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Exile (The Outcast Chronicles #2)

by Rowena Cory Daniells (Goodreads Author)

4.16 of 5 stars 4.16 · rating details · 116 ratings · 14 reviews

For over three hundred years the mystics have lived alongside the true-men, until King Charald lays siege to the mystic's island city. Imoshen, most powerful of the female mystics, is elected to negotiate with the true-man king. The male mystics still resent her, but she has an ally in Sorne, the half-blood, who was raised by true-men. Even though he is vulnerable to her g...more

Mass Market Paperback, 509 pages

Published July 31st 2012 by Solaris (first published July 29th 2012)

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Jan 20, 2013 Ruth rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: spec-fic

c2012: FWFTB: Wyrds, banishment, ships, winter, stranded. My feelings after having finished this book are ones relating to being scammed/cheated. First of all the book had missing pages - a good 40 odd. This must have been an error at the printers as the missing pages had been replaced by duplicated pages. This happened near the beginning of the book so it did have an impact as far as the building of the story goes. Then there is the blurb that again comments on actions that happen well into the...more

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Aug 26, 2012 Blodeuedd Finland rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

I had to start this at once when I got it. I just had to know what would happen! She sure knows how to keep a reader on her (or his) toes.

Book 1 ended with a cliffhanger, still a cliffhanger that I could live with since the city was under siege. All good for now. But it was just the kind of book that you just crave more, you need to know how the story will end.

As this is fantasy there are many threads and people but I will mention a few. Sorne, the half-blood in the enemy camp who watches the ki...more I had to start this at once when I got it. I just had to know what would happen! She sure knows how to keep a reader on her (or his) toes.

Book 1 ended with a cliffhanger, still a cliffhanger that I could live with since the city was under siege. All good for now. But it was just the kind of book that you just crave more, you need to know how the story will end.

As this is fantasy there are many threads and people but I will mention a few. Sorne, the half-blood in the enemy camp who watches the king become more and more crazy. Imoshen who is chosen to make terms with the king. She has a brain, she wants more for her people. The whole Brotherhood against Sisterhood can't last. I have hopes for her.

Then there are others, siblings on an island who does not know that there is a deadline. Leave the country or die! An evil Baron trying to claim power. A member of the Brotherhood realizing how bad their leader is. All coming together in one good plot.

This story is all with trying to stay alive. The "humans" does not want them their. They will kill them all, they want them gone. But can they leave? And how? Daniells had me on needles as I read this book and had my heart in my throat. I love how dark the world is, and how stupid the humans are. That might be strange to say but it does make it more thrilling. They are so stuck in their ways, racists that does not like people being different. It made me hate them so much. Most are willing to slaughter a whole people. And the point is that the people that they hate are not really that different. If all of them leave half-bloods will still be born, yes they are all the same. That is just sad.

It's a rich world filled with conflict and even if I say that the "humans" are bad does not make the other guys good. But at least they only kill each other. Their society can't last they way it is. The T'en on top, the half-bloods under them and men and women leaving separately.

In the end I can't wait to see how this all comes together. Can they survive this hostile world? And can they come to live peacefully among themselves? I can't wait to find out as I need to read the next book. I need to know.(less)

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Oct 18, 2012 Sean the Bookonaut rated it 5 of 5 stars

Exile is the the second book of the Outcast Chronicles, the first I reviewed here.

The Outcast Chronicles are a prequel to Daniells’ 1999 sell-out series The Shadow Kingdom (called The Last T’en Trilogy in the US).

Where as the Shadow Kingdom was an intimate fantasy tale, the Outcast Chronicles is a political power fantasy that is mature, confronting and damn near impossible to put down.

Exile is carefully crafted to background readers who have the misfortune to only have discovered book 2 in the

...more Exile is the the second book of the Outcast Chronicles, the first I reviewed here.

The Outcast Chronicles are a prequel to Daniells’ 1999 sell-out series The Shadow Kingdom (called The Last T’en Trilogy in the US).

Where as the Shadow Kingdom was an intimate fantasy tale, the Outcast Chronicles is a political power fantasy that is mature, confronting and damn near impossible to put down.

