3 out of 4 stars
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This is a review of the book Raven’s Peak – Book I, World on Fire by Lincoln Cole, which is available in Amazon under ‘Horror’ and ‘Fantasy’ sections.
‘Haatim’, son of an official of a secret group named 'The Council’ is being chased by demons of another group named ‘The Ninth Circle’. The demons want to possess Haatim to get some things done on Earth which they cannot do by themselves. Meanwhile, ‘Abigail’ of ‘The Hunters’ group that does field work for The Council is followed by Haatim. They meet under dangerous circumstances while Haatim is being chased by the demons. ‘Frieda’, a valued member of The Council, summons Abigail to go to Raven’s Peak in the Smokey Mountains, USA, where The Council has detected some unusual activity. Does Haatim escape from the clutches of the demons? What does Raven’s Peak have in store? Who are these people from The Council and the demons of The Ninth Circle? - these are some of the questions that make the reader expectantly read the book!
The story sets off at a superb pace that’s comparable to an action thriller movie! Demons creating havoc, guns blazing, bullets being sprayed while the protagonists navigate through the mazes of danger make the reader wide-eyed and flip the pages in anticipation. Abigail’s deep yearnings to find her foster father ‘Arthur’ who stood up against Evil has been well narrated. Arthur’s brave actions and the circumstances in which he had to part with Abigail are well described. The interlude about the Raven’s Peak creates a longing in the reader to experience the beauty and the serenity of the Smokey Mountains foothills. The final episode of spelunking is an additional bonus to an already thrilling story!
There are some musings about religion in the book. This reviewer particularly liked the one which says “Religion is the lens through which you view the world”. There are some interesting narrations about mystical abilities of Arthur being able to possess another human being, Abigail’s ability to get in touch with a demon in another world, etc. The author has also expressed his thoughts on social media issues - “doctored footage and trending topics mean people will believe anything they are told.” He infuses values like exercising regularly for staying limber and responding to situations when one’s help and expertise is needed. He sums up Evil as thus: “Standing by and watching people suffer and die when you know you can help them.”
The key events of the story have been articulated well. The storyline is very clear. The reader is able to remember and relate to the key turning points in the story. The formatting is pretty good throughout the book. There are no spelling mistakes that this reviewer has spotted in this book. There are some gory parts in the story which may need parental guidance for children and adolescents.
There are several mechanical errors which could have been easily detected and corrected by thorough proofreading. There are awkward word usages – “I need for you to delete” instead of “I need you to delete” in Chapter 3, wrong word usages – “someone asked” instead of “someone called” in Chapter 1, “he knew how must look” instead of “he knew how he would look” in Chapter 1, grammar errors - “this should be impossible to keep hidden” instead of “this should be impossible to be kept hidden” in Chapter 8, missing words – “here’s hoping” should be “here’s me hoping” in Chapter 1, punctuation errors - a period missing after the sentence that ends “could tell it was powerful” in Chapter 16, and a redundant quotation mark after “how hard could it be” in Chapter 1.
This reviewer recommends this book for mature adults. The story length is apt for most readers. There are great narrations of horror, fantasy and action that keep the reader enthralled throughout the book. This story is a treat to a thriller novel reader. This reviewer could have given this book a 4 out of 4 stars. Because of the mechanical errors and some gory content that is not suitable for children and adolescents, this reviewer is giving this book a 3 out of 4 stars.
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Raven's Peak
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