Book Review - Raven's Ladder

OVERVIEW:

Following the beacon of Auralia's colors and the footsteps of a mysterious dream-creature, King Cal-raven has discovered a destination for his weary crowd of refugees. It's a city only imagined in legendary tales. And it gives him hope to establish New Abascar. But when Cal-raven is waylaid by fortune hunters, his people become vulnerable to a danger more powerful than the prowling beastment - House Bel Amica. In this oceanside kingdom of wealth, enchatment, and beauty, deceitful Seers are all too eager to ensnare House Abascar's wandering throng. Even worse, the Bel Amicans have discovered Auralia's colors, and are twisting a language of faith into a lie of corruption and control. If there is any hope for the people of Abascar, it lies in the courage of Cyndere, daughter of Bel Amica's queen; the strenth of Jordam the beastman; and the fiery gifts of the ale boy, who is devising a rescue for prisoners of the savage Cent Regus beastmen. As his faith suffers one devastating blow after another, Cal-raven's journey is a perilous climb from despair to a faint gleam of hope - the vision he sees in Auralia's colors.

MY REVIEW:

This book is the third book in the Auralia Thread and, for me, the one way to tell a good book and author is if a book, that is part of a series, can stand alone without reading the books before it. This does and in a big way. I'm always a little trepidicious about reading books that are part of a series. Will I know what's going on? Will I be able to figure out the characters without having read the previous books? With this book, the answer is a big YES! The book pulled me in with the first page and I was barely able to put it down (here's where I put a disclaimer-beware reading this before you go to sleep or you may not be able to put it down to sleep!) because the story was so good and the characters so real, I really cared what happened next.

I'm not usually a big fantasy-fiction fan (although, I enjoyed the Narnia books) but with this book, I can honestly say I am. I love the story of faith woven throughout the book and the real thoughts and feelings these charaters had as they were tested and tried. It was also interesting how some people, in the book, took a belief and changed it to mean something completely different than the truth.

Now I have to get the first two books. I enjoyed this book that much. I think you will, too.

You can purchase this book here.

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This book was provided to me for review by WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group

God bless you ~ Julie