3 out of 4 stars
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Roman envoys land uninvited on the Southeast coast of the island of Britannia in Apollo's Raven, book one in The Curse of Clansmen and Kings, a series by Linnea Tanner. The book centers around Celtic King Amren and Queen Rhiannon, leaders of the Cantiaci tribe, and their youngest daughter, Princess Catrin. An unlikely princess, Catrin has been trained as a warrior and is viewed as an equal by the Cantiaci men, a view not shared by their uninvited Roman guests.
The tale opens with Catrin using her newly found mystical powers to harness her spirit animal, the Raven, and swoop low over the cliffs to observe Roman warships disembarking on her people’s coast. Even more shocking is the sight of her banished half-brother, Marrock, who appears to be with them. Catrin races toward the Cantiaci capital to warn her parents, only to find that Romans have already arrived. Senator Lucius Antonius, direct descendant of Mark Antony, and his son Marcellus have come to secure King Amren’s fealty to the Roman Empire and to arrange negotiations with King Cunobelin of the Catuvellauni.
King Amren leaves Queen Rhiannon to rule while he accompanies the senator to meet with Cunobelin, allowing his eldest daughter, Vala, to be held by the rival king as surety during their negotiations. In turn, Marcellus agrees to stay with the Cantiaci until an agreement is met. Catrin and Marcellus are both instructed by their fathers to elicit information from the other and while spending time together, a romance soon develops.
Apollo’s Raven is filled with twists, turns, and political intrigue. You learn that Catrin’s brother was banished from the Isle after performing a horrific act when Catrin was young and then abandoning her in the forest. You also learn that King Amren beheaded his first wife, the powerful Druidess Rhan, while their son Marrock looked on. In her final moments, Rhan placed a curse on Amren’s kingdom. Are Catrin’s newly developing abilities Rhan’s curse coming to fruition? Will Amren’s spiritual advisor, Agrona, be able to teach Catrin to harness her powers and counter the curse? There is also the matter of Marrock, who has married rival King Catuvellauni’s daughter. Is he aligning himself with Catuvellauni, the Roman senator, or does he plan to outwit them both?
This story unfolds on many levels. We watch the political alliances, ambitions, and plots of ancient leaders develop. We learn about the ancient beliefs of the Celts and Romans, Druidic magic, shape-shifting, and the ability to prophesy. We also witness the dynamics in multiple relationships: husband and wife, sister and sister, mother and daughter. Would-be lovers Catrin and Marcellus experience an instant attraction for one another, but are burdened by their fathers’ directives, loyalty to their people, and the knowledge that their time together is brief. Ms. Tanner blends all of these story lines together seamlessly.
While Apollo's’ Raven has all of the components necessary for a great fantasy series, it fell a little short for me. While reading historical fiction, I hope to be immersed in the past. Words like “hooligans,” modern cursing, and comparing a Roman to “a boxer” jolted me back to the present. (As far as I can tell, the word “boxer” wasn’t used until the 1600s.) I understood that the book would contain fantastical elements, but hoped it would stay more true to ancient Roman times. In her Author’s Note, Tanner acknowledges that there is little known about the Celtic people. However, I find it unlikely that women of 24 A.D., in a northern climate, would wear britches with revealing tops. For these reasons, and because I’ve read more compelling series, I rate Linnea Tanner’s Apollo’s Raven 3 out of 4 stars. I realize that I am in the minority on this one. I still found it a worthwhile read and recommend it to those who enjoy fantasy over history. (I’d rate it a 3 ½ out of 4 stars if I could!)
There are a few explicit sexual scenes, and one rather disturbing ritualistic scene, which make this book inappropriate for the young and faint of heart. I only found a few awkward phrasings, and believe the book to be professionally edited. It may be semantics, but “Historical Fantasy” seems to be a more accurate genre for this book.
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Apollo's Raven
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