Week 34 Review: Riven

From Goodreads:

From acclaimed fantasy author Mindee Arnett comes an epic, adventurous story of a young mercenary magic-user trying to escape the oppressive island of Riven--and a young noblewoman trying to change it forever.

Mars Darksvane wants out. Out from under the thumb of Una, the crime boss who pulled him off the streets as a child and trained him as an assassin; out from the island country of Riven, where magic, in the form of a dangerous material called Ice, allows the rich to live in luxury and keeps the poor in thrall.

Mars is a secret adept--a person born with the ability to channel the magic that flows beneath Riven--and while his power gives him abilities useful to an assassin, it also makes him a target. And when his last mission ends in tragedy, Mars finally decides it's time to escape to the mainland. No magic, no history, a new life on his own.

But Una has other ideas. If Mars wants his freedom, he's going to have to perform a final job: protecting Fura Torvald--the heiress of the rich and powerful Torvald kith, and the daughter of the last man Mars was sent to kill--and stealing from her a mysterious object known only as the Primer.

Mars has no interest in Fura or whatever the Primer is, nor in Riven's corrupt and oppressive politics; he just wants to do his job and get out. But as Mars comes to know more about Fura, the Primer, and the true nature of the power in Riven, he realizes that he will soon have to take a side in a fight he has avoided his entire life.

Which side, however, he does not yet know. 

My Review:
I loved reading this book! I love her writing, and I had a great time in this world! This world with adepts, the Ice magic, the kith, and all the politics surrounding it all! I just wanted to learn more about what was going on!

Mars was a street orphan, who did was commissioned of him to make money. He stole, and he killed, but he was just the weapon, not the will, as he told himself. Watching his journey as he protects Fura, the daughter of the guy he last killed, yeah, it was interesting! 

That there was something going on with the Ice, that it was growing faster then it could be mined, was a pretty big problem, given what happens if it isn't mined. What with all the politics of the different factions, and the unknowns,, yeah, it was so great to put all these pieces together! 

That ending though? Yeah, that went so far! I wasn't expecting to do all that, because this is supposed to be a series. This is similar to Rime Chronicles, but more dealt with then that. The way things ended, yeah, they can deal with the fall out of what they did, but it doesn't need a sequel, and there hasn't been news about one, and it's 7 months since this was published, usually there'd be a record of a sequel by now, even if it was just untitled in this series. I would love more, but I'm not sure if there's going to be more.

This as such a great read, and I can't wait for whatever is next! 

Author: Mindee Arnett
Series: Riven #1 
Read: August 25th, 2023
Source: Edelweiss 
Reason Why: Love her writing and it sounded really good, and it's a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2023 Book and a WoW Book! 
Publisher: Balzer + Bray/Harper Teen
Published: January 10th 2023

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars