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The Riven Kingdoms #4

Age of Auroras

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Temporary peace has settled across Draegan as a new era begins for the cursed kingdom, but the royals know that tranquility is fleeting. In order to fulfill the magic and save the continent from its imminent destruction, Rhys and Amalia must once again return to Renove and see the rightful king ascend his throne.

The sorrows of yesterday forgotten, Amalia looks forward to crossing the rift one last time to see her family, filled with hope that the impossible task she and Rhys were charged with will soon be complete.

But the happy reunion doesn’t go as planned. The curse has fully descended on the once-blessed kingdom, and an imposter king wears a stolen crown.

Already, the broken magic begins to tear their world apart, and amidst it, an unavoidable battle looms that will test the royals in ways they never dared imagine.

Filled with love, betrayal, and magic, Age of Auroras is the epic conclusion of The Riven Kingdoms.

338 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 26, 2021

336 people are currently reading
592 people want to read

About the author

Shari L. Tapscott

68 books912 followers
Shari L. Tapscott writes young adult fantasy and humorous contemporary fiction. When she's not writing or reading, she enjoys gardening, making soap, and pretending she can sing.

She loves white chocolate mochas, furry animals, spending time with her family, and characters who refuse to behave.

Tapscott lives in western Colorado with her husband, son, daughter, and two very spoiled Saint Bernards.

Join Shari's newsletter, and be one of the first to learn about new projects, upcoming releases, sales, and specials.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 160 reviews
Profile Image for Taryn Palmisano .
197 reviews7 followers
January 30, 2021
The first book is through the alternating perspectives of Amalia and Rhys. Then we get Cassia and Braeton’s perspectives added and then Seraphina and Aeron's. Finally by the last book we have all these perspectives as well as Keir’s. It’s a full house of perspectives. While I do really like most of the characters; that doesn’t mean I need their perspectives. Especially since six of them are traveling together. There comes a point when it takes away from the flow and consistency of the story.

In the beginning of the final book Rhys didn’t seem like himself and neither did Amalia. They got lost in all these perspectives. Their strength and humor all but vanished for the first half of the book. 
While in some ways it was nice to know what so many characters were thinking I felt jipped out of the Amalia and Rhys story. Maybe Seraphina and Aeron could've had their own series, because I do like them- I'm just not sure this was the place for them.

There is also a typo in the first half. I hate spotting typos.
Profile Image for Kerri.
617 reviews5 followers
February 3, 2021
3 1/2 Stars

I was honestly pretty disappointed with this conclusion. It was surprisingly anticlimactic, and suffered from too many perspectives. Rhys and Amalia—our core couple—got lost in the shuffle. I still don’t care much about Cassia and Braeton, and really wish they hadn’t been necessary to the plot. I was much more interested in Seraphina and Aeron, because their relationship had something new to offer, with their magical connection. Cassia and Braeton really don’t offer much new, story-wise, and this leads to a big problem in the climax.

Firstly, we’re not as invested in them as we were Rhys and Amalia, so there aren’t the same emotional stakes. Secondly, other than the hasty marriage, Cassia and Braeton’s coronation happens in much the same way as their twins: rushed and with monsters beating down the door. We already saw this, and nothing felt new or exciting about it, even down to the father/king dying right around the same time. That scene in book three was MUCH better, more intense, and with bigger stakes. It would’ve made a better series conclusion than what we got. Would that they were switched.

The situation with Maelor felt anticlimactic as well. He just walked away? Really? And then he just dies that easily? The big bad villain, the one that Seraphina was so terrified of seemed to go down pretty easily.

Keir and his motivations seemed clunkily handled, and I’m not sure what the takeaway was supposed to be. I feel like his perspective could’ve been dropped, and Maelor could’ve simply manipulated the king in order to achieve his ends.

The magic felt pretty iffy at times, with some things not adding up, and others being a bit too convenient, but what bothered me the most about it, was it simply being GONE after the chasm heals. Maybe gone from the land, but from Seraphina and Aeron too? I don’t really feel like that makes a lot of sense. It’s inherent, it’s part of them, like eye color or height.

I enjoyed the series overall, and especially books one and three, but I was disappointed with the conclusion.

I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Profile Image for Deborah.
676 reviews52 followers
January 30, 2021
3.5 stars

I really enjoyed the first three books of this series. The first book was by far the best. Each book went down a little for me. I think this series should of been done in three books and I think it would of been so much better! It was drug out too long and the final book fell kind of flat for me in parts.

Still glad everyone got their happily ever afters.
Profile Image for Lindsey.
171 reviews2 followers
February 2, 2021
Loved this whole series!

This was a great series! I really got sucked into each book. Fantasy isn’t my favorite genre but I might change my mind now. I enjoyed the action, and loved the whole cast of characters.
Profile Image for Christina.
799 reviews33 followers
February 11, 2021
I’m sad the series is now done!

