Review: A brilliant collection
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 10 5, 2013
~*~ Riverbend ~*~Ok, so I definitely did not leave my chair once while reading this novel. It was brilliant. I fully admit that I spent the 1st chapter wondering "what the hell happened in the past" but the rest of the book kept me captivated within its pages. Goodson has a way with words and manages to work mystery and intrigue into her work without it becoming apparent.The descriptions and settings in this novel are great. They are real places that you feel like you could visit, or have visited. She uses her descriptions in a way that you can picture the setting for the novel very clearly. At the same time, she never gets longwinded or boring.I think what really got me with this novel was the fact that the historical, anthropological, and archaeological facts present in the book are based in reality. Goodson took the time to research this before writing. It is not simply made up information that she tries to pass off as fact. She weaves an amazing tale around these facts, but what they are is still fact (with a twist or two, of course).The characters are also heartwarming. You have a main character that is afraid to love because she lost her father coupled with her high school sweetheart who will still do anything for her. You can't beat that, especially when Goodson takes the time to develop her characters into real people. I was, of course, left with the question "what is Richard's deal?" Is he up to something or is he simply a skeazebag?~*~Rapid Water~*~Holy intrigue with the scumbag - and now I think I know who the scum bag is. And no, I'm not telling.I love how the archaeological and anthropological aspect of the first story continues on to this installment. You learn more and more about the histories of these Native American peoples while on a grand adventure. This is augmented by the way that it is placed within Goodson's very well written story. She has a way of bringing the world to life with her words that doesn't compare to anything.The characters come to life with a vengeance in this novel. I thought that I was getting to know them before, but now I feel like I grew up with the main characters. Goodson keeps feeding you details about the characters, building on past experiences that allow you to get to know them better and better. All the while, she continues progressing with the storyline. You also get to know some of the minor characters much better in this novel. This adds an extra element of depth to the story, drawing you further into the world that these individuals inhabit.Goodson grabbed me with the first installment in this series and has kept me going with this one. I can't stop thinking about the characters and their plight. Although my heart broke at the end of this novel, I still hold a great deal of hope for the characters and their future.~*~Waking Tide~*~This is another phenomenal story from Andrea Goodson. Yet again she captivated me from the first page and kept me going throughout. I couldn't put this novel down for a second. It was a brilliant novel and a phenomenal conclusion to the Riverbend trilogy.I love how Goodson uses history to base her novel on. Although in essence this story is about love and loss, it is also about the history of an interaction between the Western world and a Native American nation. This novel is, in essence, a work of fiction, however there is real history behind it. Goodson stays true to that history as well as the practices of said nation.I really appreciate how smoothly and clearly Goodson switches perspective from character to character. It really adds depth and mystery to the story, knowing what different characters are thinking and how they are feeling. Goodson also changes the tone and colour of her writing with certain characters to increase the feeling of suspense and possible doom that some of the characters are facing. Goodson's descriptions continue to amaze me, putting everything into perspective while letting you see what the characters are seeing and experience what they are experiencing. Goodson also plays on the reader's emotions, pulling them further into the conflicts of the story, both those experienced by characters individually or as a group. More than once she brought tears to my eyes, but also had times where she made me laugh out loud.I love how Goodson's characters continue to grow as individuals. They keep finding out new things about each other and about themselves. She really takes the time to let you get to know the characters without ever dwelling on them. I am sad to see these characters go, but I am very glad to see that our star-crossed lovers now seem to be on the same path, even though that means I can't keep Will for myself any longer.And the rest, they say, is history.~*~Overall~*~This was a phenomenal series that I couldn't put down, even for a second. Goodson's understated writing style allows you to flow through this story while empathizing and connecting with characters that you've come to know and love. At the end you still want more, even if everything came to a brilliant conclusion. I wouldn't hesitate for a second to recommend this one to anyone at all.Please note that I received this novel free of charge from the author in exchange for an honest review.