Review: Riven Earth by Zammar Ahmer
Blurb:
The world has stopped turning.
Burned by a blazing sun. Thrust into eternal winter.
Life survives only in the Sunset Forest.
For untold millennia, mankind lived subservient to the dryads, forced into worship of the Earth-Mother, Astea. Then one man ventured into the Scorched Desert and returned with the secret of fire. His rebellion brought the dryad empire to ash. In its place, he founded the Kingdom of Heartsong.
Twelve years later, the new king is missing. The earth trembles. Famine ravages the land, and a mysterious illness creeps through the capital.
Plots of treason and revenge abound, but as the mistakes of the past bear fruit, men will reap what they have sown.
Riven Earth is the story of a king who has lost his nerve, of his advisor tempted by the throne, of a politician plotting revolt, and of a dying soldier who finds new reasons to live. It is a character-focused epic fantasy adventure perfect for fans of Brandon Sanderson’s Stormlight Archive and Joe Abercrombie’s First Law.
“Fear has no place in the mind of a warrior. I silenced it. I was the rock the river could not break. I was the tree the storm could not splinter.”
Review:
Character:
Zammar creates a diverse cast of morally grey characters to follow each distinctively different. We follow four primary characters each with realistic struggles - From depression and being terminally ill to heavy emotional burdens and ruthless ambition, each character has more to deal with than just driving the main story thread. The reader will be treated to many internal dialogue moments that strike those emotional connections with the characters.
World-Building:
One of Riven Earth’s shining parts, the world is rife with history, starting right out the gate with the action-packed prologue. Zammar presents the world through the character’s interactions and information is never dumped on the reader. Instead, we are treated to interludes by a fifth character’s journal beautifully describing his journeys, while our main POVs breathe life to the rest. There is plenty of author-imagined flora and fauna, and other diverse biomes of life, including chapter-break illustrations of several of these that flesh out this world to make it an even more unique reading experience. Magic exists going along with the nature theme d where the sun is the prominent force of that power.
Writing Style:
There are times I think Zammar utilizes a more poetic voice. That often came through in the flashback scenes and journal entries of one of the characters. Otherwise, you will find a more direct but still beautifully descriptive approach to the writing, which kept me invested even at times when maybe the pace slowed, but the rewards for getting through those moments were well rewarding.
Summary:
Riven Earth is a grimdark fantasy dealing with themes of corruption, environmental destruction, grief, depression, and suicidal tendencies. So, for some readers, these themes might be challenging if you are not expecting them. That being said, Zammar handles these topics well and maturely through the rich complexity of his well-crafted characters presented in a wide range of representations. I cannot recommend this book enough. It was a fantastic start to an incredible duology with Volume II of The Book of Astea which is also planned for release later in 2024.
