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19th out of 63 books
—
95 voters
The Rats and the Ruling Sea (Chathrand Voyages, #2) (Chathrand Voyages #2)
by
Robert V.S. Redick (Goodreads Author)
The Ruling Sea begins where Robert V. S. Redick's acclaimed The Red Wolf Conspiracy ended: Thasha's wedding is hours away. It is a wedding that will both fulfill the promise of a mad god's return and see her murdered. Pazel has thwarted the sorcerer who would bring back the god but both sides now face deadlock. Can Thasha be saved? Can the war between two Empires be stoppe...more
Published
(first published 2009)
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4.5 Stars
I am not sure why these first two books in this series do not garner more praise and press. I have been swept away by wonderful, fantastical voyage that this series has been. Where the first book The Red Wolf Conspiracy is all about the adventure, about the voyage, and the mystery, this book The Rats and the Ruling Sea, is focused more on the characters. If you combined the first two novels into one very long one, I would have rated it 5 stars. Each book makes the other better.
The chara...more
I am not sure why these first two books in this series do not garner more praise and press. I have been swept away by wonderful, fantastical voyage that this series has been. Where the first book The Red Wolf Conspiracy is all about the adventure, about the voyage, and the mystery, this book The Rats and the Ruling Sea, is focused more on the characters. If you combined the first two novels into one very long one, I would have rated it 5 stars. Each book makes the other better.
The chara...more
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The Ruling Sea, from Net Galley and Random House-Del Rey Spectra, continues the saga Redick began in The Red Wolf Conspiracy.
Pazel, Thasha, Hercol, Neeps, Feldthrup and others continue their fight to stop the wicked mage Arunis from accomplishing his goal. Arunis is not the groups only antagonist, however, and so the group must fight on several fronts and overcome obstacle after obstacle.
I enjoyed this book as well, but must mention a couple of points:
- the transition from Book 1 to Book 2 is ro...more
Pazel, Thasha, Hercol, Neeps, Feldthrup and others continue their fight to stop the wicked mage Arunis from accomplishing his goal. Arunis is not the groups only antagonist, however, and so the group must fight on several fronts and overcome obstacle after obstacle.
I enjoyed this book as well, but must mention a couple of points:
- the transition from Book 1 to Book 2 is ro...more
THE RATS AND THE RULING SEA begins where THE RED WOLF CONSPIRACY ended; Thasha's wedding is hours away. It is a wedding that will both fulfil the promise of a mad god's return and see her murdered. Pazel has thwarted the sorcerer who would bring back the
From Publishers WeeklyThis exciting follow-up to 2009's The Red Wolf Conspiracy features enough plot twists and double-crosses to satisfy the most demanding lover of suspense. The powerful Nilstone, most recently held by a living statue who wa
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Robert V. S. Redick’s “The Ruling Sea” (Ballantine, $27, 616 pages) sat on my to-read shelf for a long time. First came the preview copy, and then the hardback, but neither hefty tome tempted me to take the plunge. I’d read the first book in the series, “The Red Wolf Conspiracy”, and liked it OK, but for some reason I just wasn’t ready to dive back into a fairly dark fantasy involving some truly evil magicians, outnumbered heroes and a sea voyage (with cannon) that seemed destined for disaster u...more
So I just finished the second book in The Chathrand Voyage quartet, and I am happy to say that I enjoyed every one of the just over 600 pages. It seems that Pazel, Thasha, Neeps and the gang are on quite the adventure. The swashbuckling, the fighting, and the level of magic most certainly bring to life a great fantasy story.
To me it seems that Robert V.S. Redick. unraveled just enough of the story, while also leaving just the right amount of unanswered questions. Throw in a massive shock concern...more
To me it seems that Robert V.S. Redick. unraveled just enough of the story, while also leaving just the right amount of unanswered questions. Throw in a massive shock concern...more
I finished Rats and the Ruling Sea by R. Redick (co-rv with Robert on FBC in mid October)
To my surprise I did not like it as much as I expected - Red Wolf Conspiracy was excellent except for the ending which was a bit too prolonged, but that does not matter once the second book is out -
Here the Chartrand voyage continues and there are so many twists and turns that a lot is turned upside down, and I am really curious where it goes next especially after the stunning ending (for once !)
However I th...more
To my surprise I did not like it as much as I expected - Red Wolf Conspiracy was excellent except for the ending which was a bit too prolonged, but that does not matter once the second book is out -
Here the Chartrand voyage continues and there are so many twists and turns that a lot is turned upside down, and I am really curious where it goes next especially after the stunning ending (for once !)
However I th...more
This book is 644 pages long. It is the second book in a very complex series.
The first book, the Red Wolf Conspiracy was tremendous. One that I thought had great potential for rereads. Of course a first book in a series, if you are going to reread it, means that the rest of the series is going to have to be as good.
