Month: June 2019

Review for Raven’s Ladder

Raven’s Ladder by Jeffery Overstreet – Part of The Auralia Thread series

Rating: PG-13 for action and violence

Synopsis:

This is the third book in the Auralia Thread series. Most of the book is told from Cal-raven’s perspective. Cal-raven goes on a quest to find a new home for House Abascar. The refugees eventually arrive in House Bel Amica where things are not as good as they seem.

My Thoughts-

I am still pondering my thoughts on this book, but I’m going to try to lay it out for you. This one seemed to fall a little short after Cyndere’s Midnight which I really enjoyed. I think we had so many threads to follow that it got bogged down and did not flow as easily as the first two books did. It was still good and I liked it, but not a favorite of mine. Also a couple content issues with it that I’ll discuss later.

In this particular installment we get to see a little bit more from the mysterious Keeper, but in an odd sort of way. King Cal-Raven actually gets to see it, but it behaves differently then how he anticipated. I’m trying not to give spoilers but basically it shakes everything that Cal-Raven thought was true and I can honestly say now that I finished that last book, The Ale Boy’s Feast, that the author does not explain this particular aspect. Their belief in the Keeper is a little odd.

I should also mention that one of the pagan religions is in moon spirits and Seers. Throughout the book it is shown to be flawed and the Seers are shown to be evil.

Violence –

In this third installment we meet a new enemy which is the ground. It is this vine like thing is thorny and hurt a variety of characters. It tents to take people away never to be seen again. So throughout the book several minor characters vanish or or injured from the Feelers.

There is a new character introduced and he is an archer. Throughout the book he shoots several bad characters with arrows. A little later on a character witnesses a hand being chopped off. A character becomes a captive for a while.

At the end there is a drawn out underground battle as the prisoners try to escape. Several individuals die in their attempt. One character falls down a chasm.

Language – None

Innuendo –

Early on two characters contemplate marriage. One or two kisses between different characters.

One of the main characters visits an old flame who is married. They talk and she does drug him. (The main character recognized that this was not a wise choice). I did not care for this and thankfully nothing else happens.

Conclusion –

Overall I enjoyed how the characters embarked on a journey to find a new home. The characters had flaws and were relatable. It reminded me a bit of the Lord of the Rings in that we had many characters and got to see their trials. While there was some violence, it was toned back from the previous book. There was a little bit of innuendo that I wished could have been done differently. So while not perfect, I liked it. The series as a whole I would say is aimed at adults.

Conclusion –

Review for Clyndere’s Midight

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Cyndere’s Midnight by Jeffery Overstreet – Part of the Auralia Thread series

Age range – Young adult or adult audience

Rating: PG13 for violence

Summary-

This is the second book in the Auralia Thread series. It picks up close to where the Auralia’s Colors left off maybe a couple months later. We get to hear from characters we know and love like the ale boy and king Cal-raven, but we also are introduced to new characters like Cyndere and Jordam. Jordam’s story takes center stage here.

After Cyndere’s husband is dead, she tries to continue their dream by befriending a Beastman. This Beastman had seen Auralia’s colors and is now conflicted.

My Thoughts –

First off I have to say that I have really enjoyed how the author weaves his story together. It almost seems lyrical and poetic. The characters were realistic and each have their own personal battles they went through. One of the main themes throughout this book was grief and how to continue on after the world came crashing down. All the characters are affected by House Abascar’s downfall.

I cruised through it quicker then the first book . For some books the author will switch between character’s perspectives and it makes the book divided. The way the author switched between the characters worked well and I did not mind it at all. I grew to like these characters as well if not better then Auralia and her story. I cannot wait to see how it will continue.

Violence –

There is a little more violence compared to Auralia’s Colors. The author introduces us to the fallen House of Cent Regus which are called Beastman. They kill all they come in contact with, expect for one named Jordam. Within the first couple of chapter one of the characters die. We find out later that Mordafey severed his hand. Jordam kills a wild animal and it mentions blood.

Mordafey performs various evil deeds throughout the book. He does team up with a Seer, more on that later. He orders his brothers to attack a wagon and kill the three people in it. Jordam does kill one of the men, but he questions what he is doing. He gathers an army to go fight the House Abascar.

Also, the Beastman required Essence. There are scenes where the brothers went down to the pit where it is located. One of the brothers injured several people while he was down in the pit. It is a little disturbing, but not too gratuitous. It helps show how much Jordam changes compared to his brothers.

Lastly, there is a scuffle between Abascar and the Beastman. None of the humans die, but several Beastman are injured/killed.

Language- None

Innuendo – One of the minor character flirted with a married woman, but she did not appreciate it. It was only mentioned a handful of times, used to show how flawed and evil a character was. The author depicted it as something that was wrong.

Other –

The House of Bel Amica followed Seers. Throughout the book we saw how they influenced people. One in particular is quite nefarious, but it is clearly shown that they are corrupt and not to be trusted. The Seers try to get the people to follow moon spirits, but the main character realizes that this is a false belief system.

Conclusion –

I really have enjoyed the first two books in this series. The characters felt alive. Although this book was a little darker then the first, I loved how we get to see redemption and forgiveness. Jordam was my favorite character and I loved how we get to see how his character developed. I would say this was probably more of an adult fantasy. The author was not overly descriptive with the violence, but it is there.