Exile is carefully crafted to background readers who have the misfortune to only have discovered book 2 in the series. I do, however, implore you to pick up Besieged. You’ll appreciate the additional build up of tension, and exploration of character.

The final pages of Besieged left us at the outskirts of the Celestial City with the forces of King Charald breaching the walls. With Exile, readers will be relieved to note, the T’En are able to hold off the attack and there is an uneasy cessation to the fighting as King Charald seeks their surrender.

Imoshen is elected Causare of the T’En, more through Brotherhood division than popular sentiment and seeks to gain precious time for her people who are spread out and surrounded by the Mieren (humans) settlements.

King Charald wants to wipe the T’En from his kingdom. Imoshen must save what she can to lead them into exile. Can she hold her divided people together while their enemy contemplates genocide? Can King Charald hold his Kingdom together with traitorous, barons nipping at his heals?

Exile is tightly written and rarely lets up the pace. Any breaks in the pacing are filled with rich scenes of character development that allow Daniells to entice you into caring deeply for her darlings. Only when you have fallen in love with them does she apply the pressure, turning Exile into a page turner of exquisite torture.

But it doesn’t stop at the excellent display of craft. The exploration of gender and sexuality in Exile is a mature look not only at the possibility of real female political power but at the destructive culture that can develop in male only institutions.

Some of the treatment of Brotherhood members by their own organisations has echoes of the real life abuse and bastardisation that occurs in organisations such as the military.

It was a discomforting read for me as a male, because it turned a critical eye to issues that we might like to handle with humour or not talk about at all. Nonetheless it’s the fact that Daniells doesn’t shy away that makes the book and the series not only enjoyable fiction but a creation of something with substance.

I’d like to see a book from the series win the Norma K Hemming Award.

If you’re tired of the standard fantasy tale. If you would like a fantasy with depth and colour, pick up the outcast chronicles. All three titles were released this year so you will be treated to the rare delight of being able to pick up all the books in what I am sure will become your favourite trilogy.

This book was provided by the Author at no cost to me.

This review originally posted at Adventures of a Bookonaut.(less)

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Oct 27, 2012 Mervi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: epic-fantasy, fantasy

290 years ago the peace accords were signed between the True-men (whom the T’En call Mieren) and the powerful and long-lived T’Enatuath (whom the humans call the Wyrd). The two races have co-existed in an uneasy peace since then. Sometimes half-bloods (whom the T’En call the Malaunje and the humans call the Wyrd) are born to two True-men parents. According to the accords, the True-men have to give up the half-blood infants to the T’En.

Now, King Charald has broken the accords. His troops have at...more
290 years ago the peace accords were signed between the True-men (whom the T’En call Mieren) and the powerful and long-lived T’Enatuath (whom the humans call the Wyrd). The two races have co-existed in an uneasy peace since then. Sometimes half-bloods (whom the T’En call the Malaunje and the humans call the Wyrd) are born to two True-men parents. According to the accords, the True-men have to give up the half-blood infants to the T’En.

Now, King Charald has broken the accords. His troops have attacked T'En estates and his army besieges the T'En Celestial City. He hates and fears the T'En and is convinced his god, the Warrior, wants him to slaughter them all. He tolerates his half-blooded first born son Sorne only because he thinks that Sorne receives visions from the Warrior. Sorne has realized that his loyalty is wasted on king Charald and has come to sympathized with the T'En. Sorne's position as King Charald's adviser is precarious because he is a Malaunje and many of the powerful Barons don't trust him. Still, Sorne is now actively trying to help the T'En and Malaunje people he comes across and he even tries to warn Imoshen, when possible. However, King Charald is an old man and his health is failing. The Barons are already plotting to secure their own power after the king's death.

