Glow Of The River (The Standalone Saga Book 1)

And the Guild is waiting for us with its nets. Some of us they keep, some of us they throw away. We have the ability to use those streams of feeling, but we ourselves - we are just bit players, and our own feelings, our own life stories, they plod forward day to day It is only the big picture that continues to look always the same, no matter what we small actors do We run about like busy ants, but the wars do not change. There are some genres that I just don't go near. For example, There's just something about the 's that I can't stand being immersed in - somehow I just do.

So that knocks out the possibility of me enjoying anything vaguely Regency or Victorian I had to look up those terms to double-check I'm on the right track. I wish I knew why, I really do There are some genres that I just don't go near. I wish I knew why, I really do.

The closest I've ever come to enjoying it is in Libba Bray's A Great and Terrible Beauty trilogy, though I don't know if those books count what with all the magic and underlying supernatural horror aspects. Unfortunately another do-not-touch for me though less extreme is time travel. Occasionally it works, but such a book has to be extraordinarily well written to get me hooked.

I do, however, keep testing these dislikes, certain that one day I'll find the book to prove me wrong. The River of No Return? Yeah, it isn't that book. Strangely this is the second I've picked up in the past few months that hooked me with the cover and title, then turned out to be recent ish -era historical fiction. I really need to stop inflicting this on myself I'm not being entirely unfair, I don't think.

At least this one wasn't as terribly written as Into the Dim , so I'll give it that. Other than that, it's all perfectly adequate, and I manage to finish without too many eye-rolls.

If you like time travel, and the 's, and "dashing" lords and swooning ladies then this book is totally for you. Well next time I decide to try my hand at time-travelling, throw me back to the Greeks, who knows - maybe I'll have a better time. Time travel is a tricky subject. It has to make at least a modicum of sense no matter how outlandish you wish the concept to be. River of No Return handled this aspect of the story quite well and managed to create a different form of time travel that I had not personally encountered in novels before.

While I believe it to of been managed well it was still one of the more unbelievable My rating: While I believe it to of been managed well it was still one of the more unbelievable versions with resonant emotions linking individuals to the past allowing them to access those moments in time I'm not sure I was really sold on the whole concept. The story definitely went on far longer than necessary. I can't help but think I would have enjoyed it far more if it was condensed down because parts of the story felt long and drawn out.

The story had a slow but steady build-up in the beginning but still took forever to really 'get going'. It definitely had a distinct 'Outlander' feel to it and it was also reminiscent of 'A Discovery of Witches' minus the supernatural creatures, and despite the fact that I love both of those books I just failed to connect with this one. The characters were well-drawn but didn't generate any interest for me.

Add to that, the characters in the past didn't act like characters in the past should. Julia was extremely modern sounding and certainly didn't act like a normal woman of her time, despite how progressive she may be. I was under the impression that this was a stand-alone novel yay for that extremely rare beastie , however, it appears that this is only the first installment of a new series trilogy?

While I enjoyed parts of this I'm not sure I'm interested enough to continue. I'll definitely keep an eye out for additional works by this author as it's obvious she's quite talented, this story and I just weren't meant to be unfortunately. View all 8 comments. Part time travel, part romance, part historical fiction, The River of No Return did not work well for me. I've tried a number of time travel novels, but for some reason, most simply don't deliver a scenario that makes any kind of sense, and although I'm not opposed to a little romance in a novel, I don't really care for romance novels.

While the book will appeal to many readers, it was a bit ho-hum for me. When I finished the pages and discovered it was the first in another trilogy aren't there a lot of those out there? It isn't that I don't like long books, I love them. Or that I don't like trilogies, I do. This particular one simply didn't interest me enough to seek future installments. What a fun book. A light-hearted genre mashing romp at bottom, but with such wonderful ingredients, and so ingeniously mixed together!

A robust narrative drive that keeps the pages turning. Well-researched historical detail, judiciously chosen and deftly interwoven to bring the past vividly alive. Beautifully written sentences throughout. An underpinning of philosophical erudition, expertly and provocatively presented in the voice of several different characters. A sense of humor. A most enviable writerly feel for dialog and scene making. Flashes of beautiful imagistic description. I could go on, but here are a few small samples so you can get an idea of what I mean: Down side streets to the south they could see the Thames — it was at low tide, and the night-fishing boats, each with its dancing lantern, crowded the center channel.

