To Hewven and Back:  Review
929257
I enjoyed reading this book as I had had an experience myself and some of the things that she described in her book,
I could relate to as being the same as mine.
This book is well written and I feel that it enlightened my experience more.
2706115
At the beginning of this year, I read a different translation and reviewed it. It was Beowulf: A Prose Translation, Second Edition (Norton Critical Editions) by Donaldson.

Some opinions about work done on Beowulf that I've read by Beowulf experts is that if you translate it in a prose form, so as to give a more exact meaning to the original, you really are defaulting to a sort of cop-out. It makes it appear that you really do not want to put the hard work in to make a great poetic translation. I'm not sure I agree with that assessment necessarily, but I understand the point.

Having read lines of Beowulf from Heaney's translation, and comparing it to Donaldson's translation, I can say that Heaney's (and probably other translators) brings so much more feeling to the poem. This may not mean much, but after only reading the opening lines about Shield Sheafson (spelled differently from Donaldson's), up to the point where it says "that was one good king," Heaney's version brings tears to my eyes, it is so moving.

There was not a single point in Donaldson's translation where I felt that moved. That may not mean anything for most, because reading is a very subjective experience, but for me, I will not likely read Donaldson's translation again for enjoyment, but will keep it around as a reference for comparison.

After reading the Heaney translation in full, I must say my initial impressions are borne out. Heaney's translation is so much more enjoyable and is a fulfilling read as a work of art on its own, so one can imagine the wonder when it is a translation of an epic poem such as Beowulf.
2322569
This was a journey into my fond Krynn memories...

It was fun to travel again with The Companions. The book itself is good, though not as good as the original two trilogies (you should know the "Legends" trilogy is still one of my favorite books ever). The story seems plausible, though to be honest I don't remember the exact details of the sojourn to Pax Tharkas.

Should you read this book?  Well, it depends on two things: Do you like the Dragonlance setting?  If so, you should DEFINITELY read the two original trilogies first.  The other one:  Have you read the original two trilogies RECENTLY?  If so, pick this one up!  It'll be fun.  Otherwise, you should only check this out if you like "light" fantasy.

Finally, I think the more I read the Dragonlance books the more I change my opinion of some of the Companions; I like Flint MORE in this book, and I like (amazingly) Raistlin and Caramon much less.  And I've only read the Weiss/Hickman novels so its NOT about the authors.

Fun book.  Lets see how the other two fare... later this year.
1485661
Back to greatness with the latest installment!

I, along with many readers, was almost done with the series after Mirror Sight. Had this book continued in a similar fashion, I would have put it down and been done with it within the first hundred pages. If this book hasn't redeemed the series, I would have refused to purchase another one.

But. This book definitely re-vamped the storyline in many ways. This is not to say it was a perfect book, but it was definitely on par with the first few books.
Non-spoilers: Karigan is returned to her own time, but still reeling with the loss of important people in the future and of the memories she has lost, as well. The kingdom will send her on a mission to find the p'ehdrose of old and seek a reuniting of allies. She is joined by Enver, the Eletian, and Estral, who is searching for the Golden Guardian. Meanwhile, an ice elemental sent by a familiar enemy abducts King Zachary and the queen, along with the king's counselors, must attempt to further ties with Rhovanny and continue the business of the realm. Of course, a message errand can never quite go well with Karigan, and she once again is involved in matters concerning the fate of the realm.

Spoilers ahead.

Pros:
Karigan does go through a grieving process, buy at least she doesn't spend the whole book moping around. She is guded by her mission, and I was thankful with how the author handled the Case business without making it seem drawn-out and annoying
Enver: we learn a lot about the nature of Eletians through Enver and others. I'm interested to see where he will fit in later in the series.
Zachary: this was the first book to actually develop him as a character, which was one of my favorite parts of the book.
Laren: She doesn't seem as wishy-washy as she has been the last few books. I don't know, I really liked how she seemed in this book.
Other riders: Unlike some reviewers, I thought Anna's story was interesting, and look forward to seeing what the messenger service will be like with a non-magical Rider...or to see if and how any magical talents emerge
Grandmother: This book followed Grandmother's part in the story in a more realistic way, with Grandmother actively working towards something that could soon be detrimental to Sacoridia.
Overall, though the story didn't take place over a huge amount of time, a number of important events happened. It didn't seem like a "filler" book like some of the others have.
I didn't think Karigan's torture was a bad story element, like others have. I thought it was interesting for her to lose her confidence and have to regain it.

