The River of Shadows

The Chathrand Voyage #3

by Robert V.S. Redick

In the gripping sequel to Robert V. S. Redick’s acclaimed epic fantasy novels The Red Wolf Conspiracy and The Ruling Sea, the crew of the vast, ancient ship Chathrand have reached the shores of the legendary southern empire of Bali Adro. Many have died in the crossing, and the alliance of rebels, led by the tarboy Pazel Pathkendle and the warrior Thasha Isiq, has faced death, betrayal, and darkest magic. But nothing has prepared them for the radically altered face of humanity in the South.

They have little time to recover from the shock, however. For with landfall, the battle between the rebels and centuries-old sorcerer Arunis enters its final phase. At stake is control of the Nilstone, a cursed relic that promises unlimited power to whoever unlocks the secrets of its use—but death to those who fail. And no one is closer to mastering the Stone than Arunis.

Desperate to stop him, Pazel and Thasha must join forces with their enemies, including the depraved Captain Rose and the imperial assassin Sandor Ott. But when a suspicious young crewmember turns his attentions to Thasha, it is the young lovers themselves who are divided—most conveniently for Arunis. As the mage’s triumph draws near, the allies face a terrible to break their oaths and run for safety, or to hunt the world’s most dangerous sorcerer through the strange and deadly dream kingdom known as the River of Shadows, and to face him a last time among the traps and horrors of his lair.

Brimming with high adventure, dark enchantment, and unforgettable characters, The River of Shadows deftly secures Redick’s place in the ranks of epic fantasy’s most original and enthralling storytellers.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Epic Fantasy, High Fantasy, Audiobook, Adventure, Epic

528 pages, Hardcover

First published December 30, 2010

About the author

Robert V.S. Redick is the author of Master Assassins and Sidewinders (July 2021), the first two novels in The Fire Sacraments epic fantasy series. Master Assassins (2018) was a finalist for the European Booknest Award for Best Novel, and was featured on numerous Best of the Year lists. Patrick Rothfuss said of it, "I like this book so much I wish I could have written it, but deep down I know I couldn't have written it so well."

Robert is also the author of the Chathrand Voyage Quartet (The Red Wolf Conspiracy and sequels), among the most beloved and critically acclaimed epic fantasy series of recent years. He is a former instructor in the Stonecoast and University of Nevada Reno MFA programs.

Redick is also an environmental justice consultant, and has lived and worked in Indonesia, Argentina, Colombia and many other countries. He and his partner, Dr. Kiran Asher, pick wild blueberries in Western Massachusetts.

Reviews

[Marc *Dark Reader with a Thousand Young! Iä!* · Rating 5 out of 5]

From Chapter 7, "The Editor Recommends Other Reading to the Faint of Heart":

My purpose here is simply a warning. If you are part of that infinitesimally small (and ever smaller) band of dissidents with the wealth, time and inclination to set your hands on the printed word, I suggest you consider the arguments against the current volume. To wit: the tale is morbid, the persons depicted are clumsy when they are not evil, the world is inconvenient to visit and quite changed from what is here described, the plot at this early juncture is already complex beyond all reson, thee moral cannot be stated, and the editor is intrusive.

The story most obviously imperils the young. But others should weight the benefits of persevering; these include the old, who after all will perish soon enough; the able-bodied whose vigor may decline if they make a habit of reading at length; the unmarried, who had best cultivate more sociable passtimes; the married, who find the freedom to read only by neglecting commitments; those whose religious views are policed by employer, priest, king, grandmother or guild internal; the nearsighted; the nervous; the gleefully patriotic.

But the first criticism—the sheer gray gloom of the tale—is the most damning. To that end, and conscious of my duties as curator of this splendid archive, I have assembled a list of some seven hundred titles surpassing The Chathrand Voyages in both brevity and good cheer. Among them:

* Bissep, Mother K., The Good Millipede of Wilber Meadow

* Tennyson, Virzel, Kh'iguar Mutis ("Great Scaly Things Defeated," bilingual edition)

* Lace, Helium, And Then They Were Married

* Slabbe, Lord Cuprius, What I Eat

* Ungrok, Egar, Battle for Battle's Sake: An Adventure for Boys

The complete list is available upon request. It is quite startling how much one has to choose from. I merely implore you to recall that life is fleeting, and that choices must be made.

My own fleeting life demanded a re-read of this deeply wonderful series this year, and I am doing it. I cannot sufficiently express my joy at revisiting this fraught and adventuresome volume. Following the breathless events at the culmination of The Rats and the Ruling Sea, the beleaguered crew, passengers, guests, and stowaways of The Chathrand find themselves in undreamed-of territory, out of water, out of food, out of options, out of their minds, out of ... friends? ... Perhaps not, but with new enemies of unknown ability, new races sapient and monstrous, new hazards, new traps, and new determination, they're in for the fight of their lives.

