3 out of 4 stars
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Taking place in the present day, Cole’s 2016 paranormal novel Raven’s Peak took me through an elaborate, nerve-racking journey of ferocious demons, fearless hunters, and frightened mortals. Following the main protagonists, the naive mundane, Haatim, and the courageous hunter, Abigail, Cole’s novel swept me down a path of fantasy and folklore come to life. The book takes off as the young, unemployed Haatim strikes a deal with a panicked, suspicious man in a library. From there, the plot builds as Haatim spies on George’s alleged stalker, falling far over his head into a world the college-graduate has no hope of comprehending. Finding an unlikely partner in the innocent Haatim, Abigail pursues a quest to rescue her “father”, the legendary Arthur, from the depths of Hell. Following orders, she traces a thread to Raven’s Peak, a town rumored to have supernatural activity and strange occurrences. As Haatim and Abigail uncover the secrets of Raven’s Peak, they stumble upon much larger forces at work. In the quaint, spooky town, the duo seek to apprehend evil demonic powers brewing in the area. From chilling, spine-crawling scenes to loud, chaotic battles, Cole’s novel took me for a wild, mythical ride.
“He heard a whimpering sound, and realized it was coming from him...”. One of the key points that I liked about this book was the realistic approach that the author took when considering the character of Haatim. In most pulp fiction novels, the hero/heroine will be thrown into a world of monsters and demons, and cope with it like a pro. In stark juxtaposition, I thought that Cole’s Raven’s Peak was an exception to this madness. Thrust into a seemingly alternate universe of demons and the supernatural, the young Haatim was scared, helpless, and quite frankly, awkward amongst the battle-born hunters and gruesome monsters around him. I found this to be refreshing, and a much more credible way of telling the story.
Another aspect that I enjoyed about this novel was the plot-building. Never, while reading this book, was I bored, desperately flipping pages to see when the chapter would end. Instead, Cole maintained a steady, fast-paced writing style, mixing humorous dialogue with brutal killings; intense battles with sullen failures; the building of trust with stark grief and hopelessness. The bond between reader and character was well developed, allowing me to feel emotions right along side them. The fact that I was able to relate with the angst, joy, and fright of the characters made for a more engaging read. Narrated from dual points of view, the book was constantly keeping me on my toes, excited and yet nervous, filled with trepidation as to what demon lurked on the next page.
Though entertaining, Raven’s Peak did have some points that I had a problem with. The biggest one of these was the climax, which painfully jarred my vision of this book being exceptionally realistic and unique. For all of the plot’s rising action, Haatim was frightened, weak, and naive, and understandably so, given his situation. However, in the climax of the book, he suddenly, out of the blue, grew a spine of steel. In one short second, Haatim was dodging strikes, killing demons, fighting evil, and basically saving the entire world. This scene had me rolling my eyes more than a little, since it was highly unrealistic that such a drastic change would have occurred so abruptly. I also didn’t care for the lack of substance to the novel. While reading, I didn’t feel as if I were immersed in crucial themes and important messages for society, common in well-crafted literature. On the contrary, I felt as if I really were just reading about Haatim and Abigail, two characters of circumstance and birth, with little weight underlying the script seen on each page.
Overall, I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. In the long run, Cole’s Raven’s Peak was an intriguing read, one that stirred excitement, fear, sorrow, and nervousness all in one fell-swoop. I highly recommend this novel to others who enjoy a good fantasy, teeming to the brim with demons, monsters, and brave, albeit ruthless hunters. I think that anyone who finds most pulp fiction to be somewhat unrealistic and over the top would find immense satisfaction in the majority of this book. Ultimately, though containing a disappointing climax and mild lack of density, the author skillfully delivered an engaging novel, and I am interested to see what book two has in store.
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Raven's Peak
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