Title: Riven
Author: Bronwyn Eley
Publisher Info / Release: Talem Press | August 13, 2020
Source: E-ARC
Rating: 4.5 / 5 *’s
Thank you to Talem Press for sending me an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Synopsis:
Kaylan’s life as she knew it is over. Again.
Hunted by the guards of Edriast and their ruthless captain, Kaylan is forced to flee into a world she’s never seen, armed with a power she never wanted. With her brother Elias by her side, she escapes to the distant city of Stynos, where rumour has it a possible ally is waiting… An ally who might help Kaylan control the violent magic that’s become her burden to bear.
But Kaylan can’t hide forever – not from the forces that surround her, or from the darkness inside herself. Rebel leader Bellamy seeks her help to destroy a regime; Captain Thorn pursues her with a vengeance; and as her power grows, her inner demons begin to seep through the cracks…
Kaylan may be strong, but is she strong enough to resist the Relic?
Riven takes places almost immediately after it’s predecessor in which Kaylan is fleeing for her life from her home in Edriast. Bronwyn’s writing is beautifully detailed that sucks you right into the story, including small details that give some relief from the overall sense of darkness from the story that comes from the Relic itself.
This book feels like a whirlwind of emotions that came to me at the perfect time in my life. I had been out of reading and then Talem reached out with this review opportunity and I seized it. (Real talk though – all of their ladies and books are amazing). There were so many different times that I related to Kaylan on a personal level that I almost felt like I was actually her.
There are spots in the story that can make us, as readers, relate to some of the woes due to the pandemic that has taken over the world and how certain decisions can affect people. Kaylan’s battle with the Relic and trying to stick to what she knows also hit me hard. It’s truly difficult to be in a position where you want to believe what you know is true, but there can be so many blurred lines that it can leave you lost and losing faith in yourself, often times feeling insecure in choices and unsure who to trust. But this book also taught me to give more trust in those that you love the most because they will keep you from getting lost in despair.
The pages fly by while reading Riven and you won’t be able to put this down like I did. I got a bit confused at the end but I’m sure everything will be cleared up in the next book. There are a handful of new characters that you’ll fall in love with and a few you will dislike, but I promise you, it’s worth the read!
Book Information:
Amazon Link: http://talempress.com/riven-bl
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54144592-riven
Talem: https://talempress.com/books/riven-print/ (for Australian orders only!)
a bookish peach 