The long, sloping banks were dotted here and there with people, some tending small fires, others combing for treasure among the rocks and bones and broken pipe stems that littered the mudflats. The great, soot-stained dome of St. And then there are the sex scenes, which I actually enjoyed, but may not be for everyone. But these are very minor flaws. Nick Davenant is likeable and interesting, as are all the other main characters, and there is a large and colorful cast of secondary characters.

I look forward to many more books by Ms. It's not that this was a bad book - inventive premise, intriguing world set up - but once things got rolling it just didn't grab me. The level of of spoon-feeding was a little much and as a veteran of plenty of hard time-travel scifi I found it all a bit unengaging, particularly once the romance kicked in. I feel like this book would appeal to people who like light, easy romance, but those seeking a fulfilling time-travel story will likely be disappointed. Not bad, but there ar Life's too short.

Not bad, but there are so many good books out there to spend time on this one, unless of course you think you'll be specifically entertained by a new twist on the Regency Romance genre Struggled to finish - not interested in seeing where things go in book two either Originally published at Book Lovers Inc. I may be the last lover of time-travel stories that has not read that book. Especially the early ones when it was clear that she was still having fun and before Mendoza became such a tragic figure in her own life.

W Originally published at Book Lovers Inc. And the knowledge about how to manipulate time. There are operatives, and there are secrets, and inevitably, there are lies. They definitely do not feel fine about what is coming, and they are trying everything, including breaking all their own rules, to prevent that end. In The River of No Return, we see the story through the eyes of Nick Davenant, a man who starts his life as the Marquess of Blackdown, and should have died in battle during the Napoleonic Wars. Then suddenly The Guild decides they need him to be Blackdown again.

So they politely inform him that every rule they taught him was a lie. And they send him back, expecting him to be just as compliant back in his own time as he was here. In his own time, he was never a compliant man. Especially not when threatened at gunpoint. After all, he has already died once. All they can do is kill him again. And he has learned, once and for all, that The Guild is not to be trusted.

Perhaps their adversaries are. This is a story with multiple layers. The overarching story is the war between The Guild and their opposing force, the Ofan. The Guild believes that time-travelers should be kept in the dark about their gifts, and the Ofan believes that the talent should be trained and exercised. If anyone else sees this as a Time War a la Doctor Who, raise your hands.

Julia Percy starts out as a slightly unconventional woman of her time, but discovers that she is a key player in the time war. Julia starts out the story being acted upon, and ends the book having great agency of her own. She takes control of her own life, and it makes her a much more interesting character than she would be if she stayed in the Regency mold. Both sets of time travelers are operating in the dark, and the story occasionally gets murky because of it. There are plots within plots within plots, and sometimes the only way to keep things straight is to just follow Nick and Julia.

It's been several decades since I've read a romance--am really glad I waited for this one. I loved the historical detail that kept on making me ask, really? From the quilling of letters, to the marital practices of early 19th century Britons, to Norwich shawls, to the consumer choices of the contemporary Guild members--all the details sing It's been several decades since I've read a romance--am really glad I waited for this one.

From the quilling of letters, to the marital practices of early 19th century Britons, to Norwich shawls, to the consumer choices of the contemporary Guild members--all the details sing. In particular I loved the subplot involving the Corn Laws--working-class history in a romance--hurrah. Best for me was the subversion of the romance: And a plot that plays greatly with all that theorizing that academics do without being bogged down for a second with it.

The River of No Return is just such a book. I read it with a bowl of popcorn. Can we talk about that gorgeous cover art? I really enjoyed this very different book. I have to say however that I really hope there will be a sequel. They story ended sort of but the major problem was not resolved. Well anyway I liked the tone of the book.

The writing was well done and the feel for the regency era was pretty spot on. In fact it was more in depth than many historicals. While this took place in the regency era it was not a regency. So the nitty gritty of London was mor I really enjoyed this very different book. So the nitty gritty of London was more emphasized than it is in the stylized regency novel. I really appreciated that. I loved Nick, the main character. I loved how time travel had changed him and how his changes and the things that he struggled to change were so realistic. So he was a man of his time who changed in a realistic manner.

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The heroine was good also. She was strong and brave. All in all a really good read. I love time travel stories but this one missed the mark a bit for me. I was hooked in the beginning with Nick's travel from England to America and then intrigued with his return to England in Some where along the way things got a bit convoluted for me. All of a sudden there were too many time travelers, too many questions about who were the good guys - the Guild or the Ofans.