Cons:
My biggest complaint is that we didn't see near enough of characters like Alton and Fastion, and we saw nothing if Amberhill himself, or Mornhaven.
The wall: nothing happened with the Wall, either positive or negative. I figured more would be happening, especially after Mirror Sight.

And, as always, it will be another 3 or so years before we learn what happens next. Overall, it was a great read!
269501
_She:  A History of Adventure_ by Victorian novelist H. Rider Haggard is a tale of adventure and suspense set in the dark continent of Africa which reveals the archetypal nature of the female.  H. Rider Haggard was obviously influenced by spiritualism in his younger days, and his belief in reincarnation is revealed in this novel.  The novel shows an obsession with death as well as with the feminine principle revealed in the queen, Ayesha (referred to as "She-who-must-be-obeyed" or simply "She" or "Hiya" by the natives).  The novel has been called imperialist because it shows the travels of several British adventurers in the dark continent of Africa.

This novel begins when L. Horace Holly receives a visitor in his home in Cambridge.  Mr. Holly is told that his visitor Mr. Vincey is to die and that he must take care of his son Leo Vincey and protect the family secrets.  Mr. Vincey provides Mr. Holly with a manuscript and a chest containing a sherd with words written on it from the long dead Amenartas.  Once Leo has reached twenty-five years of age, the box is opened and it reveals the sherd.  This contains writing that leads Mr. Holly, Leo, and his caretaker Job to travel to the dark continent.

While sailing towards Africa the group encounters a squall which wrecks their ship and they are forced to sail onwards on a smaller boat with only one Arab, Mahomed, to guide them.  Once they have landed they encounter a rock in the shape of a human head.  There they meet the Amahaggar, the dark cannibalistic tribe, who live in the city of Kor.  The Amahaggar inform the group that She-who-must-be-obeyed awaits them.  They also meet Billali, who becomes a second "father" to Mr. Holly, and Ustane, the African girl who falls in love with Leo.

This begins their adventure as they travel to meet She-who-must-be-obeyed.  It turns out that She is a queen who has lived for thousands of years.  She sees in Leo the reincarnation of her lost lover Kallikrates.  She sees in Ustane the reincarnation of the Egyptian who she believes stole her love, Amenartas.  Along the way, they encounter many dark secrets and discover the many corpses which litter the caverns in which She resides.  As part of a special festival these mummies are set afire.  The story plays out the long forgotten tale of Ayesha and her lover along with Amenartas who is to capture her lover's heart.

H. Rider Haggard was obviously influenced by spiritualism and the dead play an important role in this novel.  His belief in reincarnation is seen in many places throughout.  This story was popular with many including Freud and Jung, who saw in it the archetype of the feminine, as well as Tolkien and C. S. Lewis who incorporated elements of it into their own stories.
1145866
Last year Lee Battersby's The Corpse-Rat King was one of the first books to come out of Angry Robot's first Open Door month and I was excited to see what could come out of such a process. While I did have some problems with the book - difficulties connecting to the main character and some pacing issues - I quite enjoyed the story and I was left wanting to discover how Battersby would finish Marius' story. In The Marching Dead I found a great return to this story. I liked that we return to a Marius who has what he wanted at the end of the last book and he's bored to death. He wasn't made for the peaceful, quiet country life. So the sudden reappearance of Drenthe, the soldier who dragged him to the underworld last time, while shocking, is as much a relief as an annoyance.

Unlike in the previous book, in The Marching Dead Marius is immediately sympathetic, there was no warming up period needed. Partly this was due to the fact we already know Marius and his quirks, but the fact that his quandary at the beginning of the book is quite relatable - who hasn't gotten what they thought they wanted, only to find out it wasn't as wonderful as they thought? - also helps in this respect. He's also quickly surrounded by people he grudgingly has to admit he cares about, such as Gerd and his Granny. In addition to the return of these two, there are several wonderful, new characters, among whom Drenthe, Billinor, Fellipan, Arnobew and yes, even Keth. I especially loved Billinor, the young, somewhat innocent King of Scorby. The way Marius helps him find his voice and lets him say a proper goodbye to his father was touching and I really enjoyed his role in the book. This broad array of characters lets Battersby show off his biggest strength: fun, cynical banter. His dialogues are always strong, but never as strong as when the banter turns a bit sardonic and dark.

