The Raven's Shadow: The Wild Hunt Book Three: 3/4

The Wild Hunt #3

by Elspeth Cooper

The Raven's Shadow, the third book of Elspeth Cooper’s The Wild Hunt series finds war brewing on both sides of the Veil between the worlds.

The desert of Gimrael is aflame with violence, and in the far north an ancient hatred is about to spill over into the renewal of a war that, a thousand years ago, forged an empire. This time, it may shatter one.

Wrestling with his failing grip on the power of the Song, and still trying to come to terms with the horrifying events he witnessed in El Maqqam, Gair returns to the mainland with only one thing on his mind: vengeance. It may cost him his life, but when everything that he had to live for is being stripped away from him, that may be a fair price to pay.

Old friends and old foes converge in a battle of wills to stem the tide of the Nimrothi clans as they charge south to reclaim the lands lost in the Founding Wars. If they succeed, the rest of the empire may be their next target. And with the Wild Hunt at their head, the overstretched Imperial Army may not be enough to stop them.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Epic Fantasy, High Fantasy, Coming Of Age, Audiobook

576 pages, Paperback

First published August 15, 2013

About the author

Author of The Wild Hunt Quartet (SONGS OF THE EARTH, TRINITY RISING, THE RAVEN'S SHADOW and the forthcoming THE DRAGON HOUSE). Reader, writer, tea drinker, sword owner, cat slave.

I'm not here often, so if you need to get in touch, please use the contact form on my website

Reviews

[Clay Kallam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Elspeth Cooper lacks the experience of many in this field, and it shows in volume three of the Wild Hunt, “The Raven’s Shadow” (Tor, $27.99, 567 pages). The first is her monochromatic villains, who are just evil from top to bottom and are straight out of an old-fashioned comic book. Why does the evil sorceress want to trample on the bones of farmers in the Empire and glory in their blood? Why does the evil suitor try to rape a woman he wants to marry? Why does the evil magician torment the protagonist at a distance?

Cooper’s other major issue may not be her fault, but somebody at Tor should pony up and put a map in this book. Geography impacts pretty much every aspect of the complex plot (the gears grind on occasion, and the twist at the end was obvious from about page three), but there’s no way for the hapless reader to know how close King’s Gate is to Saardost Keep, nor where the Nordlands are in relation to Gimrael.

Finally, the romances are of the kind that the reader can see what’s coming a hundred pages before the characters do, but Cooper is hardly alone in failing to negotiate that stumbling block. And all that said, I liked “The Raven’s Shadow,” as Cooper is a good writer and the narrative rolls along. I’m guessing there’s one more volume before the final battle between the evil villains and the various good folk – but it sure would be nice to have a map to see where it’s happening.

[Jakke Elonen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better than the second book, though the series still suffers from severe pacing issues, and three books in a row with nothing but things going downhill while the good guys are all but useless and bad guys progress their agenda without any hindrance is pushing it and makes it hard to stay motivated for more.

[Marc Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was a trilogy... now waiting for another series to complete.

[Ben Shirley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was actually upset that this book ended, there is so much happening now.. cant wait for the next book

[Rosie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was the last book in the series! I enjoyed seeing many of the main characters meet up in the book world.

[Sandra Pettersson · Rating 1 out of 5]

The forth book is not written. If the forth book excisted the rating would be 3stars.

[Blue Fawkes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can't wait for the next book!

[Kurt Strobach · Rating 4 out of 5]

once again an enjoyable read but ended with so many loose ends I look forward to the next book

[Mike Shackle · Rating 4 out of 5]

In my review of Trinity Rising, the second book in The Wild Hunt series, I said that, “It is everything that is great about epic fantasy and, if I’m being honest, everything that is wrong with the genre too.” For all the book’s strengths, and there were many, I was frustrated that not a lot actually happened except the introduction of a vast number of new characters and the maneuvering of them around a map.

