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a_reader_obsessed's review
3.0
3.5 Sequel-itis Stars - BR with Adam!
I get it. Sometimes you have to take a detour to fill in some blanks and set things up for the overall arc, and it’s not as thrilling or exciting as the first installment. That’s kinda what happened here for me.
Briefly, 1000 years ago the veil was torn apart allowing evil creatures known as spawn, to come through a rift to wreck havoc on mankind. There’s various “fighters” present who have made it their life mission to kill these monsters (the first book featuring wizard Lyuc) and here, it’s the Brotherhood, a fear based religion that uses pain to acquire power enough to kill them.
When one of the Brotherhood’s priests Tas, discovers a fallacy in their practice, it throws off his entire known existence, putting him in an existential crisis that comes at the most inopportune time. He needs to reap a pain offering from local villager Girik, so he can kill a spawn that has been terrorizing the area, but how can Tas go forward knowing that such a barbaric practice is not needed? Just imagine what he can glean by doing the opposite of pain, and you know exactly what I’m hinting at...
Ensue a quick sexy progression between Tas and Girik and an even quicker love connection (which fell a bit short of its mark) as this spans just a few days. However, Girik is the bestest of the gentlest giants out there, and he was my favorite part until we meet back up with Lyuc, Yan, and Bryn again from The Wanderer...
Overall, I applaud McAllister’s intricate world building. Beware huge religious themes and not in a good way. This sort of thing is necessary, but I’m just not interested in the doctrine that devoted side characters zealously cling to blindly. Regardless, things are changing fast. Tas’s world and that of all the kingdoms is about to be put upside down on its axis. The truth they figure out is a mind boggling revelation requiring them to band together to start forth on the seemingly insurmountable task to right some very very big wrongs.
So, this installment was wholly necessary to the story arc but just not as compelling when compared to the first book. Regardless, I’m still reading the next adventure because I need to see how this intriguing fantasy saga plays out!
Thank you to the author/publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review
I get it. Sometimes you have to take a detour to fill in some blanks and set things up for the overall arc, and it’s not as thrilling or exciting as the first installment. That’s kinda what happened here for me.
Briefly, 1000 years ago the veil was torn apart allowing evil creatures known as spawn, to come through a rift to wreck havoc on mankind. There’s various “fighters” present who have made it their life mission to kill these monsters (the first book featuring wizard Lyuc) and here, it’s the Brotherhood, a fear based religion that uses pain to acquire power enough to kill them.
When one of the Brotherhood’s priests Tas, discovers a fallacy in their practice, it throws off his entire known existence, putting him in an existential crisis that comes at the most inopportune time. He needs to reap a pain offering from local villager Girik, so he can kill a spawn that has been terrorizing the area, but how can Tas go forward knowing that such a barbaric practice is not needed? Just imagine what he can glean by doing the opposite of pain, and you know exactly what I’m hinting at...
Ensue a quick sexy progression between Tas and Girik and an even quicker love connection (which fell a bit short of its mark) as this spans just a few days. However, Girik is the bestest of the gentlest giants out there, and he was my favorite part until we meet back up with Lyuc, Yan, and Bryn again from The Wanderer...
Overall, I applaud McAllister’s intricate world building. Beware huge religious themes and not in a good way. This sort of thing is necessary, but I’m just not interested in the doctrine that devoted side characters zealously cling to blindly. Regardless, things are changing fast. Tas’s world and that of all the kingdoms is about to be put upside down on its axis. The truth they figure out is a mind boggling revelation requiring them to band together to start forth on the seemingly insurmountable task to right some very very big wrongs.
So, this installment was wholly necessary to the story arc but just not as compelling when compared to the first book. Regardless, I’m still reading the next adventure because I need to see how this intriguing fantasy saga plays out!
Thank you to the author/publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review
ellelainey's review
5.0
** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK FOR MY READING PLEASURE **
Reviewed for Divine Magazine
~
The Priest (The Chronicles of Riftland #2) by Rowan McAllister
★★★★★
213 Pages
POV: 3rd person, dual POV
The Priest is an excellent companion and follow-up to The Wanderer. Full of fascinating fantasy world-building, engaging characters, and a new plot twist to the overall arc, it was everything I could have hoped for from a sequel. I can't wait for the next installment.
The Chronicles of the Riftlands is a true series-arc. Like a puzzle made up of distinct, individual images, each book adds a new layer, another piece to the puzzle, and another image to add to the whole. In Book 1, we learned the story of Lyuc and his history with the Riftlands. We learned about the Anchor Stones, the Voloci and the Brotherhood of Rassa, who are the pain priests.
What we learned in Book 1 has been added to, twisted slightly, and explored further in this installment. The Brotherhood are not just pain priests but so much more. And our MC Tas is part of that. Through him, we see someone with unmeasured faith have that faith shattered and broken by a revelation beyond his understanding. Through him, we see another side to the story, and explore all that is possible with the Anchor Stones.
As a main character, Tas was endearing, engaging and sweet. A troubled priest questioning his holy orders, his purpose in life, despite having followed it blindly until now. Then Girik enters the story – a larger than life man who doesn't fit in, who has experienced the pain priests cruelty before, with a mother who is dying and needs him to endure once again. These two are brought together in unusual circumstances – Tas, the priest who must cause pain to charge his Anchor Stone, and Girik the willing Offering, to endure that pain in return for the safety of his village. With a Spawn on the loose nearby, Tas must recharge his stone through Girik's pain and fear, to vanquish the Spawn. But his new doubts stop him from being able to follow through, and it's only Girik's stubbornness that forces them to find another way. Another...intimate...way, that starts off some sizzling chemistry between them.
I loved the progression of Tas and Girik's relationship. It wasn't a slow-burn, since they were intimate before they even knew each other, for the purpose of the pain, but the emotional side was a definite slow-burn that was adorable to watch. The way they supported each other, throughout, and went on a true journey of discovery together kept me reading page after page. Their story only took up 50% of the book, and then Lyuc and Yan returned at 57% to take things up a notch.
It was brilliant to see Yan and Lyuc (and, of course, Bryn) back again. They were just as great as I remember from book 1. With the added new characters, and the faithful hound Bayor, I'm very much looking forward to the next book in the series. I'm excited to see what the Barbarians will be like.
There was action, adventure, romance...I couldn't have asked for more. The Priest is a historical fantasy yarn with all the power of Lyuc's magic and all the gentleness of Yan's nature. Put them together and there's no way you can be disappointed.
~
Favourite Quotes
“You make a lovely melody together...for humans,” Singer opined.
“Shut up or I'm putting you back in the box.”
Reviewed for Divine Magazine
~
The Priest (The Chronicles of Riftland #2) by Rowan McAllister
★★★★★
213 Pages
POV: 3rd person, dual POV
The Priest is an excellent companion and follow-up to The Wanderer. Full of fascinating fantasy world-building, engaging characters, and a new plot twist to the overall arc, it was everything I could have hoped for from a sequel. I can't wait for the next installment.
The Chronicles of the Riftlands is a true series-arc. Like a puzzle made up of distinct, individual images, each book adds a new layer, another piece to the puzzle, and another image to add to the whole. In Book 1, we learned the story of Lyuc and his history with the Riftlands. We learned about the Anchor Stones, the Voloci and the Brotherhood of Rassa, who are the pain priests.
What we learned in Book 1 has been added to, twisted slightly, and explored further in this installment. The Brotherhood are not just pain priests but so much more. And our MC Tas is part of that. Through him, we see someone with unmeasured faith have that faith shattered and broken by a revelation beyond his understanding. Through him, we see another side to the story, and explore all that is possible with the Anchor Stones.
As a main character, Tas was endearing, engaging and sweet. A troubled priest questioning his holy orders, his purpose in life, despite having followed it blindly until now. Then Girik enters the story – a larger than life man who doesn't fit in, who has experienced the pain priests cruelty before, with a mother who is dying and needs him to endure once again. These two are brought together in unusual circumstances – Tas, the priest who must cause pain to charge his Anchor Stone, and Girik the willing Offering, to endure that pain in return for the safety of his village. With a Spawn on the loose nearby, Tas must recharge his stone through Girik's pain and fear, to vanquish the Spawn. But his new doubts stop him from being able to follow through, and it's only Girik's stubbornness that forces them to find another way. Another...intimate...way, that starts off some sizzling chemistry between them.
I loved the progression of Tas and Girik's relationship. It wasn't a slow-burn, since they were intimate before they even knew each other, for the purpose of the pain, but the emotional side was a definite slow-burn that was adorable to watch. The way they supported each other, throughout, and went on a true journey of discovery together kept me reading page after page. Their story only took up 50% of the book, and then Lyuc and Yan returned at 57% to take things up a notch.
It was brilliant to see Yan and Lyuc (and, of course, Bryn) back again. They were just as great as I remember from book 1. With the added new characters, and the faithful hound Bayor, I'm very much looking forward to the next book in the series. I'm excited to see what the Barbarians will be like.
There was action, adventure, romance...I couldn't have asked for more. The Priest is a historical fantasy yarn with all the power of Lyuc's magic and all the gentleness of Yan's nature. Put them together and there's no way you can be disappointed.
~
Favourite Quotes
“You make a lovely melody together...for humans,” Singer opined.
“Shut up or I'm putting you back in the box.”
angisnowflake's review against another edition
5.0
I finally read the second violin the series and it was so much better then I expected.
This time we get the story of Tas, a priest from the Brotherhood of Harot. Tas found out a terrible secret about his brotherhood and therefor is in a crisis.
Girik is a villager that agreed to be the offering for a ritual to help his village. When Tas, who is supposed to do the ritual, can’t do it, these two try to find an alternative.
Oh my I love the story once again. I didn’t love it as much as the first book but I am so very happy we got to know more about the overall story that started in Book one.
I am also extremely happy that we get to meet Luyc and Yan again because I somehow thought we wouldn’t.
Again there was a lot left open and I am so very curious to where this story will go. I like how the end actually felt like the beginning of a story and I just wish there would have been much more.
However I do have high hopes that we will get to know more of all these characters in the 3rd book.
This time we get the story of Tas, a priest from the Brotherhood of Harot. Tas found out a terrible secret about his brotherhood and therefor is in a crisis.
Girik is a villager that agreed to be the offering for a ritual to help his village. When Tas, who is supposed to do the ritual, can’t do it, these two try to find an alternative.
Oh my I love the story once again. I didn’t love it as much as the first book but I am so very happy we got to know more about the overall story that started in Book one.
I am also extremely happy that we get to meet Luyc and Yan again because I somehow thought we wouldn’t.
Again there was a lot left open and I am so very curious to where this story will go. I like how the end actually felt like the beginning of a story and I just wish there would have been much more.
However I do have high hopes that we will get to know more of all these characters in the 3rd book.
More...