What do you think?
Rate this book
Rush of Ravens
Warrior. Shield-maiden. Cursed.
Experience the fantasy world of Arresia where the forces of Light and darkness collide. Rush of Ravens, the first book in the Til Kingdom Come series by Abigail Brier, envelops readers with a gripping tale of heartache and revenge.
In a world where the king kills those gifted by the Light to steal their power, Ravenna wants nothing more than to fight with the warriors of Vestele against the evil Despiri king. But Ravenna's mother holds her fate in her hands, wishing for Ravenna to marry and avoid the dangers of war. Ravenna runs the Gauntlet to prove herself to her mother, but when she returns home with the bloodstone prize in hand, she sets off a chain of events that are sure to alter her future. She finds herself as shield-maiden, and she soon becomes a curse to her own people. But she will do anything to protect them—including the one thing she swore she would never do.
With adventure and page-turning suspense, this enchanting, multi-pov debut dives into the darkness and explores themes of pride and downfall, and heartache and revenge as the characters hold onto a single, fraying thread of hope.
Experience the fantasy world of Arresia where the forces of Light and darkness collide. Rush of Ravens, the first book in the Til Kingdom Come series by Abigail Brier, envelops readers with a gripping tale of heartache and revenge.
In a world where the king kills those gifted by the Light to steal their power, Ravenna wants nothing more than to fight with the warriors of Vestele against the evil Despiri king. But Ravenna's mother holds her fate in her hands, wishing for Ravenna to marry and avoid the dangers of war. Ravenna runs the Gauntlet to prove herself to her mother, but when she returns home with the bloodstone prize in hand, she sets off a chain of events that are sure to alter her future. She finds herself as shield-maiden, and she soon becomes a curse to her own people. But she will do anything to protect them—including the one thing she swore she would never do.
With adventure and page-turning suspense, this enchanting, multi-pov debut dives into the darkness and explores themes of pride and downfall, and heartache and revenge as the characters hold onto a single, fraying thread of hope.
482 pages, Paperback
Published June 5, 2024
57 people are currently reading
6040 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 123 reviews
June 7, 2024
This is not something I am going to enjoy writing because I think the author is great and I absolutely love what she stands for.
But in all honesty I don't particularly think Rush of Ravens was for me. Sometimes I enjoyed it and was fully interested and others I felt no motivation to keep going. So I made the decision to DNF at 59% because I couldn't force myself to read the rest of the story.
I will in no way say the book is bad, because it's not! Abigail Brier did a fantastic job of world building and creating a believable villain. My favorite part were the witch guardians as they were genuinely terrifying!
But I found myself struggling to connect with the main characters. They felt... flat.
The main character Ravenna left me infuriated time and time again and she seem to have everything handed to her.
She was the best warrior which made no sense because the reader gets the impression that she only trained her whole life with one man. How would she learn to read people and their different fighting styles? How would she learn to adapt her fighting style? Everyone kept saying she could literally beat the strongest warrior in the village who was a grown man and that no one could challenge her and win and I kept asking myself HOW?? SHE DOESN'T HAVS ENOUGH EXPERIENCE.
She was constantly being rude to people who genuinely loved her and she couldn’t see five inches off her nose. She kept putting people in danger and getting them killed. How many times does one need to make the same mistake and not learn? Everyone knew she wouldn’t listen yet they let her rule them without a second thought because no one could challenge her and win? I'm sorry but someone like that doesn't deserve to lead.
So yes, I could not connect with Ravenna because after a million mistakes she never learned and kept being rude and never developed.
My next biggest gripe was Xan. I don't know if he had blinders on or what, his whole infatuation with Ravenna made no sense and it was like he had no other personality other than to love Ravenna. Yes he was sweet, but that was it. There were so many other girls like Tenille that were far more deserving of such devotion and love than Ravenna. His whole relationship with Ravenna felt... toxic.
So yes, those two things kept me from enjoying the book like I would have liked to. I truly wanted to love this story, really, but when you can barely stand the main characters, it doesn't make things very enjoyable.
That said there were things I did like. Tenille was one of them, she was an excellent character and the author wrote her very well. She was a solid friend and a caring person. I also really like Nilo even though we barely saw him.
The world was beautifully written and the horses... well they were perfect.
As I bring my review to a close I now get to the most painful part. Rating it.
Sadly I can give it no other rating than two stars.
⭐⭐
I wouldn't call it a bad story and I wouldn't say don't read it. But if the things I mentioned above bother you... then you have your answer. I might go back and read the rest of the story, but at this point I am to frustrated to even try.
I was selected as an ARC reader for this story and received an E-book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
But in all honesty I don't particularly think Rush of Ravens was for me. Sometimes I enjoyed it and was fully interested and others I felt no motivation to keep going. So I made the decision to DNF at 59% because I couldn't force myself to read the rest of the story.
I will in no way say the book is bad, because it's not! Abigail Brier did a fantastic job of world building and creating a believable villain. My favorite part were the witch guardians as they were genuinely terrifying!
But I found myself struggling to connect with the main characters. They felt... flat.
The main character Ravenna left me infuriated time and time again and she seem to have everything handed to her.
She was the best warrior which made no sense because the reader gets the impression that she only trained her whole life with one man. How would she learn to read people and their different fighting styles? How would she learn to adapt her fighting style? Everyone kept saying she could literally beat the strongest warrior in the village who was a grown man and that no one could challenge her and win and I kept asking myself HOW?? SHE DOESN'T HAVS ENOUGH EXPERIENCE.
She was constantly being rude to people who genuinely loved her and she couldn’t see five inches off her nose. She kept putting people in danger and getting them killed. How many times does one need to make the same mistake and not learn? Everyone knew she wouldn’t listen yet they let her rule them without a second thought because no one could challenge her and win? I'm sorry but someone like that doesn't deserve to lead.
So yes, I could not connect with Ravenna because after a million mistakes she never learned and kept being rude and never developed.
My next biggest gripe was Xan. I don't know if he had blinders on or what, his whole infatuation with Ravenna made no sense and it was like he had no other personality other than to love Ravenna. Yes he was sweet, but that was it. There were so many other girls like Tenille that were far more deserving of such devotion and love than Ravenna. His whole relationship with Ravenna felt... toxic.
So yes, those two things kept me from enjoying the book like I would have liked to. I truly wanted to love this story, really, but when you can barely stand the main characters, it doesn't make things very enjoyable.
That said there were things I did like. Tenille was one of them, she was an excellent character and the author wrote her very well. She was a solid friend and a caring person. I also really like Nilo even though we barely saw him.
The world was beautifully written and the horses... well they were perfect.
As I bring my review to a close I now get to the most painful part. Rating it.
Sadly I can give it no other rating than two stars.
⭐⭐
I wouldn't call it a bad story and I wouldn't say don't read it. But if the things I mentioned above bother you... then you have your answer. I might go back and read the rest of the story, but at this point I am to frustrated to even try.
I was selected as an ARC reader for this story and received an E-book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
April 30, 2024
Come on Goodreads. Give me those half stars!! This book truly lies somewhere around 4-4.5 stars.
The storytelling in this book was incredible. The author describes Rush of Ravens as an epic adventure and an adventure it was! I could so vividly picture each moment while reading. I loved the old-time feel of the setting with a chilling nightmare that settles in the further the reader gets into the story. The plot is 100% the driving force. Something that stuck with me throughout this book was Ravenna’s will to be a protector for all. Many times we find the FMC bend to the charm of males, but she always stayed true to what she felt was her purpose in life; even if that went against her own desires. While I secretly found myself wishing for her to bend, I respected the fact that she saw the bigger picture. You won’t find a ton of romance, though you will find yourself rooting for more in the future!
