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The Reckoning #1
Shadow of the Raven
Ambassador Edric Saran is having an uncommonly rough year. Living as an exile in Tressia, the city of his ancestral enemies, he’s surrounded by a bodyguard he doesn’t trust, and expected to do a job that no one – least of all Edric himself – takes very seriously. When Edric becomes the chief suspect in a murder, he and a young noblewoman join forces in order to bring the real killer to account.
But Edric soon realises the murder was only one strand in a tangled web of mortal and immortal scheming. Hunted by the law, and pursued by vengeful servants of half-forgotten gods, Edric soon learns that there’s more at stake than clearing his name. Will he discover the truth before the Shadow of the Raven descends upon the world, and the war between the living and the dead begins?
But Edric soon realises the murder was only one strand in a tangled web of mortal and immortal scheming. Hunted by the law, and pursued by vengeful servants of half-forgotten gods, Edric soon learns that there’s more at stake than clearing his name. Will he discover the truth before the Shadow of the Raven descends upon the world, and the war between the living and the dead begins?
572 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 30, 2013
3 people are currently reading
192 people want to read
About the author
Matthew Ward
58 books431 followersMatthew Ward is a writer, cat-servant and owner of more musical instruments than he can actually play (and considerably more than he can play well). He’s afflicted with an obsession for old places – castles, historic cities and the London Underground chief amongst them – and should probably cultivate more interests to help expand out his author biography.
After a decade serving as a principal architect for Games Workshop’s Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000 properties, Matthew embarked on an adventure to tell stories set in worlds of his own design. He lives near Nottingham with his extremely patient wife – as well as a pride of attention-seeking cats – and writes to entertain anyone who feels there’s not enough magic in the world.
After a decade serving as a principal architect for Games Workshop’s Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000 properties, Matthew embarked on an adventure to tell stories set in worlds of his own design. He lives near Nottingham with his extremely patient wife – as well as a pride of attention-seeking cats – and writes to entertain anyone who feels there’s not enough magic in the world.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
October 12, 2017
I don't understand why more folk aren't talking about this? I really really enjoyed it - so much so that I've just started the second which only just released.
It's fast paced with a lot going on, both mystery and action, and humour! There's a brilliantly diverse cast in this fantasy story, which is largely set in one city, but does delve out later in the book - as well as delving elsewhere, but I won't give anything away on that.
The bad guys keep you guessing as to whether they're really bad or not and there's no clear sides at times, in a good way. There's black and white, good and bad and then the grey area in-between, which several characters sit in. Magic and mayhem, monsters and more, I recommend this to fans of all of those things as well as a good mystery that has you guessing and second guessing who is doing what and why.
Check it out!
**I was given a free review copy of this book for an honest review**
It's fast paced with a lot going on, both mystery and action, and humour! There's a brilliantly diverse cast in this fantasy story, which is largely set in one city, but does delve out later in the book - as well as delving elsewhere, but I won't give anything away on that.
The bad guys keep you guessing as to whether they're really bad or not and there's no clear sides at times, in a good way. There's black and white, good and bad and then the grey area in-between, which several characters sit in. Magic and mayhem, monsters and more, I recommend this to fans of all of those things as well as a good mystery that has you guessing and second guessing who is doing what and why.
Check it out!
**I was given a free review copy of this book for an honest review**
July 8, 2019
2.5 stars.
July 21, 2018
Matthew Ward asked me to read his book "Shadow of the Raven". It's about Edric Saran, a foreign ambassador, investigating the death of a friend and through that getting involved with supernatural happenings such as crossing between dimensions and conflicts between deities. I will examine plot, characters, and polish, and then assign a grade.
PLOT
This is a growing plot. The way that it builds upon itself from the murder of a scholar to a titanic cross world climax is impressive. It's like you look back and "Whoa! The Caterpillar has become a butterfly!"
It's a strong use of the macguffin trope. The fragments of the portal stone are collected, assembled and put to use in the second act. While it remains important through the entire work, its use and purpose shifts. It is, in other words, not a mere trinket for the heroes and villains to fight over.
It's quite the well structured plot. Heroes and villains each take action as appropriate to their situation and take care to determine multiple possible responses and ways to advance. When a character is passed the Idiot Ball, the narration is fully aware of this and quickly explains why this action is/was appropriate to the character's temperament. It also adds to a sense of foreboding. Narrations says something like " X did something foolish and it led to tragedy" and I was like "Oh no, what happened?!"
Additionally, the use of Chekhov's Gun is fantastic. The number of seemingly inconsequential things that are set up in advance to become important later shows how well thought out the story is and it also provides a nice pay-off when the reader makes the connection.
The story feels both very long and also, shall I say "full extended" in that it left no stone unturned in developing itself and its characters. It took me a while to read it all and I enjoyed every page because of this fullness to character and setting.
