The Riven Kingdom (Godspeaker Trilogy, #2)

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The Riven Kingdom (Godspeaker Trilogy #2)

3.75 of 5 stars 3.75 · rating details · 1,300 ratings · 69 reviews

The King of Ethrea is dying. His only surviving heir is the Princess Rhian. But if her enemies have their way, Ethrea will not be ruled by a woman.

Dexterity Jones is a toymaker. To protect Princess Rhian and his country, he must place his trust in an exile from Mijak. Yet, as Ethrea comes ever closer to civil war, a greater danger awaits.

Across the sea, an Empress has alr...more

Paperback, 768 pages

Published September 1st 2008 by Orbit (first published 2007)

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Nov 08, 2008 Jiaka1981 Winfield rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This second book in the godspeaker trilogy captured my attention more than the first. We have crossed the desert from Maijak to Ethrea, and met princess Rhian. Rhian's father and brithers have died leaving no heir. The advisors ofthe kingdom fight to marry Rhian to a prince of thier own choosing but she has diffrent ideas. Rhian wants to be Queen. A mysterious stranger helps her on her quest, he is Zandakar the exiled son of empress Hekat. The Empress who is coming to destroy Ethera.

I relates mo...more

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Jul 29, 2012 Elise rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Leaving Hekat behind for a while (with the exception of 4 "Mijak" chapters where we catch up with her), "Riven Kingdom" takes us to a European-style country embroiled in a church-vs-state standoff. Though not nearly as amazing as Hekat, "Riven Kingdom's" female lead, Rhian, is still pretty great. She's powerful, smart, and devoted -- that her entire story is devoted to who she'll marry (to lose or gain power) is annoying, but understandable given the setting, and it's dealt with in an OK enough...more

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Jan 12, 2011 Ithlilian rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

It's hard to separate this book from the series and write a review of it on it's own merits. Having loved Empress so much this is a huge let down, but on it's own it is a decent story. Those wanting more Hekat won't find much here, but if you read the jacket you should already know that and be expecting it. I expected another character based story, and I did get that, but the characters here are not as dynamic and interesting as the ones in Empress. Rhian tries to be strong, but doesn't really k...more It's hard to separate this book from the series and write a review of it on it's own merits. Having loved Empress so much this is a huge let down, but on it's own it is a decent story. Those wanting more Hekat won't find much here, but if you read the jacket you should already know that and be expecting it. I expected another character based story, and I did get that, but the characters here are not as dynamic and interesting as the ones in Empress. Rhian tries to be strong, but doesn't really know what she is doing. She lets other people tell her what to do, but then gives people an attitude and bosses them around like she is spoiled and knows everything. It's nice that she isn't perfect, but she is not very entertaining. The other characters might as well be made of wood. They are one dimensional and boring. Their points of view are really unimportant, and this book suffers from too much repetition. Having multiple views of the same event is great when done correctly, it is not here. We know Helfred is religious and unflinching, we know Ursa is tough, we know Dexterity is timid. Having the same events retold from three predictable characters is just not necessary.

Still, Karen Miller's writing is good, and I do care about the world and what is going to happen. It's sad to see this series go from a tough intriguing world to a stereotypical fantasy land. It's even more sad to see that the stereotypical fantasy land will probably defeat the awesome tyrannical interesting land. This book is just safe to me. There is nothing spectacular or unique about it. People who disliked Empress for how brutal Hekat was will have nothing to complain about here. The Riven Kingdom is full of fluffy kittens compared to Mijak. How I wish that evil would prevail for once. How I wish that fantasy authors would step out of the safe zone and do something risky. Oh well. If you are looking for a standard fantasy book with a queen, and religious figures, and a peaceful revolution, then The Riven Kingdom is for you. You don't even have to read the Empress first. If you liked the Empress, by all means read this, but Empress may have been a better standalone than a trilogy. The ending of Empress was perfect, The Riven Kingdom almost negates it. (less)

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Jan 23, 2013 Sandra rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013-reading-challenge

Okay, this is not great literature. Sometimes the dialogue seems a bit stilted. There is the usual themes of conquest, of court bickering, of 'strong woman surrounded by doubting men'. Except, its not usual. I could not put this series down. I bought it on a whim, needing something fantastical to lose myself in for a while. I started reading the series the same night I bought it, and I did not put it down except to sleep and reluctantly go to work, until the whole thing was finished. It complete...more Okay, this is not great literature. Sometimes the dialogue seems a bit stilted. There is the usual themes of conquest, of court bickering, of 'strong woman surrounded by doubting men'. Except, its not usual. I could not put this series down. I bought it on a whim, needing something fantastical to lose myself in for a while. I started reading the series the same night I bought it, and I did not put it down except to sleep and reluctantly go to work, until the whole thing was finished. It completely pulled me in, and its been a long time since that happened. I needed to know what happened next.