Here is where I find that Robert Redick should be spending more time thinking of where he is taking us then just writing. I mentioned the length of the book because this one took som...more
The first book, the Red Wolf Conspiracy was tremendous. One that I thought had great potential for rereads. Of course a first book in a series, if you are going to reread it, means that the rest of the series is going to have to be as good.
Here is where I find that Robert Redick should be spending more time thinking of where he is taking us then just writing. I mentioned the length of the book because this one took som...more
Aug 15, 2011
Sue Smith
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
books-read-in-2011
You know, I expect more from a sequel. More cohesion. More character development. More plot. Especially plot. There's nothing I detest more than a book that is merely an 'in-between'. Especially a 650 page book that is merely an 'in-between'. I just can't help feeling it's a waste of time somehow. Especially with such a lack of focus - other than going between point A and point B. And I don't think that needed to carry over so many pages. I feel alittle affronted and used. And because of it I do...more
I can't recommend "The Chatrand Voyage" quartet highly enough. It is my new favorite fantasy series. (Previous favorites include "The Belgariad" by David Eddings, "The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara" by Terry Brooks, and the Thomas Covenant books by Stephen R Donaldson.)
This is a superbly crafted story, in an incredibly detailed world, filled with real characters with a plot that carries you with it from beginning to end. Loved, loved, loved it.
The world of Alifros is fully developed with great c...more
This is a superbly crafted story, in an incredibly detailed world, filled with real characters with a plot that carries you with it from beginning to end. Loved, loved, loved it.
The world of Alifros is fully developed with great c...more
***Has some spoilers***
In "The Ruling Sea" we return to Pazel and his gang of misfits. Things in this book get complicated, with twists and turns at every corner. Everyone is plotting against everyone else, with Pazel caught in the center.
There are some reviews here that said they had difficulty following everything that was going on in this book. To be honest, I found it quite easy since I actually payed attention to the story and characters. I didn't find anything confusing about it.
Now, I ca...more
In "The Ruling Sea" we return to Pazel and his gang of misfits. Things in this book get complicated, with twists and turns at every corner. Everyone is plotting against everyone else, with Pazel caught in the center.
There are some reviews here that said they had difficulty following everything that was going on in this book. To be honest, I found it quite easy since I actually payed attention to the story and characters. I didn't find anything confusing about it.
Now, I ca...more
I had mixed feelings about the first book - excellent ideas, but the execution was lacking in my opinion - and this sequel was even harder. The brilliance of the Great Ship lost its luster, becoming more technical to me. Most of all, though, I don't feel like there's a plot going on here. Nothing's happened, good guys aren't winning, but neither are bad guys, and several times I got so confused as to what was going on that I had to reread sections or just shrug and keep slogging through, hoping...more
I did like it, because I finished it. I wanted to know what was happening. I found the biggest problem for me was the over-abundance of names and details - which, yes, are part and parcel of the genre (epic fantasy). The plot was there, the characters there...definitely lots and lots of narrative energy and richness of details, and a central very clever idea: keeping it all( or most of it) happening on this one huge ship.
Still. Pergaps I'm not a reader of epic fantasy, because I don't feel any u...more
Still. Pergaps I'm not a reader of epic fantasy, because I don't feel any u...more
I am not going to rate this book in that I never actually finished it. The book stinks on so many levels. On the surface its about good guys, bad guys, pirates and secrets. Which usually means cool.
1. The Author is not descriptive enough...or my knowledge of ship terminology is under developed. The rats are as far as the Orlop....everyone is having a sword fight with the rats does this mean people are standing on solid wooden surfaces fighting like you would dance in haphazard circle? Or does t...more
1. The Author is not descriptive enough...or my knowledge of ship terminology is under developed. The rats are as far as the Orlop....everyone is having a sword fight with the rats does this mean people are standing on solid wooden surfaces fighting like you would dance in haphazard circle? Or does t...more
it was okay. i would've given it three and a half if i could but alas it is not to be. anyways it is rather slow-paced without much action and it is definitely not for the those looking for a thriller or sword action. My main complaint however is that that extremely large cast of characters: there's just to many. It's far to hard to keep track of them and they seem to disappear without a trace and reappear in the middle of the action right when they're needed only to disappear when the author ha...more
The Rats & the Ruling Sea is Mr. Redick's sophomore effort, and it shows in both good and bad ways.
First off--if you were a fan of the first book The Red Wolf Conspiracy, by all means purchase and read this second volume. You won't be disappointed.
Redick has created a fascinating world in his two novels, and a welcome one free of the ubiquitous elves (or elf-like creatures), dwarves, goblins, etc. Redick's world is a fantasy in the best sense--a world that feels "realistic" in the fact it fo...more
First off--if you were a fan of the first book The Red Wolf Conspiracy, by all means purchase and read this second volume. You won't be disappointed.