There is a fantastic closure to the conflict. It's a great sense of resolution for the fantasy epic main plot line while at the same time leaves open the possibility of future clashes with the villains. It also creates a nice Maybe Ever After for the romantic sub plot.
CHARACTERS
The male lead is Edric Saran, a snarky gentleman. On Tvtropes, we'd call him a knight in sour armor because of his grumpy attitude and cynical view matched with inner heroism, and in this case, chivalry. I really like how he develops over the course of the story, both in terms of character growth and also the revelation of his backstory.
The Female Lead is Arawiyn Trelan. She has this haughty princess demeanor that I find appealing. Matched with her determination to do good and stop the evil Solomon, it highlights her noble nature and works as a cap against bitchiness. She has her own character arc separate from the main plot and Edric's own that sees her grow in a remarkable way as well.
The two leads develop this Sword and Sorcery/Lady and Knight dynamic that enriches the narrative. It's fun to read for its own sake but also for the classic nature of it in what appears to be an early modern setting.
As for the villain, one thing that I like about this story is the way it plays around with the notion of who is the Big Bad. Is it Lord Solomon the sinister council chessmaster? Is it Jerrack, the dreaded fae lord of Fellhallow? Is it Maglyen, the god of death? Or is it Arianwyn herself, duping Edric into helping her with a myriad of half-truths and a wounded gazelle image?
I also like Jamar. He's a classic Big Guy with his size and strength, who is also quietly dignified and possessing a similar gentlemanly snark (perhaps butler snark is more accurate) as Edric. Quintus is similar in this regard as the only Lawful Good character here who also possess more hidden depths than "incorruptible law enforcer".
POLISH
No spelling or grammar problems.
This story is written from Edric's first person narration. There's no frame device for it and so I wonder why he's narrating.. However, I also get the sense that he's dictating this story to someone because it has a reflective air to it, as if he's recalling these events years later. It certainly works to the book's sense of humor as Edric's wit is shown in both his narration and his spoken words.
Trickster Eric Novels gives "The Shadow of the Raven" by Matthew Ward an A+
This was a free review request. I received in exchange except a free copy of the book.
PLOT
This is a growing plot. The way that it builds upon itself from the murder of a scholar to a titanic cross world climax is impressive. It's like you look back and "Whoa! The Caterpillar has become a butterfly!"
It's a strong use of the macguffin trope. The fragments of the portal stone are collected, assembled and put to use in the second act. While it remains important through the entire work, its use and purpose shifts. It is, in other words, not a mere trinket for the heroes and villains to fight over.
It's quite the well structured plot. Heroes and villains each take action as appropriate to their situation and take care to determine multiple possible responses and ways to advance. When a character is passed the Idiot Ball, the narration is fully aware of this and quickly explains why this action is/was appropriate to the character's temperament. It also adds to a sense of foreboding. Narrations says something like " X did something foolish and it led to tragedy" and I was like "Oh no, what happened?!"
Additionally, the use of Chekhov's Gun is fantastic. The number of seemingly inconsequential things that are set up in advance to become important later shows how well thought out the story is and it also provides a nice pay-off when the reader makes the connection.
The story feels both very long and also, shall I say "full extended" in that it left no stone unturned in developing itself and its characters. It took me a while to read it all and I enjoyed every page because of this fullness to character and setting.
There is a fantastic closure to the conflict. It's a great sense of resolution for the fantasy epic main plot line while at the same time leaves open the possibility of future clashes with the villains. It also creates a nice Maybe Ever After for the romantic sub plot.
CHARACTERS
The male lead is Edric Saran, a snarky gentleman. On Tvtropes, we'd call him a knight in sour armor because of his grumpy attitude and cynical view matched with inner heroism, and in this case, chivalry. I really like how he develops over the course of the story, both in terms of character growth and also the revelation of his backstory.
The Female Lead is Arawiyn Trelan. She has this haughty princess demeanor that I find appealing. Matched with her determination to do good and stop the evil Solomon, it highlights her noble nature and works as a cap against bitchiness. She has her own character arc separate from the main plot and Edric's own that sees her grow in a remarkable way as well.
The two leads develop this Sword and Sorcery/Lady and Knight dynamic that enriches the narrative. It's fun to read for its own sake but also for the classic nature of it in what appears to be an early modern setting.
As for the villain, one thing that I like about this story is the way it plays around with the notion of who is the Big Bad. Is it Lord Solomon the sinister council chessmaster? Is it Jerrack, the dreaded fae lord of Fellhallow? Is it Maglyen, the god of death? Or is it Arianwyn herself, duping Edric into helping her with a myriad of half-truths and a wounded gazelle image?