Because King Charald has brought war to the Celestial City, the sisterhoods and brotherhoods of the T'En have to choose a causare, a leader who can negotiate the new accords with the Mieren King. The brotherhoods are always competing against each other for higher stature and even now they can't unite against a single candidate even though there are nine voting all-fathers to six all-mothers. So, the sisterhoods' candidate, Imoshen, is elected. Imoshen was raised outside the T'En society and has proven to be very powerful so she has a lot of enemies but fortunately also friends. Causare doesn't have the power to force anyone to do what she says so Imoshen has to use all of the diplomatic skills and her gift to read other people's emotions to do her job. At first, King Charald wants the T'En to leave forever from Chalcedonia on ships and the brotherhoods are fiercely against that. Imoshen has to remind them that if they continue to fight, the warriors aren't the ones who will pay the price but the people on the estates and in the end the Mieren will overwhelm them with sheer numbers. But when Sorne brings word that the king intends to slaughter all of the T'En instead of letting them leave, Imoshen will have to find a way to protect her whole race.

Things inside the brotherhoods aren't well, either. Tobazim is a young warrior who came to a brotherhood looking for stature and fame. Instead he found a place where the all-father rules with fear and honor has no place in the brotherhood. He and his closest friend will have to be careful and follow orders as well as they can.

In addition to these three, one of the point-of-view characters is King Charald's high priest, Zabier, who is a tragic character. At a young age, he was thrust into the position of being the Father's voice, who supposedly saw visions from the god Father. In order to keep his mother and Malaunje sister safe, Zabier had to play along. He had to serve a despotic king before King Charald conquered Chalcedonia and had to do terrible things which he has had to justify to himself. Even though Zabier and Sorne grew up together, Zabier now fears and loathes Sorne because Sorne threatens Zabier's positions and therefore his family.

Exile also introduces a new family. They don't live in the Celestial City; in fact the family's adults were Malaunje lovers who ran away so that they could be together. The Malaunje have five children and their eldest son is a pure T'En whose magical gift is starting to manifest. Unfortunately, there's no-one to teach him how to control it so the family will have to face a tragic decision: stay and let young Ronnyn's gift possibly hurt someone or return to the City where the parents will most likely be punished and the family torn apart.

Even though the T'En squabble amongst themselves, most of them want to protect their own and the Malaunje. They also value the lives of their own people more than money or other valuables. When Imoshen realizes that the Mieren might kill her people who are still on the estates, she gives orders to pay for every live T'En and Malaunje who are brought to her. Unfortunately, in their greed the Mieren do atrocities to get as many captives as possible.

The Mieren are shown is a very bad light; there doesn't seem to be any redeemable characters among them. The vast majority of them seem to be so greedy that they don't think twice about robbing and killing the Malaunje and are looking forward to looting anything possible from the T'En. They are also rapists and seem to enjoy abusing women. The Mieren women feel like victims to me because they don't have any legal rights and are so dependent on their abusing men. The queen isn't exempt. In fact, because she is an important figure, men seem to be more eager to manipulate and abuse her.

The first book on the series, Besieged, was dark in atmosphere but Exile is even darker. The Mieren rape and kill with impunity and families are destroyed because of greed. The plot moved at a relentless pace. Exile covers a much shorter space of time than Besieged because the plot moves quicker.

Exile is an excellent and intense continuation to Besieged. Daniells is once again ruthless to her characters. They have suffered so much that I'm almost hoping for them to get a break in the last book, but that seems unlikely.(less)

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Jan 17, 2013 Kirstie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, high-fantasy, strong-female-characters, pure-awesome

If you are looking for a feel good, pick-me-up fantasy move along, because this book is not that book. Which is not to say I didn't love the book - it was fantastic, but there was even more heart break to be had in this volume than in the first.

The T'En and Malaunje (collectively referred to as Wyrds) are besieged in their glorious city trying to ensure they will be able to safely leave the country rather than be obliterated as a race by the aging and violent King Charald.

There is a large cast o...more

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Aug 03, 2012 Mieneke rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, 2012

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Due to the nature of this trilogy – it's closer to one big book divided in three parts, LoTR-style, than to three books in a continuous storyline – spoilers are inevitable, and while I strive to keep large spoilers to a minimum in my reviews, talking about Exile will spoil some things for Besieged . So if you don't want to be spoiled at all, best close this review and start reading Besieged!

