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Like a River Glorious

(The Gold Seer Trilogy #2)

Rae Carson

4.01 · Rating details · 7,688 ratings · 1,005 reviews

After a harrowing journey across the country, Leah Westfall and her friends have finally arrived in California and are ready to make their fortunes in the Gold Rush. Lee has a special advantage over the other new arrivals in California—she has the ability to sense gold, a secret known only by her handsome best friend Jefferson and her murdering uncle Hiram.

Lee and her frie ...more

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Kindle Edition, 432 pages

Published September 27th 2016 by Greenwillow

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Start your review of Like a River Glorious (The Gold Seer Trilogy, #2)

Feb 18, 2016 Emily May rated it liked it

Shelves: historical, paranormal-uf, young-adult, 2016, coverly-love, arc

A decent sequel, even if it is marred by uneven pacing and some problematic misrepresentation of North American history.

With an equally beautiful cover and intriguing title, Like a River Glorious picks up where the last book left off. Leah Westfall, Jefferson, and accompanying crew have reached California and set about gold digging on a new piece of land. It's the California Gold Rush and they have the biggest advantage ever - Leah can magically sense the presence of gold. Good times.

However, Le ...more

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Sep 20, 2017 Trina (Between Chapters) rated it liked it

Shelves: 2017, young-adult, audiobooks, historical, fantasy

Content warnings: Familial violence. Violence, racism, and slavery of Chinese and Native American people is present due to the time period and is difficult to read.

I did mostly enjoy this and will finish out the trilogy. I really enjoyed the audiobook.

I am not a history scholar, nor part of any of the marginalized groups portrayed in this book so I cannot speak fully on the representation, but I will say that I wondered if this played into the white savior trope. We're told the story through a w ...more

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Oct 10, 2016 Nastassja rated it liked it

Shelves: fell-short-of-expectations, historical-fiction, young-adult, excellent-writing, 1st-pov, swoon-worthy-hero, best-young-adult, fantasy, 2016, trilogy

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

Bad men are never all bad, and good men are never all good, and it makes it hard to know up from down.

The thing with Like a River Glorious is that it's weaker than its predecessor. Simply like that. When I first read Walk on Earth a Stranger, it felt like I've found a gem of a book. Authentic historical settings, flawless language fitting the era, likable characters and Wild West adventures. What more could a girl dream of in a book? So, it was obvious I'd want the simila

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

Bad men are never all bad, and good men are never all good, and it makes it hard to know up from down.

Alas my dreams did not turn as glorious as the title promised. I felt like there could've been more to the plot and character development. As the heroine - Lee - noticed:

I’ve come so far, but in some ways, I haven’t gone any distance. I’m still hiding from bad men. I’m still trying to figure how to make my own way, my own fortune.

It felt like we were reading the same book as the first one, only with slightly changed settings. The strange thing is, though, this book actually has more action than the previous one, it felt more slow-paced and lacking events. It doesn't mean it was boring - no, I rather enjoyed the plot, but I still wanted more from it.

The author, again, rises important questions like slavery, women's rights, genocide, and I immensely enjoyed the writing style, which was easy-flawing and suited the Gold Rush era perfectly. Plus Lee was a strong reliable heroine I wanted to hug more than once.

I need air and light and a kind word. I need my friends. I need Peony.

I need my guns.

The romance part was extended, so to say, and for me Jefferson was not only a likable love interest, but also a character whose view on things I highly respected. As we know, he's half Native American (Cherokee if I am not mistaken), and it was a hard time for people like him to live back than, but he never bent under horrible circumstances and was a resolute, head-strong young man; his strengths did not only help Lee to keep going, but also helped her to see the world in a more optimistic way. Plus they were so cute together I totally shipped them.

The other thing that bothered me was the ending. Strangely, we have a logical conclusion with tied ends. But there's going to be the third book, and I can't imagine what it will be about, or what there's to write when everything was already said? Maybe there will be different characters to follow or our old characters will find a new adventure? Who knows.

To top it all off, a highly recommended series with authentic historical settings and likable characters. I am sure it will be fun to join the Wild West adventure if you haven't started the series yet.

...more

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Oct 23, 2016 Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin rated it liked it

Shelves: library-book

It was okay. Had a great ending. I might do a full review later. I just don't know and it doesn't really matter.

