Series Review of Ree Varekai by Marie Brennan

I have been trying to figure out a way to share all these books I read with you but still include other non-review posts on the blog.  One method I have come up with was to share the reviews for an entire series (or pair) of books in one post.  I will do my absolute best to keep spoilers out of these posts in case you plan to read the books, but there is a slight chance that even the synopsis of a book can give away the result of the previous book. So if you don't want to know anything at all about the later books in a series that might giveaway something in the first book STOP READING NOW!

I have really enjoyed many of Marie Brennan's books and thought I would give this duology of novellas a try.  As far as I know there are only these two but it has definitely been left open for more. 

 Synopsis: "The sound of the horn pierces the apeiron, shattering the stillness of that realm. Its clarion call creates ripples, substance, something more. It is a summons, a command. There is will. There is need.

And so, in reply, there is a woman.

At the beginning—no—at the end—she appears, full of fury and bound by chains of prophecy.

Setting off on an unexplained quest from which she is compelled to complete, and facing unnatural challenges in a land that doesn’t seem to exist, she will discover the secrets of herself, or die trying. But along the way, the obstacles will grow to a seemingly insurmountable point, and the final choice will be the biggest sacrifice yet.

This is the story of a woman’s struggle against her very existence, an epic tale of the adventure and emotional upheaval on the way to face an ancient enigmatic foe. This could only spun from the imagination of Marie Brennan, award-winning author and beloved fantasist, beginning a new series about the consequences of war—and of fate."

My Review: I have read Marie Brennan's work in the past and am currently reading the Lady Trent series, but I saw this short duology and thought it would be a nice quick read. It kicked off quite abruptly and you are left in the dark along with the main character for much of the book. Usually, I am not a big fan of books like this as it usually leads to a big info dump at the resolution, but this one while there is a bit of an info overload near the end it wasn't quite as abrupt and the development of the story and the character were intriguing enough that it didn't matter in the end. I also think that the withheld information really allowed you to get to know the character and the setting better without any distractions of backstory and extra world building. It was definitely an interesting story and I do look forward to reading the second story, but I don't know if it would suit all readers (but it is super short so give it a try if you are up for something unique).

My Rating: This was an interesting read, and while it was a bit confusing, it was still very unique and interesting. I give it a rating of Three Paws and a Stump Wag.

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 Synopsis: "At the beginning—no—at the end—she appears, full of fury and bound by chains of prophecy.

Once, there was a call--a binding--and so, a woman appeared, present in body but absent in knowledge of her past self. Making the ultimate journey of rediscovery was not without its own pitfalls--or rewards--and now Ree, a roaming Archeron, spirit of legend and time and physically now bound to her current form, has yet to fully uncover her true identity.

Ree has spent her last innumerable seasons on the move--orbiting, in some sense, the lands of her only friend in this world, Aadet, who has become intricately involved in the new post-revolution politics of his people. Swinging back from the forests surrounding Solaike, Ree falls in with another wandering band, some Korenat refugees searching for their own protection on a trade route besieged with the fallout of the recent uprising. The Korenat's plight might not have striken Ree so deeply, but they are accompanied by their own Archeron, who seems to know much more about Ree's own origins than she ever dared to hope." 

My Review: I have to say this was a very bazaar story to read, the first book while meandering made a little sense, and this one does too at times but there is just so much open. I enjoyed the characters again, both Ree and Aadet, they were both how I came to know them in the first book but also more. I also appreciated that there was a nice time gap between the first book and the second book, a time when the revolution took place and while that might have made for an interesting story, I appreciated the focus remaining on the characters. This was also obviously left open for a possible third book but I don't think it would be necessary, there is an open ending and you can fill it in as you see fit. 

My Rating: This might have been even more odd than the previous book, but on its own it was still interesting.  I would have liked it wrapped up a little bit more or at least have a little clarity.  I give it a rating of Two Paws and a Stump Wag.

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Series Review: This was so bazaar to read, you are left in the dark a lot along with Ree. The world is mostly unknown to you but the events throughout the series are quite adventurous and you can't help but want more.  So far there are only these two books in the series, and while it has  been left open for more down the road, I don't seen anything coming down the pipeline yet on Goodreads or her website.  I would like to know more about Ree and Aadet but by the time another one is released I may have lost interest.  I give the series a rating of Two Paws and a Stump Wag.