3 out of 4 stars
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A barrage of demonology, Raven's Peak explores the existence of demons and the possibility of a Council solely responsible for tackling any demonic activities that may cause an imbalance in the human world. With the appearance of a “big shot” demon, the residents of Raven's Peak are in danger: life-or-death danger. And it's all up to a soldier from the Council who was stripped of her reliability due to an unforeseen and recent failed mission, and a foreigner to both America and to the demon world who is battling not to lose his faith in God. Can these two, who barely have any teamwork, beat this cosmically incongruous foe? Or is it a lost cause?
I especially liked the introduction of the book because the involvement of a seemingly psychopathic protagonist, known by the characters but unknown to the readers, builds a captivating suspense that is not quenched until the very end. Furthermore, the plot twists throughout the novel are carefully orchestrated, causing the readers to go on a ride. The great Stephen King once said, “Good books don't give up all their secrets at once,” and I believe Lincoln Cole has managed to fall in line with his childhood role model. The descriptions in the book were also deliciously exhilarating, Cole most efficiently describing psychopathy, possession and frustration.
However, I would have appreciated the book a little more if the characters involved had their background stories expounded on. This way, the readers could be more connected with each character, intensifying their reactions to scenes as the book progresses.
I rate this book 3 out of 4. I give it a 3 solely because of the grammatical errors found throughout the book. If this one problem can be tackled, then this book is easily a 4 out of 4. Raven's Peak would be most alluring to readers with a taste for the supernatural and a liking for some casual gore.
Below are the errors that should be revised, along with their page numbers and suggested edits in parentheses:
Pg 18 - (period on the last sentence of the second-last paragraph)
Pg 22 - (period on the last sentence of the last paragraph)
Pg 23 - “A dream (of) that had lasted for the past five years…”
Pg 30 - “‘We don't want to move just yet, so (he's) hoping I…’”
Pg 41 - “He (heard) her sniffle.”
Pg 58 - “‘...and on your cloud backups(.) I'm heading…’”
Pg 59 - “‘But you won't be (in) any danger…’”
Pg 67 - “(He) became claustrophobic…”
Pg 67 - “Abigail stepped over (one of them) and put her fingers on his neck.”
Pg 71 - “She flicked it on and began…” (Revise this sentence, as later on in the dialogue the readers are under the impression that the pill has not been ingested.)
Pg 76 - “It sounded way more plausible than (demons) being real…”
Pg 83 - “Abigail made (a) ‘shh’ sound…”
Pg 97 - “‘I want to know why(,)’ Haatim replied.”
Pg 99 - “‘...took a walk in the woods while you (are) out there.’”
Pg 107 - “‘...things like this should be impossible (to) keep hidden.’”
Pg 120 - “...he saw the squat roof of a building in the distance (in) front of him.”
Pg 120 - “...he was the first person to come this far out (here) in many…”
Pg 122 - (the word “grate” used repeatedly instead of “gate”)
Pg 122 - “He was terrified(.)”
Pg 126 - “...her in sight and then turned and called out(.)”
Pg 126 - “Every once in (a) while she would shout…”
Pg 128 - “‘Then take me home.(‘)”
Pg 130 - “She felt her (life) blood spilling out…”
Pg 136 - “...staring out the window and watching the city flow (past).”
Pg 141 - “...secluded ruins in the middle of (the) nowhere…”
Pg 147 - “...it simply made a giant circle and headed back to Raven's Peak(.)”
Pg 160 - “‘...any of this was worth telling me about (that) beforehand?’”
Pg 188 - “...but she could tell it was powerful(.)”
Pg 190 - “Abigail's hand crossbow (was) lying on the ground…”
Pg 191 - “She might be able (to) bring him back like this…”
Pg 192 - “After about a minute, she did(.)”
Pg 193 - “She checked her side and saw a screw sticking out (of) it.”
All in all, this novel has an exhilarating storyline and I recommend everyone reads it! Mastery in storytelling and plot development, there's also a hybrid writing style that is mature and, at the same time, extremely imaginative. Kudos, Mr Lincoln Cole!!
******
Raven's Peak
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