Things that stood out for me - the family dynamics. The pain and power of love, and how it can both save you and cause so many problems in your life. The realistic struggle between Rhian and Alaisdair, how they cared for one another but their own issues keep getting in the way and creating barriers. You never felt that either was 'to blame' (not entirely) or 'the victim' in their relationship, but that both were real people, struggling to navigate something neither were ever really ready for. Dexterity, oh dear, pulled in to things far beyond what he ever thought he would, and just trying to muddle through as best he can. I found his desire to give up, and his ultimate refusals to do so, both equally believable. How Hekat, and Vortka, and even Dmitrak, despite being the 'villains', were never left to be cardboard one dimensional villains, but given an intensive story all their own so you understood them, their desire, their capitulations and love and hate. They became real. The intersection between faith and belief, and religious power, was also very interesting to me. The godspeakers of Mikta versus the Venerables of Etheria. The dynamics of power of the two women rulers - how Hekat, with the god on her side, was unquestionable by herself and her people, whereas Rhian, also with god on her side, was beset at every turn by questions and doubts (including, often, from herself). How having power treated both of them.

For me, it was less the story - though the themes of faith, of miracles, of doubt and power, were all very interesting - and more the characters, that pulled me back time and again. Zandakar's honour and desire for peace (after so much death) in tension with his very real and understandable love of his Yuma.

This is so not a perfect triology. Its not literature. But it was a ride, and I believed in the people and their struggles completely. And really, what more could I have asked for? (less)

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Mar 26, 2011 Nikko Lee rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Why I read this book:

After hearing that the second book in the Godspeaker series left Mijak, I was a little unsure about reading it. However, I liked the first book so much that I had to read The Riven Kingdom by Karen Miller.

My one sentence summary:

Rhian must team up with a toymaker who talks to his dead wife, a grumpy physick, a reluctant man of god she despises, and a dangerous foreigner with blue hair to claim the throne that would have been hers by birthright if she weren't a woman.

Kuddos:

K...more Why I read this book:

After hearing that the second book in the Godspeaker series left Mijak, I was a little unsure about reading it. However, I liked the first book so much that I had to read The Riven Kingdom by Karen Miller.

My one sentence summary:

Rhian must team up with a toymaker who talks to his dead wife, a grumpy physick, a reluctant man of god she despises, and a dangerous foreigner with blue hair to claim the throne that would have been hers by birthright if she weren't a woman.

Kuddos:

Karen Miller has a unique narrative style. Although the Riven Kingdom is a much gentler place than Mijak, it is filled with its own political and god-fueled turmoil. Miller pits religion and gender-bias against the right to rule and the burdens of rulership. Rhian must face the responsibilities and consequences of pursuing the throne that would have rightfully been hers had she been born a male. The striking part of Miller's writing is how she puts her characters in situations where they never know if they are doing the right thing or even if doing the right thing is the best thing to do. God's will comes through in unexpected ways. Sometimes terrible things do need to happen to stop a greater evil. There are always consequences for these characters even when they do exactly what their god needs them to do. Although less brutal than the first book, the second book still has a lot of bite and heart.

Quibbles:

This book was about 200 pages too long for me. Some of the arguments between characters and internal debates felt either redundant or drawn out. If I were a more patient reader, I might revel in the inner conflicts expressed in the dialog or narrative. As it was, the repetitive back and forth took me away from the action longer than I wanted. There was also too much bleed through between the distinctive Mijak thought and speech patterns into the Riven Kingdom people. Even though the first third of the book is purely Riven Kingdom, there are places where Miller seems to slip into her Mijak style. I'm not sure if it was to show how these people were not so different at heart, how Zandakar's presence changed them, or if it was poor editing. I also grew tired of the waffling indecisiveness of Rhian, in particular. She alternates from strong would-be queen to a lost child wanting her king consort to tell her that she is doing the right thing to shutting him out of her inner thoughts altogether.

