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rebeccamortensen14's review
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC. Please, please, please read the TW on the authors website. They are needed and I am so thankful that they were given and easy to access. Here it is again, just in case
https://www.ravenandfoxbooks.com/content-warning
Unfortunately, this book was not for me and I DFNd at 50%. Just because I didn't like it doesn't mean others won't/can't. I genuinely hope this author is successful because they clearly worked hard for this book.
https://www.ravenandfoxbooks.com/content-warning
Unfortunately, this book was not for me and I DFNd at 50%. Just because I didn't like it doesn't mean others won't/can't. I genuinely hope this author is successful because they clearly worked hard for this book.
francisdee's review
3.0
Read via NetGalley.
DNF at 10%
I'm sorry, I'm just not feeling it. I find the pacing a bit wonky, although the premise is interesting and the two brothers make for a nice couple of characters.
Sorry, nothing particularly bad about it so far, but if I find myself skimming the page and reading only half of the text for chapters at the time I guess a book is just not for me.
DNF at 10%
I'm sorry, I'm just not feeling it. I find the pacing a bit wonky, although the premise is interesting and the two brothers make for a nice couple of characters.
Sorry, nothing particularly bad about it so far, but if I find myself skimming the page and reading only half of the text for chapters at the time I guess a book is just not for me.
rae_shutupandbookup's review
5.0
I was able to Beta read for the author! I am afraid it has been a hot minute and several books since this read. So, I will be posting a more detailed review closer to release date after I have reread the book!
Lara's caught up in the middle of a war, the aftermath of when the men leave to defend. Having to grow up quickly as she navigates through her new life. Only the two boys she grew up with have become men and they can't bear to leave her behind. Disguising her is the answer as she's placed on the front lines next to them.
The boys have always been close to Lara, but something has grown apparent between them. Friends to lovers? Enemies to lovers? What has Lara gotten herself into? And why does that raven keep following her?
This book does deal with domestic abuse and the traumas of such things. There's violence and some gore within this read. I loved the coming-of-age story for Lara and how she grew into a strong woman. She has to overcome her past upbringing and it's rather dark and sad. But seeing her move forward from the shackles of the past. . .incredible!
I also loved how the boys became men and there was some shifting of roles. Touch her and you will die vibes because these two will protect Lara no matter what. This may be a spoiler but there's attempted SA and the one who tried got what he deserved! A why choose romance with some dark themes. Language is present in the book along with MF action and MFM action.
Multiple POVs so we get to see what's going on behind the character's walls and masks. When I beta read for this book, I loved the read. But the ending broke my heart, and I am already ready for the next part in the journey! There's magic in the read and fantasy!
I cannot wait to reread the book and edit the review and maybe add some things.
Lara's caught up in the middle of a war, the aftermath of when the men leave to defend. Having to grow up quickly as she navigates through her new life. Only the two boys she grew up with have become men and they can't bear to leave her behind. Disguising her is the answer as she's placed on the front lines next to them.
The boys have always been close to Lara, but something has grown apparent between them. Friends to lovers? Enemies to lovers? What has Lara gotten herself into? And why does that raven keep following her?
This book does deal with domestic abuse and the traumas of such things. There's violence and some gore within this read. I loved the coming-of-age story for Lara and how she grew into a strong woman. She has to overcome her past upbringing and it's rather dark and sad. But seeing her move forward from the shackles of the past. . .incredible!
I also loved how the boys became men and there was some shifting of roles. Touch her and you will die vibes because these two will protect Lara no matter what. This may be a spoiler but there's attempted SA and the one who tried got what he deserved! A why choose romance with some dark themes. Language is present in the book along with MF action and MFM action.
Multiple POVs so we get to see what's going on behind the character's walls and masks. When I beta read for this book, I loved the read. But the ending broke my heart, and I am already ready for the next part in the journey! There's magic in the read and fantasy!
