Eiland van Geheimen

Godspeaker Trilogy #2

by Karen Miller, Selma Soester (Translator)

Het vruchtbare eilandrijk Ethrea lijdt onder de dreiging van een burgeroorlog wanneer de koning sterft zonder mannelijke troonopvolger. Dat verschijnt Zandakar van Mijak ten tonele.
Wat is zijn rol in de toekomst van het eiland?

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Epic Fantasy, High Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy, Ebooks, Adult

576 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 2007

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. Please see this thread for more details.

Also writes as "K.E. Mills"

Lord, do you really want to know?

Oh, all right.

I was born in Vancouver, Canada, and came to Australia with my parents when I was 2. I think. Dad’s an Aussie, Mum’s English, go figure. Talk about Fate and Destiny. But three passports come in handy.

I’ve always lived in Sydney, except when I didn’t. After graduating with a BA Communications from the then Institute of Technology (now University) a few years ahead of Hugh Jackman, dammit, talk about rotten timing, I headed off to England and lived there for 3 years. It was interesting. I worked for a bunch of nutters in a community health centre and got the sack because I refused to go do EST with them (you stand in the middle of a circle and thank people for hurling verbal abuse at you for your own good, they said, and then were surprised when I said no), was a customer services officer for DHL London (would you believe at one time I knew every single airport code for every single airport in the world, off by heart?!?), got roped into an extremely dubious life insurance selling scheme (I was young and broke, need I say more?) and ended up realizing a life-long dream of working professionally with horses. After 18 grueling months I woke up, and came home.

Since then I’ve done customer service in the insurance and telecommunications industries, been a training officer, PR Officer in local government, production assistant in educational publishing, taught English and Business Communication at TAFE, been a supervisor and run my own sf/fantasy/mystery bookshop. Money for jam, there! I also managed to squeeze in a Master’s Degree in Children’s Literature from Macquarie University.

I used to have horses of my own, and spent lots of time and money showing, breeding, training and judging, but then I came off one time too many and so a large part of my life ended.

When I’m not writing I’m heavily involved in the Castle Hill Players, my local community theatre group, as an actor, director, prompt, stage manager (but not all at once!) and publicity officer.

I’m a story junkie. Books, film, tv ... you name it. Star Wars, Star Trek, Babylon 5, Battlestar Galactica (the new series), Stargate, Firefly, X-Men, Buffy, Angel, Supernatural, The Professionals, Forever Knight, Due South, The West Wing, The Shield, Sandbaggers, Homicide, Wiseguy, The Shield, The Closer ... and the list goes on. And that’s just the media stuff!

I love music. While writing I listen primarily to film soundtracks, because they’ve been written primarily to evoke emotional responses in the listener. This helps access emotion during tough scenes. Plus, the music is pretty. At least the stuff I listen to is. Favourite film composers include Hans Zimmer, Alan Silvestri, James Horner and John Williams. Vocalists I enjoy are Josh Groban, Russell Watson, Sarah McLachlan, Simon and Garfunkel , Queen, The Moody Blues, Steeleye Span, Meatloaf, Mike Oldfield ... anyone who can carry a tune, basically.

In short, I’m an only child with an overactive imagination, 3 dogs, 2 cats and not enough hours in the day. I don’t drink, smoke, or do enough exercise. I make periodic stabs at eating properly. Chocolate is my besetting downfall.

So that’s me. You can wake up now ...

Reviews

[Lenore · Rating 2 out of 5]

The sequel books are just such a missed opportunity from the unique set up of Empress: God is real, and evil. The new more western setting of the last two novels, and their more Christian-like god not only feels like the author chickened out, but has some rather uncomfortable racial implications (the evil god's followers are dark skinned, from a more desert climate, the good god's followers are more european)

[Liviu · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great writing, story in which almost nothing happens; very few surprises and again it's a 100 page book, stretched to 550+; I still hope that the author can use her extraordinary writing skills and have an interesting plot, not page after page of filler...

[Helena · Rating 3 out of 5]

You can find my review here: http://embracingmybooks.blogspot.be/2...

[Connie53 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dit boek paste prima in de challenge voor augustus (een boek met een eiland) van de ff-leesclub, maar hij stond niet erg hoog op mijn binnenkort-te-lezen lijst. Ik ben erg blij dat ik dit boek toch heb gepakt, want ik vond het een prima te lezen boek en ga dan ook gelijk door in het derde deel.

[Glitterfairy · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's in this second book that I finally understand what Miller was trying to achieve, but I'm still not convinced of her success.

