Mikoto and the Reaver Village

Amaranthine Saga Series, Book 4

De: Forthright

Narrado por: Travis Baldree

This summer is his last chance to win his first love.

Wardenclave has always been a place of secrets and sway. For most of the year, the remote mountain village is closed off from the rest of the world, but each spring, they issue invitations to the most promising young reavers all over the world. Summer skill camps provide opportunities for the elite to train with the best. And by longstanding tradition, for teens of the In-between to evaluate the compatibility of their peers. Glint Starmark's reputation as a matchmaker has been holding true for millennia.

At 17, Mikoto Reaver is the youngest headman in Wardenclave's history. He's had very little time to adjust to his new role before their close-knit community opens its doors to children of pedigree, the specialists who will mentor them, an allotment of battlers, and a celebrity or two. Glint means well, but Mikoto won't commit until he can speak to the only girl he's ever loved. There's just something about her.

©2020 Forthright (P)2021 Tantor

Wonderful!

I’ve read this once. The retelling was lovely. There was so much going on in this book. So many loose ends tied and new ones begun. I love Forthy’s stories. She weaves magic. They never bore me.

amazing i want more again

left me wanting moreee againnnn im sooo saddd that the rest isnt up yet q.q...

Great story

Loved the story and the twists it gives. This is a great series and i’m really looking forward to the next books in this series.

Lovely lovely lovely

Such a lovely read and extension of the universe so happy to get a new book and already wishing for more! ✨✨

Fave bks 1,2, and now 4

This review is based on both my ebook and audiobook copies of Mikoto.
Possible spoilers: I was really happy to enjoy this installment in the main Amaranthine series which takes place about 11 years after book 1, as both Kyrie and Lilya were just born in that book. Neither has been away from home before and both need the experience to define who they are, what they are, what they want, etc.
So we get to find out how amazingly talented they are, along with Timur Michaelson, Lilya’s very conflicted older brother. The primary storyline revolves around Mikoto Reaver, the 17 year old descendant of a founder, who inherits his position as Headman of Wardenclave, the most famous Amaranthine enclave. As the youngest ever Headman, Mikoto struggles with new expectations. His sadly unrequited love turns out to be misdirected, but with a very big HEA.
Cinder is determined to act as dragon bait for a new batch of trainee hunters, no matter the consequences. Additional humor is provided by Tenma’s blundering, Ginkgo finding a rascally mentor, and Lilya’s taking control of her future. There were several quotes that I made special note of for their insight. The birth of Pact was incredibly poignant. Well done, Forthright!
I first read Tsumiko and the Enslaved Fox when referred by one of my favorite authors, Ilona Andrews. I found it so charming and interesting that I’ve since purchased the entire series as released.
I would rate overall at 4.5 stars as Baldree is an ok narrator.

Requires a second read

Throughout the book, there were times when I would have looked something up from previously in this book, but that’s harder to do with an audio. I think a lot of my trouble came from trying to keep track of the names. I feel like I need to listen to it again, but with a notebook this time.

To be clear, I plan to give this book a second run through because I feel that I may have missed some subtleties, but I got the broad strokes just fine. I was very pleased to get an update on Tenma. He’s a favorite character of mine and I hope to see more of him. Mikoto’s love story is one of those things I want to review on a second reading, but I’m pleased with the outcome. Positive developments all around for the people of Stately House. This plot has my approval.

Book 4 jumps the timeline by 6 years from where Book 3 left off, which puts it roughly 12 years from the beginning of Book 1. The Five, which was the The Seven, is now The Fifteen. I understand the impulse towards inclusivity, but I hope there’s at least one comment in an upcoming book about the difficulties of ruling by committee. Especially if the number keeps growing.

Narration continues to impress. Cinder has a bit of an accent that I don’t recall from previous books, but that’s surprising considering the sheer number of characters needing to be voiced.

Too many characters

There isn't enough of a tangible plot. I feel lost while listening most of the time. I feel there are too many characters and it's hard to grasp what is going on.