I also like Jamar. He's a classic Big Guy with his size and strength, who is also quietly dignified and possessing a similar gentlemanly snark (perhaps butler snark is more accurate) as Edric. Quintus is similar in this regard as the only Lawful Good character here who also possess more hidden depths than "incorruptible law enforcer".
POLISH
No spelling or grammar problems.
This story is written from Edric's first person narration. There's no frame device for it and so I wonder why he's narrating.. However, I also get the sense that he's dictating this story to someone because it has a reflective air to it, as if he's recalling these events years later. It certainly works to the book's sense of humor as Edric's wit is shown in both his narration and his spoken words.
Trickster Eric Novels gives "The Shadow of the Raven" by Matthew Ward an A+
This was a free review request. I received in exchange except a free copy of the book.
January 4, 2014
I'm always on the lookout for new fantasy authors and I think Robert Charles may be one to keep an eye on. Shadow of the Raven began with a burst of fast paced action and the hint of a mystery that hooked me straight in, and then continued to roll out a good story that kept me intrigued as to how all the pieces of the puzzle fitted together right to its epic ending. A good fantasy book that matches its pace and action with strong character development, and a world setting that promises to keep on giving far into the future. Definitely worth a read.
January 7, 2014
I really enjoyed reading Shadow of the Raven. What caught my attention was the witty, self-depreciating narrative of Edric Saran, the lead character. For me this was a refreshing change from some of the fantasy novels I've previously read where our hero can do no wrong. This book has heroes, Gods, magic, enemy states, adventure, humour...need I say more?
January 19, 2017
This is a fantasy book which uses fantasy just how I like it: as a backdrop and twists behind the main characters, their drives, interactions and personalities. Key for me liking this book are the very broad range of characters quickly established as believable people. I was interested in them, enjoyed the dialogue with very well observed moments of humour/romance/confrontation and kept reading frantically to watch them develop and move through the narrative. Matthew Ward has a great knack for writing plausible character reaction and interaction, and it's a joy when some characters are together in certain scenes.
As the fantasy elements appear, they layer into a story which is increasingly complex, but with simple underlying threads to easily follow. It's easy enough to pick back up if you stop reading for a day or so, unlike some sprawling fantasy epics where you forget who was doing what and why. The world is definitely different to ours, but not over the top, just other gods, other legends and a bit of magic and monsters chucked in.
The sample at the end for the next book is a good move, but this story could just as easily stand alone, as you feel you know the characters well enough to envisage what happens when the dust settles. Looking forward to see what he has in store for them though.
As the fantasy elements appear, they layer into a story which is increasingly complex, but with simple underlying threads to easily follow. It's easy enough to pick back up if you stop reading for a day or so, unlike some sprawling fantasy epics where you forget who was doing what and why. The world is definitely different to ours, but not over the top, just other gods, other legends and a bit of magic and monsters chucked in.
The sample at the end for the next book is a good move, but this story could just as easily stand alone, as you feel you know the characters well enough to envisage what happens when the dust settles. Looking forward to see what he has in store for them though.
January 5, 2014
Superb. Sharp, darkly witty and well written.
Fresh fantasy, that's not the stock confused dark ages is hard to come by. This feels more like gothic/renaissance and actually understands it's setting. (I'm sick of fantasy writers using modernisms in their pseudo medieval world).
First person writing is also quite uncommon in fantasy, I find. This gave me a real chance to get to know our protagonist, Edric Saran, and more to the point actually experience how the terrifying events in Shadow of the Raven change him. There are a number of other characters I liked throughout the book (no spoilers coming!) but the cold, wickedly dark god, Malgayn I found utterly compelling. When he walks on to the page, the prose sizzles. I love a good baddie. Not mindless evil, but a character driven by a goal which they will kill for (even if they might enjoy it a bit too).
This is good solid fantasy but with plenty of originality and verve. Great debut for this author. I'll be looking forward to more (there's a trailer for the next at the end!). A treat for the new year. Hope this comes out in physical form sometime.
Fresh fantasy, that's not the stock confused dark ages is hard to come by. This feels more like gothic/renaissance and actually understands it's setting. (I'm sick of fantasy writers using modernisms in their pseudo medieval world).
First person writing is also quite uncommon in fantasy, I find. This gave me a real chance to get to know our protagonist, Edric Saran, and more to the point actually experience how the terrifying events in Shadow of the Raven change him. There are a number of other characters I liked throughout the book (no spoilers coming!) but the cold, wickedly dark god, Malgayn I found utterly compelling. When he walks on to the page, the prose sizzles. I love a good baddie. Not mindless evil, but a character driven by a goal which they will kill for (even if they might enjoy it a bit too).
This is good solid fantasy but with plenty of originality and verve. Great debut for this author. I'll be looking forward to more (there's a trailer for the next at the end!). A treat for the new year. Hope this comes out in physical form sometime.
