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The River Runes
Jonathan is a young man, on the cusp of taking his Master's place as magician of Third Chapel. Things are better than he ever expected; he's becoming closer to his father, he is in the midst of a blossoming romance, and his magical abilities are growing every day.
And then an exotic stranger named Bixby finds his way to Third Chapel. The faerie is curious about the people that inhabit Caithiir, the great city that stands so close to the woods, and Mother is not around to stop him from finding out what he can.
Mother, however, has been awakened in Bixby's absence only to find that one of her own has openly defied her. Jonathan and his Master are determined to protect Bixby, but the cost may be more than they can afford to lose.
The River Runes is Book One of The Fight For Caithiir and is set for release in May of 2011.
And then an exotic stranger named Bixby finds his way to Third Chapel. The faerie is curious about the people that inhabit Caithiir, the great city that stands so close to the woods, and Mother is not around to stop him from finding out what he can.
Mother, however, has been awakened in Bixby's absence only to find that one of her own has openly defied her. Jonathan and his Master are determined to protect Bixby, but the cost may be more than they can afford to lose.
The River Runes is Book One of The Fight For Caithiir and is set for release in May of 2011.
- GenresFantasy
297 pages, Paperback
First published May 8, 2011
3 people are currently reading
150 people want to read
About the author
Ken Lindsey
10 books35 followersKen Lindsey is the author of the Gavin English Stories series, as well as the fantasy novel, The River Runes. Writing has been his first love ever since he gave up his dreams of being the next Hulk Hogan, some time back in the nineties. He has four beautiful children, and lives in Northern Idaho where he drinks far too much coffee.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
July 28, 2011
Caithir is a human city surrounded by a hostile wilderness populated by faeries, though these faeries are not those of children's tales. We don't know how the humans got there, only that their ancestors were primitive nomads who evolved to their present state over many generations. True to the tradition of fantasy novels, the humans have a medieval technology supplemented by magic, while the faeries' power is entirely magical, albeit of a different kind. Humans and faeries are separated by mutual fear and distrust, though the faeries' fear is fueled by an intense hatred whose origins are lost in an ancient racial memory.
In this setting, we meet the two protagonists: the young human apprentice magician, Jonathan, and the irreverent faerie, Bixby, who wishes to rebel against the apartheid that has kept the societies separate. Bixby is young only in relative terms for the immortal faeries, but his inquisitive nature makes him a fine counterpart for Jonathan's knowledge-hungry curiosity. Each has his own obstacles to struggle against, in Bixby's case a matriarchal society controlled by a form of mass hypnosis, and in Jonathan's, a boorish young noble jealous of the young woman who favors Jonathan.
"The River Runes" is a young adult novel that is to true this tradition as well - young people growing into adulthood, finding their way in a confusing world that isn't always friendly or rational. On both sides, it is about people with good intentions who are also victims of their basic natures and instincts, so in that sense, it is about all of us. The two protagonists are not afraid to pursue what they believe is right, though being imperfect, they both make mistakes which are their eventual undoing. I apologize for the mild spoiler, here, but it's essential to my take on the book.
For me, the mark of a well-conceived story is that it admits a number of varying interpretations. Thus, while another recent review of this book praised it for illuminating the evils of separatism and bigotry, I see it differently. Those elements are present, but for me it is essentially about our inability to escape who we are, no matter how hard we try. It's also a reminder, not often found in young adult fiction, that no matter how good our intentions or how hard we work to achieve them, we sometimes err and don't always get what we want, and things can often go horribly wrong. And as I got to know who these characters truly were, I questioned whether the humans and faeries might be best off remaining apart. Some differences are so great that they simply cannot be overcome. I imagine that in today's world of failed marriages and divided families, that is a lesson many young people have already learned. Despite that, even at the darkest hour, there's always a ray of hope for the future.
While I found the story an easy, pleasant read, I was a bit dismayed by the number of errors in the text. I received the book from the author at no cost, so it's possible that my copy was not the final edited version. The book would benefit from a thorough editing, which I believe is especially important when the target audience is young readers.
