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Riven
An epic, adventurous story of a young mercenary magic-user trying to escape the oppressive island of Riven—and a young noblewoman trying to change it forever.
Mars Darksvane wants out. Out from under the thumb of Una, the crime boss who pulled him off the streets as a child and trained him as an assassin; out from the island country of Riven, where magic, in the form of a dangerous material called Ice, allows the rich to live in luxury and keeps the poor in thrall. Mars is a secret adept—a person born with the ability to channel the magic that flows beneath Riven—and while his power gives him abilities useful to an assassin, it also makes him a target. And when his last mission ends in tragedy, Mars finally decides it’s time to escape to the mainland. No magic, no history, a new life on his own.
But Una has other ideas. If Mars wants his freedom, he’s going to have to perform a final job: protecting Fura Torvald—the heiress of the rich and powerful Torvald kith, and the daughter of the last man Mars was sent to kill—and stealing from her a mysterious object known only as the Primer.
Mars has no interest in Fura or whatever the Primer is, nor in Riven’s corrupt and oppressive politics; he just wants to do his job and get out. But as Mars comes to know more about Fura, the Primer, and the true nature of the power in Riven, he realizes that he will soon have to take a side in a fight he has avoided his entire life. Which side, however, he does not yet know.
Mars Darksvane wants out. Out from under the thumb of Una, the crime boss who pulled him off the streets as a child and trained him as an assassin; out from the island country of Riven, where magic, in the form of a dangerous material called Ice, allows the rich to live in luxury and keeps the poor in thrall. Mars is a secret adept—a person born with the ability to channel the magic that flows beneath Riven—and while his power gives him abilities useful to an assassin, it also makes him a target. And when his last mission ends in tragedy, Mars finally decides it’s time to escape to the mainland. No magic, no history, a new life on his own.
But Una has other ideas. If Mars wants his freedom, he’s going to have to perform a final job: protecting Fura Torvald—the heiress of the rich and powerful Torvald kith, and the daughter of the last man Mars was sent to kill—and stealing from her a mysterious object known only as the Primer.
Mars has no interest in Fura or whatever the Primer is, nor in Riven’s corrupt and oppressive politics; he just wants to do his job and get out. But as Mars comes to know more about Fura, the Primer, and the true nature of the power in Riven, he realizes that he will soon have to take a side in a fight he has avoided his entire life. Which side, however, he does not yet know.
448 pages, Hardcover
First published January 10, 2023
26 people are currently reading
4431 people want to read
About the author
Mindee Arnett
12 books1,454 followersYA Author of Onyx Ivory, Avalon, and the Arkwell Academy series. Represented by the fabulous Suzie Townsend of New Leaf Literary. Addicted to jumping horses and telling tales of magic, the macabre, and outer space.
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May 16, 2023YES, YES, YES, GIVE ME MORE WINTRY FANTASIES, PLEASE AND THANK YOU.
January 30, 2023
The prologue really sets this book off, it grabs you and makes you want to know more. Then we set up the story, an assassin who wants out of the game gets roped into one last mission, to guard the daughter of the man he killed. It's a good idea and I thought the magic was pretty interesting, it just got a bit bogged down in court politics and didn't do a good job of showing Mars as a badass assassin.
The romance also wasn't my favorite. I would have preferred Katrin and Fura together, since they had such a close relationship. The chemistry between Mars and Fura just wasn't there and they had little in common to bond over.
The ending is where all the action is and though it felt rushed to me, I did like how things wrapped up. I don't think this needs a sequel, I'd be happy with just this book.
I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Balzer and Bray and NetGalley for the copy.
The romance also wasn't my favorite. I would have preferred Katrin and Fura together, since they had such a close relationship. The chemistry between Mars and Fura just wasn't there and they had little in common to bond over.
The ending is where all the action is and though it felt rushed to me, I did like how things wrapped up. I don't think this needs a sequel, I'd be happy with just this book.
I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Balzer and Bray and NetGalley for the copy.
February 6, 2023
Thank you Netgalley and Mindee Arnett for the opportunity to read the eARC of Riven!
This was a very good magical fantasy novel! I was very interested in the plot and the Characters were described so well and clearly I was able enjoy them without a problem! The worldbuilding was rich and well explained and I was swept away page after page! Lots of action and no unnecessary fill in to deal with made this book a must read for me!
I will post my review on Netgalley, Barnes and Noble, Goodreads and Google play and Amazon
This was a very good magical fantasy novel! I was very interested in the plot and the Characters were described so well and clearly I was able enjoy them without a problem! The worldbuilding was rich and well explained and I was swept away page after page! Lots of action and no unnecessary fill in to deal with made this book a must read for me!
I will post my review on Netgalley, Barnes and Noble, Goodreads and Google play and Amazon
February 1, 2023
*Source* Publisher
*Genre* Fantasy
*Rating* 3.5
*Thoughts*
From acclaimed fantasy author Mindee Arnett comes an epic, adventurous story of a young mercenary magic user trying to escape the oppressive island of Riven—and a young noblewoman trying to change it forever. The author has constructed the world of Riven from touchstones in Nordic and Icelandic culture, giving the land, architecture, technology, and mythological aspects of the world their own flair and flavor.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...
*Genre* Fantasy
*Rating* 3.5
*Thoughts*
From acclaimed fantasy author Mindee Arnett comes an epic, adventurous story of a young mercenary magic user trying to escape the oppressive island of Riven—and a young noblewoman trying to change it forever. The author has constructed the world of Riven from touchstones in Nordic and Icelandic culture, giving the land, architecture, technology, and mythological aspects of the world their own flair and flavor.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...
December 18, 2022
Ebook received for free through NetGalley
Oh my goodness!!! I absolutely adored this book and couldn’t put it down. Luckily I didn’t have to (too much) and read it within a day or two. Loved the scene Rory, storyline, characters, and everything. Understand if that’s it but would love to follow along more if there’s a sequel.
Oh my goodness!!! I absolutely adored this book and couldn’t put it down. Luckily I didn’t have to (too much) and read it within a day or two. Loved the scene Rory, storyline, characters, and everything. Understand if that’s it but would love to follow along more if there’s a sequel.
December 19, 2022
I do have nice things to say, I promise. I was given an ARC by NetGalley and while this had all the ingredients for a book I thought I'd love, it's because, well, it's already a book I love. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo (and it's universe), basically. The main character of *this* book, Mars, is basically Kaz. The drug from Six of Crows, Jurda Parem, is called Ice/dust. People who can wield magic, like Grisha, are called adepts in this series. Adepts accidentally brought through a toxic substance called Ice through their mishandling of magic. Just like the Darkling in Shadow and Bone. Mars, the main character in this novel, is set up to be a super sneaky assassin with no heart, but we never see the first part, we're just told about it, so the inevitable love story ending was unsurprising.
*now* for the nice things. The story did flow nicely. For such a short book, the author did a great job with world building. The character voices were distinct, and there was a plot twist that even I didn't see coming. It was absorbing and I read it in two days when I probably should've been taking time to sleep. So it's good! But I wish it weren't so throughly reminiscent of the Grishaverse.
*now* for the nice things. The story did flow nicely. For such a short book, the author did a great job with world building. The character voices were distinct, and there was a plot twist that even I didn't see coming. It was absorbing and I read it in two days when I probably should've been taking time to sleep. So it's good! But I wish it weren't so throughly reminiscent of the Grishaverse.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 25, 2023
Riven has an intriguing premise with magic, action, and some political maneuverings. I never did warm up to the book as I had been expecting.
The start of the book is a bit slow and full of world building, my interest only picked up when he finally became enmeshed in his task and had assumed a fake identity and met his target, Fura. The initial banter and antagonistic dialogues were amusing at first.
But I quickly lost interest again when the main plot began to branch off into other subplots. I wanted the narrative on focusing more on the formula instead of the political maneuverings. Also, the romance was pretty meh and tepid to me, in that it's pretty obvious what's going to happen between them so the ending lacked a bit of climatic tension.
Some scenes had me engaged but these weren't often enough for me. Also, wanted to give a trigger warning that the magic is activated by using their own blood for our main character. So if that's not something you want to experience, then just a heads up.
Perhaps someone else would enjoy this more than me.
eArc provided by NetGalley
The start of the book is a bit slow and full of world building, my interest only picked up when he finally became enmeshed in his task and had assumed a fake identity and met his target, Fura. The initial banter and antagonistic dialogues were amusing at first.