There was a good amount of mystery all throughout… and seemingly still to come in future books. The mystery behind the plot kept it interesting! It was fun making predictions and seeing them play out. The foreshadowing was sometimes a bit obvious, but I don’t feel like it took away from my enjoyment. There’s a difference between knowing something is to come and knowing HOW it will come to be. I never knew the HOW. The foreshadowing was obvious in a way that only increased the suspense of watching the aftermath.
I absolutely loved all the different POVs given! Some even took me by surprise when I realized certain characters had their own chapters. The multiple POVs made the story really come to life. The author did a whole lot of showing rather than telling, which is always a big plus for me!
Each character had depth and the relationships were very convincing. I can’t say too much, but I just know we haven’t seen the last of many of them! Thinking about what’s been left unanswered has me all sorts of excited to get my hands on the next book!
My single complaint would be that some of the transitions from one moment to the next, within chapters, came across as somewhat abrupt. Sometimes the time jump worked and other times I wish we’d been shown how characters got from one scene to the next. It was almost like a movie scene where the screen fades to black and in the next moment when the screen returns you’re at an entirely different setting. Again, sometimes it was the perfect way to move the story along and other times I was so engrossed in the story that I was disappointed to not “see” the transition. Regardless, I’m along for the ride and can’t wait to read all future books of the series!
Thank you to Abigail Brier for the advanced copy!
The storytelling in this book was incredible. The author describes Rush of Ravens as an epic adventure and an adventure it was! I could so vividly picture each moment while reading. I loved the old-time feel of the setting with a chilling nightmare that settles in the further the reader gets into the story. The plot is 100% the driving force. Something that stuck with me throughout this book was Ravenna’s will to be a protector for all. Many times we find the FMC bend to the charm of males, but she always stayed true to what she felt was her purpose in life; even if that went against her own desires. While I secretly found myself wishing for her to bend, I respected the fact that she saw the bigger picture. You won’t find a ton of romance, though you will find yourself rooting for more in the future!
There was a good amount of mystery all throughout… and seemingly still to come in future books. The mystery behind the plot kept it interesting! It was fun making predictions and seeing them play out. The foreshadowing was sometimes a bit obvious, but I don’t feel like it took away from my enjoyment. There’s a difference between knowing something is to come and knowing HOW it will come to be. I never knew the HOW. The foreshadowing was obvious in a way that only increased the suspense of watching the aftermath.
I absolutely loved all the different POVs given! Some even took me by surprise when I realized certain characters had their own chapters. The multiple POVs made the story really come to life. The author did a whole lot of showing rather than telling, which is always a big plus for me!
Each character had depth and the relationships were very convincing. I can’t say too much, but I just know we haven’t seen the last of many of them! Thinking about what’s been left unanswered has me all sorts of excited to get my hands on the next book!
My single complaint would be that some of the transitions from one moment to the next, within chapters, came across as somewhat abrupt. Sometimes the time jump worked and other times I wish we’d been shown how characters got from one scene to the next. It was almost like a movie scene where the screen fades to black and in the next moment when the screen returns you’re at an entirely different setting. Again, sometimes it was the perfect way to move the story along and other times I was so engrossed in the story that I was disappointed to not “see” the transition. Regardless, I’m along for the ride and can’t wait to read all future books of the series!
Thank you to Abigail Brier for the advanced copy!
July 14, 2024
I want to start by saying thank you to the author, Abigail Brier, for gifting me with an ARC of this lovely book. After watching her post lovely teasers and snippets on social media, I was extremely excited to read Rush of Ravens and start the Til Kingdom Come series. Abigail seems like an incredible soul and I truly wish her the best of success with her series.
That said, I am very sad to say I did not enjoy my reading experience. This book has so much potential! The world is intriguing and well thought out and the theme/premise is interesting, however, where this book lost me was in the character development.
Now, it should be noted that I tried to read this book 3 times and ultimately DNFd it at around the 20% mark. Initially, I thought my issues with the book were due to me being in a bit of a reading slump. I found myself really struggling to stay engaged and the writing just didn't flow in my brain the way I wanted to (this could just be a "me thing"). I only have a digital copy and I tend to prefer physical books, so I thought that might also play a factor. After the second attempt, I asked my friend if she'd want to buddy read it with me and she enthusiastically agreed. It was with her help that I was able to put into words what exactly it was about this book that made reading it a challenge for me.
I can only really speak about the main character, Ravenna, and her best friend Xan, because they are the only POVs I got to before DNFing. That said, Ravenna was annoying. Her motivations were inconsistent and kind of superficial. One minute she's determined to be Shield Maden and follow in her mother's footsteps (which is why she refuses to marry despite Xan being in love with her). The next minute she claims she doesn't care about being Shield Maden and just wants to prove herself as a warrior. She doesn't seem to care that her best friend is in love with her and seems to think very highly of her own fighting skills despite only training with one guy her entire life. Annoying behavior like that can be interesting, but there needs to be something about them that allows us to sympathize with the character. It's possible this quality is revealed later and I just didn't read long enough to see it. We don't need her entire sad story in the first 10 pages, but even a hint of some depth or humor early on would have done wonders.
The only other POV I read was Xan and while I wanted to like him, I didn't really learn anything about him apart from his obsession with Ravenna and respect for her mother. Again, more might be revealed later, but I didn't have enough to hold onto in the beginning to keep me motivated to get to "later."
Overall, the world and writing have potential, but the story as a whole was missing clear and consistent "whys." I am a character-driven reader. The plot and world could be incredible, but without well-developed, interested, and sympathetic characters, I will lose interest fast.
Despite my unfortunate experience, I still recommend anyone interested in this book to give it a shot. My experience might not be everyone's so it's worth a try. Brier still has all my love and support. I am excited for her and hope the rest of the series builds on the potential I see in this one.
That said, I am very sad to say I did not enjoy my reading experience. This book has so much potential! The world is intriguing and well thought out and the theme/premise is interesting, however, where this book lost me was in the character development.
Now, it should be noted that I tried to read this book 3 times and ultimately DNFd it at around the 20% mark. Initially, I thought my issues with the book were due to me being in a bit of a reading slump. I found myself really struggling to stay engaged and the writing just didn't flow in my brain the way I wanted to (this could just be a "me thing"). I only have a digital copy and I tend to prefer physical books, so I thought that might also play a factor. After the second attempt, I asked my friend if she'd want to buddy read it with me and she enthusiastically agreed. It was with her help that I was able to put into words what exactly it was about this book that made reading it a challenge for me.
I can only really speak about the main character, Ravenna, and her best friend Xan, because they are the only POVs I got to before DNFing. That said, Ravenna was annoying. Her motivations were inconsistent and kind of superficial. One minute she's determined to be Shield Maden and follow in her mother's footsteps (which is why she refuses to marry despite Xan being in love with her). The next minute she claims she doesn't care about being Shield Maden and just wants to prove herself as a warrior. She doesn't seem to care that her best friend is in love with her and seems to think very highly of her own fighting skills despite only training with one guy her entire life. Annoying behavior like that can be interesting, but there needs to be something about them that allows us to sympathize with the character. It's possible this quality is revealed later and I just didn't read long enough to see it. We don't need her entire sad story in the first 10 pages, but even a hint of some depth or humor early on would have done wonders.