In this setting, we meet the two protagonists: the young human apprentice magician, Jonathan, and the irreverent faerie, Bixby, who wishes to rebel against the apartheid that has kept the societies separate. Bixby is young only in relative terms for the immortal faeries, but his inquisitive nature makes him a fine counterpart for Jonathan's knowledge-hungry curiosity. Each has his own obstacles to struggle against, in Bixby's case a matriarchal society controlled by a form of mass hypnosis, and in Jonathan's, a boorish young noble jealous of the young woman who favors Jonathan.
"The River Runes" is a young adult novel that is to true this tradition as well - young people growing into adulthood, finding their way in a confusing world that isn't always friendly or rational. On both sides, it is about people with good intentions who are also victims of their basic natures and instincts, so in that sense, it is about all of us. The two protagonists are not afraid to pursue what they believe is right, though being imperfect, they both make mistakes which are their eventual undoing. I apologize for the mild spoiler, here, but it's essential to my take on the book.
For me, the mark of a well-conceived story is that it admits a number of varying interpretations. Thus, while another recent review of this book praised it for illuminating the evils of separatism and bigotry, I see it differently. Those elements are present, but for me it is essentially about our inability to escape who we are, no matter how hard we try. It's also a reminder, not often found in young adult fiction, that no matter how good our intentions or how hard we work to achieve them, we sometimes err and don't always get what we want, and things can often go horribly wrong. And as I got to know who these characters truly were, I questioned whether the humans and faeries might be best off remaining apart. Some differences are so great that they simply cannot be overcome. I imagine that in today's world of failed marriages and divided families, that is a lesson many young people have already learned. Despite that, even at the darkest hour, there's always a ray of hope for the future.
While I found the story an easy, pleasant read, I was a bit dismayed by the number of errors in the text. I received the book from the author at no cost, so it's possible that my copy was not the final edited version. The book would benefit from a thorough editing, which I believe is especially important when the target audience is young readers.
February 13, 2012
When I was a wee one, I buried myself in quite a few fantasy worlds. As I grew older, however, and the lure of being scared out of my wits took over, I pushed fantasy back and let the horror take over. What was it, I thought, that led me from one genre to the next, and why have I never looked back?
Setting. To me, it was all about the setting. I loved to be transported to a world that was not unlike our own populated with vivid characters who fought and loved and died in front of me and did so without all the technological trappings we have now. When fantasy books no longer transported me to that world, I turned away.
So, with trepidation I took hold of THE RIVER RUNES by Ken Lindsey and hoped for the best. Would I be transported to the world of my youth? Would the characters speak to both my inner child and my adult self? Would I find that chivalry had not died? In short, would I like it?
In the world occupied by the characters of THE RIVER RUNES, I found my inner child once again. I was easily transported to the city, to the magicians' castles, to the walls where the battles took place. I felt for the characters, watched them grow, and got my insides all twisted up when they made mistakes. I tore through the battle scenes page after page and felt the tension inside me grow.
In short: THE RIVER RUNES is a page-turner, a great story of love and conflict, and a true fantasy in every sense of the word. There were loose ends that could have been tied up better, and personally, I would have liked to have stayed in that world longer, but I often think that if I really want to stay in a book longer, then the book must have been very good.
It was exactly as I remembered fantasy being when I was that wee one, and I am very glad I read it.
Setting. To me, it was all about the setting. I loved to be transported to a world that was not unlike our own populated with vivid characters who fought and loved and died in front of me and did so without all the technological trappings we have now. When fantasy books no longer transported me to that world, I turned away.
So, with trepidation I took hold of THE RIVER RUNES by Ken Lindsey and hoped for the best. Would I be transported to the world of my youth? Would the characters speak to both my inner child and my adult self? Would I find that chivalry had not died? In short, would I like it?
