Review: Onyx and Ivory (Rime Chronicles #1) by Mindee Arnett
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Series: Rime Chronicles #1
Author: Mindee Arnett
Published May 15th 2018 by Balzer + Bray
Goodreads Synopsis
They call her Traitor Kate. It’s a title Kate Brighton inherited from her father after he tried to assassinate the high king years ago. Now Kate lives as an outcast, clinging to the fringes of society as a member of the Relay, the imperial courier service. Only those most skilled in riding and bow hunting ride for the Relay; and only the fastest survive, for when dark falls, the nightdrakes—deadly flightless dragons—come out to hunt. Fortunately, Kate has a secret edge: she is a wilder, born with magic that allows her to influence the minds of animals. But it’s this magic that she needs to keep hidden, as being a wilder is forbidden, punishable by death or exile. And it’s this magic that leads her to a caravan massacred by nightdrakes in broad daylight—the only survivor her childhood friend, her first love, the boy she swore to forget, the boy who broke her heart.
The high king’s second son, Corwin Tormane, never asked to lead. Even as he waits for the uror—the once-in-a-generation ritual to decide which of the king’s children will succeed him—he knows it’s always been his brother who will assume the throne. And that’s fine by him. He’d rather spend his days away from the palace, away from the sight of his father, broken with sickness from the attempt on his life. But the peacekeeping tour Corwin is on has given him too much time to reflect upon the night he saved his father’s life—the night he condemned the would-be killer to death and lost the girl he loved. Which is why he takes it on himself to investigate rumors of unrest in one of the remote city-states, only for his caravan to be attacked—and for him to be saved by Kate.
With their paths once more entangled, Kate and Corwin have to put the past behind them. The threat of drakes who attack in the daylight is only the beginning of a darker menace stirring in the kingdom—one whose origins have dire implications for Kate’s father’s attack upon the king and will thrust them into the middle of a brewing civil war in the kingdom of Rime.
Goodreads
Review
I'd been desperate to get my hands on Onyx and Ivory from the first moment I heard about it, and was lucky enough to be able to trade for a copy. In this book, Kate, also known as Traitor Kate, has had to be strong, and cope with the stigma that was her father attempting to assassinate the king. Running from the capital, she has found herself on the outskirts of the kingdom, working as a Relay, transporting messages and parcels from town to town. Usually being a courier would not be too dangerous, but only the strongest and fastest Relays can survive, when facing the nightdrakes, dragons who will attack just about any living thing, appear at night. And if that wasn't bad enough, there are now daydrakes appearing, which, if you hadn't guessed, also come out at day, when everyone thought it would be safe. Kate has one thing going for her though, as she has magical powers, as a wilder, which can help her control animals. The only issue with that, though, is that wilders are illegal, and being caught as one is a surefire way to be killed. On one of her journeys, she discovers a caravan has been massacred by daydrakes, and the only survivor happens to be the second son of the king, Corwin, and the boy who Kate had once loved. Corwin blames Kate for her father's actions, and can't find it in himself to forgive her, but they need to work together in order to save the kingdom from the drakes, and whoever it is controlling them.
I thought the premise of this story was fantastic. Kate has the pressure of proving herself to be different from her father, trying to survive a gruelling and dangerous job, and hiding her powers from everyone and anyone. Corwin, too, has pressure on him, as he's been away from the kingdom for sometime, and he would prefer to be on his own, and not have to face the upcoming uror. Rime is a bit of a strange kingdom, as instead of the eldest son being the heir, the children of the king must go through trials, known as the uror, which will decide who is the right person for the job, so to speak. Once you get to the chapters about the trials, you realise just how perfect the cover was for the story, but I won't go into that for spoilers. Anyway, Corwin and Kate both have baggage, it's safe to say, and as they're the only ones who've survived attacks from the daydrakes, they're in high demand for their stories, and their tips on what to do when attacked. By working together, they start to realise that something is seriously wrong in Rime, and Kate's father attacking the king might not be so clear cut as it was once thought. And, also, they get other their differences, and slowly fall for one another again.
The world building and background lore that Arnett wove into the story was epic, and done in such a way that it was natural to learn about the history of Rime. We learn slowly how the drakes came about, and why the laws were changed about the wilders, and if it was for the better. We understand the underground organisation trying to protect wilders and remove those in power who are corrupt, and are destroying the kingdom for their own gain. There are a whole array of side characters, including Corwin's older brother who is challenging him for the crown, and each of them has their own story to tell, and add to the plot, rather than hinder it.
When I ended Onyx and Ivory, I immediately wanted the sequel, and it's safe to say that as soon as I can, I will be preordering a copy, and hoping I may be lucky enough to get a review copy, because I simply adored this whole book, and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys fantasy, and probably even those who don't.
Dates Read:
May 13-20, 2018Rating
5 Stars
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