I have been anxiously waiting for this book to come out, so much so that I downloaded it as soon as it became available in the middle of last night and stayed up most the night to finish it.

It was full of twists and turns that I hadn’t expected. I really liked being able to read into each of the characters’ perspectives (Aeron and Seraphina were definitely favorites!), and it really built up the tension when reading from the “villains” perspective as well.

I finished it so quickly that I felt like I rushed the story a bit. This book was definitely more dark and hopeless than the previous ones, but still proved true to delivering a great story, clean romance, and a happily-ever-after.
Profile Image for Aimee .
3,072 reviews298 followers
February 1, 2021
Last book in the series?! Sigh. I'm so sad to be at the end but happy too. Bittersweet. This is a series you really need to read in order as each book builds on the last.

This was a dramatic conclusion to this series. Each book has built on character relations and interactions. The story line has grown and here we find ourselves at the end. I loved the alternating perspectives and how every character was present and needed in the last great push to save the kingdoms and the people. I love these characters but I think Seraphina and Aeron stole the show for me in this book. They worked their magic together and I loved their emotional and dramatic ending. 😍 It was perfect for them. And of course, this book ends where it started- with Rhys and Amalia. Fitting and so, so good.

I may have read through this book WAY too fast. I was so anxious to reach the conclusion and the anticipated happily ever after. Now I wish I would have savored it a bit more. I loved this book and this series. Shari Tapscott is an author I can depend on for fantastic stories in many genres but I absolutely love her adventure/magical stuff. It's so hard to find clean books in this genre.

Content: some violence, kissing, peril.

- I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Profile Image for Marilee .
1,454 reviews236 followers
July 30, 2022
SUCH a great ending to a fantastic series! I loved all the pov but also getting some of the focus back on Rhys and Amalia as they were the original pov. There were a few plot points that felt a little similar to the last book but I didn't even care because I was so engrossed in the story. 5 stars for this book and the whole series and cannot wait to read more from this author!
Profile Image for Anna.
Author 20 books328 followers
January 28, 2022
The ending felt a BIT anticlimactic, but it was highly satisfying to see the conclusion all the same!

Remained clean throughout all four books. The characters where lovable and I highly recommend this series!
Profile Image for Tricia Mingerink.
Author 12 books450 followers
February 1, 2021
I have been dying to read this book ever since I finished book 3 in this series. In this book, all of the story threads come together as they face Maelor, the true bad guy, and attempt to heal both kingdoms once and for all! Braeton really comes into his own in this book. Him and Cassia are still my favorite, though Aeron and Seraphina are a close second. Not to mention Rhys and Amalia are still cute together. Between the three couples, this book definitely had the romance part of romantic fantasy with plenty of swoon-worthy scenes (though it remains clean and shows that romance doesn't have to be steamy to be adorable!)

I couldn't put this book down and finished it in just a couple of sittings. It jumped between a lot of POVs. I was never confused, though it did feel slightly less connected to a few of the characters since there were so many vying for attention in this book. But after the full series where I have come to adore each of them, I didn't mind seeing all of them.

A fitting conclusion, with a hint of possibly more to come in this world? I certainly hope so, for I loved this series start to finish!
Profile Image for T.K..
Author 3 books111 followers
February 10, 2021
{Spoilers} The last book ended with such a sense of urgency that I was surprised the characters let a month elapse before starting on their journey. It's literally the end of their world at stake, but their travel is almost leisurely and they consent to several days of house arrest, all so they can wait to the last possible moment to save the world. Are there great moments? Yes. Is there a surprise twist ending? Also yes. Did Keir need to die? Probably. It's still a good book, but it would have been so much better without the plot-device-laden waiting.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Melissa.
2,542 reviews268 followers
March 13, 2021
A nice finish to a fun series. ANyone who follows my reviews knows I am not a big fan of series. I think they are a ploy for authors to sell more books or more likely publishers push this idea so they can sell more books. Middle books are full of fluff and the end book is always wrap up and no story. This series was great because you get many POV, which worked. Their was lots of action and surprises along the way that worked. I read the 1st and 2nd book then months later read the 3rd and 4th. If I would have read these all together it would have been too much and I would be overloaded with the Riven Kingdom. But reading it this way had me engaged and cheering for these characters the whole time.
These are YA feel, with some violence that is pretty tame. The kingdom is at war with monsters.
Profile Image for Katie Marie.
490 reviews
February 6, 2021
I have no words. This book, this series, was absolutely beautiful and amazing and I am so sad for it to end. I have LOVED so many books by Shari L. Tapscott, but I think this series might just beat them all. You guys, if you have not read The Riven Kingdoms, or haven't finished them yet, you absolutely MUST!! Drop what you're reading and go pick these up, I promise they won't disappoint! If you're looking for clean reads, with plenty of magic, romance, danger, suspense, humor, and so much more, then this series is for you!
Profile Image for D.L. Boyles.
Author 5 books9 followers
Read
November 3, 2020
I can't wait for January!! I L-O-V-E this series!!
Profile Image for Riella Cristobal .
424 reviews9 followers
January 29, 2021
Age of Auroras by Shari L. Tapscott

