I don’t love every book I read. There are authors that I enjoy sometimes, and a bit less other times. This week the Christian Science Fiction Fantasy Tour has been talking about the third book in the Auralia Thread by Jeffrey Overstreet. On this page I’ve got links to the previous books in this series, but today I want to talk about book three, Raven’s Ladder.
This is not a standalone book. Rather, it’s part of a much larger whole. However, I can whole-heartedly encourage you to pick up Auralia’s Colors and Cyndere’s Midnight. Overstreet is a five-star author, writing fantasy with a lyrical style that is uncommonly beautiful. I had to read this book quite quickly due to the book’s late arrival (I received a free copy from the publisher for the purpose of this book tour).
In Raven’s Ladder, King Cal-Raven of Abascar leads the remnant of his people in search of a new home. He’s following the Keeper, though many of his people think the Keeper is only a myth. The trail is not clear. There is a menace coming out of the ground, pulling people down below. The survivors are split up and harassed. Finally they’re rescued by their neighboring land, Bel Amica. But are the Bel Amicans really their friends, or do the dangers continue? Cal-Raven is torn between his need to find his mother, his pledge to his people, and his drive to find the Seeker.
In this third installment of the story, Overstreet allows his poetic voice free rein. A character we met in the very first scene of the series, Krawg, turns out to be a master storyteller in this book:
Tonight as Krawg applied his talents to a story of ancient adventure, he lavished detail upon each scene, detail that often had nothing to do with the story but so enriched it with food for the senses and kindling for the imagination that Warney remained enthralled.
Sometimes those meanders would bring the story’s biggest surprises. And like some lucky wanderer who runs away, gets lost, regrets his foolish wanderlust, and stumbles inexplicably upon his own home, Krawg would reach the end of the tale and tie all fraying strands back together.
And so I’m waiting for the fourth book in which Overstreet will, like Krawg, tie all those strands back together.
For other readers’ impressions of Raven’s Ladder, check out some of these reviews:
Brandon Barr, Rachel Briard (BooksForLife), Keanan Brand, Beckie Burnham, Melissa Carswell, CSFF Blog Tour, Stacey Dale, D. G. D. Davidson, Shane Deal, Jeff Draper, April Erwin, Ryan Heart, Becky Jesse, Cris Jesse, Jason Joyner, Julie, Krystine Kercher, Dawn King, Rebecca LuElla Miller, Nissa, John W. Otte, Donita K. Paul, Crista Richey, Chawna Schroeder, Andrea Schultz, James Somers, Robert Treskillard, Steve Trower, Fred Warren, Phyllis Wheeler, KM Wilsher.
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