The only other POV I read was Xan and while I wanted to like him, I didn't really learn anything about him apart from his obsession with Ravenna and respect for her mother. Again, more might be revealed later, but I didn't have enough to hold onto in the beginning to keep me motivated to get to "later."
Overall, the world and writing have potential, but the story as a whole was missing clear and consistent "whys." I am a character-driven reader. The plot and world could be incredible, but without well-developed, interested, and sympathetic characters, I will lose interest fast.
Despite my unfortunate experience, I still recommend anyone interested in this book to give it a shot. My experience might not be everyone's so it's worth a try. Brier still has all my love and support. I am excited for her and hope the rest of the series builds on the potential I see in this one.
May 23, 2024
Where do I even begin?!
This story honestly blew me away… you will not want to miss the beginning to this new epic fantasy series.
The fact that this is Abigail Briers first novel truly amazes me. This was perfection!!!
Read if you enjoy
🐦⬛multi pov
🏹secrets & betrayals
🐦⬛epic fantasy
🏹fast paced
🐦⬛plot twists
🏹adult characters
🐦⬛unique magic system
🏹celtic vibes & shield-maidens
🐦⬛SLOW burn (it was def setting up for romance subplots in future books!)
This book left me wanting MORE and I cannot wait for the rest of this series!!!! the romantic tension between certain characters had me on the edge of my seat… also I don’t know who I’m rooting for!! The mystery and secrets throughout the story made this such a page turner. I was coming up with so many theories! Ravenna is a beautiful main character and I adore her compassion for her people.
“But remember, even after the darkest of nights, light still dawns in the morning.”
RELEASING JUNE 4!!!🕊️
This story honestly blew me away… you will not want to miss the beginning to this new epic fantasy series.
The fact that this is Abigail Briers first novel truly amazes me. This was perfection!!!
Read if you enjoy
🐦⬛multi pov
🏹secrets & betrayals
🐦⬛epic fantasy
🏹fast paced
🐦⬛plot twists
🏹adult characters
🐦⬛unique magic system
🏹celtic vibes & shield-maidens
🐦⬛SLOW burn (it was def setting up for romance subplots in future books!)
This book left me wanting MORE and I cannot wait for the rest of this series!!!! the romantic tension between certain characters had me on the edge of my seat… also I don’t know who I’m rooting for!! The mystery and secrets throughout the story made this such a page turner. I was coming up with so many theories! Ravenna is a beautiful main character and I adore her compassion for her people.
“But remember, even after the darkest of nights, light still dawns in the morning.”
RELEASING JUNE 4!!!🕊️
November 25, 2025
Writing this review will be a little painful, because I had been very excited to read this: the first in an indie-published light vs darkness epic fantasy series by a Christian author. The author's marketing is really good and totally convinced me to read this...but it was a miss for me. My reading experience was complicated and uncomfortable. And ultimately I had quite a few issues with it.
Rush of Ravens is supposed to kick off a Christian allegory with overarching themes of light versus darkness, but 80-90% of this book is the darkness, which quickly became taxing and discouraging for me to read. The allegory was not allegory-ing. Ask me why I did not DNF this, um well because I was trying to trust the author, continually giving it the benefit of the doubt. Regardless of the allegorical intent, I would categorize this as a dark fantasy, on it's own. I say "on its own", because it is supposed to be an eight book series so I'm trying to keep that in mind, however, the tone is utterly bleak and horrific basically the entire book. I wish the allegory (the light side) had been more present along the way. The darkness was not only tough to read but it got repetitive. And this did not truly start feeling allegorical to me until over 75% of the way through, page 360 to be exact, which made for a jarring transition into some faith themes that did not feel like they matched the rest of the book nor that much time was even spent on writing those moments. The dark themes were not glorified in the end, but there was just so much of it I repeat. Overall, I would say the author's use of language is good and smooth technically speaking.
Regarding the characters: Ravenna really flattened out to me by the end of the book. Her character hit a personality wall for me. She was tough to like after a while and there was a numbness to her character that maybe was intentional given some of the symbolism, but the dots were not connecting. Don't get me started on Xan's character, super flat. Leith and Zeph are the only characters I wanted more chapters from and the reader gets measly morsels of those guys.
It's rare that an ending frustrates me because I try really hard to prioritize reading fiction I'm fairly confident I will like/love. And I do believe that endings can make the rest of a book worth getting there, but this ending was a cliffhanger (that part is fine)...an unsatisfying and upsetting cliffhanger. I was really not happy with it and my DNF-resistant optimism was in vain. I don't recommend this and I don't think I will bother with book 2.
I'll end this review on a positive note. The book spotify playlist the author made is incredible.
Content Guide:
romance - clean/very light
language - clean
violence - frequent and graphic-ish
faith - not there for most of the book and then a chunk in the last third
fantasy elements - as someone who prefers non-magical fantasy, going in I knew that the allegorical aspect was representing light in terms of gifts and darkness in terms of magic but it was sooooo much more of the darkness actually on-page than I was expecting, as I emphasize in my review above. There are constant mentions of witches, blood oaths, and spells. And even for the sake of allegory, I hated it, that ending did not help at all.
Content Warnings:
-on-page death & violence
-on-page torture
-depression & grief
-suicide ideation
-human trafficking/slavery/persecution
-mentions of infertility
Rush of Ravens is supposed to kick off a Christian allegory with overarching themes of light versus darkness, but 80-90% of this book is the darkness, which quickly became taxing and discouraging for me to read. The allegory was not allegory-ing. Ask me why I did not DNF this, um well because I was trying to trust the author, continually giving it the benefit of the doubt. Regardless of the allegorical intent, I would categorize this as a dark fantasy, on it's own. I say "on its own", because it is supposed to be an eight book series so I'm trying to keep that in mind, however, the tone is utterly bleak and horrific basically the entire book. I wish the allegory (the light side) had been more present along the way. The darkness was not only tough to read but it got repetitive. And this did not truly start feeling allegorical to me until over 75% of the way through, page 360 to be exact, which made for a jarring transition into some faith themes that did not feel like they matched the rest of the book nor that much time was even spent on writing those moments. The dark themes were not glorified in the end, but there was just so much of it I repeat. Overall, I would say the author's use of language is good and smooth technically speaking.
Regarding the characters: Ravenna really flattened out to me by the end of the book. Her character hit a personality wall for me. She was tough to like after a while and there was a numbness to her character that maybe was intentional given some of the symbolism, but the dots were not connecting. Don't get me started on Xan's character, super flat. Leith and Zeph are the only characters I wanted more chapters from and the reader gets measly morsels of those guys.
It's rare that an ending frustrates me because I try really hard to prioritize reading fiction I'm fairly confident I will like/love. And I do believe that endings can make the rest of a book worth getting there, but this ending was a cliffhanger (that part is fine)...an unsatisfying and upsetting cliffhanger. I was really not happy with it and my DNF-resistant optimism was in vain. I don't recommend this and I don't think I will bother with book 2.
I'll end this review on a positive note. The book spotify playlist the author made is incredible.
Content Guide:
romance - clean/very light
language - clean
violence - frequent and graphic-ish
faith - not there for most of the book and then a chunk in the last third
fantasy elements - as someone who prefers non-magical fantasy, going in I knew that the allegorical aspect was representing light in terms of gifts and darkness in terms of magic but it was sooooo much more of the darkness actually on-page than I was expecting, as I emphasize in my review above. There are constant mentions of witches, blood oaths, and spells. And even for the sake of allegory, I hated it, that ending did not help at all.
