The Riven Shield

I have to admit that I was a bit concerned about this one, because it is essentially the first half of what was meant to be the final volume in the series. When West reached 2000 manuscript pages, she knew she was in trouble and got in touch with her publisher. Instead of trying to cut 600 pages' worth of material, it was decided that the novel would be split into two books. Hence, The Riven Shield and the sixth and final installment, The Sun Sword.

I was concerned, for splitting a manuscript in two doesn't necessarily mean that the first half would stand that well on its own. Moreover, would it have its own sort of ending? Michelle West has proven time and again that she knows how to end a book with style and aplomb. And with the author somehow finding a way to elevate her game yet again, and thus making Sea of Sorrows the best installment so far, could The Riven Shield deliver like its predecessors?

Well, I'm pleased to report that it does! The endgame and the finale may not be as rousing as the previous ones, but this fifth volume turned out to be more self-contained than I thought it would be.

Here's the blurb:

The fifth novel of the acclaimed Sun Sword series returns to a war-torn world of noble houses divided and demon lords unleashed…

Valedan kai di’Leonne, last survivor of the ruling clan of the Dominion, has forged an alliance with his people’s ancestral enemies, the Northern armies of the Essalieyan Empire. Though young and untried, he has also won the support of Dominion Tyr’agnate Ramiro di’Callesta. Whether he can now do the impossible, and bring Tyr’agnate Mareo di’Lamberto over to his side, remains to be seen. Even with such powerful backers, if Valedan can’t gain possession of the Sun Sword and survive the wielding of it, all will be lost…

Jewel of House Terafin has joined forces with the Voyani, bringing with her the legendary Warlord, Avandar, the bard-assassin, Kallandras, and Lord Celleriant of the Winter Queen’s court. Hunted by the demonic Kialli, they will be hard pressed to escape from the Sea of Sorrows and link up with Valedan’s troops…

In Averalaan, House Terafin is on the brink of a bloody dynastic war—and Jewel’s den is caught in deadly political infighting within the House, forced by command of the Terafin herself to take on the most difficult roles of their lives…

Kiriel, child of the Lord of Darkness and a mortal woman, also must face the greatest challenge of her life, torn between the conflicting demands of her father’s demonic realm and her human heritage…

The Kialli demon lords and their human allies are banding together, too, readying to sweep down upon the Northern armies in a devastating campaign of terror and destruction that will either see peace restored or all the furies of the Hells and the Lord of Darkness himself released upon the world…

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Structurally, it often feels as though six volumes were not enough to recount the full tale Michelle West wanted to tell. On the positive side of things, this means that her editor forced West to keep a lid of things, so to speak, thus preventing her from getting lost in the mire of extraneous plot threads that plagued portions of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time, George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire, Steven Erikson's The Malazan Book of the Fallen, and Brandon Sanderson's The Stormlight Archive. On the other hand, it forces the author to juggle with several storylines, all of them important in the greater scheme of things, and somehow write them in a way that creates an interesting and cohesive whole. Alas, that is easier said than done. The great finales of both The Shining Court and Sea of Sorrows set the stage for bigger and better things to come. Sadly, since the bulk of those novels takes place in the Dominion, West is forced to backtrack and elaborate on the events that concurrently took place in the Essalieyan Empire. This wouldn't be so bad if it still held some importance in the current series. However, the bulk of those scenes, and they amount to hundreds of pages spread out throughout the six volumes, mostly exist to lay the groundwork for the subsequent House War series. Which is why such sequences involving the Terafin household and Jewel's den always feel somewhat discordant and superfluous. They'll be extremely important later on, but they serve little purpose in The Sun Sword.

The worldbuilding was already impressive and Sea of Sorrows raised the bar to another level. In my previous reviews, I claimed that there was a depth to Michelle West's universe that rivals that of Tolkien, Erikson, and Bakker. Now I'm starting to believe that she might surpass them all in that regard. How she managed to up her game with each new installment, I have no idea. And the House War series promises to add yet more threads to this complex and enthralling tapestry. The Riven Shield continues to build on the storylines of its predecessors, adding layers upon layers to an already convoluted plot that should satisfy even the most demanding fantasy aficionados.

Weighing in at 877 pages, The Riven Shield is no slender volume. Like The Shining Court and Sea of Sorrows, it is another sprawling book that covers a lot of plot threads and locales. And yet, unlike the last two volumes, it is not as tightly written. This one is more akin to The Broken Crown in terms of rhythm. There are some pacing issues, most of which having to do with the Terafin plotline and the drawn-out attempt by two canny Serras to establish a truce between Mareo di’Lamberto and Ramiro di’Callesta so that the true Leonne heir and his forces might triumph over the armies of the Lord of Night and save the Dominion. Having said that, I was still fascinated by how two supposedly powerless wives to two of the most powerful men in the South were able to pull some strings, as it were, in an attempt to influence their husbands as war reaches their borders. It was overwritten and overdone to a certain degree, but it was by no means boring. Political intrigue has been at the heart of this series and it was great to see the love and respect that both men have for their wives and how this could perhaps change the course of their lives and that of those men, women, and children under their rule.

Once again, the characterization is top notch. À la Robin Hobb and Jacqueline Carey, Michelle West continues to flesh out a cast of endearing and fascinating three-dimensional characters. I was a bit sad to say goodbye to Margret and the Arkosa Voyani, but war has finally come to the Dominion and it was time for Teresea, Diora, Kallandras, Yollana, Jewel, Avandar, and their companions to move on. Kiriel, Auralis and the Ospreys, Valedan, Serra Alina, Ramiro kai di'Callesta, Meralonne APhaniel, and Ser Anton di'Guivera all return as the endgame begins. As mentioned, Serra Donna en’Lamberto and Serra Amara en’Callesta proved themselves to be significant players in the decision of whose army their husbands would support in the coming conflict. Anya, the poor deranged girl who's also the most powerful mage born since the fall of the Cities of Man, returns as well. Yollana, the old Matriarch of the Havalla Voyani clan, continues to play a far-reaching role as the story unfolds. The Radann Marakas par el’Sol, due to both past and present circumstances, turned out to be more important than I thought he would be. Oh, and I would be remiss if I didn't say how much Teresa's storyline, by seemingly reaching its end in the greater scheme of things, is both poignant and gut-wrenching.

Even if the finale cannot match those of The Shining Court and Sea of Sorrows, which were next level, the author nevertheless weaves the various plotlines of her tale together and make them come together in another thrilling ending. The war has begun and there's no turning back.

Do yourself a favor and read The Sun Sword. If you relish detailed worldbuilding, multilayered storylines, and powerful characterization, Michelle West will amaze you!

The final verdict: 9/10

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