I cannot wait to reread the book and edit the review and maybe add some things.
aureliasepia's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
blackgirltiredbooks's review
5.0
Dark Fantasy
Lara is a young woman whose life is filled with tragedy and trauma. Lara's household is unstable and the only thing that keeps her sane is her friendship with Nicholas and Alexander. After a skin demon tells her that the Raven has picked her...things at home go from worst to chaotic. Lara runs to the Conde Brothers who are her friends. Nicolas becomes head of his family and is dealing with emotions he has for Lara. Alexander who's is dealing with the army leadership duties he has now inherited and have to deal with his feelings for Lara as well while trying to hide her in plain sight. This book is so emotional ...like legit tears emotional. The complex world was built with such an amazing rich world. The ending was wow so emotional...OH...MY...GOD! I can't stress that enough! I enjoyed this rollercoaster of emotions as well as a new world built amazingly by this author. This is a 10 out of 10 great dark fantasy !
Lara is a young woman whose life is filled with tragedy and trauma. Lara's household is unstable and the only thing that keeps her sane is her friendship with Nicholas and Alexander. After a skin demon tells her that the Raven has picked her...things at home go from worst to chaotic. Lara runs to the Conde Brothers who are her friends. Nicolas becomes head of his family and is dealing with emotions he has for Lara. Alexander who's is dealing with the army leadership duties he has now inherited and have to deal with his feelings for Lara as well while trying to hide her in plain sight. This book is so emotional ...like legit tears emotional. The complex world was built with such an amazing rich world. The ending was wow so emotional...OH...MY...GOD! I can't stress that enough! I enjoyed this rollercoaster of emotions as well as a new world built amazingly by this author. This is a 10 out of 10 great dark fantasy !
lydthelidreads's review
5.0
You absolutely NEED to read this book! I could not put it down.
It does deal with some dark topics, so definitely check the trigger warning before picking it up, however I think the author handle the issues well, but she definitely doesn’t pull punches with this book either.
I’m going to try my best to keep this review spoiler free, so I can try to convince as many people as possible to read it.
First let me just say, I’m completely heart broken from the ending. I didn’t see it coming and I wasn’t prepared!
It’s pretty heavy fantasy, but I don’t feel it’s hard to follow, everything is explained well and there wasn’t a point that I felt lost or that things were being explained too quickly, it builds up well and slowly. That being said the book does start slow paced and pick up a faster pace near the end, however at no point did it lose my interest or feel too slow. The world is so immersive, it’s beautiful and horrible, from peaceful olive fields to active battlefields I never wanted to leave it.
the romance is absolutely top notch and the “spice” scenes are perfection. There is a good bit of “spice” towards the end, so if that’s not your kind of thing this may not be for you, but I personally believe it was built up well. Also, if you love tall strong men saying “good girl”, you’re in for a treat with this one. I absolutely love that we got poly representation too, I feel like we don’t get that often enough in fantasy books and it was done so well in my opinion.
The characters are all unique and complex, very few feel like throw away characters, the “bad guys” will genially get you so frustrated and the satisfaction of seeing them get justice served to them is immense. The main character is so easy to fall in love with and relate to. At no point was I able to pick a favorite “love interest” either, the brothers are perfect, their flaws and strengths complement each other perfectly and the author uses it so well.
The magic system was slightly confusing to me, but I feel like that’s because it was introduced more towards the end, so we’ll likely learn more about it as our main character gets to explore it more in the next book.
TLDR: this book is absolutely amazing, thick plot and world, perfect for fantasy readers who love dark romance.
It does deal with some dark topics, so definitely check the trigger warning before picking it up, however I think the author handle the issues well, but she definitely doesn’t pull punches with this book either.
I’m going to try my best to keep this review spoiler free, so I can try to convince as many people as possible to read it.
First let me just say, I’m completely heart broken from the ending. I didn’t see it coming and I wasn’t prepared!