But I quickly lost interest again when the main plot began to branch off into other subplots. I wanted the narrative on focusing more on the formula instead of the political maneuverings. Also, the romance was pretty meh and tepid to me, in that it's pretty obvious what's going to happen between them so the ending lacked a bit of climatic tension.
Some scenes had me engaged but these weren't often enough for me. Also, wanted to give a trigger warning that the magic is activated by using their own blood for our main character. So if that's not something you want to experience, then just a heads up.
Perhaps someone else would enjoy this more than me.
eArc provided by NetGalley
dnf
April 17, 2023It took me two weeks to get through Part 1, and I’m finally accepting that I’m not really enjoying this book.
The first few chapters have a lot of things I like: a killer prologue, an intriguing main character with a dark past and razor wit, an interesting world, and the potential for a fake dating trope (yay for more romance in my fantasy!)
Unfortunately, as I went along, I think I got bogged down in the slow pacing. The ‘fake dating’ doesn’t get a chance in the plot until the very end of Part 1 and then it feels really forced. Mars and Fura have no chemistry at all—which in the end is what made me put it down. I was here for the romance, so if I don’t like the couple, why keep reading?
There were still things I liked about it. The world building was pretty interesting, and I do enjoy court politics (but they didn’t really come in in Part 1, so that was disappointing). The writing was nice, easy to read. And as a character on his own, I liked Mars a lot.
As a reader mainly looking for a good romance, I was disappointed, but for those who don’t take as much stock in that, you may enjoy this book a lot.
The first few chapters have a lot of things I like: a killer prologue, an intriguing main character with a dark past and razor wit, an interesting world, and the potential for a fake dating trope (yay for more romance in my fantasy!)
Unfortunately, as I went along, I think I got bogged down in the slow pacing. The ‘fake dating’ doesn’t get a chance in the plot until the very end of Part 1 and then it feels really forced. Mars and Fura have no chemistry at all—which in the end is what made me put it down. I was here for the romance, so if I don’t like the couple, why keep reading?
There were still things I liked about it. The world building was pretty interesting, and I do enjoy court politics (but they didn’t really come in in Part 1, so that was disappointing). The writing was nice, easy to read. And as a character on his own, I liked Mars a lot.
As a reader mainly looking for a good romance, I was disappointed, but for those who don’t take as much stock in that, you may enjoy this book a lot.
January 30, 2023
Many thanks to Edelweiss, Mindee Arnett and HarperCollins for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are 100% my own and independent of receiving an advance copy.
My rating realistically sits around a 3.5 stars. The Prologue had me hooked, but unfortunately it didn’t tie in to anything in the story. I mean, it sets the stage for why Riven is the way it is, but I would love a story about those opening characters (hopefully we will get one at some point) The world building is strong and so interesting. Magic is dependent on Ice, a toxic resource that needs to be mined. The structure of the society, the environment, the abuse of the adepts (those who can do magic) really tell a great story. You have this glossy rich ruling class and the sick underbelly of society that keep everything going so the rich and powerful can stay rich and powerful. Plus all the political machinations with each ruling family trying to gain even more power were very juicy.
The Mars and Fura storyline was what killed it for me. Mars is a mercenary who needs this last contract to break free. He needs to protect Fura while trying to steal the Primer formula. Fura is the heiress to one of the kith families who wants to change the world. Their chemistry wasn’t very strong and their storyline follows the typical trope. It didn’t feel authentic and there was so much for them to overcome. I found the friendships way more interesting and thought those bonds were much stronger. There were lots of twists and turns that kept the story moving along at a good pace. I did enjoy the book, just the main characters were what slowed it down for me.
My rating realistically sits around a 3.5 stars. The Prologue had me hooked, but unfortunately it didn’t tie in to anything in the story. I mean, it sets the stage for why Riven is the way it is, but I would love a story about those opening characters (hopefully we will get one at some point) The world building is strong and so interesting. Magic is dependent on Ice, a toxic resource that needs to be mined. The structure of the society, the environment, the abuse of the adepts (those who can do magic) really tell a great story. You have this glossy rich ruling class and the sick underbelly of society that keep everything going so the rich and powerful can stay rich and powerful. Plus all the political machinations with each ruling family trying to gain even more power were very juicy.
The Mars and Fura storyline was what killed it for me. Mars is a mercenary who needs this last contract to break free. He needs to protect Fura while trying to steal the Primer formula. Fura is the heiress to one of the kith families who wants to change the world. Their chemistry wasn’t very strong and their storyline follows the typical trope. It didn’t feel authentic and there was so much for them to overcome. I found the friendships way more interesting and thought those bonds were much stronger. There were lots of twists and turns that kept the story moving along at a good pace. I did enjoy the book, just the main characters were what slowed it down for me.
March 6, 2023
3.5 stars
Thoroughly enjoyed the opening chapters. Mars leaps right off the page from the beginning, and the reader gets an immediate sense of what he wants. Fura was a bit harder to get a grasp on, though her conversations and snark were a great compliment to Mars. Some of the best scenes happened when they were at each other's throats. For me, the middle was a little laggy. I started losing interest in the story as the details sort of took over, but the end more than made up for that bit, and I did enjoy getting lost in the story along the way. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. I was not required to leave a positive review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
Thoroughly enjoyed the opening chapters. Mars leaps right off the page from the beginning, and the reader gets an immediate sense of what he wants. Fura was a bit harder to get a grasp on, though her conversations and snark were a great compliment to Mars. Some of the best scenes happened when they were at each other's throats. For me, the middle was a little laggy. I started losing interest in the story as the details sort of took over, but the end more than made up for that bit, and I did enjoy getting lost in the story along the way. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. I was not required to leave a positive review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
March 28, 2023
3.5 stars
This was a pretty good fantasy with interesting magic and world-building. The characters were complex, with competing agendas, and the plot contained plenty of action and twists. What decreased my enjoyment of it, though, was one of the main characters, Mars. He's supposed to be the best, most badass, assassin, yet he repeatedly behaved like a total neophyte. I guess love is supposed to turn you into such a pile of mush that you totally forget all of your training and skills? Frustrating.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a free e-ARC of this book.
This was a pretty good fantasy with interesting magic and world-building. The characters were complex, with competing agendas, and the plot contained plenty of action and twists. What decreased my enjoyment of it, though, was one of the main characters, Mars. He's supposed to be the best, most badass, assassin, yet he repeatedly behaved like a total neophyte. I guess love is supposed to turn you into such a pile of mush that you totally forget all of your training and skills? Frustrating.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a free e-ARC of this book.
September 12, 2024
I was really intrigued by the first 100 or so pages of this and then I just really didn't care anymore. I felt like the world building was a lot, but also didn't really explain anything well. The folklore/myth/etc. was actually real which...was strange? But it was also folklore, I don't know. I also just didn't like the relationship between MC and FMC--it just wasn't compelling. I wish that we got more of Mars, too. As it stands, he was very....not necessarily one dimensional but we just didn't really get to know him outside of he's adept, he killed his best friend, he works for Una kind of not really but he does. IDK, I was so excited for this and I think my expectations just didn't match the reading experience.
July 14, 2023
3.5/4 (rounded up)
Book was middle of the road for me. Would have preferred to have multiple POVs on this one, not just Mars’s.
Book was middle of the road for me. Would have preferred to have multiple POVs on this one, not just Mars’s.
August 14, 2023
Riven by Mindee Arnett
.
Mars is a mercenary with a secret, he is a magic user. He cannot risk anyone knowing or he will be enslaved for his power. He is trying to leave the city of Riven behind but gets pulled into one last job, protecting Fura, a young noblewomen with secrets of her own.
.
What I liked:
-I love a good “secret magic user” plotline.
-Mars was a mercenary you could root for, with his own honor code and morals. I loved following his struggle of how to complete the job while being able to respect himself afterwards.
-There was great danger throughout the book that kept me hooked.
-I loved the last few chapters of this team of three banding together.
.
4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I thought this was a promising start to a YA fantasy series.
.
Mars is a mercenary with a secret, he is a magic user. He cannot risk anyone knowing or he will be enslaved for his power. He is trying to leave the city of Riven behind but gets pulled into one last job, protecting Fura, a young noblewomen with secrets of her own.