I enjoy a twist in the story just as much as the next person but the twists just kept coming. The best I love time travel stories but this one missed the mark a bit for me. The best thing about it was the love story. We all could use a good romance once on a while. I liked it but didn't love it - three stars for me. I read that there may be a sequel. Would I read it? This book will appeal to most aficionados of the time travel genre.

There is quite a lot of originality in the thinking behind the plot and sub-plots. There are conflicts which span time and space; the latter constrained to the surface of planet Earth, of course, but that leaves plenty of scope. When I was a young lad, reading many books and watching plenty of films, I never had much difficulty in distinguishing the "goodies" from the "baddies. Eamon is one such. The main characters are well developed, especially Nick and his sisters, and Julia. I would have liked to have seen a bit more about how Nick dealt with his political detractors. The pace was good in the first third of the book, but then slowed down a little too much for my liking, and picked up again towards the end.

The author has teased my sense of curiosity to the point where I will have to read the second book just to find out what happens to Jem Jemison, and to understand the real significance of the talisman. Mr Mibbs also remains a bit of a mystery. Is he acting as a powerful individual? He is clearly neither Ofan nor Guild, and neither organisation understands him. Perhaps he is a member of a third organisation, which will come to the fore in the sequel. As for suggestions for which actors should play which main parts in a film of the book, my suggestions would be Leonardo DiCaprio to play Nick, and Helena Bonham-Carter to play Julia.

I would definitely recommend this book to all my time-travel-loving friends. This is a whopper of a read pages, but worth the read. At first I thought another historical novel with a parallel to someone in the present day, but this is so different. The book begins with Lord Nicholas Falcott who is catapulted into the 21st centaury when about to face death on a Napoleonic battlefield.

He is then cosseted by the strange organisation — The Guild. Nick Davenant as he is known in the 21st centaury has is sent to the compound to learn 21st centaury ways and to come to terms with his ancestral pile is now part of the National Trust and that he will never see his mother again. There are rules of the guild and this means he cannot go back, but he yearns to go back and for one woman who is too far back in the past.

Nick lives a comfortable life curtsey of the Guild until he is summons back and the Guild break their own rules and send him back to face up to his past. He then meets Julia Percy who has lost her grandfather He too, had powers that could bend time to his will. There are lots of subplots and although described as a romance there is more to this book and it encaptures science fiction, history which is well researched, fantasy and even a bit of humour thrown in.

Well written and fast paced so the reader does not get bored. I cannot wait for her second novel. What I found amazing, particularly for a debut novel, was how well the author captured the early 19th century vernacular. She obviously did her research but was able to express it without "showing it off". Not the case here. As the summary goes, Nick Falcott is transported forward years from an battlefield. There he lea What I found amazing, particularly for a debut novel, was how well the author captured the early 19th century vernacular.

There he learns he is gifted with the ability to travel through time. Julia Percy, a 19th century ward of a dying beloved grandfather, comes to find herself captive of a lunatic cousin who inherits the estate. Meanwhile, Nick finds himself compelled to travel back to his original time for some clandestine Guild affair. The writing was good, good to the point where I look at my other reviews and feel like I should downgrade some of them. Like Nick thinks this and Julia thinks that and both are operating on misconceptions but won't talk to each other to clear them up.

It started to get tedious but the rest of the story worked fine. While I was a bit disappointed that this book wasn't complete, i. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but this was better than that. The story moved somewhat slowly but proved to be a good mystery. The time travel element was well done and avoided paradoxes.

The characters were well developed and likable enough. I think my trouble with this book was the audio narration. It was done by Sam Roukin and I'm sad to say that it suffered. I wish they'd been able to get Zachary Webber to do it, because he would have handled all the accents well and done the book justice I'm not sure what I was expecting, but this was better than that. I wish they'd been able to get Zachary Webber to do it, because he would have handled all the accents well and done the book justice. Overall a great story well told - but the narration left something to be desired.

I wish there were a sequel coming; having done some research there doesn't seem to be anything on the horizon. The story ends well, but also leaves a lot to be explored.

Virgin River | RobynCarr

This book features solid writing, compelling characters, and an extremely tempting premise. I don't simply mean that it's a cliffhanger, or a book with some loose ends--it is half of a novel. And it's impossible to judge a book that hasn't bothered to do any of the heavy lifting associated with successfully wrapping up a story. There was a lot to like in it, and I'll probably read the sequel. Maybe everything will be resolved in the next book and I will be in fu This book features solid writing, compelling characters, and an extremely tempting premise.

Maybe everything will be resolved in the next book and I will be in fully love with this series and world. But for now, I consider this book to be seriously unfinished business and can't recommend it despite its many strengths. This will be a very blunt and harsh review so be warned. I got to page and had enough. Much too much sex and references to sex and every word under the sun related to sex.

Plus too many f-words and other bad language. The whole concept with the river of time and the time travel was fascinating and I wanted to read on; it's the only reason I got as far as I did. That being said, however, I felt that the author sucked the quality of the story and writing away by miring it all in smut. I am frus This will be a very blunt and harsh review so be warned. I am frustrated that this happens so often and disappointed once again that a great idea for a story, and one that had so much potential, was ruined. View all 7 comments.

El libro es malo, por no decir horripilante. Desde los personajes que no tienen ni pies ni cabeza hasta la trama que tampoco. In The River of No Return, Lord Nicholas Falcott is about to be run through with a sword on a Spanish battlefield when he is hurtled two hundred years into the future. He wakes at the mercy of The Guild, a seemingly benevolent organisation that supports people who find themselves displaced in time. Nick spends a year in a reeducation center, adjusting to modern life and learning the rules of the Guild: There is no Return. Then, nine years after his In The River of No Return, Lord Nicholas Falcott is about to be run through with a sword on a Spanish battlefield when he is hurtled two hundred years into the future.

He is required to travel back to and resume his position as Lord Blackdown in order to help The Guild find a Talisman which is said to amplify the ability to manipulate time, before a rival group of travellers, known as the Ofan, do. The River of No Return is a tale of adventure, romance and intrigue as Nick finds himself a pawn in the battle for the control of time. Two groups, The Guild and The Ofan are comprised of people displaced from their own time who fail to agree on how it can be used but both fear The Pale, a phenomena which is causing time to reverse.

Rumours of a Talisman, an object of some kind that could perhaps undo the damage to the timeline, has them all desperately searching, loathe for the other to gain control. I found the concepts surrounding the time travel element in the novel surprisingly easy to grasp. Ridgeway's characters have the ability to move both forward and backward in time and even stop time, within a limited range. The how is a little more complicated but it's an instinctual talent so most people do not discover the ability until in the midst of a life or death crisis.

The Guild tells it's general members that traveling is a one off event in order to protect their own interests in the timeline. The Ofan are essentially a rebel group who have spurned the Guild's control. Though Nick makes the leap from to , our time with him in both era's are fairly brief. I think this is, in part, why I took to the novel so well as I didn't have to contend with multiple jumps through time and the inevitable fracturing of the storyline that leads to. There are three main points of intrigue in the story, the veracity of the Guild and the Ofan, the identity of the mysterious Mr Mibbs and the whereabouts of the Talisman.

Nick is unwittingly mixed up in all three and is forced on a path to try and solve the mysteries. Romance is a strong element of the novel, Julia, is the seventeenth century neighbour of Nick, raised by her grandfather, who discovers after his death that she she has power over time. Julia and Nick shared a moment as children and it is the memory of Julia that still haunts Nick after his leap in time.

When he returns to his own time, a relationship develops between he and Julia, but it is complicated by secrets and misunderstandings. One word of warning, The River of No Return is the first installment in a continuing story, so it ends with little in the way of plot resolution but I, for one, am looking forward to the next adventure. I have to admit I was trepiditious when I agreed to review The River of No Return, not entirely convinced a debut author could write convincingly about time travel when it is such a challenging concept.

Tolkien had one run-on sentence after another. Some sentences went on the lengths of several complete paragraphs. I could not wrap my mind around it--I had to re-read every sentence several times. I was inundated with frustration! Ryan 's writing gave me the initial goose bumps of excitement. The imagery of his writing is like the hopes and desires that new-to-be parents experience when hoping the best life for their child.