The good: The repetition and gore of the eastern 'Empress of Mijak' has been replaced by a more polished, western european-esque nation much more in the line of standard fantasy. Miller is obviously more comfortable with this kind of setting as the unneccessary repetitive shoving of religious detail has been kept to a minimum, allowing us to concentrate more on what's happening. The characters are also a lot more likeable and there's a better plot arc.

The bad: The plot arc still sucks. The time I went "oh, the quest is beginning!" I was already halfway through the book. Miller wastes half the book on setup, and after reading four of her books I think it's one of her biggest weaknesses. She just doesn't seem to know how to prioritise what needs to be conveyed first, and so writes everything down, screwing up the flow and pace of the book and boring the reader. (I can't help but wonder whether the huge drop in reviewers from 'Empress' to 'Riven Kingdom' is because so many people have been turned off by the first book in the trilogy...)

Thematically, there was more that was loosely outlined but it was still out-shadowed by boring detail. I'm not even sure I like the end - it's as if Miller finally realised she was running out of pages and was all "oops, better wrap this up!"

But most of all: now that I understand the relationship between book 1 and book 2, I am at a complete loss to understand why Miller spent an entire 565 pages on Mijak. Either everything will become clear in book three (bad plot seeding), or she's just the queen of overwriting because there's so little correlation between the past events in Mijak and what happens in Riven Kingdom that it's not funny. Seriously - most other authors would have summarised the events in a one-chapter prologue at the beginning of where 'The Riven Kingdom' begins (why is it called the Rivan Kingdom? There's not even a mention of Riva or Riven in this book!!!!). In fact, I'd have summarised the Empress of Mijak into a prologue and then started 'The Riven Kingdom' about one third of the way into the book, just a few chapter's worth of pages before the real 'journey' part begins.

This book is better than Empress of Mijak, but it's still one of the worst cases of overwriting I've ever seen in my life. So much of books 1 and 2 should have been mercifully culled from the final draft and left to stay in author's chaarcter/reference notes, where they belong.

[Ashleigh Motbey · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25/5.

Full review at my review blog.

Karen Miller is quickly becoming one of my favourite authors, and this series is hands down my favourite series of the year (so far). Once again, I have been drawn and sucked in by an Australian female fantasy writer. There are so many whom I love, including but not limited to, Jennifer Fallon and Isobelle Carmody. There’s just something about Australian fantasy that I adore!

The Riven Kingdom picks up in a completely different place to where Empress (also known as Empress of Mijak) ended. We left the harsh and vicious land of Mijak, and found ourselves in a calmer, more beautiful island nation of Ethrea.

Ethrea is thought to be the heart and soul of the area. It has lived in peace since the time of Rollin, with no wars with outside nations and no civil wars. Ethrea does not even have a proper army because it does not need one.

We begin this book with King Eberg dying. His two sons have also died, leaving his only other living child, Rhian, behind. In Ethrea, however, women (or girls) cannot take the throne, so she must marry and make her husband king. All Rhian wants is to choose who she marries and still be queen; a feat that is not as easy as it sounds.

After the death of the king, we are thrown into a world of turmoil. Rhian becomes a ward of Ethrea’s church, under the power-hungry Prolate Marlan who wants the crown for himself. We are also introduced to humble toymaker Dexterity Jones and his long time friend and healer, Ursa. Dexterity one day, is visited by the ghost of his long-dead wife, Hettie, who tells him he must go and find a ship and rescue a man named Zandakar.

Not quite believing it, Dexterity does as she asks, only to discover that everything she has said is true.

Soon, Dexterity is told by Hettie that he must save Rhian from the clutches of Marlan and he and Ursa are thrown from their normal, plain lives and are destined to help save Ethrea and give the country back to its rightful ruler, Rhian. With the help of her two friends and the foreign stranger, Zandakar, with black skin and blue hair, the group fight for what they feel is right, at risk of bringing civil war upon the people of Ethrea.

This book was a wild ride, built into a world of deep religious culture that reflects Christianity in the real world. Everything these people do, it is for ‘God’.

I now understand the harshness of Empress. For anyone who read my review of that, I repeatedly stated just how brutal the world of Mijak was. The brutality the people faced on a daily basis in order to please their god, where in comparison, Ethreans lived in a society that was much more like our own. I understand the purpose of book 1 one – it was to emphasise the unusualness of Mijak; to make them stick out.

Brought upon a slave ship, half-dead, Zandakar is thrown into a world so different from his own, and as the reader, we are able to see the struggles he faces in learning a new language and living in a place where his own god is not there – where people don’t bathe in blood, sacrifice people or animals, and where killing is frowned upon.

Karen Miller is an absolutely brilliant writer, once again bringing her world and characters to life and completely dn absolutely immersing me into the book. Despite the brutish nature of the series, I absolutely adore everything about the first two books and cannot wait to read the third!

