Riven: The Hero Rebellion Book II
by Belinda Crawford
I was so pleased to be able to finally start Riven. I loved book one, Hero, and really hoped that book two would be as good. Rivenexceeded my expectations in every way.
Life for Hero has not become any easier. She’s having to deal with the psychic fallout from her actions in book one and Fink, her ruc-pard, is having issues all of his own, which are worsened by his need to protect her.
What I enjoyed particularly was that this is turning out to be a series where the characters are actually growing and changing. They face difficult emotional challenges and moral dilemmas that they struggle with. Hero doesn’t always make the right choice; she often acts using instinctively and aggressively without thought to the consequences. Her friends are placed in a position where they must choose between friendship and what they believe is right. There is real fallout for them regardless of the choices they make; learning to deal with this we see the characters mature and change. I think this is one of the hallmarks of a great story.
Crawford’s world building is excellent there is just the right blend of description and action. I found everything easy to visualise. The tech side, at times, feels familiar for the genre, but also has its own unique twists. (Although I found thisfamiliarity a good thing, because it meant that I wasn’t left struggling to comprehend these aspects at the expense of reading enjoyment.)
Although this is YA novel there is so much to enjoy here regardless of what age you are. (In fact I think advanced MG readers would enjoy this as well.)
I couldn’t put it down – five stars.
