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The Chronicle Of Secret Riven (2014)

by Ronlyn Domingue(Favorite Author)

4.19 of 5 Votes: 1

ISBN

1451688911 (ISBN13: 9781451688917)

languge

English

genre

Fantasy

publisher

Atria Books

series

Keeper of Tales Trilogy

review 1: A thousand years after the Mapmaker’s war (described in a previous novel by this same author), Secret Riven is born to a historian father and a mother who is able to translate multiple languages. Secret cannot speak for years, a lack that seems to strengthen her talent for telepathically communicating with plants and animals. Her contact with nature is limited at first until her father receives a plush job that enables them to move to a town bordering on multiple forests and groves, filled with animals that are totally unthreatened by Secret. In fact their love for each other as well as respect is obvious on their every meeting.During these later years her mother’s emotional attacks increase. They seem somehow to be related to her own mother, Zavet, but nothing is ... moreever described to clarify what these attacks are, why they occur and how she can be helped since Secret immediately hides as soon as these horrible episodes occur and her father is almost completely unaware of their occurrence. Secret does have two very special friends, one Prince Nicholas, the son of the kingdom’s ruler and the other an old woman who lives in the forest. Nicholas accepts Secret exactly as she is, even after she develops a sickness with an extremely high fever and awakens to discover she can translate an old, almost unknown, language. At the same time, her mother dies and Secret believes the two events of illness and death are connected. The old woman in the forest is there for Secret but all of a sudden Secret seems to be reluctant to share all of her thoughts and feelings with her former friend.The rest of the novel concerns an attempt by a powerful man to “use” Secret’s skills for a secret purpose. The novel is rather vague from this point on, but Secret has several fearful experiences that increase her suspicion that an evil battle is nearing, one she can’t pinpoint but feels in every fiber of her sensitive being!The Chronicle of Secret Riven…is an interesting read but is rather slow-moving and never seems to provide enough clues to keep the reader’s interest. The development of her special skills is what holds the reader’s attention. More clues and action are needed and hopefully will be provided in the sequel to this novel.
review 2: Originally posted on citygirlscapes.comLast year, we stumbled on a gem of a book find – The Mapmaker’s War by Ronlyn Domingue. We fell in love with this unique story and strong female lead. We received an advance copy of Domnigue's follow up - The Chronicle of Secret Riven - and quickly dove right back in to this beautiful fantasy world.While this story is the next in the series, it is clear right from the start that there are some drastic differences from its predecessor. First of all, this is not written in the unique second person voice of The Mapmaker’s War, which was a very original component to the first book. Secondly, this is a book about Secret Riven, not the heroine from the original, a whole new entity in a whole new time that we get to know (and hopefully love). Neither of these things are bad, it’s just that the loose connection is a little unexpected for a series. But that unexpectedness is what we’ve come to expect from Domingue and why she is quickly becoming one of our favourite authors.In place of the edgy second person voice, Domingue implements a new element this time around to challenge the imagination. To set the scene before each chapter, she pulls the reader right into her world. She describes the surroundings as if I, the reader, am actually standing there looking around and relays the play by play of my movements as she brings me to the point that the chapter will pick up from. It’s a creative introduction, a way to really immerse the reader in the story. To me, it felt like a role-play video game along the lines of Fable. Like I am looking out of a character’s eyes and seeing this imaginative world forming around me as the result of the vivid descriptive. And then the scene zooms out and I’m back to witnessing these other characters go about their journey. How often, as adults, do we get to exercise this kind of imagination on a daily basis? It’s beautiful.Domingue is proving herself an authentic story teller. The themes of tales, myths and legends are woven throughout this book, but it’s almost as if she’s redefining these elements with her own voice. With The Chronicle of Secret Riven, Domingue has created one of the most exquisite worlds I have ever encountered. With magical gifts, unexplainable silences, mysterious manuscripts and a strong willed, silver-haired heroine at the forefront, it was hard not to lose myself in the crescendo that builds and builds towards the ultimate knowledge of one’s destiny.Of course, this is the point in which this story pauses (and the book ends), leaving me teetering on the edge of finally uncovering the mysterious lore that’s been bubbling in front of me. It’s frustrating, like a lingering thought, like something is on the tip of my tongue but I can’t quite grasp it. But it was the perfect place to pause and collect myself, treasuring what I just read because, as it’s been made clear, a change wishes to know its course and there’s no turning back.I did come to love Secret Riven, there’s no way to avoid that. She is ambitious and strong, carrying a world on her shoulders that she doesn’t quite understand. Though she’s often alone, the friendships she does build – like that with Prince Nikolas and her complicated relationship with the Old Woman – are those rare connections I don’t see enough of in books. Despite all her hardships, she manages to push herself through each day and miraculously comes out unscathed. I can tell she’s destined for something great and I can’t wait to unravel what that is. less

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