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Shards of History #2
Fractured Days
Malia returns home the hero of a war she can't remember. The valley burning under the Maddion's invasion, the fate of her late husband, the way she resolved the long-time distrust between the Taakwa people and the wolfish, winged Jegudun creatures--all of it has been erased from her memory. Malia hopes to resume training as her village’s next clan mother, but when the symbiotic magic that she and the Jeguduns used to repair the valley’s protective barrier starts to consume more and more of her mind, she's faced with the threat of losing herself completely.
A powerful being known as "the changer" might hold the solution to her vanishing memories. But the Maddion's new leader, Muvumo, also seeks the changer, hoping the being will cure them of the mysterious illness killing off his people. Meanwhile, Muvumo's bride hopes the changer can bring about a new era, one in which she and the other Maddion women no longer need to hold onto their greatest secret.
A powerful being known as "the changer" might hold the solution to her vanishing memories. But the Maddion's new leader, Muvumo, also seeks the changer, hoping the being will cure them of the mysterious illness killing off his people. Meanwhile, Muvumo's bride hopes the changer can bring about a new era, one in which she and the other Maddion women no longer need to hold onto their greatest secret.
328 pages, Paperback
First published June 9, 2015
About the author
Rebecca Roland
18 books56 followersRebecca is the author of the Shards of History series, The Necromancer's Inheritance series, and The King of Ash and Bones, and Other Stories. Her short fiction has appeared in publications such as Nature, Flash Fiction Online, Fantasy Scroll Magazine, New Myths, and Every Day Fiction, and she is a graduate of the Odyssey Writing Workshop. You can find out more about her and her work at rebeccaroland.net or follow her on Twitter at @rebecca_roland.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
June 7, 2015
Roland's extensive worldbuilding is on display in this sequel as we dive deeper into the culture and lives of the Maddion people, and Malia struggles to reclaim her memories before she loses herself to the magic which saved her people from their Maddion enemies.
This was definitely the same compelling read of book one, and a refreshingly less traditional fantasy world, built from the New World, rather than the old. For that element alone, this series is worth a read!
*I received an ARC from a goodreads giveaway.
This was definitely the same compelling read of book one, and a refreshingly less traditional fantasy world, built from the New World, rather than the old. For that element alone, this series is worth a read!
*I received an ARC from a goodreads giveaway.
May 24, 2017
This second part of the trilogy is a good bridge between the other two. The others read as complete plots on their own, and although that’s true here to some degree, it cannot be read on its own. That is not a problem, since I was so captivated by the world and the people while reading that I wouldn’t have wanted to read it alone.
In this part, there are a host of new characters. Since so many of the Maddion died (or were never named) in the first one, that leaves room for us to meet more of them in a different way. I give credit to the author for drawing me into Muvumo’s desperation. I truly felt for him while at the same time being repulsed by him. His actions swing between eliciting sympathy and anger.
Meanwhile, his wife, Chanwa, is a fascinating person. She has so many secrets, and I loved her character development. She and Muvumo represent opposite sides of the same coin. Both want to save their people, but Muvomo believes that means from without and Chanwa sees that coming from within.
None of these stories are romance at all, but there are a number of relationships which develop and are explored in the text. Some of them are enemies becoming allies, others are friendship, family, and romantic. There is a relationship between two of the women, and I really like how it develops and how the author handles it. It is neither more nor less than any other couplehood, addressed in the same understated way as the rest. One thing I appreciate is that it isn’t used against them as some sort of “hero’s downfall.”
I enjoyed this book every bit as much as the first, and my concern over the lack of women has been laid to rest. I’m still surprised that we see much more of the Maddion women than the Taakwa, but it doesn’t take away from the enjoyment of the story.
For a superb follow-up, an excellent new cast of characters in addition to familiar faces, and a cliffhanger that promises an exciting conclusion, this gets 5 stars.
In this part, there are a host of new characters. Since so many of the Maddion died (or were never named) in the first one, that leaves room for us to meet more of them in a different way. I give credit to the author for drawing me into Muvumo’s desperation. I truly felt for him while at the same time being repulsed by him. His actions swing between eliciting sympathy and anger.
Meanwhile, his wife, Chanwa, is a fascinating person. She has so many secrets, and I loved her character development. She and Muvumo represent opposite sides of the same coin. Both want to save their people, but Muvomo believes that means from without and Chanwa sees that coming from within.
