Fall Reads: The Mark Of The Raven

Bethany House; 348 pages; Amazon

Considering the fact I am a big Game of Thrones fan, I have only read a handful of fantasy novels. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against the genre. It's just there aren't too many standalone fantasies and most of them are part of a series, which is just something I just don't have time for these days.

As you can probably guess, I wasn't planning on reading a new fantasy novel, but that's exactly what I've been up to for the last two days - reading the soon-to-be-released "Mark Of The Raven" by Morgan L. Busse.

Mark Of The Raven is the first book in the all-new Ravenwood Saga series. It centers Lady Selene, a young woman who is the heir to the House of Ravenwood. Just like her mother, Lady Ragna, she is a dreamwalker, which is someone who has the ability to enter a person's dream and use their fears & desires to manipulate them. While her mother considers dreamwalking a gift, Selene considers it somewhat of a curse.

In the dreamworld, Selene turns herself into a raven, so her unexpected victims won't recognize her. The more time she spends there, the more she learns about Ravenwood's dark secrets. Secrets that could destroy her family's legacy forever.

After being assigned to assassinate Damien, a man who could possibly bring peace to the nations, Selene must make the decision to stay loyal to her family or rebel against them. 

I had no clue what this book was about when I signed up to review it. The art cover looks amazing, so I thought I would give the fantasy novel a try. What's the harm right? Either I like it or I don't.

So what's my verdict?

Considering I don't read enough fantasies to compare the book to others in the genre, Mark Of The Raven is a well-written, fast-paced adventure story with memorable characters, lively dialogue, and intriguing descriptions.

I easily connected with the author's narration style and flew right through the pages. This fantasy world with all the different houses is very interesting indeed. (I'm sounding lie Yoda for weird reason!) I can't wait to read the next installment in the series!

*Note - I received a complimentary ARC from the publisher.  
All opinions are my own.

MORGAN L. BUSSE is the author of the Follower of the World series and the new steampunk series The Soul Chronicles. Her debut novel, Daughter of Light, was a Christy and Carol Award finalist. During her spare time she enjoys playing games, taking long walks, and dreaming about her next novel. She and her family live in Bloomington, Illinois. Visit her online at www.morganlbusse.com.