This book is stuffed with incredible locales and beings: Mazarlym with its waterfall-powered marvels of engineering; crystal spiders; Plazic blades; the Infernal Forest, entirely new wars and empires and factions and history to contend with. It is breathtaking in its storytelling, managing this complexity without losing sight of the characters for a moment. Soaring, heartbreaking, deadly, it's an experience I wish on every reader.

********************

Some exciting Robert V.S. Redick news: he has completed The Fire Sacraments series! With two new books! You need only read any of Mark Lawrence's frequent praise for the current books to be assured of their phenomenal quality.
Book 1: Master Assassins
Book 2: Sidewinders
Book 3 (forthcoming): Savage Angels
Book 4 (forthcoming): Siege

Like Lawrence, I am constantly dismayed that Redick's beautiful talent and deep appeal has failed to capture the vagaries of the market and brought him the popularity he deserves, but those who know can't help but gush in amazement over his work to date. Perhaps with the current fantasy reader preference for completed series, this particular series will soon see broader embrace.

Original review below.

********************

Every character will surprise you. The Chathrand and crew will visit unique, imaginative, fantastic locations. The nautical adventure—unparalleled. The secrets—still unfolding. The stage is set for the final stage in this epic struggle between good and evil, between life and love and death and pain.

The brief interlude chapters and footnotes by "the Editor" tickle me to no end. These touches are endearing to the consummate book lover, and often hilarious to boot. My current theory as to the Editor's identity is Felthrup.

Absolute top-notch storytelling. Did you know that Redick's latest book, Sidewinders, sequel to Master Assassins, was just released? Support your beloved mid-listers, please.

[Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

The adventure continues for the intrepid folks aboard the Chathrand; they have finally made the crossing of the Ruling Sea and now find themselves in the South, and hopefully friendly allies. Alas, if life were so simple! Redick keeps the wheels within wheels spinning here, adding further complexity to an already tangled tale. The plot, as fine as it is, however, is not what makes this series such compelling reading; this really is a character driven story, with subtle magic at times and deep mysteries.

When the ship and its parched sailors finally reach land in the South, they find a massive surprise. It seems that all the humans in the South succumbed to a sort of mind sickness that destroyed their consciousness entirely. "Awake" humans create quite a splash! We learn (mildly spoilery) that the rash of animals in the north awakening (e.g., becoming fully conscious) is the flip side of the humans in the Southern lands losing theirs. All of this pertains to the cursed relic, the Nilstone, from the world of the dead, which gives it user great power, but twists all spells into something hideous. The Nilstone, which causes instant death for anyone who touches it with fear, arrived in the ship held by a (now) turned to stone prince of the Northern lands. The evil Arunis still haunts the ship as well, but no one can find him. Oh, our intrepid adventurers!

Redick demonstrates his vivid imagination here, with one wonderous scene after another, yet making it feel so real. My only qualms regard the pacing, which can be erratic at times, but other then that, a masterpiece. 4.5 vivid stars!

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Let me start off that I highly recommend this incredibly fun fantasy that is both imaginative and beautiful to behold. I love the way that Redick as an Author has matured through out these long novels. The cast is large, likable, and well developed after nearly 2000 pages of writing. There are numerous bad ass antagonists and a deep plot that unfolds over the course. 

This book unfortunately, is the weakest of the series, even though it is probably the best written. I loved the clever chapters that explored our both our good guys and the bad. I loved the further development of Hercol, Pazel, and Thasha. The last 20% of the book is a wild adventure of a climax. The land that they ended up in was  breathtaking and it could have been taken out of my favorite fictional city, Ambergis...Where were the gray caps??? (Haha)

I felt the length of this book. At times I felt that things were not moving forward. It is a grim tale and therefore tough to swallow as well. Gone is the amazing adventure aboard the Chatharand, and that is truly unfortunate.

The long book is worth it just for the last 20% of this book. Many of the main storylines are closed by the end of this one, and the stage is set for the final installment of this series. I absolutely had a blast reading this series. I mean it was damn fun. Of you like your fantasy to be filled with high adventure and wondrous sights, than this a series not to be missed. As I said before if you put these three novels together into one massive tome, I would rate it near 5 stars.

[Little Timmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very nice fantasy series with some nice new and different plots and ideas on the genre. The background setting of a great sailing ship is a very nice change to the usual fantasy backdrop. Very entertaining read. Very recommended

[Joanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

The 3rd book of 4 from a little know fantasy writer. Needless to say, more people should read his books.

Redick has taken me on a fantasy adventure that I am loving. So many twists and turns, good VS. bad, mages, animals that are "woken" meaning they can speak to you, small humans (think the borrowers). Normally when an author stacks the deck like this, I get confused and angry with them for not knowing when to stop. This was the exception. And to top it all off Redick adds a sense of humor to the story like no other fantasy author I have read.

In a nut shell: I loved it! Anticipating the finale, but know I will be sad when it is over.

[Liviu · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished The River of Shadows and it just blew me away and I have a hard time seeing anything else this crazily entertaining in 2011; the 3 books: Red Wolf Conspiracy, Rats and the Ruling Sea and The River of Shadows just hang together perfectly and tightly with all the twists and turns you want.

