I won’t lie, it was the book’s title that first caught my attention. (Riven is the name of the sequel to Myst, old school puzzle adventure game for the PC) But of course I try not to judge a book by its title, or cover for that matter. Okay not solely by those thing anyway, so naturally I read the book’s description and that definitely got my attention as I’m always up for a good fantasy…and yes indeed, this is a good fantasy. I especially liked Mars (the main protagonist). He’s not a cookie cutter hero. He’s a well fleshed out character who you might say at times is morally gray. (ie he felt real/believable) I’ll keep things vague to avoid spoilers. Mars is a young assassin (also a secret magic user) who wants out of his current situation. To do this he needs to take on ‘one last job’…which could have world altering repercussions. This is the first book I’ve read by Mindee Arnett but hopefully not the last…in addition to likely checking out some of her other work, I’d love to spend more time in this world. The world building, especially the magic systems, were intriguing, and the storyline is fast paced with plenty of twists, subterfuge, romance, and action. At times it very much reminding me of Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crow series. (And I loved that series so take that as high praise.) 4.5 stars! Thanks so much to HarperCollins Children's Books, Balzer + Bray, and NetGalley for the chance to read an ARC of Riven.

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/riven-mindee-arnett/1141342773?ean=9780063057838&bvnotificationId=944facfd-9164-11ed-a4ea-12db9e2c4f77&bvmessageType=REVIEW_APPROVED&bvrecipientDomain=gmail.com#review/238055276

Riven by Mindee Arnett, 448 pages. Balzer + Bray (HarperCollins Publishers), 2023. $20.
Language: PG13 (24 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG13
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
Mars has been a merc ever since Una picked him up off the street, but, after his most recent mission, Mars is ready to get out. Ten months away with a normal job and Mars has almost enough to leave Riven. But then Una calls him back, and he has to answer. No matter how much he wants to, Mars cannot say no to this job – but it will be his last.
The premise appealed to me with the offer of mercenaries, backstabbing, action, magic, secrets, et cetera, but I had a hard time wanting to keep reading. I didn’t care about Mars or Fura and their goals, and I couldn’t picture where they were or what they were trying to accomplish. Something changed in chapter twenty-four, and I finally found myself engaged in what was happening. And then my attention drifted again in the last couple chapters. There will be a sequel, and I will not be reading it.
Fura is White, and Una is described as having “pale” skin, but Arnett is ambiguous about most of the characters. The mature content rating is for drug and alcohol use, innuendo, brief nudity, and mention of sex. The violence rating is for gun and other weapon use, battle scenes, blood, and murder.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

I received an ARC of Riven from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I found Riven to be an exciting fantasy, but one that promised more than what I was given.

I quite enjoyed Mars as a character. He was the typical morally-gray guy with a heart of gold that everyone is so into these days, but he was still well done. Just because the trope might be a little overdone doesn't mean that it still can't be done well, and I thought Mars was intriguing. He was self-aware, realizing that he had done bad things, and worried that these things defined him. His growth throughout the story was significant. And I must say that it was a little refreshing to only be in a male main character's head. Mars is the only point of view we get for the entire story, so everything is seen through his mercenary-colored glasses, and I was glad of this. I think that if we had been in someone else's head, even just a little bit, the atmosphere of the story would have changed, and I really enjoyed how it felt with only Mars.

I also thought that Ms. Arnett created a fascinating new world with a magic system that was, though slightly confusing, unique. I found myself getting lost in the world she made, and I left wanting to understand even more about it.

And I think that's where my problems arose. As much as I wanted to know more about the world of Riven, I felt that I was always getting too much and not enough information at the same time. Confusing, I know. We were introduced to this world through a prologue that happened, I believe, about 100 years before the beginning of our story, and I'm not going to lie, I almost found the prologue more interesting than the story that we got. I wanted to know more about the "Cataclysm," as the people called it. And I wanted to learn more about the people we were introduced to in that prologue. I just thought there was so much potential, and then that wasn't even the story we got.

