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The Wild Hunt #2
Trinity Rising
The future holds nothing but blood and death . . .
. . . and Teia fears there is nothing she can do about it. Her clan is riding to war, but her secret, untrained gift of foretelling has shown her they are riding to their doom. If she cannot turn them from their course, her only hope of saving them will be to betray them to their sworn enemies.
Gair is mourning his past . . .
. . . but there is no time to dwell on his grief or hunger for revenge. Pursuing an artefact from the Founding Wars, he travels deep into the hostile southern deserts. As religious tensions erupt into bloody violence around him, he must make an impossible choice: save innocent lives or sacrifice them in the hope that thousands more can be saved later.
And all the while, his grip on his powers is failing.
. . . and Teia fears there is nothing she can do about it. Her clan is riding to war, but her secret, untrained gift of foretelling has shown her they are riding to their doom. If she cannot turn them from their course, her only hope of saving them will be to betray them to their sworn enemies.
Gair is mourning his past . . .
. . . but there is no time to dwell on his grief or hunger for revenge. Pursuing an artefact from the Founding Wars, he travels deep into the hostile southern deserts. As religious tensions erupt into bloody violence around him, he must make an impossible choice: save innocent lives or sacrifice them in the hope that thousands more can be saved later.
And all the while, his grip on his powers is failing.
360 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2012
32 people are currently reading
965 people want to read
About the author
Elspeth Cooper
10 books197 followersAuthor of The Wild Hunt Quartet (SONGS OF THE EARTH, TRINITY RISING, THE RAVEN'S SHADOW and the forthcoming THE DRAGON HOUSE). Reader, writer, tea drinker, sword owner, cat slave.
I'm not here often, so if you need to get in touch, please use the contact form on my website
I'm not here often, so if you need to get in touch, please use the contact form on my website
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
August 5, 2019
RTC
Again, I am binge reading this series and another one !
ACK !
I have to wait on book 3 of this series, so am going to have to read something else (dramatic music) until it comes in !
Excellent books so far....nasty villains whom I despise and a hero who isn't perfect that I love !
And majick..lots and lots of majick and swordplay ! Huzzah !
Hang in there Gair...I am on my way !!
Again, I am binge reading this series and another one !
ACK !
I have to wait on book 3 of this series, so am going to have to read something else (dramatic music) until it comes in !
Excellent books so far....nasty villains whom I despise and a hero who isn't perfect that I love !
And majick..lots and lots of majick and swordplay ! Huzzah !
Hang in there Gair...I am on my way !!
August 6, 2012
Elspeth Cooper's debut novel
Songs of the Earth
, grabbed the top spot on my Books of 2011 list. The book had many very familiar tropes and hearkened back to the old-school fantasies of my youth. Reading it gave me warm and fuzzy feelings and just made me plain happy, so I forgave the flaws I did notice. Its basic elements may not have been cutting edge, Cooper wielded them with skill and managed to give them enough of a twist so that I really enjoyed the book. Needless to say, I've been excited for Trinity Rising since reading Songs of the Earth in December and last week my patience was rewarded and I got to return to Gair's world. To do so was a pleasure and it was over all too soon.
Trinity Rising starts by taking us a step back in time, focusing on Savin, Songs of the Earth's villain, and Teia, a Nimrothi clanswoman in separate storylines. Savin's storyline serves both as a further reveal of his motivations and as a temporal anchor for Teia's story; as we recognise events from the previous book in Savin's scenes, we know how far Teia's story has caught up to Gair's. Teia's story is arguably the main storyline in Trinity Rising; in fact, Gair doesn't even make an appearance in book until the middle third of the book. While I really enjoyed Teia's story and her character, the start of her narrative made me wince as it involves her being steered into an abusive relationship. Luckily, Cooper doesn't utilise this relationship to give Teia agency, instead this is done through Teia's visions of an appalling future for her people. Instead, the relationship functions as both a way to have her in close contact to her clan's Speaker, the one that she's foreseen causing her people's destruction and as a way to stress Teia's sense of honour and duty. It is only Teia's sense of honour and duty to her family that keeps her with Drwyn, the same sense of honour and duty that ultimately drives her to leave the clan to warn the Empire of the dangers loosened by the Speaker, Ytha. I loved Teia's development. She's always got spark, but during the novel she first stands up to the abusive Drwyn, commanding his respect, and later she stands up to the conniving Ytha, first in private, but finally in front of the whole clan. She grows up and becomes a remarkable woman, who's brave and strong and has the courage to do what is right, even if she's scared to death and feels out of her depth.
Teia isn't the only strong woman in Trinity Rising. Tanith makes a return and Ytha – no matter what you may think of her – is a strong woman as well. All three though are strong in different ways. Tanith defies propriety and the White Court to do what she thinks is right and to be allowed to make her own choices. I loved the way that she struggles with the remnants of her attraction to Ailric. Even if he still has a big physical draw on her, she knows she doesn't love him and I love that she doesn't give in to what is convenient and safe, but chooses to follow her heart and her conscience. Ytha is unpleasant, uncompromisingly ambitious, and conniving and doesn't scruple to abuse her position to manipulate people to do what she wants. But however unpalatable you find Ytha, there is no denying she's a character to be reckoned with, a kingmaker and a powerful woman in her own right.
While the book is filled with strong female characters, the men were a little disappointing. Ailric, Savin are both unpleasant and while Savin's arc had a function, Ailric just seemed to be there as a foil for Tanith and to be an obstacle for her. His failure to take her no for an answer irritated me and when he showed up again in the final chapters in the book, I wanted to slam him in the head and just dump him in the woods, so that Tanith could go do what she needed to do. Maybe he'll have more of a role in the next book, but in this book he felt a little superfluous to Tanith's story. And my lovely Gair, who I loved so much in Songs of the Earth? Gair is broken-hearted and while I understand grief affects people differently, his almost sulking obsession with getting revenge on Savin was aggravating. As long as Gair just got on with it, he was okay, but every time he started dwelling on Aysha I just wanted to shake him and tell him Aysha wouldn't want him to act like this. This was probably what Cooper was going for however, so hats off to her.
Through the different narratives, mainly those of Teia, Gair and Tanith, though we also get points of views from Savin, Duncan, Ansel and some other smaller characters, we see more of the world, especially of the Northern reaches and the southern desert and their peoples, but also glimpses of Astolar and the wildwood of Bregorin. I really loved the time spent in the desert lands and with Tanith in the mystical realms of Astolar and Bregorin, though I've the feeling that when we learn more about both of the latter societies, they wouldn't be very mystical, judging from Tanith's brief appearance at a Court council meeting. Those stodgy politicians didn't differ that much from the tradition-bound Fathers of the Eadoran Church! Speaking of said Church, the storyline set in the Church was one of my favourite things about the last book and in this book Cooper develops it in a direction I haven't seen in fantasy before. I'm looking forward to see how it takes shape in later the books and what the consequences will be.
