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A review by midrel
The Riven Kingdom by Karen Miller
3.0
Depending on how much you enjoyed the first instalment in the series, you'll either be relieved or disappointed to know this second book takes place in a different setting from the first, albeit obviously in the same world. Instead of sun-blasted merciless deserts we are taken to Ethrea, a land that is much more reminiscent of all that is traditional in fantasy.
Personally, I am conflicted. While the first book had a number of flaws, the setting was nonetheless a fascinating one. In comparison to Mijak, Ethrea feels... bland, I suppose. Lacking in personality. Mijak's charm was in its harshness, in its weirdness, its fantastical monotheism in worship of a harsh but visible god. Its not something one gets to see often in fantasy.
In comparison, Ethrea felt altogether typical in pretty much everything.
As for Hekat and Rhian, they are both interesting characters in their own right, and in a way it feels like they are meant to be foils to each other, much like the settings themselves, but in the end I think I enjoyed Hekat's story so much more. Rhian by the end does not feel substantially different from Rhian at the start, which might as well be part of the point. Hekat let power, her bitterness, and her chalava change her completely, while Rhian tries to hold onto herself as much as she can, and with Dexterity's miracles this choice is made relatively easy for her.
All this is not to say the story is not un-enjoyable, though. Its certainly much more accessible than the first book, and from a strictly technical perspective maybe even better written. Every character felt really well developed, something the first book floundered pretty badly on sometimes.
I think I would have wished the miracles didnt happen. The climax felt like a foregone conclusion long before it came, and while it was still mostly satisfying to read about, I feel like it robbed the story of some further opportunity for character development.
Because of these and other gripes, I'll give it three stars just like the first book.
Personally, I am conflicted. While the first book had a number of flaws, the setting was nonetheless a fascinating one. In comparison to Mijak, Ethrea feels... bland, I suppose. Lacking in personality. Mijak's charm was in its harshness, in its weirdness, its fantastical monotheism in worship of a harsh but visible god. Its not something one gets to see often in fantasy.
In comparison, Ethrea felt altogether typical in pretty much everything.
As for Hekat and Rhian, they are both interesting characters in their own right, and in a way it feels like they are meant to be foils to each other, much like the settings themselves, but in the end I think I enjoyed Hekat's story so much more. Rhian by the end does not feel substantially different from Rhian at the start, which might as well be part of the point. Hekat let power, her bitterness, and her chalava change her completely, while Rhian tries to hold onto herself as much as she can, and with Dexterity's miracles this choice is made relatively easy for her.
All this is not to say the story is not un-enjoyable, though. Its certainly much more accessible than the first book, and from a strictly technical perspective maybe even better written. Every character felt really well developed, something the first book floundered pretty badly on sometimes.
I think I would have wished the miracles didnt happen. The climax felt like a foregone conclusion long before it came, and while it was still mostly satisfying to read about, I feel like it robbed the story of some further opportunity for character development.
Because of these and other gripes, I'll give it three stars just like the first book.