Thursday 23 February 2012

FICTION REVIEW: This River Awakens - Steven Erikson

Release Date: 26/01/12

SYNOPSIS:

In the spring of 1971, Owen Brand and his family move to the riverside town of Middlecross in a renewed attempt to escape poverty. For twelve-year-old Owen, it's the opportunity for a new life and an end to his family's isolation and he quickly falls in with a gang of three local boys and forms a strong bond with Jennifer, the rebellious daughter of a violent, alcoholic father. As summer brings release from school, two figures preside over the boys' activities: Walter Gribbs, a benign old watchman at the yacht club, and Hogdson Fisk, a vindictive farmer tormented by his past. Then the boys stumble on a body washed up on the riverbank - a discovery whose reverberations will result, as the year comes full circle, in a cataclysm that envelops them all...Steven Erikson first novel, "This River Awakens", is a lyrical, tender and disturbing portrayal of a rite of passage that is both harsh and revelatory


REVIEW:

Having been a fan of Steven’s Malazan series, I was wondering what he’d come back with and to be honest it’s a title that I really didn’t enjoy. Sadly it lacked a lot of the skill from the Malazan world for me and to be honest I didn’t like the tale overall as I hated the characters within and also had strong feelings about their actions.

Whilst many people will read this book purely for the fact that its Steven name on the cover. Personally I’ll wait for more of Steven’s fantasy stories. So if you’re buying it purely because you love the Malazan series, please be aware that this is completely different.

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