Raven's Shadow

Ravens Shadow, Patricia Briggs, Ace Books New York Book Review "Do you believe in magic?" I did after I read Ravens Shadow by Patricia Briggs. This book is about a soldier named Tier who is returning from the war and meets a traveler named Seraph. Tier and Seraph travel back to Redern Tier's hometown. Tier is welcomed there but Seraph is not. So to save Seraph from being executed, Tier makes the decision to marry Seraph. They start a farm a couple minutes away from Redern and raise a family there. They have three children Jes, Lehr, and Rinnie. One winter Tier goes trapping and gets kidnapped along the way. Seraph eventually finds out and must go to Taela, the capital city, to rescue Tier and save her family. Along the way Seraph meets many friends including Phoran the 27th, the clan of Rongier the Librarian, and Hennea a sole traveler such as Seraph is. This book is full of wonderful adventures, lots of magic, and many climaxes. There are many characters in this book. Seraph is a traveler, a person who travels and protects non travelers from danger. She is the sole survivor from her traveler clan of Isolda the Silent. She is a raven, which is an order of traveler status that makes her a traveler wizard. She is very stubborn, headstrong, and intelligent, all which help her on her journey to rescue Tier. Seraph is important to this story because she adds a lot of excitement, fun, and her own taste of magic. Tier is also an order bearer, though he is not a traveler. Tier is an owl also known as a bard. He is very good with people and is a good singer. Tier is also very intelligent but is calm and patient unlike Seraph. He is important to this story because although he is held hostage he plays a big role. Both of these characters are believable because I can relate to them in some way or another. This book is definitely fantasy because of all the magic and types of creatures in it. I would recommend this book to Middle through High schoolers. I would rate this book a 9 out of 10. I would rate it this because it has lots of magic and exciting battles in it. This book will keep you reading because it is bubbling with interest all the way to the top. Patricia Briggs came up with many new twists and turns throughout the book so that your attention will surely be held, mine was. If you read this book I will guarantee it will make you believe in magic too.

The tone, the plot, the charcters, the setting...all orginal as far in as I can see. The characters, the most important element in a story, besides originality, are so well developed, and I cried with them, laughed with them, and loved them. The tale was enchanting and different, and even though it isn't a masterpiece, probably like 4.5 stars, its good enough to be a must read by anyone who likes magic and animals, heroes, and unique places and scenes, and love stories... read this book, it's where you'll find it all. (Recomended to all shapeshifting animal lovers with a flare for meeting gentlemanlike characters.) I am now looking forward to all of Briggs' novels, and hope that after you read Raven's Shadow (a truly marevlous work) you will too!

Seraph is a young girl and traveller, a mage with strong magic powers. However travellers are hated, her brother is burned in a pyre and Seraph herself almost sold as a slave. Enter farmer soldier Tier on his way home after making his fortune, He stops by, is captivated by the spirited girl, buys her and brings her home. At Tier's home, she is the target of much suspicion. To keep her Tier offers to marry. Seraph agrees. Twenty years of happy married life passes by; then suddenly Seraph is told that Tier was killed in an accident. Seraph uses magic to find that this is untrue and that Tier is imprisoned in the king's palace. My husband has done nothing wrong, Injustice!! Seraph with her three children sets off to save her husband. I love this book because of the love shown between husband, wife and children. I particularly liked the part where husband and wife finally rejoin. I wanted to tell you that I love you; says Seraph. Did I have to get myself kidnapped and taken to jail in order to get you to say you loved me? Well it's worth it. Says Tier. Seraph cries. The story is laced with such heartwarming episodes. In the story it turnes out that the king is innocent and Seraph ends up battling the evil sorcerer magician who is caretaker to the king. But this is just the backdrop; this is really a story of familly love between Tier, Seraph and the three children. The writer Patricia Briggs has a special tallent for creating strong willed endearing female characters who are totally believable. Seraph is such a character. I thing all readers will enjoy this story.

Usually I don't pick up an author's later books, since usually they seem to decline in writing ability. I picked it up, however, since it sounded intriguing. After a few months of sitting on my shelf, I finally began to read it, and had it finished within the next day. What a nice break in the cliche fantasy out there. Of course there was romance (I wouldn't read it if it wasn't), but it had a different feel than other stories. The main character get married, even though they aren't really in love, and grow on each other. Usually in a situation like this, the two will spite each other, then fall in love. That's not the case here; they have an understanding with each other, almost a friendship. It makes the scenario almost plausible. The characters have wonderful and believable personalities, once again making them more understandable. I love a fantasy book that relates to my emotions on a normal level, simply because they're so hard to find. The plot is exciting, with lulls in just the right places, and an ending that granted, makes me ask for more, but I could put it down and be happy with no sequel (I can't stand ambiguous endings). I really grew on the characters, so I was hoping that she'd continue with them, but that doesn't seem to be her style. All in all, a great read for a fantasy lover, especially if you aren't ready to pick up a new series yet. EDIT* Just found out there will be a sequel to this! I wasn't expecting this, so maybe thats why I'm so excited. It's called Raven's Strike, and it comes out July 26th, 2005 straight into paperback. Thought I'd let you know ;)

After nine years of fighting the Shadowed, a powerful wizard and his armies, Tier is coming home. When he stays at an inn he saves the life of a Traveler, a powerful mage in a land that hates people who use magic. When they arrive at his village, he marries the mage Seraph and they start out their married life farming a piece of land nobody else would touch. They have three children all of whom have different Talents and they are relatively happy until Tier doesn't return home after a season of trapping. The leaders of the village tell her Tier is dead but when she and her children investigate the remains, they are magically able to ascertain that the burned body is not Seraph's husband. After fighting a priest and her brother in law who is Shadowed, she learns that her husband was taken to the Emperor's palace in Taela by the Secret Path, a shadow organization of second and third sons who strip the powers of the Talented and use it for their own purposes. Seraph, with the help of other Travelers intends to free her husband but when she arrives at the palace, Tier informs her they must break the power of the Secret Path in order to save the Empire from their behind the scenes rule. Patricia Briggs is a talented storyteller who enchants her audience with a spellbinding tale. The people who are shadowed are open to the Stalker, an evil entity created by the wizards of Colossae. The few wizards who survived the destruction of the city, a necessary actin needed to bind the Stalker so he won't destroy the human race are sent out into the world as Travelers to fight the evil entities that the Stalker leaks into the world. Saraph, who for two decades, led a normal life, realizes she must fight the Shadowed that is loose in the world in order to avoid another war. This courageous character is only one of the reason's Raven's Shadow is going on this reviewer's keeper shelf. Harriet Klausner