Content Warnings:
-on-page death & violence
-on-page torture
-depression & grief
-suicide ideation
-human trafficking/slavery/persecution
-mentions of infertility
July 16, 2024
I really, really wanted to like this book! I write this because as a teacher, I read this and thought it had a good plot foundation with room to grow in the writing, and hopefully I have some helpful things to say.
For starters, the plot was good! I thought that the events in the book were clear and always felt purposeful. The world building felt well thought out and I never felt like things were missing.
There were two areas that made it really hard for me to get through this book. First of all, it's very wordy! There were several times throughout the entire book that 4 or 5 words were used in place of one obvious choice. (ex: "in a rough manner" = roughly). As I thought through why the author may have chosen to do this, I thought that maybe the intent was to make it sound more formal, but for me, all it did was make it stilted. It also made me want to skim the book because so many words felt irrelevant. Along with this, there were times that description was really awkward. Like, she tried to describe the feeling of something, instead of what it actually looked like. For example: "She wore a black dress that hugged her figure and drifted across the floors. It was an outfit that was very unlike any Zeph had seen before." But we never get exactly what it looks like or why it's so unique. Or even why what this character wears is important.
The other area that I struggled with was that the author just tells the reader everything. Every character motivation is revealed instantly. For me, it made it very difficult to connect with any of the characters. Throughout the story, I couldn't find one that I felt a strong emotional attachment to, and I think it's because there was no mystery or surprises in the characters themselves. They knew how they felt about everything, and there was very little character growth or even real conflict because of it. For example, it says "The King grew hostile" at one point, but how do the characters know that he's hostile? What does that look like? So many descriptions are left up to the reader to fill in the blanks with images, but feelings are explicitly stated. I do agree with another review that said this felt very "young adult" which is not a bad thing at all! I love YA fiction. I think that with less direct characterization, the characters may have seemed more complex and would have made them seem more adult.
I love the concept of this book and I think there need to be more books like this. I just may read the ebook next time instead of purchasing the paperback.
For starters, the plot was good! I thought that the events in the book were clear and always felt purposeful. The world building felt well thought out and I never felt like things were missing.
There were two areas that made it really hard for me to get through this book. First of all, it's very wordy! There were several times throughout the entire book that 4 or 5 words were used in place of one obvious choice. (ex: "in a rough manner" = roughly). As I thought through why the author may have chosen to do this, I thought that maybe the intent was to make it sound more formal, but for me, all it did was make it stilted. It also made me want to skim the book because so many words felt irrelevant. Along with this, there were times that description was really awkward. Like, she tried to describe the feeling of something, instead of what it actually looked like. For example: "She wore a black dress that hugged her figure and drifted across the floors. It was an outfit that was very unlike any Zeph had seen before." But we never get exactly what it looks like or why it's so unique. Or even why what this character wears is important.
The other area that I struggled with was that the author just tells the reader everything. Every character motivation is revealed instantly. For me, it made it very difficult to connect with any of the characters. Throughout the story, I couldn't find one that I felt a strong emotional attachment to, and I think it's because there was no mystery or surprises in the characters themselves. They knew how they felt about everything, and there was very little character growth or even real conflict because of it. For example, it says "The King grew hostile" at one point, but how do the characters know that he's hostile? What does that look like? So many descriptions are left up to the reader to fill in the blanks with images, but feelings are explicitly stated. I do agree with another review that said this felt very "young adult" which is not a bad thing at all! I love YA fiction. I think that with less direct characterization, the characters may have seemed more complex and would have made them seem more adult.
I love the concept of this book and I think there need to be more books like this. I just may read the ebook next time instead of purchasing the paperback.
May 21, 2024
This first book is a set up for greatness.
The first 2/4ths of the book I was speed reading and through and consuming it every chance I got. The world building, the POV switch offs and then even a new POV I wasn’t expecting had me flipping pages like no tomorrow. I felt it lagged a tiny bit in about 3/4th the book but that could be because my favorite character didn’t have any POV chapters and I missed him, however you can tell that the book is a building block to so many characters and stories and keeping that in mind the pace picks up again in the 4/4ths of the book
My favorite series of all time is Throne of Glass and that is because the author took the time to build a world and story and character and that turns some readers off, but epic fantasy cannot be rushed. These characters deserve the build up that shows off who they are and gives them time to develop and change and grow.
Also this applies to epic love stories, they can’t be rushed! I appreciate the potential couples in this are burning slowly. I am swooning already because slow burn is the best romance and I am ready to see what the author can do when it comes to romance because there is already such good chemistry to build on, with so many characters honestly!
I am excited for the next installment and will 10/10 be reading the next book as soon as it comes out, I have high hopes for this debut author and am so eagerly waiting the next book in the Til’ Kingdom Come series!
I received an ARC (advanced reader copy) from the author in exchange for my honest review.
The first 2/4ths of the book I was speed reading and through and consuming it every chance I got. The world building, the POV switch offs and then even a new POV I wasn’t expecting had me flipping pages like no tomorrow. I felt it lagged a tiny bit in about 3/4th the book but that could be because my favorite character didn’t have any POV chapters and I missed him, however you can tell that the book is a building block to so many characters and stories and keeping that in mind the pace picks up again in the 4/4ths of the book
My favorite series of all time is Throne of Glass and that is because the author took the time to build a world and story and character and that turns some readers off, but epic fantasy cannot be rushed. These characters deserve the build up that shows off who they are and gives them time to develop and change and grow.
Also this applies to epic love stories, they can’t be rushed! I appreciate the potential couples in this are burning slowly. I am swooning already because slow burn is the best romance and I am ready to see what the author can do when it comes to romance because there is already such good chemistry to build on, with so many characters honestly!
I am excited for the next installment and will 10/10 be reading the next book as soon as it comes out, I have high hopes for this debut author and am so eagerly waiting the next book in the Til’ Kingdom Come series!
I received an ARC (advanced reader copy) from the author in exchange for my honest review.
June 18, 2024
Rush of Ravens is an incredible book! From the very beginning I was captivated with the brilliant, dynamic heroine Ravenna and the array of characters you meet along the way. The story is more complex than I thought it would be at the beginning, it takes twists I didn’t see coming and builds in a fantastic way! I loved the amount of internal dialogue from multiple POV’s and really thought it tied things together and developed the characters in such a cool way. I can’t wait to see where the rest of this story goes, I LOVE these characters!!!
April 30, 2024
A riveting tale of a girl trying to find light in the dark, as her world is flipped upside down. What she thought was her normal life, is no longer normal at all. Follow along as Brier will have you feeling every emotion as she takes you on a journey with Ravenna, a warrior in her own right, to find the answers she never knew she needed.
February 5, 2025
So so good!! A true YA fantasy that I could comfortably give to my teenager but it wasn’t lacking in action, angst, plot, strong characters. Highly recommend. Full review to come!
May 3, 2025
Not going to lie - when I first saw this described as the start of an epic fantasy series, I was apprehensive if I would really enjoy it. “Epic” for me often equals much more information than I can handle. 🤪
Thankfully, that was not the case! It’s a wonderfully complex world but not confusing and it didn’t feel like I was drinking from a firehose. ☺️
A solid part of the book is fast-paced, but not chaotic.
There are multiple POVs. I generally shy away from books with that but these are done SO well! It added a lot to the story. 🖤
This darkness vs light plot is fabulous. And the main character Ravenna is absolutely splendid! I feel like I actually KNOW her personally. I’m invested and can’t wait to see how this journey unfolds.
