Heed the content warnings this book can get very dark. While no sexual assault is described in detail it is still mentioned to have happened and has a pretty disturbing lead up scene to it. If you are not in the right mind frame do not read this book it can get dark.

I like the world building in this book and like that the given rules are never broken. There are three main characters in this book and throughout reading it you really fall in love with all of them. The main girl character Lara goes through a lot in this book and I love to see her journey through this world. 

Lara as a young child is told by a mysterious women that she is worthy of the raven but has no idea what that means. From then on throughout her life whenever something bad is going to happen a raven is there. Her father wants to go to war with their enemy aka the Skin. Her best friends Nicola, Alessandro and all the men in their land are then forced to go to a war they do not wish to fight in. 

While I love the world building the one thing I would like to be a little better is the pacing. It doesn’t flow at times and others it feels rushed through to get to the next point in the story. I never had a good sense of time of when things would take place and only knew because the age of the characters would change. There is another thing I had minor issues with but do not wish to get into spoilers. 

Otherwise I really liked the fantasy elements to this story and thought it had pretty good world building. The romance elements to this book also do not disappoint. My favorite character was Nicola because he was very straightforward and didn’t lie or omit the truth to Lara. 

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review. 

What can I say about this book other than I truly cannot wait for the second book. However I do have to say that marketing this as a Mulan retelling in my opinion is incorrect. I can see where the author drew her inspiration from but I think that it just falls a bit short. Yes she joins disguised as a boy, but that’s about where the similarities end. This book is a lot, between the information/ worldbuilding, the storyline, and the characters you truly feel like you are in this fictional world. In this book we follow the journey of three different characters, but mostly through Lara Morinis POV (our FMC). I loved the multi-POV in this books because I am a huge fan of knowing absolutely everything regarding the MCs thoughts. It just creates a much better flow in my opinion.  This book starts off a bit slow but as it builds you get addicted to the story chapter by chapter. I was a bit overwhelmed at first with the amount of information, but the way the author writes it made it less so all at once & more like sprinkled in throughout intentionally. This is also friends to lovers which I usually am not a huge fan of, but for these three I was totally for it. I did get a little annoyed by how much the MMCs kept saying how “innocent” she was. But, I loved seeing the growing relationship & eventually the budding love these characters cultivated. Please check your TW & CW thoroughly because there are many topics/situations that can cause someone to DNF this book. I was a bit upset with the way Lara’s trauma was written to not only harm her but one of the MMCs, almost in a way to further the plot. I don’t think it was necessary to prove the strength Lara no doubly could have cultivated from a more positive experience. I may have a different view on this aspect of the book than others due to personal reasons & that’s okay because reading is subjective.

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.