Rivers of Fire by Patrick Carman
Rivers of Fire is by far the strongest book in the ATHERTON trilogy. From beginning to end, the plot moves quickly, the characters develop and play to their own strengths, mysteries are resolved, bravery is tested, lives are lost, radical changes begin anew, foes are slain. And all while Atherton shows its true self.
Rivers of Fire picks right up where The House of Power left off — in the middle of a battle — so it gets going very quickly. All the way through Rivers of Fire there are major (and quite interesting) plot developments, and there is very little obvious ‘just setting up’ for the final installment, The Dark Planet. This makes for some wonderful story telling. By the end, there are many answered questions and a few large (but somewhat distant) unanswered ones. Thankfully, this installment doesn’t end with a major cliffhanger.
The characters in Rivers of Fire are exceptional. Even the minor characters have a meaningful role to play. From evil overlords to quiet shepherds, they are deep, well thought out, and some surprise us at the end.
I highly recommend Rivers of Fire, for it makes up for where the first installment fell short: It’s got non-stop action, great plot development, and deeply felt characters. Young readers, Rivers of Fire will grip your imagination from page one to the end.
Pretty challenging book. Cut by half, speed up the cadence. Trying to figure out the plot, the main point of…
Thanks for the kind words, Marion! Coming as they are from a professional writer, they are much appreciated!
Wonderful review, Sandy.
The "body count" bothered me a bit less because being dead seemed more like an inconvenience than anything else... unlike…
Detailed, thoughtful review, Bill. I'm going to read it for two reasons. First, Karen Russell wrote it, and second, it…