February 14, 2017
Took me a while to get through this but that was due to lack of time on my part- This is a fast paced book and probably feels quite a quick read as its written from a singular point of view, rather than the multiple pov's you tend to get used to in the Fantasy genre.
Anyway, I would happily recommend this book and have started on book 2 already. It centres around Edric, an exiled prince acting as an ambassador to a country traditionally the enemy of his own , finds himself embroiled in a murder of his friend and becomes involved in a battle between gods and saving his adopted country. Mostly set in the one city but plenty going on, so if you haven't added this to your to be read shelf, have a re-think. It doesn't seem to well known and it deserves a wider audience.
Anyway, I would happily recommend this book and have started on book 2 already. It centres around Edric, an exiled prince acting as an ambassador to a country traditionally the enemy of his own , finds himself embroiled in a murder of his friend and becomes involved in a battle between gods and saving his adopted country. Mostly set in the one city but plenty going on, so if you haven't added this to your to be read shelf, have a re-think. It doesn't seem to well known and it deserves a wider audience.
January 23, 2014
Exiled to the home of his ancestral enemies to take a position even he considers a joke, Ambassador Edric Saran finds his already unwanted job made harder when he becomes the prime suspect for a murder case. Hunted through the streets with little but his wits and an unlikely ally as his only defences, he soon finds that clearing his name is but the first step in a far deadlier task…
This is a first-person narrative, and the manner in which we see the world through Saran’s eyes is the book's greatest strength of the book, with his observations and thoughts embellishing every scene. Both his personality and predicament help greatly in driving the story forwards, and he also serves as a useful guide to the world around him, explaining its long history and troubles.
The book's problems mostly come with the actual story rather than the world or characters. A surprising number of plot points are abruptly resolved at around the midway point and, while they might link into a much larger tale, it makes the story feel oddly staccato, especially as some of the later scenes seem tacked on and superfluous.
There's also a lack of clarity as how certain fantastical elements work, with one group of unstoppable foes seemingly coming out of nowhere. These moments can easily throw off a reader and they occur a few times too often for the book’s own good.
Yet despite a few glaring issues, Shadow of the Raven has enough to it to make it well worth reading. Those after an engaging, fast-paced and entertaining fantasy tale could do worse than give it a go.
This is a first-person narrative, and the manner in which we see the world through Saran’s eyes is the book's greatest strength of the book, with his observations and thoughts embellishing every scene. Both his personality and predicament help greatly in driving the story forwards, and he also serves as a useful guide to the world around him, explaining its long history and troubles.
The book's problems mostly come with the actual story rather than the world or characters. A surprising number of plot points are abruptly resolved at around the midway point and, while they might link into a much larger tale, it makes the story feel oddly staccato, especially as some of the later scenes seem tacked on and superfluous.
There's also a lack of clarity as how certain fantastical elements work, with one group of unstoppable foes seemingly coming out of nowhere. These moments can easily throw off a reader and they occur a few times too often for the book’s own good.
Yet despite a few glaring issues, Shadow of the Raven has enough to it to make it well worth reading. Those after an engaging, fast-paced and entertaining fantasy tale could do worse than give it a go.
January 8, 2017
This was a decently written book but the characters didn't hold my interest and felt flat to me. Also I have a personal grudge against plots involving evil from hell, underworld, other realm...what ever you call it. Hell beings do seem to be very popular on books and TV. The only evil dead I enjoy are in the comedic tales like Preacher or Ash and...
November 2, 2017
Fantasy readers listen up...
I just completed SotR and it was nothing short of stellar. I AM A HUGE FAN!
Edric was a beautifully flawed hero and the supporting cast was very well drawn. Matthew managed to avoid every tired character trope and created some wonderful new fantasy castes. I particularly liked the strawjacks and the stone lions.
The magic system was simple and believable. The battle and fight scenes were gripping but not overwrought. The dialogue was concise with no ridiculous accents, unpronouncable words or lame cliches.
Furthermore, the worldbuilding was unique and I was particularly impressed with how he wove the mortal realm with Otherworld.
I am moving on to Light of the Radiant immediately.
The was truly an excellent read.
I just completed SotR and it was nothing short of stellar. I AM A HUGE FAN!
Edric was a beautifully flawed hero and the supporting cast was very well drawn. Matthew managed to avoid every tired character trope and created some wonderful new fantasy castes. I particularly liked the strawjacks and the stone lions.
The magic system was simple and believable. The battle and fight scenes were gripping but not overwrought. The dialogue was concise with no ridiculous accents, unpronouncable words or lame cliches.
Furthermore, the worldbuilding was unique and I was particularly impressed with how he wove the mortal realm with Otherworld.
I am moving on to Light of the Radiant immediately.
The was truly an excellent read.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews