3 out of 4 stars
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Apollo's Raven takes place in Britannia during the year 24 CE. Two rival Celtic clans are entering negotiations with the help of Rome but there is betrayal and lies from all involved. Catrin is a Celtic princess with powers from the ancient Druids running through her veins. Marcellus is the great-great grandson of Marc Antony. Together they must learn who can be trusted from both sides, fight a curse cast by an evil queen who was beheaded by the king and keep Catrin’s banished brother from taking away the throne.
Apollo's Raven is a unique story mixing history with mythology from two different civilizations. We are reminded several times of the contrast between Roman beliefs and those of the Celts. The Roman Empire is a patriarchal society where as the Celts practiced equality. The females in Britannia are trained as warriors alongside the males, which does not sit well with the Romans. This causes several problems throughout the story.
The plot is well defined. The author took time to research the setting and history which helps the reader visualize the surroundings and character details. You also see the storyline through several different points of view, not just Catrin's view, which helps to bring the story together. There were plot twists throughout and kept me intrigued to find out what was going to happen next. I do feel that some of the characters that were introduced in the beginning were lost somewhere in the story, as we do not see them or their points of view after they serve their purpose. I hope to see more of them in the next book.
I feel that this story covered many different genres and would appeal to different audiences. It has historical qualities, romance, magic, betrayal, and torture. There are some scenes that are not for weak stomaches. There are also some insinuations and situations, involving Marrock and Catrin, that may be difficult for some readers.
The relationships in the book are strained and complicated. Marcellus tries to make his father happy but at the cost of his own happiness and against his better judgement, due to his father's ambitions. Catrin's family is strong and held together in the beginning but when the Roman's show up, their loyalty to each other is tested. Catrin and Marcellus have a hard time deciding if they can trust each other, due to the fact that their families are enemies. Also, the Romans are very superstitious and Catrin's powers scare Marcellus. Marcellus has an internal struggle several times in the book over Catrin's power and his beliefs.
I found very few editing mistakes and plan to buy the next book in the series. I give this book 3 out of 4 stars.
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Apollo's Raven
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