The last book The Night of the Swarm hopefully will put the exclamation mark on this superbly entertaining series, but you can read these 3 for a complete experience.

Exuberant, crazy, inventiveness, great characters, action - this book has everything and it's full of sense of wonder too.

Fantasy at its best.

"The River is the dark essence of thought, for thought, more than anything else in the universe, has the power to leap between worlds. It belongs therefore to all worlds where conscious life exists. And yet strangely enough, consciousness tends to blind us to its presence. I have even heard it said that the more a world's inhabitants unlock the secret workings of the universe - its pulleys and gears - the deeper the River of Shadows sinks beneath the earth. Societies of master technicians, those who trap the energy of suns, and grow their food in laboratories, and build machines that carry them on plumes of fire through the void: they cannot find the River at all."

Will add the full rv in April as usual

[Daniel Shellenbarger · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first joined Goodreads, back in the Fall of 2012, this was one of the books I added to my "to read" list, and I can't express just how great it feels to finally move it onto the "read" list. If you've read my review for the Rats and the Ruling Sea, the reason for my long delay in reading this is obvious, the author did some things in that book that kind of spoiled the series for me, in that he had his fictional authorial persona pretty much say, "IT'S ALL GOING TO END IN TEARS!" which ticked me off since that was the 2nd book in a 4 book series and while the books have some grim themes, the overall tone of the first book was very much adventurous, even swashbuckling, the kind of book where you get attached to the protagonists and have high hopes that they're going to find a way to win despite the seemingly hopeless situation. So it was that a decade passed... then last year I picked up and reread books 1 and 2 and while I had a similar feeling of outrage at the author's spoiler in book 2, I didn't give up entirely, and so here we are: PROGRESS! Only one book to go.

In River of Shadows, we rejoin our protagonists after they've barely completed the crossing of the vicious Ruling Sea, with its many natural, supernatural, and human dangers, but their hope that arriving safely in the Empire of Bail Adro will mark the end of their problems is soon dashed when they discover that pretty much nothing is well south of the Ruling Sea, to the horror of their southern ally, Bolutu, somehow time has advanced 200 years since he left for the north, chasing the fell sorcerer Arunis, and not only has the great and benevolent Empire he remembered fallen into decay and corruption, controlled by allies of Arunis, but its human citizens have devolved into dumb animals due to some unknown magical ailment. Whatever hope that our heroes might have hoped to obtain assistance from the locals is dashed and they are forced into a difficult stalemate while they seek some way to defeat Arunis for good. In the meantime, the unity of the group is tested when Thasha turns her back on Pazel and takes up with a fellow that they believe to be one of Arunis's cronies, claiming that she loves him, which leaves Pazel in a rather miserable state and most of his friends convinced that Thasha has completely lost it. All is not hopeless though, despite its decay, there are still elements of the old order active in Bail Adro that would see Arunis defeated and the nilstone destroyed, but in this strange new world, it's very difficult to know exactly who is trustworthy, not to mention the lingering fear that whatever made the local humans go savage will infect the crew of the Chathrand sooner or later...

On the whole, I feel like Redick substantially improved his writing in this book, he moves away from the continuous temporal progression between chapters, which does away with one of my main nit-picks of the previous two books as you don't end up with characters experiencing major plot events entirely off-page and popping up suddenly in unexpected places and having to relate how they ended up there, which is kind of bad for narrative progression. Here, Redick's characters are mostly all in one group for most of the book but when they do occasionally have separate events that are important to the story, he wisely breaks his previous rule and does a little time-traveling for the sake of the reader's sanity. Moreover, Redick is very confident in his character development and world-building, and Alifros, the world of the story is an imaginative place full of surprises, good and grim. However, the big downside of the book is kind of in the same vein, the feeling of creeping doom that became so prevalent in the Rats and the Ruling Sea practically smothers this book. At times it's just too bloody much and honestly, it feels a bit overdone, particularly in the first half of the book where the story is in a prolonged holding pattern. His characters continue to be endearing even as their doom seems more and more certain, and while some of the melodrama may seem a bit much, it succeeded in getting me emotionally involved in the story, probably more than I should've been. There's also no question that certain parts of this story move a bit slowly, and with the Chathrand stuck in port for half the book, it loses some of the adventurousness of the previous books, though the final quarter of the book more than makes up for the slow section in my opinion.

All in all, I liked this book more than I expected to and the story continues to build interest and intrigue as it presses towards its seemingly inevitably awful conclusion, and there's never a shortage of likeable characters or shocking events to keep the reader's interest, but, thanks largely to the overwrought oppressive sense of doom that presses down on the story, Redick just can't seem to re-catch the lightning-in-a-bottle awesomeness and adventurousness of the Red Wolf Conspiracy.

