as the bad guys. People in Riven are fair and follow a Christian-like god, they are painted as the victims who must defend themselves from these savages.
I bought these books when I was about 14. I'm happy I never got around to reading them when I had such an impressionable mind inside my brown head.
circus_of_damned's review against another edition
5.0
This was a second book in a trilogy that didn't suffer from middle book syndrome at all. This book start you off a little shockingly because you are throw in to a whole new country with no explanation or idea how these two books connect at first. However as you go along those connections become clear and it amazing. The frustrations in Hecate personality while still somewhat present in the female leads were more balanced out and made it a more enjoyable read. The mix and interaction of these two cultures and the setup for there main interaction was amazing.
jlsigman's review against another edition
5.0
A wondefully plotted book with characters who are exasperatingly human. I cannot wait to see how this finishes.
summer2548's review against another edition
4.0
This book wasnt as good as the first book but I still really enjoyed it.
kerveros's review against another edition
4.0
This book is a vast, vast, improvement on the first book. I can see why some other reviewers say the first book isn't necessary, that it could have been told in flashbacks or dreams, but I disagree. You need the history of Zandakar and Hekat from that to make the weight in this one more real, so you can believe and understand Zandakar when he thinks of Ethrea as being weak and easily crushed.
Yes, the main focus here is on Rhian and her fight to become the first Queen of Ethrea, but the undertones are all about Mijak. (And, to be fair, they're far more obvious than undertones so maybe I should class them as a secondary plot?). Without knowing why Zandakar acts as he does, why the destruction that Jones sees in his vision/dream is so dreadful (and lets be fair, what he sees is not the worst of Mijak) you wouldn't understand Hettie's fear, or why the King of T-somethingorother has travelled to Ethrea.
Hekat is sprinkled within this book, and I do think when you see her POV you can see how crazy she has become from that girl in Godspeeker. No longer is she trying to expand the empire for her gods sake, it is to find her son - a fearsome prospect for anyone standing in her way.
I liked the juxtaposition that the god of Mijak is some sort of devil - it means that all of the times in Godspeeker that they destroyed demons and things it was likely they were destroying the God of Ethrea. I still wonder though whose voice it was that Zandakar heard - both when he was in the blood pit and then when he was smiting that country... was it Ethrea's God? Was it planned so that Zandakar could be there to save Rhian?
This book ends on a cliffhanger, which I am more forgiving of in books that form the middle of a series. But honestly, it didn't need to. I *want* to know if Hekat and Zandakar reunite, and if Hekat can see the error of her ways (my opinion: yes and definitely not). I *want* to see how Rhian reacts to the news of the devastation that is heading her way, how she works alongside the other nations to halt the evil of Mijak. I want to see Zandakar strike his brother down (at least, I hope that is what happens!)... so yeah. Looks like I'll be looking into purchasing these on the Kindle then!
As far as the main plot goes... again, as with the first, nothing really groundbreaking.I guessed that Marlan would be abusive and was right, I guessed that Rhian would suceed with surprisingly little trouble and again I was right . Honestly, there is a reason that the bulk of this review is focussed on the subplot... it is just more interesting. Now I have to hope that the third book lives up to the set-up of this one.
Yes, the main focus here is on Rhian and her fight to become the first Queen of Ethrea, but the undertones are all about Mijak. (And, to be fair, they're far more obvious than undertones so maybe I should class them as a secondary plot?). Without knowing why Zandakar acts as he does, why the destruction that Jones sees in his vision/dream is so dreadful (and lets be fair, what he sees is not the worst of Mijak) you wouldn't understand Hettie's fear, or why the King of T-somethingorother has travelled to Ethrea.
Hekat is sprinkled within this book, and I do think when you see her POV you can see how crazy she has become from that girl in Godspeeker. No longer is she trying to expand the empire for her gods sake, it is to find her son - a fearsome prospect for anyone standing in her way.
I liked the juxtaposition that the god of Mijak is some sort of devil - it means that all of the times in Godspeeker that they destroyed demons and things it was likely they were destroying the God of Ethrea. I still wonder though whose voice it was that Zandakar heard - both when he was in the blood pit and then when he was smiting that country... was it Ethrea's God? Was it planned so that Zandakar could be there to save Rhian?
This book ends on a cliffhanger, which I am more forgiving of in books that form the middle of a series. But honestly, it didn't need to. I *want* to know if Hekat and Zandakar reunite, and if Hekat can see the error of her ways (my opinion: yes and definitely not). I *want* to see how Rhian reacts to the news of the devastation that is heading her way, how she works alongside the other nations to halt the evil of Mijak. I want to see Zandakar strike his brother down (at least, I hope that is what happens!)... so yeah. Looks like I'll be looking into purchasing these on the Kindle then!
As far as the main plot goes... again, as with the first, nothing really groundbreaking.
avethehuman's review against another edition
5.0
My favorite of the three. Zandakar returns without the annoyingly self appreciative Hekat overwhelming the narrative, and the characters of Ethrea - minus Marlan of course - are complicated and simple and easy to get caught up in. Enjoyed this one immensely.
iirenity's review against another edition
5.0
I just finished this book, and like its predecessor, I absolutely loved it. It takes the reader far from the desert kingdom of Mijak and plants us in Ethrea. We are introduced to more characters, both good and bad. We come to learn what happened to the god forsaken Zandakar. The truth of Mijak's bloody thirsty god comes to life, and we slowly learn the line of Good and Evil in this strange world that Karen Miller paints for her. An amazing continuation of a good book.