Addictive and immersive, this series is a must-read…
Carrier combines love and intrigue with magical realism to build a stunning literary series set in rural Wyoming, Italy, Paris, and Ireland. In the debut installment, Senga is struggling to realize her true purpose in life as accidental death of her only daughter, nine-year-old Emily, weighs heavy on her mind. The second installment in the series sees Senga gradually coming to terms with her grief as Sebastian, a brilliant Danish artist, comes into her life. In the third installment, Senga finds herself following a magical realism thread that takes her to Ireland. She must weigh her own ability that makes her see what others cannot see. Carrier devotes considerable attention to developing her characters, especially Senga who is greatly affected by the tragic events of her past. The passages exploring Senga’s mental state, particularly after she loses her daughter to the tragic accident are haunting and raw. She balances the increasingly entangled lives of Senga and her friends, including the endearing Stricklands, Sebastian, Joe, Gabe, and Francesca with skill and precision. Carrier elegantly weaves the old legend into the main storyline, and High Wolf’s ancient story is as fascinating as Senga’s ongoing tale. Though it takes time to settle into Senga’s intricate world in the first installment, Carrier’s assured, lyrical prose expertly guides the reader throughout. The second and third installments read like a breeze, and new readers will have no trouble following Senga’s story. The plot unravels at a tantalizingly leisured pace, and Carrier’s immersive prose keeps the pages turning. The characters’ complex relationships with one another are brilliantly portrayed, and the exquisitely detailed world and expert plotting are an added bonus. Along the way, Carrier explores deeper questions of love, life, regret, grief, racism, and the human cost of obsession and control. Intrigue, passion and madness, and hints of magical realism with tiny magical moments will keep readers spellbound from start to finish. With its Intricate worldbuilding, heartrending emotions, and expert characterization, this imaginatively told tale is sure to impress both the lovers of women’s fiction and literary fiction. Readers will eagerly await Carrier’s next.
Note: The series is free on Kindle Unlimited.
The Riven Country Series
By Renée Carrier
The Riven Country of Senga Munro (Riven Country, #1)
Price $8.34 (USD) Kindle edition, $16.00 Paperback
Starwallow (The Riven Country Series, #2)
Price $7.82 (USD) Kindle edition, $19.95 Paperback
THE SIMPLER: Book III of The Riven Country Series
Price $7.79 (USD) Kindle edition, $16.00 Paperback
To the Prairies Book Review folks, I am thrilled and humbled at the same time. You have managed to distill the story. And all without spoilers! The writing has saved my life these last several years, as I suspect it has many others. Naturally my family is included in the praise, but for moment to moment engagement with some numinous source (outside of prayer), the work is prayer. My gratitude and awe to you~
Renee Carrier