It’s pretty heavy fantasy, but I don’t feel it’s hard to follow, everything is explained well and there wasn’t a point that I felt lost or that things were being explained too quickly, it builds up well and slowly. That being said the book does start slow paced and pick up a faster pace near the end, however at no point did it lose my interest or feel too slow. The world is so immersive, it’s beautiful and horrible, from peaceful olive fields to active battlefields I never wanted to leave it.
the romance is absolutely top notch and the “spice” scenes are perfection. There is a good bit of “spice” towards the end, so if that’s not your kind of thing this may not be for you, but I personally believe it was built up well. Also, if you love tall strong men saying “good girl”, you’re in for a treat with this one. I absolutely love that we got poly representation too, I feel like we don’t get that often enough in fantasy books and it was done so well in my opinion.
The characters are all unique and complex, very few feel like throw away characters, the “bad guys” will genially get you so frustrated and the satisfaction of seeing them get justice served to them is immense. The main character is so easy to fall in love with and relate to. At no point was I able to pick a favorite “love interest” either, the brothers are perfect, their flaws and strengths complement each other perfectly and the author uses it so well.
The magic system was slightly confusing to me, but I feel like that’s because it was introduced more towards the end, so we’ll likely learn more about it as our main character gets to explore it more in the next book.
TLDR: this book is absolutely amazing, thick plot and world, perfect for fantasy readers who love dark romance.
morrigan_gaines_writes's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
peepbabby's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Worthy of the Raven is such a beautiful story. I was not prepared for the emotional journey I would go on with not one but 3 characters. The author writes in such a way that is so lyrical and beautiful to read. The story follows Lara, Nicola, and Alessandro as their home decides to declare war on a neighboring Taino people, to them known as Skins. Nicola is the younger brother and he is the jokester. He spends his time teasing Lara when he’s not teaching Lara how to run a farm business. Alessandro is much more stern and is so protective of Lara. He helps her train and teaches her how to help him in the fields. The men go off to fight a war they don’t believe in. While away the men amass power and respect in their army and Lara helps at home. Eventually they come home and tragedy strikes in Lara’s life. Nicola and Alessandro, in love with her since childhood, protect Lara. The story goes from there and it’s rollercoaster that you don’t want to get off of
lunar_lesbian's review
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Thank you to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to view this arc in exchange for an honest review, **
TW: SA, Child Abuse, Misogyny, War
I had high hopes for this book, its just not the book for me. I loved the premise of a dark Mulan with political intrigue and a diverse cast of characters, the execution however left much to be desired in my opinion. The MC, Lara and her love interests are very thought provoking and have a passionate relationship, but their reactions to the abuse she suffers is just so messed up. After Lara is sexually assaulted, her love interests make her suffering about them. They flow between viewing her as this object that exists exclusively for their fantasies, to viewing her as this innocent, virginal being that needs constant protection from every man in the world. Also the fact every single male character wants to hook up with her for some reason and call her little one?? Alessandro and Nicola were very stereotypical "alpha men" who sexualize Lara at every chance (enough to walk out of the room to "control themselves" around her) even though their entirely aware of the trauma she's been and continues to go through. Lara is also referred to as "little lara" for a majority of the book, which gave me the ick. One of the only positive things i gleaned from this book is the positive representation for polyamorous relationships and sex work, which were handled very well.
TW: SA, Child Abuse, Misogyny, War
I had high hopes for this book, its just not the book for me. I loved the premise of a dark Mulan with political intrigue and a diverse cast of characters, the execution however left much to be desired in my opinion. The MC, Lara and her love interests are very thought provoking and have a passionate relationship, but their reactions to the abuse she suffers is just so messed up. After Lara is sexually assaulted, her love interests make her suffering about them. They flow between viewing her as this object that exists exclusively for their fantasies, to viewing her as this innocent, virginal being that needs constant protection from every man in the world. Also the fact every single male character wants to hook up with her for some reason and call her little one?? Alessandro and Nicola were very stereotypical "alpha men" who sexualize Lara at every chance (enough to walk out of the room to "control themselves" around her) even though their entirely aware of the trauma she's been and continues to go through. Lara is also referred to as "little lara" for a majority of the book, which gave me the ick. One of the only positive things i gleaned from this book is the positive representation for polyamorous relationships and sex work, which were handled very well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Misogyny, Rape, and War
Moderate: Sexual content