.
What I liked:
-I love a good “secret magic user” plotline.
-Mars was a mercenary you could root for, with his own honor code and morals. I loved following his struggle of how to complete the job while being able to respect himself afterwards.
-There was great danger throughout the book that kept me hooked.
-I loved the last few chapters of this team of three banding together.
.
4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I thought this was a promising start to a YA fantasy series.
August 10, 2025
I honestly can't believe so many people genuinely are ok with this book, much less liked it!!!! I rarely hate a book, but I hated this one. At first I was excited, because it had all the markings of a good setting and good writing. But the MC Mars and the SUPER PROBLEMATIC ROMANCE ruined this book. Seriously, the "romance" was appalling. More on that later. I should have put the book down smh. But I have to see books through it’s a thing I have🙄✋🏻
I'm about to become a D1 Mars hater. The hate list is as follows:
- Even though Mars is supposedly the best assassin of the Fortune's Den, he constantly is getting surprised by people sneaking up on him. He doesn't behave or carry himself like a trained spy/assassin/thief. 🙄
- I get that he's an assassin and all, but he doesn't think critically about what he does, the assignments he's given, nor does he question the morality of it all. He claims he's being held captive by his handler who keeps him in "the life" but he doesn't seem all that upset about it. He has no conscience whatsoever and his "tragic backstory" (BASICCC) doesn't justify that. Ewww. And even if he didn’t like what he does, that doesn’t absolve him of his guilt and I’m so tired of authors pushing this idea that a tragic past/trauma is an excuse for disgusting behavior. It’s not. It EXPLAINS but does not EXCUSE the behavior.
- Mars buys the phrase his employer uses “we are the weapon not the will” the whole book then randomly has an “epiphany” that that…doesn’t absolve him of his crimes?? Hello??? Bro is denser than poorly baked sourdough😭
- At one point, he questions if something is murder just because the "intention" wasn't to kill (we’re talking about babies that were experimented on, by the way) . Hello??? Even if it was accidental, it's still murder. Get out of here with that disgusting logic, Mindee Arnett.
- Aside from all this, Mars has no personality whatsoever, and is not compelling in any way. He sucks. And I hated reading this book because of him. Booooooooooo
This leads me to THE most PROBLEMATIC “romance” I’ve ever had the displeasure of reading. Guys. Imagine a guy literally KILLED YOUR DAD!! IN COLD BLOOD!! FOR MONEY!! And he’s been conveniently withholding that information from you because obviously he knows that ruins his chances with you (as it should). All while he pursues you romantically😀😀😀😀. JAIL. That’s what’s happening in this book. So when Fura (the “love interest”) finds out, she shuts down obviously (for like 5 min🙄) and Mars has the audacity to be somewhat surprised??? And sad about that??? HELLO?? So then, to redeem himself, Mars sacrifices himself to save the island, and then magically doesn’t die because Fura and her friend managed to save him. But here’s the kicker😍 - Fura then tells Mars his debt is paid and they GET TOGETHER😀🔫 PRISON!!!!! It’s lucky I was reading this on kindle otherwise I would have thrown this book across the room😐😐😐 Listen, I’m glad she forgave him because forgiveness is always a good thing, but GETTING TOGETHER ROMANTICALLY IS SO FREAKING INSANE and I can’t believe anyone found this storyline romantic in any way. From the very beginning of the book I was rooting against them. Fura deserved better (even though she wasn’t a great character, either), and so did her dad. smh.
Anyway, we are so doomed as a society if we’re normalizing getting together with our loved one’s killer😍 Thank you and goodnight
I'm about to become a D1 Mars hater. The hate list is as follows:
- Even though Mars is supposedly the best assassin of the Fortune's Den, he constantly is getting surprised by people sneaking up on him. He doesn't behave or carry himself like a trained spy/assassin/thief. 🙄
- I get that he's an assassin and all, but he doesn't think critically about what he does, the assignments he's given, nor does he question the morality of it all. He claims he's being held captive by his handler who keeps him in "the life" but he doesn't seem all that upset about it. He has no conscience whatsoever and his "tragic backstory" (BASICCC) doesn't justify that. Ewww. And even if he didn’t like what he does, that doesn’t absolve him of his guilt and I’m so tired of authors pushing this idea that a tragic past/trauma is an excuse for disgusting behavior. It’s not. It EXPLAINS but does not EXCUSE the behavior.
- Mars buys the phrase his employer uses “we are the weapon not the will” the whole book then randomly has an “epiphany” that that…doesn’t absolve him of his crimes?? Hello??? Bro is denser than poorly baked sourdough😭
- At one point, he questions if something is murder just because the "intention" wasn't to kill (we’re talking about babies that were experimented on, by the way) . Hello??? Even if it was accidental, it's still murder. Get out of here with that disgusting logic, Mindee Arnett.
- Aside from all this, Mars has no personality whatsoever, and is not compelling in any way. He sucks. And I hated reading this book because of him. Booooooooooo
This leads me to THE most PROBLEMATIC “romance” I’ve ever had the displeasure of reading. Guys. Imagine a guy literally KILLED YOUR DAD!! IN COLD BLOOD!! FOR MONEY!! And he’s been conveniently withholding that information from you because obviously he knows that ruins his chances with you (as it should). All while he pursues you romantically😀😀😀😀. JAIL. That’s what’s happening in this book. So when Fura (the “love interest”) finds out, she shuts down obviously (for like 5 min🙄) and Mars has the audacity to be somewhat surprised??? And sad about that??? HELLO?? So then, to redeem himself, Mars sacrifices himself to save the island, and then magically doesn’t die because Fura and her friend managed to save him. But here’s the kicker😍 - Fura then tells Mars his debt is paid and they GET TOGETHER😀🔫 PRISON!!!!! It’s lucky I was reading this on kindle otherwise I would have thrown this book across the room😐😐😐 Listen, I’m glad she forgave him because forgiveness is always a good thing, but GETTING TOGETHER ROMANTICALLY IS SO FREAKING INSANE and I can’t believe anyone found this storyline romantic in any way. From the very beginning of the book I was rooting against them. Fura deserved better (even though she wasn’t a great character, either), and so did her dad. smh.
Anyway, we are so doomed as a society if we’re normalizing getting together with our loved one’s killer😍 Thank you and goodnight
January 16, 2023
I received an eARC of this book via NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.
Rating 3.5/5★ rounded up
This is going to be a hard review to write because I’m kind of ambivalent about it. Riven by Mindee Arnett is the first in her new steampunk/epic fantasy series by the same name. It follows Mars, an assassin and spy master, as he goes on what he hopes is his last mission. What he uncovers will shatter all that he has grown to believe and reshape how he sees the world. Riven promised a lot, but the delivery fell flat for me which is why I’m having a hard time nailing down how I feel about the story.
I really enjoyed Mars, Fura, and Katrín. They make a good team, even if their goals don’t align. Mars is our main character, and the story unfolds from his perspective. This is where I struggled the most. For a master spy, he seemed pretty clueless as to what the girls were up to. Despite that, I enjoyed reading as he discovered more about this complex world and where he fit into it.
Fura and Katrín are a packaged deal. Where one goes the other is sure to follow. Raised as sisters by Fura’s late father, the two have a tight bond. Fura is straight-laced and idealistic where Katrín is more like Mars and sees the world for what it is. The two balance each other well.
The world-building is detailed, and at times I found myself lost in those details instead of invested into the story. This is a massive world, and there are moments where a lot of information is given without enough time digest it. At times, this upset the pace of the plot which started out intriguing. Mars being assigned as a glorified babysitter and guard to a girl whose father’s assassination was his last assignment gives the story a bit of danger as you always wonder when/if Fura will discover the truth.
This is quickly lost as Mars becomes involved in Fura’s day-to-day life and the assembly they will be attending where she will be named as the Torvald heir. The first 10-15% of the book is engaging and exciting, then it drolls on for about 60% before finding that sweet spot at the end to keep the plot moving which is why I struggled with this one so much. If not for that first 10-15%, I most likely would have DNFed the book. I’m glad I didn’t though.
Overall, Riven is a sweeping epic fantasy about one girl’s quest to change the world and the assassin who was sent to stop it all. I loved the world-building, even when it slowed the plot down. The intricate magic system, the way it is portrayed is quite similar to steampunk (there are even airships!), which added a little modernity to an otherwise older fantasy trope. If you are a fan of epic fantasies that don’t follow the standard rules, I recommend you give this one a go.