    The amazing conclusion to the Riven Kingdoms series, Age of Auroras is finally here!! I have had the privilege to read the earlier books in the series and have been impatiently awaiting this final book. I was so excited to finally read it, I finished it in less than a day! 
Although Rhys and Amalia have now wed and Draegan is beginning to recover, the curse is not yet lifted. Braeton and Cassia need to journey back to Renove, to ensure that the rightful king is crowned. Amalia is full of hope for the future, but there is still much danger along their travels. As the curse descends upon Renove and an imposter king wears a stolen crown, the royals face magic and danger like never before.
    What an amazing conclusion! I was so ready for this! After seeing Rhys and Amalia’s marriage and some of the peace coming over Draegan, I was anticipating how the next stage would go. All the characters from the last three books are back, Rhys, Amalia, Braeton, Cassia, Aeron, and Seraphina each sharing their perspective across the adventure. I really like having all those different viewpoints, it helps flesh out the story. As new characters were introduced along the series, it developed what was going on and the backstory. Having all the different perspectives in this book was really cool, I appreciate how Ms. Tapscott accomplished different voices while still keeping a smooth flow of the story. As always, it was super sweet to see the couples in the story! Aeron and Seraphina’s romance was developing the most in this story, which was adorable! I also liked seeing the developments with the other couples as they had to face troubles and danger. Rhys and Amalia had to learn to trust each other in new ways. It was also cool to see more about the other men from Draegan. However, Keir made me so irritated! He totally allowed his anger and bitterness to cloud his judgement. There were a few points where I wanted to give him a good scolding, but maybe that is my older sisterness coming out. 
    I thought that the conclusion felt well worth the wait. There was a struggle to get there, but ultimately there was a happy ending. I totally suggest this book! With the action/adventure, the fantasy elements, the romance, and the happy ending, it is all so amazing! It is a clean fantasy book that I would definitely recommend to those who like this genre. I think it would be teens and up, just for the general action and romance. However, it is the last book in a chronological series, so you definitely should read the other books!.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, I was not required to write a positive review.
83 reviews5 followers
January 30, 2021
Fun conclusion to the Riven Kingdom Series

Content guide: kisses, some fade to black scenes of married couple(s). No on page descriptions of sex thankfully. I don't recall any cursing/swearing. Mild violence/fighting scenes with shadow creatures etc.

I liked how this book concluded the stories of the 3 main couples who present points of view.

I thought the development and pacing of the book were good. I did like how is not a redo/recycle of any of the previous books in the series.
I didn't reread the first 3 books in the series prior to this 4th book release, and the author provided enough refreshers to catch a reader up. Unfortunately I still felt a little disjointed. I think this book would probably be most enjoyable read back to back as a series. Or maybe not by a forgetful pregnant lady like myself without reviewing/skimming the previous books haha.

Overall: enjoyable read. I book binged and read it entirely in one day wondering and wanting to know how they were going to get out of the scrape in which they found themselves. Fun conclusion to the series! All loose ends are tied up.
Profile Image for Alisa.
793 reviews44 followers
March 15, 2021
I binge-read this series so I don't really have a review for each book. The plan was to pause between each book and write a review, but I just kept picking up the next book and reading it instead! Obviously, I loved this series! I was in the mood for a fantasy series, and this one was perfect for my mood! And I loved that all 4 books in this series have already been written so I was able to binge-read the series!

These books had lots of great characters, but I loved Rhys and Amalia the most! There's a chasm dividing their worlds, and it seems like their worlds are as different as night and day... but they are really more alike than they ever realized. And if they want to cure the curse on their land, they are going to have to figure things out.

