Tagged: wizards
The Crimson Crown by Cinda Williams Chima
(Cover picture courtesy of Cinda Williams Chima’s site.)
A thousand years ago, two young lovers were betrayed-Alger Waterlow to his death, and Hanalea, Queen of the Fells, to a life without love.
Now, once again, the Queendom of the Fells seems likely to shatter apart. For young queen Raisa ana’Marianna, maintaining peace even within her own castle walls is nearly impossible; tension between wizards and Clan has reached a fevered pitch. With surrounding kingdoms seeking to prey on the Fells’ inner turmoil, Raisa’s best hope is to unite her people against a common enemy. But that enemy might be the person with whom she’s falling in love.
Through a complicated web of lies and unholy alliances, former streetlord Han Alister has become a member of the Wizard Council of the Fells. Navigating the cut-throat world of blue blood politics has never been more dangerous, and Han seems to inspire hostility among Clan and wizards alike. His only ally is the queen, and despite the perils involved, Han finds it impossible to ignore his feelings for Raisa. Before long, Han finds himself in possession of a secret believed to be lost to history, a discovery powerful enough to unite the people of the Fells. But will the secret die with him before he can use it?
A simple, devastating truth concealed by a thousand-year-old lie at last comes to light in this stunning conclusion to the Seven Realms series.
I’m far from a romantically inclined person but I really did love the twist about Hanalea and Alger Waterlow. Not only was it unexpected, I liked how it was resolved and how Cinda Williams Chima treated it in general. History is written by the victors, as the saying goes.
The main story of Han and Raisa is also pretty good. There’s lots of betrayal, intrigue and drama but it never really goes into soap opera territory. Politics and duty often get in the way of love but I liked how both characters handled it according it to their personalities: Raisa tried hiding behind duty and Han challenged her to follow her heart instead. It makes for a great subplot on top of all of the chaos in the Fells and elsewhere.
They’re on the brink of civil war as a foreign army invades and nothing is as it seems, of course. I loved how Raisa really rose to the challenge in this book. She was always a strong character but she really came into her own in this last installment. I can actually picture her as a successful queen now that she’s matured so much in The Crimson Crown. Not that she was immature in the first book but now she’s behaving like a grown woman despite the fact she’s still really a teenager. Han, of course, is great as usual. He really grows into his role as Raisa’s adviser and confidant and he is determined to do everything he can to protect her. Han is just awesome so there’s not really much to say.
The plot was pretty good as well. It felt sort of incomplete at the end what with the random twist but at the same time it was a generally satisfying end to a good series. The rest of the book, however, was excellent and I was so involved I really didn’t want to put The Crimson Crown down, even to eat or sleep. So I’d say that’s a sign of a good book.
If you loved the previous three books in the series, I think you’ll really enjoy the last installment. I may or may not read Cinda Williams Chima’s other series but at least I can say that I’m glad I picked up the Seven Realms series. It was definitely a worthwhile read, despite the rocky beginning.
I give this book 4.5/5 stars.
The Gray Wolf Throne by Cinda Williams Chima
(Cover picture courtesy of Cinda Williams Chima’s site.)
Han Alister thought he had already lost everyone he loved. But when he finds his friend Rebecca Morley near death in the Spirit Mountains, Han knows that nothing matters more than saving her. The costs of his efforts are steep, but nothing can prepare him for what he soon discovers: the beautiful, mysterious girl he knew as Rebecca is none other than Raisa ana’Marianna, heir to the Queendom of the Fells. Han is hurt and betrayed. He knows he has no future with a blueblood. And, as far as he’s concerned, the princess’s family as good as killed his own mother and sister. But if Han is to fulfill his end of an old bargain, he must do everything in his power to see Raisa crowned queen.
Meanwhile, some people will stop at nothing to prevent Raisa from ascending. With each attempt on her life, she wonders how long it will be before her enemies succeed. Her heart tells her that the thief-turned-wizard Han Alister can be trusted. She wants to believe it—he’s saved her life more than once. But with danger coming at her from every direction, Raisa can only rely on her wits and her iron-hard will to survive—and even that might not be enough.
The Gray Wolf Throne is an epic tale of fierce loyalty, unbearable sacrifice, and the heartless hand of fate.