Rating 3.5/5★ rounded up
This is going to be a hard review to write because I’m kind of ambivalent about it. Riven by Mindee Arnett is the first in her new steampunk/epic fantasy series by the same name. It follows Mars, an assassin and spy master, as he goes on what he hopes is his last mission. What he uncovers will shatter all that he has grown to believe and reshape how he sees the world. Riven promised a lot, but the delivery fell flat for me which is why I’m having a hard time nailing down how I feel about the story.
I really enjoyed Mars, Fura, and Katrín. They make a good team, even if their goals don’t align. Mars is our main character, and the story unfolds from his perspective. This is where I struggled the most. For a master spy, he seemed pretty clueless as to what the girls were up to. Despite that, I enjoyed reading as he discovered more about this complex world and where he fit into it.
Fura and Katrín are a packaged deal. Where one goes the other is sure to follow. Raised as sisters by Fura’s late father, the two have a tight bond. Fura is straight-laced and idealistic where Katrín is more like Mars and sees the world for what it is. The two balance each other well.
The world-building is detailed, and at times I found myself lost in those details instead of invested into the story. This is a massive world, and there are moments where a lot of information is given without enough time digest it. At times, this upset the pace of the plot which started out intriguing. Mars being assigned as a glorified babysitter and guard to a girl whose father’s assassination was his last assignment gives the story a bit of danger as you always wonder when/if Fura will discover the truth.
This is quickly lost as Mars becomes involved in Fura’s day-to-day life and the assembly they will be attending where she will be named as the Torvald heir. The first 10-15% of the book is engaging and exciting, then it drolls on for about 60% before finding that sweet spot at the end to keep the plot moving which is why I struggled with this one so much. If not for that first 10-15%, I most likely would have DNFed the book. I’m glad I didn’t though.
Overall, Riven is a sweeping epic fantasy about one girl’s quest to change the world and the assassin who was sent to stop it all. I loved the world-building, even when it slowed the plot down. The intricate magic system, the way it is portrayed is quite similar to steampunk (there are even airships!), which added a little modernity to an otherwise older fantasy trope. If you are a fan of epic fantasies that don’t follow the standard rules, I recommend you give this one a go.
November 15, 2022
This book starts with some amazingly well done world building. Readers are introduced to a world that relies on a toxic and powerful resource called ICE that’s mined by its civilians. There is also a population of illegal blood mages named “adepts” who are enslaved by the ruling class to do their biding. Our main character Mars is a bastard with a connection to an underground crime syndicate that hires him to assassinate the corrupt and wealthy. After a job goes sideways he attempts to buy his way out of the lifestyle with one last job. Find the other half to a formula that could destroy ICE for good, the twist, the princess is who holds the key. Also, he’s a hidden adept who has to keep his secret identity safe while also seducing the strong-willed independent princess.
I adored Mars as a character, he feels like fresh air. After all the morally grey characters, Mars is the brooding and jaded anti-hero we all needed. Mars never claims to be “good”, his decision making is logical and calculated …and I loved it! His character plays off so well with the uptight and righteous Fura, who is the princess he is trying to con.
The plot twists (yes, plural) in this book are impeccable and completely unpredictable. This book was set up to be a quick and straight forward heist novel…however, it instead succeeds at having the reader entranced and guessing at every move.
This is a surprisingly dark and complex fantasy book that completely grabbed my attention. I bought into the characters and their development and I was so torn with the ending. I highly recommend!
I adored Mars as a character, he feels like fresh air. After all the morally grey characters, Mars is the brooding and jaded anti-hero we all needed. Mars never claims to be “good”, his decision making is logical and calculated …and I loved it! His character plays off so well with the uptight and righteous Fura, who is the princess he is trying to con.
The plot twists (yes, plural) in this book are impeccable and completely unpredictable. This book was set up to be a quick and straight forward heist novel…however, it instead succeeds at having the reader entranced and guessing at every move.
This is a surprisingly dark and complex fantasy book that completely grabbed my attention. I bought into the characters and their development and I was so torn with the ending. I highly recommend!
October 4, 2022
3.5 stars
I think this would have been a 4 star if the audiobook narrator had not been a synthesized one. This is 100% my fault because I requested this book before checking to see if it was a synthesized narrator or not. I just CANNOT focus when the narrator is synthesized.
The beginning of this book moved along kind of slowly, but it built up the world and the magic system. I really enjoyed the second half where things get revealed to certain characters and we start getting answers and action.
I liked our main character Mars, he is a secret adept (he is able to channel magic which is rare) and also an assassin. He is trying to get away from this life which is honorable since who really wants to be an assassin, but gets forced back in for one last job by crime boss Una. He has to protect Fura, heiress to Torvald kith and steal something called the Primer. Kicker is, his last job was to kill her father. It was very interesting to see Mars' inner struggle as he gets closer to Fura and tries to deal with the guilt of killing her father. I also really liked Fura. She was very strong and had an amazing relationship with Katryn (not sure about spelling) who I think was kind of her bodyguard but also someone she grew up with.
When the second book comes out, this will be one I look forward to rereading via physical book or audio with an actual narrator.
Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Audio for an audio copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
I think this would have been a 4 star if the audiobook narrator had not been a synthesized one. This is 100% my fault because I requested this book before checking to see if it was a synthesized narrator or not. I just CANNOT focus when the narrator is synthesized.
The beginning of this book moved along kind of slowly, but it built up the world and the magic system. I really enjoyed the second half where things get revealed to certain characters and we start getting answers and action.
I liked our main character Mars, he is a secret adept (he is able to channel magic which is rare) and also an assassin. He is trying to get away from this life which is honorable since who really wants to be an assassin, but gets forced back in for one last job by crime boss Una. He has to protect Fura, heiress to Torvald kith and steal something called the Primer. Kicker is, his last job was to kill her father. It was very interesting to see Mars' inner struggle as he gets closer to Fura and tries to deal with the guilt of killing her father. I also really liked Fura. She was very strong and had an amazing relationship with Katryn (not sure about spelling) who I think was kind of her bodyguard but also someone she grew up with.
When the second book comes out, this will be one I look forward to rereading via physical book or audio with an actual narrator.
Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Audio for an audio copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
November 13, 2022
If you never read a novel by Mindee Arnett this is a great start. I love this author's writing style and creative world building, it grabs us and we are drawn into it very easily. A great balance between fantasy world-building, magic, romance in disguise, and politics.
We follow a young mercenary who accepts a mission to protect a high society young woman (Fura) who is also a great fighter. I love the tension that this job brings to his story because of the past he has with this family.
In this strange world of ice magic society has different levels but all with their high levels of danger ( it's not a world where being wealthy or powerful keeps you safe either). Our main character's life is in the hands of his employer and there is nothing he wants more than be free (and alive).
His mission translates into protecting but also convincing others he and Fura are a couple. Half of the book is the preparation for this and we love his point of view and personality. But... There is a second mission that involves betraying Fura. Will he?
We follow a young mercenary who accepts a mission to protect a high society young woman (Fura) who is also a great fighter. I love the tension that this job brings to his story because of the past he has with this family.
In this strange world of ice magic society has different levels but all with their high levels of danger ( it's not a world where being wealthy or powerful keeps you safe either). Our main character's life is in the hands of his employer and there is nothing he wants more than be free (and alive).
His mission translates into protecting but also convincing others he and Fura are a couple. Half of the book is the preparation for this and we love his point of view and personality. But... There is a second mission that involves betraying Fura. Will he?
January 12, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Pub Date: January 10th, 2023
This is a tricky one for me. It opened really strongly, but then most of the book was more of a 3 star for me, and then the last 40% really picked up with the action. It is labeled as YA but I think the best crowd would be junior high/early high school readers just getting into fantasy (I think I would have loved it at that time in my life). There were so many predictable elements to it and no real surprises. I was frustrated with how many times the MC, the "best" thief/assassin, was surprised/caught off guard (sir, you would be dead by now). I think the idea, world, and premise was really interesting. This was supposed to be a stand-alone so everything wraps up nicely but there will be future books in the series so I am interested to see what direction they take.