The Marching Dead is more than just a quest to rescue the girl, and later rescue the world; however, it's also the story of one man accepting his calling. I loved the emotional journey Marius takes, returning to his childhood haunts and letting us glimpse what made him the person he became and his realisation of who he needs to become. We follow his slow shift of perspective - put into words in the latter part of the novel - moving from thinking as a living person to thinking as a dead person, the benefits of which truly come to light once they start planning for the final battle in the book. Marius has to release those bonds that tie him to life and it's not an easy process. Of course, the story isn't all doom and gloom; there is plenty to laugh about, some great action and some lovely world-building. As I noted in my review of The Corpse-Rat King, the bone cathedral gave me the creeps and in this book Battersby adds several more arresting landmarks to his world. The most impressive of which has to be the cliffs of Tylytene and its nunneries. I found this locale fascinating and this community of nuns seems to harbour plenty of stories should Battersby choose to revisit them.

The resolution of the novel is bittersweet, with everything wrapped up neatly, if not totally happily. The Marching Dead is a fabulous final to this duology and Marius' story is definitely something different, but very enjoyable. Battersby's first series can be chalked up as a success and I for one am curious to see where the author will go next.

This book was provided for review by the publisher.
3774247
I was hesitant about starting The Stormlight Archive, a projected 10 volume series, especially since the paperback edition of the opening volume, The Way Of Kings, contains over 1200 pages. On the face of it, The Stormlight Archive looks like an inordinately large time investment. However, I so thoroughly enjoyed Mistborn: The Final Empire, that I decided to take a chance on what many people predict will be Sanderson's Magnum Opus.

I have mixed feelings about this reading experience. Though I'm not giving up on Sanderson as an author, I'm not sure I will continue with this particular series.

The Way Of Kings is not simply an extremely long novel. It is a book much too lengthy for the story it tells. The pacing is thus very slow and much of the book is relatively uneventful. The story picks up toward the end, but even then I found the payoff somewhat scant for all the time invested. This book does not function as a stand-alone tale nearly as well as the first Mistborn book.

Instead of crisp story development, TWOK provides much character building and world building. I suppose one could argue that this is an appropriate strategy for a huge series, providing a strong foundation for what is to come. I suppose one could also make a case that Sanderson's characterization in TWOK is less awkward than it was in Mistborn, and that the commitment to world building here is quite impressive. Even so, I wonder if all this is an effective trade-off. Robin Hobb is incredibly good at characterization, which is why her slow paced Farseer Trilogy is so absorbing. Sanderson is no Hobb when it comes to writing characters. And even if his characterization has improved, Sanderson seems to pad the page count of TWOK by having certain figures ruminate over their situations for far longer than necessary. As for world building, Sanderson has given us a lot of information concerning Roshar, but I'm not sure yet how this strengthens the tale. Roshar at this point is not a place one could fall in love with, like Middle Earth, nor is it an awe-inspiring bleak place like Arrakis. In fact, despite having learned much about Roshar, I find it a bit difficult to envision it as a whole.

Sanderson is a very good plotter who seems at his best writing briskly paced tales. Mistborn: The Final Empire, for instance was fun, breezy and delightful. In TWOK, much of what makes Sanderson interesting is sacrificed in his attempt to write Big Fat Fantasy. One wouldn't know how well Sanderson is able to plot based solely on TWOK, where Sanderson is stingy when it comes to advancing the story. (Sure, the overall series plot may turn out to be great, but why should one have to wait so long and read so much just to find out?) And the slow pacing-stretched out hundreds of pages longer than necessary-is light years away from the rollercoaster ride of the first Mistborn book.

Despite these problems, TWOK is in many ways a recognizable Sanderson offering with much to offer. The magic systems in TWOK bear the characteristic Sanderson stamp. Fans of Kelsier from Mistborn will find a similar (and more fleshed out) protagonist in Kaladin. Kaladin's "Bridge 4" plot thread is strong. Dalinar and Shallan are also well written characters with their own interesting plot threads. Two of the three main plot threads come together effectively near the end of the book, and the stage is set for a massive confrontation in book 2. The story is PG family friendly-which I think is a breath of fresh air in the contemporary fantasy world-and full of nourishment for the reader.

