The Short
Mark of the Raven
The Ravenwood Saga, Book 1
By: Morgan L. Busse
5/5 Stars
What: In a world where the ruling houses have supernatural gifts, the heiress of one house must decide how to best utilize her family's long-kept secret.
Recommended to those who like: Fantasy, Christian, Assassins
The Long
Morgan L. Busse doesn't readily come to my mind when I think of my favorite authors, but she really should, especially after this opening to her latest Christian fantasy series. It was absurdly close to making it onto my favorites shelf, and it may eventually work its way there when I re-read it.
Lady Selene of House Ravenwood has a secret that no one can know. Ravenwood, long thought to be the only ruling house without a supernatural gift, holds one of the most powerful gifts of all--dreamwalking. They've been using it to gather information from people's dreams for the past few centuries and Lady Selene is now thrust into the position of using her gift for her house's benefit.
But when the time comes to choose between her house's benefit and the good of the entire kingdom, what will she choose?
This book was darkly captivating and heart-wrenching at some points. I really like Selene and how three-dimensional she is when she has to face the various moral quandries presented to her in this book. She feels real, with conflicted emotions, but she has enough drive that she doesn't come across as wishy-washy.
The world-building in this book is also fantastic. Unlike many Christian books, multiple religions are presented and they aren't so clear-cut as to be unrealistic. The different houses and their heads are fleshed out enough to make it feel like a real world without being overwhelming to the reader.
The Bottom Line: I would highly recommend this book to fans of Christian fantasy who are looking for a darker, richer tale of how to deal with moral dilemmas. Due to some mentions of adult themes, I would recommend it to teens and up.
Looking for more by Morgan L. Busse? Check out my reviews of her other fantasy series and her steampunk novels.