I hoped for magic, otherworldly creatures, struggles, character development, and so forth. Instead, I got so much more! I would love to see the depicted magic as CGI in a movie. Ryan developed new characters that would make the Syfy channel jealous. Even with the help of a SparksNotes-like Wiki web page, I was so lost in the book. I was completely lost by the multitude of characters, which politic system was in place, who was already been killed off, which set of people were mad at another set of people and so forth.

I dreaded giving up on this book, just like I dreaded an upcoming break up. I knew exactly which characters viewpoint I was reading, their specific traits, the new creatures and their politic system, and so forth. View all 3 comments. Jul 31, Graeme Reynolds rated it it was ok. On the summit of the fabled mountain Slievenamon in Ireland there is a doorway to an ancient land of terrible power.

The gate of Feimhin has lain closed for centuries, the secret of its opening long lost. But now four orphans drawn together by Fate must pass through the portal to face their destinies. Here death waits at every corner and they must learn to fight if they are to survive. And they'd better learn quickly, because their enemy, the Tyrant of the Wastelands, is growing in power.

The Snowmelt River is the first in a new, epic fantasy series that tries to explore and expand upon Irish mythology. An interesting concept to be sure, but unfortunately one that is let down by the implementation. The pacing, especially in the first part of the book is glacial.

The unfortunate reader spends half of the time being deluged with huge chunks of exposition, and the other half wondering what on earth is going through the characters minds. The plot is contrived in many places, so much that even some of the characters comment on it, and the actions of the characters in many instances just don't make any kind of sense. Why would four teenagers, for example, accept some form of vile potion from an old crone they just met, who's clothing is made up of spiders?

Why would one of the characters Grandfather's send them through a mystical portal to another world without any more preparation than a few cryptic comments and some large dollops of back-story that don't really help them in their quest? The later parts of the book improve, once the first pages or so are out of the way, and the world building is extensive and well described. Once things start moving, there are a few tense scenes and some fairly interesting concepts on display.

Unfortunately, because the characters were as flat as cardboard, these scenes did little to evoke an emotional response. Fans of epic fantasy will find things to enjoy if they look hard enough, and with any luck the next book in the series will be better. As it stands though, The Snowmelt River was an effort to read and there are much better fantasy novels on the shelves worthy of your attention. I received a copy of this from Jo Fletcher books after I requested it. The Snowmelt River is an interesting book that questions the reality of fate and destiny.

It stretches the beliefs of the characters, showing them a whole new world, in which they have to question themselves and each other. I loved how the characters grew in this book, it wasn't a tiny invisible change, it was a huge change. It was brilliantly done, the young characters are forced to grow and take on responsibility like never I received a copy of this from Jo Fletcher books after I requested it. It was brilliantly done, the young characters are forced to grow and take on responsibility like never before.

They are the chosen and people expect them to act like it. This was a long book, my copy clocking in at just over pages nevertheless the author kept my attention the whole time. I wanted to continue the journey with these characters, I wanted to see them grow and change. I watched them learn and grow into their roles, it was fantastic. The Snowmelt River begins in a small village where four orphans are drawn together.

Alan and Kate were already friends but Alan's uncle, introduces them to Mark and Mo. His uncle sees the potential in Mo and with his own dark secret he knows the four of them are important. Bonding over the summer, a trip up the mountains changes them all. The great mountain Slievenamon calls them, the call thrills them, its a feeling like no other. Soon they realise something or someone needs their help.

With answers from Alan's uncle, the group find themselves going through a portal to the world of Tir. Here war is raging and the four of them are destined to help. They have so many questions but no answers. They are chucked into this new world left to look after themselves. All the while time is ticking, will the gang be able to destroy the enemy and help the good people of Tir before it's too late? Alan was the eldest of the group and he was the one whose shoulders all the responsibility fell on.

He was graced with the first power which had both advantages and disadvantages. He became the leader and the more he travelled into Tir, more people looked up to him for leadership. We see him go through so much change, from a young teen boy to the mature wise mind of an adult. Kate was Alan's love interest and they were best friends.

Kate was also graced with a power but it was never truly revealed what it was. Still people regarded her as powerful and she was there for her friends. Now Mark he was an interesting character, he was the one in the beginning who didn't truly believe that they were in a different world. He didn't believe what his eyes were telling him. He was also the bad boy of the group, the one who would push the boundaries and take risks and that effected both him and the others. What he does in the end of this book, made me so emotional. For once he thought about the others before himself no matter what the consequences and it was incredible.

Mark was my favourite character and I can't wait to see what happens to him next. Mo was interesting, she was younger then them all but she was by far the wisest. She was wise beyond her years and she was more connected to the new world and her spirit then any of the others. Together they made an interesting group and I can't wait to see what happens next. The world building in this novel is brilliant! The world was so vividly described. Ryan really does have a way with words, his description flows perfectly. It's some of the best writing I've ever read.

My personal favourite were the Shee, female warriors who had cat spirits, of which they could turn into when they enter the blood rage. They were great companions to the gang and they had a very interesting history. I can't wait to see more of the world in the next book and see what the gang encounter. The Snowmelt River is a great addition to the Fantasy genre. One that teens can enjoy as well as adults. The world is believable and very interesting. The reader is sucked in from page one. I loved the whole idea of crystals giving the group powers, it was unique. I loved this book, the ending was by far the strongest and I have so many emotions towards the end, I don't now where to begin.

We see the group making hard choices to save each other. We see them question fate and destiny. We see their different view points on the matter and how it changes each one of them. I love the whole idea and theme of fate and it was used greatly in this novel. The greatest thing in this book is the choices the group make and the consequences to these actions. It's just like real life, and there are many things the reader can learn from this book. I have the new edition published by Jo Fletcher Books, which isn't on goodreads yet. View all 7 comments.

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Apr 10, Chelsea rated it did not like it Shelves: I'll start my review off saying I won this book on a goodreads giveaway. This review will be straight up harshly opinionated and honest. If you love the book completely and utterly don't continue reading what I'm about to write. Secondly, this review isn't harsh because I got it for free. The first book I won I loved the story and author so much I immediately bought her other series.

Now let's get started. For me, this book had two main issues that made it impossible for me to go on. The charact I'll start my review off saying I won this book on a goodreads giveaway. The characters and the pacing got me in the end. And, if you are inclined to continue this review note that I persisted to page before completely giving up.

Padraig, what-the-heck, grandparents would never step aside and let their grandchildren go off on adventures. Even if they had made the mistake before. Fate would have still happened if he'd said no, not "here kids, I'm going to serve you up on a platter. Kate decides to go along, but from the get-go she wants to go back. She also complains the entire time about how the guys aren't taking this seriously. Mark is just a jerk, I understand his situation, but that doesn't give him free rain to be a major dick.

And lastly Mo, "Hi guys, I'm just here for the show," as a reader I know she's the most special alongside Alan, but the author doesn't give her anything. The character dynamic between the four of them should sound familiar, like The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe in particular.

Only they are not related, Mark's hang up isn't that Alan is the leader, but that he got the girl. Now on to pacing, all the way up to when I gave up. I thought it was boring. I've had this book for over a month, and it took me that long to read over pages. At times I kept thinking this book is getting really good. Once I got into the second part the story picked up. I prefer my reading experience to not be a pendulum. Oh, I just remembered. Extremely confusing start to a book. The author wrote about the characters as if we already knew them listing over five characters within a few short pages.

If you've read my review, and been utterly and completely offended. Pick up this book and read it again, because if you love it. No matter what I say you'll still love it. Nov 17, Ally rated it really liked it Shelves: I won a copy from Goodreads First Reads. The Snowmelt River is a long book. And when I say long, I mean a seven-hundred and two page book.

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It's quite a long story that could lose some of its "fat. But I think you get the point. It may be quite long, but it's quite interesting, if you have the patience and the understanding to go through it. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone with a busy schedule and a tendency to forget things. Because 1 Obviously you need a lot of time to read pages, 2 there's a lot of information to absorb and even I, the girl who remembers everything or pretty close to everything , had to look back to double check my memory.

If you ever read this book, I recommend that you write side notes because there's four POVs and endless number of chances of being lost. Also, you should always look back even though your pride prevents you from doing so. Believe me, it is better to be knowing where you are.

What else about The Snowmelt River? Well, it's told from four children. Kate has the Second Power. Alan, the First Power. Mark, the Third Power. And Mo is special. Each of these characters have outstanding character traits. Like Mark, the extreme annoyance and crazy joke-making in inappropriate settings. Alan, his occasional sarcasm which is pure awesome when he does it. Mo, her sweet personality that sharply contrasts her adoptive brother. And Kate, well Kate seems to be a minor character to me, for most of the book. The plot goes well, but I think that readers may and I say may have trouble following up with the story.

