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River Of Dreams (2014)

by Lynn Kurland(Favorite Author)

4.21 of 5 Votes: 1

ISBN

0425262820 (ISBN13: 9780425262825)

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

Berkley

series

Nine Kingdoms

review 1: Another wonderful Kurland book! Runach is endearing, and his Aisling is sweet. She has no clue as to what she is, other than a weaver, yet everyone else can see she is differently magical, too. Can't wait to see how it ends (like we don't already know!)! :)Strangely, the only 2 editing errors were on opposite pages in mid-book (incorrect word used, then a missing contraction). Otherwise, loved the editing!
review 2: Loved it!We are now up to Book 8 in the Nine Kingdoms series. My review is below, but first, here's the list of books in the confusing and a bit of explanation regarding how they fit together leading up to where we're at right now:Two Prelude short stories, found in anthologies with other authors:The Queen in Winter ("A Whisper of Spring" When Symon... more, the first king of Neroche, woos and wins Iolaire)To Weave a Web of Magic (The Tale of Two Swords where Mehar and Gilraehen fall in love)Miach and Morgan's story is told in:1 - Star of the Morning2 - The Mage's Daughter3 - Princess of the SwordRuith and Sarah's story (which OVERLAPS Miach and Morgan's story in the timeline) is told in:4 - A Tapestry of Spells5 - Spellweaver6 - Gift of MagicRùnach and Aisling's story is being told in:7 - Dreamspinner8 - River of Dreams (this book)9 - Planned for Jan '15.~*^*~.,.~*^*~.,.~*^*~.Both Dreamspinner and River of Dreams take place over a time period of only a few weeks. These few weeks begin after the final chapter in both of the first two trilogies, with the exception of the Epilogue in Princess of the Sword (which occurs quite a few months after the last chapter of that book).And WOW. This book is exquisite! That's the best word I can find, and it falls so very short of this book!Yes, this is the third Nine Kingdoms trilogy that centers around a prince who was hiding who he was and a woman who didn't know who she was or what she could do. It, like the others, is also a journey of discovery (happening amidst lots of journeys all over the 9 kingdoms.) But there the similarities end. The progress of the romance is different, the characters are different, and even the magics are different. In fact, once more, the new book has expanded the world of the 9 Kingdoms and its beauty and possibilities even more!It's not the plot that makes me say "Wow" about the book, though. Plot fanatics might consider the plot to simplistic. Maybe. I don't know... and I don't care. It's the exquisite beauty and word-crafting and imagery of this book that makes a mere plot seem commonplace. Somehow, the words on the page spin images in my mind that defy description and make me smile and feel carried away to a land of magic, even as I remember them!So what's the story about?By the time this book opens, Aisling knows that Rùnach was an elvin prince who had his magic stolen by his evil father years before. She and Rùnach have also discovered that she has some pretty amazing abilities, though neither of them understand what she can do, how she can do it, or why she can do it. Rùnach is constantly asking her, "Who ARE you?" And Aisling's answer is always "no one," for she saw her parents only weeks ago... their actions proved that they were no one of consequence.Aisling is a remarkable character. She is beginning to believe that most of what she was told growing up was a lie. Elves actually do exist--and she's falling in love with one. Magic does exist after all--and she is somehow able to do inexplicable things with it. Dragons do exist--at least where shapechanging and magic is concerned. So maybe the curses hanging over her head aren't what she thought either. She is very, very sweet, unfailingly polite, yet unafraid to follow her instincts when they urge her to take the magic threads surrounding her and.... but no. I will not spoil some of the most beautiful and amazing word-crafting I've ever had the pleasure of enjoying.Rùnach is... wow. How to describe this man who was the envy of his brothers for his skill with magic and his skill with the sword... before magic was taken and his hands were ruined of course. I was so pleased to find that his skill with magic fit so perfectly with the hints given in the other two trilogies. Somehow he still carries that skill, even though he can't use it, having no magic anymore. His character portrayal was so very much the combination of an elvin prince of rare skill, power, and high standing and a cripple affected by 20 years of hiding and affliction--a tricky combination.The story doesn't end there, of course. Rùnach and Aisling together were already something quite special in the beginning and through the first half of the book. But then things begin to unfold in earnest, and the story becomes even more beautiful. They know they are in love, and we finally witness their first kisses. (They are, of course, beautiful and pure, like Lynn Kurland's couples enjoy.) But you are missing something amazing if you haven't read through to Chapter 17 yet!But their quest is getting more dangerous and uncertain. Soilléir is involved (as much as he'll allow himself to be, of course, which isn't much, though we learn a bit more about him). The book ends with not-quite-a-cliffhanger. It's rather a fitting resting place before the next book (which we have to wait a whole year for) launches Rùnach and Aisling into their fight to save the world and the dreams woven through it.This is definitely going to be one of those books that I read and re-read and read yet again! less

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