In the world occupied by the characters of THE RIVER RUNES, I found my inner child once again. I was easily transported to the city, to the magicians' castles, to the walls where the battles took place. I felt for the characters, watched them grow, and got my insides all twisted up when they made mistakes. I tore through the battle scenes page after page and felt the tension inside me grow.
In short: THE RIVER RUNES is a page-turner, a great story of love and conflict, and a true fantasy in every sense of the word. There were loose ends that could have been tied up better, and personally, I would have liked to have stayed in that world longer, but I often think that if I really want to stay in a book longer, then the book must have been very good.
It was exactly as I remembered fantasy being when I was that wee one, and I am very glad I read it.
July 16, 2011
Jonathan is an aspiring magician in the city of Caithii and everything seems to be running according to plan for him. Until he meets Bixby who's a fairy. Bixby has done something to enrage Mother, which has set events into motion that might just mean the end of Bixby, but Jonathan is determined to protect his friend. Together with his Master, Jonathan is prepared to do what no magician would ever dare.
Jonathan is an interesting character coming from a good background. He's earnest, hard-working and loyal to his friends. Bixby is someone who doesn't quite fit into Jonathan's life and plans. I liked the contrast in characters there.
The River Runes was a great read for both children and adults. It was a colourful read set in a fantasy world that seemed believable and well developed. I enjoyed the paranormal aspects of the magicians and how they protect the city and its mortal inhabitants. Young readers will enjoy Jonathan's development from a teen into something much bigger carrying a lot of responsibility on his shoulders. The importance of friendship is emphasised throughout the book, which makes The River Runes an excellent gift for kids and teens, not least to help them build self-esteem and teach them friendship and responsibility along the way.
The language was age appropriate with good description that made it easy for me to understand how Caithiir is built.
All in all, an interesting read for the young and the young at heart, which I enjoyed very much. Would definitely recommend to parents and their kids as well as anyone who's interested in magic and fantasy.
Jonathan is an interesting character coming from a good background. He's earnest, hard-working and loyal to his friends. Bixby is someone who doesn't quite fit into Jonathan's life and plans. I liked the contrast in characters there.
The River Runes was a great read for both children and adults. It was a colourful read set in a fantasy world that seemed believable and well developed. I enjoyed the paranormal aspects of the magicians and how they protect the city and its mortal inhabitants. Young readers will enjoy Jonathan's development from a teen into something much bigger carrying a lot of responsibility on his shoulders. The importance of friendship is emphasised throughout the book, which makes The River Runes an excellent gift for kids and teens, not least to help them build self-esteem and teach them friendship and responsibility along the way.
The language was age appropriate with good description that made it easy for me to understand how Caithiir is built.
All in all, an interesting read for the young and the young at heart, which I enjoyed very much. Would definitely recommend to parents and their kids as well as anyone who's interested in magic and fantasy.
July 10, 2011
In Ken Lindsey’s book River Runes, we enter the city of Caithiir. It is inhabited by humans but visited daily and protected through the river runes by magicians. Jonathan is the protagonist who is an apprentice to a magician. He is coming into his own. Soon he will assume the Master's place as magician of Third Chapel. However a curious newcomer makes his way into Third Chapel by the name of Bixby. He is a faerie. He is naïve and unsupervised. Trouble brews since the overwhelming force of Mother has been set in motion, and there are consequences. How can Jonathan and the magician, Imlay, protect Bixby?
This book is dramatic, in that, events are always unfolding and since we care about the fully developed main characters, we as readers want to read on. The language that the author Ken Lindsey uses to describe the city and the magician and his apprentice working on the runes is very detailed and precise. You can easily picture a scene of what is happening. It should be made into a movie.
I especially like the subtle comparisons between the humans who live in Caithiir and real people in everyday life. They are so ignorant of the forces that impact their lives—the power of the river that they so desperately try to control and the magicians everywhere around them. At the same time they think they are so in control when they are not.
I really liked this book. I will not give away the plot or the ending. All I can say is, “Read it!”