Book cover is awesome! ...more

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Aug 31, 2016 Sarah Elizabeth rated it really liked it

Shelves: netgalley-edelweiss, fantasy, r2r-read, read-2016, as, romance, young-adult, historical

(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to HarperCollins and Edelweiss.)

“The truth is I’ve got witchy powers that lead me to gold as sure as the west leads the sun.”

This was an interesting sequel, and Leah finally got to put her gold-finding powers to good use!

Leah was a strong character in this, and she tried really hard to be honest with people, and to keep them from danger in whatever way she could. It was unfortunate that she onc ...more

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Aug 11, 2016 Stacee rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: edelweiss, read-in-2016, title-in-the-story

I'm not normally a fan of westerns, but I do adore Rae's words, so I was definitely going to continue this series.

I've liked Leah from the start. She's smart and strong and not afraid to stick up for herself. The cast of characters who have joined her on this crazy adventure is just as awesome as she is.

As always, I didn't bother doing a reread of the first book because I was excited to start. Thankfully it was easy to settle right into what was going on. The plot is a bit of a slow burn, but th ...more

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Nov 10, 2016 Aditi rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: my-reviews, friends, family, fantasy, contemporary-romance, ya, harper-collins, historical-fiction, road-trip

“Gold conjures up a mist about a man, more destructive of all his old senses and lulling to his feelings than the fumes of charcoal.”

----Charles Dickens

Rae Carson, the New York Times best selling author, is back with the most awaited sequel of her young adult fantasy trilogy, The Gold Seer Trilogy called, Like a River Glorious. After the first book's major cliffhanger, the readers were frantically looking forward to this book, to learn about the edgy journey filled with tons of challenges fo ...more

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Oct 23, 2016 Drew rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal, young-adult, historical-fiction

Though Like a River Glorious was definitely enjoyable - Rae Carson is a wonderfully descriptive, gifted writer - I definitely preferred the first book. At first I was certain I was going to love this, as the beginning was very thrilling - but as it went on, the plot sadly became scattered and messagey.

Carson does a great job at the historical part of this series; within the first few pages I was transported back into the 1800s, into a time of rough cowboys and claim jumpers, a time when people w ...more

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Aug 26, 2016 Maja (The Nocturnal Library) rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, harper-teen, arc-2016, historical-fiction, reviewed-iin-2016, favorites, western, best-of-2016

4.5 stars
Like a River Glorious, Rae Carson’s fifth novel and the second book in her Gold Seer trilogy, cements her status as one of the best, most reliable authors of YA fiction. Her long string of literary successes without a single glitch shows us that we can indeed trust an author to always deliver and constantly stay at the top of her game.

Walk on Earth a Stranger left Lee and her friends finally in California, trying to find a good settlement and put down roots. The losses they’d suffered a 4.5 stars
Like a River Glorious, Rae Carson’s fifth novel and the second book in her Gold Seer trilogy, cements her status as one of the best, most reliable authors of YA fiction. Her long string of literary successes without a single glitch shows us that we can indeed trust an author to always deliver and constantly stay at the top of her game.

Walk on Earth a Stranger left Lee and her friends finally in California, trying to find a good settlement and put down roots. The losses they’d suffered along the way left an indelible mark on all of them. Some are strong enough to recover, and some decide that safety is more valuable than any amount of gold. Those who remain, Lee and Jefferson among them, are a tight-knit group, practically a family, and only the danger caused by Lee’s powers has the ability to tear them apart.

As a non-American, I didn’t know much about the fate of Native Americans during California Gold Rush. The abhorrent treatment shown in this book might be a bit exaggerated, but likely not by much. Lee has to face a very ugly reality in her uncle’s mine, both towards Native American and the Chinese. With Jeff and Tom by her side, she has to move past sympathizing and come up with a way to save not only herself, but all those slaves as well.

Leah’s witchy ability to sense gold is explored more and constantly developed in this book. She grows along with it and becomes braver and more open about what she can do. It’s a dangerous secret, but Lee and Jefferson finally have a large family to share it with, people they can trust to always have their backs, even when the risk is too great for them all.

Henry and Tom, two of our “confirmed bachelors”, play a more important role in this book. Their relationship could be considered queerbaiting if not for the historical context. As it is, theirs is a kind of don’t ask, don’t tell situation, but I’m hoping for a more open approach in the final book, at least among the folks in Glory. If they can handle a witchy girl who can sense gold, they can surely handle two gay men being a bit less discreet about their relationship.