Pub Date: January 10th, 2023
This is a tricky one for me. It opened really strongly, but then most of the book was more of a 3 star for me, and then the last 40% really picked up with the action. It is labeled as YA but I think the best crowd would be junior high/early high school readers just getting into fantasy (I think I would have loved it at that time in my life). There were so many predictable elements to it and no real surprises. I was frustrated with how many times the MC, the "best" thief/assassin, was surprised/caught off guard (sir, you would be dead by now). I think the idea, world, and premise was really interesting. This was supposed to be a stand-alone so everything wraps up nicely but there will be future books in the series so I am interested to see what direction they take.
November 14, 2022
Ace of Shades x We Hunt the Flame. Mostly I liked this because of Mars. He's a wonderful main character - has done bad things, and he knows it, but he can't help but want to be a good person. I also appreciated only having his POV, since there's been so many multi POV books of this type recently, it was refreshing to see everything from one character's perspective. Fura and Katrin are pretty typical Strong Female Characters, but there's nothing wrong with that. The magic system is really cool, and I think the resolution is good enough for this to be a standalone even though it's listed as book one of a series in goodreads.
Tags: enemies to lovers, forbidden magic, PTSD, slow burn, magic with a price
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Tags: enemies to lovers, forbidden magic, PTSD, slow burn, magic with a price
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
July 20, 2023
I love Mindee Arnett’s writing so reading RIVEN was a no brained. However, RIVEN did not live up to her other books. The beginning was super exciting and I was expecting a lot more but as I continued to read, I found myself increasingly confused. There was too much going on and it was unclear if this was the set up for a longer series or just a muddy stand alone.
If there is a sequel, I’d read it and I’d read more of Mindee’s books.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
If there is a sequel, I’d read it and I’d read more of Mindee’s books.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
January 10, 2025
*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC; the review is my own.*
The prologue drew me in pretty quickly, but the majority of the rest of the novel was just okay for me. I struggled to connect with any of the characters, which typically makes it difficult for me to retain interest in a book. There were sections that picked up and pulled me back in enough that I kept reading, but overall, I found my mind wandering pretty frequently. In addition, I couldn't detect much chemistry between Mars and Fura, but I enjoyed the sisterly bond between Fura and Katrin as well as the friendship that developed between all three characters.
That said, the premise was interesting, and I liked the acknowledgement that people can change and that their current trajectory matters more than their past. I think this is a book my teenage sons would enjoy more than I did. (For the record, I do enjoy YA--this one just wasn't for me.)
How it ends:
Note: A little swearing, maybe.
AUDIOBOOK REVIEW:
This narrator was fine, but he wasn't amazing. Or it could be that I lost interest in the book. At one point, Fura's name started sounded like "Feera."
Narrator: Jake Chronister
The prologue drew me in pretty quickly, but the majority of the rest of the novel was just okay for me. I struggled to connect with any of the characters, which typically makes it difficult for me to retain interest in a book. There were sections that picked up and pulled me back in enough that I kept reading, but overall, I found my mind wandering pretty frequently. In addition, I couldn't detect much chemistry between Mars and Fura, but I enjoyed the sisterly bond between Fura and Katrin as well as the friendship that developed between all three characters.
That said, the premise was interesting, and I liked the acknowledgement that people can change and that their current trajectory matters more than their past. I think this is a book my teenage sons would enjoy more than I did. (For the record, I do enjoy YA--this one just wasn't for me.)
How it ends:
Note: A little swearing, maybe.
AUDIOBOOK REVIEW:
This narrator was fine, but he wasn't amazing. Or it could be that I lost interest in the book. At one point, Fura's name started sounded like "Feera."
Narrator: Jake Chronister
May 28, 2023
Mars has spent the last several months trying hard to get away from his life as a mercenary after his last job went wrong and resulted in him needing to do something terrible to keep his secret. He can use magic, and if anyone ever finds out, he will be enslaved to do the bidding of whoever owns him. But when Una, the leader of the mercenaries he reports to, calls him back with riches beyond his wildest dreams, it might be the opportunity he's looked for to get out of Riven. The job isn't simple: pose as the devoted boyfriend of an heiress to keep her alive but also to find out the secrets that she and no one else knows. The closer he gets to Fura and her secrets, the more clear it gets that the secret she is hiding is one that has the power to change the world forever--which means a lot of people will stop at nothing to get it.
A major draw to this book is going to be the magic system. Blood magic, and the forced use of magic, create a high-stakes situation for Mars as the main character. The slow knowledge of the history of magic and attempts to control or change it makes for interesting world-building and makes the book feel unique. The scientific approach to solving questions is a nice touch. The magic also causes some intriguing court politics that further add to the book feeling fresh.
The world-building overall is nice. The differences between social classes, the poor and the privileged are well-developed. The mythology system helps ground other aspects, and the variety of motivating factors add to the world feeling real and rich.
The romance doesn't develop in a satisfying way. It starts with clear indicators that it's going to be an enemies-to-lovers situation, but the relationship doesn't transition that way. It goes from her despising him to tolerating to... whatever it was when the book ended. We're told Mars cares about her based on his actions, but the relationship between them doesn't have chemistry or warmth. It feels more like he's come to admire her resolve and she's realized he could be a potential ally instead of it feeling like love. The romance seemed like an afterthought with a kiss here and there but no real feeling behind it. The book would have been stronger if they had been presented as friendships instead of trying to force a romance.
Similarly, the character of Mars was unconvincing. He is supposed to be one of the best of the best, and even though it's established in the beginning that he's a little rusty, he doesn't feel like he's as good as he's supposed to be. When he does things to protect Fura, it's always an afterthought or a close call, so it never seems like he's that good at his job. The politics, too, were lackluster. The general ideas were as interesting as the basic ideas of Mars and the magic, but it bogged down the general story until the book moved away from those things and back to the adventure.
There is a lot that is bogged down, unpredictable, or not given enough attention to stand well on its own, It seems to be drawing on a lot of tropes (chosen one, enemies to lovers, found family, etc.) but the tropes are not either turned on their heads or embraced. They're just hinted at.
That being said, I generally found this to be a quick and interesting read. It's a decent fantasy story that has enough to keep many readers entertained for a few hours, but unfortunately, it is likely to be forgotten once the next fantasy story with more solid hooks and memorable characters comes along.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for giving me a copy to review.
A major draw to this book is going to be the magic system. Blood magic, and the forced use of magic, create a high-stakes situation for Mars as the main character. The slow knowledge of the history of magic and attempts to control or change it makes for interesting world-building and makes the book feel unique. The scientific approach to solving questions is a nice touch. The magic also causes some intriguing court politics that further add to the book feeling fresh.
The world-building overall is nice. The differences between social classes, the poor and the privileged are well-developed. The mythology system helps ground other aspects, and the variety of motivating factors add to the world feeling real and rich.
The romance doesn't develop in a satisfying way. It starts with clear indicators that it's going to be an enemies-to-lovers situation, but the relationship doesn't transition that way. It goes from her despising him to tolerating to... whatever it was when the book ended. We're told Mars cares about her based on his actions, but the relationship between them doesn't have chemistry or warmth. It feels more like he's come to admire her resolve and she's realized he could be a potential ally instead of it feeling like love. The romance seemed like an afterthought with a kiss here and there but no real feeling behind it. The book would have been stronger if they had been presented as friendships instead of trying to force a romance.
Similarly, the character of Mars was unconvincing. He is supposed to be one of the best of the best, and even though it's established in the beginning that he's a little rusty, he doesn't feel like he's as good as he's supposed to be. When he does things to protect Fura, it's always an afterthought or a close call, so it never seems like he's that good at his job. The politics, too, were lackluster. The general ideas were as interesting as the basic ideas of Mars and the magic, but it bogged down the general story until the book moved away from those things and back to the adventure.
There is a lot that is bogged down, unpredictable, or not given enough attention to stand well on its own, It seems to be drawing on a lot of tropes (chosen one, enemies to lovers, found family, etc.) but the tropes are not either turned on their heads or embraced. They're just hinted at.
That being said, I generally found this to be a quick and interesting read. It's a decent fantasy story that has enough to keep many readers entertained for a few hours, but unfortunately, it is likely to be forgotten once the next fantasy story with more solid hooks and memorable characters comes along.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for giving me a copy to review.