(My only complaint about this series is that I would have loved a meatier Epilogue. I love a great Epilogue; I know that not everyone feels that same way, but I would have liked to know what happened with some of the characters - maybe there will be a Riven, Part 2 in the future? One can hope...)
Profile Image for Leah.
399 reviews
January 29, 2021
***Happy Sigh***
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed and loved this series and this last book was no exception.
I always love to see how an author ties up all the loose strings and completes a puzzle when finishing a series.
In Age of Auroras, there are a lot of characters to follow, but it never felt confusing. We get points of views from Rhys, Amalia, Braeton, Cassia, Seraphina, Aeron, and Keir (Amalia and Braeton’s younger brother). However, we also get plenty of content from Rhys’s knights and brother Tryndon (I love them all).
This final book had adventure, humor, and romance along with making you worry, swoon, giggle, and happily sigh. ;-)
I’m definitely going to miss all the characters and will probably have to read this series again so I can visit with them.
If you haven’t started this series yet, go do it now! You won’t be disappointed and you won’t have to anxiously wait for each new book to come out. :-)
Profile Image for Lacy.
869 reviews47 followers
March 23, 2021
Age of Auroras was probably my least favorite book of The Riven Kingdoms series. It wasn't bad. And we did get a satisfying, maybe a little rushed, conclusion. But the pacing and plot felt all over the place. It also seemed like we were doing everything the same but backwards. I get that the two main stories are supposed to parallel to break the curse. I do love my parallels. I just wanted to feel the same excitement I felt reading the first 3 books. The Kier/Maelor plot was a thousand percent unnecessary. Despite all of that, I loved this series enough to buy the paperbacks for my personal collection and can't wait to check out Shari's other/future work.

Profile Image for Vibliophile.
1,591 reviews130 followers
January 29, 2021
The long-awaited conclusion does not disappoint

I love not just the premise of the series, but also the concept of each book adding a new character focus that brings them all together in this grand finale.

This was, not surprisingly, the most suspenseful of the books & the most exciting. The wrap up to the various characters' plot arcs is totally satisfying & this has ensured its place as one of my top favorites
6 reviews
January 29, 2021
I was very excited for the final book in the series and while it tied the series together and finished the story it felt incredibly rushed. Characters that have been around for all four book did not seem to develop as they should have. While I loved the story I just wanted more; more description and character development. All being said, I really did enjoy this series and it is a great book for those looking to get into fantasy books.
Profile Image for Megan.
485 reviews6 followers
August 12, 2021
… as it turns out, seven perspectives is a few too many for me. I loved the story told from two perspectives in the first book, and four in the second, but books three and four had a bit too many for me. Also, there was too much romance in this romantic fantasy adventure. 🤷🏻‍♀️ I liked the story overall, but wished there was a bit more to the plot.
Profile Image for Delanie Slattery.
114 reviews
February 10, 2021
Can I just put happy crying emojis?

Like literally happy ugly crying right now. Ending a series is always bittersweet, and I'm feeling a ton of emotions right now. As always, a fantastic book by Shari L. Tapscott.
Profile Image for Ashley.
445 reviews35 followers
September 20, 2022
Really fun, great series. This last book had two big characters that I did not like at all. But overall it was a fabulous clean fantasy romance with lots of good action and adventure too!
Profile Image for Holly.
273 reviews2 followers
October 1, 2024
I was done with the series on book 3 so mainly read this to wrap up the story. Overall it was enjoyable.
Profile Image for TGOOT.
144 reviews1 follower
February 3, 2021
Very repetitive and slow, got very boring. The end was nice enough.
Profile Image for Makenna.
157 reviews10 followers
February 1, 2021
3.5 I didn’t find the second half of the series as compelling as the first. It felt like there were too many main characters for a 300 page book. Aeron and Seraphina didn’t really do it for me
Profile Image for Sara Blackard.
Author 40 books402 followers
August 14, 2023
One of my top 5 series!

This final book in the Riven Kingdom series didn’t disappoint. Holy moly…the twists and turns kept me tapping my phone to the next page way too late into the night!! The series has easily slid into one of my top 5 list, and I’ll be revisiting the Riven Kingdoms often.
Profile Image for Lindsay Grace.
Author 4 books143 followers
March 11, 2021
I enjoyed this book overall, but the first two in the series were my favorites because I absolutely love Rhys and Amalia, and I just wanted more of them in Book 4.

Overall, the adventure was exciting and it had the happily ever after we all wanted. Definitely worth the read!
Profile Image for Sacha-Renee.
41 reviews2 followers
May 3, 2021
Not as satisfying as I hoped

The first book in the series was great. 5 stars. Got me hooked. I loved Amalia and Rhys, and his knights. I couldn't wait to see what happened next.

I don't think this series needed 4 books. Especially when so much of the latter two books covers the additional perspectives of Keir and Aeron and Seraphina. Frankly I cared not at all for Aeron, and Seraphina's thoughts could have been restricted to one or two chapters instead of being given equal weight with the protagonists the book started with. As a reader, the chemistry of the characters matter, and not just the romantic kind. The first two build on the relationships between Rhys and Amalia, their families, the knights, and Cassie and Braeton. I felt that this chemistry was lost in the latter 2 books.

I found myself skimming some chapters of book 3, and then actually skipping parts of book 4. It dragged with the unnecessary recaps of the same events from different perspectives. There was so much time taken to describe the mundane events of travel, and the characters were always travelling, yet the big events felt rushed. We get a two page epilogue of Rhys and Amalia's lives that felt wholly inadequate.

I wish I felt otherwise, but for me this was a disappointing end to a very promising start.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 160 reviews

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