Generations after the loss of magic and appearance of the Vaelinars in Kerith, war is brewing. Ravers and Bolgers attack Dweller communities, weapons are being created in secret, and the land is being corrupted as the Vaelinar ways begin to unravel. The Vaelinar Queen Lariel must gather men and women to support her while avoiding assassins and trying to discover the reason for the taint in her lands. Among those who come to her aide are Rivergrace, a Vaelinar found on a river by the Farbranch family, an escaped slave who has no memory of her past; the Farbranches themselves; Sevryn, a Vaelinar halfbreed who has lost his mentor and the last 20 years of his life; and the Bolger Rufus who knows both Rivergrace and Sevryn, and perhaps their missing pasts as well.
The Farbranches and Rivergrace, the daughter they adopted from the river, are driven from their farm into the city. There they are unknowingly drawn into the intrigues surrounding Lariel and the Vaelinar Houses, and Rivergrace and Sevryn find themselves drawn to each other. As the Queen is drawn into a trap, two of the younger Farbranches and Rufus come to her aide, while Rivergrace's affinity for water and Sevryn's love for Rivergrace that helps her discover the secret of the taint that could bring her rule to an end.
Impression:The Four Forges was a slow starter. There's a lot of background that is necessary for the reader to know, and I do believe the author handled it as best she could, but it does slow down the actual story. And the author's voice and style takes a little getting used to as well, which also makes the story a little harder to get into at first. However, it still has a draw to it, and once you get past the background stuff and adjust to the style of writing, the book takes off. I was very glad that I persisted in reading it past the initial 100 pages (give or take) that it takes to start getting into the heart of the main story.
Rhodes's descriptions are rich, her characters deep, and her plot well done. Even the threads that do not appear to have anything to do with what's going on have their place in the overall scheme of things, and she brings it all together at the end nicely. She made me care about her characters. I wanted to keep reading to see what would happen to them, and I cried at their losses, laughed at their humor, and worried for their safety as those who stood against Lariel drew them into their plots. The Vaelinar and Dweller cultures were rich, the descriptions were beautiful and well done. The writing itself was deep and rich. As a reader I was drawn into the world and story of the book, and I kept needing to go back and get more. I'm looking forward to picking up book 2 in the trilogy. Though I wouldn't place this in the category of best fantasy I've read, it's definitely recommended reading.
Unless otherwise noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by me.
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