[Algernon · Rating 5 out of 5]

more like a [9/10] but I find it easy to add half a star when I really enjoy the ride. The third Chathrand Voyage has confirmed the good impression from the first two books. I was a little worried that it will suffer from middle of the series syndrome, but Pazel, Tasha and their friends remain quite interesting characters: talented without being overpowered battle machines, smart but not infallible, prone to despair but open to friendship and love.
Beside great characters the other appeal of the series is the further exploration of the Alyfros world: a really big canvas with varied landscape, fully developed plant and anymal life and a big dose of the "Wow" element that attracted me to fantasy in the first place: magical animals, exotic cities, cursed forests, artefacts and ruins of lost civilizations, alien cultures.

The only slight problems come from the type of adversary that is not quite as original as the rest of the epic: all powerful evil overlord and the "end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it" threat that needs to be overcome. Even so, I would not call the plot entirely predictable, and Reddick I think has managed the cliches better that Jim Butcher in Codex Alera or Brent Weeks in Night Angel.

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have really become emotionally attached to these characters, who are all so well showcased in every book in the series so far. That kind of emotional attachment is (in my opinion) what really makes any book go from good to great. Redick’s world descriptions were also a real stand out for me in the River of Shadows. The Infernal Forest is what fantasy dreams are made of!

[Trey Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

The thing that keeps surprising me with Redick’s story and what keeps me absolutely enthralled is his incredible world building. The main plot of the story is that we follow Pazel Pathkendle, a tarboy aboard the Chathrand, one of the largest ships in Redick’s world as it travels across vast seas on a conspiratory quest. It’s incredible, so extremely well designed and researched and there are conspiracies and secret plots interwoven within each other on every other page.

Honestly, I thought I had figure out where this was going after book 1 and 2, but this third book threw me completely. I’m amazed, again and again. And it’s so unique as well. Often when you read fantasy you can find clear inspirations from big names like Tolkien or Lewis, or perhaps more recently, George R. R. Martin, and even though the story is fresh and exciting, the worlds become familiar. This, however, is like nothing I’ve ever come across. The world and concepts Redick has created here keeps me wanting to turn the pages again and again. And the plot of course, with it’s secret and ever-revolving conspiracies is brilliant as well. Character I though I had figured out turn out to be something else entirely, and little nuggets of seemingly random information from way back in book 1 are suddenly world-changing two books later. I love it.

The one big set back with these books – which I also noticed with book 1 and 2 - is that I find them incredibly difficult to read. The writing is often convoluted and complex, in a way that feels very over the top sometimes. It's difficult to put a finger on, but sometimes it feels like the word choice, and the way people talk to each other, and random tangents jammed in the middle of segments you feel are very important, are all designed to keep you confused.

[The Contradictorian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Still good, but a filler book.

[Elar · Rating 2 out of 5]

Retried to get into this book, but just couldn't keep my interest.

[Kaila · Rating 3 out of 5]

The weakest installment of the series, for a number of reasons.

All of the bad guys were intangible. Arunis was hardly in it at all, and a new big baddie, Macadra, was introduced, who was only actually visible for 3 or 4 pages. Instead, there was a lot of our group of heroes talking about how the end of the world was nigh and how gee we'd better do something about it but SIGH life is hard.

Not nearly enough Chathrand. They sailed...I dunno...maybe 50 miles all told in this book. From about the halfway point on they weren't on the boat AT ALL, and the climax of the novel was all inland. I don't know, I like the Chathrand a lot. It's practically a character in its own right, and I felt it didn't get nearly enough time in the spotlight.

There were some interesting reveals and plot twists, but I'm glad there's only one book left. I'm interested, but I can only take oh so many shifting loyalties or taking off the mask like a Scooby Doo episode to reveal, GASP! Old Man Withers! Who would've guessed?

All that said, I am enjoying this series and feel it should be more well known. I am definitely invested and want to know what happens to the characters.

Felthrup is the best character. More Felthrup please! (also I am going to state this theory here just in case I'm right after the next book. I think Felthrup is the "editor" who shows up every once in a while. Call me crazy, but there were a few dropped lines that had that idea blossoming unbidden)

-------------

After finishing the series:

Coming back to say I totally nailed Felthrup being the editor. WHATTUP READING COMPREHENSION

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The cast and crew on the Chathrand continue their adventures in the great southern hemisphere empire of Bali Adro, home of the dlomic non-humans. It is a period of fear and war in the empire, and foes old and new seek to gain access to the secrets the humans and ixchel have brought with them.

It was only in this volume that I realised that the entire series is a children's adventure tale written for adults. Yes, most of the central protagonists are teenagers, but it is not a YA book. Yes, it has the sea monsters, the wondrous creatures, and the derring do and the blossoming of young love that are features of YA spec fic, but the language and the tone show this book is clearly targeted at a more mature audience. I like this element to it.

The other great thing about these books is that the characters are really genuine, doing things that are completely appropriate for who they are, reacting to events and acting in consistent ways. There is no confusion in Redick's mind between what he knows and what the characters know, and he does not allow the plot to intrude on what is going on (if that makes sense). And this is by no means a common thing. Fantastic to see.