Therefore, when I started The Raven’s Shadow, I was slightly apprehensive that I was going to be faced with the same problem again, as character after character reentered the stage and I tried to remember who was who. However, after I was reacquainted with everyone, and settled comfortably back in the world of the Wild Hunt, Cooper took me on a furious ride, dispelling any reservation or lingering frustration with every page I turned. If you love classic epic fantasy, this is the book, and the series, for you. Good battles evil with the fate of the world at stake, and heroes sacrifice all as they face death with sword in hand.

Gair, the knight in training who was cast out of his order due to his mystical powers and branded a witch, is back and his story forms the spine of the series. He’s still reeling from the death of his lover and his mentor as he travels north to join some of his order on the frontier of the Empire. Matters aren’t helped by his dwindling control of his powers, resulting in Gair becoming a threat to both friend and foe alike.

Our other main protagonist, Teia, isn’t having an easy time either. She’s leading her band of refugees south through the snow-trapped mountains while heavily pregnant so she can warn the Empire of the dangers they face from her old tribe. She struggles with the responsibilities of leadership as she battles the elements and the evil spirits that lie in wait for her on her journey.

There are many other point-of-view characters in the book but Cooper converges them all in the same spot quickly so they provide different perspectives on the same major event. It’s a great way of turning up the tension and really driving home the motivations and the stakes for both sides of the war, while ensuring all the major players are fully formed and fleshed out characters. As much as I loved Songs Of The Earth, and enjoyed Trinity Rising, The Raven’s Shadow shows a vastly improved writer at work.

More importantly, Cooper finishes the book in such a way that ties up the events in a truly epic and earth-shattering manner while leaving the reader desperate to know what happens next. This, ladies and gentlemen, is how you write a perfect book in a multi-part series.

Cooper’s Wild Hunt series, in many ways, is the antithesis of the whole Grimdark movement that is the fashion of the moment, and all the more refreshing for it. She shows that you can have conflicted, troubled and complex heroes without making them morally ambiguous, and that a great story can still explore the eternal battle between good and evil without resorting to plunging everyone into a world of grey.

You can tell Cooper is having the time of her life writing the series, and the sheer joy she puts on each page is infectious for the reader. She constantly turns the excitement up notch after notch, barely giving her characters, or her readers, time to catch our collective breaths. Just when we think things can’t get any worse for our heroes, they most certainly do.

If you’re a fan of Cooper’s already, you have to read this book now and be prepared to fall in even more in love with her work. If you haven’t tried any of the Wild Hunt series, stop whatever you are doing and go out and buy Songs Of The Earth right now. This series is as good as it gets.

[Neill Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

As Savin continues his search for the starseed with which to rip the Veil it looks like the clans might have already found it and plan to attack the Empire. While Masen and Sorchal are repairing the Veil, Gair is rescuing the nuns from Gimrael. He then finds the Warlord of the Emperor and warns him of the ensuing Wild Hunt. Drwyn thinks the Empire has moved to block his invasion to regain his former lands,via the Eastern Pass,but Ytha disagrees. She has gained acceptance of the invasion from both the chiefs and the Speakers of the tribes and has received the gift of two of Maegern's mythical Hounds from the southern man. She plans to bring the Hounds and the Wild Hunt against the Empire. Savin remains confident that he still has Gair under his influence but isn't sure of the nature of the plans of Aldersan, Gair's teacher. However, he chafes at working for the Hidden as he waits for the confluence of the three moons as he knows that will be the signal for which Drwyn and the clans people await. Teia, or Banfaith, is leading her group, the Lost Ones, through the snow to the Broken Lands to warn the Empire of the need to set the Iron Men against the Wild Hunt that is being led by Drwyn, the Chief of Chiefs and Ytha, Speaker for the clans people. Tanith, the physician, is traveling with Owyn and Ailric, the Astolan, through the snow to meet with the Empire's Warlord. As these events come together the future of the land itself awaits the outcome as Gair deals with the strain placed on his considerable powers.

[Marcel Baumgartner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book, I am not a patient person so waiting for the paths to cross took some effort for me.