[Kara Babcock · Rating 3 out of 5]

For a while now I’ve been ruminating on the role of the medieval setting in fantasy, and more specifically the kingdom. Monarchies are (largely) obsolete these days, though Charles Stross has some interesting ideas about how the divine right of kings could intersect with extreme libertarianism. It’s interesting, then, this obsession we have with a form of government that is inherently unstable, unfair, and usually just crap. I mean, yes, it makes for good conflict, and conflict is the heart of good storytelling. Yet I can’t help but feel it’s somewhat ironic that we sit here, cheering for an heir to take back her kingdom, instead of hoping for a rebellion to take the monarchy down.

The Riven Kingdom has provoked another round of rumination, for preserving the continuity of the crown is central to the plot. Indeed, it’s practically the entire story: Rhian’s father, King Eberg, dies. With her older brothers predeceasing him, Rhian is the sole heir—but a woman has never ruled as queen in her own right, and Rhian is also a minor. So the grasping high church official, Prolate Marlan, schemes to marry her to a simpleton and rule through this new king. Rhian has other plans. Aided by Dexterity Jones, a toymaker with an unlikely name and the unlikely help of a messenger from God, Rhian escapes Marlan’s clutches, marries her childhood love, and attempts to claim the crown.

A Song of Ice and Fire this is not: there is little in the way of ambiguity here when it comes to good guys and bad guys. Whereas it’s not entirely clear who should win the Iron Throne (go Team Daenerys, woo!), Karen Miller makes it plan that Rhian is the only person for the job and that Marlan is bad, bad, bad. In fact, he’s so stereotypically evil-beyond-redemption that it’s almost embarrassing. Fortunately, the rest of the book is steeped in enough moral exploration to make up for this fault.

Rhian begins the story as an intelligent but still emotionally immature woman. Understandably upset by her father’s lingering death, she snaps at those close to her. This tendency to snap doesn’t actually go away, unfortunately, and I found myself frustrated by how she would seem to yell and stamp any time someone so much as raises an alternative perspective. But I don’t mean to imply that she is the picture of the spoiled princess: far from it; Rhian is a capable successor to her father who merely lacks the experience that age often brings. It’s watching her acquire more experience and more confidence in herself as a ruler during her trials on the road that make this book so enjoyable. Rhian learns from those in her company and gradually begins to construct her own personal code for what it means to be the queen.

A similar change comes over Dexterity, who gets the ball rolling when he persuades Rhian to run away from the capital and declare herself queen openly. His motivation is supernatural, coming to him in the form of his dead wife, Hettie. At first, Dexterity is a bit of a Fool: humorous, carefree, and irreverent, he’s happy to trade quips and roll his eyes beyond someone’s back. Gradually he becomes more serious, more focused, as the significance of his role in these events becomes apparent. And, of course, he has to adjust to being a prophet who can heal people through miracles. Because being on fire but not consumed by it is totally not weird at all.

Perhaps the character who surprised me most was Helfred, Rhian’s personal chaplain. He begins as a stock thorn in Rhian’s side, a creature of Marlan, who is his uncle. He whines and sniffles in that unctuous way of unsavoury priests in fiction. Yet he stands up to Rhian, falls in with her, and ends up taking great risks. Unlike his uncle, he shows himself to be a genuine man of faith. And of all the characters, he is probably the one who changes the most dramatically. If there’s anyone who demonstrates Miller’s careful attention to character development, it’s Helfred.

Unless it’s Zandakar, of course.

This is the second book in the Godspeaker trilogy. I read the first book recently enough that my memory of it is still quite clear. I was intrigued but not captivated by it. It was just quite different, which can be good but also unsettling. The Riven Kingdom is much more conventional in narration and dialogue. I wonder what it would be like to read this book first and then tackle Empress, for the latter doesn’t really encourage one to continue reading the series. Of course, this approach comes at the cost of not realizing Zandakar’s significance or the backstory within the Mijak interludes of the book.

Zandakar is no longer the proud warrior he was in Empress. Beaten and broken, sold into slavery, he is rescued by Dexterity and nursed back to health. He feels guilty for his role in killing and enslaving literally countries’ worth of people. And this is a secret he can’t share, except with Dexterity. I like how Miller realistically portrays the slow, awkward development of communication between Zandakar and Dexterity. There’s no magical translation spell, no convenient crutch that allows one to speak the other’s language through anything other than patience and practice. As Zandakar becomes more fluent in Ethrean we are treated to more of his viewpoint and get to see how much he has changed since the events of the first book.

Zandakar exists as a foil for Rhian, the gentle queen. He teaches her his hotas, the exercises that help hone his focus and skills as a warrior, at her request. She develops the ability to kill by instinct, demonstrating this starkly at a pivotal moment in the book. Rhian realizes that she cannot and will not shed blood of her own accord. Zandakar accuses her of not wanting or willing to be queen. For him, ruling and killing go hand in hand. Rhian rejects this emphatically, thereby establishing one of the pillars of her personal code of ruling. But she wouldn’t have done this without Zandakar’s guidance and training.

Moreover, Zandakar is a symbol for what awaits Ethrea when the Mijak warhost arrives. Beyond the immediate story of Rhian’s accession lies the impending arrival of the horde that is pouring out of Mijak. I assume this will come to a head in the third book. Those closest to Zandakar, those like Rhian who have seen him kill to defend them, understand how terrifying he is. Now multiply that by the thousands … it beggars belief. Ethrea is not in for good times.

The Riven Kingdom is definitely a cut above Empress. If you managed to get through the first book but, like me, were hesitant to carry on, I’d say you should give it a try. And even if you gave Empress a pass, it might be worth giving this book shot. As far as fantasy books go, there is very little in the way of new ideas here. As I remarked earlier, it is essentially the basic inheritance conflict plot. But it’s competently executed, with characters who undergo some subtle change and development along the way. Sometimes, that’s sufficient for an enjoyable little book.

My reviews of the Godspeaker trilogy:
← Empress | Hammer of God →

[Ithlilian · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's hard to separate this book from the series and write a review of it on it's own merits. Having loved Empress so much this is a huge let down, but on it's own it is a decent story. Those wanting more Hekat won't find much here, but if you read the jacket you should already know that and be expecting it. I expected another character based story, and I did get that, but the characters here are not as dynamic and interesting as the ones in Empress. Rhian tries to be strong, but doesn't really know what she is doing. She lets other people tell her what to do, but then gives people an attitude and bosses them around like she is spoiled and knows everything. It's nice that she isn't perfect, but she is not very entertaining. The other characters might as well be made of wood. They are one dimensional and boring. Their points of view are really unimportant, and this book suffers from too much repetition. Having multiple views of the same event is great when done correctly, it is not here. We know Helfred is religious and unflinching, we know Ursa is tough, we know Dexterity is timid. Having the same events retold from three predictable characters is just not necessary.

Still, Karen Miller's writing is good, and I do care about the world and what is going to happen. It's sad to see this series go from a tough intriguing world to a stereotypical fantasy land. It's even more sad to see that the stereotypical fantasy land will probably defeat the awesome tyrannical interesting land. This book is just safe to me. There is nothing spectacular or unique about it. People who disliked Empress for how brutal Hekat was will have nothing to complain about here. The Riven Kingdom is full of fluffy kittens compared to Mijak. How I wish that evil would prevail for once. How I wish that fantasy authors would step out of the safe zone and do something risky. Oh well. If you are looking for a standard fantasy book with a queen, and religious figures, and a peaceful revolution, then The Riven Kingdom is for you. You don't even have to read the Empress first. If you liked the Empress, by all means read this, but Empress may have been a better standalone than a trilogy. The ending of Empress was perfect, The Riven Kingdom almost negates it.

[Nathan Balyeat · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is wonderful. Especially in contrast to the first book in the series.

I'd actually go so far as to say that the first book isn't necessary at all to enjoy the series. In retrospect, the first book is a tale that could have been woven more deeply into the second book - maybe through Zandakar's nightmares, or maybe through "Hettie" inspired flashbacks.

There really was no need for the horror and unlikable characters and religion of the first book except to provide 700 or so pages of contrast to the heroic, beautiful people in the second.

It's pretty obvious that in the third book, the unlikables and the likables are going to meet and it's going to be interesting to see how the good people pull through.

On the whole, this book was very enjoyable and probably my favorite book of hers to date.

[Jiaka1981 Winfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

This second book in the godspeaker trilogy captured my attention more than the first. We have crossed the desert from Maijak to Ethrea, and met princess Rhian. Rhian's father and brithers have died leaving no heir. The advisors ofthe kingdom fight to marry Rhian to a prince of thier own choosing but she has diffrent ideas. Rhian wants to be Queen. A mysterious stranger helps her on her quest, he is Zandakar the exiled son of empress Hekat. The Empress who is coming to destroy Ethera.

I relates more to Rhian's story than the original story of Hekat in book one. I'm looking forward to book 3 to see the conclusion when Hekats army arrives.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not going to write as long of a review for this book as the first one. I mostly just want to say this is the writing I feel Karen is known for. I'm glad to see we are back to a deep story, rich in character development.

I still feel the first book in the series was completely unnecessary and reads more like a really bad prequel rather than the start to an epic fantasy. I'm still wondering if it is the result of bad advice from an editor after she wrote books 2 & 3 that she wrote book 1.

[Nighteye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, just wow. A total different story than the first one but good as well. Can't wait to see what book 3 have in wait. Unexpected ending.

[Jonah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book (and series) has so much going for it. Political intrigue, a bloodthirsty God, ritual sacrifice, holy warriors and cool knife play. Unfortunately it's also white feminism at its worst - I don't think Karen has any idea how racist this book is

[Nikko Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why I read this book:

After hearing that the second book in the Godspeaker series left Mijak, I was a little unsure about reading it. However, I liked the first book so much that I had to read The Riven Kingdom by Karen Miller.

My one sentence summary:

Rhian must team up with a toymaker who talks to his dead wife, a grumpy physick, a reluctant man of god she despises, and a dangerous foreigner with blue hair to claim the throne that would have been hers by birthright if she weren't a woman.

Kuddos:

Karen Miller has a unique narrative style. Although the Riven Kingdom is a much gentler place than Mijak, it is filled with its own political and god-fueled turmoil. Miller pits religion and gender-bias against the right to rule and the burdens of rulership. Rhian must face the responsibilities and consequences of pursuing the throne that would have rightfully been hers had she been born a male. The striking part of Miller's writing is how she puts her characters in situations where they never know if they are doing the right thing or even if doing the right thing is the best thing to do. God's will comes through in unexpected ways. Sometimes terrible things do need to happen to stop a greater evil. There are always consequences for these characters even when they do exactly what their god needs them to do. Although less brutal than the first book, the second book still has a lot of bite and heart.

Quibbles:

This book was about 200 pages too long for me. Some of the arguments between characters and internal debates felt either redundant or drawn out. If I were a more patient reader, I might revel in the inner conflicts expressed in the dialog or narrative. As it was, the repetitive back and forth took me away from the action longer than I wanted. There was also too much bleed through between the distinctive Mijak thought and speech patterns into the Riven Kingdom people. Even though the first third of the book is purely Riven Kingdom, there are places where Miller seems to slip into her Mijak style. I'm not sure if it was to show how these people were not so different at heart, how Zandakar's presence changed them, or if it was poor editing. I also grew tired of the waffling indecisiveness of Rhian, in particular. She alternates from strong would-be queen to a lost child wanting her king consort to tell her that she is doing the right thing to shutting him out of her inner thoughts altogether.

Final verdict:

Even with a few quibbles, this book is still well-worth the read. The third book is in my to-read pile, and I am eager see the clash of the Hekat's warhost with the peaceable Riven people. I'd love Rhian and Zandakar to have a happily-ever-after, but this isn't romance. So I'm not holding my breath.

[Eva Corssmit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goeie instap fantasy reeks. Vermakelijk , beetje smerig maar op een goeie manier

[Blodeuedd Finland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 1 was one tough cookie. I hated and feared the main character, and I was glad this one moved on to another person, cos honestly I could take no more of Hekat's crazy brutality (still one good dark book!). Book 2 is different but here something else had me all riled up. The same old thing, religion. I will explain soon enough.

Rhian is a princess in a country far far away from crazy Mijak. Her father is dying, the Church prolate is pressuring her to marry some idiot. But Rhian gets her POV stronger later on. First the book is about Dexterity, a simple toymaker who sets out to save his kingdom and the princess. Just a crazy old man who gets visions. Zandakar also shows up in this book...and I will say nothing more, but he is different now, you know after his mother Hekat killed his wife and child. These 3 come together and journey through the kingdom.

Ok can I now go off about religion? Yes? Yay. Ok Marlan, the Church prolate, grrrr, I want to smite him and tear apart his wicked soul (yes this series makes me violent). I hate, I loathe people who do bad things and make them seem right by telling people it's God's work. Marlan was a greedy man who wanted to rule the kingdom and use poor Rhian as a breeding mare. If I could go into the book and punch him I would. So yes he is one of those bad guys you just love to hate.

And while Rhian is trying to become queen the mighty army of Mijak is continuing to conquer. How on earth she will be able to save her kingdom I do not know. Hekat and her army is unstoppable. And they have their evil Scorpion gods on their side. Yes everything they do is right in the eye of God. How can one stop that?

Conclusion:
It's a book I had a hard time putting down, it made me wanna keep on reading and I really wish I had book 3 right now.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt I enjoyed this book more than the first. I love fantasy, but with Empress I found it hard to imagine a God that would enjoy and become powerful with the blood of animals sacrificed. I couldn't get my head around it entirely. But then along came The Riven Kingdom and I realised that this was more civilised and closer to us. With the discovery of this I was able to accept more the story of Hekat and the Mijaki people.

