The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
eososray's review
1.0
The back of the book says that this heroine is who Zena was based on and as you would expect she is quite a kick ass heroine. I found the rest of the characters lacking though and Rifkind was not an involving enough person to make up for that. All in all I didn't find the book good enough to try and find any more of the series.
adularia25's review
4.0
I was genuinely surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. Usually third books that come long after the first two are not nearly as good. This one harkens back to Daughter of the Bright Moon. Rifkind must go back out of the desert - magic is not as dead as people thought it was. At the same time her son must find a place in the world (it isn't easy living in the shadow of Rifkind's personality). While I didn't enjoy the son a whole lot, I did enjoy how Rifkind has matured with age. And how everyone still lives in fear of her name, but all think she's dead. The rekindling of an old romance was nice too. A good way to end the trilogy.
merrinish's review
2.0
Okay. Here's the thing. This book is the third in a series that I have not read the first two of. (It came recommended by a friend and she assured me you don't need to read the first two to understand the third.)
It's possible that's the case, I didn't have trouble being thrust into a world that I wasn't familiar with, because she introduces enough to you along the way. I think my largest problem was with the characters. Maybe you're a little more sympathetic to Rifkind if you've been on her life's journey with her, to find out what has made her who she is? Because I really didn't like her much at all, she's the oddest mix of selfish and selfless, she's cold and distant with her son and it's all under the guise of having this overwhelming destiny for her life that prevents her from really connecting with people. Which, in my humble opinion, is such a load of crap.
She wasn't the only one, I just didn't connect with any of the characters, didn't appreciate or necessarily care about their struggles and pitfalls. I don't know if that would be changed by reading the others in this series but based on this book, I'm not entirely sure I care enough to explore that.
Disappointing, since the world itself is interesting. Oh well.
It's possible that's the case, I didn't have trouble being thrust into a world that I wasn't familiar with, because she introduces enough to you along the way. I think my largest problem was with the characters. Maybe you're a little more sympathetic to Rifkind if you've been on her life's journey with her, to find out what has made her who she is? Because I really didn't like her much at all, she's the oddest mix of selfish and selfless, she's cold and distant with her son and it's all under the guise of having this overwhelming destiny for her life that prevents her from really connecting with people. Which, in my humble opinion, is such a load of crap.
She wasn't the only one, I just didn't connect with any of the characters, didn't appreciate or necessarily care about their struggles and pitfalls. I don't know if that would be changed by reading the others in this series but based on this book, I'm not entirely sure I care enough to explore that.
Disappointing, since the world itself is interesting. Oh well.
shawnbilodeau's review
Rifkind was first introduced in the 'Thieves' World' shared world anthologies. Decades and a nearly-grown son later, we find Rifkind in the Asheeran desert. Troubled by dreams of Rifkind's old comrades, they set out to find their truth. Not a bad story, but its emotional impact relies a little too heavily on being familiar with Rifkind's earlier exploits.
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