Cooper creates some awesome moments in Trinity Rising. There is one great, big jaw-dropping moment, which I can't discuss further, since it is too good to spoil for anyone, but wow, it surprised me so much that I had to take to Twitter and share my amazement. Where in the Songs of the Earth I complained about certain things being telegraphed too much, here Cooper succeeded in surprising me, but when I went back, the clues were all there in the text. In addition to these great plot twists and scenes, she writes in a lovely style with, at times, an almost poetic choice of words. Once again Cooper has succeeded in writing a book that had me connect with its characters so strongly that I would actually get mad at them and talk to my book or be so worried for them I was afraid to go on, lest they really would be grievously harmed.
Did Trinity Rising do the same thing Songs of the Earth did for me? No, not totally. Where Songs of the Earth was an unalloyed pleasure for me because of the warm fuzzy feelings it gave me, Trinity Rising had some elements that irked me, such as Gair's broody, angry behaviour, Ailric, and the opening gambit of Teia's story. But it is definitely a strong second novel – stronger than its predecessor in the writing and plot – and when I finished it earlier today, I was already wishing that I could read the next one. Because, be warned, Trinity Rising ends on something of a cliff hanger; this book won't stand alone. Still, I'll be waiting with as much anticipation for the next book in the series as I did for this one. This, and the fact that Cooper has got me invested in her work to such an extent should, be enough of a recommendation to give The Wild Hunt series a chance. Trinity Rising was published by Gollancz on July 31st and should be available from all the usual venues.
This copy was provided for review by the author.
Trinity Rising starts by taking us a step back in time, focusing on Savin, Songs of the Earth's villain, and Teia, a Nimrothi clanswoman in separate storylines. Savin's storyline serves both as a further reveal of his motivations and as a temporal anchor for Teia's story; as we recognise events from the previous book in Savin's scenes, we know how far Teia's story has caught up to Gair's. Teia's story is arguably the main storyline in Trinity Rising; in fact, Gair doesn't even make an appearance in book until the middle third of the book. While I really enjoyed Teia's story and her character, the start of her narrative made me wince as it involves her being steered into an abusive relationship. Luckily, Cooper doesn't utilise this relationship to give Teia agency, instead this is done through Teia's visions of an appalling future for her people. Instead, the relationship functions as both a way to have her in close contact to her clan's Speaker, the one that she's foreseen causing her people's destruction and as a way to stress Teia's sense of honour and duty. It is only Teia's sense of honour and duty to her family that keeps her with Drwyn, the same sense of honour and duty that ultimately drives her to leave the clan to warn the Empire of the dangers loosened by the Speaker, Ytha. I loved Teia's development. She's always got spark, but during the novel she first stands up to the abusive Drwyn, commanding his respect, and later she stands up to the conniving Ytha, first in private, but finally in front of the whole clan. She grows up and becomes a remarkable woman, who's brave and strong and has the courage to do what is right, even if she's scared to death and feels out of her depth.
Teia isn't the only strong woman in Trinity Rising. Tanith makes a return and Ytha – no matter what you may think of her – is a strong woman as well. All three though are strong in different ways. Tanith defies propriety and the White Court to do what she thinks is right and to be allowed to make her own choices. I loved the way that she struggles with the remnants of her attraction to Ailric. Even if he still has a big physical draw on her, she knows she doesn't love him and I love that she doesn't give in to what is convenient and safe, but chooses to follow her heart and her conscience. Ytha is unpleasant, uncompromisingly ambitious, and conniving and doesn't scruple to abuse her position to manipulate people to do what she wants. But however unpalatable you find Ytha, there is no denying she's a character to be reckoned with, a kingmaker and a powerful woman in her own right.
While the book is filled with strong female characters, the men were a little disappointing. Ailric, Savin are both unpleasant and while Savin's arc had a function, Ailric just seemed to be there as a foil for Tanith and to be an obstacle for her. His failure to take her no for an answer irritated me and when he showed up again in the final chapters in the book, I wanted to slam him in the head and just dump him in the woods, so that Tanith could go do what she needed to do. Maybe he'll have more of a role in the next book, but in this book he felt a little superfluous to Tanith's story. And my lovely Gair, who I loved so much in Songs of the Earth? Gair is broken-hearted and while I understand grief affects people differently, his almost sulking obsession with getting revenge on Savin was aggravating. As long as Gair just got on with it, he was okay, but every time he started dwelling on Aysha I just wanted to shake him and tell him Aysha wouldn't want him to act like this. This was probably what Cooper was going for however, so hats off to her.
Through the different narratives, mainly those of Teia, Gair and Tanith, though we also get points of views from Savin, Duncan, Ansel and some other smaller characters, we see more of the world, especially of the Northern reaches and the southern desert and their peoples, but also glimpses of Astolar and the wildwood of Bregorin. I really loved the time spent in the desert lands and with Tanith in the mystical realms of Astolar and Bregorin, though I've the feeling that when we learn more about both of the latter societies, they wouldn't be very mystical, judging from Tanith's brief appearance at a Court council meeting. Those stodgy politicians didn't differ that much from the tradition-bound Fathers of the Eadoran Church! Speaking of said Church, the storyline set in the Church was one of my favourite things about the last book and in this book Cooper develops it in a direction I haven't seen in fantasy before. I'm looking forward to see how it takes shape in later the books and what the consequences will be.
Cooper creates some awesome moments in Trinity Rising. There is one great, big jaw-dropping moment, which I can't discuss further, since it is too good to spoil for anyone, but wow, it surprised me so much that I had to take to Twitter and share my amazement. Where in the Songs of the Earth I complained about certain things being telegraphed too much, here Cooper succeeded in surprising me, but when I went back, the clues were all there in the text. In addition to these great plot twists and scenes, she writes in a lovely style with, at times, an almost poetic choice of words. Once again Cooper has succeeded in writing a book that had me connect with its characters so strongly that I would actually get mad at them and talk to my book or be so worried for them I was afraid to go on, lest they really would be grievously harmed.
