Review by HannahsReads -- Apollo's Raven by Linnea Tanner
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Review by HannahsReads -- Apollo's Raven by Linnea Tanner
[Following is a volunteer review of "Apollo's Raven" by Linnea Tanner.]
Apollo’s Raven, by Linnea Tanner, is the first book in a sweeping tale of magic, revenge, and forbidden love. Catrin is a warrior-princess in a Celtic tribe who finds herself torn between her duty to her family and her feelings for the young Roman her father holds hostage. With war looming on the horizon, Catrin discovers that she is a conduit for the power of an old curse decreed against her father. Her newly discovered supernatural powers might mean danger to herself and her family, or possible salvation from the dual threats of Rome and the magical curse. Catrin must decide if she can risk exploring her druidic gifts in order to protect her people.
Catrin is a three dimensional and compelling main character. She is a girl struggling to understand a frightening power, a warrior trained to protect her people, a devoted daughter, and a woman falling in love for the first time. Besides the strength of the characterization, I found the richness of historical detail and descriptions quite impressive. The author shows a real depth of historical knowledge, using accurate Latin terms and vivid descriptions of Celtic settings and daily life, such as describing what a chariot looked like and how horses were trained and driven. The blend of mythology, druidic ritual, and fantasy elements that the author incorporates into the historical setting is also fascinating (though sometimes gruesome).
I truly enjoyed reading this well-researched historical fantasy novel, but I did find the villain rather boring. The main villain is Catrin’s half-brother Marrock, who uses his inherited druidic powers for evil, committing atrocities in pursuit of revenge. Revenge is a strong motive for a villain, but Marrock seems unilaterally evil and becomes predictable and boring as a result.
I would caution readers that this book portrays historically accurate levels of war violence, graphic magic rituals, and explicit romantic interludes. As a reader of fantasy I didn’t find any of these elements to be gratuitous or unexpected, but I would definitely classify Apollo’s Raven as closer to Game of Thrones than Chronicles of Narnia when it comes to adult content.
This is the start of a promising series. The book is very well edited; I would rate it 4 out of 4 stars. I would recommend it to readers who like fantasy novels along the lines of A Touch of Stone and Snow, by Mila Vane, A Promise of Fire, by Amanda Bouchet, and Hounded, by Kevin Hearne.
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Apollo's Raven
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Apollo’s Raven, by Linnea Tanner, is the first book in a sweeping tale of magic, revenge, and forbidden love. Catrin is a warrior-princess in a Celtic tribe who finds herself torn between her duty to her family and her feelings for the young Roman her father holds hostage. With war looming on the horizon, Catrin discovers that she is a conduit for the power of an old curse decreed against her father. Her newly discovered supernatural powers might mean danger to herself and her family, or possible salvation from the dual threats of Rome and the magical curse. Catrin must decide if she can risk exploring her druidic gifts in order to protect her people.
Catrin is a three dimensional and compelling main character. She is a girl struggling to understand a frightening power, a warrior trained to protect her people, a devoted daughter, and a woman falling in love for the first time. Besides the strength of the characterization, I found the richness of historical detail and descriptions quite impressive. The author shows a real depth of historical knowledge, using accurate Latin terms and vivid descriptions of Celtic settings and daily life, such as describing what a chariot looked like and how horses were trained and driven. The blend of mythology, druidic ritual, and fantasy elements that the author incorporates into the historical setting is also fascinating (though sometimes gruesome).
I truly enjoyed reading this well-researched historical fantasy novel, but I did find the villain rather boring. The main villain is Catrin’s half-brother Marrock, who uses his inherited druidic powers for evil, committing atrocities in pursuit of revenge. Revenge is a strong motive for a villain, but Marrock seems unilaterally evil and becomes predictable and boring as a result.
I would caution readers that this book portrays historically accurate levels of war violence, graphic magic rituals, and explicit romantic interludes. As a reader of fantasy I didn’t find any of these elements to be gratuitous or unexpected, but I would definitely classify Apollo’s Raven as closer to Game of Thrones than Chronicles of Narnia when it comes to adult content.
This is the start of a promising series. The book is very well edited; I would rate it 4 out of 4 stars. I would recommend it to readers who like fantasy novels along the lines of A Touch of Stone and Snow, by Mila Vane, A Promise of Fire, by Amanda Bouchet, and Hounded, by Kevin Hearne.
******
Apollo's Raven
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
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