On top of that, the pacing felt off to me. Sometimes we skimmed through weeks of things happening, only to focus on a small scene that could have been part of the skimming. Essentially, some things moved very fast, and others moved excruciatingly slowly. And the fast things were always the interesting ones, while the slow ones were the ones I wished I could skim through. And let me not forget to mention that Mars had far more chemistry with a secondary character than with Fura, which made their romance feel very forced.

I don't know. I did enjoy Riven. And I will more than likely read the second book even though I thought everything tied up in a neat little bow at the end, so I'm not sure where the story will go. Hopefully, we'll get to see more of that Cataclysm.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this. I really loved the world-building and the characters, and I thought it was deliciously complex but so well-written that it didn't become convoluted. The plot was well-plotted and tight--there wasn't too much "filler" which made this story absolutely fly. I can't wait for the next installment in this series! I could not put this down!

Riven is a beautifully written YA fantasy with incredible world-building. This book has it all from a complex magic system to political intrigue. There is strong character development throughout and even some romance. The story follows Mars, a young assassin stuck working for a crime boss. He wants out, but his boss has other ideas and gives him a job protecting a rich heiress who also happens to be the daughter of the last man he was sent to kill. Mars just wants to get the job done and get out, but he'll soon realize it won't be that easy and he'll have to pick a side. This is one excellent novel! Readers will be obsessed with this one. I could see it becoming a hit movie. Highly recommended! Be sure to check out Riven today.

This was a fun and interesting fantasy read. I loved the world-building, and the character development of Mars, and the slow-growth affection between Mars and Fura. However, it felt like the ending/solution sprang up rather suddenly and a little too neatly. We never did learn why the Rift had started to fade in the first place, pre-Cataclysm. And while the characters verbally acknowledged there would be challenges in the re-made world (which I imagine will be explored in book 2, since this is marked as a series on Goodreads), the state of affairs means it will be a very different book from this, so I'm not sure how well they will mesh.

thank you to the publisher, Net Galley and the author for a chance to read this ARC. Wonderful , detailed world building with complex magical system..Better than average YA fantasy story,

I would like to thank Epic Reads for providing a digital copy of this novel via NetGalley. It is set in the fictional island of Riven. The source of magic in this world is a material referred to as Ice. People known as adepts can channel the magic from this material. This special ability makes adepts heavy targets in this world. There are select families that rule over Riven and want to keep it that way. Mars is an assassin that wants to quit. In his line of work, quitting is no easy task as his boss, Una, holds a special vial of Mars' blood which she can crush any time, ending his life. To leave, all Mars has to do is complete one last mission, protect Fura, the daughter of the last man he was sent to eliminate, and steal an object known as the Primer from her. What ensues is a series of events that place Mars in the position of questioning his loyalties. I found the story to be quite moving. The bonds formed between the characters felt part of a natural progression. The mysteries and secrets were slowly revealed, leading to some very powerful moments. Mars is an imperfect protagonist who I nevertheless found myself rooting for. This novel explores the idea of systems that keep the wealth among the few while the poor suffer. It navigates the length those in power will go to keep their power and prevent others from getting it. I found the exploration of this idea to be well executed and weaved into the story so well it never felt forced. The ending was satisfying. It tied up loose ends while leaving the possibility of more to explore in a sequel. This was an enjoyable, engrossing read throughout.

This was an amazing fantasy that I could not put down. I loved this beautiful world that she has created and every page was better than the last. I was completely lost in this world and can not wait for book two.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Pick this one up if you want to escape into another world! Awesome world building and intriguing plot.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. (via Netgalley)

Actual review closer to 3.75 stars. The story pacing was good and I enjoyed the world building. Mars being different than the "standard" YA main character was a nice change. However, I didn't really feel the chemistry between Mars and his love interest. Tbh thought it was better with a different character and kind of wished that happened instead.

I'm also a smidge confused this is a series because it seemed to wrap up nicely at the end?

