Lady Selene is the heir to the Great House of Ravenwood and the secret family gift of dreamwalking. As a dreamwalker, she can enter a person’s dreams and manipulate their greatest fears or desires. For the last hundred years, the Ravenwood women have used their gift of dreaming for hire to gather information or to assassinate.As she discovers her family’s dark secret, Selene is torn between … between upholding her family’s legacy–a legacy that supports her people–or seeking the true reason behind her family’s gift.
Her dilemma comes to a head when she is tasked with assassinating the one man who can bring peace to the nations, but who will also bring about the downfall of her own house.
One path holds glory and power, and will solidify her position as Lady of Ravenwood. The other path holds shame and execution. Which will she choose? And is she willing to pay the price for the path chosen?
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I was expecting generic high fantasy with wizards and dwarfs, but I was pleasantly surprised that this fantasy wasn’t like that. I liked how there was a level of darkness but it warmed up throughout. The author trusted young adult readers with adult matters in a well done manner. Adult things were addressed but descriptions were not explicit.
I didn’t care for Selene. She was too willing to comply to the wishes of others. I liked Damian, who was more willing to usurp the status quo. The descriptions really made me feel like I was there. Full review is at my website.
I received these books complimentary as a participant of the Prism book tour. I was not required to give a positive review. All of the opinions I have expressed are my own.
Mark of the Raven begins The Ravenwood Saga by Morgan L Busse. As heir to the House of Ravenwood, Lady Selene, also, has a gift that is the power of dreamwalking. As she she is learning her gift, she finds out the past secrets of her family’s legacy. She finds that in order to keep that legacy alive, she must kill a man. A man that is seen as a man peace to the nations. Selene sees she has to make some difficult choices.
Mark of the Raven is a different type of read that I normally enjoy. However, this is proof why I should go outside of my comfort zone. I found this to be unique and refreshing. I liked Selene, but loved Damien so much more. This is one of those books that takes me a quarter of the way through to figure out what’s going on and then suddenly, I can not put it down.
I give Mark of the Raven four stars. I look forward to book 2 from The Ravenwood Saga.
I received this book from the publisher. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.
My teenaged daughter and I each read and relished this book. My daughter was captivated by Selene’s conflicted journey and the author’s vivid worldbuilding. We both appreciated Selene’s big sister ferocity and sacrifice and Damien’s protective nature and devotion to the Light completely won us over.
Despite this book being outside of my genre comfort zone, the medieval-ish environment and natural vibe of supernatural elements made me feel right at home. By the middle of the book, I was hooked and at this story’s conclusion, I immediately dove into the second book of The Ravenwood Saga series, Flight of the Raven.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and was under no obligation to post a review. The opinions expressed are my own.
Loved Mark of the Raven! A great story, Light verses dark. Lady Selene is a great character that’s fighting the dark. Damien is all light and is another great character. I loved the Authors detailed telling of an epic fantasy that puts you right in the story. I could actually feel myself in the story. A great read and am looking forward to book #2.
I give Mark of the Raven 5 stars for its engrossing read.
I would recommend this book to lovers of Fantasy.
I listened to Mark of the Raven on audible and was completely drawn into the world and characters. I’m so looking forward to book two!
This book was superb! The world-building, the lore-crafting, the character creation were all expertly executed, topped by a great plot. The large cast of characters and shifting points of view transitioned seamlessly throughout the story, never losing or breaking the reader’s attention.
And now I’m hooked. There are so many unanswered questions, so many narratives crossing each other – I’m eagerly awaiting the next in the series. I feel like the author brought us to the edge of this sweeping lake, and next book is going to push us off to plunge into everything this tale wants to tell.
This was pure enjoyment to read. You should definitely get a copy!
I received a review copy of this work from the publisher through NetGalley
I loved this first-in-series fantasy and was pleased with the ending, which left us hanging but not in a terrible way. I’m SO looking forward to the second-in-series and I’m recommending this book to so many friends–young adult and ADULT alike. Clean, yet grapples with moral issues in a compelling way.
I’ll be perfectly honest: I was somewhat disappointed with this book. Now, it’s the first in a series so it’s very possible that the story will pick up and things will be answered/ resolved as the series continues. But things moved slowly through the first part of the book, and I found myself bored. It read like a pretty predictable fantasy story with magic, rivals, a lust for power, and of course a lost teenager in the middle of it all. The story picks up just before the ending, leaving the reader with a cliffhanger that will make you want to pick up book two in the series. I hope book two keeps up the pace.
While there are no open references to Christianity in this book, the struggle between light and dark and good and evil is clear. “The Dark Lady” is the one Lady Selene and her family turn to for guidance and help. This book went to a very dark place a few times. I didn’t enjoy reading about Selene’s training as a dreamwalker when she is taught how to use her gift for evil. Those were dark and somewhat disturbing scenes. But overall, the message is clear about the battle between good vs. evil. If you enjoy Christian fantasy stories, you might want to give this one a read.
I received a free copy of this book from Bethany House publishers. All opinions are my own.
Read full review at KaitsBookshelf.com/blog
Many fantasy books are hard to understand because the authors try to name common things with very uncommon words. For this reason, I have not read that many fantasy books. But Morgan Busse crafted a story that is easy and enjoyable to understand. She takes you into a make believe world that anyone would like to visit. For me, this book was like a good friend that I wanted to come back to and spend time with. Many may find it a page turner, but I enjoyed the story as it unfolded.