Review by Kimberly Fujioka
This book is dramatic, in that, events are always unfolding and since we care about the fully developed main characters, we as readers want to read on. The language that the author Ken Lindsey uses to describe the city and the magician and his apprentice working on the runes is very detailed and precise. You can easily picture a scene of what is happening. It should be made into a movie.
I especially like the subtle comparisons between the humans who live in Caithiir and real people in everyday life. They are so ignorant of the forces that impact their lives—the power of the river that they so desperately try to control and the magicians everywhere around them. At the same time they think they are so in control when they are not.
I really liked this book. I will not give away the plot or the ending. All I can say is, “Read it!”
Review by Kimberly Fujioka
June 5, 2012
The River Runes
By Ken Lindsey
He has stood in the shadows and observed the village grow into the bustling city but his mother, his ruler, has forbidden him to interact with the people of the town. But mother has been gone for a long time now and his curiosity grows everyday especially where the magicians are concerned. Soon he will build up the courage to venture into the city, but when he does, he unintentionally brings about a war between his people and the humans.
The author manages to create an interesting story full of Fairies and magicians and the coinciding war between these two factions it is so well written and thought out that you can imagine yourself there in the midst of the chaos. With fairies that eat humans and a bloody battle this almost seems to be a man’s book but then the author encompasses romance between some of the characters that is sweet and beautiful adding a different dimension to the book altogether. This novel brings to life the complexities of love and the growth of a young man into a strong warrior, if you are a fan of fantasy, and I do not mean the vampire romance craze, well then you will love this book.
For More Reviews be sure to visit my blogs at:
http://reflectionsofabookworm.wordpre...
http://bookwormrflects8.blogspot.com/
By Ken Lindsey
He has stood in the shadows and observed the village grow into the bustling city but his mother, his ruler, has forbidden him to interact with the people of the town. But mother has been gone for a long time now and his curiosity grows everyday especially where the magicians are concerned. Soon he will build up the courage to venture into the city, but when he does, he unintentionally brings about a war between his people and the humans.
The author manages to create an interesting story full of Fairies and magicians and the coinciding war between these two factions it is so well written and thought out that you can imagine yourself there in the midst of the chaos. With fairies that eat humans and a bloody battle this almost seems to be a man’s book but then the author encompasses romance between some of the characters that is sweet and beautiful adding a different dimension to the book altogether. This novel brings to life the complexities of love and the growth of a young man into a strong warrior, if you are a fan of fantasy, and I do not mean the vampire romance craze, well then you will love this book.
For More Reviews be sure to visit my blogs at:
http://reflectionsofabookworm.wordpre...
http://bookwormrflects8.blogspot.com/
June 6, 2012
I really loved this book! When I saw the word magician in the synopsis, you know, I kind of squealed a bit and knew that I would love to read this book. I am a huge fan of magic and fantasy.
Jonathan reminded me of Merlin from the BBC show. He was very hard working and was very loyal. I saw him grew into a man. (If you know the show the opening changed from "boy" to "man"...yup I am getting teary eyed.) The plot might sound cliche, you know the whole protecting the city and all, but it was so familiar and different at the same time. Some of you might know that my sister is a bigger fantasy fan, but I also really enjoy the genre. When I read this book, it felt like home, which is ironic because the setting was so not home.
I loved how well described the book was. I felt like I was transported to the world where magics and castle existed. The emotions of the characters transferred to me. I felt their pain and joy. The battle scenes were amazing. I totally wanted to bring out my "let's pretend this is a huge kickass sword sword" and kick some butts!
The romance was amazing as well! There was a lot of emphasis on friendship, which I think YA lacks these days. So very well done Ken for homing in on friendship. This book totally rekindled my heart for fantasy.
Jonathan reminded me of Merlin from the BBC show. He was very hard working and was very loyal. I saw him grew into a man. (If you know the show the opening changed from "boy" to "man"...yup I am getting teary eyed.) The plot might sound cliche, you know the whole protecting the city and all, but it was so familiar and different at the same time. Some of you might know that my sister is a bigger fantasy fan, but I also really enjoy the genre. When I read this book, it felt like home, which is ironic because the setting was so not home.
