Customer Reviews

The Ruling Sea (Chathrand Voyage)

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Look, Redick's fantasy series is intriguing. Very. Perhaps my favorite developing out there now not written by Patrick Rothfuss. About two thirds of the way through The Ruling Sea, I thought to myself, you know, I hope I don't get in a car crash or acquire fast-moving cancer or something and not live to see the end of the story (currently projected as the Night of the Swarm, two books down the line, although we know how fantasy series projections go). That's a high compliment, obviously. And that was before I read the fantastic end of The Ruling Sea, less a cliffhanger than a "well, now that we've unexpectedly fallen off a cliff and hit bottom..." The series isn't driven by moral themes or philosophical statements about how the world works or high literary ambition: just good, solid, cleverly written, richly imaginative fantasy, unfolding plot twist after plot twist, filling the same niche in my reading repertoire that Greg Keyes used to do but filling it better. I don't put it down feeling healthier for having read it, but satisfied nonetheless. Plenty of enjoyable narrative calories that don't burn off immediately.

A few seams show. There's a little plot sloppiness in TRS. For instance, the reasons given for the estrangement between Pazel and Thasha, between Thasha and the Polylex, seem rather strained and artificial. As if something's coming in book 3 that would have come much earlier had the author not forced these actors apart. TRS does substantially improves the main problem I felt in The Red Wolf Conspiracy: that we were experiencing the fantasy world widely but not deeply. TRWC flagged when the characters got off the ship. TRS stays on the ship, mostly: good. We explore this wonderful fantasy world from a familiar base, a lesson smart Tolkien taught us when his hobbits packed the Shire & its rusticity wherever they went in Middle-earth. A fantasy story needs both familiarity and wonder. At the end, too, I do begin to miss the old Pazel and Thasha, and rue the high heroes that wear their names and take their shapes. The plot demands that they become heroes, but the change is awfully swift, and carries little (so far) of the old personalities with it.

Redick's learning how to write a fantasy epic. Sometimes the fantasy world creaks under creative strain; sometimes its plot bites off more than it can chew. There are a lot of characters and worlds to juggle. Not all appear in their most advantageous richness and depth. But for fertility of invention (both imaginative and verbal), Redick's your man, and this series is off to a most attractive start.

When I saw the reviews for this book, I was very eager to read it and based on the raves of other readers, went on ahead and purchased both "The Conspiracy" and "The Ruling Sea". I was disappointed. The author just seems to be trying to juggle too many characters, without any of them being truly fleshed out. It almost feels as though the author is trying too hard to make the story more complicated than it needs to be. I never really felt strongly about any of the characters and because of that, found that I was actually forgetting who the characters were and what happened in earlier parts of the book. The premise of the book was good and the plot was intriguing, but honestly, the book would have been better with more time spent on developing fewer more memorable characters. There were parts of the book I just found annoying, that I think were supposed to be plot twists, and surprises, but I felt were never really clearly represented, so that I had to ask myself "What just happened here?" and go back and read a section again.

This book was just too ambitious a project. It felt too contrived, and was confusing in parts, and after a while I just found myself not caring. This book needed a couple more re-writes, better editing and perhaps more time spent on fewer characters. There is nothing wrong with a complicated and long story, but the story has to be engaging and you have to care about the characters. He is most certainly no Robin Hobb or George R.R. Martin, both masters at complex world-building and creating memorable characters. This book was a tough slog, not because it didn't have enough action, but because it had too much action and not much else.

I agree with all the points made so eloquently by the previous reviewer (Too Ambitious). Rather than repeating those points, I will just say that I ordered this sequel when I was half way through the first book, which was going along well at the time. I sail a lot and the idea of a fantasy set on such a grand sailing vessel intrigued me. The author really knows his sailing terms and seems familiar with the subject. But fantasy writing, not so much. The good guys never win, and when they lose the bad guys never finish them off and actually end up helping them in a few pages. This circular narrative repeats over and over and that's all that happens. New villains keep cropping up, old ones never go away, and it's too confused. But most of all, I don't care what happens to Pazel and Thasha and Neeps. I don't want to continue with the third book because the same stuff will keep happening, and it's tough to continue reading the same story line over and over. Never a resolution or explanation of what's happened, just an immediate jump to the next dilemma. Disjointed, confused, not at all satisfying at any point. I have no qualms about never knowing what happens. I have a hunch the author has no idea what's going to happen either.

I don't take the time to write many book reviews because I read so darn many books. But this and the first book (Red Wolf Conspiracy) warrant the time. Just incredible stuff. Are they the best books I've ever read? No. But they did draw me in to their world completely, which is the mark of great fantasy books (or, any books, really). I grew to care about the characters and what happened to them, and even the "high fantasy" elements (like the talking rat(s)) are handled very well...not cheesy or hard to believe at all. Give it a shot. Can't wait for more in the series...not praise I give lightly!

This is my first review of a book as I usually just click on the stars. But this whole series has been outstanding and i just purchased the 3rd and final volume. As such, i thought it would behoove me to tell all those out there who are curious about this book and author, buy them, they are heads above most i've read. To let you know what my favorite book is, it's "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss and these compare quite favorably. Kudos to Mr. Redick, well done sir

This is one of those books you just can't put down. I loved the first one, and this one is just as good. I don't want to give away more of the story than you can read on the book blurb, but I do want possible purchasers of this book to know just how fascinating Redick's story is.

Redick is impossible to pigeonhole within the fantasy/adventure genre. He's not like Tolkien, but his characters are a group of disparate individuals on a journey. Unlike GRRM his story doesn't center around the backstabbing shenanigans of court politics and the ruling class, but like Martin his dialogue is witty and sharp and frequently freighted with hidden meaning. There is more than an element of the adventure tales of the 18th & 19th century such as Gulliver's Travels and Treasure Island in Redick's story. It has all the excitement and tension of a fantasy version of "The Poseidon Adventure," in that the story takes part while characters are headed toward disaster while trapped on a ship.

His characters and character development are top-notch, and his writing style is absolutely riveting. I don't think I will ever forget the prison where Sandor Ott imprisons one of the characters. But I think what I like most about his writing style is the unique turn of phrase he has when describing people or things, like, "his pale hands issued from the black sleeves of his jacket like two cave creatures, unused to the light" or "Uskin's mouth worked, as if he were trying to swallow a sponge". His books are NOT full of cliched writing and his characters don't "look daggers," or "stride purposefully," or any of the other trite phrases that litter current fiction.

Read these books, you won't be sorry. Redick's wonderful writing just cements my belief that we have entered The Golden Age of Fantasy.

It isn't just the engaging, compelling characters who make The Rats and The Ruling Sea so enthralling; it's the entire complex world that Redick has created. The intricacy of his details make the world of the novel and the people in it not just plausible, but real and gritty. Plots unfold at every turn, and no one, including the reader, knows who to trust. Betrayal comes from where you least suspect and the results break your heart. The only bad thing about this book is that it ended after only 592 pages. I want more!
It isn't just the engaging, compelling characters who make The Rats and The Ruling Sea so enthralling; it's the entire complex world that Redick has created. The intricacy of his details make the world of the novel not just plausible, but real and gritty. Plots unfold at every turn, and no one, including the reader, knows who to trust. Betrayal comes from where you least suspect and the results break your heart. The only bad thing about this book is that it ended after only 592 pages. I want more!
This is the sequel to the equally gripping Red Wolf Conspiracy--both are complex, multi-layered tales full of twists and turn and Machiavellian scheming on all sides. The story here carries on the struggles of the two young protagonists, Thasha and Pazel, as they try to stop a conspiracy that threatens the entire world. The odds are against them as they face Thasha's arranged marriage and equally arranged death, a madman and an artifact that kills on contact, lies, half-truths and shipboard rats that are sentient, organized and fanatically religious. The magic that might save them might doom them equally, and even the wisest among them are stunned at the surprises they confront.
In lesser hands, this story might become overwhelmed at the intricate details and worldbuilding, but Redick keeps his plot moving at a controlled but brisk pace. This is the kind of rich, meaty, can't put it down book that comes along rarely. How wonderful to have another book coming--and how long the wait will be.

I read the first installment (The Red Wolf Conspiracy) twice before reading the Ruling Sea. I started the RS a few months ago and got busy, so i didn't pick it back up until last week. I was about 75% through it, but remembered loving it so far, so i decided to just re-read to where i left off.

This book had me so excited, it was just wonderful. The sequel was much better than the first. I'm dying to read the 3rd book and can't believe i'll have to wait for a 4th book sometime also...here's my short and sweet description for those of you who have read book 1:

The action and events were much closer together, it was nearly impossible for me to put it down. We had answers for things we wanted out of book 1, but not too many answers. We have the same characters, although some are changing in magical ways and others are growing into the roles they will play in the end. There was still a naive trait that some of the characters posses, but it's nothing that makes you roll your eyes. We have some new minor characters to pay attention to, mostly villains or undetermined sides. There seems to now be a good side, bad side, and an undetermined middle ground and you start to wonder if that middle ground is the side to root for. There is still little hope for the handful of heros, but each find ways to make their role important. It is a little dark, the description of some scenes are done well and created nasty images in my mind. We're given a few new settings aside from the Chathrand, which is a nice change of pace. The ending does leave you wondering "what on earth happens now???" but the book overall was complete in itself.

If you haven't read book one; I feel like this series needs to be read as a series. I don't think that you can view the same connection to the characters and the meaning of parts of the plot, if you haven't started with book 1.

Redick did a wonderful job with writing this sequel. I am a military member that is deployed at the moment and have time on my hands. I have spent most of it reading, and when I started to read "Ruling Sea," I had trouble putting it down. It didn't take me very long to finish, and I was disappointed when I finished it. I wanted more, not that the story was lacking, it was that I just didn't want it to be over. Now I looking forward to book three.

From The Red Wolf Conspiracy to The Ruling Sea, and soon The River of Shadows, I will know more about sailing that I have ever wanted to know. However, this did not take away from my pleasure of reading these books, and I thoroughly look forward to completing the quest I began around the new year when I picked up book one. They are an enjoyable read (though some what difficult to understand if you know nothing about sailing) that kept me turning the pages. I only hope that one day I will be able to publish something that is enjoyed by others as much as I enjoyed these books.