The Chathrand, the greatest ship of the Aquarli Empire, has finally crossed the Ruling Sea – being the first to do so in hundreds of years. Its crew had envisioned welcome; help from a people that is sorely need as their thirst for water begins to tear them apart. But the shores they find are inhospitable, being full of violence as the empire of Bali Adro seeks control of the south. Strangeness is everywhere and revelations are forced on the crew that are as terrifying as they are heart-breaking.
And, amidst it all, the fight against Arunis—the terrible sorcerer and destroyer of empires—continues. The nilstone still needs protecting, evil still seeks to free the Shaggat Ness from his prison of stone and Arunis’ eyes are fixed on unleashing the Swarm to cover the whole of Alifros in darkness and death.
But Pazel Pathkendle, the Lady Thasha Isiq and the rest of those sworn to resist Arunis are no less resolute in their mission. Even as their group begins to fracture, they must work together as never before as they fight for their freedom against servants of the Bali Adro Empire and find Arunis before he reaches the River of Shadows . . .
The Good
Once again, I find myself astounded by Robert V. S. Redick's imagination and with the enthusiasm with which he writes. Both of these attributes combine to give a story that is exciting and extremely unique. He has invented a whole host of different creatures and cultures, his own lore of magic, the structure of the universe and even a few landscapes that (as far as I have read), no other authors have penned. The result of this is a fast-paced, gripping story that is extremely enjoyable to read.
Redick’s characterisation also continues to be superb and I am really beginning to know the characters - it's almost as if I have met them in real life! He has set up their past so thoroughly, that I can even understand the different motivations and thought process behind their actions (even though they all seek the same end).
In addition, Redick’s slightly dated style of writing really adds to the feel of the story and is perfect for a novel about great ships sailing through the high seas. His language is reminiscent of Robert Louis Stephenson and he has clearly researched the running of empire-style ships in great detail, confidently describing parts and process that I have no idea about!
The Bad
As with its predecessors, I really have nothing to fault with The River of Shadows! And my only disappointment is that I only have one book left in the series!
My Thoughts
I have to say that The River Of Shadows has been the best instalment of The Chathrand Voyage yet! It is exciting, filled with twists and turns and I had great difficulty in putting it down (much to the annoyance of my managers at work). The book (and series as a whole), is certainly worthy of its place on my Shelf of Fame and is a must read of all fans of fantasy – I can see this novel becoming a lasting classic.
No comments:
Post a Comment