Redick has created a fascinating world in his two novels, and a welcome one free of the ubiquitous elves (or elf-like creatures), dwarves, goblins, etc. Redick's world is a fantasy in the best sense--a world that feels "realistic" in the fact it fo...more
The Conspiracy was a solid 4 star book - a bit heavy, but with a good story, solid characters, and a well defined end. I have gone through 150 pages of TRS and still have no idea where the author is going. There is no end in sight. The book feels like a soap opera that goes on and on, with no purpose. It just feels like endless rambling. Maybe I am missing something, but I am done with this one.
A fantastic adventure, set on the mightiest ship in a strange fantasy world on the verge of it's industrial revolution. A diverse and interesting cast of characters, embroiled in the continuance of a plot which seems truly believable. I really enjoyed it, the smaller cast members are especially pleasing, as is the twist at the very end. I can't wait for the sequel
The Rats and the Ruling Sea was the pre-publication title. Look for simply The Ruling Sea. This is book 2 in what is at least a trilogy with The River of Shadows scheduled to be out in 2011.
This is a complex tale of fantasy on another world, actually multiple universes probably. We have a group of heros out to save the world from evil, much as in the Lord of the Rings. Mages and talking animals are part of the story. Read these books in order or you will feel you came in at the middle of the mo...more
This is a complex tale of fantasy on another world, actually multiple universes probably. We have a group of heros out to save the world from evil, much as in the Lord of the Rings. Mages and talking animals are part of the story. Read these books in order or you will feel you came in at the middle of the mo...more
The plot was so convoluted and disjointed, yet somehow the author carried it off. I think that high adventure, strong characters, witty dialogue, and good writing saved this hot mess. I'm eagerly awaiting the next installment to see how the author ties up some of these threads.
Redick's series continues on in great fashion. It's a very complex series with no quarter given to casual reading.
I will admit some of the epistolary chapters are a bit much. He seems to use them as "Six Weeks Later..." devices where lots of plot can be crammed in without need for much prose.
I will admit some of the epistolary chapters are a bit much. He seems to use them as "Six Weeks Later..." devices where lots of plot can be crammed in without need for much prose.
2009. Brilliant - even better than the first book. Go Hawks - just love that that his "second home" is Iowa City. What good taste. Storyline is brilliant, characterisaltion brilliant, world building brilliant. Highly highly recommended.
Redick has a totally original way about him. Some really interesting characters in here. Enjoyed this book and polished it off in a couple of days. Good stuff :)
I would love a movie for this series! Left off at such a suspenseful part! This book and the one before it, "The Red Wolf Conspiracy" was able to hook me into the story in a rare and exciting way.
Mar 15, 2013
Jon
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Those who enjoy fantasy novels, especially those involving Viking adventures.
I was somewhat disappointed with this, the follow-up to The Red Wolf Conspiracy. I wasn't riveted to the story line, as I was to The Red Wolf Conspiracy. The Rats and the Ruling Sea had it's moments, but I read more than one book at a time, and there were other books that kept pulling me away from this one. This is measuring stick I use to determine my level of interest in a novel. Because of the cliff-hanger at the end of this book, I am looking forward to reading the final book in the trilogy....more
Joan Aiken meets Philip Pullman meets Harry Potter meets Lord of the Rings meets Patrick O'Brian. A fantastic discovery.
Surprisingly enjoying this series. It's not perfect by any means, but I care about the characters and what is going to happen to them. Also, a WHAT A TWIST!! ending that I totally didn't see coming.
I enjoyed this book more than the previous one in the series as there seemed to be less world-building (that was accomplished in the first book) and more action and intrigue. I find the characters very interesting and I am eager to see what happens next.
3.5 stars again. This one definitely sucked me back in, after the somewhat disappointing ending of the first book. There were a couple of plot points that grated, seemingly crafted only to further one miscommunication or other, but overall very strong. The writing continues to be excellent and evocative.
In my opinion, this sequel was uneven in pace and would have been more exciting if it had been edited to be shorter. It was an ok summer read and left me curious to read the third book.
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Robert V.S. Redick is in his thirties and works as the editor for the Spanish and French websites of Oxfam America and as an instructor in the International Development and Social Change program at Clark University. Born and raised in Charlottesville, Virginia, he lives in rural western Massachusetts. While his unpublished novel Conquistadors was a finalist for the 2002 AWP/Thomas Dunne Novel Awar...more
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“Sólo cuando un mago comparte su sueño con otro, las cosas que de otro modo serían imposibles se convierten en posibles. Como por ejemplo, saber escoger bien.”
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