The Mountain of Kept Memory is an action packed adventure story that is entertaining to the core. There’s a fantastic world and really great characters within that make reading it an absolute joy.
Summary
In this gorgeous fantasy in the spirit of Guy Gavriel Kay and Robin McKinley, a prince and a princess must work together to save their kingdom from outside invaders…and dangers within.
Long ago the Kieba, last goddess in the world, raised up her mountain in the drylands of Carastind. Ever since then she has dwelled and protected the world from unending plagues and danger…
Gulien Madalin, heir to the throne of Carastind, finds himself more interested in ancient history than the tedious business of government and watching his father rule. But Gulien suspects that his father has offended the Kieba so seriously that she has withdrawn her protection from the kingdom. Worse, he fears that Carastind’s enemies suspect this as well.
Then he learns that he is right. And invasion is imminent.
Meanwhile Gulien’s sister Oressa has focused on what’s important: avoiding the attention of her royal father while keeping track of all the secrets at court. But when she overhears news about the threatened invasion, she’s shocked to discover what her father plans to give away in order to buy peace.
But Carastind’s enemies will not agree to peace at any price. They intend to not only conquer the kingdom, but also cast down the Kieba and steal her power. Now, Gulien and Oressa must decide where their most important loyalties lie, and what price they are willing to pay to protect the Kieba, their home, and the world.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this free book from the author. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
I am going to list the five reasons why I think you should read this book!
- The relationship between the two siblings are precious. It’s at the heart of the novel and only strengthened by the dual perspective. Both of them stand so well on their own – having their own quirks and weaknesses, but together they are stunning. I want to read more novels about brothers and sister teaming up and not giving each other up or having tons of fights.
- They’re grappling with a really hard question about how to be a good ruler. In their world they don’t have fabulous role models and so they struggle. They need to figure out how to become a good ruler and what you might have to give up. It doesn’t matter if you’re the kindest or the most intelligent, it’s about more than that.
- The world building is fascinating. There are golems, riddles, and more. Not only that, but we get to see a lot of behind the scenes. If you’ve ever wondered about religion systems, this is a great book to start because it’s seamlessly woven into the story.
- During the book we have to challenge our expectations about our ‘enemy’. I found this to be one of the most fulfilling themes that Neumeier explored. I love when characters are able to challenge their expectations – to push beyond what we believe. Not only that, but their relationships are grounded in memories and shared experiences, not just an epiphany type of realization.
- The plot is so twisty and it constantly surprises you. I didn’t see so many of the plot twists coming and it made me really appreciate Neumeier’s sense of adventure and cleverness!
Make sure you check out The Mountain of Kept Memory on Goodreads.
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