Check out @authorabigailbrier’s account to get a feel for the book. Her reels accurately display it. 👊🏼
She has a spotify playlist and even a chapter by chapter music guide if you want that too. 🎶
That ending tho 😱👏🏼
Hooray for books 1.5 and 2 coming out this year! 🥳
Thankfully, that was not the case! It’s a wonderfully complex world but not confusing and it didn’t feel like I was drinking from a firehose. ☺️
A solid part of the book is fast-paced, but not chaotic.
There are multiple POVs. I generally shy away from books with that but these are done SO well! It added a lot to the story. 🖤
This darkness vs light plot is fabulous. And the main character Ravenna is absolutely splendid! I feel like I actually KNOW her personally. I’m invested and can’t wait to see how this journey unfolds.
Check out @authorabigailbrier’s account to get a feel for the book. Her reels accurately display it. 👊🏼
She has a spotify playlist and even a chapter by chapter music guide if you want that too. 🎶
That ending tho 😱👏🏼
Hooray for books 1.5 and 2 coming out this year! 🥳
April 10, 2024
Wow, what an amazing book! Rush of Ravens has to be one of my favourite fantasy books I’ve ever read.
If you’re after an action-packed fantasy book that has:
✅ Well developed characters
✅ A battle of Light vs Dark
✅ Christian themes
✅ A cool magic system
✅ Clean content
✅ Plot twists and cliffhangers
✅ And will keep you on the edge of your seat -
This is the book for you!
The only bad thing about this book is that I can’t binge read the rest of the series yet (this is the author’s first book)😭.
*I received this book for free from the author and am voluntarily leaving this review*
If you’re after an action-packed fantasy book that has:
✅ Well developed characters
✅ A battle of Light vs Dark
✅ Christian themes
✅ A cool magic system
✅ Clean content
✅ Plot twists and cliffhangers
✅ And will keep you on the edge of your seat -
This is the book for you!
The only bad thing about this book is that I can’t binge read the rest of the series yet (this is the author’s first book)😭.
*I received this book for free from the author and am voluntarily leaving this review*
June 3, 2024
firstly - i want to thank the author for choosing me to be a part of the ARC team for this novel!!
now….. wow??? literally no idea where to even begin, this was one hell of a ride!!!!!! and i must say that this really doesn’t happen to me often but i finished RoR this morning and i literally CANNOT stop thinking about it. these characters are living breathing in my brain
so, something that stood out for me: i don’t really think that this novel follows a traditional story structure, to me it read more like a series of events. and that’s not a bad thing at all! starting this book felt like diving head first into the sea - and just going deeper and deeper in, not wanting to resurface ever again.
i would be lying if i said that there was no predictability in “Rush of Ravens” - but it is standard for this genre. Despite this, this book felt like a breath of fresh air. Abigail Briar intertwines popular tropes into her story in a very subtle way - and somehow manages to expand on them in a way that feels original. I mean, on a regular day, if i picked up yet another book with a stubborn, reckless main character and then had to read about some sarcastic dark-haired guy with a smirk, i’d roll my eyes and find something else to do - and even though these “archetypes” do appear in RoR, it would be a CRIME to the describe the book this way.
The novel had parts of it that felt almost unprecedented and was fresh enough to keep me at the edge of my seat, yet still managed to bring me a sense of comfort known from my favourite fantasy series.
All in all, i’d say this book is a VERY promising start to what can be an amazing fantasy series. And if you’re looking for a novel to get lost in, a new secret garden in your mind, if you will - “Rush of Ravens” will be the perfect choice.
(also, if you’re still not convinced to read this book, taylor swift’s song robin was literally written about it)(crazy how accurate it is)
now….. wow??? literally no idea where to even begin, this was one hell of a ride!!!!!! and i must say that this really doesn’t happen to me often but i finished RoR this morning and i literally CANNOT stop thinking about it. these characters are living breathing in my brain
so, something that stood out for me: i don’t really think that this novel follows a traditional story structure, to me it read more like a series of events. and that’s not a bad thing at all! starting this book felt like diving head first into the sea - and just going deeper and deeper in, not wanting to resurface ever again.
i would be lying if i said that there was no predictability in “Rush of Ravens” - but it is standard for this genre. Despite this, this book felt like a breath of fresh air. Abigail Briar intertwines popular tropes into her story in a very subtle way - and somehow manages to expand on them in a way that feels original. I mean, on a regular day, if i picked up yet another book with a stubborn, reckless main character and then had to read about some sarcastic dark-haired guy with a smirk, i’d roll my eyes and find something else to do - and even though these “archetypes” do appear in RoR, it would be a CRIME to the describe the book this way.
The novel had parts of it that felt almost unprecedented and was fresh enough to keep me at the edge of my seat, yet still managed to bring me a sense of comfort known from my favourite fantasy series.
All in all, i’d say this book is a VERY promising start to what can be an amazing fantasy series. And if you’re looking for a novel to get lost in, a new secret garden in your mind, if you will - “Rush of Ravens” will be the perfect choice.
(also, if you’re still not convinced to read this book, taylor swift’s song robin was literally written about it)(crazy how accurate it is)
December 5, 2025
3.5* I was really excited for this book and looking forward to reading it, and overall I feel like it has so much potential! The world building, the monsters, some of the characters, etc were all so well thought out and I will be continuing with the series as new books come out!
That said, I felt like the main character was annoying at times, often being repetitive to the point of me losing interest. Ravenna constantly complaining about her clan keeping a secret from her, multiple times within a chapter having it mentioned in her inner monologuing, etc, got old quick. Xan being completely obsessed with Ravenna, even though he knew she didn't feel that way towards him, just felt immature and toxic for a guy pushing 30. I honestly wasn't sad to see him go, and was instead relieved to not get his POV anymore.
Now, Zeph. I like him! He's believable and has layers and I hope he somehow survived and is in the rest of the series with us. He was also repetitive at times, but nothing like Ravenna and Xan.
I also would really like to see more from Leith!
Another issue that kept me from rating this book higher was the poor description of the magic system. It's all vague until about 80% in and then you get this long drawn out explanation from Zeph that felt like a youth leader doing a poor job of explaining creation and salvation and the holy spirit to a middle schooler who's never had any experience with church before. It had me rolling my eyes at the number of overdone parallels between Christianity and Light, and that's coming from someone who's a strong Christian themselves. It just felt like that author was trying too hard.
That said, I felt like the main character was annoying at times, often being repetitive to the point of me losing interest. Ravenna constantly complaining about her clan keeping a secret from her, multiple times within a chapter having it mentioned in her inner monologuing, etc, got old quick. Xan being completely obsessed with Ravenna, even though he knew she didn't feel that way towards him, just felt immature and toxic for a guy pushing 30. I honestly wasn't sad to see him go, and was instead relieved to not get his POV anymore.
Now, Zeph. I like him! He's believable and has layers and I hope he somehow survived and is in the rest of the series with us. He was also repetitive at times, but nothing like Ravenna and Xan.
I also would really like to see more from Leith!
Another issue that kept me from rating this book higher was the poor description of the magic system. It's all vague until about 80% in and then you get this long drawn out explanation from Zeph that felt like a youth leader doing a poor job of explaining creation and salvation and the holy spirit to a middle schooler who's never had any experience with church before. It had me rolling my eyes at the number of overdone parallels between Christianity and Light, and that's coming from someone who's a strong Christian themselves. It just felt like that author was trying too hard.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 10, 2024
Obsessed is an understatement! Whatever emotions were being felt by Ravenna, I also felt, and so strongly. Abigail did such a phenomenal job of making you relate and feel for the characters in her book. I was blown away by how beautiful her writing was. The hardest time I have when reading new books is getting into them in the beginning because they’re often slow, and from the first couple of pages, I was HOOKED. That’s when I know the book is going to be a good one and it was so much better than I could have ever imagined. It was genuinely such an amazing read and so addicting! I can’t wait to read the next one! I’m so stoked to see what is coming up next!
