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.

I enjoyed the world-building and epic storyline of this book, but overall wasn't impressed with the pacing and writing style. The characters were interesting, complex, and at times entertaining, and the romance was passionate and meaningful. The drama of the politics and war was fun at first but took far too long to reach any kind of conclusion. The ending was fabulous, setting the scene for a future book, but after struggling with the writing errors and weird dialogue cuts, I'm not sure I would seek out a sequel. 

Story was interesting but overall, wasn't engaging enough for me to recommend.

I just reviewed Worthy of the Raven by Y. L. Zamora. #WorthyoftheRaven #NetGalley

4/5 stars
3/5 spice

Great world building, an intense love story, and a badass female warrior who survives numerous obstacles and trauma. 

Tropes:
Childhood friends to lovers 
Polyamory/why choose
Found family 
Touch her and die
Forced proximity
Slow burn
Multiple POV 

This was an dark epic fantasy romance that takes you on a journey. It's important to check the trigger and content warnings because the FMC, Lara, goes through a lot of trauma throughout the book. 

The story immediately draws you in and you get a clear idea of who these characters are. Lara, Alessandro, and Nicola all care very deeply about each other and try their hardest to be each other's protectors. Unfortunately Lara grows up in an abusive household and can't always be protected. When war comes to their home Lara gets the chance to finally become the warrior she always dreamed of being. 

Lara's relationship with Alessandro and Nicola grow under their forced proximity in the war camp. You really see the character development with all of them at this point. But then... it's only half way into the book and SO MUCH has happened already you start wondering what awaits you in the end. 

It's a lot to take in but the story doesn't feel dragged out. The ending broke my heart but also got me excited for the second book. 

If you love epic fantasy that's slow burn with the romance/spice but also great characters and plot... then you'll love this book. 

I wrote a book! I hope you enjoy it :)

Worthy of the Raven is a rich and deeply satisfying epic fantasy. It is full of extremely challenging  content as there are many moments when our FMC is truly suffering, but also so much love and light. The heartbreaking ending is hard to come to terms with, but knowing Lara's journey is just beginning gives me hope that someday she will find peace. 

Thank you so much for the arc!

How do I even start this review. I have been following the author’s journey for a few months now and had really high hopes going into this book. The moment she started talking about her dark Mulan retelling with queer characters, a dose of body positivity, and some childhood friends to lovers (times two) I just knew I needed to read it. 

Worthy of the Raven exceeded all of my expectations. There are so many elements of this book that I love but I think the characters are my favorite part. 

With our main character Lara we have a character who has been through tremendous trauma (like seriously so much trauma) but over the course of the book we see her strength, both physical and emotional. She is constantly doing whatever she has to do to not only take care of her community but protect herself. She’s a definite warrior and that’s something I love to see. 

Then we have the brothers. While both are these incredible warriors and hold positions in the army, it’s clear that Lara is a soft spot for both. Nicola is more soft and sensitive, constantly reminding Lara how important she is to him. Alessandro on the other hand? Yeah he’s going to absolutely end anybody who hurts her and we love that. 

While there is romance in this book (and the romance is HOT), I think the character growth in Lara is the most important part of the story. Like I mentioned she is a truly traumatized person but over the course of the book we see her grow from someone who is afraid into this incredibly strong person. She spars with the best warriors, fights against the enemy, and stands up for herself and her loved ones every chance she gets. I loved that and really just loved everything about this book. 

Now I do have to warn you that this is a DARK dark fantasy. A lot of the events within this book could be triggering to some readers and I HIGHLY suggest you go to the authors website to read through those warnings. The author also lists all of the positive representation in her book which is something I really like to see. 

Thank you so much to Yesi for providing me an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.