The book has a brilliant, well-rounded ending that could be quite enough for most readers, even without the final part of the trilogy. Knowing a third book is coming makes me equal parts excited and afraid for Lee and her people at Glory, California. Apparently there’s still a difficult road ahead of her and with the way things are going, the final part might just be the best of them all.

...more

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Oct 16, 2017 Suzzie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Ok, I need book three right now! I cannot wait to go pick it up this week. I was not expecting to be as enthralled as I am with this series. It is fascinating. I have seen reviews where a problem seems to be the inaccuracy on American History but that doesn't bother me because honestly I do not go looking for accurate facts in a fiction book. Authors take creative liberties in fiction. If I wanted to make sure I am getting facts on the Gold Rush of California I will go read The Age of Gold: The ...more

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Jul 14, 2015 Michelle marked it as to-read

Another amazingly beautiful cover reveal. Thanks Epic Reads.

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Jan 27, 2018 Emma rated it it was amazing

Shelves: historical-fiction, america-hf, western

Loved it! I have a special fondness for stories of the Californian Gold Rush and this was a very well done one. We definitely see a bit more of Leah’s ‘witchiness’ as she calls it, but this is essentially an excellent work of historical fiction. Hiram Westfall makes the perfect villain! If you enjoyed the first in the series (and I know some were disappointed by the lack of fantasy elements), then you’ll love this too.

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May 20, 2016 Justine rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2018-read

4.5 stars

Intense, exciting, and downright brutal at times, this was a page-turning follow-up to Walk on Earth a Stranger. The story picks up right where the last book left off, but just because the group has arrived in California, doesn't mean their troubles are over. They have to deal with claim-jumpers, overly curious neighbours, and of course, Leah's wretched uncle Hiram.

The book doesn't pull any punches about how horribly the Native Americans of California were treated during this period. I' ...more

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Jul 08, 2015 Lucia rated it liked it

Shelves: historical, ya

Like a River Glorious is pleasant read and great sequel to amazing first book - Walk on Earth a Stranger. Once again, Rae Carson transported me right into the 19th century California Gold Rush era and provided engaging and believable YA historical novel. Smart and realistic characters in this series make such a nice change from all those annoying teenage characters that are so very often present in YA literature. And for that I am incredibly thankful to Mrs. Carson.

My favorite part of this novel ...more

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Jan 12, 2016 Whitney marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, 2016-publication, favorite-authors

Oh man.

THIS IS JUST SO BEAUTIFUL. I keep looking at it over and over....

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Jun 23, 2018 Kayla rated it really liked it

I still don't appreciate the romance in this but the story is remarkable and interesting. ...more

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Oct 04, 2016 Mogsy (MMOGC) rated it really liked it

Shelves: arcs-and-galleys, western, fantasy, magic, edelweiss, review-copy, young-adult, historical-fiction

4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2016/10/09/...

I was super excited to read this sequel to Walk on Earth a Stranger, and not least because the first book was one of my favorite Young Adult reads of last year. Knowing how rare it is for a series to strike gold twice though (pun intended) I wasn’t surprised to find that I didn’t find Like A River Glorious quite as earth-shattering as its predecessor, but it was still an excellent sequel and a fun YA fantasy western.

At the 4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2016/10/09/...

I was super excited to read this sequel to Walk on Earth a Stranger, and not least because the first book was one of my favorite Young Adult reads of last year. Knowing how rare it is for a series to strike gold twice though (pun intended) I wasn’t surprised to find that I didn’t find Like A River Glorious quite as earth-shattering as its predecessor, but it was still an excellent sequel and a fun YA fantasy western.

At the end of Walk on Earth a Stranger, a novel which takes place in the midst of the great California Gold Rush, protagonist Leah “Lee” Westfall and the survivors of her party had managed to reach their destination at last. They’d wasted no time in settling in and staking their claims, and thanks to Lee’s remarkable secret, she and her friends have done pretty well for themselves.