Rated M for violence, some horror elements, supernatural themes and adult concepts. 4/5

[Kiel Van Horn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was better than the previous novel in the quartet, but I'm not sure it was as good as the first. It worked in a lot more of the interesting history of the south, introducing an entire new race of characters.

The magic bones of the dragon-like things that I can't remember how to spell (egraungs?) was a neat idea, and played out interestingly. I wish it could have been developed a little more dramatically, though. We kind of were dropped in at the end of this unique period of history where weapons made of these bones granted awesome power but also exacted a very high price. It would have been more fun to see the idea played with more, rather than simply introduced in backstory.

The city they pulled into for repairs was awesome-sounding. A huge, walled and geographically protected port city with a waterfall that filled the locks and allowed the city to function.

I would have liked for the namesake of the book to feature more prominently, too.

[Nigel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robert VS Riddick River Of Shadows. The Charthrand finally reaches the south only to find, well, all manner of horrible things. This is the third book in a fun, well written series that combines an epic scale with lots of pacey adventure and excitement and twists and setbacks and peril and darkest hours for our heroes. Seeing as we're obsessively comparing everything to Martin (I DO SWEAR THESE CORNFLAKES ARE FIT FOR A KING'S LANDING WEDDING FEAST), then the young age of the book's main protagonists gives the book a YA feel, though clearly aimed at an older audience (I suspect teen fantasy fans will eat this up, though) which, I think, is how both books maintain the sense of pacey adventure and epic scale. It does repeat one plot from the previous book, albeit reversed, and while it comes across as justified, one can see the author finessing things a bit to get his required outcome. It's weak, but it's over soon enough and doesn't detract inordinately.

[Trey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall I really liked this book. After the first two books I was wavering on recommending the series to friends. I enjoyed them, but it wasn't a must read. I think after this third book I will finally recommend it.

The whole series is a very large adventure with lots of places, people, and different species. It really does feel more like an adventure than a fantasy novel.

I would have given 5 stars, but I felt like the end was an info dump to close all the loose ends.

I will definitely read the next one

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is the reason why I read fantasy. I'm not usually drawn to nautical fantasy but you almost forget their on the water because the boat is so huge. It's almost like it takes place in a small city. A lot of the third book takes place on land too. Secret plots, backstabbing, secret agents, fantastical creatures and a race of tiny people who remind me of the old cartoon The Littles. Mr. Redick is one of my favorite authors writing stories these days. I cannot wait for the fourth book, Night of the Swarm, to be released. Highly recommended!

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent book in The Chathrand Voyages series. Robert V.S. Redick spins an inimitable net of intrigues, relationships, history connected by loveable characters. But be aware. You need to read carefully in order not to miss any detail. Like the books before it has a climax on its own. Now I have high expectations for the last book in the series.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part Three of The Chathrand Voyage series is just as good as the first two. Redick has crafted a world unique, unlike any others. Characters you care about, magical lands. It's a dense book, not an easy read, but worth the effort.

[Matthew Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic. The Chathrand Voyage series is one of my favorite all-time series (along with Rothfuss' Kingkiller series and Weeks' Night Angel series...both fantastic as well). This book is no exception. I look forward to lots more of Redick's work.

[LP · Rating 5 out of 5]

My review can be found here: http://newplaceusedbooks.blogspot.com...

[rowan · Rating 4 out of 5]

!!!!!!!
THIS REVIEW HAS A LOT OF SPOILERS. I usually discuss story elements openly and don't spoiler-hide my reviews, but this is book 3 of 4 and I'm probably going to list a bunch of spoiler-y plot points in the review.
!!!!!!

Why I read it: Review for book 1. Review for book 2.

Thoughts: This book is yet another 550-page doorstopper, and at the end of the book I struggle to remember what happened at the start. A lot of things happened, too, many reveals and twists, and a lot of action. There are also a few good turns, which I was very glad for, because it feels like nothing good really happens to the young people who are the protagonists of this series. Let me list the important stuff that happened here, in the hope that the writing will imprint these things in my memory:

1. North of the Nelluroq, wakened animals are rapidly increasing in numbers. South of the Nelluroq, wakened animals are a thing of the past -- as are humans, who are now...well, what's the opposite of wakened? Sleepers? They're sleepers. The worst part is towards the end Neeps seems to show the first symptoms of becoming tol-chenni himself, which is kind of a bummer. I'm hoping there's a cure, but I'm hoping the cure doesn't come at the cost of reversing the animals' waking. And speaking of humans in the south, the potted history of south Alifros that we got from Thasha's POV and then also from Prince Olik (I think) was interesting; it showed a pretty long view of societal and cultural changes as it pertains to humans, who were then equals, then labourers, then slaves, then finally nothing as they lost self-awareness.

2. The politics of south Alifros and Bali Adro themselves are less interesting than the effect they have on society. I kind of don't care about who's in charge in Bali Adro beyond "the Ravens/bad guys", or how the noble families are intertwined, etc. Macadra, the Big Bad who may be even Bigger and Badder than Arunis (R.I.P.), only appears on-page once, and she doesn't seem more powerful or scarier than Arunis... but I guess we've got the last book to see her in action. But is there anything she can do that would still make her relevant or interesting as a villain? Because the end of this book, Arunis lets loose part of the Swarm that will probably devour the world, and what can Macadra do that's worse than that?

3. I think most of this book takes place off the Chathrand, which made me sad. I started reading this series for the high-seas high-fantasy vibe, and we've lost the high seas. Luckily, we can't lose the high fantasy. On the flipside, Masalym has been very interesting as a location. The city itself is kind of just...there...and we don't really get to explore it much beyond the social stratification that the characters notice and are told about. But the way the city is built, the way it uses water power from their port to their royal precinct, is astounding. The worldbuilding itself, come to think of it, is astounding. The city is one thing, but then the countryside, and the spiderteller temple/mansion, and the infernal forest -- a lot of really cool locations here.

4. There were a few notable changes in allegiances and relationships:
(a) The whole Thasha-and-Fulbreech segment was aggravating because I sensed what was happening, but Pazel just kept being more and more hurt by it as it unfolded. So many unfair things have happened to Pazel, and I feel so bad for him.
(b) Hercol and Sandor Ott working together about halfway through the book was a little touching. I still hate Sandor Ott as a person, despite Pazel's eguar-based insight, but it was a little sad that he suddenly felt the weight of his years as he contemplated Hercol as his best and finest student, the bright and sharp future to Ott's declining past.
(c) The ixchel rule over the Chathrand was good while it lasted and I really liked the moments of comradeship between them and the crew. It seems like they would really work well together, the ixchel able to get to places and solve problems that humans can't, and the humans able to move things the ixchel can't. I was surprised by Taliktrum's decision to leave (and I wanted his info echange game with Fiffengurt to go on for longer), not surprised by Ensyl's decision to stay, and surprised by Myett's decision to stay.
(d) Pazel and Dr Chadfallow finally spoke to each other openly, or as openly as they would allow themselves to speak, and they made peace. Wonderful.
(e) Eberzam Isiq not only managed to convince his new friend the king of Simja that his new lady is Syrarys, but he's also managed to get in touch with Suthinia Pathkendle!
(f) Suthinia and Gregory, reunited (and it feels so good)!
(g) Suthinia dream-talking to Pazel was, of course, wonderful. It was sad that she'd been in the same city as Neda all this time and did/said nothing, but she's at least made proper contact with Pazel again, and explained things to him about his heritage, and about her heritage and the own quest. I still want to know what Cpt. Pathkendle carved into the tree, though. Can't decide if I'd like it more if it was meaningful, or if I'd like it more if it was silly or tender-hearted.
(h) I still have no idea what Cpt. Rose's deal is. I mean, there is that letter where he says he'll dismiss his father's shade and let him die properly if he tells him who his real mother is, but there's still much to be explained and/or redeemed. He's terrible and good by turns. I hated the ixchel massacre, but not a lot of people would blame him after he was their prisoner for so long. I hate how he treats Pazel, but there's also an undertone of respect, and he keeps asking Pazel and Thasha and Neeps for help. I do want him to turn out well in the end.

5. The time displacement storm is an interesting obstacle. Can't wait to see if that is simply nixed in the end somehow, or whether there's a way to bypass it.

6. In his dream wanderings, his swims through the river of shadows, Felthrup manages to encounter (summon) Pazel Doldur, writer of the 13th Polylex and Pazel Pathkendle's namesake. For a while I thought Original Flavour Pazel might be the distinguished and learned Editor who occasionally writes interludes and warns readers about the dangers of believing in happy endings and *checks notes* having sex. In his conversation with people at Orfuin's super secret club, he seemed... what's the word? Curmudgeonly? Alas, the mysterious Editor mentions that they're writing the account of the Chathrand's voyage as they're nearing the end of their life, and Original Flavour Pazel is already dead, so it can't be him. I guess I'm back to thinking it's Felthrup, but Felthrup is just not as bleak as all this. Maybe it's Cpt. Rose. He sounds like a killjoy.

7. TREAT YOUR BROTHERS WITH COMPASSION REMEMBER THAT THEY BITE

8. Vasparhaven was wonderful and Pazel learned some interesting things there, but the Infernal Forest was probably the stand-out section of this entire instalment. It was creepy and charming in turns, and when I looked at the author's profile and saw he's an environmental justice consultant who's lived and worked in places like Indonesia, Argentina, and Colombia, it all made so much sense.

9. R.I.P. Arunis, sux that you don't get to live to see the world devoured after all the work you've put into making it happen.

10. I can't believe that Thasha is Erithusme. I mean, I can believe it, it happened, but I just can't believe it. I feel so bad for her, to be a woman in the full flush of her youth, in love and finally understood by others and seen as capable and independent... and then to find out you're sort of a magical disguise for someone who was thought dead.

I can't wait to see how everyone goes on from here, and how they solve things. Can't even imagine what they're gonna do about the Nilstone (throw it into the River and hope it doesn't pop out in some other world again?), let alone the Swarm. Part of me hopes there's a solution, an ending that ties up all loose ends in a happy manner, but part of me thinks that wouldn't be entirely true to the core messages and feelings of this series. I guess I just hope it's satisfying.

[Blake Hausladen · Rating 5 out of 5]

From Robert Redick’s first published fantasy title, The Red Wolf Conspiracy (RW) to his most recent work, Master Assassins (MA) we see an author that has honed new tools without suffering the weaknesses common to authors whose creative life must satisfy deadlines.

RW loves to surprise. This was its least attractive feature. New elements were added in each of the early chapters, often in a fashion that stopped me and pulled me out of the story. MA makes as many twists and turns, but does a much better job of dropping clues for what is coming so that the moves are welcome instead of jarring. The presentation of the world in MA is a well-curated gallery, introducing in an ordered progression, a foreign and fantastic world—a desert kaleidoscope of otherworldly wonder.

Also new to Robert’s style is the inclusion of the gob-smacking turn of phrase or plot twist that stopped me cold and forced me to think.
More than once, Robert hits so hard, the bond between reader and story becomes immutable. MA’s world is not what it seems at first blush and the hook it sets is sharp indeed.

MA also tried something new in terms of delivery - switching back and forth from the present to the past. My first thought each time the point of view departed the present story, was that it was too much and the plot of the main story was bogging down. I prefer to learn character back-story through the narrative and dialogue—or so I had thought. Each flashback journey Robert delivers in MA is a silver staple that binds the reader back to the main tale. The second storyline stands on its own, and I have not previously seen a flashback point of view carried off so well. MA treats the reader to two tales that cultivate each other and rewards a careful reader again and again.

The way sword fighting and action carried between the two titles did not change. Sequences remain disjoined glimpses–like the shaking camera of a news correspondent running behind a platoon. It is not my favorite style, but Robert’s delivery is solid and did not weaken.

Crawling under the hood a bit more, I must make mention of the marketing copy for the new series and its reference to MA’s exploration of feminism, race, and religion. There is much to say on Robert’s evolution here.
MA does not shy away, in sharp contrast to RW, from recognizing and exploring the inequities that exist in its cultures. MA includes dynamic and powerful POC and female characters without stepping out of the story to wave and point at their inclusion. The view we are given of these rich and fantastic characters does suffer a touch from our limited view of them. The story’s perspective throughout is male and that of the oppressor never the oppressed. The emotions and struggles of these rich characters is that of the alien. We see them but from the outside, like boys peering through a crack in the wall of women’s bath.

As a final note, I must point out the one thing that did not change between RW and MA. Robert is now an author who must meet deadlines, but his work has not suffered for it. This matters and is the reason I give him 5 stars instead of 4.

I will be buying everything Robert writes, regardless of genre.

[Evan Martinsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somewhere in the course of this book, my interest in the series plummeted, to the point where I am not sure if I will be finishing the final book in the series. I’m not entirely sure what happened, but the things I liked about the series felt like they got overshadowed by plot choices I had no engagement in.

This isn’t to say that The River of Shadows is bad in any way, but I do feel like Redick got away from what was working up to this point. The plot of this book is very far removed from the first two- not only is the main cast on another continent, but they are also at a different point in time. While this worked as an ending for the second book, spending so much time in this setting really had diminishing returns. We do get introduced somewhat to a new culture, but I really never managed to care, and my investment in the original cast was the only thing that kept me going.

To extrapolate this issue, this book really gets away from the seafaring nature of the first couple of books. The Chathrand spends the majority of this book holed up at a port, which felt like a big mistake. I understand the reasons for this decision, but when the series is built around the voyage of this ship, putting that on pause for so long is a waste.

The character arcs here fail to satisfy as well- there is a combination of stalling with some people, and a shift in focus to other people that never make as much of an impact as the original cast. There is almost too much focus on the backstory of characters rather than on what is happening in the here and now.

This still isn’t a total miss though- Redick does set pieces well, and there are some sequences that are quite exciting, which take advantage of the enormous cast. His creativity deserves to be commended, even if sometimes the new ideas overpower what was working for the series beforehand.

I am honestly not sure if I need to finish the series now- I don’t care all that much about the bigger plot, and the characters felt like they stagnated here. Sometimes finishing becomes a chore, and that’s what I worry has happened. (Grade:6.5/10)

[Kiro Selanor · Rating 5 out of 5]

The plot in this book is tighter than in the previous books, which leads me to give it five stars; an upgrade over the previous installments. In the previous book the Chathrand had reached the Southern continent, but their situation is precarious. They're out of provisions; they don't know the people of this land; and they're obviously strangers. The humans of the South are all "tol-chenni", or dumb, so the "woken" humans of the Chathrand are notable and possibly dangerous.

The need to survive forces the factions on the Cathrand to work together. Even Sandor Ott lands a hand. Most of this story takes place on land. Everyone they encounter is dlömu, but those peoples are fractured; some help them and some try to kill them.

