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Tag: Erica Cameron

Book Review: War of Storms

War of Storms – Erica Cameron – Ryogan Chronicles #3 – Entangled:Teen – Published 5 November 2018

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Synopsis

Khya arrived at the Ryogan coast too late to stop the invasion. Now, cities are falling before the unrelenting march of an enemy army, and Khya’s squad is desperately trying to stay ahead of them. Warning the Ryogans, though, means leaving her brother imprisoned even longer. Time is running out for everyone.

But how can her squad of ten stand against an army of ten thousand?

Calling in help from every ally she’s made in Ryogo, Khya tries to build a plan that won’t mean sacrificing her friends or her brother. It’s a tough balance to find, especially when the leadership role she thought she wanted sits heavy on her shoulders, and her relationship with Tessen is beginning to crack under the strain.

The end is coming, and there’s no way to know who’ll be left standing when it hits.

My thoughts

War of Storms is the third and final instalment of the Ryogan Chronicles, an action packed, diverse and thrilling fantasy series. The Ryogan Chronicles is a unique and highly enjoyable series, and War of Storms is a brilliant third book, providing the ultimate climax and conclusion to the ongoing story of a fight for freedom and truth.

Khya and her friends have crossed oceans and visited strange lands, pushing their knowledge of the world, skills and endurance to the very limit in a bid to remove Varan and the other immortals from power and save their friends and family and the rest of Ryogan from their wrath. Now armed with a deadly secret that could give them an edge over the ruthless ruler, they must make a final stand and hope that their few numbers and allies can win against Varan’s army.

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Book Review: Sea of Strangers

Sea of Strangers – Erica Cameron – The Ryogan Chronicles #2 – Entangled: Teen – Published 5 December 2017

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Synopsis

The only way for Khya to get her brother back alive is to kill Varan—the immortal ruler who can’t be killed. But not even Varan knew what he was doing when he perverted magic and humanity to become immortal.

Khya’s leading her group of friends and rebels into the mountains that hold Varan’s secrets, but if risking all their lives is going to be worth it, she has to give up everything else—breaking the spell that holds her brother captive and jeopardizing her deepening relationship with Tessen, the boy who has been by turns her rival and refuge since her brother disappeared. Immortality itself might be her only answer, but if that’s where Khya has to go, she can’t ask Tessen or her friends to follow.

My thoughts

Packed with action, a dangerous quest, romance, and the multi-layered details of a complicated and unique fantasy world, Sea of Strangers is an epic addition to The Ryogan Chronicles.

Sea of Strangers picks up right where Island of Exiles left off, thrusting the reader back into the middle of the action as Khya, Tessen and their crew escape Shiara for the promised freedom of Ryogan. Their journey must serve two purposes: warning the inhabitants of Ryogan of the coming danger, and finding the secret of how to destroy Varan and his seemingly unbeatable power. But their quest for answers, their goal to soon return home for their loved ones, is fraught with danger, and much will have to be sacrificed if they are to succeed.

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Book Review: Island of Exiles

Island of Exiles

Island of Exiles – Erica Cameron – Ryogan Chronicles #1 – Entangled: Teen – Published 14 February 2017

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Synopsis

In this diverse, gritty survival fantasy, a girl warrior turns against her island clan to find the brother they claim died, uncovering secrets. Perfect for fans of Graceling and Snow Like Ashes.

In Khya’s world, every breath is a battle.

On the isolated desert island of Shiara, dying young is inevitable. The clan comes before self, and protecting her home means Khya is a warrior above all else.

But when following the clan and obeying their leaders could cost her brother his life, Khya’s home becomes a deadly trap. The only person who can help is Tessen, her lifelong rival and the boy who challenges her at every turn. The council she hoped to join has betrayed her, and their secrets, hundreds of years deep, reach around a world she’s never seen.

To save her brother’s life and her island home, her only choice is to trust Tessen, turn against her clan, and go on the run—a betrayal and a death sentence.

My thoughts

Island of Exiles is a rich and epic fantasy, incredibly detailed with superb world building. I am picky about what fantasy novels I read, but this one far surpassed all my expectations and I am now eagerly awaiting book two in the series.

When I was offered a chance to read Island of Exiles I was told it was suited to readers of Graceling and Snow Like Ashes. That’s a pretty high standard to reach, but despite that, I was still surprised when this book was actually really very good. It reminded me in parts of Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta (one of my absolute favourite fantasy novels) and The Host by Stephanie Meyer (just the parts about a subsistence culture living in a harsh, desert-like surround, with a strong community focus).

Island of Exiles has some intense and well-layered world building. Every little detail is considered, but there are never any information dumps or description-heavy sections. The new vocabulary in this novel is huge. And yet I never found myself confused or lost. There is a glossary at the back, and while I admit that some of the ranks went over my head so too would any military ranks we use in the real world, so I just kept reading, paying attention to each new word, creature or name as it was introduced. The terms give this novel a distinct Eastern feel and yet the setting, culture, language and people of this book are unique. There are also a whole range of magic powers, a third gender and diverse sexual orientations.

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