4 out of 4 stars
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Raven’s Peak: World on Fire Book 1 by Lincoln Cole is an awesome read!
A fantastic start to the World on Fire series, the super intense introduction sets the taut, suspense-filled purpose of the novel with breathtaking clarity and reveals the incredible stakes that the characters will be forced to face and deal with.
Powerful writing with economy of words containing rich meaning launches the reader into a completely different and unexpected world. The Council of Chaldea is a secret from the rest of the Catholic Church and humanity, as it is charged with the protection and safety of those effected by all things demonic. When a risk is suspected the Council sends one or more of the elite group known as Hunters, to determine the validity of the report and ongoing action required. The role of a Hunter is not for the faint-hearted. They face unimaginable threats and supernatural power. I do not love the horror genre, not at all, yet I loved Raven’s Peak (except for a few graphic descriptions which I read very fast and was fine!).
The concept of such a Council and elite “clean-up” squad within the Church is fascinating to me and I therefore read the book with an extra perspective and layer of intrigue. Others may read it simply for the adrenaline-pumping moments and wanting to discover who wins by the end and that, too, is an excellent reason providing reader satisfaction.
In the midst of life-threatening danger, Raven’s Peak reveals a number of courageous, selfless characters who work for the good of innocent individuals and whole communities, in order to save them.
We meet a comparatively young Hunter, who happens to be in the right place at the right time; Haatim, who knows nothing of the Council and is struggling with his own faith, who definitely feels he is in the wrong place at the wrong time; and Frieda, sandwiched delicately (or rather, determinedly) as the boss of some and subordinate of others. There is also a 12 year old boy who attracts a ‘special’ friend, a vacationing group of rich teens, a very small town, an abandoned mine, a potentially dangerous former acquaintance of the young Hunter, and astonishing supernatural destruction and general disregard for human life from any effected by demonic activity.
Apart from the theme of saving people from death and destruction, Cole provides an exploration of struggling faith in the midst of grief, the challenge of doing what is believed to be right compared with blindly following ‘correct’ procedures, the cost of taking such action, and what it means to be truly alone.
This book is a fabulous roller-coaster of action, adventure, thrills, spills, danger and the supernatural. As I finished the final sentence, I felt inspired, awed, appreciative of the excellent writing and original story, and wide-eyed with a very strong desire to read Book 2 as soon as possible! I do not have to ponder my decision to give 4 out of 4 stars for Raven’s Peak. There are so few typo’s as to be barely noticeable (3!) and only one place where I was momentarily aware of a repeat of the same adverb within a few sentences.
I recently read another of Cole’s series in which some of the same characters appear, but at the beginning of their story, living the history as described in Raven’s Peak. That adds an extra, fascinating dimension. Readers may therefore be interested to read The Everett Exorcism (World of Shadows Book 1) followed by The Vatican Children and The Bishop’s Legacy.
I heartily recommend this book for all those who love reading thrillers, crime, adventure and supernatural action, as well as those who enjoy soft horror. This book should be made into a movie.
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Raven's Peak
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