This wasnt what I expected at all. The main protagonists were likeable and the bond forged between the trio was very organic. The magic system was a bit confusing, and the event that caused 'ice' discussed in the beginning and why magic was so important to Riven (as opposed to the greed/wealth) was never fully explored. It was paced well, you're not stuck in some romantic interlude but a slight more political intrigue.woildve been good (brought up and def a plot point but another avenue left unexplored).

2.5 stars rounded up.

Thank you Netgalley, HarperCollins Children's Books, and Balzer + Bray for allowing me to read and review this book All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was not expecting to love this book as much as I do now. I went into Riven thinking it would be an average YA Fantasy read but I'm so glad to be proven wrong.

"We are the weapon, not the will."

The characters are very well-developed, the story is fast paced and it has an exciting magic system. I do hope we will see more of the magic in the sequel. I greatly enjoyed reading from Mars' third-person POV. It was a surprise and a delight, as the YA Fantasy genre is dominated by mainly female voices, to read from Mars' POV. Riven is a very well written and the story will keep you invested in the characters and the adventure itself. I liked the mystery, the different settings, and the political intrigue.

I highly recommend reading Riven if you enjoyed Crown of Bones by A. K. Wilder, Of Cages and Crowns by Brianna Joy Crump, and The Liar's Crown by Abigail Owen.

4.5 stars

A very simple, easy and beautifully written fantasy book to get into. It was quite engaging and enjoyable. I loved it

Riven by Mindee Arnett is a truly riveting story!

My first time reading her work and I'm honestly excited I was approved for this one.
Because now I know a new author to introduce to my nephew.
He is going to love this title.
This was a wonderfully written fantasy novel. The adventure was fun and exciting.
With magic that drew me in deeper with each turning page.
And characters who I deeply pulled me into their world.
So excited for this to be released so I can buy this for him!

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's/Balzer + Bray for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

#Riven #NetGalley Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this novel. I encourage you to check this one out!

Mars is a retired mercenary, drawn back into service to protect the only daughter of one of Riven's leaders. He soon discovers there is more going on that he realised...

The world building in this book is excellent, but I do find myself with so many more questions about the Rift and the Cataclysm! As much as I enjoyed this book, I definitely need more set in this world so that I can learn more about Riven and its history.

The romance was a bit lacklustre, but I did like Mars's character. Overall, a very good fantasy!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Ebook received for free through NetGalley

Oh my goodness!!! I absolutely adored this book and couldn’t put it down. Luckily I didn’t have to (too much) and read it within a day or two. Loved the scene Rory, storyline, characters, and everything. Understand if that’s it but would love to follow along more if there’s a sequel.

Super enthralling, dangerous and full of twisted complex ideas. I adored following Mars, Fura, and crew through a twisted game of cat and mouse.

Our MC, Mars, I really enjoyed. He was fantastically written and developed. Regardless of what he was or has done I was constantly behind him with the good and the bad. Then on the other side we have Fura and Katrin each important for their own reasons. I adored how strong both these girls were despite their upbringing.

There is a slight romance aspect but it plays a very, very tiny role. The story is mostly weaved with mystery elements and gorgeous world-building. I really enjoyed this one and would definitely suggest picking it up! It’s fierce, harsh, and wonderfully crafted with so many elements weaving into one.

Riven follows Mars, an 18 year old mercenary and secret magic user who drawn back undercover for “one last job” to earn his freedom. The job? To find a mysterious object and to keep safe an heiress who just so happens to be the daughter of the man he’d previously been hired to kill.

The concept and the first few chapters of world-building really drew me in, but I got stuck about a third of the way in because of the pacing. When I pushed myself to continue, I was disappointed to find that every “twist” you could imagine took place and played out almost as if I’d written it myself. Or just read the plot a dozen times before. Even the romance fell flat, Mars had better chemistry with the third wheel than the beautiful heiress.

A lot of the themes the book raised were only shallowly explored. This is one of those books where it being YA and myself being older than that target audience really came into play. Maybe a teenager or someone just getting into fantasy books would really enjoy this, but unfortunately, it was not the book for me.

Also, the ending tied things up just fine in my opinion. Why is this being stretched further?

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC, that in no way effected my opinion.