None of these stories are romance at all, but there are a number of relationships which develop and are explored in the text. Some of them are enemies becoming allies, others are friendship, family, and romantic. There is a relationship between two of the women, and I really like how it develops and how the author handles it. It is neither more nor less than any other couplehood, addressed in the same understated way as the rest. One thing I appreciate is that it isn’t used against them as some sort of “hero’s downfall.”
I enjoyed this book every bit as much as the first, and my concern over the lack of women has been laid to rest. I’m still surprised that we see much more of the Maddion women than the Taakwa, but it doesn’t take away from the enjoyment of the story.
For a superb follow-up, an excellent new cast of characters in addition to familiar faces, and a cliffhanger that promises an exciting conclusion, this gets 5 stars.
June 23, 2015
I loved SHARDS OF HISTORY and couldn't wait to see how this saga would expand. FRACTURED DAYS explores the new, tenuous alliance between the Taakwa and the Jeguduns (winged wolf creatures) who have recently learned they can create symbiotic magic. It also delves deeper into the Maddion culture, especially their treatment of women. Malia is still an amazing protagonist, but one of the Maddion women (Chanwa) emerges as a clandestine feminist hero.
I recommend both SHARDS OF HISTORY and FRACTURED DAYS to anyone looking for a fresh and original fantasy series.
I recommend both SHARDS OF HISTORY and FRACTURED DAYS to anyone looking for a fresh and original fantasy series.
May 23, 2015
Malia, the Maddion, and the Jegunduns are back! I loved this sequel even more than the first. Wonderful new characters, such as Chanwa (wife of the Maddion's new Most Worthy), kept me turning pages through the night. If you liked "Shards of History," don't miss this one!
June 29, 2017
This trilogy continues to move quickly with Rebecca Roland's second book. Malia & the Taakwa & Jegudun have survived the invasion by the Maddion. As time goes by though, Maaliia finds herself in more trouble. She can't remember people or things she had done before. She is loosing her mind because of the magic she used to close off the valley behind the shield again. What will she do to save herself ? How will "the changer " help her ? This book makes one think about life & the choices that are made everyday. I'm looking forward to the third book.
July 27, 2015
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review. I do know the author (she is the wife of a dear friend and has become a good friend as well) but my opinions are my own and based on my generally positive view of the fantasy genre.
REVIEW
Rebecca Roland has done it again in the second installment of the Shards of History trilogy (yes, trilogy. She is writing the third book right now). Fractured Days takes us back to the rich and colorful world of the Taakwa and Jegudun, now living in harmony after the Dragon War against the Maddions that Malia won, but can’t remember. Malia just wants to return to her life and remember but there is a unique and unfortunate side effect to the symbiotic magic of the Taakwa and the Jegudun. The Taakwa lose memories as the Jegudun pull power through them. Malia was the main source of that power that lifted the invisible shield back above their valley - locking out the selfish, empiristic Maddions and their deadly fire-breathing dragons. So returning to her life and remembering is a daily struggle. Malia had been set to become the new Clan Mother, training beneath her mother, the current Clan Mother. But how can she ever hope to achieve that status when so much of her memory is gone. And even more terrifying than the lost memories of the war are the present day memories slipping away behind a fog in her mind that threatens to engulf her fully.
As in Shards of History, Fractured Days switches between the perspective of Malia in the valley and the Maddion leader Muvomo, back at home in the Maddion’s cliffside village. In Fractured Days, another character is heard. Muvomo’s wife, Chanwa, is given voice. In the Taakwa society, women are revered as leaders. In the Maddion, women are treated as chattel, even forbidden from learning to read and write and certainly with no rights in the society. Hearing Chanwa’s voice and seeing her perspective brings greater depth to the story. Fractured Days has a very different feel than Shards of History but is no less intense. Rather than the external conflict of war, Fractured Days is driven by internal conflict. Malia struggles with a very personal battle with her memory loss. Muvomo struggles with trying to lead a dying race who can turn on him at any moment as more and more people die from a mysterious and uncurable illness. Chanwa struggles to hide her secret and to keep herself safe in a world very unsafe for women.