We return to the book with a prologue set some twelve, thirteen years before the ending of the last book,...more

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Oct 05, 2012 Gavin Gates rated it 5 of 5 stars

Exceptional writing on display again in the middle section of 'the outcast chronicles, Daniels' first part of this tale 'Besieged' was a brilliant opener describing events taking place over approximately 30 years. In 'Exile' the time frame, for the best part, is drastically shortened down to around a year, which kicks up the pace even more than in the predecessor.
With a big back story firmly set in place and Besieged ending on a massive cliffhanger Daniells opted to open this one with the re-i...more Exceptional writing on display again in the middle section of 'the outcast chronicles, Daniels' first part of this tale 'Besieged' was a brilliant opener describing events taking place over approximately 30 years. In 'Exile' the time frame, for the best part, is drastically shortened down to around a year, which kicks up the pace even more than in the predecessor.
With a big back story firmly set in place and Besieged ending on a massive cliffhanger Daniells opted to open this one with the re-introduction of some almost forgotten characters in the T'en gift warrior Asher, his Malajune wife Sasoria who is again pregnant and their four children and quickly bring the time frame back into line, mainly focusing on the coming of age of both Aravella, the oldest who is a Malajune female, and Rollen her younger T'En brother from when they witness their gentle and loving father kill a defenceless, unconscious human sailor who has washed up on shore where the family has lived in hiding to save their whereabouts from being discovered from the T'En society that would by rights seperate the family forcing them to live apart for the rest of their lives. This does have some very uncomfortable moments which do a wonderful job of displaying the powers and serious dangers of the T'En gift. As the story develops with many of the characters present from the first novel and of course a healthy amount of new introduced this novel does a perfect job of both seamlessly continuing on the events pressing in the form of the downward spiral of King Charalds madness and his attempts of wiping out the existence of the 'Wyrds' from his now united Kingdom and Imoshen's job of taking control of both the T'En Brotherhoods and more powerful Sisterhoods at their elected leader to lead them into Exile and save them all as much from themselves and their own segregated traditions and inner power struggles as from being wiped out by the Meiren army waiting on the outside of their city walls.
With so much going on in an average size novel it is again incredibly easy to follow and understand but the thing that really shows prominence from beginning to end is Daniels' ability to build character and deliver emotion whether in the form of hatred, happiness or right through to at times absolutely heartbreaking despair from every individual that had me completely invested in what was going on and unable to put it down once started.
It would likely be impossible to make sense of this as a stand alone novel, but, in all honesty, with such a rich vibrant world created I really don't see why anyone would ever want to not read up on events in this beautifully painted world.
With Exile finished I can say that 'the outcast chronicles' has got the potential of being the best trilogy I have picked up in a long time and if I did not have the follow on sitting on my bookshelf waiting to be read I would be on my way to the nearest bookshop right now. (less)

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Nov 03, 2012 Tsana Dolichva rated it 5 of 5 stars

Exile is the second book in Rowena Cory Daniells's Outcast Chronicles. You can read my review of the first book, Besieged, here. A copy of this book was provided by the author for review purposes.

Exile picks up not long after Besieged left off. If you've read the first book, this one is definitely a continuation of the same story. There are some new characters introduced but mostly Exile follows the, ahem, surviving characters of Besieged. I have the feeling The Outcast Chronicles suffer less fr...more Exile is the second book in Rowena Cory Daniells's Outcast Chronicles. You can read my review of the first book, Besieged, here. A copy of this book was provided by the author for review purposes.

Exile picks up not long after Besieged left off. If you've read the first book, this one is definitely a continuation of the same story. There are some new characters introduced but mostly Exile follows the, ahem, surviving characters of Besieged. I have the feeling The Outcast Chronicles suffer less from absolutely needing to be read in order than some fantasy series. Yes, reading Exile first will spoil many events in Besieged, but in terms of understanding what's happening, I think it wouldn't be too bad.

That said, this review contains spoilers for events in Besieged.