Betrayal, war, intrigue and sacrifice all feature heavily in The Gray Wolf Throne but the thing that struck me most about it was how well Cinda Williams Chima writes about politics. She’s no George R. R. Martin in terms of complicated politics, but you can really appreciate that forces both inside and outside of the Fells influence all of the characters’ decisions. Particularly Raisa’s.
I like both Raisa and Han equally in this third installment of the Seven Realms series. Last book I favoured Han but now that Raisa is finally coming into her own I found myself connecting with her on a deeper level. Both characters are well-rounded and three dimensional and you can really feel their emotions. When Han discovers Rebecca is really Raisa, that betrayal cuts deeply. But for the sake of the realm both Han and Raisa have to move past their mutual feelings of betrayal and work together to save their kingdom.
Raisa isn’t one of these annoying heroines that does whatever the heck she wants without even considering the consequences of her actions. No, she knows that everything she does has tremendous repercussions not only for herself, but for the people she rules over. Her kingdom is in a very precarious position what with civil wars going on all around its borders but there are also factions tearing the country apart from within. Even if you’re not a big political junkie like I am I think most readers can appreciate just how well Cinda Williams Chima actually understands politics.
The plot was much faster paced than in the two previous novels but it definitely wasn’t at the price of character development or world-building. It’s not the pace of your typical action/thriller novel but the plot does move along quite quickly for epic fantasy. The main thing is that the plot of The Gray Wolf Throne is very interesting. It’s not the fastest one ever written but it is interesting enough to keep you reading into the early morning hours.
Basically, this third book was better than the previous two and I can’t wait for book four, The Crimson Crown.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
The Exiled Queen by Cinda Williams Chima
(Cover picture courtesy of Cinda Williams Chima’s site.)
Haunted by the loss of his mother and sister, Han Alister journeys south to begin his schooling at Mystwerk House in Oden’s Ford. But leaving the Fells doesn’t mean that danger isn’t far behind. Han is hunted every step of the way by the Bayars, a powerful wizarding family set on reclaiming the amulet Han stole from them. And Mystwerk House has dangers of its own. There, Han meets Crow, a mysterious wizard who agrees to tutor Han in the darker parts of sorcery—but the bargain they make is one Han may regret.
Meanwhile, Princess Raisa ana’Marianna runs from a forced marriage in the Fells, accompanied by her friend Amon and his triple of cadets. Now, the safest place for Raisa is Wein House, the military academy at Oden’s Ford. If Raisa can pass as a regular student, Wein House will offer both sanctuary and the education Raisa needs to succeed as the next Gray Wolf queen.
Everything changes when Han and Raisa’s paths cross, in this epic tale of uncertain friendships, cut-throat politics, and the irresistible power of attraction.
I felt rather ‘meh’ about the first book in this series, The Demon King and only gave it 3.5 stars. Still, I felt that I was sufficiently interested to buy the second book in the Seven Realms series. Why not give Cinda Williams Chima another try?
Good thing I did, though. It turns out that this second book in the series is actually quite a bit better than the first book. I felt that the plot was the weak point of the first novel because there were sections where it was really fast-paced and then it would drag on and on for several pages. That really wasn’t the case with The Exiled Queen, which was quite fast-paced throughout the nearly 600 pages of the story. There were places where the plot was slow, yes, but at least there was always that undercurrent of tension as both Raisa and Han were on the run.
I was really impressed with how the world-building was expanded. We learn so much more about the Demon King and his effects on the Seven Realms even a thousand years later. We also learn a lot more about magic: how it’s used, where it comes from, how flashpieces are created, etc. It’s really fascinating to see just how in depth the world-building in this story is. The first book gave me the impression it was an average fantasy world, but I’m definitely going to have to revise that opinion after reading this book.
The characters were just as good this time around. Raisa, for the first time in her life, is learning real hardship as she tries to make it as a soldier. It’s not easy for her because even though she’s not your stereotypical pampered princess, she has lived a life of luxury. Yes, she does a bit of complaining but she possesses enough self-awareness to tough it out and work just as hard as everyone else does at school. Han is definitely improving as a character as he becomes a true wizard. He’s powerful but is not above beginner mistakes and he’s well aware of his shortcomings compared to his peers at Mystwerk. I found myself liking Han more than Raisa this time around but both characters are very memorable.
Basically I’m not sure what went wrong with The Demon King, but The Exiled Queen is far better. Maybe it’s the change of scenery or the new maturity of the characters. Either way, this second book was way better and I can’t wait to read the third book.
I give this book 5/5 stars.