Selfishness is one of the main driving forces behind all the characters in Fractured Days. Muvomo seeks to cure his people primarily to maintain his status as Most Worthy and to have his name written in the historical scrolls. Chanwa wishes for freedom and rights for all Maddion women but ultimately seeks to save merely herself. Even our tortured heroine Malia puts her people at risk in order to regain her memories. The consequences of these myriad selfish acts result in major changes and an uncertain future for all the races in this Southwest US-inspired fantasy world. While Shards of History can stand alone, and you can read Fractured Days without having read Shards of History, Fractured Days leaves the door wide open for Book 3. Since I’m friends with the author, she received an “ARGH!!!” text from me late on the night I finished this book. I can’t wait for book 3. I’ve heard there will be llamas! I whole-heartedly recommend Fractured Days to anyone who likes fantasy and strong female characters. Definitely another 5 star book from Rebecca Roland.
REVIEW
Rebecca Roland has done it again in the second installment of the Shards of History trilogy (yes, trilogy. She is writing the third book right now). Fractured Days takes us back to the rich and colorful world of the Taakwa and Jegudun, now living in harmony after the Dragon War against the Maddions that Malia won, but can’t remember. Malia just wants to return to her life and remember but there is a unique and unfortunate side effect to the symbiotic magic of the Taakwa and the Jegudun. The Taakwa lose memories as the Jegudun pull power through them. Malia was the main source of that power that lifted the invisible shield back above their valley - locking out the selfish, empiristic Maddions and their deadly fire-breathing dragons. So returning to her life and remembering is a daily struggle. Malia had been set to become the new Clan Mother, training beneath her mother, the current Clan Mother. But how can she ever hope to achieve that status when so much of her memory is gone. And even more terrifying than the lost memories of the war are the present day memories slipping away behind a fog in her mind that threatens to engulf her fully.
As in Shards of History, Fractured Days switches between the perspective of Malia in the valley and the Maddion leader Muvomo, back at home in the Maddion’s cliffside village. In Fractured Days, another character is heard. Muvomo’s wife, Chanwa, is given voice. In the Taakwa society, women are revered as leaders. In the Maddion, women are treated as chattel, even forbidden from learning to read and write and certainly with no rights in the society. Hearing Chanwa’s voice and seeing her perspective brings greater depth to the story. Fractured Days has a very different feel than Shards of History but is no less intense. Rather than the external conflict of war, Fractured Days is driven by internal conflict. Malia struggles with a very personal battle with her memory loss. Muvomo struggles with trying to lead a dying race who can turn on him at any moment as more and more people die from a mysterious and uncurable illness. Chanwa struggles to hide her secret and to keep herself safe in a world very unsafe for women.
Selfishness is one of the main driving forces behind all the characters in Fractured Days. Muvomo seeks to cure his people primarily to maintain his status as Most Worthy and to have his name written in the historical scrolls. Chanwa wishes for freedom and rights for all Maddion women but ultimately seeks to save merely herself. Even our tortured heroine Malia puts her people at risk in order to regain her memories. The consequences of these myriad selfish acts result in major changes and an uncertain future for all the races in this Southwest US-inspired fantasy world. While Shards of History can stand alone, and you can read Fractured Days without having read Shards of History, Fractured Days leaves the door wide open for Book 3. Since I’m friends with the author, she received an “ARGH!!!” text from me late on the night I finished this book. I can’t wait for book 3. I’ve heard there will be llamas! I whole-heartedly recommend Fractured Days to anyone who likes fantasy and strong female characters. Definitely another 5 star book from Rebecca Roland.
June 20, 2015
The magic Malia made came with a price. She ensured the safety of her people from the invading Maddion, but as a result, she remembers none of the war or the part she played to end it. Now she faces an enemy from within, one which steals more and more of her memories until she fears she won't remember her world, her loved ones, or even herself. Across the magical barrier Malia erected, the Maddion people are crippled by their defeat and devastated by disease, while their women and servants suffer still more. They are voiceless and powerless in an oppressive male-dominated society. The chaos-loving Changer could solve all these problems if it chooses, but will its price be too high?