The good thing is that the plot is mostly moving, but the beginning is a little slow. The beginning builds the background, so I guess it could be a little slow. Can't tell you, but I can say it's quite interesting. And did I mention good? Four out of Five Mar 27, Chris rated it really liked it Shelves: However, the end of the book meshed into one big battle - I think there were actually about three - and I felt these dragged on a little too long.

I should also point out that I knew where the book was heading, having read the second one first, which might have made the battles less exciting are they going to survive? Yes they are because I remember them popping up in The Tower of Bones Overall I thought the second book held the story better, although I need to re-read it now I understand what is going on it doesn't really work as a standalone. If you are a fan of unusual fantasy worlds then this book is definitely worth checking out.

My copy was kindly provided by the author. Aug 04, Courtney rated it really liked it Recommends it for: This book was a really amazing book. I love the character description. It reminded me so very much of Eragon ; just the way it was written, and in an abundance were the adjectives!!! In no way is that a bad thing!!! I was amazed at how descriptive Frank P. Ryan made his sentences.

I counted at least two in every sentence without fail. Although, I think maybe some of the adjectives were a bit too formal. Other than that this really was an amazing book!!! Oct 17, Tracy rated it really liked it. I would like to start of by saying I was lucky enough to win an autographed copy of The Snowmelt River from Goodreads. The story starts off slow with four ophrans who range in age living in Ireland and it as follows them into a strange magical world called Tir. The four ophrans battle evil beings and face death as they traverse the portal to the world of Tir. When inside Tir Granny Dew changes each of their cells phones into an object with immense power and they must learn how to use their speci I would like to start of by saying I was lucky enough to win an autographed copy of The Snowmelt River from Goodreads.

When inside Tir Granny Dew changes each of their cells phones into an object with immense power and they must learn how to use their special gifts. Classic good vs evil. I can't not wait to read the 2nd installment The Tower of Bones Oct 07, Ti rated it really liked it. I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads. For a YA book, it can be slightly confusing but for a child with learning difficulties understanding the different twists turns and concepts.

For the well read child teen, it is a delightful if a bit strange concept of the old tales if you cross the bridge into fairy tales. I enjoyed the book, though had to read a couple of chapters a couple of times to understand what certain terms meant and understand what certain characters develope I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads. I enjoyed the book, though had to read a couple of chapters a couple of times to understand what certain terms meant and understand what certain characters developed.

For the YA who is into tales of myth and fairy then this is a good read. Oct 07, Jody Spencer rated it liked it. When I first picked up this book I couldn't read it fast enough. Then I felt a real slowdown and shift about halfway through the book. There was so much back story that it was becoming difficult to follow along. Some interesting beings and situations I like the Dream Mage character. Sep 02, Grace rated it it was ok Shelves: I generally try to be measured and reasonable, and avoid skewed passion and bias. Like, just as a general rule I value objectivity.

With that in mind, I have to say: Full offense, it is absolutely worthless. To make my opinion clear in a way that avoids spending more effort on The Snowmelt River than it is due, I will provide a quick list. It tries to sell them as archetypes who complem I generally try to be measured and reasonable, and avoid skewed passion and bias. It tries to sell them as archetypes who complement each other: Beyond these paper-thin roles, they are essentially nonexistent as people.

There are eight zillion stories of youths starting in this world and ending up in some kind of alternate dimension or place, which runs under its own rules. The Dark Is Rising? Here There Be Dragons? All of these are understood and beloved by millions. Alas, it is a self-fulfilling prophecy. I still don't understand any of what happened here.

Who is the dark queen? Why did she do whatever she did to the dwarf warriors? Who is the architect who was crucified? Who is the creepy old witch lady? The main characters are lost. At this point I have to ask myself why I'm bothering to care. Other than saying "I don't understand" all the time, the four main characters spend almost all the rest of their dialogue time arguing with each other.

It's one of those situations where, for all intents and purposes, what is SHOWN is that the four of them hate each other. You have never spoken a single nice word to, much less shared anything important, with this guy. Now, suddenly, you're such good best friends that thinking of him gave you the strength to overcome this supernatural monster? The characters are, theoretically, experiencing emotions. Often they are terrified. We are told that, supposedly, Mark is painfully lonely.

The Snowmelt River

None of this is anything the reader is able to feel. The action isn't exciting -- it just happens. This book is a dead void of emotional emptiness. It's a long book. It's going to be a trilogy, I guess, so it's understandable that some things are left unresolved. We still don't really know the physical, historical, or political lay of this alternate land.

We still don't really understand what the heck is going on in any way. Sometimes the main characters talk like normal stupid earth youths, doing Bugs Bunny voices and swearing. Sometimes they talk weirdly like everyone else in the alternate world, in some overblown Tolkien-esque high formal parlance.

Nearly every other word in the narration is corpulent or cerulean or putrescent, while the main characters sometimes bust out some "gosh golly gee whiz" type dialogue. Stop using your SAT flashcards to describe everything. There is straight up just nothing here. There is no heart. There is nothing intellectually interesting. There is no fun "brainless entertainment. There is no emotion. There is no mythology. There is absolutely nothing here, to the point where it baffles me that this author apparently wrote pages and yet didn't care at all about what he was writing.

This is not really a story -- just pages of meaningless words piled on top of each other for no reason. Oct 12, Andrea rated it did not like it. This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. After a week of reading this thing, and trudging through it, I have to give up.

It is absolutely dismal to hold a book that thick and see yourself barely making any progress at all because you have so much ahead of you to get through. If a book is over pages then it should definitely be separate and not part of a series. I certainly don't want to read a book this big knowing the story isn't even finished at the end. At first I really thou After a week of reading this thing, and trudging through it, I have to give up. At first I really thought it was going to be interesting, because of Alan and Kate liking each other. In the beginning Alan kissed Kate and she kissed him back, and I always like romance in a book.

It will make a story 10 times better for me. And then Mark and his sister Mo were introduced to the story, and it went downhill immediately from there. I didn't like Mark, and I didn't Mo or her name. They bothered me so badly. Mo stammers when she talks, every time she talks, for every word. It was so annoying, so irritating I got so fed up every time I read her speaking, and if that makes me a bad person then so be it, but I can't take a stutter; it's so much more annoying in writing because you have to read each word. I couldn't stand her, and she's younger than the rest so all of them babied her and that irritated me even more.

As soon as you open the book you're being thrust into a story you know nothing about and can't understand. I thought the author would take time to explain things soon, but no, I was left adrift on the river without a paddle, wondering what in the world this story was about. There are 4 orphans, two of which are adopted siblings. Mo, the stuttering baby, and Mark, her jerk of a brother who uses language and has thoughts he shouldn't be having. I'm not sure how old he is, and I don't care enough to look it up, but he just all of a sudden really likes Kate, so much so that he despises Alan because Alan is with Kate and Kate likes him, and gets in a fight with him over it.

He takes pictures of Kate all the time, even when she's in her bathing suit, which is creepy. The language these young teenagers used was deplorable. They were cussing all the time, one of them even said gd. I can't stand that, and it's pretty irresponsible as an author I think to have young people use profanity such as this when there are young people reading the book. You have to think of the audience you're writing for and if it's okay or not whether they're reading what you write, and eliminate things accordingly or else write for a different audience.

I couldn't believe how much they were cussing, just cussing all the time. Also, their conversations did not flow in any way, shape or form. They just weren't logical. I hate reading where the author knows what they're talking about, making references to things only they know about, and not including readers, so I get so lost and confused I have no idea what's going on.

Every single moment, every dialogue, every action was contrived. Nothing was natural at all. Conversations are supposed to be logical and natural; they're supposed to flow and the things the characters are saying are supposed to make sense. No one was making sense in here. Someone would say something and then someone else would just come with something that didn't go with the first thing. I kept asking myself where did that come from, why are they saying that?

The author had an agenda, he was going to make it happen right then and there whether readers or the characters were ready for it or not. For example, no sooner do I start the book and expect to slide into the ease of starting a new book and learning what it's all about does the author slam me upside the head with the fact that there are 4 orphans who are together, "you think 4 orphans come together and there's not a reason for it?

Over and over and over I'm being force-fed this conspiracy that there's a greater force that wanted these 4 orphans together. And I call it a conspiracy because I had no time to even digest that they were all triplets, and maybe form my own theories, which I wouldn't have done because personally I don't think it's that crazy for 4 orphans to come together. I was like what's the big deal, so 4 kids without parents find each other. But no, the author wouldn't let me.