It has been amazing to witness Morgan’s maturity as a writer. Her first book, “Daughter of Light”, was a great start to her writing career. But this book is so much better. I read where it took her two years to finish this book, and it shows by being so well thought out. This book can stand alone, but it will be exciting to find out how the characters’ lives play out. I look forward to the next installment. But Morgan, don’t rush it. Give us more of the quality of writing that appears in “Mark of the Raven.”
Thank you to Bethany House and Morgan Busse for an ARC for an honest review.
Is she a killer or will she discover the Light?
There are two kinds of fantasy novels out there; charmingly captivating, and deliciously dark. Mark Of The Raven is one of the latter. I don’t know what it was that caught my attention, I haven’t read any of Morgan L. Busse’s previous books. Maybe it was the gorgeous eerily mysterious cover, which is much like the heroine herself, or maybe because I was just in the mood for a fantasy novel that promised to be a shadowy tale of danger and intrigue. Oh, I got just that and more! This dark and absorbing tale will have you, as it did me, immersed in the battle between The Light and the Dark Lady played out in the sinister halls of the ancestral home of the Ravenwoods and also in the dreams of the powerful and the powerless.
While aimed more at the YA market Mark Of The Raven is just as appealing to adults. There was something about Selene’s struggle with upholding family expectations and her natural bent to protect those weaker that will capture the attention of readers both YA and adults alike.
Fantasy fans are in for a real treat with Morgan L. Busse’s new book and will quickly find themselves, like me, impatiently awaiting the next release in the Ravenwood Saga series. Seriously, I HAVE to know what happens!
(I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are entirely my own.)
Mark of the Raven is an epic fantasy adventure that is the first book in the new Ravenwood Saga series by Christy Award finalist Morgan L. Busse. Although somewhat dark and brooding by necessity, the novel vividly illustrates the never ending battle between good and evil with its emphasis on light and darkness.
Once I entered the world of Ravenwood I was held spellbound by Lady Selene and the choices she was forced to make about the best use of her gift. Her loyalty to her family and her mother’s demands were in direct conflict with her personal convictions and took a toll on her emotionally. As the book progressed I was on pins and needles hoping that she made the right choice.
Characters were well defined and of course I had personal favorites among them. A steady plot with plenty of twists and surprises and powerful descriptions brought this book to life. Although not blatantly Christian, the symbolism was not difficult to understand. I am not always a huge fantasy fan but Mark of the Raven was an excellent choice and I can’t wait to read the rest of the series.
I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by the author and Bethany House Publishers. A favorable review was not required. All views expressed are my own.
Morgan Busse weaves a dark story about the heir to the House of Ravenwood who has just learned her family’s secret; her mother and the Ravenwood women before her use their gift of dreamwalking to gather information and assassinate their enemies. Now Lady Selene is stuck in a web of political intrigue, lies and betrayal while the Seven Houses ready for war with the Domina Empire.
Another reviewer mentioned that it reminded her of Game of Thrones and Assassin’s Creed, which I agree with completely. The only thing that this book has that those stories do not is a thread of hope that lies within the Light. Overall, I would highly recommend this book for readers of YA and adult fantasy adventures. I might recommend pre-reading it if you have younger readers who might be put off by some non-graphic but violent content, as the book does contain assassins, war, etc.
*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.*
I loved Morgan L. Busse’s Soul Chronicles and got so excited when I saw that she had a new series coming out. I couldn’t wait to dive into it. I was expecting to really enjoy Mark of the Raven and, I’ve gotta say, it exceeded all expectations and was even better than I thought it’d be. It’s fast-paced and I couldn’t read it quickly enough. I ended up neglecting everything else and read the last quarter of the book in one sitting.
There was a lot of pressure on Selene to restore House Ravenwood to it’s former glory. She’s extremely conflicted about how her family’s gift is used. She feels a deep sense of wrong but to not use her gift would send her family and their people into ruin. It’s such a dilemma for her. The journey she goes on to discovering herself is truly captivating.
And Damien! Oh my! He’s such a good and noble guy, always looking to do the right thing even when it’s the most difficult thing to do. He’s definitely one of my favorite leading men that I’ve read about lately.
The characters were so great. All of them, even the minor ones, were distinct and fully fleshed out, seeming like real people I could easily picture in my mind.
A near-perfect fantasy, Mark of the Raven is not to be missed. I wish I could give it more than five stars; it was just that good. And with that ending, goodness, I need the next book, like, right now!
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and comments are my honest opinion.
“There were no choices . . . . . . . her future was dark and bleak.”
As heir apparent to the House of Ravenwood, Selene has just been gifted; she’s now a dreamwalker, and according to her mother, a surprisingly powerful one. Curious about an ability that the other six regions of her kingdom thought was destroyed, she listens as Grand Lady Ragna describes the seriousness of honing her skills, for she is to be the savior of her people by . . . . . . . . . . controlling the dreams of others to the point of death? It cannot, it must not, be true.
Grand Lord Damien from the House of Waters is convinced that the Seven Houses must unite their gifts in order to avoid an aggressive attack from the nearby Dominia Empire. When called to the House of Ravenwood for a strategy summit, he hopes to build an alliance that will bring peace, the kind of unity that his deceased father longed to establish. Fascinated by the dark beauty that resides in Rook Castle, he cannot help but wonder what kind of strength lies beneath Selene’s cold veneer. . . . if he only knew, he is about to find out.
“A leader can serve her people by sacrifice and love.”
“Mark of the Raven” captures the essence of light and darkness within an ingenious package of daunting expectations and ingenious characterizations. . . . . .taking its readers on a journey that leads straight to their souls.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher. The opinions stated above are entirely my own.