Final verdict:

Even with a few quibbles, this book is still well-worth the read. The third book is in my to-read pile, and I am eager see the clash of the Hekat's warhost with the peaceable Riven people. I'd love Rhian and Zandakar to have a happily-ever-after, but this isn't romance. So I'm not holding my breath.(less)

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Aug 05, 2011 Moonchyme rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

If Empress is the reckless and wild black sheep of the family, this next book serves as its prude and proper step-sister. Almost opposite in voice and mood, The Riven Kingdom helps us come to our senses after having fallen under the seductive spell of Mijak and its gruesome culture. We understand how someone like Hekat ends up the way she does, but at the same time this book helps us realize that pure evil leaves no room for pity. Two of the characters, Dexterity and Ursa, have the kind of frien...more

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Jun 29, 2011 Angela rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book shouldn't be titled "The Riven Kingdom." Riven Kingdom implies some sort of civil war. In this book, at most, there's some minor incivility. You know how this book ends? Nobody has to fight. God makes everything better. Nothing happens in 737 pages. It's boring.

Yes, the characters are likable, relatable, funny, and down-to-earth. We have Jones, the gentle atheist toymaker, and Ursa, a no-nonsense doctor. Zandakar's back. Their humanity is a breath of fresh air after Empress' blood and...more This book shouldn't be titled "The Riven Kingdom." Riven Kingdom implies some sort of civil war. In this book, at most, there's some minor incivility. You know how this book ends? Nobody has to fight. God makes everything better. Nothing happens in 737 pages. It's boring.

Yes, the characters are likable, relatable, funny, and down-to-earth. We have Jones, the gentle atheist toymaker, and Ursa, a no-nonsense doctor. Zandakar's back. Their humanity is a breath of fresh air after Empress' blood and thunder. But after 700 pages of them bickering with each other, ineffectual council scenes, half-baked plans and contrived character drama, they've overstayed their welcome. I estimate 650 pages is people standing around talking. C-Span. Nothing happens that in any way builds suspense.

Also, we're in fantasy Europe again. 1700's Europe at least, not Medieval, but not nearly as interesting as Mijak. It took me a long time to pick up Riven Kingdom because of that shift. I understand that after Hekat goes insane, it's hard to write her as the protagonist. Still, it's like Karen Miller decided to make things as conventional as possible after Empress's *quite* unorthodox splash, just for spite.

We have Rhian, a princess that dresses up like a boy and runs away from her arranged marriage. Not promising. I like Rhian anyway, particularly as someone who shows admirable composure and resilience in the shadow of unexpected bereavement and early responsibilities. Any two-bit heroine can be spunky - to be bear it with grace, diplomacy and statesmanship takes an extra something. Her early religious doubts are fascinating. Still, as the story progresses, she becomes more of a Purity Sue and less of a person (her interactions with Alasdair excepting). Violence is Wrong! I am the Rightful Queen! Women Can Be Strong! Yes, we know.

The one-dimensional also-ran villain, Marlan, the Evil Pope, is exactly what that phrase implies. I'm imagining his dating profile. "Hello, my name is Marlan. I enjoy conniving, scheming, and snarling with rage. On my ideal date, I would like to take over the country and oppress women, especially heroic princesses." Except in evil-overlordy language. I believe at one point he actually says, "Or else there will be ... unfortunate consequences," actually using dramatic Shatnerian ellipses. I almost cried. This happens many, many times.

It's not a *terrible* book, and I know I'm in the minority, but I liked Empress better.(less)

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Oct 20, 2012 Jill rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: a-slight-twist-on-traditional-fan

I was reluctant to try this book after Empress. I wasn't very much into the first installment for many reasons, but a friend who's already completed the trilogy convinced me to stick with. And I'm very glad I listened to her. I was much more impressed with this story. It had a much better story line and I cared for most of the characters. Even pompous Helfred pulled at my heart stings as he stayed strong while his carefully maintained bubble popped around him and left him reeling. We only return...more

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Nov 15, 2010 Autumn Nicole rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It's a bit jarring to jump from Mijak to Ethrea at first, and Marlan seems like he could be Nagarak's long-lost twin. The feminist subtext is a little on-the-nose for my taste, mainly in that it wasn't subtext at all. Sometimes the character comes right out and thinks it in the narrative. The reason it bears mentioning is that it came at times when that motivation was already perfectly clear, and it felt like a cliche Wheel of Morality lesson.

But that's all nitpicking. I nitpick because that's r...more

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Aug 13, 2009 Nathan rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, reviewed-2009

This book is wonderful. Especially in contrast to the first book in the series.

I'd actually go so far as to say that the first book isn't necessary at all to enjoy the series. In retrospect, the first book is a tale that could have been woven more deeply into the second book - maybe through Zandakar's nightmares, or maybe through "Hettie" inspired flashbacks.

There really was no need for the horror and unlikable characters and religion of the first book except to provide 700 or so pages of contr...more

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Jul 12, 2010 Kristen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: People who don't mind the fantasy dynastic struggle trope

Shelves: read-2010

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Sep 22, 2009 Emma rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi-fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I felt I enjoyed this book more than the first. I love fantasy, but with Empress I found it hard to imagine a God that would enjoy and become powerful with the blood of animals sacrificed. I couldn't get my head around it entirely. But then along came The Riven Kingdom and I realised that this was more civilised and closer to us. With the discovery of this I was able to accept more the story of Hekat and the Mijaki people.

This had more of what I look for in a book, a journey - yes Empress had th...more

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Jul 12, 2011 Megan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read Empress back a year or so ago and ...I enjoyed it, though it started to drag towards the last 3/4 of the book. I loved the characters, though kind of began to despise Hekat towards the end. While the end left me curious, I wasn't entirely sure I wanted to read the sequel. Especially since it didn't seem to follow the original plot.

I must say. I am overly delighted that I did get the next and read it. While the original characters aren't quite a focus of this book, there's a whole new cast...more

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Oct 12, 2009 Wayne Wilson rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Much better than the first book in this trilogy. I couldn't put it down. the protagonist is worthy of my interest in fact I am not so sure the Toy Maker is the main character of the Princes whom he helps restore the kingdom and install her a queen.

It seems The River Kingdom is run by Kings and Religious leaders like in the dark ages when the Catholic church had such great power. This is a classic story of separation of church and state and the difference between a religious leader and a man of G...more

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Jul 29, 2008 Diancecht rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I won't say too much, very good read :). It is like a different world from the first Book. There was less from my favorite charter Hekat(she cool!!) It makes a change from a happy ending.

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Sep 02, 2008 Catherine rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-reads

This is written more in the style of the Kingmaker books, since the culture featured is more refined. Good second installment.

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Dec 05, 2011 Dale rated it 3 of 5 stars

Interesting that in this second installment, the kindgom Miller builds is a very prototypical Western fantasy kingdom. The main plot could have been a story arc in BBC's Robin Hood to be honest. Miller also shows a decidedly Protestant slant as she creates a church heirarchy that is corrupt to the highest levels. Not that such things are necessarily bad - it's just that they've been done before. Many times. In essence, this book wipes out much of the originality the series displayed in the first...more

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Jan 26, 2009 Daniel rated it 5 of 5 stars

Karen Miller is amazing. She continues the Godspeaker trilogy with a change of scene, telling the story of the young princess Rhian and her struggles to secure her throne.

Where Empress tells the story of a young woman's rise to power through blood and murder, The Riven Kingdom shows us the rise to power of a woman along a different path. And by book's end, we know that these two women are bound to meet, with only the fate of the world in the balance.

I can't praise Miller enough. Her books are s...more

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Aug 10, 2011 Elisabeth added it

An excellent sequel to Empress with a character significantly different from the previous one, more circumspect towards God and its powers, however animated by an equal will for power but for the people she's represent. Rhian, heir of Ethrea, is arrogant as was Hekat but fortunately lacks her cruelty which led the Empress to be purely evil at the end of the first book.
The different characters and their stories slowly get intertwined and let us presume of a fascinating and exciting third volume.

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Jan 05, 2013 David rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: i-have, novel, low-fantasy

After the awesomeness of book one, book two feels dull, especially considering it's very typical medieval, European, patriarchal, semi-religious setting. The plot on its own was fine - your typical girl overcomes sexist, political, and religious opposition - but with the setting and a cast of rather uninteresting characters, makes this a very safe, and thus plain, story.

The Riven Kingdom is about the struggle of power within a kingdom who has lost its king and its two male heirs. Females are vie...more After the awesomeness of book one, book two feels dull, especially considering it's very typical medieval, European, patriarchal, semi-religious setting. The plot on its own was fine - your typical girl overcomes sexist, political, and religious opposition - but with the setting and a cast of rather uninteresting characters, makes this a very safe, and thus plain, story.

The Riven Kingdom is about the struggle of power within a kingdom who has lost its king and its two male heirs. Females are viewed as being weaker than males, with the church championing this viewpoint. It's state versus church. The plot follows Rhian as she escapes church control and wrests back the reins of power.

Rhian swings between being a spoilt, whinny girl to a bossy, arrogant woman with an attitude problem. I suppose she's meant to be flawed and tries to do her best to be strong, but it came across as annoying and not likeable (pretty irritated by the sheer amount of "Oh, Alasdair" from her).

Helfred comes across as a weaker variant of Vortka, and that's unfortunate. Zandakar's around and he's all right, except I'm not sure how I feel about those around picking up on his language mannerisms instead of the other way round. Dexterity (a weird name if you ask me) and Ursa are fine characters, just not very stand-out.

Like I mentioned above, the plot is fine - a peaceful and neutral kingdom looking at a potential civil war scenario - what I didn't like were its characters. This is unfortunate, considering how I've liked rooted for Asher (Kingmaker, Kingbreaker series), Hekat, and their surrounding casts. The ones in this book are not very interesting and somewhat one-dimensional.

The over-arching plot is coming along nicely, making me look forward to the inevitable good versus evil conflict. Hekat is on the evil side obviously, and I'm going to root for Hekat (but not quite Dmitrak). Unfortunately, this typical medieval kingdom is probably going to prevail instead. Definitely want to see how it ends.
(less)

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Oct 12, 2008 Glitterfairy rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Only those wishing to restore a semblence of faith in the HarperVoyager team

Shelves: fantasy

It's in this second book that I finally understand what Miller was trying to achieve, but I'm still not convinced of her success.

The good: The repetition and gore of the eastern 'Empress of Mijak' has been replaced by a more polished, western european-esque nation much more in the line of standard fantasy. Miller is obviously more comfortable with this kind of setting as the unneccessary repetitive shoving of religious detail has been kept to a minimum, allowing us to concentrate more on what's...more It's in this second book that I finally understand what Miller was trying to achieve, but I'm still not convinced of her success.

The good: The repetition and gore of the eastern 'Empress of Mijak' has been replaced by a more polished, western european-esque nation much more in the line of standard fantasy. Miller is obviously more comfortable with this kind of setting as the unneccessary repetitive shoving of religious detail has been kept to a minimum, allowing us to concentrate more on what's happening. The characters are also a lot more likeable and there's a better plot arc.

The bad: The plot arc still sucks. The time I went "oh, the quest is beginning!" I was already halfway through the book. Miller wastes half the book on setup, and after reading four of her books I think it's one of her biggest weaknesses. She just doesn't seem to know how to prioritise what needs to be conveyed first, and so writes everything down, screwing up the flow and pace of the book and boring the reader. (I can't help but wonder whether the huge drop in reviewers from 'Empress' to 'Riven Kingdom' is because so many people have been turned off by the first book in the trilogy...)

Thematically, there was more that was loosely outlined but it was still out-shadowed by boring detail. I'm not even sure I like the end - it's as if Miller finally realised she was running out of pages and was all "oops, better wrap this up!"

But most of all: now that I understand the relationship between book 1 and book 2, I am at a complete loss to understand why Miller spent an entire 565 pages on Mijak. Either everything will become clear in book three (bad plot seeding), or she's just the queen of overwriting because there's so little correlation between the past events in Mijak and what happens in Riven Kingdom that it's not funny. Seriously - most other authors would have summarised the events in a one-chapter prologue at the beginning of where 'The Riven Kingdom' begins (why is it called the Rivan Kingdom? There's not even a mention of Riva or Riven in this book!!!!). In fact, I'd have summarised the Empress of Mijak into a prologue and then started 'The Riven Kingdom' about one third of the way into the book, just a few chapter's worth of pages before the real 'journey' part begins.

This book is better than Empress of Mijak, but it's still one of the worst cases of overwriting I've ever seen in my life. So much of books 1 and 2 should have been mercifully culled from the final draft and left to stay in author's chaarcter/reference notes, where they belong.(less)

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Jan 31, 2009 Cindy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

I couldn't put this book down! This book was way better then Empress was. Not that I didn't like Hekat but I feel in love with everyone in this book.