May 13, 2023
I skimmed the last 20-25%, so that’s a hint of how much I enjoyed this. Not a lot, at least not by the end. :(
Barring the prologue, the opening was great. I connected to Mars immediately, and I overall liked the world-building, even though it was a bit confusing. I’ve now discovered I dislike it when common words are used to describe magic and locations. Rift, marrow, Ice, the Primer, adepts, herring—these things have other meanings in the real world, so when I encountered these terms in what was clearly a drastically new context, I stumbled. The Primer in particular was troublesome because it doesn’t *prime* anything. I expected it to be an actual thing that people could slather on their bodies so they could work with Ice more safely.
There was also an overabundance of names for locations and events that aren’t that important, like courts in the Hars Halda and the dinners and the dances at the Assembly. These things are never mentioned again.
The mythology is a bit strange in that it’s also a religion but also folklore but also real, proven happenings. If there was once a giant raven, and if there were once Titans, where are their corpses (aside from the raven’s)? Do other Titans exist? Do people seek relics, like their bones? Why are the Titans considered gods? Not much needed to be done here but maybe some clarity about whether there are gods, or other religions, would have been helpful.
The politics were not intriguing, despite the plot trying to tell me that they were. The Assembly slowed down everything for me. Nothing that anyone ever did in those scenes was surprising or intriguing or entailed subterfuge. I knew Ivar would pull something. The thing about the Fifth (another common word used for something that IS NOT the “fifth” in any way, I was really confused by this) being against the kiths—idk. It didn’t hit. I was just like, ok. That’s that.
Again, I really liked the beginning, but became less and less entertained as time went on. Probably because of the slog of the Assembly, because of the predictability of the romance (I think Mars would’ve been a better match with Katrin), and because of the meandering nature of the plot. I actually like organic plots, they can work for me, but it just didn’t here. Everything felt a little random, and the characters fell flat. They were all literally one-dimensional; that is, each character has exactly *one* dimension by which we see them and know them. Mars’ is his thing with Orrin and his past as a killer. Well, what about his childhood in the streets? Give me memories. Give me trauma. That couldn’t have been easy. What about his cat, his beloved companion? Give me wistful lines about missing the kitty. About wishing to be home, cozied up. About wanting to travel to distant shores. What about his yearning to know about his parents, to belong to a home? A little more variety in his backstory would have helped tremendously. Instead, we only ever heard about Orrin and Fura’s father.
The others were not much better, but it was more forgivable because they weren’t POV characters. Fura’s main dimension was her thing with the Primer; and Katrin, her friendship with Fura. What are these characters thinking, what do they want in different scenes (it can’t be that Mars only ever thinks about his past deeds, right? And yet he does, so it feels like we’re rehashing the same information over and over again), what other things influence them... I don’t know. I think Fura in particular could’ve used more development, as she was the love interest.
Barring the prologue, the opening was great. I connected to Mars immediately, and I overall liked the world-building, even though it was a bit confusing. I’ve now discovered I dislike it when common words are used to describe magic and locations. Rift, marrow, Ice, the Primer, adepts, herring—these things have other meanings in the real world, so when I encountered these terms in what was clearly a drastically new context, I stumbled. The Primer in particular was troublesome because it doesn’t *prime* anything. I expected it to be an actual thing that people could slather on their bodies so they could work with Ice more safely.
There was also an overabundance of names for locations and events that aren’t that important, like courts in the Hars Halda and the dinners and the dances at the Assembly. These things are never mentioned again.
The mythology is a bit strange in that it’s also a religion but also folklore but also real, proven happenings. If there was once a giant raven, and if there were once Titans, where are their corpses (aside from the raven’s)? Do other Titans exist? Do people seek relics, like their bones? Why are the Titans considered gods? Not much needed to be done here but maybe some clarity about whether there are gods, or other religions, would have been helpful.
The politics were not intriguing, despite the plot trying to tell me that they were. The Assembly slowed down everything for me. Nothing that anyone ever did in those scenes was surprising or intriguing or entailed subterfuge. I knew Ivar would pull something. The thing about the Fifth (another common word used for something that IS NOT the “fifth” in any way, I was really confused by this) being against the kiths—idk. It didn’t hit. I was just like, ok. That’s that.
Again, I really liked the beginning, but became less and less entertained as time went on. Probably because of the slog of the Assembly, because of the predictability of the romance (I think Mars would’ve been a better match with Katrin), and because of the meandering nature of the plot. I actually like organic plots, they can work for me, but it just didn’t here. Everything felt a little random, and the characters fell flat. They were all literally one-dimensional; that is, each character has exactly *one* dimension by which we see them and know them. Mars’ is his thing with Orrin and his past as a killer. Well, what about his childhood in the streets? Give me memories. Give me trauma. That couldn’t have been easy. What about his cat, his beloved companion? Give me wistful lines about missing the kitty. About wishing to be home, cozied up. About wanting to travel to distant shores. What about his yearning to know about his parents, to belong to a home? A little more variety in his backstory would have helped tremendously. Instead, we only ever heard about Orrin and Fura’s father.
The others were not much better, but it was more forgivable because they weren’t POV characters. Fura’s main dimension was her thing with the Primer; and Katrin, her friendship with Fura. What are these characters thinking, what do they want in different scenes (it can’t be that Mars only ever thinks about his past deeds, right? And yet he does, so it feels like we’re rehashing the same information over and over again), what other things influence them... I don’t know. I think Fura in particular could’ve used more development, as she was the love interest.
February 6, 2023
I want to start by thanking Harper365YA for an ARC of this title to review. My reviews are always honest and all opinions are my own. #Harper365ya #Riven #MindeeArnett #ARCreview #BookReview
First of all I have to say the prologue got me hooked on this one. The world building from that alone seemed amazing and the characters interesting so I was excited for the rest of the book. Mars I particularly liked because he gave me Garrett vibes from the Thief video game series baring him also being an assassin and Fura was interesting on her own as well. Unfortunately I didn’t get a feel of the chemistry between them which was actually disappointing, a shocker I know from someone who isn’t overtly fond of romantic subplots. I actually thought it would be good, even if a little bit of trope for them to be together but they didn’t seem to have that spark which I found surprising when the characters in the prologue had less time to develop but clearly had that connection there. That said it isn’t everything and didn’t distract from the enjoyment of the world of Riven, it’s politics and the story.
While Riven may sound like a typical young adult fantasy novel in terms of plot Arnett does make it their own. While we have some of the other usual tropes there we also have Arnett’s brilliant world building and adventuring as well as a unique magic system in place that made this a really enjoyable read. Not in plot wise but style it reminded me of the Broken Sky series by Chris Wooding, one of my stepping stones into fantasy along side Tolkien’s The Hobbit. I would say that Riven is actually a brilliant introduction for young adult or perhaps a little younger to the fantasy genre. It has all the good things fantasy has to offer in terms of action, plot, pace and vivid and beautiful world building.
While sometimes I found the main characters having a few too many ‘oops’ moments, Mars for example does get caught off guard a lot for a master thief and assassin I couldn’t hold it against him because as I said above he reminded me a lot of Garrett and I actually really liked him so where I would normally be frustrated by this it became a bit endearing but I am very biased so be warned it might annoy some!
I think that main thing that kept me going with this though was the world (and a maybe Mars too). It’s deeply developed and while I want to know more I think we already know enough if Arnett does not expand more. I also loved the feel and atmosphere this world building created. You really did feel like you were living in the world alongside the characters and that isn’t always easy to do, especially with a fantasy world. I will definitely be following along with this one and will be picking up Onyx and Ivory as well which I have not read yet because I do adore Arnett’s writing style. Definitely one for fantasy lovers.
First of all I have to say the prologue got me hooked on this one. The world building from that alone seemed amazing and the characters interesting so I was excited for the rest of the book. Mars I particularly liked because he gave me Garrett vibes from the Thief video game series baring him also being an assassin and Fura was interesting on her own as well. Unfortunately I didn’t get a feel of the chemistry between them which was actually disappointing, a shocker I know from someone who isn’t overtly fond of romantic subplots. I actually thought it would be good, even if a little bit of trope for them to be together but they didn’t seem to have that spark which I found surprising when the characters in the prologue had less time to develop but clearly had that connection there. That said it isn’t everything and didn’t distract from the enjoyment of the world of Riven, it’s politics and the story.