They discover that they've arrived two centuries after they had set out. The "Ravens", the wizard group that counts Arunis as a member, are now in control. But although their goal is to return to the North (regardless of the time gap), first they have to survive. They go from one emergency to another, learning about the land meanwhile.

Arunis stands alone against all. He is still trying to obtain and master the Nilstone, and everyone aboard the Cathrand opposes him. Eventually this opposition sends them on a desperate quest into the heart of the continent. There's an extended sequence in a strange forest with weird vegetation that feels like the movie "Annihilation" looks.

The prose is good, the best in the series so far. The level of realism in interactions is improved. There's a scene with Taliktrum and his father, Talag, where they discuss who might be the traitor in their midst, and they have a realistic understanding of how people might act.

We learn a lot more about Thasha and her mysterious origins, and Pazel and Thasha's relationship deepens. The action is brisk and frequent. Disunity among the Ixchel brings a new element to the story, but it's not fully explored (maybe in the next book).

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I couldn't get into this one. It felt long and a bit tedious. Unfortunately, my interest in the series has gradually waned since the first book. I've halfheartedly opened book four a couple times and then just stopped listening after a few minutes. I doubt I'll finish it soon, if ever.

I think one issue is that the overarching plot tying the four books together feels a little weak to me. Redick's strength, as far as I'm concerned, is his endearing young characters, the woken animals (the rat philosopher is a blast), and the Ikshel people (I'm sure I've completely massacred that spelling). And then the audio version is just an extra good time, it's so well performed.

Beyond that, I'm not overly engaged. I don't have a mind for ships, so that doesn't well intrigue me. We've taken care of a couple of the minor subplots, so those are sort of done. It feels like we're forcing things to carry on even though they're not as interesting anymore. I was a little dismayed to see that book four was a 30-hour listen—some five or six hours longer than this one and the previous books.

I don't even thing I'll try summarizing the plot. I'm sure I'll forget it. I may recall Pazel and Neeps Thasha and Nilus Rose and Heir Cole and such (spellings?! ugh), but that's about it. They're on a huge ship, there's a world between worlds that plays a minor but somewhat significant role (the River of Shadows), there are bad mages and different races and talking animals. The kids are funny and fun and they grow together and become little heroes. That about sums it up for me.

[Reader]

In the gripping sequel to Robert V. S. Redick's acclaimed epic fantasy novels The Red Wolf Conspiracy and The Ruling Sea, the crew of the vast, ancient ship Chathrand have reached the shores of the legendary southern empire of Bali Adro. Many have died in the crossing, and the alliance of rebels, led by the tarboy Pazel Pathkendle and the warrior Thasha Isiq, has faced death, betrayal, and darkest magic. But nothing has prepared them for the radically altered face of humanity in the South. They have little time to recover from the shock, however. For with landfall, the battle between the rebels and centuries-old sorcerer Arunis enters its final phase. At stake is control of the Nilstone, a cursed relic that promises unlimited power to whoever unlocks the secrets of its use—but death to those who fail. And no one is closer to mastering the Stone than Arunis. Desperate to stop him, Pazel and Thasha must join forces with their enemies, including the depraved Captain Rose and the imperial assassin Sandor Ott. But when a suspicious young crewmember turns his attentions to Thasha, it is the young lovers themselves who are divided—most conveniently for Arunis. As the mage's triumph draws near, the allies face a terrible choice: to break their oaths and run for safety, or to hunt the world's most dangerous sorcerer through the strange and deadly dream kingdom known as the River of Shadows, and to face him a last time among the traps and horrors of his lair.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third book of the series continues right where the 2nd book has left off. The Chathrand has passed through a magical storm and has ended up across the enormous Ruling Sea, discovering an empire none have heard of before, Bali Adro. Arunis, the evil mage trying to destroy the world with the Nilstone is still a threat, and soon the Chathrand ends up stranded in a fantastical city of the natives.

The change in perspective away from the eternal voyage on-board to adventures in Bali Adro makes this book so much more enjoyable than the previous book in the series. However, there are still pacing issues. The book spends a long time on the situation in Masalym, and the resolution to the somewhat annoying love-triangle of the protagonists takes up entirely too much time as well.

However, as soon as the plot breaks off into more traditional fantasy tropes, and the Fellowship of the Ring, erm, Red Wolf, starts chasing Arunis cross-country, my enjoyment improved immensely. The whole last 15% of the adventurers moving through an area called The Infernal Forest was magical to me. It just screamed Numenera to me, weird, strange, fantastical and dangerous. It's given me a ton of adventure ideas for a trek through a scary, dark fungal forest.

I am looking forward to the resolution of the series now and hope it is as satisfying as this book was.

[Nighteye · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a long time since I read out a book in a single day but with this one I succeeded. Good worldbuilding of this strange new continent they just got to and and well developed caracters and how they acted. A emotional rollercoaster from start to end. At times I was sad, mad and worried over the caracters. It feels good to visit the world again, read out book one and two before meeting the author at worldcon. Only bad thing is that book four wasn't to be found on Sweden in a store tmso have to wait.