4 out of 4 stars
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Raven’s Peak by Lincoln Cole is a fictional novel that takes place in modern day. Haatim is a depressed and jobless post-grad who has just returned to America after attending his younger sister’s funeral in India. Seemingly by happenstance, Haatim is approached by a man named George who claims that he is being followed by a woman. He offers to pay Haatim to photograph her so that she can be turned in to the police. After agreeing to do this odd job Haatim unravels the secret that demons exist in his world and that he marked for possession.
Cole’s writing style sets this book apart from others of its genre because of his ability to describe gruesome scenes. The detailed descriptions force the reader to be intimately involved in uncomfortable or disgusting situations. Unlike some authors, there are no needless depictions of gore that are intended to scare the reader. Instead Cole uses these scenes to develop the emotional state of a character or to appeal to the reader’s darker curiosities. One example of this is when Cole describes a character who brutally whips himself, “The blood dripping down his parched skin fulfilled him like biting into a juicy strawberry on a warm summer’s day.”
While the descriptions evoke a visceral reaction of disgust, the evolution of the plot also engages the reader. The reader takes the journey into the supernatural world alongside Haatim. At first he is just the random victim of a demon but eventually he realizes that he has a larger part to play in the events to come. This may seem like the same old story but what is notable about the plot in this book is that even though there are goals that are meant to be achieved, they are constantly changing. The characters may complete their task but then the plot twists and a little bit more of the truth is revealed. It is rare for me to find a book that consistently manages to surprise me and (for the most part) evade predictable endings.
Even though most of the story follows Haatim, Cole does tell the story from the perspective of Abigail and two other characters. This change in perspective gives the reader a little extra knowledge that builds suspense as they wait for the characters to meet the next obstacle. Changing the perspective also lends something to the book that most authors miss- empathy for the numerous victims. By showing the reader how victims are converted to enemies it makes the success of the protagonists meaningful.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. There were minor grammatical errors and I would like to discuss the rest of the series. Although I am only reviewing Raven’s Peak, because it is part of a series I feel it pertinent to discuss the other two books assuming that my endorsement encourages readers to read the series. I was sad to find that the second book was not nearly as exciting as the first and that the third book was fairly predictable. That being said, this book and the series are certainly worth reading.
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Raven's Peak
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