R is for Ravens
Hello! Hope the summer is treating you well! School broke up this week but as part of the SLT I’m still finishing off some tasks at school. Once that is done, I intend to dive into editing Quest of Ghosts and Dragons. Wish me luck as it needs some re-writing – looks like it will take all summer.
In the meantime, Dawn of Purple and Grey is on sale this weekend. If you’ve wished to read book one of the Hyllethan Gifts Trilogy this might be a great time to do so. And of course all my novels are always free through KU.
Enough said about my work 
. Today’s fantasy creature is the raven. While practically all the creatures I’m mentioned in these posts only exist in fantasy or in myths, ravens have fascinated people throughout the world and several fantasy characteristics have been attributed to this creature.
R is for Ravens
Perhaps because of their black features, ravens are often linked to death and dark omens, as well as believed to be harbingers of death and murder. Incidentally, even Shakespeare often used ravens to create a sense of evil and doom, as seen in Macbeth, for example.
Ravens are sharply intelligent and have sometimes been gifted with the ability to foretell the future. As such, they are often in the employ of mages and gods.
In Celtic legends, the goddess Morrigan often took on the form of a raven.
In other instances, they are tricksters or vessels for spirits.
For more information on these fascinating birds, I urge you to read the following:
References: https://thoughtsonfantasy.com/2017/02/28/crows-and-ravens-in-fantasy/; https://treesforlife.org.uk/into-the-forest/trees-plants-animals/birds/raven/; https://www.learnreligions.com/the-magic-of-crows-and-ravens-2562511
Books You Might Like
For lovers of all things fantasy… FREE BOOKS
And Free through KU…
Some self-promo!
When sixteen-year-old Shael helps a mortally wounded messenger, he entrusts her with delivering to the queen three magical statuettes stolen from the Hyllethans, her country’s feared enemies. But Shael accidentally cuts her fingers while handling the statuettes and magic links her to them—any breakage or pressure on the clay is felt on her flesh. Shael’s fate is now inexorably tied to the Hyllethans, the statuettes, and the political turmoil in the land.
A terrified girl with a deadly ability. A penniless soldier who loves her. A lord with the power of life and death over them.
For seventeen years, Maia, a promising acolyte of the Goddess of Light, has hidden her unholy ability to conjure flames. But when she performs in the temple’s Summer Solstice ceremony, the Emperor’s envoy, Lord Quei, tells her he knows her secret. Quei threatens to enslave Vane, the young man Maia loves, and execute her as a demon unless Maia recovers coins that were stolen from him. He claims these will reveal Maia’s true nature and restore their memories of who he and Maia were in previous lives.
To save herself and Vane, Maia goes against her principles and resorts to deceit and thievery in her search for both the coins and the truth about her fire. But if what Quei says is true, the coins will destroy her beliefs about who she is, the nature of her world, and even worse, Vane’s trust and love.
How do you choose between protecting your family or following your heart?
Maia, her family, and Ryse, the love of her several lives, are desperate to reach their spacecraft and return to their home planet. Only Ryse’s presence there can prevent a devastating war from erupting. But Maia’s heart is torn: the spacecraft is too small to take them all and leaving means abandoning family members in a land ravaged by conflict and rebellion.
Their plans are further thrown into disarray when they attract the attention of General Dardarin, who suspects they are enemy spies.
With the enemy armed with alien weapons, with the rebellion entangling Maia in its web and with Dardarin following their every move, Maia races against the clock to find a way to protect all those she loves on both worlds. Even if it means sacrificing her happiness and her centuries-long love for Ryse.
Colours of Fantasy (FREE DOWNLOAD)
Not enough time to read, but love fantasy?
Colours of Fantasy is an anthology of short stories that range from magical realism to sci-fi fantasy. They are short enough to be easily read while commuting or during a lunch break. Read about paintings that are truer than true-to-life, or the heart-wrenching decision Poseidon’s human son-in-law has to take, or perhaps you’ll prefer a glimpse of life after an apocalypse, or a story about a space pirate with an uncomfortable past.
And if you like longer reads, Colours of Fantasy gives you a taste of Book One of two series: The Hyllethan Gifts Trilogy and Fire Dance Chronicles.
Till next time! Wishing you a great two weeks with a good book!
Caroline
P.S. If you’ve read any of my novels, I would really, REALLY appreciate a review for the book/s, even if it’s not a great one! Ratings are also gratefully received. It really helps other fans of fantasy to decide whether to pick up the book or not.
