I love this idea of Ice magic, but also assassins and contracts. In Riven, Arnett tells a story about betrayal and sacrifice. And while many elements were ones I enjoyed, for some reason I just wasn’t as swept away as I hoped. Keep reading this book review for my full thoughts.
Summary
Mars Darksvane wants out. Out from under the thumb of Una, the crime boss who pulled him off the streets as a child and trained him as an assassin; out from the island country of Riven, where magic, in the form of a dangerous material called Ice, allows the rich to live in luxury and keeps the poor in thrall. Mars is a secret adept—a person born with the ability to channel the magic that flows beneath Riven—and while his power gives him abilities useful to an assassin, it also makes him a target. And when his last mission ends in tragedy, Mars finally decides it’s time to escape to the mainland. No magic, no history, a new life on his own.
But Una has other ideas. If Mars wants his freedom, he’s going to have to perform a final job: protecting Fura Torvald—the heiress of the rich and powerful Torvald kith, and the daughter of the last man Mars was sent to kill—and stealing from her a mysterious object known only as the Primer.
Mars has no interest in Fura or whatever the Primer is, nor in Riven’s corrupt and oppressive politics; he just wants to do his job and get out. But as Mars comes to know more about Fura, the Primer, and the true nature of the power in Riven, he realizes that he will soon have to take a side in a fight he has avoided his entire life. Which side, however, he does not yet know.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
Thrown directly into the action, in Riven there’s not only fake dating, assassins, and also a girl who’s great with a sword. The first thing I enjoyed about Riven was the world building. This explosive beginning, Ice magic, and economy where some are forced to mine the Ice in a world which somewhat relies on this magic? Even days after finishing, I’m still intrigued even if I wish we knew earlier on more about this world and economy. I felt like we found out a bit too late for me to feel like I got a good handle on it.
If you like books about politics and alliances, balls and careful conversations, then you might enjoy Riven. After Mars and Una form the unlikeliest of alliances, the pace sort of dips off as we become immersed in these negotiations and political games. Additionally, Mars keeps so many things close to his chest – like his past – and so it was hard for me to form an early emotional bond to him.
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Riven asks us what we will do to keep ourselves safe in a world where our discovery spells danger. The sacrifices and stakes begin to establish themselves around halfway through and I also didn’t realize it was going to be a series! In general, this one feels a bit meandering and I do wonder if there’s a bit of a first book syndrome in here. There are the bare bones of what I think could become an intriguing series, but it seems a bit too early to tell. Find Riven on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, Indiebound, Bookshop.org, & The Book Depository.