Stories of the Raksura, Volume 1
The Falling World & The Tale of Indigo and Cloud
Ratings12
Average rating3.5
Nominated for the 2018 Hugo Award for Best Series Martha Wells returns to the Raksura with a pair of brand-new novellas! In “The Falling World,” Jade, sister queen of the Indigo Cloud Court, has traveled with Chime and Balm to another Raksuran court. When she fails to return, her consort, Moon, along with Stone and a party of warriors and hunters, must track them down. Finding them turns out to be the easy part; freeing them from an ancient trap hidden in the depths of the Reaches is much more difficult. “The Tale of Indigo and Cloud” explores the history of the Indigo Cloud Court, long before Moon was born. In the distant past, Indigo stole Cloud from Emerald Twilight. But in doing so, the reigning Queen Cerise and Indigo are now poised for a conflict that could spark war throughout all the courts of the Reaches. Stories of Moon and the shape changers of Raksura have delighted readers for years. This world is a dangerous place full of strange mysteries, where the future can never be taken for granted and must always be fought for with wits and ingenuity, and often tooth and claw. With two brand-new novellas, Martha Wells shows that the world of the Raksura has many more stories to tell . . . Skyhorse Publishing, under our Night Shade and Talos imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of titles for readers interested in science fiction (space opera, time travel, hard SF, alien invasion, near-future dystopia), fantasy (grimdark, sword and sorcery, contemporary urban fantasy, steampunk, alternative history), and horror (zombies, vampires, and the occult and supernatural), and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller, a national bestseller, or a Hugo or Nebula award-winner, we are committed to publishing quality books from a diverse group of authors.
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Series
Series
2 primary booksStories of the Raksura
Stories of the Raksura is a 2-book series with 2 primary works first released in 2011 with contributions by Martha Wells.
Series
4 primary books8 released booksThe Books of the Raksura
The Books of the Raksura is a 8-book series with 4 primary works first released in 2011 with contributions by Martha Wells.
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Full Review: http://www.fantasybookcafe.com/2015/06/review-of-stories-of-the-raksura-volume-one-by-martha-wells/
The Falling World takes place after book three. In it, Jade, Chime, Balm and a few other warriors have went visiting another court for trading. However, that court says they never showed up.
While I liked it, it might be safe to say this has been my least favorite Wells fantasy story to date. For me, the big thing is that so much time is spent with Moon and Stone and a very small group of Raksura. Traveling/investigating. That is, without a doubt my least favorite aspect of any Raksura story. (Mostly because Moon and Stone's relationship doesn't interest me in the slightest.) The good news is that we get to see River continuing to grow and develop and Bramble is there, too. (And Merit has a special place in my heart.)
**The Tale of Indigo and Cloud is, as it sounds, the story of queen Indigo and consort Cloud of Umber Shadow, before it was renamed Indigo Cloud.While this story is chronologically the first in the universe, I do not recommend reading it first as it spoils one large plot point that crops up late in the series. (Book three, if I remember rightly.) Beyond that, I really, really like this story and both Indigo and Cloud are atypical for a queen and consort.The Forest Boy is the story of a young Moon, probably not too long after his ‘mother' and clutch mates were killed, and what was probably one of the first human settlements he stayed at.I liked the story, though it's not going to be a favorite. The big reason for that is that the point of view character is a character introduced for this story and we never see hide nor hair of him - or his village - ever again. It works well for the story, it's suitable and it's interesting seeing a young Moon, but it simply won't be a favorite.Adaptation is the story of Chime going from Arbora mentor to Aeriat warrior.Chime's my favorite character in the series, and has been since very early on in the first book, so I loved getting a short story from his perspective - especially as it was about something I've been curious about. Also, it was interesting to see the colony very shortly before the start of The Cloud Roads.**
While, to be fair, this book should get a 4.5 rating, because two stories were five stars and two were four, I rounded up. Mostly for the total awesomeness that is The Tale of Indigo and Cloud. And the last story in the book, Adaptation, that is all about Chime, my favorite character in the series.
