3 out of 4 stars
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Raven's Peak by Lincoln Cole is a paranormal thriller, with Hollywood-style action and horror elements, that will be loved by the fans of the genre. It is the first out of the three books in the "World on Fire" series. Throughout the story, the theme of good versus evil is prominent and makes the reader think what they would do if they were in that position. The book starts by taking us to a high-security prison where a former reverend, called Arthur, is imprisoned. He has flashbacks of his troubled past and tortures himself as a form of exaltation. One day he receives an unexpected visit from a mysterious woman called Frieda. She wants to ask for his help after one of her demon-hunting squads goes missing, but he initially refuses. After he learns that Abigail, a girl he had rescued and adopted, was in that squad, he agrees and sets out to find her. Abigail is a skilled demon-hunter who has undertaken a mission of grave importance. Will Abigail and Arthur complete their missions despite the great sacrifices they may have to endure?
The book has numerous positives that make it a worthwhile read. The author has written it in such a way that makes you to pleasantly anticipate what will happen next. This is coupled with a gradual and lovely maturity of the main characters. The story is fast-paced, filled with lots of action, yet the horror elements are present. Aside from these good traits, which are characteristics of a smart writer; the best thing about the whole story is that even though it has the God versus Demons theme, it doesn't project the idea that religion alone makes you a good person. The story demonstrates that labels, either good or bad, don't define your value but you do with the result of your actions.
The negatives are minor but they may annoy some people. It has some typos here and there which overall don't affect the meaning conveyed. The story reads a bit weird at some points but the meaning can easily be concluded. A couple of battles seemed unrealistic and that broke my immersion at the moment. The demons were really talkative and they don't sound smart or hard to outwit them.
I rate the book 3 out of 4 stars for its engaging and thoughtfully written story. I didn't give it 4 stars because it needs more proofreading before it can be called perfect. I would definitely recommend it to thriller fans that want a quick and enjoyable read with a bit of horror. I wouldn't recommend it to those that don't like descriptions containing gore and violence.
Overall it's a book that's worth reading. It captivates the reader through the author's wonderful storytelling, with detailed descriptions of everything and a suspense that builds up but doesn't disappoint.
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Raven's Peak
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