[Mal · Rating 4 out of 5]

A powerful, intense fantasy. The series continues as we left off, Cooper writing in full spead as events esculate (I actually had to re-read the first two books in the series as so much time had passed since hearing all the different perspectives). Each perspective (there are MANY) is consistent and well-conceptualised, and they (finally) start to line up as Cooper addresses the events on a worldly scale. It's great to watch these characters interact, and see how they impact each other's storylines within the Wild Hunt context. Also, thankfully, this book was set directly following the events of the last, which made things a lot easier to grasp than 'Trinity Rising'.

Overall, it's a great book but make sure you have time set aside without too many distractions, otherwise you can get a little lost.

[Senthilkumar nadar · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is very good,i enjoyed reading each and every word of it ,savouring the taste of it.precise and concise chapters,rhytham of the flow of the story ,everything about this book is good.only i disliked the forcing of tanith by ailric visca or no visca it should not have happened.
eagerly awaiting your next work and last book in the wild hunt series.
recently you thanked fan-fiction for their list for 2014 having your book in the list.if your book is not in the list then itt is full of rubbish only.
any book list without your work is incomplete only

[Jo Oehrlein · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots and lots of characters and storylines to pick up and follow. It took me a while to step back into the world, but it was so worth it!

I love how the relatively young girl is leading the clan "rejects". Less focus on the "super-evil" guy, and more on the clan speaker who has gone to the dark side and the evil she is releasing.

The way the histories of various characters are intertwined is really cool.

[Todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm quite impressed with this book! The first book was a little too bland, and the writing wasn't very fluid. The second book was well written, but very little happened and the pacing seemed off.

This book tied characters together and progressed the story and character development in a wonderful fast paced story. This is a solid book!

[Susie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really thoght this might be it--the end of the story-but there is one more book! I definitely thought this book was stronger than the second book in this series. I felt like I understood the different characters and their motivations more as the story moved along. I'm hooked and look forward to reading book four-whenever it's published! This would make a fun TV series/movie!

[World Wide Sky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ich muss ehrlich sagen, dass mir die ganze Serie echt gut gefällt!
Ich muss einfach wissen wie es weiter geht und freue mich schon auf das große Finale, auf den in diesem Buch hingearbeitet wurde! Für das, dass es der vorletzte Teil ist, hat Elspeth Cooper sehr viel Spannung mit eingebaut, wodurch ich gar nicht aufhören konnte zu lesen!
Ich kann die Serie nur weiterempfehlen :)

[Abu Bakar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think Raven's Shadow deserves a 5 star rating. You have to start from book one which is quite slow and the second book is more like an interlude but third book has all the stories interwoven and fast pace. Next book is due sometime in 2016 and will look forward to this, though no actual release date has been set.

[A Umerah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kept the tempo going throughout the book. Great read.

Enjoyed the variety of characters and how they've developed over the three books. Gair is awesome, but I think he deserves a break.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want more!

[infael · Rating 5 out of 5]

When's Book 4 coming out?

[Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. I can not wait for book IV. :)

[Thomas Keenan · Rating 5 out of 5]

probably the fastest ive ever read a book in my time, read it in a day and its a decently sized book too, so action packed, so many emotions and unexpected twists.. cant wait for the final book.

[Riona O · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the previous books in the series, I loved it although I was left feeling a little unsatisfied because it ends without any final closure. I look forward to the next instalment.

[Rick · Rating 3 out of 5]

sstory going along nicely, though I hope series doesn't go beyond 6 books at maximum.

[Rochelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ytha annoys me and I cannot wait to see if Teia destroys her. Where is Savin! He was barely in this book, lingered in the shadowy corners. I like an active villan in a story.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

very much enjoyed this book.
a little predictable at times with a twist that was reasonably obvious (epilogue) but a good story nonetheless! :)

Am looking forward to the next book.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this series but I thought it would conclude. There are more to come and I like the characters so I will be on the lookout.

[Joanne]

Great

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

OH MY GOD SOMETHING BAD HAPPENS TO THE LI IN EVERY SINGLE BOOK TO INVOKE MAN PAIN IN OUR WHITE SAVIOUR PROTAGONIST WHYYYYYYYY