Series Review: The Seven Realms by Cinda Williams Chima

The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima
The Exiled Queen by Cinda Williams Chima
The Gray Wolf Throne by Cinda Williams Chima
The Crimson Crown by Cinda Williams Chima
Publisher: Recorded Books, Hyperion Book CH
Publication date: 2009, 2010, 2011, October 2012
Length: 15 hrs 6 min, 17 hrs 49 min, 14 hrs 59 min, 608 pages
Source: Library
For: Fun!
Series: Seven Realms, Books 1-4

I'm quite sure I can't summarize the story for all four, but the books follow the story of Raisa, Queen of the Fells as she struggles to come into her own as an independent queen and avoid becoming a pawn either to the Wizard Council or to the Clans.  Han is a street lord turned scholar and trying to make his way in the world as something more than what he was before.

Things I Liked:
Since I already reviewed the first three books in the series, I won't go into detail on each of them again (The Demon King, The Exiled Queen, The Gray Wolf Throne).  This is more an overall series and Crimson Crown review.  I listened to the first three books on audio in preparation for the last one and it was a great idea!  Especially as there are so many characters and plots going on at once that I totally forgot some things.  I am always blown away by the complicated, detailed, and enthralling world Chima created.  This world is so believable, mostly because Chima doesn't spare on details.  It totally reminds me of the full-immersion experience I have when reading Lord of the Rings.  Middle Earth is only slightly more real to me than the Seven Realms.  Not only is the fantasy just amazing, but the characters are too.  I thought about Raisa and Han and Amon when I wasn't listening or reading and then long after I finished.  I can't seem to get them out of my mind!  I enjoyed the narration, though I was a bit skeptical at first, because Carol Monda has kind of an older woman voice.  But she does accent and feeling very well and I was immersed in the experience all the way through.

The series end did not disappoint.  It was so packed with action, adventure, depth, twists and emotion that I almost couldn't believe it.  I loved where the story went and I was really impressed that it seemed Chima was getting her characters into spots where there were no ways out.  But of course, Han can always find a way out.  Raisa continued to make hard choices, and balanced her feelings with her responsibilities very carefully.  

Things I Didn't Like:
The books are LONG, but for true fantasy-lovers, the longer the better.  Also, I did get a bit bothered by the pretty lax attitude everyone seems to have about relationships and how many different people the Raisa has relations with and thinks it doesn't matter much.  It was a bit disconcerting for a sixteen-year-old to be that way.  I had a few issues near the end of Crimson Crown where I thought things were not explained enough and then left me wondering if they happened just for convenience in the story.  Still, I'm completely blown away by this epic series and recommend it to fantasy fans looking for something totally engaging.

Read-alikes:
Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
Crown and Court Duel by Sherwood Smith

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor:!
occasionally, though most are made up in the world

mrg-factor: XX
implied, not on page

v-factor:->->->
a number of violent incidents, generally not too descriptive

Overall rating: *****

Epic fantasy - love it or hate it?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

BBAW Day 4: Readers and the Seven Realms

Another day of BBAW fun and I am excited for this topic. Today BBAW asks: Has blogging changed the way I read?

The short answer: Yes.

To elaborate on this, my post today is the perfect example.  Today, I am talking about my love for the Seven Realms series by Cinda Williams Chima.   But not in the same way I would have before the blog.  Not only do I talk about the love, but now I have the chance to literally share it.

See, back in the pre-blog days, I'd occasionally rave to people about awesome books.  Now, I can rave, I can interact with authors, and I can participate in book celebrations, like this one.  It adds a whole new dimension (or two or three...) to the reading experience.  I love the author interactions, the celebrations and read-alongs and countdowns and cover reveals and giveaways that populate the book blogging world.  I love to host and to simply participate.  All these things have increased my enjoyment and give depth to my reading experience.  And, of course, it's fun too! :)  So, to illustrate, here we go:

As you may recall, I've raved about this series before (specifically The Exiled Queen and The Gray Wolf Throne)- it's pretty much everything you could hope for in an epic fantasy, especially a world so rich and deep it's almost impossible to distinguish it from our own.  It's the kind of book that you fall into and emerge calling yourself Frodo or Arwen or dressing in robes and clutching wands because you're so obsessed with the characters.  A story that will bring something new every time you reread it.

Emily of Emily's Reading Room invited me to join in this Seven Realms celebration by posting part of a puzzle that when put together will spell a secret word that will allow you to enter to win a set of signed Seven Realms books.  You can also change your Twitter avatar to one of the pictures below (each one represents a group from the books) and tweet using the hashtag #sevenrealms for more chances to win!

My piece of the puzzle:

You can find the links to the other pieces of the puzzle at Emily's Reading Room.

Once you have the word, email it to Emily (emilysreadingroom(at)gmail.com) with the subject: Seven Realms Week.

Below are the images to use for Twitter.  The crown represents the Queen’s Guard, the ring represents the Clans, and the amulet represents the Wizards.  On Facebook you can change your profile picture as well, and post on the Provo City Library’s Facebook Page they are offering another set of the books, signed.

So, what has blogging changed in your reading experience?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Book Review: The Gray Wolf Throne by Cinda Williams Chima

The Gray Wolf Throne by Cinda Williams Chima
Publisher: Hyperion Book CH
Publication date: August 2011
ISBN: 9781423118251
Source: e-book provided by NetGalley

 

*Spoilers for the first two Seven Realms books are very possible*
Raisa is on her way back home to her mother and sister, but things are not going as planned.  After escaping the grasping Gerard Montaigne, she is chased by rogue members of her guard.  When Han finds her nearly dead from a poison arrow, he makes a choice to do everything in his power to heal her.  He doesn't expect it to take so much out of him, though.  Their two paths will twists and intersect again and again, especially when Raisa decides she must rely on Han to help her make it onto the Gray Wolf Throne.  Can she live long enough against the assassins and ill-will of the Bayars?

Things I Liked:
Chima has a real talent for creating extremely realistic, fully developed, fantastic worlds.  The Seven Realms seem as real to me as our world!  She has such an ability to bring fantasy to life.  I love the characters and their stories and the intricate plots she's woven together, everything leading to one particular path that seems inevitable, but is still surprising.  I really love reading a complex court intrigue and this is one of the best I've come across.  Trust, betrayal, deception, and so many other emotions wind together to make a complicated and fascinating pattern that I won't fully grasp until I get that next book!  Just what a high fantasy should be.

Things I Didn't Like:
I have to admit, it has the usual drawbacks of high fantasy - a huge cast of characters, a vast number of pages, and a super complicated plot that can occasionally become confusing.  Still, that's one of the challenges I love about it.  I thought this was the last book in the series and was confused when it didn't end satisfactorily.  But, I found out there's another book (thank goodness) and I simply can't wait for more.

Read-alikes:
Read The Demon King and The Exiled Queen first
The Heir of Night by Helen Lowe
Crown and Court Duel by Sherwood Smith

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !
a little

mrg-factor: X
some heavy kissing

v-factor: ->->
there is fighting and death

Overall rating: *****

Any predictions for what will happen in that next book?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Book Review: The Exiled Queen by Cinda Williams Chima

The Exiled Queen by Cinda Williams Chima
Publisher: Hyperion
Publication date: September 2010
ISBN: 1423118243
Source: Library

*Some spoilers for The Demon King*
After Han lost his mother and sister and discovered he was a wizard, things definitely couldn't go back to normal.  He and Dancer are making their way through treacherous war-torn lands to go to Mystwerk House to learn magic.  The Princess Raisa is also making her way secretly to Wein House in the same town, escaping a forced marriage and hoping to learn enough to help her keep her throne and eventually rule with strength and skill.  Both face enormous danger from the Micah Bayar, who is also attending Mystwerk House, and whose father has an uncanny control over Raisa's mother, the queen.  When their paths cross in Oden's Ford, the twisting stories of both will intertwine in new and life-changing ways.

Things I Liked:
This is epic high fantasy at its best.  Chima has created a rich, detailed, and deep world here with customs, prejudices, cultures, and history so complete it is like an alternate reality.  I love how intricate and complete every part of the story and the world is, even if it's only a passing reference.  The slang and language of the characters also contribute to this feeling of completeness.  I am just in awe of how much work and thought and creativity Chima has used to put this series together.  And the story that attends it is just as rich and detailed as the world.  There are twisting plots and twining stories that lead to unexpected results.  Once you get caught up in this world, you won't want to ever return to ours.  Here are some lovely parts:

He looked out over the jagged southernmost Queens toward the hidden flatlands of Arden beyond.  these were unfamiliar mountains, homes to long-dead queens with names he'd never heard.  The highest peaks poked into the clouds, cold stone unclothed by vegetation.  the lower slopes glittered with aspens haloed by autumn foliage. p 16

Houses built onto a hillside are deceiving: short one-stories at the back, and tall four-stories at the front.  They reminded Han of brightly painted fancy girls that had seen better days.  They backed into the mountainside and spread their long skirts down to the valley floor, their dirty petticoats in the gutters.  The streets were narrow and tangled and cobbled with stone - a material plentiful and cheap in the mountains. p 62

Things I Didn't Like:
I think I'm getting too used to reading shorter and faster books.  I sometimes had a hard time with the book's length.  This thing is massive, and it's a series, so there is a lot of information and detail (see above).  Occasionally, I would be annoyed that there were so many minute details and just want to read more story, but they really do contribute to the atmosphere and the world-building really well.  A daunting book, but one that epic fantasy-lovers should revel in.

Read-alikes:
Reminded me of Chima's Heir trilogy
And a bit Lord of the Rings ish in its enormous detail

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !
some, not a lot 

mrg-factor: X
mostly passing references and some kissing

v-factor: ->->
some action fighting sequences

Overall rating: ****

Are you an epic-fantasy reader or do you avoid them at all costs?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Book Review: The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima

The Demon King is an evil figure from distant past that seems to still be affecting the lives of people in the Seven Realms today.  Han Alister, former thief and all-around misfit, has the misfortune of obtaining an amulet that has a deadly history leading back to the Demon King.  Princess Raisa, meanwhile, is dealing with the limitations of her position as princess heir.  In addition to these burdens, she begins to feel a threat to her kingdom that has roots stretching back to the time of the Demon King.  When their paths cross, things become even more complicated and the Demon King is at the heart of it all.

Things I Liked:

Chima has done it again - creating a new world and setting up a rip-roaring great story to go with it!  I love how detailed and complicated and convoluted the storyline gets.  She has made a world that feels very much alive and has a huge untapped history behind it that we get just little glimpses of, to tease us.  It makes me hungry for more!

Things I Didn't Like:

Initially, I had a bit of a hard time with all the new fantasy elements being introduced.  It seems like a lot to take in all at once, but then you just fall into it and can't get back out!

Read-alikes:

Definitely like the Heir Trilogy by Chima

A little like Graceling and Fire by Kristin Cashore
It reminded of The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien with its fabulous historical feel

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:

s-factor: !@

some throughout

mrg-factor: XX

innuendo and references, not graphic

v-factor: ->->

some street fighting

Overall rating: ****

Do you like fantasy with a base in the real world or something that doesn't resemble the real world at all?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage,
I will get a very small percentage