3 out of 4 stars
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Raven’s Peak is a novel that explores the idea of the supernatural in a very tasteful way. The reader follows two perspectives of the main characters Haatim, a previous world religion student turned skeptic. And Abigail, a hunter who works for the mysterious group that fights of demonic entities known as The Council. On the odd occasion there are other perspectives from minor characters, that build to the main story to create a better built timeline and environment. The story unfolds as these two seemingly unrelated characters join forces and travel to their destination of the small town which shares the name of the book itself, Raven’s Peak.The novel changes perspective between Haatim and Abigail. In doing so it shows how the same situation affects them in different ways. Follow Haatim as he learns how Hunter’s save the world from the shadows. At the same time follow Abigail as she tries to save her father figure Arthur from the clutches of a demon who dragged him to Hell.
What I enjoy most about this book is how balanced it is. It has just enough suspense to keep the reader wanting to read more. But not too much that it’s unbearable to have to put down. At no point was I fearful of it ending on a cliffhanger. The characters were amusing, yet also serious at the same time. Another thing I enjoyed about the book was how the relationship between the main characters Haatim and Abigail is a refreshingly platonic one. It’s a fresh breathe between main characters constantly falling in love. Abigail is able to lean on Haatim and opens up to him more than to others. But it is not the result of romantic love, but in the simple bliss of having someone to assist you.
One thing I didn’t like was the inconsistency in the length of the chapters. Majority of the chapters were about 10-15 pages however unexpectedly there would be 1 chapter or 2 that was only about 4 pages long. This made the pacing of the novel seem sort of strange to me at times. It also interrupted the way I read it as these randomly short chapters would interrupt me while I was anticipating to read more.
What makes this novel stand out is the characters. They are questionable, and even though powerful, they still feel human. Even though I know it’s a work of fiction I could see it happening on the other side of the planet. It makes you question what someone thinks of as normal versus when things become abnormal. And it does this by making the characters themselves question what is normal and what it means for something to be supernatural or spiritual.
Overall I would give this book a 3 out of 4. It surprised me by how it enticed me quickly from the Prologue all the way to the Epilogue. The characters were interesting yet relatable. The use of the supernatural and religion as both antagonists and potential allies was definitely different and worked in a good way. This book does an excellent job of showing different perspectives without being offensive/aggressive. I would recommend this to any fan of the supernatural, anyone who likes a good travel/quest story, and anyone who is looking for something catching, but not stressful to read. This story was very balanced from beginning to end and I personally look forward to a sequel.
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Raven's Peak
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