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

JFrancis · Post by **JFrancis** » 15 Sep 2017, 18:02

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

3 out of 4 stars

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Apollo’s Raven by Linnea Tanner is an interesting historical fiction romp. Set in Brittania during the Roman conquest, it is full of mystery, intrigue, and romantic drama. It centers on the life of a chieftain’s daughter, Catrin. When Roman officials arrive on the shores of her father’s land to, ostensibly, work out a peace treaty, Catrin finds herself assigned as guardian of a Roman senator’s son, Marcellus. During their time together in her village, Catrin and Marcellus are strongly drawn to each other.

However, other forces are at work. Catrin is not merely an ordinary chieftain’s daughter. She is, in fact, gifted with mystical powers that few understand, powers just emerging and over which she has little control. Catrin fears what will ensue as her powers develop further, struggling to protect her family from ruin.

Even as she struggles to understand her role in her society and her growing affection for Marcellus, Catrin is also aware of another threat. It is that of Marrock, her brother. Banished from the kingdom and bitter about his exile, rumor has it that Marrock seeks to ally with Rome and conquer her father’s kingdom by force. Catrin fears what will happen if Marrock gains control.

This book, as the first in a series, does a good job of opening the theme and establishing setting. It provides adequate background information about the characters while drawing the reader into the action. Although I found it slow at first, its conclusion built into a spellbinding crescendo. I am interested in learning more about the lives of the people Linnea Tanner has created. It is also, save a few minor discrepancies, historically accurate to the time period.

I especially appreciate reading books about strong female characters, and Catrin is an interesting one. While her sisters pale in comparison, Tanner’s protagonist leaps off the manuscript and surprises us with her intelligence and resilience. As for the general plot, it had enough twists to keep a reader happy and engaged. Although predictable at times, it tends to provide something exciting throughout the majority of the book.

In general, I would recommend this book to adult readers of historical fiction. I really enjoyed the opening quotes in each chapter. There are a few place and people names that are hard to understand, but they do not detract from the overall plot. However, I did notice a few typos, such as “demur” for “demure,” a redundant word in a sentence in Chapter 38, and one sentence in Chapter 29 that is missing a noun. There were some grammatical errors that were a distraction to the reader., as well as some gratuitous mature content. However, the plot is sound and the characters relateable. Because of this, I would give Apollo’s Raven a rating of 3 out of 4 stars. This is a good book and a promising start for a new series.

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Apollo's Raven
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