While Riven may sound like a typical young adult fantasy novel in terms of plot Arnett does make it their own. While we have some of the other usual tropes there we also have Arnett’s brilliant world building and adventuring as well as a unique magic system in place that made this a really enjoyable read. Not in plot wise but style it reminded me of the Broken Sky series by Chris Wooding, one of my stepping stones into fantasy along side Tolkien’s The Hobbit. I would say that Riven is actually a brilliant introduction for young adult or perhaps a little younger to the fantasy genre. It has all the good things fantasy has to offer in terms of action, plot, pace and vivid and beautiful world building.
While sometimes I found the main characters having a few too many ‘oops’ moments, Mars for example does get caught off guard a lot for a master thief and assassin I couldn’t hold it against him because as I said above he reminded me a lot of Garrett and I actually really liked him so where I would normally be frustrated by this it became a bit endearing but I am very biased so be warned it might annoy some!
I think that main thing that kept me going with this though was the world (and a maybe Mars too). It’s deeply developed and while I want to know more I think we already know enough if Arnett does not expand more. I also loved the feel and atmosphere this world building created. You really did feel like you were living in the world alongside the characters and that isn’t always easy to do, especially with a fantasy world. I will definitely be following along with this one and will be picking up Onyx and Ivory as well which I have not read yet because I do adore Arnett’s writing style. Definitely one for fantasy lovers.
March 9, 2023
4.75 stars
A magical island country that runs on the power of Ice, Riven sustains its economy and technology on the backs of the poor lower class who harvests the magic. Thousands of people are forced to work in the Ice mines and many typically succumb to sickness or disease. If you are wealthy or powerful enough you can avoid this task by paying someone to go in your place.
Mars is a secret adept (magic user), who wants nothing more then to escape Riven, and leave behind his job as mercenary working for a ruthless crime boss, Una. His last contract went sideways, and while he managed to murder his target, casualties were not light. If only it were that easy. When Una orchestrates the thievery of Mars's savings, he has no choice but to go back into her employ for one last contract. It seems simple enough, protect a girl, get information. Until Una drops the bomb that the girl he is to protect is also the daughter of the the last contract he killed, and posses information that many people and factions desperately want.
Fura is more then her rich and privileged upbringing would suggest, she somewhat naively believes/wants to change Riven.
As the two become closer and begin to work together to achieve their goals, Mars knows for certain she can never find out it was he who murdered her Father.
I really enjoyed this book! The world building is phenomenal and I was immediately in love with all the characters and their plights. The magic system that Mindee Arnett has created is fantastic, and it is not far off from the truth that if such magic were to become a reality that it would quickly become used only for the good of the rich and those who can afford it.
My only complaint is it ended way too soon! I fell in love with the story and wanted more, but luckily there is a sequel in the works, and I can't wait to read it.
The Cover
The cover could easily be a work of art displayed in your house somewhere. (No for real, I want this, can we make this happen please?) The work of art is at first, very nice to look at, and feels pretty. However the more you look at it, the more you see. Darkness surrounds the border of the cover, looking as if it is encroaching on the peaceful scene. A raven with glowing eyes sits subtly below the Ice crystal, part of its wings highlighted by the glow. A castle resides in the background, only its silhouette able to be seen. I love how the blossoms coming out of the Ice brush against the title font, it gives more depth to the design and makes it seem more cohesive. The bold and runic font of the title works perfectly with the magical vibe and aesthetic. Overall, a fantastic cover, and I love the blurb on the bottom right. Much better and preferred to random authors saying they love this or that thing about the book.
Cover art by Yonson
Cover design by Jenna Stempell-Lobell
A magical island country that runs on the power of Ice, Riven sustains its economy and technology on the backs of the poor lower class who harvests the magic. Thousands of people are forced to work in the Ice mines and many typically succumb to sickness or disease. If you are wealthy or powerful enough you can avoid this task by paying someone to go in your place.
Mars is a secret adept (magic user), who wants nothing more then to escape Riven, and leave behind his job as mercenary working for a ruthless crime boss, Una. His last contract went sideways, and while he managed to murder his target, casualties were not light. If only it were that easy. When Una orchestrates the thievery of Mars's savings, he has no choice but to go back into her employ for one last contract. It seems simple enough, protect a girl, get information. Until Una drops the bomb that the girl he is to protect is also the daughter of the the last contract he killed, and posses information that many people and factions desperately want.
Fura is more then her rich and privileged upbringing would suggest, she somewhat naively believes/wants to change Riven.
As the two become closer and begin to work together to achieve their goals, Mars knows for certain she can never find out it was he who murdered her Father.
I really enjoyed this book! The world building is phenomenal and I was immediately in love with all the characters and their plights. The magic system that Mindee Arnett has created is fantastic, and it is not far off from the truth that if such magic were to become a reality that it would quickly become used only for the good of the rich and those who can afford it.
My only complaint is it ended way too soon! I fell in love with the story and wanted more, but luckily there is a sequel in the works, and I can't wait to read it.
The Cover
The cover could easily be a work of art displayed in your house somewhere. (No for real, I want this, can we make this happen please?) The work of art is at first, very nice to look at, and feels pretty. However the more you look at it, the more you see. Darkness surrounds the border of the cover, looking as if it is encroaching on the peaceful scene. A raven with glowing eyes sits subtly below the Ice crystal, part of its wings highlighted by the glow. A castle resides in the background, only its silhouette able to be seen. I love how the blossoms coming out of the Ice brush against the title font, it gives more depth to the design and makes it seem more cohesive. The bold and runic font of the title works perfectly with the magical vibe and aesthetic. Overall, a fantastic cover, and I love the blurb on the bottom right. Much better and preferred to random authors saying they love this or that thing about the book.
Cover art by Yonson
Cover design by Jenna Stempell-Lobell
January 10, 2023
I received an ARC of Riven from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
I found Riven to be an exciting fantasy, but one that promised more than what I was given.
I quite enjoyed Mars as a character. He was the typical morally-gray guy with a heart of gold that everyone is so into these days, but he was still well done. Just because the trope might be a little overdone doesn't mean that it still can't be done well, and I thought Mars was intriguing. He was self-aware, realizing that he had done bad things, and worried that these things defined him. His growth throughout the story was significant. And I must say that it was a little refreshing to only be in a male main character's head. Mars is the only point of view we get for the entire story, so everything is seen through his mercenary-colored glasses, and I was glad of this. I think that if we had been in someone else's head, even just a little bit, the atmosphere of the story would have changed, and I really enjoyed how it felt with only Mars.
I also thought that Ms. Arnett created a fascinating new world with a magic system that was, though slightly confusing, unique. I found myself getting lost in the world she made, and I left wanting to understand even more about it.
And I think that's where my problems arose. As much as I wanted to know more about the world of Riven, I felt that I was always getting too much and not enough information at the same time. Confusing, I know. We were introduced to this world through a prologue that happened, I believe, about 100 years before the beginning of our story, and I'm not going to lie, I almost found the prologue more interesting than the story that we got. I wanted to know more about the "Cataclysm," as the people called it. And I wanted to learn more about the people we were introduced to in that prologue. I just thought there was so much potential, and then that wasn't even the story we got.
On top of that, the pacing felt off to me. Sometimes we skimmed through weeks of things happening, only to focus on a small scene that could have been part of the skimming. Essentially, some things moved very fast, and others moved excruciatingly slowly. And the fast things were always the interesting ones, while the slow ones were the ones I wished I could skim through. And let me not forget to mention that Mars had far more chemistry with a secondary character than with Fura, which made their romance feel very forced.
I don't know. I did enjoy Riven. And I will more than likely read the second book even though I thought everything tied up in a neat little bow at the end, so I'm not sure where the story will go. Hopefully, we'll get to see more of that Cataclysm.
I found Riven to be an exciting fantasy, but one that promised more than what I was given.
I quite enjoyed Mars as a character. He was the typical morally-gray guy with a heart of gold that everyone is so into these days, but he was still well done. Just because the trope might be a little overdone doesn't mean that it still can't be done well, and I thought Mars was intriguing. He was self-aware, realizing that he had done bad things, and worried that these things defined him. His growth throughout the story was significant. And I must say that it was a little refreshing to only be in a male main character's head. Mars is the only point of view we get for the entire story, so everything is seen through his mercenary-colored glasses, and I was glad of this. I think that if we had been in someone else's head, even just a little bit, the atmosphere of the story would have changed, and I really enjoyed how it felt with only Mars.
