Thursday, November 10, 2016

Like a river glorious by Rae Carson

Like a river glorious is book two in the Gold Seer trilogy and while you can read it as a stand alone novel I highly recommend reading book one, Walk on Earth a stranger first.  This review contains ***SPOILERS*** if you have not read the first book in the series.

After all the trials and troubles on her journey to California, Leah Westfall has finally made it to the gold fields.  On the gold fields she has the chance to be anonymous, to join other treasure seekers as they try and make a life for themselves.  Leah and her companions have an advantage though, even if most of them don't know - Leah can sense the presence of gold, a very useful skill when you are trying to find land to stake your claim.  When she finally reveals her ability to her travelling companions it is a relief, but telling them will not protect her from the uncle that desperately wants her under his control.  The small community that springs to life from their claims may be small, but it is also a tight knit community where Leah finds peace and comfort.

Leah knows her Uncle Hiram is ruthless, he killed her parents and took their land after all, and she will never be truly safe from him as long as she is unmarried and living alone.  When the community suffers a tragedy it becomes clear that her uncle is even more ruthless than she thought, and when he kidnaps her she realises just how little control she really has over her own life.  As Leah tries desperately to escape from her uncle she learns more about him and the lengths he will go to to get what he wants.  With everything to lose Lead must risk everything - for her freedom, and the freedom of the people she loves.

I just adored Walk on Earth a stranger, and couldn't help but wonder how Rae Carson was going to match such an amazing read - but I shouldn't have worried because Like a river glorious was an amazing read in it's own right.  Carson has admitted that she has tweaked the facts in her historical novels, but she has taken nothing away from a unique time in history that is perfectly blended with a subtle and believable magic.  Leah continues to grow into her power, not just her gold magic, but also her strength and power as a woman living in a world where women had no real power.  Leah is smart, strong, and fiercely loyal to her friends and the friends she has taken on as family.

There is so much more I could say about this story and why I loved every minute of it, but the only way to do that is to spoil the story by revealing plot points and some of the revelations we get along the way.  I eagerly await the final book in the series because there are some seriously "oh no she didn't" moments that need to play out in the last book in the series for a satisfying ending to this trilogy.  Carson is highly recommended for her richly imagined worlds and for creating characters that grow into their strength and power.

If you like this book then try:

Reviewed by Brilla

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