However, I can't help but think that TWOK is diluted Sanderson.  When an author chooses to use more words to tell less story, all in an attempt to string a series out over 10 phonebook sized volumes, something is lost in the process. Though I enjoyed The Way Of Kings, I have a hard time imagining myself slogging my way through 9 more similar volumes.
3067516
I really like the writing style of Spurgeon here. It done in such a practical way, so anyone who has been born again young or old can both grasp it's text better equip themselves to become more than conquerors.
581063
<div id="video-block-R2P77SEYAK98RS" class="a-section a-spacing-small a-spacing-top-mini video-block"></div><input type="hidden" name="" value="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/C1O8-IAdduS.mp4" class="video-url"><input type="hidden" name="" value="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91tVb7zLCIS.png" class="video-slate-img-url">&nbsp;The Doomsong Sword is a book about Davor and his harrowing adventures. Davor is a dreamer, stuck at home with his two brothers. He's told to go buy his adopted father some medicine. He stops by the tavern first to warm up and listen to fables. When he is asked by an old sea captain to join his crew, he decides to leave his island without a second thought, not even bringing his sick father the medicine. A shipwreck leaves them all stranded, and Davor is sent to find help. After wandering for a bit, he finds a house where something magical happens. While there, he encounters a powerful figure with a staff and feels the need to follow him. After some time Davor becomes his apprentice, but there are some perils. Will Davor ever overcome his obstacles? Can Davor ever make it home?

Opinion:
J. G. Harlond wrote a great book filled with action and adventure, but it had a magical and mythological side as well. The author incorporated the theme of being an outsider and finding a place that feels like home. I was kind of on the fence about this book. The book was very slow-paced to start, but as the book progressed and Davor got deeper into the magical side, I started enjoying it more. I especially liked it when Davor stole the cursed ring from a troll. Davor was kind of down-to-earth, which I liked.

I also enjoyed the addition of Norse mythologies to this book.

This story was definitely unique, and I can't really compare this book to any others that I have read. I would recommend this book to ages 12 and up because there were some parts of the book that were hard to understand.

Reviewed by a LitPick student book reviewer Age 14
2377463
This was truly a great book! Very "Marillier-esk." I read the Severwaters Trilogy and was AMAZED. I thought they were absolutely amazing. Then, I read Wolfskin and I wasn't so impressed. It was good, but I found myself getting bored at some point, which surprised me of course. I still wanted to read Foxmask though, and I'm glad I did. Although there are a couple of weak points at the end the book as a whole was GREAT! This time, we follow the adventures of the son of Sommerled and the daughter of Eyvind into a plot that reveals so much of their characters. I loved it. Now, I must say that I am female, which may be the reason why I didn't like Wolfskin as much. All in all, I recommend it if you liked any of her other books! Enjoy!
2706577
Jesse Duckworths A Song of Betrayal is a fun fantasy read, and excellent introduction to the world of Harren.  There is excellent depth and breadth in a world that clearly has a history and characters that live and breathe on the page.

Duckworth tells the story of Weylin, and through him we start to understand the race called Balauri, and their rich, divided history.  Weylin has somehow fallen from grace and been banished from his homeland in disgrace.  But Weylin, a Balauri who had only been second to the queen, isn't content to simply live his life.  He has a plan, though one that is very thin, and he has started to collect allies like Falk, a fellow outcast.

A Song of Betrayal provides a well-developed world in which the action of the plot takes place.  Duckworth includes bits of historical text, and wonderful songs reminiscent of those found in Lord of the Rings to provide layers of depth.  The characters are caught up in both their own past and the history of their world, which is a delight to learn about.

Duckworth does an excellent job creating a believable world and living characters in a dangerous and thrilling world.  One of my favorite sequence of chapters included the ships crew that Weylin and Falk travel with as they journey to find other allies, where they fight the sea, storms, and great monsters.  The writing is crisp, clean and the plot moves along at a wonderful pace.

While the book is a bit on the short side (which left me wanting more), and Duckworth relies on some classic fantasy tropes, the entire effort is well-crafted and the story holds together beautifully.  A Song of Betrayal sets up the world of Harren, the flawed and believable characters that inhabit it, and a plot wrapped around the desires of those characters.  Duckworth is more than just a capable storyteller.  Hes very enthusiastic about his writing, and the reader will definitely feel that intensity coming off the page.
4409569
<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/West-Oversea-A-Norse-Saga-of-Mystery-Adventure-and-Faith/dp/0979673682/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">West Oversea: A Norse Saga of Mystery, Adventure and Faith</a>&nbsp;is a fictional account based on Norse legends.  It's not a genre I read a lot of, but I rather enjoyed this one.

