Fevered Star (Between Earth and Sky, #2) by Rebecca Roanhorse – Review

Tags

4 stars, Book Review, fantasy, Rebecca Roanhorse, scifi, series

Review of Fevered Star

After reading Black Sun, I was pleased to get an advance copy of Fevered Star, which continues the story of a world on the edge of war after the arrival of the Crow God.  Like the first novel, this one is full of power-hungry, morally corrupt characters. 

The great eclipse and associated assassinations have left a huge power vacuum and everyone is plotting for control.  In addition to the many plotters, there are the characters who captured some of my sympathy in Black Sun:  Serapio, the Crow God assassin seems lost, with many vying for control of him and his powers.  Xiala, who wanted only to re-connect with Serapio, is caught up with his enemies in a tenuous situation.  Naranpa, the once and future Sun God, is both horrified and awed by her powers. 

As fantasies goes, this series is highly original, basing mythologies on pre-Columbian American native cultures.  It also features a matriarchal society, with religions that are being defined and re-defined in the aftermath of the convergence.

I found the constant lack of cooperation, goodness and friendships to be too reminiscent of many things going on the world today.  For this reason, I had to put the book aside several times and read something lighter.   I don’t think I will continue the series.  But many will appreciate all the treachery and intrigue in a well-written story with a fresh approach to fantasy.

Through Netgalley, the publisher provided a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

*****************************

About Fevered Star by Rebecca Roanhorse

There are no tides more treacherous than those of the heart. —Teek saying

The great city of Tova is shattered. The sun is held within the smothering grip of the Crow God’s eclipse, but a comet that marks the death of a ruler and heralds the rise of a new order is imminent.

The Meridian: a land where magic has been codified and the worship of gods suppressed. How do you live when legends come to life, and the faith you had is rewarded?

As sea captain Xiala is swept up in the chaos and currents of change, she finds an unexpected ally in the former Priest of Knives. For the Clan Matriarchs of Tova, tense alliances form as far-flung enemies gather and the war in the heavens is reflected upon the earth.

And for Serapio and Naranpa, both now living avatars, the struggle for free will and personhood in the face of destiny rages. How will Serapio stay human when he is steeped in prophecy and surrounded by those who desire only his power? Is there a future for Naranpa in a transformed Tova without her total destruction?

*****************************

Links

Add Fevered Star to your Goodreads shelf:

Purchase books in the Between Earth and Sky series:

Dark Theory (Dark Law, #1) by Wick Welker – Review

Tags

4 stars, Book Review, cliffhanger, Post Apocalyptic, robots, scifi, series, Wick Welker

Review of Dark Theory

In Dark Theory, a rag-tag group searches for purpose by traveling through dangerous lands.  The group starts small with unlikeable characters – the good person, Lucindi, was killed off almost immediately.  The band grows both in number and in the depth of the characters.  At first, they believe one man (the robot Beetro’s creator) is the key, but as the galaxy begins to unwind before their very eyes, the keys to survival become complex and nearly impossible. 

The best part of Dark Theory was watching the characters develop.  Lucindi is constantly held up as the angel everyone ought to be.  The idea of friendship is, at first, foreign to all of them, but as they struggle together, new relationships and values form.  Robots, humans, time travellers, evil military leaders, and scientists converge to sort out the past, present and future.  Perhaps, if they pull together, they can save the galaxy. 

This is long book – over 800 pages, but the galaxy is still at risk at the end of Dark Theory.  The story did wrap up a major plot thread, but plan to read on if you want to see how it finally ends.  Minus one star for the cliffhanger, but four full stars for such a great ensemble group of characters.

Through Netgalley, the publisher provided a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

*****************************

About Dark Theory by Wick Welker

A robot yearns to remember. A thief struggles to forget. A galaxy on the verge of collapse.

On the fringe of a broken civilization, a robot awakens with no memories and only one directive: find his creator. But in the village of Korthe, Beetro finds only radioactive pestilence, famine, and Miree—a tormented thief with dreams of retiring after her final score. Meanwhile, the fiefdom is plunged further into chaos when a new warlord seizes control, recasting serfs as refugees and leaving derelict robot peasants in his wake. With a shared interest in survival, Beetro and Miree team up to pull off an impossible castle heist: steal a single flake of dark matter, the world’s most valuable and mysterious ore.

But as they trek through the feudal wasteland in search of answers, they realize the true extent of the chaos surrounding them: the stars are disappearing from the sky and the entire galaxy is unraveling. As he uncovers his origin, Beetro discovers he may be the key to the salvation of the cosmos—or its destruction. Time, space, and loyalty become relative as he learns the real reason he was created.

A mind-bending science fiction epic with the bones of a fantasy traveling quest, Dark Theory unfolds through a journey of betrayal, identity, and unlikely friendships in a world of darkness set at the edge of space and time. 

*****************************

Links

Add Dark Theory to your Goodreads shelf:

Purchase Dark Theory:

Rising Fire (Warriors of the Stone Circles, #1) by Terri Brisbin – Review

Tags

4 stars, Book Review, historical, series, Terri Brisbin, urban fantasy

Review of Rising Fire

Rising Fire is a fantasy set in Scotland where the ancient Celtic gods have been forgotten, to be replaced with the Christian god.  Even so, one of the ancient goddesses, Chaela, is determined to return and rule the world, at all costs.  She has groomed one of her descendants to aid in her restoration to the place she believes she deserves.  Lord Hugh is a nasty piece of work.

A secret group of followers of the ancient gods have been waiting for Chaela’s attempt to return and have plans to stop her reappearance.  The descendants of other gods will need to be rounded up to assist.  Those descendants include William de Brus and Brienne of Yester, Warblood and Fireblood.

William de Brus, warrior on a mission for the king to find out what Lord Hugh is up to, finds more than he bargained for.  Brienne of Yester is young and has been kept in the dark about her past, but knows she is something more. 

Rising Fire brings all these players together, introducing an attraction between Brienne and William, as well as setting up a long game that will involve several showdowns before the goddess and Lord Hugh and put in their respective places. 

This fantasy concentrates on story development over character development.  The story, while not complex (bad goddess against everyone who wants to live happily ever after), is well told.  The darkness of the story gives it an edgy feel.  While the story of William and Brienne is complete, to see the bad guys defeated, you will need to read the rest of the series.

Thanks to the publisher who provided a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

**********************

About Rising Fire by Terri Brisbin

Eons ago, six ancient Celtic gods turned on the seventh who promised to destroy humanity. To keep her imprisoned, they passed their powers down through their descendants who could be called on if, when, the time to rise up came. In the dark times of the late 13th century, that time came.

William de Brus, illegitimate son of King Alexander III, is sent to investigate a nobleman thought to have mysterious powers and designs on Alexander’s kingdom. When he discovers the tales are true, and, that he is part of some larger plan, William also finds an enticing young woman who seems to be at the center of it all.

Brienne of Yester knows who her true father is and so do the villagers around her. She knows she is different in other ways and when her powers soar and she can create and control fire, Brienne learns the truth of her father’s nature. And his plan to release their ancestor, the goddess of fire and chaos. The only one who makes her feel safe, the only man she dares trust, may be her soulmate or her destruction.

When passions flare and powers rise, can they trust each other enough to give all of humanity a chance to survive or will the goddess escape to destroy everything in the world?

**********************

Links

Add Rising Fire to your Goodreads shelf:

Purchase and/or pre-order books in the Warriors of the Stone Circles series:

**********************