This had more of what I look for in a book, a journey - yes Empress had that with Hekat - but this felt more real. The battle of good vs evil. Rhian vs Marlan. And I loved the characters more. Dexterity Jones was my all time favourite almost all the time I smiled when he said something. I felt I could laugh more as I the wit in this book was more real.
This book was brilliant and it had me wanting to read more especially when my favourite Mijak popped up. I did think however Zanadaker was different in this book - as if he was an altogether new character but in a way I think it was true, he had to become a new person and rediscover himself after he was sent away from Mijak, captured and had left his previous life behind. I also loved how they adopted "Tcha" from Zandaker it felt like a family, a true family, compared to that of Hekat, Vortka etc.

All in all I thought it was a brilliant follow up and I am very much looking forward to the final book and the threat of Mijak coming to the forefront of the story.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, this book was the sequel to Empress by Karen Miller, which I found very surprising. The first book introduced us to Hekat, who quickly became apparent as the villain of the trilogy's arc. I kept reading, despite disliking Hekat, in the hopes that someone--anyone!--would give her what was coming to her.

The second book in the series introduces us to Hekat's foil--the Princess Rhiann--and it tickled me a little that Rhiann doesn't actually start out all that likable. I'd read this as a criticism of the book, but I think it's a deliberate ploy on the part of the author. Rhiann really does grow and change and mature as the book progresses, and if she'd started out perfect (gag) the story would be substantially less interesting.

So this book sets up what should be a fascinating confrontation between Hekat and her scorpion god (really a sacrifice-fueled demon) and Rhiann and her kinder, gentler (pseudo-Christian, probably real if somewhat absent) god. There's a lot going on here, under the surface, about religion and the nature of faith, and I'm very curious to see how it plays out in book three.

[Elise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Leaving Hekat behind for a while (with the exception of 4 "Mijak" chapters where we catch up with her), "Riven Kingdom" takes us to a European-style country embroiled in a church-vs-state standoff. Though not nearly as amazing as Hekat, "Riven Kingdom's" female lead, Rhian, is still pretty great. She's powerful, smart, and devoted -- that her entire story is devoted to who she'll marry (to lose or gain power) is annoying, but understandable given the setting, and it's dealt with in an OK enough way (the 'love triangle' set up was eye-rollingly obvious, however). I didn't like RK as much as I loved Empress, but I'm not sure anyone would fare well after Hekat.

I'm not too sure how much I love the dichotomy that RK sets up, between Hekat's god and Rhian's -- it's a bit euro-centric ('OUR god is nice and shiny and kind, and THEIR god is weird and creepy and EVIL'), but I'll wait for the wrap up in "Hammer of God" to make any judgements on that.

At any rate -- as a second in a trilogy, RK is OK, but I'd recommend waiting a bit after finishing Empress to start on it, as the style/tone/feel shifts so dramatically it almost feels like a completely different world (which, I guess, it is!), and it felt really jarring to go straight from one to the other.

[Wayne Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Much better than the first book in this trilogy. I couldn't put it down. the protagonist is worthy of my interest in fact I am not so sure the Toy Maker is the main character of the Princes whom he helps restore the kingdom and install her a queen.

It seems The River Kingdom is run by Kings and Religious leaders like in the dark ages when the Catholic church had such great power. This is a classic story of separation of church and state and the difference between a religious leader and a man of God.

Miller has set this up to be a classic battle between the forces of darkness led by The Empress of Mijik and the forces of light led by the Queen of The River Kingdom. I can hardly wait to start the final book of the Trilogy.

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a much more enjoyable read than the first novel in the series. To be honest if I hadn't bought all three books at the same time I don't know if I could have continued as Hekat was such a despicable character. However this book has several characters I loved. Rhian (a princess), Dexterity Jones (a toymaker) and Zandakar (enslaved son of the aforementioned Hekat). All in all a terrific book.

[[ J o ] · Rating 4 out of 5]

[Quick, short review from memory before I re-read and re-review:

I remember some good snippets from these books (couldn't say which book they came from, though) and that is quite rare so it must have left an impression. Good characters, good anti-heroes, good setting and storyline. Perhaps a bit loose toward the end?]

[Becca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this despite hating the first book, but I'm glad I did. I liked this one quite a bit, and how it was not as dark as most of Miller's novels. I suspect that will change in the third book, but at least I had a little bit of a respite.

[Diancecht · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won't say too much, very good read :). It is like a different world from the first Book. There was less from my favorite charter Hekat(she cool!!) It makes a change from a happy ending.

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is written more in the style of the Kingmaker books, since the culture featured is more refined. Good second installment.

