The Matriarch: Dianis, A World In Turmoil will reach fans of space opera sci-fi (especially those who enjoyed the first book in the series, The Foundary) with a focus on the evolution of a primitive world rich in rare resources the galaxy needs.
When the world is stripped of all but one of its investigative/protective teams, competing forces vie for control and more when the team vanishes. The Dianis sect, the Paleowrights, search for the forbidden technologies brought to their world, and a battle emerges on a local and cosmic level over free will and self-determination.
When Princess Marisa discovers that her lover Achelous is not the man she thought, and that he's involved in a plot that threatens her world, tension erupts on a personal as well as a political level.
It should be mentioned that there's quit a bit of back story in The Matriarch. This isn't a casual account of individual struggle, but a world-spanning romp that builds not just a planetary group, but a galaxy.
Maps, a cast of characters, and discussions of relationships and the special purposes of the Matrincy and the Auro Na (among many other forces and groups) require an attention to detail and complexity along the lines of Dune.
Such a reader will more than welcome the complex social and political structures that continue to evolve in the second story in the series. Armed with the backdrop of the first adventure in The Foundry, prior fans will relish how these well-developed worlds continue to expand.
As turmoil swirls around extraterrestrial incursions and special interests on Dianis, readers will find this complex world grounded in not just adversity between a number of groups both native to and outside the planet, but a romance challenged by special interests.
Frank Dravis employs a vivid hand to his descriptions of these worlds and encounters between very different creatures: "The expedition rode south much of the morning, catching glimpses of straggler troglodyte bands making their way back to the Great Latitude swamp from which the Paleowright clergy had enticed their chieftains with pouches of sage-rose. Addicted and high on the opiate, the troglodyte leaders were easily manipulated into joining the Paleowrights in a Kurchka against their old neighbors, and now enemies: the Timberkeeps of Clan Mearsbirch."
What is demanded of the reader in a character-packed series of confrontations and political realignments is rewarded amply by atmospheric action and satisfying twists and turns to keep readers not just guessing about motivations and outcomes, but involved in Dianis' evolving sixth sense phenomenon.
From genetic evolution unique to Dianis to the real value the planet represents to the universe, readers are treated to a gripping story that holds many intriguing subplots and struggles.
Fans of space opera who look for epic world-building stories akin to Dune will find The Matriarch: Dianis, A World In Turmoil fits the bill for a rollicking good read.
Intergalactic intrigue, forbidden romance, a missing agent from an advanced peace-keeping organization, and a primitive planet’s ultimate fate collide in The Matriarch, the second book of the impressive Dianis, A World in Turmoil series by author Frank Dravis.
A violent and self-serving mining company is threatening to take control of the precious aquamarine resources on Dianis, while Chief Achelous of the IDB has disappeared and is being hunted, but his son and wife may hold the secret to the planet’s powerful religious sect and the contentious world’s entire future. Heavy with military procedure, sci-fi drama, and remarkably detailed world-building, along with unexpectedly relatable characters and conflicts, this novel hits all the right notes.
Reading the series’ first book is essential, as it provides a foundation for this expansive world, along with the multiple vying factions, the characters’ myriad motivations, and the tumultuous history of Dianis itself. That being said, the engaging and descriptive writing is immediately immersive, without being overly dense. The large cast of characters is managed well, and the flow of the plot is intuitive and clear. There are few wasted words, yet Dravis still takes time for the occasional bit of levity, giving the story an insistent tone of authenticity, despite its narrative wildness.
For readers seeking a meticulously crafted and unique sci-fi universe overflowing with creativity, suspense, and sharp prose, The Matriarch and the Dianis series, as a whole, is highly recommended.
