Mark
of the Raven (The Ravenwood Saga Book 1)
by Morgan L. Busse
Lady
Selene, oldest daughter of House Ravenwood, lives in a world where the seven
major houses are blessed with magical gifts bestowed by the gods. Originally
intended to be used together for the overall benefit of the people, the houses
have isolated their gifts, instead, and shrouded them in magically-bound
mystery. When Selene’s family power of dreamwalkng awakens within her, she
discovers dark truths about her parents that force her to reconsider who she
thought she was and who she wants to be. Her decision may save her world, but
it could also tear her away from the family she loves.
There
is so much about this story that I enjoyed. The setting was vividly drawn, the
magic system was uniquely developed, and the characters were relatable and
complex. What I appreciated the most, however, was the dark feel Busse gave the
story without depriving the characters of goodness or hope. I thoroughly enjoyed Selene, and I can’t wait to read the next installment in this series.
I want to tell you more about this story, but it's so tightly woven that I can't elaborate more without giving spoilers. So you'll have to trust me on this one: you NEED to read this book. The sooner the better,
Hallo, Hallo,....
ReplyDeleteHappily finding readers who want to discuss the Ravenwood Saga! I read this series through the blog tour for PRISM but it has been such a lovely journey to seek out what readers are saying, I've been continuing my travels this weekend!
I concur with you about how wicked brilliant Busse pulled off the darker elements of the story-line and the central arc running through the series! I at first didn't even realise this was a Dark Fantasy, as I was seeing it as a High Fantasy with Historical elements therein. Then, of course as you said - there is a considerable amount of layers which make this a dark story but without the sacriface of the characters' own paths towards grace, mercy and redemption which I believe is what helped me stay rooted in her concept for it.
If you visit with me you'll see more thoughts I've shared about what I loved most about reading the series and perhaps we took away something in common. Would love to hear your thoughts and am thankful we both found this an unputdownable read!!