[Esther · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author is a master in writing believable characters whom one dislikes intensely. Riann here what a @&*#@. I even like Hekat better.

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

An improvement upon the first book. Much better plot and character motivation.

[Nerine Dorman · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Riven Kingdom (The Godspeaker Trilogy #2) by Karen Miller is part of my catching up of all the fantasy novels I've been meaning to read over the years, and it's one of the titles so far that's led me to believe that Miller is possibly one of the most underrated voices in the genre I've encountered in a while. I tucked into book #1, Empress, a while back, and was a bit concerned that I'd lose the thread, but there was sufficient recap in book #2 that I wasn't at a complete loss; Miller touches on the pertinent bits without going overboard.

The Riven Kingdom introduces us to Princess Rhian, whose father the king is dying. During more enlightened times, she would have been heir to the throne, but unfortunately for her, the island kingdom of Ethrea still favours a male heir. With her two older brothers being deceased, her fate is to marry the man chosen for her to be her king, and to then produce future kings. So, basically, she's a prize brood mare and all the dukes and the church are gasping to place the future king of their choice on the throne. Absolutely lovely. You can well imagine that Rhian is less than pleased by this state of affairs.

Indulged from a young age with an education and some instruction in less gentle pursuits, like fencing, Rhian is not your typical princess, and she's absolutely not going to allow a bunch of stodgy old men tell her who she's going to marry. Add a grasping, power-hungry religious leader to the mix, who seeks to control Rhian after her father's passing, and we're set up for the essential theme that runs through this book – the battle for the separation of church and state.

In fact, the theme of religion runs heavy throughout the trilogy, from the looks of things. In book #1, we meet Hekat, who justifies her grab for power through her faith in a hungry, violent god that demands bloodshed. She is ruthless in her actions, and though not a likeable character by any means, is fascinating to observe how she constantly does mental gymnastics to maintain her power and her stance.

Rhian also has to balance power and religion. She's from a deeply religious nation, and often her behaviour is very much that of an indulged, untried girl who's used to getting her own way. [I realise this might make people hate her as well.] Yet her intentions, compared to Hekat, are that of being a just, fair ruler. Much like Hekat, she has a great conviction that she is meant to rule, and will do what she must to attain her aims.

Not everyone in Ethrea is religious. We compare Marlan, the antagonist – the prolate who wishes to rule through a puppet monarch. He doesn't believe in a god but he will use religion as a way to control people. There is most certainly a strong nod towards the Catholic Church's machinations in this story. On the other hand, we have the formerly agnostic toymaker Dexterity, who gets dragged into the saga rather unwillingly – he has liminal experiences thrust upon him and he is granted god-given power to perform miracles. What he does with his powers is vastly different than what Marlan would.

The character I'm sure most loved to hate was Rhian's chaplain Helfred. At first he comes across as a thoroughly despicable, weak individual whose faith makes him annoying as all hell. Yet his redemption arc from a toadying sycophant to a man of true faith is perhaps the most satisfying.

The way characters deal with power – the gaining thereof and the loss, makes for a fascinating dynamic. We have former warlord Zandakar, reduced to a slave and rescued by Dexterity, whom I suspect will still play a pivotal role in book #3, and there is the way Rhian realises that she literally holds the power of life and death, and how she is then faced with the choice of what sort of ruler she will become.

I realise I've gone on a lot more with this review than I normally do, but that's because this is a book that made me think quite a bit. I will say this much: I didn't like any of the characters, except perhaps for Ursa the healer. Yet there is a lot going on here which makes it a worthy novel to read. There were moments when I felt there was literally a bit too much of a deus ex machina happening, yet I do have to admit that this very issue is central to the plot. Which makes me wonder about the rules applying to deities in this setting (which I'm sure Miller will go into eventually, or at least I hope so).

Miller doesn't shrink from graphic depictions of violence, and her characters (who occasionally verge on twee) are very much painted in shades of grey (which then redeems them), so I have to give her this much – she gives a few unexpected twists and turns but all in all delivers a solid and compelling read that has given me much to consider.

[Jennifer Kellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

While Empress revolved around Hekat and her dark God, The Riven Kingdom centers on Rhian, a Princess in a realm where God has long been silent. There is a stark contrast between the religion of Mijak and the that of Ethrea. In Mijak, there can be no doubt in the existence of the God, the faithful are blessed with healing and omens, while the faithless are struck down into ash. In Ethrea, the God does not speak and we encounter a clergy more reminiscent of Catholicism. This book examines the tension between Church and State. As Rhian rises to power as Queen, she must constantly push against the leader of the Church, who believes that he stands above the crown.