I loved how well described the book was. I felt like I was transported to the world where magics and castle existed. The emotions of the characters transferred to me. I felt their pain and joy. The battle scenes were amazing. I totally wanted to bring out my "let's pretend this is a huge kickass sword sword" and kick some butts!
The romance was amazing as well! There was a lot of emphasis on friendship, which I think YA lacks these days. So very well done Ken for homing in on friendship. This book totally rekindled my heart for fantasy.
July 12, 2012
MARK'S REVIEW
This book has a lot to offer: adventure, magic, characters you both love and hate, and so much more. However, in my opinion, the thing that gives it the most charm is the setting. I love stories of ancient civilizations when towns were built with an outer wall. One particular scene hinted at some of the history of the humans of this particular city, Caithiir—that was one of the better scenes in my opinion.
Where this story lacks is in the quality of the editing. Some scenes were written so wonderfully that a five would have been an easy rating, while other scenes needed another editing pass. For example, there were repeated phrases, such as "couldn't help but." At one point that phrase was used in two consecutive paragraphs. One could argue that using it one time would be one time too many. Using it repeatedly simply weakens your characterization.
However, let me assure you that the problems with the editing are minor. There is more good to this story than there is bad, the good parts out weighing the bad several times over. An attacking army of magical faeries, a love triangle, and even an old magician—these are the things that make the story worth reading.
This book has a lot to offer: adventure, magic, characters you both love and hate, and so much more. However, in my opinion, the thing that gives it the most charm is the setting. I love stories of ancient civilizations when towns were built with an outer wall. One particular scene hinted at some of the history of the humans of this particular city, Caithiir—that was one of the better scenes in my opinion.
Where this story lacks is in the quality of the editing. Some scenes were written so wonderfully that a five would have been an easy rating, while other scenes needed another editing pass. For example, there were repeated phrases, such as "couldn't help but." At one point that phrase was used in two consecutive paragraphs. One could argue that using it one time would be one time too many. Using it repeatedly simply weakens your characterization.
However, let me assure you that the problems with the editing are minor. There is more good to this story than there is bad, the good parts out weighing the bad several times over. An attacking army of magical faeries, a love triangle, and even an old magician—these are the things that make the story worth reading.
February 27, 2013
This was a very interesting book. I'm not usually a fan of books like this for one reason. Most times these book go on and on with the details of the fantasy world that it ends up taking away from the story. Or the oppisite; it describs so little of the fantasy world that you have trouble keeping up with the story. The author gave you the right amount of side dishes without taking away from the meat of the story. It was very well put together and very hard to put down at times. I believe everyone can enjoy this story whether you are a huge fan of fantasy or just someone like me who can enjoy a good fantasy story from time to time. I honestly can't wait for the next story of Cathiir.
November 26, 2011
Delightfu! I highly recommend this book! I gave it five stars--a must read!
June 12, 2012
I found this to be a very interesting story. Shows a whole new aspect to fairies. Definitely a good read for teens and young adults.
July 18, 2012
“The River Runes” is an imaginative and engaging story of magic, faeries and conflict. An interesting cast of characters we grow fond of despite their imperfections.
July 21, 2014
This is a whole new spin on fairies. You fall right in with the main character and can visualize exactly where he is and what he is doing without a lot of description involved. I'm not into books that you need to spend two pages reading how a building looks. Almost didn't pick this book, but glad I spent the read. There is a big fat opening at the end, leaving the possibility for a new book. Don't get me wrong. It does wrap up in the end. So you don't feel like you now have to wait around for the next in the series.
September 15, 2014
An MG/YA fantasy that pits the forest faerie against city-dwelling humans - each seen as a threat to the other's way of life. But some humans have magic in their veins which means the divide between the races isn't as wide as they first believed.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews