Call of the Raven

Yes, this is a fairly dark story with slavery and death and hunting ivory and seeking revenge on the one who killed your first love, but I enjoyed reading it. I guess it was the allure of Mungo St. John, who many women find irresistible. He is a tormented dashing man who will go to any lengths and cross any lines to seek revenge against Chester Marion for stealing all that he loved and destroying it. I liked the other characters in this book, especially Camille and Tippoo. Both are strong characters, one who stands by Mungo because he showed him kindness and the other because she survived, even in the terrible situation that she was in. This was a good prequel book and it kinda makes me interested in seeing what the rest of the series is like.

Thank you so much to Bookish First for the ARC of Call of the Raven in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own. This book is a prequel to the Smith Ballantyne series and gives a little history to the character Mungo St. John and his origins. The son of a wealthy plantation owner and a doting mother, Mungo St John is used to the wealth and luxuries his privilege has afforded him. As he moves through the book and struggles with his own fate and misfortunes he finds he must question what it takes to survive. Overall this is a wonderfully written historical novel that is action-packed and gives the reader a lot to consider. The characters are amazing and the reader finds a connection and a care. I highly recommend.