As with the previous book in the series, the treatment of women is a primary focus. While boys are considered adults at 18, girls are only considered women when they are 20. Similar to the Daughter in Empress, Rhian's primary purpose in life is to provide a male heir. While she is educated, no one expects or wants her to do anything with that education and are genuinely surprised when she decides to rule rather than give the crown to her future husband. She is constantly referred to as property and demeaned by the men around her. While the high-born women are considered unequal to their male counterparts, the lower-born women seem to be on more even footing. No one questions Ursa (I assume this is short for Ursella, but everytime I see her name, I think of her as a bear) being a skilled physician or living alone. There is significant friction between Rhian and her husband. While he agreed not to be King above her, he does not really understand what it means to be her consort.

Another theme in this book is clergy as gatekeepers to God. As we progress in the story Helfred must come to grips with what the purpose of the clergy really is. Centuries of relative peace have left the clergy acting as gatekeepers rather than guides. Many claim that the divine flows through them to the people and they use this as a cudgel to gather power. Helfred must eventually learn that no one can come between God and the people. Just because a Chaplain refuses to lead prayer, that does not mean the people cannot pray and the God can neither hear them nor respond. Dexterity's rise as a prophet brings this tension to the foreground as many clergy do not believe that a miracle would or could occur through a commoner rather than a member of the cloth. The presence of Dexterity reshapes Helfred's view of the relationship between clergy, God and the people.

In Mijak, the presence of healing magic means that the people and Godspeakers have unwavering faith in the God. However, in Ethrea, the silence of the God has lead many to no longer believe that the God exists. Even the Prolate of the Church does not believe that God is real. There is an underlying theme of questioning blind faith. Zandakar struggles with this during his travels. He wonders how people can believe in a God that does not make itself known to the people. Does that make the Ethrean God weaker than the God of Mijak? What does it mean to lead? One God demands, the other guides. Both the Godspeakers and the Chaplains believe that the other god is evil and a demon that must be thrown down. Which is correct? Mijak? Ethrea? Both? Neither? We will (hopefully) find out in Hammer of God when the two nations clash.

As a separate note, I really liked that Rhian refuses to shed the blood of her people in a civil war as compared to Elayne in the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan. I always disliked that Elayne was so selfish that she was willing to have tens of thousands of her people die because she didn't want to be given her crown, she wanted to earn/take it. Rhian decides that if her people raise arms against her rule, then she will back away and be satisfied to be Duchess of Linfoi, demonstrating that she is the kind of ruler that will put the people above herself.

[Carina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a vast, vast, improvement on the first book. I can see why some other reviewers say the first book isn't necessary, that it could have been told in flashbacks or dreams, but I disagree. You need the history of Zandakar and Hekat from that to make the weight in this one more real, so you can believe and understand Zandakar when he thinks of Ethrea as being weak and easily crushed.

Yes, the main focus here is on Rhian and her fight to become the first Queen of Ethrea, but the undertones are all about Mijak. (And, to be fair, they're far more obvious than undertones so maybe I should class them as a secondary plot?). Without knowing why Zandakar acts as he does, why the destruction that Jones sees in his vision/dream is so dreadful (and lets be fair, what he sees is not the worst of Mijak) you wouldn't understand Hettie's fear, or why the King of T-somethingorother has travelled to Ethrea.

Hekat is sprinkled within this book, and I do think when you see her POV you can see how crazy she has become from that girl in Godspeeker. No longer is she trying to expand the empire for her gods sake, it is to find her son - a fearsome prospect for anyone standing in her way.

I liked the juxtaposition that the god of Mijak is some sort of devil - it means that all of the times in Godspeeker that they destroyed demons and things it was likely they were destroying the God of Ethrea. I still wonder though whose voice it was that Zandakar heard - both when he was in the blood pit and then when he was smiting that country... was it Ethrea's God? Was it planned so that Zandakar could be there to save Rhian?

This book ends on a cliffhanger, which I am more forgiving of in books that form the middle of a series. But honestly, it didn't need to. I *want* to know if Hekat and Zandakar reunite, and if Hekat can see the error of her ways (my opinion: yes and definitely not). I *want* to see how Rhian reacts to the news of the devastation that is heading her way, how she works alongside the other nations to halt the evil of Mijak. I want to see Zandakar strike his brother down (at least, I hope that is what happens!)... so yeah. Looks like I'll be looking into purchasing these on the Kindle then!

As far as the main plot goes... again, as with the first, nothing really groundbreaking. I guessed that Marlan would be abusive and was right, I guessed that Rhian would suceed with surprisingly little trouble and again I was right . Honestly, there is a reason that the bulk of this review is focussed on the subplot... it is just more interesting. Now I have to hope that the third book lives up to the set-up of this one.