After careful consideration though, Lee decides to let her trusted circle in on how she’s been helping them find the best plots. The truth is that she has a mysterious magical ability to sense gold in the environment around her, and being in gold-rich California, her powers have been practically humming within her. However, Lee also wanted to come clean to her friends to warn them that being close to her may have its own dangers. Her uncle Hiram, who knows about her secret, is still hunting her and wants to use her gold sense to his advantage. He had already killed Lee’s parents, and now she’s afraid that she’s put everyone associated with her at risk too.
Lee had good reason to be worried. Despite their best efforts to remain discreet, news of Lee and her group’s success begins to spread, and it’s just a matter of time before Hiram tracks them down. Unwilling to put her friends through more pain and grief, Lee ultimately decides to take matters into her own hands and begins to plot a plan to confront her uncle.

First, the good stuff: Readers who felt that the first book did not have enough “fantasy” in it will be a lot happier with this sequel. Lee’s gold sense plays a bigger role this time around, and has a much greater impact on the outcome of the story. Her power is also evolving, growing stronger somehow. And as to why this is happening, that’s a mystery Lee is also trying to figure out for herself.

Then there’s the romance. While it wasn’t a big part of the first book, Rae Carson did plant a seed of something between Lee and her best friend Jefferson, and those feelings finally come to fruition. The pacing of the romance remains slow-burn though, which for me is a breath of fresh air especially after having read a string of YA novels featuring instalove, or female protagonists who immediately hurl themselves at a guy the moment he shows a hint of interest. I liked how Lee kept a level head despite her growing feelings for Jeff, keeping in mind what she would be gaining and sacrificing for marriage in an era where women have little power. It may seem like a rather cold, unromantic way to think about love, but it does show that Lee is mature, independent and insightful—traits that I admire in a protagonist.

Despite the book’s strengths though, I did have some issues with the depiction of Lee and her friends, especially given the historical setting and social climate of the times. I understand that, especially in a YA novel, we need our protagonists to be the good guys to cheer for and look up to, and true to form, Lee is heroine who wants to buck the system and fight against injustices. The problem is that it’s not subtle at all, and it’s immersion-breaking when looking at this book through a historical fiction lens. When it comes to historical novels I think it’s important to look at how context shapes character motivations and attitudes, and while I can understand why a lot of Lee’s experiences would shape her opinions on land ownership, slavery, religion, women’s rights, etc., a lot of the actions of her and her settler friends do come across a bit revisionist. At some point in this novel, Lee also started to feel too much to me like a present-day teenage character transported to the 1850s, but this probably didn’t bother me as much as it would have if this had been an adult novel.

Other than that minor issue, I honestly have no complaints. Overall I really enjoyed Like A River Glorious, and like the first book this one was also blessedly free of pesky cliffhangers. I like how both installments have so far ended with all its major story conflicts resolved, while still being a part of a greater narrative. This is another chapter in Lee and Jefferson’s lives, and I loved the happy conclusion. Looking forward to where the next book will take them. ...more

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Aug 28, 2015 nick (the infinite limits of love) rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical, young-adult, arc, 2016-favorites

Wow! Like a River Glorious was simply put … glorious! I’m in complete awe of what Rae Carson has crafted with this series. If you thought Walk on Earth a Stranger was a good story, wait until you pick up this sequel that surpassed every monumental expectation that I have. It’s official, I’m obsessed with this series.

Leah Westfall is probably the fiercest and most badass character I have ever come across in a YA series. And I’m not saying just physically. It was clear from the first book that Lea
Wow! Like a River Glorious was simply put … glorious! I’m in complete awe of what Rae Carson has crafted with this series. If you thought Walk on Earth a Stranger was a good story, wait until you pick up this sequel that surpassed every monumental expectation that I have. It’s official, I’m obsessed with this series.

Leah Westfall is probably the fiercest and most badass character I have ever come across in a YA series. And I’m not saying just physically. It was clear from the first book that Leah was a strong-willed and brave girl, especially after she found her parents dead bodies and traveled over the Oregon Trail to reach California. Here, she was even stronger and I didn’t realize that was even possible. Rae Carson constantly tested Leah, with the threats of her Uncle Hiram looming throughout the book, but she was so resilient faced every obstacle with a courage that not many people possess. Lee is the sort of heroine that will inspire readers, young and old, as she navigates the dangers of the Gold Rush era.

Thankfully, Lee is no longer alone. She’s found herself an incredible group of people to call her family. Rae Carson does a wonderful job with these characters, making each and everyone of them rich, complex and layered. The kinship that they’ve formed with each other, despite being from such diverse backgrounds, was beautiful to watch develop even further in Like a River Glorious. These are characters that will stay with you long after you finish the book. I also can’t forget Lee’s slow-burn romance with her friend, Jeff. I love how these two were always there for each other no matter what. It’s hard not to root for these two because they are so sweet together, and pretty much the perfect complements.

One reason why I think this series is unique and refreshing is its setting of the Old West. Rae Carson has a simple, yet vivid writing. The descriptiveness of her writing is in the little things. Here, I particularly loved the scenes in the gold mines and of Leah and her group building their small town in California. I was so invested in the story that I almost felt like I was there along with these characters. We also see some real life historical issues such as slavery and discrimination, especially when it came to the Chinese and the Native Americans at Hiram’s camp. Violence and death plagued that camp, and it was hard to stomach at times, but I have to hand it to Rae Carson for showing those realities in a harsh, yet raw way. We also get to know more about Lee’s gold-sensing powers in this installment, and while we don’t have all the background yet, it was enough to satisfy me.

I’m thrilled with how this series has evolved over the course of these two books. While Like a River Glorious ended on a positive and hopeful note with no cliffhanger, I’m still eager to get my hands on the final book in the Gold Seer Trilogy and to be back with one of my favorite ensemble cast. ...more

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Oct 12, 2016 Jennifer rated it liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction, young-adult-genre, magic, listened-to-audiobook, read-2016, finished-series

Like a River Glorious is the second installment in Rae Carson's mildly magical, historical fiction series titled The Gold Seer Trilogy. Although this ongoing story feels like a refreshing addition to the young-adult genre due to its originality and gold-rush setting, it's not as engaging as I hoped it would be. This may be an expectation issue on my part as the storyline focuses primarily on group dynamics versus the magical element, and based on her previous work, I was expecting more of a bala ...more

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Sep 29, 2016 Christy (TheReaderBee) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: e-arcs-to-review, young-adult-fiction, ya-fantasy, ya-historical, read-in-2016, read-in-2017

Reread in October 2017
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Like a River Glorious is definitely one of my most anticipated reads of 2016. I read Walk on Earth a Stranger last year, and really, really enjoyed the unique and captivating story, and I was dying to know what was going to happen next for Leah and her crew. This sequel was great, and I'm thrilled to add it to my collection!

Leah has been a character that I have loved since I first met her in Walk on Earth a Stranger. She's such a strong, well written you
Reread in October 2017
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Like a River Glorious is definitely one of my most anticipated reads of 2016. I read Walk on Earth a Stranger last year, and really, really enjoyed the unique and captivating story, and I was dying to know what was going to happen next for Leah and her crew. This sequel was great, and I'm thrilled to add it to my collection!

Leah has been a character that I have loved since I first met her in Walk on Earth a Stranger. She's such a strong, well written young lady, and I swear her character just grows more and more as the story goes along. And not just as a person, but with her ability as well, which is just amazing. She's definitely a fave character of mine, as are SO many of the secondary characters in the story. There are a LOT of them, and I really love them all!

Even though this book is 400+ pages, I devoured it in just a few hours time. It seriously felt like I was flying through the pages, and I just couldn't get enough of it. Unfortunately I do not have any other books in my collection that are set in the same time period as this book, or have the same setting. That needs to be fixed, because both are completely fascinating, and leave me wanting more. Although, as with a lot of our history, there were some things in the story that made me sad, and ANGRY. The sexism towards women made me rage, but it was the treatment of Chinese immigrants and Native American's that was completely horrific and heartbreaking. I cannot imagine living during this time period. At all. And not only because of this treatment, which is bad enough, I'm just not sure I could survive the hardships that these people faced. I'm glad there are people willing to tell us the story, so that we will know, and never forget.

Overall; Like a River Glorious is a wonderful sequel to Walk on Earth a Stranger! I'm not even more excited to get my hands on the third book, which is going to release in 2017! THAT is a book that I will be preordering as soon as possible. If you've not yet read this series, and are curious about the Gold Rush time period, you should definitely check out The Gold Seer Trilogy!!

Happy Reading!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BK31NUyh-k4/?

...more

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Sep 27, 2016 Danielle (Love at First Page) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-in-2016, so-otp-it-hurts, genre-young-adult, fantasy-scifi-paranormal, favorites-young-adult, amazing-writing, own-physical-book, cover-love, historical

4.5-5 stars

I have SO much love for this series. And for Jefferson (OMG SWOON). And especially for Leah. It will be a long wait for the last book!

