[Book review] The Spirit Rebellion by Rachel Aaron

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I’m a huge fan of good, meaty character development.  I do enjoy books where the characters are pretty set and their reactions to situations are what drive the story, but sometimes the evolution of a great character trumps just about everything.  With the second Eli Monpress book, The Spirit Rebellion, Rachel Aaron demonstrates her skill at advancing her characters in a realistic and exciting manner.

Miranda Lyonette failed to catch Eli Monpress, but she did save an entire kingdom by offering her own body as the vessel for an ocean spirit.  However, she returns to a Spirit Court rife with politics.  A trumped up charge brands Miranda an outcast, and she runs, hoping to somehow clear her name… and maybe catch that pesky thief Eli in the process.

Meanwhile, Eli and his friends Josef and Nico have arrived in Gaol, following the rumors of an impregnable fortress and a fabulous treasure.  Unfortunately, the country’s spirits will not talk to Eli at all.  And even worse, the Duke of Gaol has made it his hobby to track Eli and try to run him to the ground.  Has Eli walked into a trap?

Aaron has done a great job with character development in this novel.  In the first novel, Eli is painted as a thief who can talk to the spirits around him with incredible effect.  By depriving him of that ability, the author forces Eli to explore other options of action and to rely on other people for help. 

In fact, most of this story’s character development can be described in terms of what the characters have taken away from them.  Josef, swordsman and guard, often deliberately deprives himself of the powers of the great sword The Heart of War.  Nico must turn her back on her humanity to a degree.  Miranda no longer has the backing of the Spirit Court to lend clout to her presence.  Each must overcome their losses and figure out how to move on.

Creating a world where literally everything has a spirit might seem like an odd choice, but Aaron limited this by establishing that most things aren’t “awakened”; that is, they act no different than ordinary objects.  Where previously only certain things interacted with the characters, usually after Eli speaks with them, in this novel an entire duchy is awake and aware.  It’s not something that would work on a long-term basis, but for a single novel, taking the concept to the extreme works well.

Readers also get to see more of the enigmatic beings that populate this world, such as Eli’s patron the White Lady and the newly introduced League of Storms.  Miranda’s ghosthound Gin plays a prominent part in the story, and there’s an extended sequence with a reclusive Shaper wizard, the bear-headed Slorn.  It all adds to the mystery of this land and what forces might be at work within it.

By the end of the tale, quite a bit has changed for the main characters, and readers will eagerly look for the next novel to answer their questions.  The Spirit Rebellion is a rollicking story of thievery, adventure and sheer moxie.  Join in with the adventures of Eli Monpress and prepare to be entertained.