Did Trinity Rising do the same thing Songs of the Earth did for me? No, not totally. Where Songs of the Earth was an unalloyed pleasure for me because of the warm fuzzy feelings it gave me, Trinity Rising had some elements that irked me, such as Gair's broody, angry behaviour, Ailric, and the opening gambit of Teia's story. But it is definitely a strong second novel – stronger than its predecessor in the writing and plot – and when I finished it earlier today, I was already wishing that I could read the next one. Because, be warned, Trinity Rising ends on something of a cliff hanger; this book won't stand alone. Still, I'll be waiting with as much anticipation for the next book in the series as I did for this one. This, and the fact that Cooper has got me invested in her work to such an extent should, be enough of a recommendation to give The Wild Hunt series a chance. Trinity Rising was published by Gollancz on July 31st and should be available from all the usual venues.
This copy was provided for review by the author.
July 28, 2012
I liked the first book of this series quite a lot. Didn't love it, but then it was not the type of book that I would normally slip in to the LOVE category. (I tend to LOVE only seriously dark, funny, epic, raw, original, well written fantasy - and that's a big ask) All of that said. I liked it enough to want to read the next.
So, book two, Trinity Rising....
It took me a bit to get into this one, mainly because we don't see the main protagonist of the first book (Gair) for a fair while. I found that although I was quite liking the other POVs (new characters) , and the story generally, part of me was just waiting for Gair's story to continue.
Once he showed up I really started to click with this book.
It gets to be a much more serious, inventive and engrossing read than the first book. There's multiple POV's and they're all interesting for their own reasons. That's doesn't often happen. Here, each storyline feels like it has been treated with respect.There's some neat original ideas, (nothing mind blowing, but that is refreshing too in it's own way) and there's some really nice writing. It's hard to beat characters you like and decent writing. I found this book, dare I say it.. . a real page turner for me (which seldom happens these days) so Elspeth is doing something right. Regardless of how I may feel about any of the parts of this book, the whole works really well. The story arc is getting quite exciting as various events unfold and all the POV's are heading towards each other (no literally necessarily) and I'm seriously looking forward to what happens next.
Not too Heavy, Not too Lite.... Well worth at look. This will appeal to fans of: Kristen Britain, Terry Brooks and Terry Goodkind.
So, book two, Trinity Rising....
It took me a bit to get into this one, mainly because we don't see the main protagonist of the first book (Gair) for a fair while. I found that although I was quite liking the other POVs (new characters) , and the story generally, part of me was just waiting for Gair's story to continue.
Once he showed up I really started to click with this book.
It gets to be a much more serious, inventive and engrossing read than the first book. There's multiple POV's and they're all interesting for their own reasons. That's doesn't often happen. Here, each storyline feels like it has been treated with respect.There's some neat original ideas, (nothing mind blowing, but that is refreshing too in it's own way) and there's some really nice writing. It's hard to beat characters you like and decent writing. I found this book, dare I say it.. . a real page turner for me (which seldom happens these days) so Elspeth is doing something right. Regardless of how I may feel about any of the parts of this book, the whole works really well. The story arc is getting quite exciting as various events unfold and all the POV's are heading towards each other (no literally necessarily) and I'm seriously looking forward to what happens next.
Not too Heavy, Not too Lite.... Well worth at look. This will appeal to fans of: Kristen Britain, Terry Brooks and Terry Goodkind.
September 15, 2018
Yip,finally got round to finishing this one.I don't really know why I waited so so long.Another great book featuring Gair,and Teia this time,both really good characters,.
Ms Cooper has a great ability to get her point across and make you feel part of the story as well.
Looking forward to part 3.
Ms Cooper has a great ability to get her point across and make you feel part of the story as well.
Looking forward to part 3.
December 25, 2012
Enjoyed this more than Songs of The Earth, which is still a great story. I don't know if that was for the fact that this was an audio rather than ebook, or that it is simply a better book. Not an easy feat for a mid series novel. Apologies therefore for any errors in spelling :)
Any assertions of YA have been left behind, featuring explicit, and often very abusive sexual scenes. This story is grown up in a lot of other ways too - the secondary character of Tanith is being explored and developed, we get to see a simultaneous version of events in book one from savin's POV, but for me the best character thread was Teya.
A young girl with terrifying gifts, vulnerable from many angles yet with an innate strength that promises to see her through. In a lot of ways she is Gair Mark II, and far more interesting to me. Perhaps a lot of this is due to the culture in which she is imbedded. Rather than an alternative church and knights she is part of a plains people, at times reminiscent of the saami or Mongols, other times like Vikings or celts.
The author brought this reader to tears and for that alone I gave it five stars. These scenes were very immersive and moving, and Alan Corduner's Scandinavian accents were a great touch.
January 20, 2014
Much like the previous title on the Wildhunt Trilogy, Trinity Rising is a well written fantasy story. Nothing more.
***You might want to read my review on Songs of the Earth***
The main problem with this book -the past entry suffered from it in a minor scale- is the structure. The first third of the book we encounter a new protagonist Teia with her own story -the best story up to now in the series- and Savin's -the villain from the first book- point of view of the former title. More or less about 40% we are back with the Church subplot from book one. At this point one might expect the book not to mention former protagonist story; one would be wrong. Just about half the book, we are back to Gair's story line -never to go back to Savin's PoV, and seldom to explore Church's subplot- and, just to add some flavor, we got Taniths story. [Well there is your Trinity]
All and all, the novel whilst not fragmented it still feels wrongly put together. As far as worldbuilding does, it suffers from the classical and stereotypical portrays of elven-like people and savage northern tribes.
***You might want to read my review on Songs of the Earth***
The main problem with this book -the past entry suffered from it in a minor scale- is the structure. The first third of the book we encounter a new protagonist Teia with her own story -the best story up to now in the series- and Savin's -the villain from the first book- point of view of the former title. More or less about 40% we are back with the Church subplot from book one. At this point one might expect the book not to mention former protagonist story; one would be wrong. Just about half the book, we are back to Gair's story line -never to go back to Savin's PoV, and seldom to explore Church's subplot- and, just to add some flavor, we got Taniths story. [Well there is your Trinity]
All and all, the novel whilst not fragmented it still feels wrongly put together. As far as worldbuilding does, it suffers from the classical and stereotypical portrays of elven-like people and savage northern tribes.
January 24, 2013
It was OK, as the two star rating says.
I absolutely fell in love with the first book, it's actually in my top 3 probably.
[SPOILER ALERT]
I actually really liked the story of Teia. It was very different than Gair's and really added to how the Song could be very different with different people. Plus I was actually kind of waiting for a first person perspective of someone else who heard the Song.
Though Gair's story kind of dissapointed me. I was waiting for more assest to characters he interacted with and some dynamics in his quest.
The ending... I wasn't very happy with it, but then I think about this being a part of 'the Wild Hunt' and I really think Elspeth is going to do something about his story so far.
I hope the sequel will be better if there will be one?
It's still good enough for me to say that I really want to read the sequel.
Please don't be mad at me for saying this xD
I absolutely fell in love with the first book, it's actually in my top 3 probably.
[SPOILER ALERT]
I actually really liked the story of Teia. It was very different than Gair's and really added to how the Song could be very different with different people. Plus I was actually kind of waiting for a first person perspective of someone else who heard the Song.
Though Gair's story kind of dissapointed me. I was waiting for more assest to characters he interacted with and some dynamics in his quest.
The ending... I wasn't very happy with it, but then I think about this being a part of 'the Wild Hunt' and I really think Elspeth is going to do something about his story so far.
I hope the sequel will be better if there will be one?
It's still good enough for me to say that I really want to read the sequel.
Please don't be mad at me for saying this xD
August 30, 2012
This is one of those mid series books where we follow some plotlines a bit further but nothing much happens. To be fair, a new character is introduced and we get a bit of her story, but it would be nice to have something to knit the characters together in each of the books ... A desperate defence at the end of the first book (which we got), perhaps a building of an alliance in the second (which was only hinted) and the final tirumph in the third. The author did write a note about how hard she found this second book, but while it is well written as far as it goes, it needs to stand alone a bit more.
October 16, 2022
En este segundo libro aparece un nuevo personaje: Teia. Es un personaje fuerte y quiere proteger a su clan, pero para eso tiene que convencerles de no ir a la guerra. Teia va creciendo a través del libro al enfrentarse a unas relaciones abusivas a las que al fin les planta cara. Gair no aparece casi hasta la mitad del libro, pero no por eso te olvidas de él, al contrario, estuve esperando su aparición con mucha atención. El final me dejó con más ganas de leer el tercer libro, (que no sé si lo traducirán aquí) Ya que en los giros de la trama quedan muchas cosas por cerrar, así que toca esperar con ilusión.
January 14, 2013
I really enjoyed the first book and felt this one was worth reading. the book didn't quite do it for me though the new character point of views were well done, but the story was slow and at the end I felt that there was little plot or character development. Othee than have a new main character introduced I felt a little disappointment
November 30, 2015
Despite the reviews, the song of earth (trinity rising) is not in the same style as wise men fear. The language is simpler and an easier read. Overall it still capture my imagination and I quite like it. I am half way to to the third book.
October 27, 2012
Read my review here.
August 31, 2016
I really enjoyed this book - I loved the new characters and their points of view, and the ways the different peoples used the Song. I can't wait to see how all these threads are tied together.
November 8, 2022
DNF at 33 %
January 13, 2014
This review was written by Nalini Haynes for Dark Matter Zine. This and more reviews, interviews etc are on Dark Matter Zine, an online magazine. http://www.darkmatterzine.com.
Trinity Rising is the second book in a quartet by Elspeth Cooper that began with Songs of the Earth. Songs of the Earth was nominated for a Morningstar Award, which “celebrate[s] the newcomers to the fantasy genre, whose first book published in English.” I reviewed Songs of the Earth; if you haven’t read Songs I recommend reading that review, not this one.
WARNING: triggers such as rape
Elspeth warned me Trinity Rising had a different feel to Songs of the Earth, and man was she right! Songs felt much more like a traditional fantasy story, with familiar elements woven together well in a manner appealling to fans of Tolkien, the Belgariad, Sword of Shannarah and more. In contrast, Trinity got down into the mud and excrement for which humanity is so well known. The first third of Trinity runs parallel to Songs, following characters who, to my frustration, walked off stage in Songs. I was very pleased to see what they’ve been doing. Readers follow characters such as Duncan and his band who hunt the Hounds of the Wild Hunt. We see more of the nomadic tribes who remind me of American Indians or Monguls riding the Steppes. We even follow Savin, the truest villain of the story. About one third of the way through Trinity, the narrative ventures past where Songs ended, returning to Gair as a point of view character once more whilst still following the others.
Blind ambition coupled with a thirst for revenge motivates some to foolish action. International politics pitted against what the worldly-wise perceive as outmoded superstition put the world at further risk. Internal church politics incites factional sparring while elsewhere fanatics rise up to destroy heretics. Depth of character is plumbed for true motivation, spurring on the plot.
As they wend their way through the political maze, protagonists are either obviously good or undergoing development. Other characters’ alignments may be about to be revealed but the villains are all shades of black. Savin, the most evil of the antagonists, is a sociopath who delights in causing pain. Savin’s twisted mind rebels against those who disciplined or denied him as a child. Savin rapes women and possibly also animals*, gaining pleasure from others’ pain. Drwyn, a foolishly ambitious chieftain whose ambition allies him with the Wild Hunt, also gains sexual pleasure from inflicting pain. Ytha, Speaker or shaman for Drwyn, is arrogant, blind to all but her ambition, never hesitating to bully and abuse those who are slow to do her bidding, while refusing to listen to the voice of reason.
I prefer characters not be black and white; I understand that even in real life there are sociopaths like Savin but they’re few and far between. When their actions hurt others, most people rationalise their behaviour to avoid subsequent internal conflict threating their self-image. ‘The end justifies the means’ is a common argument, balancing their internal priorities against their strongest driving force.
Admittedly rape is far more common that most people would like to acknowledge. Apart from Savin whose motivation is superior entitlement couple with a strong sadistic streak, the motivation for rape is understated, with rape used to paint a negative picture of the rapist. Drwyn, for example, has a strong sexual drive but it appears he’s getting sexual satisfaction from inflicting pain. Rape is rarely about sex, it’s usually about power. Drwyn summons a string of virgins to his tent for sex, thus ruining their lives and possibilities of respectable marriage, apparently requiring sex to fill his ‘needs’ with the additional hope of a heir, yet he inflicts unnecessary pain. In contrast, the good guys treat women far better. I prefer shades of grey in characters with exploration of motive and sometimes the bad guys even doing the good thing and vice versa.
In spite of this personal preference, I found Trinity Rising absorbing and the protagonists engaging. I hope that the last two books in this quartet hold many more twists and turns. I have a number of specific predictions based on apparent character alignment and traditional fantasy tropes: my challenge to Elspeth Cooper is “SURPRISE ME. Make my predictions wrong!” There is plenty of time to do so. Even if my predictions are correct, this is a highly enjoyable read in the epic fantasy style.
#amwaiting
Update: One of the problems with reviewing a novel as epic as Trinity Rising after only one read through is the likelihood of having a brain fart leading to an error. Even when I read the bit about Savin and the firebird I mentally groped for the back story, feeling I’d forgotten something. (How? I read this book from start to finish in only a few days. Ah well, I was tired and stressed… [sigh]) Elspeth and I chat on twitter from time to time, so she felt comfortable asking where I got the bit about Savin possibly raping animals. I told her it was the firebird. She replied:
@darkmatterzine Interesting – the firebird is a humanoid girl in bodypaint &mask in this book, and the scream a ref. to her having no speech
— Elspeth Cooper (@ElspethCooper) May 17, 2013
Then I remembered the scene with the beautiful athletic women performing their sensual acrobatics dressed only in greasepaint with a few strategically placed piercings… What can I say? Only, ‘Oops, sorry’ and thanks for querying my comment.
PS after Maureen Johnson’s recent tweets and Huff Post articles about gendered book covers, I meant to comment on Elspeth’s appropriately gender neutral book cover that allows EVERYONE to comfortably read Trinity Rising on the train. Again, I forgot. D’oh.
Trinity Rising is the second book in a quartet by Elspeth Cooper that began with Songs of the Earth. Songs of the Earth was nominated for a Morningstar Award, which “celebrate[s] the newcomers to the fantasy genre, whose first book published in English.” I reviewed Songs of the Earth; if you haven’t read Songs I recommend reading that review, not this one.
WARNING: triggers such as rape
Elspeth warned me Trinity Rising had a different feel to Songs of the Earth, and man was she right! Songs felt much more like a traditional fantasy story, with familiar elements woven together well in a manner appealling to fans of Tolkien, the Belgariad, Sword of Shannarah and more. In contrast, Trinity got down into the mud and excrement for which humanity is so well known. The first third of Trinity runs parallel to Songs, following characters who, to my frustration, walked off stage in Songs. I was very pleased to see what they’ve been doing. Readers follow characters such as Duncan and his band who hunt the Hounds of the Wild Hunt. We see more of the nomadic tribes who remind me of American Indians or Monguls riding the Steppes. We even follow Savin, the truest villain of the story. About one third of the way through Trinity, the narrative ventures past where Songs ended, returning to Gair as a point of view character once more whilst still following the others.
Blind ambition coupled with a thirst for revenge motivates some to foolish action. International politics pitted against what the worldly-wise perceive as outmoded superstition put the world at further risk. Internal church politics incites factional sparring while elsewhere fanatics rise up to destroy heretics. Depth of character is plumbed for true motivation, spurring on the plot.
As they wend their way through the political maze, protagonists are either obviously good or undergoing development. Other characters’ alignments may be about to be revealed but the villains are all shades of black. Savin, the most evil of the antagonists, is a sociopath who delights in causing pain. Savin’s twisted mind rebels against those who disciplined or denied him as a child. Savin rapes women and possibly also animals*, gaining pleasure from others’ pain. Drwyn, a foolishly ambitious chieftain whose ambition allies him with the Wild Hunt, also gains sexual pleasure from inflicting pain. Ytha, Speaker or shaman for Drwyn, is arrogant, blind to all but her ambition, never hesitating to bully and abuse those who are slow to do her bidding, while refusing to listen to the voice of reason.
I prefer characters not be black and white; I understand that even in real life there are sociopaths like Savin but they’re few and far between. When their actions hurt others, most people rationalise their behaviour to avoid subsequent internal conflict threating their self-image. ‘The end justifies the means’ is a common argument, balancing their internal priorities against their strongest driving force.
Admittedly rape is far more common that most people would like to acknowledge. Apart from Savin whose motivation is superior entitlement couple with a strong sadistic streak, the motivation for rape is understated, with rape used to paint a negative picture of the rapist. Drwyn, for example, has a strong sexual drive but it appears he’s getting sexual satisfaction from inflicting pain. Rape is rarely about sex, it’s usually about power. Drwyn summons a string of virgins to his tent for sex, thus ruining their lives and possibilities of respectable marriage, apparently requiring sex to fill his ‘needs’ with the additional hope of a heir, yet he inflicts unnecessary pain. In contrast, the good guys treat women far better. I prefer shades of grey in characters with exploration of motive and sometimes the bad guys even doing the good thing and vice versa.
In spite of this personal preference, I found Trinity Rising absorbing and the protagonists engaging. I hope that the last two books in this quartet hold many more twists and turns. I have a number of specific predictions based on apparent character alignment and traditional fantasy tropes: my challenge to Elspeth Cooper is “SURPRISE ME. Make my predictions wrong!” There is plenty of time to do so. Even if my predictions are correct, this is a highly enjoyable read in the epic fantasy style.
#amwaiting
Update: One of the problems with reviewing a novel as epic as Trinity Rising after only one read through is the likelihood of having a brain fart leading to an error. Even when I read the bit about Savin and the firebird I mentally groped for the back story, feeling I’d forgotten something. (How? I read this book from start to finish in only a few days. Ah well, I was tired and stressed… [sigh]) Elspeth and I chat on twitter from time to time, so she felt comfortable asking where I got the bit about Savin possibly raping animals. I told her it was the firebird. She replied:
@darkmatterzine Interesting – the firebird is a humanoid girl in bodypaint &mask in this book, and the scream a ref. to her having no speech
— Elspeth Cooper (@ElspethCooper) May 17, 2013
Then I remembered the scene with the beautiful athletic women performing their sensual acrobatics dressed only in greasepaint with a few strategically placed piercings… What can I say? Only, ‘Oops, sorry’ and thanks for querying my comment.
PS after Maureen Johnson’s recent tweets and Huff Post articles about gendered book covers, I meant to comment on Elspeth’s appropriately gender neutral book cover that allows EVERYONE to comfortably read Trinity Rising on the train. Again, I forgot. D’oh.
September 10, 2017
This Book series is started so good with the first book been excellent. But the second one hit the bottoms. If I wanted to read stuff about young girls being raped repeatedly and sadist killing people freely i'd find something else. This book was just downright sick. The only thing I can hope is that to the main character is actually dead at the end of this book. You can bet I'm not reading anymore of this series and I'm going to take a careful look at anything else this author writes before reading it.
June 28, 2018
Not as good as the first book, which was amazing. Also the author seems to have given the main character a bit of a personality transplant to book 2. Turning him from a likeable heroic young man into a petulant whining Grinch. I also didn’t like the graphic and violent sex scenes in book 2. They were fine for me, but would definitely surprise younger readers and I didn’t think they were necessarily required to be quite so detailed
December 17, 2021
3.5
This was better than the first book, in my opinion. Once I got past the added point of views from new characters, I found myself engrossed in the story more than I did in Songs of the Earth. I still had to get past the discomfort of certain scenes with Teia, especially at the beginning, but overall it was better written and more compelling than the first installment.
This was better than the first book, in my opinion. Once I got past the added point of views from new characters, I found myself engrossed in the story more than I did in Songs of the Earth. I still had to get past the discomfort of certain scenes with Teia, especially at the beginning, but overall it was better written and more compelling than the first installment.
January 10, 2018
Second book down. I enjoyed this one as much as the first, maybe a bit more just because her character development has improved, along with the conversations.
We'll see what book three has in store.
We'll see what book three has in store.
March 21, 2018
An amazing continuation of the series, i cant recommend this series enough.
October 1, 2025
A shame I missed the first book. this book kept me entertained and got better as I moved through the story entertaining and I look forward to reading the next book
January 25, 2024
The forth book is not written.
If the forth book excisted the rating would be 4stars.
If the forth book excisted the rating would be 4stars.
March 22, 2017
Nota Geral: 2.8/5
Escrita: 3
Cenário: 3
Originalidade: 3
Personagens: 3
Suspense: 2
Humor: 2
Romance: 2
Capa: 5
Aditivo: 3
Previsível: 2
Escrita: 3
Cenário: 3
Originalidade: 3
Personagens: 3
Suspense: 2
Humor: 2
Romance: 2
Capa: 5
Aditivo: 3
Previsível: 2
November 17, 2013
You can read the full review over at The Founding Fields:
http://thefoundingfields.com/2013/11/...
Shadowhawk reviews the second novel in the Wild Hunt series, published by Gollancz.
“An interesting novel that takes a greater look at the setting and introduces several interesting characters, but fails to excite and entertain as much as the first novel in the series.” ~Shadowhawk, The Founding Fields
Sequels, as I’ve mentioned before, are tricky to get right. There needs to be a clear progression of almost every element in comparison to the first novel, and there needs to be a general improvement in things so that reading the sequel is as good an experience as reading the first novel, if not better. Elspeth Cooper’s second novel in the Wild Hunt series, Trinity Rising does some things right, but it also does a few things wrong, and the latter unfortunately outweigh the former. Trinity Rising is not the novel I was expecting, as it turned out.
The main reason I didn’t like it all that much that the protagonist of Songs of the Earth, Gair, is no longer the protagonist of the story at all. Trinity Rising is far more the story of a simple young tribeswoman named Teia. There are some other perspectives sprinkled throughout the novel, such as the returning villain Savin, Gair himself, the healer Tanith, the wizard Alderan himself if I remember correctly, Teia’s tribal chief and husband Drwyn, Ansel who is the Preceptor of the Eadoran Church, and many others. Together, they all serve to show off the many different sides to the world herein. We see the cities and the plains, the high societies and the simple tribes, the reluctant kings and the power-hungry. Lots of things.
But in all of this, we fail to see Gair as a primary character. And in a startling difference to Songs of the Earth, Gair in this novel appears to complain and pout a lot. His character is just too petty and self-involved in his second outing, and this bothered me. And he doesn’t get to do anything significant until the last few chapters, and even then his character development suffers. The core of the character, as I saw in the first novel, was entirely missing from this one.
I won’t deny that the author’s skills are definitely in world-building. The previous novel was a good enough proof of that and this novel is even more so. The entire setting is rich and layered in its diversity of characters and cultures, in traditions and laws. If there is one big reason to go pick up this book, then that is most definitely because of the world-building. Its the kind that inspires me to work harder on my own efforts.
But of course, that is not all that a novel is about. A novel also needs to have interesting and engaging characters, characters who are well-rounded and believable. This is where Trinity Rising fails the test unfortunately. Teia’s character arc is extremely irritating throughout the length of the novel. She is the primary viewpoint character here and thus I expected more from her, but we never get that. She is someone who is often very submissive to events and who is also unnecessarily petty in that she just doesn’t seem capable of thinking for others.
When you get down to it, there are two types of strong characters. The first category is of the type where they are physically strong and that is their entire defining aspect. The second category is of they type where the strength isn’t dependent on the physical attributes but the attitude, the mentality and the actions taken. And even then, the quality of the writing informs whether the characters of either type are worth caring about. In Songs of the Earth, Gair fell into the second category and he was written well. In Trinity Rising, his category hasn’t changed all that much but he decidedly straddles the fence between the two, and isn’t written all that well. And where Teia is concerned, she is in the second category but is strong on surface only since I never really cared about her, was never given a reason to, and was just bored by her entire arc.
http://thefoundingfields.com/2013/11/...
Shadowhawk reviews the second novel in the Wild Hunt series, published by Gollancz.
“An interesting novel that takes a greater look at the setting and introduces several interesting characters, but fails to excite and entertain as much as the first novel in the series.” ~Shadowhawk, The Founding Fields
Sequels, as I’ve mentioned before, are tricky to get right. There needs to be a clear progression of almost every element in comparison to the first novel, and there needs to be a general improvement in things so that reading the sequel is as good an experience as reading the first novel, if not better. Elspeth Cooper’s second novel in the Wild Hunt series, Trinity Rising does some things right, but it also does a few things wrong, and the latter unfortunately outweigh the former. Trinity Rising is not the novel I was expecting, as it turned out.
The main reason I didn’t like it all that much that the protagonist of Songs of the Earth, Gair, is no longer the protagonist of the story at all. Trinity Rising is far more the story of a simple young tribeswoman named Teia. There are some other perspectives sprinkled throughout the novel, such as the returning villain Savin, Gair himself, the healer Tanith, the wizard Alderan himself if I remember correctly, Teia’s tribal chief and husband Drwyn, Ansel who is the Preceptor of the Eadoran Church, and many others. Together, they all serve to show off the many different sides to the world herein. We see the cities and the plains, the high societies and the simple tribes, the reluctant kings and the power-hungry. Lots of things.
But in all of this, we fail to see Gair as a primary character. And in a startling difference to Songs of the Earth, Gair in this novel appears to complain and pout a lot. His character is just too petty and self-involved in his second outing, and this bothered me. And he doesn’t get to do anything significant until the last few chapters, and even then his character development suffers. The core of the character, as I saw in the first novel, was entirely missing from this one.
I won’t deny that the author’s skills are definitely in world-building. The previous novel was a good enough proof of that and this novel is even more so. The entire setting is rich and layered in its diversity of characters and cultures, in traditions and laws. If there is one big reason to go pick up this book, then that is most definitely because of the world-building. Its the kind that inspires me to work harder on my own efforts.
But of course, that is not all that a novel is about. A novel also needs to have interesting and engaging characters, characters who are well-rounded and believable. This is where Trinity Rising fails the test unfortunately. Teia’s character arc is extremely irritating throughout the length of the novel. She is the primary viewpoint character here and thus I expected more from her, but we never get that. She is someone who is often very submissive to events and who is also unnecessarily petty in that she just doesn’t seem capable of thinking for others.
When you get down to it, there are two types of strong characters. The first category is of the type where they are physically strong and that is their entire defining aspect. The second category is of they type where the strength isn’t dependent on the physical attributes but the attitude, the mentality and the actions taken. And even then, the quality of the writing informs whether the characters of either type are worth caring about. In Songs of the Earth, Gair fell into the second category and he was written well. In Trinity Rising, his category hasn’t changed all that much but he decidedly straddles the fence between the two, and isn’t written all that well. And where Teia is concerned, she is in the second category but is strong on surface only since I never really cared about her, was never given a reason to, and was just bored by her entire arc.
June 2, 2015
I did enjoy the first book in this series, though there were a couple of major things that bothered me (particularly what happened to Aysha). I went into this one with high hopes and, well…the ending wasn’t too bad. It’s just a shame it took so long to get there. In Songs of the Earth, we met Gair after he’d been tortured. We knew he’d been physically and mentally scarred, but by the time we got there, he was about to move on to his new life. We didn’t have to watch the torture and we didn’t need to. Seeing the effects was enough. In Trinity Rising, I didn’t need to see Teia being raped and physically abused by her husband in explicit detail, but that’s what Cooper gave me. Repeatedly. That was when I nearly put the book down. I found it incredibly difficult to try and read (and it’s not something that I normally find triggering) and I didn’t think it added anything to the story. I’m sure Cooper could have established that Teia was in an impossible, horrendous situation without describing it so explicitly. It wasn’t until these scenes were toned down and we actually started moving on with plot and characterisation that I decided it was worth continuing.
As for the aftermath of Aysha’s death, I am glad she’s not just been forgotten. Her memory is a constant presence in Gair’s pov sections. It’s just a shame it mostly serves to make Gair angry and angst-ridden – such a highly original attitude for a hero (there may be a touch of sarcasm there). I do understand that the emotional unrest is needed to stop Gair becoming overpowered, but I wish it could have been found in a different way. My favourite aspect of Gair’s characterisation is the struggle between his upbringing in the church and the knowledge that he’s now an excommunicate. More of that will keep my interest, not watching him brood and seek vengeance like nearly every other male hero since the dawn of fiction. Aysha was a fascinating, complicated character who deserves to have been more than motivation for Gair’s suffering.
Tanith’s point of view is easily my favourite. I enjoy her as a character and the political complexities of her situation. Whilst not brimming with joy, her perspective was refreshing compared to Teia and Gair’s sections, which felt much heavier to me.
(There were some point of view sections from Savin as well, but I don’t have much to say about them. I was a little confused at first because of how some of them take place parallel with the first book, rather than this one – pacing and structure aren’t this book’s strength – and mostly it seemed to be a way to establish Savin is a villainous villain full of villainy. I think I’d figured that out already.)
Some of the real world parallels from Songs of the Earth – the rigid monotheistic church with its strict hierarchy that bares a notable resemblance to Catholicism and the desert-dwelling religious fundamentalists who are attempting to destroy them – are even heavier in Trinity Rising. I’ll withhold judgement until I’ve seen where it’s going, but I think a story that involves such clear parallels to current conflict in the Middle East needs to be very careful how it treads and I’m not sure this is yet. The cultists get a lot less development than the church and there’s very little attempt to explain the layers of complexity involved in this kind of conflict. There’s a lot of potential in the world-building, but it feels to me like there’s still some big pieces missing. Obviously, they may turn up in future books. There’s a large empire with a long history that we’ve only just begun to uncover.
It’s not just the real world that I can see influencing this world building. As well as the Catholic Church, the church here (and it’s politics) reminds me of the Elene Church in David Eddings Sparhawk books. The Crainnh and other nomadic clans of Teia’s people bear a resemblance to George R. R. Martin’s Dothraki. This isn’t a bad thing in itself, I’m just waiting for something to show why this world in particular is special and different to others. I’m not lost yet, but my faith has been damaged.
As for the aftermath of Aysha’s death, I am glad she’s not just been forgotten. Her memory is a constant presence in Gair’s pov sections. It’s just a shame it mostly serves to make Gair angry and angst-ridden – such a highly original attitude for a hero (there may be a touch of sarcasm there). I do understand that the emotional unrest is needed to stop Gair becoming overpowered, but I wish it could have been found in a different way. My favourite aspect of Gair’s characterisation is the struggle between his upbringing in the church and the knowledge that he’s now an excommunicate. More of that will keep my interest, not watching him brood and seek vengeance like nearly every other male hero since the dawn of fiction. Aysha was a fascinating, complicated character who deserves to have been more than motivation for Gair’s suffering.
Tanith’s point of view is easily my favourite. I enjoy her as a character and the political complexities of her situation. Whilst not brimming with joy, her perspective was refreshing compared to Teia and Gair’s sections, which felt much heavier to me.
(There were some point of view sections from Savin as well, but I don’t have much to say about them. I was a little confused at first because of how some of them take place parallel with the first book, rather than this one – pacing and structure aren’t this book’s strength – and mostly it seemed to be a way to establish Savin is a villainous villain full of villainy. I think I’d figured that out already.)
Some of the real world parallels from Songs of the Earth – the rigid monotheistic church with its strict hierarchy that bares a notable resemblance to Catholicism and the desert-dwelling religious fundamentalists who are attempting to destroy them – are even heavier in Trinity Rising. I’ll withhold judgement until I’ve seen where it’s going, but I think a story that involves such clear parallels to current conflict in the Middle East needs to be very careful how it treads and I’m not sure this is yet. The cultists get a lot less development than the church and there’s very little attempt to explain the layers of complexity involved in this kind of conflict. There’s a lot of potential in the world-building, but it feels to me like there’s still some big pieces missing. Obviously, they may turn up in future books. There’s a large empire with a long history that we’ve only just begun to uncover.
It’s not just the real world that I can see influencing this world building. As well as the Catholic Church, the church here (and it’s politics) reminds me of the Elene Church in David Eddings Sparhawk books. The Crainnh and other nomadic clans of Teia’s people bear a resemblance to George R. R. Martin’s Dothraki. This isn’t a bad thing in itself, I’m just waiting for something to show why this world in particular is special and different to others. I’m not lost yet, but my faith has been damaged.
November 8, 2021
I couldn't get past the fact that this was a rehash of the events of the first book told from the bad guy's perspective. It didn't hold my interest at all, and it was nothing like the first book.
July 31, 2012
First, I must preface my comments about Trinity Rising by saying Cooper sure can write -- her prose is, in fact, so eloquent, it is bordering on cumbersome (with the screeds of service paid to names for people and places in quick succession, in particular). For the most part, however, it is rich, oftimes reminiscent of Rothfuss. Furthermore, Songs of the Earth bears plenty of semblance to The Name of the Wind; it is a heroic fantasy with a young male protagonist with tortuous memories fuelling his exploration and ascent into magic, fame and infamy.
It is because of these commonalities that I enjoyed Songs of the Earth, despite lacking the same groupie-type affection for Gair (Songs) that I had for Kvothe (Rothfuss' hero), and even though it withheld a very late crescendo. Songs is also rather raunchy, and sexuality is employed to characterise unsavoury characters explicitly. This, I tolerated with wincing, in book one.
Now, for Trinity Rising -- a book I was eager to read because of where Songs left off -- I had renewed interest and optimism for the story's arc after the opening novel's close.
In short, Trinity is not for me. I suspect die-hard Cooper fans will devour Trinity Rising, but as I established very quickly upon settling into its narrative, I am not a die-hard Cooper fan. Oh, I nodded in appreciation at many phrases she turned with mastery, but her sequel has amplified many of the things I found distasteful from her first book...
In Songs, there was often a tugging irritation that the supporting characters were more fascinating than the hero. I shrugged this aside. In Trinity Rising I found myself thrown in the lap of Songs' villain -- in episodes I'd experienced from Gair's perspective, no less. I should have been thrilled. Unfortunately, as was the case with Songs' least likeable brute, both of Trinity Rising's masculine nemeses are characterised by their sexual exploitation of women; graphically and early.
I hung my head when I realised Cooper's particular brand of heat was not to be a match for me -- because I desperately wanted it to be -- the writing, the writing! I find my preference for subtley and euphemisms in regards to something I regard as sacred remains unchanged.
The rest of my review can be found here.
It is because of these commonalities that I enjoyed Songs of the Earth, despite lacking the same groupie-type affection for Gair (Songs) that I had for Kvothe (Rothfuss' hero), and even though it withheld a very late crescendo. Songs is also rather raunchy, and sexuality is employed to characterise unsavoury characters explicitly. This, I tolerated with wincing, in book one.
Now, for Trinity Rising -- a book I was eager to read because of where Songs left off -- I had renewed interest and optimism for the story's arc after the opening novel's close.
In short, Trinity is not for me. I suspect die-hard Cooper fans will devour Trinity Rising, but as I established very quickly upon settling into its narrative, I am not a die-hard Cooper fan. Oh, I nodded in appreciation at many phrases she turned with mastery, but her sequel has amplified many of the things I found distasteful from her first book...
In Songs, there was often a tugging irritation that the supporting characters were more fascinating than the hero. I shrugged this aside. In Trinity Rising I found myself thrown in the lap of Songs' villain -- in episodes I'd experienced from Gair's perspective, no less. I should have been thrilled. Unfortunately, as was the case with Songs' least likeable brute, both of Trinity Rising's masculine nemeses are characterised by their sexual exploitation of women; graphically and early.
I hung my head when I realised Cooper's particular brand of heat was not to be a match for me -- because I desperately wanted it to be -- the writing, the writing! I find my preference for subtley and euphemisms in regards to something I regard as sacred remains unchanged.
The rest of my review can be found here.
July 16, 2013
Not completely a sequel to the first book because the first 1/4 to 1/3 of the book actually re-tells events from the first book, but from a different perspective. There are things from Savin's perspective, so we learn much more about him and what his plans are (instead of the generic "he's evil/bad" that we had in book #1).
Tanith is a much more important character. I think her conflict with Ailrec is interesting -- she's sexually attracted to him still, but recognizes that she doesn't like who he really IS anymore. Her conflict with the ruling council is setup well, but that means the story plays out fairly predictably -- she's young and emotional and they ignore her. Because they seem elven, the conflict has more than a tinge of The Lord of the Rings feel to it -- should we isolate or should we join in?
I like how Gair's strong sense of honor and responsibility plays out, even as he's mourning Aysha. He makes mistakes, but they're mistakes consistent with who he really is and you can't see him making other choices even knowing what the consequences are. This was all foreshadowed in book #1 when he committed to attending classes instead of skipping when Aysha called and he actually did that.
Alvareon seems to be physically unable to actually share more than the very next step with Gair. Does he share with anyone? Is there anyone else in the order who could lead it other than Alvareon?
The political battle among the Suvaeon knights is interesting. Selsen is unique because of muteness/thief talk. I was betting Selsen was the Preceptor's child. The real story is even better.
Even though the last book had an epic battle and Gair's painful reiving (mental/emotional rape), this book seems more violent and definitely more sexually violent.
Tanith is a much more important character. I think her conflict with Ailrec is interesting -- she's sexually attracted to him still, but recognizes that she doesn't like who he really IS anymore. Her conflict with the ruling council is setup well, but that means the story plays out fairly predictably -- she's young and emotional and they ignore her. Because they seem elven, the conflict has more than a tinge of The Lord of the Rings feel to it -- should we isolate or should we join in?
I like how Gair's strong sense of honor and responsibility plays out, even as he's mourning Aysha. He makes mistakes, but they're mistakes consistent with who he really is and you can't see him making other choices even knowing what the consequences are. This was all foreshadowed in book #1 when he committed to attending classes instead of skipping when Aysha called and he actually did that.
Alvareon seems to be physically unable to actually share more than the very next step with Gair. Does he share with anyone? Is there anyone else in the order who could lead it other than Alvareon?
The political battle among the Suvaeon knights is interesting. Selsen is unique because of muteness/thief talk. I was betting Selsen was the Preceptor's child. The real story is even better.
Even though the last book had an epic battle and Gair's painful reiving (mental/emotional rape), this book seems more violent and definitely more sexually violent.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 17, 2017
The change of perspective from book 1 made it hard to read at first. I got through it because of my attachment to book 1. Once you understand who the new characters are it picks up.
April 7, 2013
All in all I liked this book although if I'm being totally honest the beginning of the book was quite long and drawn out and although it was fun to get to know Teia as a new character all I really wanted to know when I opened the book up to its first wonderful page was, what was happening to Gair. It took almost half the book though before we even really got to see his name in print and then we were still dealing with things that had already happened in the first book that we now had to read about again only this time through the eyes of Savin. In my opinion it would have been more exciting to read about Savins view of things simultaneously to reading about them from Gairs and Alderans, but that is just my opinion. When the book started dealing with new events though it really picked up and I was once again hooked... and the ending... what a cliffhanger, most of the characters are in more or less mortal danger. Don't worry I won't give anything away!... but I'm looking forward to the next book and really hoping that it will have a slightly faster pace in the beginning and not leave me hanging over that cliff for to long trying to see what is happening to the characters.
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