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Nov 09, 2017 Mlpmom (Book Reviewer) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: kindle-books

RTC!

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Apr 18, 2020 Robin (Bridge Four) rated it really liked it

Shelves: chick-i-want-to-hang-out-with, 2020-reads, awesome-audio, ya, historical-happiness, super-sidekicks, audio-challenge-2020, book-boyfriend-material, brutal, 4-5-stars

Now that Leah and company have made it out West to the land of gold and opportunity everything should be easy, right? Well not really, first you have to find some good land with gold on it. Not too hard with Leah on your side since she is a witchy girl and can sense gold. Next you just have to figure out how to keep said land from claim jumpers. Not as easy, as California is a place with few laws and many unscrupulous men.

“Bad men are never all bad, and good men are never all good, and

“Bad men are never all bad, and good men are never all good, and it makes it hard to know up from down.”

Leah has found the spot but then it seems her uncle has found her and he hasn’t given up on the idea that she belongs with him. Just when life is starting to settle on their claim Leah ends up in the grip of her uncle and needs to find a way to get herself and a few of her friends home.

Man, this book was sad and harsh. I’m sure that things like this happened in this time in history and some of it was just so sad. Leah’s uncle stole Indians to work in his mine and barely fed them, treated them as less then people. The prejudices and injustices were really horrid. The time with Leah’s uncle was hard, I wanted to burn him and all of his men with fire. Almost everyone deserved a brutal death that ran that mine.

But in the midst of all the trouble there are bright points. Leah and Jefferson are finding a way into each other’s hearts after growing up and being best friends all their lives. Jeff is adorable in his devotion to Leah and no matter the circumstance he always had a smile the lit up his eyes every time he saw her. He just needs to find a way to convince her that marrying him isn’t akin to giving up everything she is.

“I think you’d better stay extra alert tonight.”
“Okay.”
“I’m serious, Jeff. Someone snuck up on both Hampton and Martin, and neither of them are shirkers.”
He grins. “You’re worried for me, aren’t you?”
“Course I am.”
“Know what I think?”
I scowl at him, which only widens his grin.
He steps closer, puts a hand to my chin, and lifts it so I can’t avoid his gaze. “I think you’re in love with me,” he says.
I stare at his lips. What comes out of my mouth is: “Jefferson McCauley Kingfisher, you have the swagger of a rooster and the swelled head of a melon.”

Leah’s past is full a few mysteries and while I’m not sure we’ll ever discover them all it was good to get some insight into the dynamic between her Mom, Dad and uncle and why he is so set on keeping her.

I liked a few of the new characters that we meet in this book. From Tug and the boys to Mary and the big silent guy. I few people are gems in the wilderness. I liked where the book ended but it was really dark at times and I wasn’t sure how many people we might lose along the way.

Time to finish the journey though and I’m onto the final book in the series.
...more

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Oct 06, 2016 Niki Hawkes - The Obsessive Bookseller rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: my-ya-library-catalogue

Rae Carson is one of my favorite authors for the amazingness that is Girl of Fire and Thorns, which still holds the spot as the best YA Fantasy I’ve ever read. The Goldseer series, so far, has many of the same attributes that set GOFT above the rest:

◾Strong heroines who are endearingly atypical and always feel like real people.
◾Beautiful, immersive writing that will totally transport you.
◾Enough magic to drive the plot without being the sole focus.
◾Gut-wrenching moments that will Tear. Out. Your Rae Carson is one of my favorite authors for the amazingness that is Girl of Fire and Thorns, which still holds the spot as the best YA Fantasy I’ve ever read. The Goldseer series, so far, has many of the same attributes that set GOFT above the rest:

◾Strong heroines who are endearingly atypical and always feel like real people.
◾Beautiful, immersive writing that will totally transport you.
◾Enough magic to drive the plot without being the sole focus.
◾Gut-wrenching moments that will Tear. Out. Your. Heart.

In fact, even more so than GOFT, the Goldseer Trilogy will hit you left and right with horrible injustices (some which make me so mad I could spit). Carson really understands conflicts and how to put her characters through hell. To be honest, it was so well done that I wondered on several occasions how I was able to enjoy the story while hating it at the same time. It never ceased to evoke emotion and make me feel engaged.