I also thought that Ms. Arnett created a fascinating new world with a magic system that was, though slightly confusing, unique. I found myself getting lost in the world she made, and I left wanting to understand even more about it.
And I think that's where my problems arose. As much as I wanted to know more about the world of Riven, I felt that I was always getting too much and not enough information at the same time. Confusing, I know. We were introduced to this world through a prologue that happened, I believe, about 100 years before the beginning of our story, and I'm not going to lie, I almost found the prologue more interesting than the story that we got. I wanted to know more about the "Cataclysm," as the people called it. And I wanted to learn more about the people we were introduced to in that prologue. I just thought there was so much potential, and then that wasn't even the story we got.
On top of that, the pacing felt off to me. Sometimes we skimmed through weeks of things happening, only to focus on a small scene that could have been part of the skimming. Essentially, some things moved very fast, and others moved excruciatingly slowly. And the fast things were always the interesting ones, while the slow ones were the ones I wished I could skim through. And let me not forget to mention that Mars had far more chemistry with a secondary character than with Fura, which made their romance feel very forced.
I don't know. I did enjoy Riven. And I will more than likely read the second book even though I thought everything tied up in a neat little bow at the end, so I'm not sure where the story will go. Hopefully, we'll get to see more of that Cataclysm.
May 7, 2025
This cover caught my eye and it was available on Libby, so it was a perfect download while I waited for a book I'd requested from my local library. I hate to say it, but I think the only reason I finished was because I had time to fill while I waited.
And it's weird, because Riven checks every box. World, plot, character development. Check, check, check. And yet, I would have set it aside.
This is coming off my reading of The Bargainer series which checked almost NO boxes for me, and yet I found myself literally laughing out loud and enjoying it more than I expected.
Riven’s strength it its well-crafted world with ample depth and appropriate political plotting for a YA one-shot. 4+ stars to the world! The magic system was so cool! The glimpses into high and low society were effective at laying out the political situation and giving it urgency to the story and characters.
But I’m going to echo a lot of other reviews here and say that I couldn’t get into the characters. Again, they checked boxes, but never had chemistry.
So I was much more interested in what happens to the world than I was the characters. (With maybe the exception of Katrin, whom I would have preferred to be a love interest.)
I appreciated that Mars and Fura’s relationship grew organically by getting to know one another’s perspectives, leaning into trusting each other, and how Mars started to see himself as more responsible for his choices because Fura believed he could be. His growth had Existentialist overtones a la Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead (if simplified for a YA audience). It was thoughtfully done! Box checked.
Mars was supposed to be The Best but he just kept making mistake after mistake. And that got me thinking: I appreciated that he wasn’t some perfectly perfect assassin who never trips or misses. Check that box, and thank you. I would like to see more MMCs be imperfect in a relatable way, not a toxic way. Ahem.
But I also found myself wanting him to have a moment to shine and be a badass. That’s fun, and a story like this is supposed to be fun.
I think that’s what it was for me. That's my takeaway from Riven: I do need some fantasy fun in my Fantasy Genre. The prose felt dry, the characters weren’t engaging, too much telling and too little showing, and as interesting as the world and story was…I just didn’t have the fun I would like. I wasn’t cheering for anyone at the end. I was never on the edge of my seat. I never felt a moment of triumph for Mars. I did have a bunch of checked boxes.
And it's weird, because Riven checks every box. World, plot, character development. Check, check, check. And yet, I would have set it aside.
This is coming off my reading of The Bargainer series which checked almost NO boxes for me, and yet I found myself literally laughing out loud and enjoying it more than I expected.
Riven’s strength it its well-crafted world with ample depth and appropriate political plotting for a YA one-shot. 4+ stars to the world! The magic system was so cool! The glimpses into high and low society were effective at laying out the political situation and giving it urgency to the story and characters.
But I’m going to echo a lot of other reviews here and say that I couldn’t get into the characters. Again, they checked boxes, but never had chemistry.
So I was much more interested in what happens to the world than I was the characters. (With maybe the exception of Katrin, whom I would have preferred to be a love interest.)
I appreciated that Mars and Fura’s relationship grew organically by getting to know one another’s perspectives, leaning into trusting each other, and how Mars started to see himself as more responsible for his choices because Fura believed he could be. His growth had Existentialist overtones a la Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead (if simplified for a YA audience). It was thoughtfully done! Box checked.
Mars was supposed to be The Best but he just kept making mistake after mistake. And that got me thinking: I appreciated that he wasn’t some perfectly perfect assassin who never trips or misses. Check that box, and thank you. I would like to see more MMCs be imperfect in a relatable way, not a toxic way. Ahem.
But I also found myself wanting him to have a moment to shine and be a badass. That’s fun, and a story like this is supposed to be fun.
I think that’s what it was for me. That's my takeaway from Riven: I do need some fantasy fun in my Fantasy Genre. The prose felt dry, the characters weren’t engaging, too much telling and too little showing, and as interesting as the world and story was…I just didn’t have the fun I would like. I wasn’t cheering for anyone at the end. I was never on the edge of my seat. I never felt a moment of triumph for Mars. I did have a bunch of checked boxes.
January 5, 2023
Riven by Mindee Arnett is a new YA fantasy with slightly darker themes but a sweet budding romance at the heart of it. It follows a young assassin, Mars Darksvane, as he desperately tries to free himself from his boss by taking on one last job. What he didn’t count was the young socialite he was sworn to protect changing the way he views their island home of Riven and what it could be.
I was very quickly drawn into the plot of this novel and the world of Riven. It has political intrigue, a world in need of saving, and multiple plot twists. The world building at the beginning of the story is effective and doesn’t slow down the plot in any way, which helps keep the reader engaged as information is revealed. As Mars finds himself enticed more and more by the plight of the young woman he has been ordered to both guard and steal from, so too is the audience. I think Riven could easily be a stand alone book, although I would be interested to see what future adventures the characters might have if it does continue as a series.
The main character of Mars is an interesting one. He has spent his life working as an assassin and now longs for freedom away from his boss and the island of Riven. He is jaded and morally gray, and it makes the beautiful and idealistic Fura Torvald a perfect foil for Mars. They begin as complete opposites, but slowly the reader gets to see how they change each other, their romance blooming from a new level of understanding.
The secondary characters are also extremely interesting. From Fura’s adopted sister and lady’s maid Katrìn who brings a level of warmth to the story to Fura’s domineering and power hungry mother, each of the characters are multifaceted and never strictly good or evil. They have real motivations and things that drive them, and it makes the story that much more interesting.
I gave this story 5 stars as it kept me turning the page from start to finish, and managed to surprise me in the end with how well it tied up the story. It’s low on spice (a 1 out of 5) as Mars and Fura have a sweet budding romance that is given room to grow in the future. I would highly recommend this book to any fantasy fan who likes a morally gray twist.
I was very quickly drawn into the plot of this novel and the world of Riven. It has political intrigue, a world in need of saving, and multiple plot twists. The world building at the beginning of the story is effective and doesn’t slow down the plot in any way, which helps keep the reader engaged as information is revealed. As Mars finds himself enticed more and more by the plight of the young woman he has been ordered to both guard and steal from, so too is the audience. I think Riven could easily be a stand alone book, although I would be interested to see what future adventures the characters might have if it does continue as a series.
The main character of Mars is an interesting one. He has spent his life working as an assassin and now longs for freedom away from his boss and the island of Riven. He is jaded and morally gray, and it makes the beautiful and idealistic Fura Torvald a perfect foil for Mars. They begin as complete opposites, but slowly the reader gets to see how they change each other, their romance blooming from a new level of understanding.
The secondary characters are also extremely interesting. From Fura’s adopted sister and lady’s maid Katrìn who brings a level of warmth to the story to Fura’s domineering and power hungry mother, each of the characters are multifaceted and never strictly good or evil. They have real motivations and things that drive them, and it makes the story that much more interesting.
I gave this story 5 stars as it kept me turning the page from start to finish, and managed to surprise me in the end with how well it tied up the story. It’s low on spice (a 1 out of 5) as Mars and Fura have a sweet budding romance that is given room to grow in the future. I would highly recommend this book to any fantasy fan who likes a morally gray twist.
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