Father Aillil is an Irish priest who settled in Norway.  West Oversea tells of his attempt to find his sister who has been sold into slavery, in Greenland, it seems.  Father Aillil convinces Erling Skjalgsson to embark upon a journey to Leif Eriksson's Greenland, searching for his sister.

In the process, Father Aillil is given a powerful talisman, a relic straight out of pagan Norse mythology, the Eye of Odin.  The Eye has given the priest the gift of Second Sight.  But the question is, can the Sight be trusted? It seems to be giving him bad information, drawing him astray, and towards death.

West Oversea details the journey of Father Aillil, Erling Skjalgsson, and a host of others as they journey toward Greenland, visiting Iceland, and the mainland of America in the process.

Spoiler Warning:  Father Aillil never finds his sister.  When he finally returns to Norway, he discovers that she appeared in his hometown shortly after he departed on his journey, and has since disappeared.  To be honest, I was a little disappointed in this ending.

Lars Walker does a great job of depicting the struggle to continue to follow God in a world full of distractions.  When these distractions are vying for your attention, you have to do whatever it takes to stay focused on Christ.  Father Aillil decides that, in order to destroy the Eye of Odin, it may just require that he cut off his own hand to do so.

While West Oversea does well at describing the intense conflict between serving God and being distracted by the world, I found it somewhat lacking in explanation of Norse mythology.  I felt like the story required that I have an understanding of the stories of the Vikings.  And as a result, I couldn't follow the story as closely as I would have liked.

All in all, I feel like West Oversea was an interesting book, and Walker definitely knows Norse history at the time Christianity's influence began to take hold.  And Walker does a good job of bringing out the struggle between light and darkness.

If Norse mythology and Viking stories interest you, then you need to check out West Oversea.

Disclosure of Material Connection:
I received this book free from Nordskog Publishing [...] in order to read and review on my blog. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.  am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising" <[...]>
110638
Vision of Silver is the third book in the Others series (preceded by Written in Red and Murder of Crows).  I eagerly awaited this book.  Written in Red was a five-star book and one of the best I read in 2013.  While Murder of Crows wasn't quite as good, it was still a 4.5 star read IMO.  In Vision of Silver, Meg and the gang are back, along with some new characters.  With the evil Controller now dead, the new threat is a group called Humans First and Last, and their focus is not Meg, but the Others generally.  As in the prior books, Meg uses her prophecy abilities to thwart the bad guys and protect her Other friends.

On the plus side, it was comfortable and enjoyable slipping back into the great characters from the prior two books.  Also, the writing is generally superior and the world building is novel and well done.  There were some down sides, though.  The biggest one for me was the overall plot about a mysterious bag of jewels and food shortages.  It felt flat and very uninspired to me, which was a disappointment given the great plotlines in the first two books.  The book seemed to suffer from the dreaded middle book syndrome.  Maybe the first two books set the bar so high, I expected too much.  Finally, a key element to the first two books is the evolving relationship between Simon Wolfguard and Meg.  Here, their relationship seemed to tread water the entire book, which also helped suck the wind out of the story for me.  Im assuming there will be a fourth book.  If so, I definitely will read it, and hopefully the next plot will regain the page-turning zing of the first two books.
53117
I bought this book at a conference, in which Thomas Locke (Davis Bunn) was the speaker. The world building in this book was amazing. I would go to bed at night wishing that I could listen to this as an audiobook, because I just wanted to live in that world.  To me, it is reminiscent of "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" and "Beowulf."  So, if you like those two, you will really enjoy this. It also follows the Hero's Journey, as Hyam has to save not only his region of the world, but discover who he really is in this bildungsroman, or coming of age story.

I highly recommend it, and can't wait for the second one to come out next year!
913220
The courageous Sister Hildegard of Swyne returns in a sequel to Clark's very successful Hangman Blind. 1383 is a time of great political turmoil. The reign of James II is threatened by an ambitious noble, certain of the king's counselors hopeful that the Cross of Constantine will safeguard the throne and win loyal supporters. To that end, Hildegard's prioress asks the nun to undertake a dangerous journey to retrieve the religious relic. Who better to travel unnoticed than a simple nun in a borrowed blue cloak with only her two hounds for protection? (And a knight supplied by an unknown benefactor.) But Hildegard isn't what she seems. Having chosen the religious order after the death of her husband in battle, Hildegard is wise to the ways of the world and the political machinations of powerful men.

