Freedom's Apprentice: Book Two of the Dead Rivers Trilogy

After reading "Turning the Storm" I was disappointed in most of the reviewer's opinions. In short, I didn't like it at all. So, I was very skeptical about picking this sequel up. However, "Freedom's Gate" had me hooked and I pledged to give this one a try. I am so glad I did! Where "Turning the Storm" was frenetic and unfocussed, I found "Freedom's Apprentice" to be a well-considered, carefully produced story. Unlike Kritzer's previous sequel, this one had a direct goal in mind, the freeing of the five slaves Lauria had previously tracked down, and it also allowed for a lot of variation in scene and character development without seeming lost and confused. As a writer matures in experience, I am convinced her work becomes fuller and more matured, as well. This is definitely the case here. I can't wait to read #3!

This is the second book of THE DEAD RIVERS trilogy. Although is could be read on its own as Ms. Klausner's remarked, a reader would miss a lot of the small details that truly support the story without reading the first novel. The series is set in a fictional reality in what would be our Middle East complete with all of the trappings of the decadent life of the rich supporting themselves on the backs of slaves and what amounts to as indentured servitude. Incase you missed them, please read Naomi Kritzer' s Fires of the Faithful (2002) and Turning the Storm (2003).

I'm glad I didn't know this was an alternative history novel, I probably would have never picked it up. But she Kritzer changed the history so much, it doesn't even feel like Greek history (which is a good thing). This has pretty much the same pacing as the first, "Freedom's Gate." Lauria is a great character, with good character development (which is really the basis of the story). Tamar is like her anchor, but enough personality to hold her own (which is good, because the next book will change to have both of their viewpoints. This book, as well as the previous, deals with the issue of slavery on two levels: people and the djinni. Tamar wants to free slaves to help the world, and Lauria just wants to free those she has wronged. She also has the power to free the djinni, but as of right now will only really do it for selfish reasons (I feel even more development coming on). The one main problem I had with this book is that Kritzer often reexplains things. I felt like saying out loud, "I get it." Maybe she underestimated her audience. Other than that, this book was very enjoyable. It didn't lose pace like many middle books, and the story moves along quickly.

The middle book in any trilogy is always problematical. The author has to make the situation worse-and-worse for the protagonist, yet move the story forward. Yet, very little can be resolved, because there's a Book 3 to follow. Kritzer does a great job. In the first book of this trilogy (don't even think of skipping it; you'd be lost), Lauria re-thought her role in the world. Instead of doing whatever Kyros wanted (in particular, catching slaves and returning them to their owners), she joined a peculiar rebellion, and earned a sense of purpose. (I won't say more, in case you didn't finish Freedom's Gate yet.) In Freedom's Apprentice, Lauria aims to free all the slaves she'd previously recaptured, as atonement for her previous actions. As she travels around her world -- joined by her blood-sister Tamar -- she learns more about the nature of magic, what it takes to control it, and sets an even larger goal. Oh dear, that sounds like the vague "back of the book" text, but I'm trying to avoid spoilers. The bottom line is that this second book is at least as good as the first; the author makes her world and her people believeable; and this tale is a fine place in which to lose yourself for a few hours. Recommended.

After Alexander dies, the Empire went into a decline until Penelope the first weaver learned how to control the djinn. Using their magic, they reconquered the countries that broke away from the empire, most learned to live with the Greeks as their rulers. Lauria, a free woman in service to Kyros the commander of the military garrison in Elpisia, as part of her job brings back runaway slaves who find refuge with the Alashi, a nomadic warrior group who remain free of Greek rule. After infiltrating the Alashi, Lauria sees how wrong she was to return runaway slaves and vows to free them from their masters. A runaway slave recognizes Lauria and exposes her deception. The Alashi exile her leaving her with no home but even more determined to free the slaves she captured. With her friend Tamar who accompanies her on her quest, the two women free the slaves who are scattered all over the empire. Both women know if they are caught, the penalty for their crimes is a tortuous death. This is the second book of THE DEAD RIVERS trilogy but it can stand alone because the storyline doesn't rely on the first book FREEDOM'S GATE. The use of djinn in the political and military arena is taken for granted and people see magic in their everyday life as something normal and natural. There is plenty of action in FREEDOM'S APPRENTICE as the heroine undoes the harm she caused to the runaway slaves. Some of the method she uses to find and free the slave are ingenious and will win her the admiration of the audience. Naomi Kritzer's world where the Greek Empire never fell and is the ruler of most of the known world is exciting and believable Harriet Klausner