Continuum (Riven Worlds #1)

For this Jennsen Junkie, Continuum was well worth the wait. Ms. Jennsen seamlessly brings together my friends from the first nine novels (Aurora Rhapsody) and my friends from the next three novels (Asterion Noir) and from the short stories. That may sound daunting for people just now discovering Amaranthe. But don’t let that deter you! You can start right now with Continuum, and Ms. Jennsen will give you all of the catch-up info you need to fall in love right from here.

And why should you give this a try? The “Consistently” in my headline refers to Ms. Jennsen’s superbly crafted writing skills. She is a wordsmith of the highest order. And the “Surprising” in my headline? Each novel has enough twists and turns and surprises to satisfy the most stringent devotee of thrillers, mysteries, and science fiction!

GS Jennsen became my favorite author long ago with her first book in this Series of the adventures in the Amaranthe. Each new addition only made me a bigger fan chafing at the bit for the next installment. This book is #14 in the series and it continues to impress and delight. The characters are compelling as is the story line as it twists and turns through intergalactic war with overwhelming enemies. The ‘science’ of the far future is woven believably into the stories and I found it all compelling and entertaining. Nothing like a great series to keep coming back to as I’ve read and reread these adventures four times. Thanks for a great addition to quality science fiction, Ms .Jennsen. Keep them coming!

Once again, GS Jennsen has proven that she is a masterful storyteller capable of weaving together an incredibly complex story on an epic scale. Continuum brings all of her previous books together as the characters weve grown to know and love over the last *counts on fingers* 12(?) books face a new and even more formidable threat.

Not everyone is on the same page when it comes to taking on this new threat, however. Because what fun would that be? There are a few key players with their own self-serving agendas here, and that really throws a wrench into things towards the end of the book. I appreciated Jennsens exploration of the complexities involved in bringing so many unique societies together. Its not a piece of cake, nor should it be. It was also fun to see where the characters from the Aurora Rhapsody series ended up 14 years later. Marley is all grown up and was an especially interesting character. While this particular book did oftentimes feel like just a setup for events to come, it was a welcome one and much needed given how many moving parts and characters there are here.

And I guess that was my one complaint about the story, and something thats entirely a matter of personal preference. Im generally not a huge epic series kind of reader. Honestly, the fact that Im still reading this series 13 books in is a testament to how much I love the story and characters. But its also starting to really feel too big for me. Theres too much going on, too many people to keep track of, and Im frankly a little exhausted. There were several times in Continuum where I thought certain characters stories were far more interesting than others, and we would cut away from them to move onto someone I didnt care about as much and then wouldnt get back to those characters I was more attached to for a long time. What can I say? Im impatient and I like a little more immediate gratification, I guess. So this wasnt my favorite book in the series, and I am a little worried that this is going to be something I continue to struggle with in books to come.

That being said, its still a great story and worth a read if youve been fans of Jennsens previous books. There are plenty of huge, universe-altering stakes here as well as smaller individual conflicts that feel more personal and got me more invested in certain characters. Im curious to see how it all plays out and what lengths the characters will have to go to in order to resolve those conflicts. Its sure to be an interesting ride.

I was excited to have this to read the moment it was downloadable, on a long transatlantic flight. I happened to feel terrible physically during the flight (not Covid or anything communicable). At first, I did not trust my own opinion based on how crummy I felt, but I’m now convinced that this volume did not live up to my expectations. There’s an awful lot happening in this story, but that is usually balanced by thoughtful, relational dialog between characters. Here it felt like stuff happened, but the human element was not explored much at all. The thirteen previous books leading to Continuum handle this balance quite differently. I’ve read all the other titles multiple times and did enjoy the next book in the series.

OMG this book!

I absolutely loved everything about it. Not only did Jennsen maintain pace, tension, plot, and forward movement, but she’s brought all my favorite characters backand then significantly complicated their lives, the way a good author does.

Despite being fourteen books into this world, I felt the bad guys were sufficiently big, bad, ugly, and looming. Not only was there a worthy fight at the end, but the tension leading to it, drawn amongst many characters, was brilliantly realized. I’m not a woman of many words with reviews, but this one gave me all the feels.

Soo gooood to see all these people again!

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