Review by edbutler17 -- Apollo's Raven by Linnea Tanner

[edbutler17]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Apollo's Raven" by Linnea Tanner.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Apollo's Raven is a fine introduction to Linnea Tanner's Curse of Clansmen and Kings trilogy. It is a story of tragic love between two young adults from different cultures. The Romans have arrived on Britannia and they come with evil intent. One of the Kings, Amren who was handpicked by Rome, has had a curse placed on him and his bloodline. His banished son is working with another King of Britannia to get Rome to overthrow his father and complete the curse. King Amren must go to a meeting between himself, Rome, and the King backing his son so they can avert a war. The Roman diplomat must leave his son behind for assurances. His son, Marcellus, is watched after by King Amren's daughter Catrin who many believe to have powers. While both offspring are ordered to glean information from the other, it is here that the two form a special bond.

The writer mashes together some history with a basic knowledge of Celtic history to give the love story a backdrop filled with action and intrigue. The pace of the story is quick and while the writer includes many twists and turns to her story, there is a lack of attention to some of the secondary characters. This doesn't take away from the overall story, but on occasion it does slow it down. Many of the characters on both sides of the conflict are unlikable and there are times when the reader may find it hard to root for any of the characters. However, in the end, the reader can see how each character influenced the direction the writer needed the characters to go.

Tanner does a good job of including the magic and beliefs of both civilizations in the story. She writes with a quick pace, that the reader should find enjoyable and smooth. She does a good job writing action, and when incorporating magic into her work it mostly feels natural. Her dialogue is fine for the most part but at times, it can come across a bit wooden.

All that being said, I give Apollo's Raven 3 out of 4 stars and would recommend it to people who enjoy historical romances and romances with an action/adventure theme. The book does what it set out to do; it sets up the world well for the trilogy and the story reads well. When I finished I was intrigued enough to look for book two in the series.

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Apollo's Raven
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