Fractured Days is the sequel to Rebecca Roland's Shards of History. This second story of Malia and her world drew me in as quickly as the first (that is to say, almost immediately). Fractured Days begins in the aftermath of the battle Malia's Taakwa people and their newly rediscovered allies, the intelligent, animal-like Jegudun, fought against the aggressive, dragon-riding Maddion. In a story just as gripping as the first, Roland explores the consequences of actions taken by her characters as they adjust to their new reality. Fractured Days is peopled with complex characters I cared about right away, even the ones new to this book. One of my favorite elements of Shards of History was its setting, and Fractured Days has even more to love, making its world as immersive as one created by Ursula LeGuin or Anne McCaffery. Roland shows the reader more of the Jeguduns and the mountain-dwelling Maddions. (Did I mention they ride dragons?!) While Shards of History ended with a satisfying completeness, Fractured Days ended on a tantalizingly unfinished note, with unfinished business and future possibilities galore. I typically prefer that books in a series have a more complete ending, but in this case, I would love to return to Malia's world to find out what happens next.
Fractured Days is the sequel to Rebecca Roland's Shards of History. This second story of Malia and her world drew me in as quickly as the first (that is to say, almost immediately). Fractured Days begins in the aftermath of the battle Malia's Taakwa people and their newly rediscovered allies, the intelligent, animal-like Jegudun, fought against the aggressive, dragon-riding Maddion. In a story just as gripping as the first, Roland explores the consequences of actions taken by her characters as they adjust to their new reality. Fractured Days is peopled with complex characters I cared about right away, even the ones new to this book. One of my favorite elements of Shards of History was its setting, and Fractured Days has even more to love, making its world as immersive as one created by Ursula LeGuin or Anne McCaffery. Roland shows the reader more of the Jeguduns and the mountain-dwelling Maddions. (Did I mention they ride dragons?!) While Shards of History ended with a satisfying completeness, Fractured Days ended on a tantalizingly unfinished note, with unfinished business and future possibilities galore. I typically prefer that books in a series have a more complete ending, but in this case, I would love to return to Malia's world to find out what happens next.
June 15, 2015
I am just jumping into this series, but already I know I am going to have to pop back and read the first book, as this one was so addicting I read it in two nights! I genuinely couldn’t put it down.
I love the world that Roland has built. It is full of depth, detail, excitement and truly feels real. From page one, I was immersed in the world and lives of the characters. It was also interesting to get the extra detail, from my guest post, as it showed just how intricate and real the world is to Roland, everything, even the most minute detail has been considered, in order to make this world one that you can dive into and really be a part of.
The characters had a great collection of personalities, and I found myself connecting with them, to a point that I was matching them up to people I know, and picturing myself in their world. I felt a true part of the journey, and really hooked onto the people and creatures. Yes, in excess to creating very real people, Roland also made me actually believe in the creatures that she described. I trusted or hated them and really felt a sorrow, when I left the book, and had to face reality, and the fact they didn’t exist.
The pace of this book was excellent. There were pauses, that allowed the intricate details and surroundings to be built upon and to give you a full perspective of the plot. However, we were also thrown into fast-paced, exciting sections, where I was wholly immersed in the action.
I highly recommend this read, and as mentioned, I recommend checking out the entire series. This is a brilliantly written book and very enjoyable!
I love the world that Roland has built. It is full of depth, detail, excitement and truly feels real. From page one, I was immersed in the world and lives of the characters. It was also interesting to get the extra detail, from my guest post, as it showed just how intricate and real the world is to Roland, everything, even the most minute detail has been considered, in order to make this world one that you can dive into and really be a part of.
The characters had a great collection of personalities, and I found myself connecting with them, to a point that I was matching them up to people I know, and picturing myself in their world. I felt a true part of the journey, and really hooked onto the people and creatures. Yes, in excess to creating very real people, Roland also made me actually believe in the creatures that she described. I trusted or hated them and really felt a sorrow, when I left the book, and had to face reality, and the fact they didn’t exist.
The pace of this book was excellent. There were pauses, that allowed the intricate details and surroundings to be built upon and to give you a full perspective of the plot. However, we were also thrown into fast-paced, exciting sections, where I was wholly immersed in the action.
I highly recommend this read, and as mentioned, I recommend checking out the entire series. This is a brilliantly written book and very enjoyable!
May 2, 2016
Good follow up on unsolved plots from previous book. I feel like this world is developed well and believable with real people who deal with emotions and problems like the rest of us.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews