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Rien's Rebellion #1
Kingdom
Once upon a time, a nation’s fate depended on an informant.
Once upon a time, a woman knew the law and a man knew war.
Once upon a time, they all lived under a good Monarch’s leadership.
Until he was assassinated.
Galantier’s politics can be vicious, corrupt, and unfair, but not deadly. They’ve got a war they can’t win and dare not lose on their border. Everything depends on a practical, cooperative government, including a smooth succession.
Vohan made that easy. For twenty-five years, he’s been a steady, reasonable monarch and leader. He raised his daughter, Cazerien, to serve Galanteran justice. His nephew, Laarens, leads in the Galanteran army. They will follow him.
Now Vohan is dead, and Galanteran politics have turned bloody. Nothing will ever be the same.
Cazerien believes in the law — not just as her profession, but as a faith and the wisdom that allows her people to thrive. She knows Galantier’s game, and she plays it well. Laarens believes in Cazerien and the arts of war.
Their adversary doesn’t follow their rules.
And someone knows what their adversary must keep secret.
Once upon a time, a woman knew the law and a man knew war.
Once upon a time, they all lived under a good Monarch’s leadership.
Until he was assassinated.
Galantier’s politics can be vicious, corrupt, and unfair, but not deadly. They’ve got a war they can’t win and dare not lose on their border. Everything depends on a practical, cooperative government, including a smooth succession.
Vohan made that easy. For twenty-five years, he’s been a steady, reasonable monarch and leader. He raised his daughter, Cazerien, to serve Galanteran justice. His nephew, Laarens, leads in the Galanteran army. They will follow him.
Now Vohan is dead, and Galanteran politics have turned bloody. Nothing will ever be the same.
Cazerien believes in the law — not just as her profession, but as a faith and the wisdom that allows her people to thrive. She knows Galantier’s game, and she plays it well. Laarens believes in Cazerien and the arts of war.
Their adversary doesn’t follow their rules.
And someone knows what their adversary must keep secret.
78 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 24, 2018
27 people are currently reading
54 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
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October 4, 2019Read and reviewed for SPFBO5 (2019) as part of The Fantasy Team: https://fantasy-hive.co.uk/2019/08/sp...
Politics is a dry subject for some, but with a personal and professional interest in it, I was really looking forward to a ‘political fantasy’. That being said, when most paragraphs include 3-4 links to the glossary for definitions, this is stretching the footnotes of any government briefing pack. If the links weren’t included I probably wouldn’t have noticed and just put it down to worldbuilding I’d discover along the way. Additionally, in terms of presentation, italicising random words for emphasis doesn’t work when you also use the same styling for random stream-of-consciousness thoughts in the narrative. It becomes confusing.
The opening – a prologue – adds nothing because it doesn’t tell us anything, really. It’s just there and gives an idea of political intrigue, but what, who knows. As such it’s all politics, very little intrigue. And this theme continues throughout. Even when it could get interesting, it’s all a bit flat, and lacking emotion. Which is a shame, because the more I think about it, the more I wanted the story to embrace how different it wanted to be, and the more I wanted it to succeed.
Politics is a dry subject for some, but with a personal and professional interest in it, I was really looking forward to a ‘political fantasy’. That being said, when most paragraphs include 3-4 links to the glossary for definitions, this is stretching the footnotes of any government briefing pack. If the links weren’t included I probably wouldn’t have noticed and just put it down to worldbuilding I’d discover along the way. Additionally, in terms of presentation, italicising random words for emphasis doesn’t work when you also use the same styling for random stream-of-consciousness thoughts in the narrative. It becomes confusing.
The opening – a prologue – adds nothing because it doesn’t tell us anything, really. It’s just there and gives an idea of political intrigue, but what, who knows. As such it’s all politics, very little intrigue. And this theme continues throughout. Even when it could get interesting, it’s all a bit flat, and lacking emotion. Which is a shame, because the more I think about it, the more I wanted the story to embrace how different it wanted to be, and the more I wanted it to succeed.
July 20, 2019
Honestamente creo que nunca había abandonado un libro tan rápido como este. No pude. La sensación que da es que confunde worldbuilding con ponerle nombres raros a cosas normales. Y para peor el subrayado en cada palabra rara que aparece por primera vez, con un link al glosario, en lugar de ayudar logra el efecto contrario: resaltar el problema.
Capaz que mejora después. Yo no pude seguir.
Capaz que mejora después. Yo no pude seguir.
June 4, 2019
Brilliant!! I love this whole series, it's rich and layered, the entire world seems so real that once I finished the last book I missed it, like you would a friend, almost mourned that there were no more books to real. I hardly ever run into a series like that anymore, it felt so true and complete, so intense I felt immersed in a culture that felt as if i could walk into the pages. I mourned and rejoiced with the characters, so easy to empathize with them. None are completely evil or good, as complex as humans truly are. These were a joy to read.
June 2, 2022
The good news is, you don’t have to worry about all the names and world building because although it seems complex at first, with glossaries what whatnot, the story and characters at core are straight forward. It’s a bunch of politicians manuvering around a high stakes vote. With side stories of legal shenanigans, a little bit of magic and a touch of royalty.
It’s fine, certainly more realistic than most novels about made up royalty. Warning though - the main challenge the characters face is their world’s misogyny. And given our own worlds sexism, it didn’t feel like a getaway.
It’s fine, certainly more realistic than most novels about made up royalty. Warning though - the main challenge the characters face is their world’s misogyny. And given our own worlds sexism, it didn’t feel like a getaway.
June 16, 2019
If you were disappointed in Game of Thrones, check out Rien's Rebellion.
This is a complex political fantasy novel with a strong (and wickedly funny) female protagonist. It's got magic, intrigue, legal wheeling and dealing, family drama that hit me right in the feelings, and a world that feels deep and lived-in.
I laughed, I cried, I got angry, it moved me on so many levels. 10/10, would recommend to anyone who likes fantasy that makes you think.
It's the first part of a series, and I will definitely be finishing them over the course of the year.
This is a complex political fantasy novel with a strong (and wickedly funny) female protagonist. It's got magic, intrigue, legal wheeling and dealing, family drama that hit me right in the feelings, and a world that feels deep and lived-in.
I laughed, I cried, I got angry, it moved me on so many levels. 10/10, would recommend to anyone who likes fantasy that makes you think.
It's the first part of a series, and I will definitely be finishing them over the course of the year.
March 31, 2020
A thorough series that oozes with the intelligence of the characters within. Smart, with twists and turns that are built up in order to support itself.
It had been awhile since I'd read something that celebrated the idea of thinking fiercely about the actions of the characters within, their reasoning, and the likely consequences. Entirely worth the time to read the whole series.
It had been awhile since I'd read something that celebrated the idea of thinking fiercely about the actions of the characters within, their reasoning, and the likely consequences. Entirely worth the time to read the whole series.
November 21, 2019
First entry in interesting series. Now I've finished the series, I'd describe it as Game of Thrones with less cruelty and a more intellectual heroine.
Great fantasy worldbuilding. A interesting start with lots of intrigue. Persist with the unique titles and such, and you'll be rewarded. Highly recommended.
Great fantasy worldbuilding. A interesting start with lots of intrigue. Persist with the unique titles and such, and you'll be rewarded. Highly recommended.
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