Divided, the land of Chem hangs in the balance. In the west the Ravens seek to bring safety to women, and an end to slavery. In the east the remaining covens cling to their power, refusing to give up their way of life to foreign invaders. Across both lands the priests whisper and plot, their gods a shadowy threat hanging over them all.
To protect their young family, Kesta and Jorrun have made their home in the Raven Tower of Elden. Unable to abandon their responsibility or friends, they remain embroiled in the fight to the north. Whilst peace and friendship blossom between the Fulmers, Borrows and Elden, the arrival of strangers turns the court of Taurmaline upside down.
The history of the Fire-walkers is about to catch up with them, and the Fire-spirit’s truth will be revealed.
Purchase Links
UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Raven-Storm-Fire-Walker-Book-3-ebook/dp/B08BWK1QJZ
US - https://www.amazon.com/Raven-Storm-Fire-Walker-Book-3-ebook/dp/B08BWK1QJZ
Review
Intrigue, magic, and tangled relationships
Are you a fan of high fantasy but tired of the grimdark anyone-can-die and everyone-is-awful trends running high at the moment? Do you yearn for clashes between good and evil and quests of fire-forged friends through enemy lands? Well, I have a book I think you're going to love.
To be honest, this is the third book in a series I hadn't heard of before, which is an absolute travesty that I plan to rectify. Happily, the author gave enough context that I could jump right in, even with multiple narrators, without drowning the book in explanations.
Kesta and Jorrun are ostensibly the main characters, but this is far more of an ensemble, with old friends and family across the continent. Kesta's mom Dia, her friend Rosa, Jorrun's friend/king Bractius, and so many more fill the pages. A character list might have been useful, but I managed without it (lbr, scrolling back to character lists is a pain in ebooks). The lack I felt more was that of a map, as there was an awful lot of travelling between places and I couldn't visualise any of it.
There are two conflicts in this book - the ongoing war against misogynistic Eastern Chem (as West Chem was obviously freed in an earlier book) and a mysterious delegation from Geladan following the trail of prophecy. These play out over a number of smaller clashes and storylines across the lands. Hopefully without giving too much away, one is brought to a conclusion but the other sets up a future book (without a cliffhanger, don't worry!).
The prose flows nicely, the engaging plot clips along at a steady pace, and the characters were varied and interesting. I really enjoyed this read and will not only track down the previous but look forward to the next!
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Rachel's Random Resources; all opinions are my own.
I often get asked when I knew I was a writer; the answer is always. A writer is what I am, it's in my soul. There have been times in my life when I couldn't write, and times when my writing has been the only thing that kept me going. I think I always longed for something deeper from life, something more meaningful, and I found it in my imagination and in the music of words.
It was poetry which first caught my attention, and whilst my younger cousins called for ghost stories it was animals I first wrote of. I think I gravitated toward fantasy because of the freedom it gives, I could create my own worlds and decide my own rules. My Wind's Children trilogy was born from an image that came to me whilst daydreaming, of a young man sitting alone below a bridge. I didn't know who he was; it turns out neither did he, but we found out together.
I'm now working on my seventh book and love writing more than ever, it's an addiction, an obsession, but one I now share with my wonderful writing family. My beta readers, my editor, and you, my readers, having you with me on my journey means the world to me.
I write as much as I can around work, but I also try to squeeze in a ridiculous amount of hobbies! I'm a wildlife photographer and do a little archery. I paint, sculpt with clay, withies and driftwood, preferring to be outdoors if I can. I still have a love for the theatre, having started out in life studying backstage crafts, and a great love for language. I speak a little French, Romanian and Italian, ma non molto bene!
Thanks for reading this. If you read any of my books and love them, please come say hello and tell me, you'd be surprised at how much that means to an author.
Take care of yourself.
Em x
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