Book Review: Like a River Glorious by Rae Carson @raecarson

Like a River Glorious is more relentless than the first book, Walk on Earth a Stranger.

Leah (Lee) and her friends are subjected to one hardship after another as they try to stake their claims and defend themselves against claim jumpers and much worse.

I like Leah because she's so strong. She makes a decision and goes for it.  She has come to love the rest of the caravan like family and is constantly worried for their safety, given she knows her Uncle Hiram is coming after her. I love every character in this book, even those that are evil.  Carson is really good at building them up. Every time Hiram appeared on the page I got an uncomfortable feeling in my stomach.

Jefferson is still her good friend, and he has made it clear he wants more than friendship. I won't say any more about that.  Leah's powers are continuing to help, and there's more to that aspect of the story too.

I enjoy these stories because the are historically accurate, and history is my favorite genre. But, they have the little touch of magic that adds additional excitement and intrigue.

The ending is satisfying.  They are in a good place.  But I'm sure it's not going to stay that way since there's going to be another book.  Like a River Glorious can be recommended to teens who like historical fiction or magic -- this one should satisfy both. But I highly recommend reading Walk on Earth a Stranger first.

Published by Greenwillow, September 27, 2016
eARC obtained from Edelweiss
416 pages

Rating: 5/5

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Book Review: Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson @raecarson

Walk on Earth a Stranger is a perfect book for me. I absolutely loved it.

Leah's life is turned upside down when she finds her parents both murdered in their small home in Georgia. It's 1849 and many people are racing to California to make their fortune in gold.

Leah has a secret. She's able to feel when gold is near. The sense gets stronger the closer she gets to the gold. Nice ability to have, huh? When Leah's uncle comes to take her away and "use" her, she runs away. Her best friend left for California a short while ago, and she wishes she went with him but now hopes to catch up with him. She must disguise herself as a boy since it would be impossible to be a girl travelling alone. Fortunately Leah has been trained by her father to hunt, muck out the stalls, and any other work to keep their household running.

Leah (now Lee) goes through much hardship but makes some interesting friends along the way to California. Walk on Earth a Stranger never has a dull moment. The heat, cold, wet, stampedes, mountains, rivers, cholera, and danger from Indians made these people true pioneers. Many lost their lives, including some of the characters in this book. It was hard work; they were always tired and much of the time they were hungry and thirsty.

The writing just flows magically. I felt like I was along with Lee in her travels. I hated some characters so much that I wanted to throw the iPad across the room (I refrained.) The magical gold-finding ability just adds to the story but never overpowers it.

I was concerned about a cliff hanger, since this is a planned trilogy (Gold Seer Trilogy), but this episode ties up the immediate plot line. We know there's more to come, and I can't wait for the next book. I think it's probably going to be a while.

Fans of historical fiction should not miss Walk on Earth a Stranger. Don't let the magic cause you any hesitation. Fans of magical books will enjoy this one too, especially if you enjoy historical settings. I can't wait to shove this one at my teens.

Published by Greenwillow, September 22, 2015
eARC obtained from Edelweiss
448 pages

Rating: 5/5

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