Where book one spanned something like twenty-five years from start to finish, book two only covers two-ish rather tumultuous years. It continues to portray interesting and unusual sexual/gender politics in terms of women having more power in T'En culture because of their stronger magic. The T'En being segregated into sisterhoods and brotherhoods causes more tension in this book than the previous. Before it was just generalised bitterness on the part of the men that the women had more power and worry on the part of the women that the men were physically stronger. Now external factors are causing changes to their society which in tern generates a different kind of tension. It's all rather interesting and the gendered power structures among the T'En and the contrasting power structures of the humans (where women are chattel and lucky if their husbands don't beat and rape them) are a compelling reason to pick up this series. That and the fact that it's an excellent yarn.

The Mieren (ordinary human) threat is shaking up T'En society and forcing change upon them, something which only Imoshen seems capable of taking in her stride. After being elected causare, the negotiator for the all-mothers and all-fathers, she manages to broker a deal with the ailing King Charald to allow the T'En to go into exile, rather than be slaughtered. Many T'En are disappointed with this decision, which causes much dissonance among their ranks.

Sorne, now secretly serving as Imoshen's spy among King Charald's men, was a much less conflicted character than in the first book. The main tension in his story arises from trying to help the T'En without outing himself to the Mieren, rather than trying to work out who he is. For me, that made him a more sympathetic character in the sense that his motivations weren't in question.

I feel that almost everyone who isn't a point of view character (or close friends/family of a point of view character) is a terrible person, generally lacking in anything approximating compassion. This was more stark than in the first book, not because the horrible people are more horrible but because the morally ambiguous characters are out of the picture for various reasons. There are so many travesties committed by aforementioned terrible people that it bordered on getting a bit much. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't gratuitous and it was in keeping with plot and characterisation, but by-gods more than just wanting to slap annoying characters, I wanted to watch some of them die slow and painful deaths, preferably at the hands of the people they were horrible to. Which is a mark of Daniells's skill as a writer.

With Exile I am continuing to enjoy the Outcast Chronicles. I was originally planning to read something else before getting into Sanctuary, the third book, but whoops, I couldn't not pick up book 3 as soon as I finished Exile. (Not that it was a cliffhanger, but the story is definitely unfinished.) I highly recommend this series to lovers of fantasy.

4.5 / 5 stars

You can read more of my reviews on my blog (less)

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Mar 08, 2013 Tani rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, fantasy, favorites, female-author, five-stars

I am so enjoying this series. I love the gender dynamics that come into play, as well as the racial ones. I also really love the characters. Rowena Cory Daniells has a way of getting me attached really quickly and keeping me attached. I am very anxious to find out what happens, and actually, I'm off to start the next book right now!

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Aug 31, 2012 Tehani rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: australian, fantasy

Blown away! A fantastic second instalment to the series and one that kept me up last night – couldn't put it down. Daniells' characters leap off the page and drag you into the pages. Thank goodness there's not long to wait for book 3!

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Nov 17, 2012 Margaret Blake rated it 5 of 5 stars

Exile followed on well from Besieged, adding new and potentionally important characters. I enjoyed it as much as the firstbook in The Outcast Chronicles.

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Apr 04, 2013 Arie rated it 2 of 5 stars

A bit depressing. Thank goodness the next book is already published. Almost every main character had a pretty bad ending.

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Mar 31, 2013 Adam Baca rated it 4 of 5 stars

A great book! Somewhat redeems the first in the series.

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Mar 31, 2013 Nicole Blanchard rated it 5 of 5 stars

loved it

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About Rowena Cory Daniells

I write the kind of books that keep you up all night.

I write the kind of books that got you reading fantasy way back when. I also write gritty crime-noir with a touch of paranormal under RC Daniells.

I've been trying to add The Price of Fame to my published books section. But it keeps ending up in my 'read' books section. Not sure what I'm doing wrong.

I am unashamedly a Genre Writer!

(Many thanks to...more

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Books by Rowena Cory Daniells

The King's Bastard (King Rolen's Kin, #1)

The Uncrowned King (King Rolen's Kin, #2)

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Exile (The Outcast Chronicles #2)

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