As far as the magic goes, Like a River Glorious had more magic than the first book, but not enough for me to feel confident recommending it as a fantasy verses a historical fiction. I’ve always been of the mindset that the more magic, the better, but I still enjoyed the book for all the other elements. It’s one of those stories written so well that it’ll appeal to readers of multiple genres. I’ve read a little criticism of the supposed historical inaccuracies in this book, but as someone who remembers only what I was taught in grade school about the gold rush, it was realistic enough for me. I thought she did a great job transporting me to this era and, let’s face it, I didn’t pick it up for a history lesson… Even so, the criticisms surprises me because Carson acknowledges at the back of the book that she had to take some creative liberties to streamline her story.

Anyway, Like a River Glorious was a strong sequel that could have satisfied me as a series-ender, but there’s still one book yet to come. I can’t figure out what it will entail, and find the prospect (no pun intended) of discovery really enticing. It’s a damn shame it’s going to be a year before it comes out!

Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com
...more

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Nov 16, 2016 Jessica rated it it was amazing

Shelves: youngadult, fantasy, historical-fiction

Ah! Glorious!

Carson is doing a wonderful job of bringing the Gold Rush to life. The details are amazing, and it's the perfect combination of fact and fiction and magic.

Now in California to stake their claims, Leah Westfall and her friends encounter claim jumpers, the enslavement of the local Native Americans as well as the Chinese, and the continued threat from her uncle. You can see and smell and even taste Lee's world in this book, and I loved it. I can't wait for the next one! ...more

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Jul 24, 2014 Jaime (Two Chicks on Books) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Ok so I may be biased because this book is set in my hometown and around where I live but I think this is better than the first book! I loved the Oregon Trail of book 1 but I LOVED seeing Sacramento and the area around it front and center in a book! I plan on doing a photo trip of the places in this one!!!

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Dec 12, 2017 JoAnna rated it it was amazing

I'm really getting into the western theme!!! More please:) ...more

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Dec 30, 2016 Ali rated it really liked it

Shelves: tbr-for-sure, historical-fiction, oh-my-god-that-cover-is-my-life-di

7.5 out of 10

An interesting second installment with fascinating twists and a great cast of characters

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Jan 28, 2017 Heather rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, read-it-in-2017, rtc-review-to-come

3 stars?

Review to come

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Apr 22, 2017 Donna rated it really liked it

Shelves: youth-young-adult-fiction, fantasy

This is the second book in the Gold Seer trilogy. The third and final one is due out this year. I liked the first one. The setting, the characters, and the premise all came together and it worked for me. Usually in YA fantasy/historical books, I sometimes find they loose steam. While this book is similar in theme to the first one, the characters were still able to carry the story. I also enjoy reading about this particular time period. The descriptions of this time and the speech added interest ...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
YA Buddy Readers'...: Like a River Glorious (The Gold Seer Trilogy #2) By Rae Carson - Starting August 1st 2018	26	93	Aug 10, 2018 07:53PM
A Little Bit Of This: Like a River Glorious	1	9	Sep 18, 2017 01:57PM
Sinopsis en Español // Synopsis in Spanish	1	2	Mar 12, 2016 10:05AM

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About Rae Carson

Rae Carson

5,844 followers

Rae Carson was born in 1973 in California and now lives in Arizona. She developed an enthusiasm for storytelling in her earliest childhood. She studied social sciences and worked in various industries after graduating from university before she realized her dream and became a writer. The Girl of Fire and Thorns is her debut novel.

In her own words, she "write[s] books about teens who must do brave ...more

Other books in the series

The Gold Seer Trilogy (3 books)

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The Girl of Fire and Thorns (Fire and Thorns, #1)

The Crown of Embers (Fire and Thorns, #2)

The Bitter Kingdom (Fire and Thorns, #3)

Walk on Earth a Stranger (The Gold Seer Trilogy, #1)

Into the Bright Unknown (The Gold Seer Trilogy, #3)

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Quotes from Like a River Glor...

“Bad men are never all bad, and good men are never all good, and it makes it hard to know up from down.” — 7 likes

“We’re tying off string at the edge of Hampton’s claim when I notice Jefferson staring at me. “You don’t have to watch my eyes,” I grumble. “When I sense gold, I’ll tell you straight.”

“That’s not why I’m looking,” he replies, and Hampton fails to keep the grin from his face.” — 5 likes

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