From the Yorkshire moors to Renaissance Italy, Hildegard sets out on her mission, the country suffering from the Hundred Years War, flood and famine, the Black Death cutting a swath through France, Flanders and Tuscany, one pope in Avignon, the other in Rome, seditious plotters seeking to take advantage of chaos and seize the throne while the king is distracted by his troubles. Seeking permission for her journey from Abbot Hubert de Courcy of Meaux, Hildegard is troubled by his reluctance, yet anxious to be on her way. Traveling with tradesmen and mercenaries, Hildegard blends in as planned, although always in the sights of a man from her past bent on revenge, a jagged scar disfiguring his face and an all-consuming hatred disfiguring his heart. Taking up the cause of a young minstrel draws Hildegard even deeper into an intricate web of politics and greed. A recent uprising has left a seething resentment in the land, exacerbating the danger for a lone female traveler.

Familiar faces from Hangman Blind return, Lord Roger de Hutton and his steward, Ulf, Abbot Hubert de Courcy, Lord Roger's clever young wife. And although Clark beautifully captures the political turmoil and constant dangers of travel in such uncertain times, one key element is missing, unresolved until the final few chapters. The tension created by Hildegard's relationship with the acerbic Abbot of Meaux remains in limbo, de Courcy bent on purging himself and his monks of the temptations of the flesh. So Hildegard toils alone, escaping attacks and the ill-intentions of her enemy, returning to her prioress somewhat battered but intact. True to form, Clark leaves us with a final tease, a promise of adventures to come and the potential for the resolution of an impossible emotional conflict between Hildegard and Hubert de Courcy, the Abbot of Meaux. Luan Gaines/2009.
4304624
This book was entered and was a finalist in The 2016 Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:

Title: Up, Back and Away
Author: K. Velk
Star Rating: 5 Stars
Number of Readers: 22
Stats
Editing: 9/10
Writing Style: 9/10
Content: 9/10
Cover: 10/10
Of the 22 readers:
22 would read another book by this author.
22 thought the cover was good or excellent.
21 felt it was easy to follow.
22 would recommend this story to another reader to try.
18 felt the authors strongest skill was plotting a story.
4 felt the author strongest skill was developing the characters.
22 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
22 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.

Readers Comments
This is such an enjoyable story. I like the time travelling a lot. Its a good way to learn history. Girl, aged 14
The author seems to know this time in history well and it shows in the writing. Tons of pace and very well plotted, the teenagers (three of them) in my class who read it, thought it was very good. Fantastic cover too. English teacher, aged 38
Miles is an excellent character for this story. He seems like a real fifteen year old boy whos not always confident but still wants to know everything. Also, the plot was cool. I like books that don't drag, where the chapters feel sort of intense, where Im constantly surprised by what happens next. This book had all of that. Girl, aged 14
Time-travelling adventure. Well, I love Doctor Who, so for me this was perfect. I did not stop reading it for two days. Boy, aged 13
I read this for The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. So did my dad because hes a big fantasy fan. We both loved it. Boy, aged 13

A fast-paced, fantastically fun YA adventure novel. A FINALIST and highly recommended. The Wishing Shelf Book Awards
4885909
The Raven by John Lawson

In Lawson's book The Raven, he picks up right where he left off with his first book, Witch Ember. Sir Guiromelans is now a Raven for the Seven Kingdoms and quite a good knight(He was introduced during the game Esmeree and a few others were playing called Court of Love). He wields a sword with much precision and has claimed many of what I call, "unholy" or non-Medianist lives with it.

He feels scorned or abandoned by God after all of the disastrous events in Witch Ember and now vows to rid the world of all sorcerers, ember carriers and those that do not believe as they should in his mind. In The Raven, you are taken on quite a journey through Guiromelans' travels in search of answers that he doesn't even know he's really looking for.

Piracy, fighting, killing, new creatures, and thoughts that travel back to a certain little witch will keep Guiromelans pressing forward to avenge his God as well as captivate the reader.

Prepare yourselves for a Young Adult Fantasy that is in my opinion considerably better than Witch Ember, the illustrations have also improved. My only quibble is that I reviewed this in ebook form and there were so many new words that it made it impossible to travel all the way back to the end of the book for the glossary to understand the meanings; so for the most part I had to assume I knew what they meant. The Raven is a book that is a must read in print form. The story in itself was interesting and detailed very well, at times there were lapses in adventure but when Lawson picks back up, he really tries to blow the reader away. 4.5 Hearts