I really love the way that Karen Miller has a grasp of how to develope characters in a setting without making them appear to be boring, one sided and dull.

Every chapter left me on my seat wanting more. I can't wait to read Hammer of God!

The downside of the book, would have to be it did feel a little too long. Maybe a few pages shorter (50 pages or...more

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Sep 04, 2012 Peter rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Rhian, Princess of Ethrea, faces her worst nightmare, as her father dies after the untimely demise of her two elder brothers. Under the protection of a corrupt prolate, she is forced to marry a candidate of each duke, as well as the prolate's. Relentlessly, she fights to get what is rightfully hers... the Crown and Throne of Ethrea! Albeit Ethrea has never before had a queen as their ruler.

But who is the mysterious Zandakar? Whence does he come? Which secrets does he hide?

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May 08, 2012 Tracy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, my-copy

This was a much more enjoyable read than the first novel in the series. To be honest if I hadn't bought all three books at the same time I don't know if I could have continued as Hekat was such a despicable character. However this book has several characters I loved. Rhian (a princess), Dexterity Jones (a toymaker) and Zandakar (enslaved son of the aforementioned Hekat). All in all a terrific book.

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Mar 26, 2010 Charlene rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Riven Kingdom is a continuation of Empress in the Godspeaker Trilogy. I thought it lacked the depth that was in Empress. There were a lot of description that I thought I didn't need to know. I know they were traveling by a peddler's caravan with a horse and that usually takes much longer than say, using a car, but come on, it's supposed to be "book time" not "real time."

I found myself dropping this several times and coming back to it because I absolutely love Zandakar and hate his mother Hek...more

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Dec 08, 2009 Angelique Sapone rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I am not too pleased with the female lead in this one, she's fighting for her crown but then when she finally gets it, she whines about what she has to do to keep it. I realize she's young (19) but her constant temper tantrums were slightly annoying.
However
I loved Zandakar in this one. What a great character!
And I loved Dexterity Jones too. But he gets sorta annoying the last book.

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Feb 10, 2009 Syd rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Just finished. The way it was connected to the first book of the trilogy was brilliant. There was very little if any redundent story line from the first book, but a smooth intertwining of the two stories that left me anxious to start the last book where I know empress and The Riven Kingdom are going to slam together like an atom bomb.

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Sep 10, 2008 Chris rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Karen Miller is a force of writing that can not be stopped. Both series have been an intense read fro me. I have read every book in less than a few days. This to me stands for an engaging story.

The story isn 't mired in to many aspects as to loose the characters. What makes this series a must read is the characters. From chapter to chapter I want to know what will happen. Whether it is Hekat, Zandakar, Vortka or any others. I am hard pressed to find a main character that I didn't want to jump ah...more

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Nov 09, 2010 Jordan Frankel rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

At first it seemed like a completely different series, but in the end the book was a very satisfying turn on the original story. The new characters are likeable and well developed, and the old Mijak style isnt lost. This also means that my original complaint for the repetitive emotion/descriptions used for the Mijaki hardness is still in effect.

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Oct 07, 2009 Esk rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: miller-karen, gelezen-in-2009

This book was much more entertaining than the first in the series. I loved the kingdom of Ethrea, I liked to read about Rhian and her struggles to become the first queen. I also liked Zandakar a lot better now than in the previous book. I'm curious to part 3 and see how the world of Hekat and Rhian will clash and what the outcome will be.

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About Karen Miller

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. Please see this thread for more details.

Also writes as "K.E. Mills"

Lord, do you really want to know?

Oh, all right.

I was born in Vancouver, Canada, and came to Australia with my parents when I was 2. I think. Dad’s an Aussie, Mum’s English, go figure. Talk about Fate and Destiny. But three passports come in hand...more

More about Karen Miller...

Books by Karen Miller

The Innocent Mage (Kingmaker, Kingbreaker, #1)

The Awakened Mage (Kingmaker, Kingbreaker, #2)

The Prodigal Mage (The Fisherman's Children, #1)

The Reluctant Mage (The Fisherman's Children, #2)

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avg rating	preview: The Riven Kingdom Goodreads rating: 3.75 (1300 ratings)
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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3170225-the-riven-kingdom?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1344267546l/3170225.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3170225-the-riven-kingdom?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Riven Kingdom by Karen Miller[/url]

The Riven Kingdom (Godspeaker Trilogy #2)

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