June 3, 2024
⭐️3.5
I really wish these platforms allowed for half star ratings because giving this book 3 stars felt wrong, so I gave it 4, but it was a solid 3.5. A promising start from a debut author and exciting introduction to what I’m sure will be a fantastically epic series. Thank you Abigail, for the ARC!
Ravena is a strong willed, loyal, fierce young woman who has been secluded in a mountain valley, home to Vestele, her village and family, her whole life. When her well intentioned actions set of a chain of events that will change everything and send her on an adventure more akin to a nightmare, she must learn the truth of who she really is, what she believes in, and what she’s willing to sacrifice for those she loves.
While a lot of the story felt like it was happening to Ravena, her strength in the face of all the external pressures and internal turmoil was admirable. I did feel rather disconnected from her due to the multiple POVs in the first half of the story, which isn’t something I normally feel. In my personal opinion, they took away from the story. I would have preferred learning things alongside Ravena instead of knowing them before her. However, going into the second part of the book, the two POVs we get are perfect.
As far as the male characters in the story, I personally am not a fan of Xan; I much prefer the other two main male characters. Xan is more of a protective Best Friend type, which there is nothing wrong with, just not my favorite trope. Leith, while more of a side character, seems like he may be our Morally Grey man going forward (which I’d love!), but it’s probably too soon to say as he’s not on the page a lot. I loved Zephaniah’s journey of coming to terms with who he is and who he wants to be in such a dark world. His story brought a lot of additional depth and perspective to the book that made the second my favorite of the two parts. Both Leith and Zephaniah have more complexity to their character in my personal opinion, and I am excited to see how they develop as the series continues.
The world building and magic system are captivating, horrifying and brilliant. Abigail paints a full picture of Arresia along with the monsters, both literal and figurative, that have dominion over the realm. The themes of Light and Dark are beautifully portrayed. As a Christian, I appreciate the representation of the Gospel that slides its way into the the second part of the book. It felt like legitimate world building while accurately retelling the good news. Artfully done!
While certain parts of the story are predictable (I figured out the big revelation of the end of the book about a quarter of the way through), the prose are beautiful and the narrative is gripping.
Overall, I really enjoyed this debut novel and greatly appreciated the opportunity to read it before it’s release. I’m anxiously awaiting the next book in the series, because seriously, that cliffhanger…AH! Can’t wait!
I really wish these platforms allowed for half star ratings because giving this book 3 stars felt wrong, so I gave it 4, but it was a solid 3.5. A promising start from a debut author and exciting introduction to what I’m sure will be a fantastically epic series. Thank you Abigail, for the ARC!
Ravena is a strong willed, loyal, fierce young woman who has been secluded in a mountain valley, home to Vestele, her village and family, her whole life. When her well intentioned actions set of a chain of events that will change everything and send her on an adventure more akin to a nightmare, she must learn the truth of who she really is, what she believes in, and what she’s willing to sacrifice for those she loves.
While a lot of the story felt like it was happening to Ravena, her strength in the face of all the external pressures and internal turmoil was admirable. I did feel rather disconnected from her due to the multiple POVs in the first half of the story, which isn’t something I normally feel. In my personal opinion, they took away from the story. I would have preferred learning things alongside Ravena instead of knowing them before her. However, going into the second part of the book, the two POVs we get are perfect.
As far as the male characters in the story, I personally am not a fan of Xan; I much prefer the other two main male characters. Xan is more of a protective Best Friend type, which there is nothing wrong with, just not my favorite trope. Leith, while more of a side character, seems like he may be our Morally Grey man going forward (which I’d love!), but it’s probably too soon to say as he’s not on the page a lot. I loved Zephaniah’s journey of coming to terms with who he is and who he wants to be in such a dark world. His story brought a lot of additional depth and perspective to the book that made the second my favorite of the two parts. Both Leith and Zephaniah have more complexity to their character in my personal opinion, and I am excited to see how they develop as the series continues.
The world building and magic system are captivating, horrifying and brilliant. Abigail paints a full picture of Arresia along with the monsters, both literal and figurative, that have dominion over the realm. The themes of Light and Dark are beautifully portrayed. As a Christian, I appreciate the representation of the Gospel that slides its way into the the second part of the book. It felt like legitimate world building while accurately retelling the good news. Artfully done!
While certain parts of the story are predictable (I figured out the big revelation of the end of the book about a quarter of the way through), the prose are beautiful and the narrative is gripping.
Overall, I really enjoyed this debut novel and greatly appreciated the opportunity to read it before it’s release. I’m anxiously awaiting the next book in the series, because seriously, that cliffhanger…AH! Can’t wait!
June 4, 2024
“Being strong was something she had to do. If she wanted to survive this castle long enough to avenge the deaths of her people—her family…”
Rush of Ravens follows Ravenna, daughter of her village’s shield maiden, as she fights to be a leader for her clan, so she can protect them from the growing kingdom of darkness.
An absolutely phenomenal debut! Rush of Ravens is the perfect mixture of darkness and light. Beautiful and lush while seedy and cold. Abigail masterfully weaves multiple storylines and POVs throughout. I loved all the different POVs. It added a lot to the depth and overall plot reveals. There is a lot of information you couldn’t learn if it was only from Ravenna’s POV.
The way dark and light battle throughout the story keeps you intrigued. The world is both beautiful in the valley of Vestele and grim in the Kingdom of Oro. Abigail isn’t afraid to show the dark sides of people but balances it with the light always fighting for its place. This is the kind of Christian-inspired book I want to read. Abigail’s world is realistic with multiple deities and religions but ultimately her writing points back to God as our savior. She paints a beautiful picture of God’s love.
I love Ravenna’s character and her motivations throughout. She is a strong warrior but a caring person. I think we often overlook femininity in “strong” female characters. Ravenna is not girly, but she is feminine and excels as a leader because of those traits. She makes mistakes but learns from them and becomes a stronger person because of it. I also appreciate how Abigail tackles trauma in a realistic way, allowing her characters to walk through all stages of grief.
This book is a slow burn, so don’t expect romance in the first book. In fact, I’m still wondering who of the three potential love interests, Ravenna will end up being interested in. Although, I have my favorite 😉
Thank you to Abigail for the free copy!
Rush of Ravens follows Ravenna, daughter of her village’s shield maiden, as she fights to be a leader for her clan, so she can protect them from the growing kingdom of darkness.
An absolutely phenomenal debut! Rush of Ravens is the perfect mixture of darkness and light. Beautiful and lush while seedy and cold. Abigail masterfully weaves multiple storylines and POVs throughout. I loved all the different POVs. It added a lot to the depth and overall plot reveals. There is a lot of information you couldn’t learn if it was only from Ravenna’s POV.
The way dark and light battle throughout the story keeps you intrigued. The world is both beautiful in the valley of Vestele and grim in the Kingdom of Oro. Abigail isn’t afraid to show the dark sides of people but balances it with the light always fighting for its place. This is the kind of Christian-inspired book I want to read. Abigail’s world is realistic with multiple deities and religions but ultimately her writing points back to God as our savior. She paints a beautiful picture of God’s love.
I love Ravenna’s character and her motivations throughout. She is a strong warrior but a caring person. I think we often overlook femininity in “strong” female characters. Ravenna is not girly, but she is feminine and excels as a leader because of those traits. She makes mistakes but learns from them and becomes a stronger person because of it. I also appreciate how Abigail tackles trauma in a realistic way, allowing her characters to walk through all stages of grief.
This book is a slow burn, so don’t expect romance in the first book. In fact, I’m still wondering who of the three potential love interests, Ravenna will end up being interested in. Although, I have my favorite 😉
Thank you to Abigail for the free copy!
April 30, 2024
Holy cow! This book had me feeling all kinds of emotions from the very beginning…and yes I may have shed a few tears! I am all about mystery, romance, and fantasy and I feel like Abigail does an amazing job of intertwining them all!
The mystery part makes you wonder who to trust and what isn’t being said. The romance part makes you wonder who Ravenna is actually going to end up with, if anyone! The fantasy part takes you into a new world battling between light and darkness.
I also love a book with dual POV, but this one have multi POV of many different characters which I think really helped bring the story and characters to life even more.
I cannot wait for the rest of the series to come out and I especially am so excited to see Rush of Ravens take off. Job well done Abigail! 🐦⬛
*I received an Advanced Reader Copy from the author and am leaving this review voluntarily*
The mystery part makes you wonder who to trust and what isn’t being said. The romance part makes you wonder who Ravenna is actually going to end up with, if anyone! The fantasy part takes you into a new world battling between light and darkness.
I also love a book with dual POV, but this one have multi POV of many different characters which I think really helped bring the story and characters to life even more.
I cannot wait for the rest of the series to come out and I especially am so excited to see Rush of Ravens take off. Job well done Abigail! 🐦⬛
*I received an Advanced Reader Copy from the author and am leaving this review voluntarily*
June 3, 2024
I really enjoyed this book!
This is the first Witch fantasy I have read and it took some getting my head around, but I really like it! The battle between the dark and light is such an interesting concept to me, and I really enjoyed how this was done!
I love the multiple POVs within this story and feel they really help it come to life!
My only negative is the time jumps, this sometimes left me a little confused.
I’m so invested in this story, and am really looking forward to the rest of this series.
The world building is great, and I feel this is set up for the following books too. I love the old world feeling about the land and feel I can really picture the surroundings in this book!
The characters brought out real emotions for me. I’m absolutely loving some and HATING others! I feel like the author does this really well!
And poor Ravenna is just having a really bad time, bless her! I love this strong FMC, putting her protector instincts above everything else! I did feel myself wishing for some more romance between her and some of the other characters, and I do feel this is to come in the following books, I can maybe sense a bit of a love triangle coming??
But, the ending!!!…. I did not see that coming! I cannot wait to read the rest of this story! I am so invested in this world!
This is the first Witch fantasy I have read and it took some getting my head around, but I really like it! The battle between the dark and light is such an interesting concept to me, and I really enjoyed how this was done!
I love the multiple POVs within this story and feel they really help it come to life!
My only negative is the time jumps, this sometimes left me a little confused.
I’m so invested in this story, and am really looking forward to the rest of this series.
The world building is great, and I feel this is set up for the following books too. I love the old world feeling about the land and feel I can really picture the surroundings in this book!
The characters brought out real emotions for me. I’m absolutely loving some and HATING others! I feel like the author does this really well!
And poor Ravenna is just having a really bad time, bless her! I love this strong FMC, putting her protector instincts above everything else! I did feel myself wishing for some more romance between her and some of the other characters, and I do feel this is to come in the following books, I can maybe sense a bit of a love triangle coming??
But, the ending!!!…. I did not see that coming! I cannot wait to read the rest of this story! I am so invested in this world!
March 15, 2025
A MUST READ
As someone who usually struggles with high fantasy, I could immediately tell Rush of Ravens was going to be a good one! It did NOT disappoint. The whole story was really well done, which is not always the case with indie authors. There were no lulls, and plenty of plot twists! There are several well developed minor characters that I have so many questions about and hopes for! I loved the setting and the lore. Can't wait to delve further into the world of Arresia 🗺️!
Abigail Brier is a 🤍gifted🤍😉 writer! I am eagerly awaiting the rest of the series!
As someone who usually struggles with high fantasy, I could immediately tell Rush of Ravens was going to be a good one! It did NOT disappoint. The whole story was really well done, which is not always the case with indie authors. There were no lulls, and plenty of plot twists! There are several well developed minor characters that I have so many questions about and hopes for! I loved the setting and the lore. Can't wait to delve further into the world of Arresia 🗺️!
Abigail Brier is a 🤍gifted🤍😉 writer! I am eagerly awaiting the rest of the series!
November 1, 2025
This book is in between 4 and 4,5 stars.
I bought this novel about a year ago, and DNF’d it at around chapter 12, because the beginning was very slow, and most importantly, I didn’t like the MC. Maybe if she had been introduced differently, she would’ve been more likable.
I wanted to love this series so bad, so a year later, I tried again. At 50% things got interesting, and I couldn’t put the book down. The novel became fast-paced. I needed to know how it ended. I finished it, and it was the best decision I made. That ending…
I bought the 3 chain-bookmarks.
I’m currently reading Sea of Sorrows, and I can’t wait for Dawn of Doves!
I bought this novel about a year ago, and DNF’d it at around chapter 12, because the beginning was very slow, and most importantly, I didn’t like the MC. Maybe if she had been introduced differently, she would’ve been more likable.
I wanted to love this series so bad, so a year later, I tried again. At 50% things got interesting, and I couldn’t put the book down. The novel became fast-paced. I needed to know how it ended. I finished it, and it was the best decision I made. That ending…
I bought the 3 chain-bookmarks.
I’m currently reading Sea of Sorrows, and I can’t wait for Dawn of Doves!
April 14, 2024
Thank you to the author for sending me an ARC of Rush of Ravens! - OMG I am OBSESSED with everything this book is. I absolutely love the FMC & all the other characters you meet throughout! Top notch storytelling, great plot, and Brave vibes. 🫶 Highly recommend!!
June 7, 2025
I was so excited to read this! I very much enjoyed all of these characters and also this beautiful cover! I definitely felt like there was a lot of ground work laid in this, so it moved a little bit slower but I was still very invested and enjoying it! There were a couple parts that felt a little preachy and it kind of pulled me out of the zone, but it was still very good and I’d recommend!! Can’t wait for book two because woah that cliff hanger ?!
June 3, 2024
A daring, charming, surprising epic fantasy that I can't wait to continue.
I found myself rooting not just for Ravenna but the side characters as well. I loved the multiple POV and slooooow burn romance that I can't wait to watch play out.
This story also has beautiful themes hidden throughout--which is my very favorite thing about fiction: that it can transport us to other worlds while also teaching us how to live in this one.
So excited to read more about the Light v. Darkness. And I don't think I am spoiling anything when I say that by the end of this, my money is on the Light.
MAJOR CLIFFIE WARNING
Thanks Abigail Brier for the ARC in exchange for the free review!
I found myself rooting not just for Ravenna but the side characters as well. I loved the multiple POV and slooooow burn romance that I can't wait to watch play out.
This story also has beautiful themes hidden throughout--which is my very favorite thing about fiction: that it can transport us to other worlds while also teaching us how to live in this one.
So excited to read more about the Light v. Darkness. And I don't think I am spoiling anything when I say that by the end of this, my money is on the Light.
MAJOR CLIFFIE WARNING
Thanks Abigail Brier for the ARC in exchange for the free review!
June 3, 2024
Rush of Ravens launches you head-first into a fast-paced, dark fantasy world. Though the story is multiple POV, the plot follows FMC Ravenna closely through an impressive number of trials and tribulations. Her world is a web of secrets, curses, hoarded magic, and prophesies. I was delighted by the number of surprises that arose as the plot twisted and turned toward the dramatic conclusion. Though I did wish that some of the POVs would continue outside of Ravenna’s immediate storyline, I was engaged and intrigued by Brier’s story.
I received this book for free from the author and am voluntarily leaving this review.
I received this book for free from the author and am voluntarily leaving this review.
June 4, 2024
As an avid fan of adult fantasy, I was honored to read this book! The world Abigail has created is complex and beautiful. This book was a great introduction to fascinating magic and diverse groups of people that I’m excited to see develop in the sequels.
I enjoyed the cast of characters and the work gone into make sure they each had their own unique motivations and contributions to the story. While the book utilized many of the traditional themes you’d expect in epic fantasy, the story often took turns that pleasantly surprised me.
I also loooooved learning about the world history. I did find the second half of the book very heavy in summarizing this history though and wished that we could have seen events unfold first hand as opposed to being told about it. But with that being said, the history being told was very intriguing.
The book had the smallest hint of a potential romance that I’m rooting for so much, I am ecstatic so see whether something develops in future books.
Overall, I think this is a fantastic debut novel and highly recommend it!
I enjoyed the cast of characters and the work gone into make sure they each had their own unique motivations and contributions to the story. While the book utilized many of the traditional themes you’d expect in epic fantasy, the story often took turns that pleasantly surprised me.
I also loooooved learning about the world history. I did find the second half of the book very heavy in summarizing this history though and wished that we could have seen events unfold first hand as opposed to being told about it. But with that being said, the history being told was very intriguing.
The book had the smallest hint of a potential romance that I’m rooting for so much, I am ecstatic so see whether something develops in future books.
Overall, I think this is a fantastic debut novel and highly recommend it!
August 26, 2025
I have been waiting a very long time for a fantasy book to captivate my attention and hold me hostage in a world of witches, monsters and magic that I would never want to escape from
@authorabigailbrier got my attention months ago and her debut has surpassed all my expectations!
This first book in an epic 8 book fantasy series is one you won’t want to miss!
🕊️ Multiple POV
🕊️ Fierce Heroine
🕊️ Slow-burn w/ multiple love stories
🕊️ No Spice
🕊️ Light vs Darkness
🕊️ Edge-of-your-seat ACTION
🕊️ Well- written villains
🕊️ Surprises at every turn
Run don’t walk!
@authorabigailbrier got my attention months ago and her debut has surpassed all my expectations!
This first book in an epic 8 book fantasy series is one you won’t want to miss!
🕊️ Multiple POV
🕊️ Fierce Heroine
🕊️ Slow-burn w/ multiple love stories
🕊️ No Spice
🕊️ Light vs Darkness
🕊️ Edge-of-your-seat ACTION
🕊️ Well- written villains
🕊️ Surprises at every turn
Run don’t walk!
November 7, 2024
3 ⭐️ ARC Review:
I just have so many feelings with this book. At times I thought it was gonna be a 4 star, then 3 stars, then even less than that, so I found the middle ground and gave it a 3. There was just so much to this book!
There are like 3 love interests for our FMC and I don’t even know who I’m cheering for because they are all adorable. Like what?
It took me a really long time to finish this book, but I did it! So, thank you to the author, Abigail Brier, for the complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I just have so many feelings with this book. At times I thought it was gonna be a 4 star, then 3 stars, then even less than that, so I found the middle ground and gave it a 3. There was just so much to this book!
There are like 3 love interests for our FMC and I don’t even know who I’m cheering for because they are all adorable. Like what?
It took me a really long time to finish this book, but I did it! So, thank you to the author, Abigail Brier, for the complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
October 25, 2025
RATING: 3 1/2-4 ⭐
Just finished this book and I loved it!! The world building was really cool, and I enjoyed the writing style! I did have a few gripes with some of the characters, which is what keeps it from a 5 star read for me.
~SPOILERS FROM THIS POINT ON~
First of all, as much as I hate to admit it, Ravenna did feel a little Mary Sue-ish to me (at least in the beginning). She's described as being the best fighter in her clan, but she's only ever been trained under one man her whole life? And he's not even the best? It does say later on that her mother also ensured that she was skilled in fighting, so maybe there's more to it than that, but the whole thing just felt very unrealistic and a tad cliche.
She was also rude and selfish several times throughout the book (sometimes to the point of getting others hurt/killed), which was annoying, but I assume we're building up for some major character development (we do have some in this book, as she does eventually admit everything was her fault and she is willing to do anything to make it right), so it didn't bother me too much (love me some flawed characters).
Speaking of flawed characters, another person I wasn't a huge fan of was Xan. While he did have a few good moments, I felt like he was too old (27 I think?) to be having as many tantrums and panicky moments as he did. Just a little too childish for my taste. Also, the whole plot point of him being in love with Ravenna felt really unnecessary, as it didn't add anything to the plot other than making almost all of their interactions awkward and a little shallow (not to mention EVERYONE [including Ravenna and the girl who had a crush on him] knew it). But like I said, maybe we're setting up for some character development (it will be an 8 book series after all). If Xan is even still alive in the next book 🥲
Once last thing I will say about some of the people in this story: the amount of times Vestele's 'highly trained warriors' just...stood there...doing nothing during an emergency? Because of 'shock'🤨? It was obvious it was used for plot reasons, but it was honestly really annoying that it kept happening. I would NOT trust those guys with my life lol.
On to some positives, I really liked Tenille and Zeph! Tenille was a really solid character and friend, and I loved Zeph's dedication to the Light and how he treated Ravenna in prison. If either of those two characters die, I'm gonna riot, I love them sm ❤️
Also, RIP to Ashreya, who made the fetal mistake of being a mother figure to an MC in a fantasy novel 😔
As for the romance, the way I see it so far, is that there's three potential Love Interests: Childhood Best-friend (we all knew he wasn't the main Love Interest, right?👨🏼); Marriage Proposal Guy (if she doesn't take him, I will 🫣), and the Prison Guard (I'd be lying if I said I wasn't kicking my feet every time he held her hand 🤭).
[Funny Side Note: Petition for Ravenna to fall in love with Nilo to make the craziest love-square since the Ladybug show]
All in all, I did really like this book!! The high fantasy setting with the Christian allegories has been something I've been looking for for a long time!! I look forward to book 2!
Just finished this book and I loved it!! The world building was really cool, and I enjoyed the writing style! I did have a few gripes with some of the characters, which is what keeps it from a 5 star read for me.
~SPOILERS FROM THIS POINT ON~
First of all, as much as I hate to admit it, Ravenna did feel a little Mary Sue-ish to me (at least in the beginning). She's described as being the best fighter in her clan, but she's only ever been trained under one man her whole life? And he's not even the best? It does say later on that her mother also ensured that she was skilled in fighting, so maybe there's more to it than that, but the whole thing just felt very unrealistic and a tad cliche.
She was also rude and selfish several times throughout the book (sometimes to the point of getting others hurt/killed), which was annoying, but I assume we're building up for some major character development (we do have some in this book, as she does eventually admit everything was her fault and she is willing to do anything to make it right), so it didn't bother me too much (love me some flawed characters).
Speaking of flawed characters, another person I wasn't a huge fan of was Xan. While he did have a few good moments, I felt like he was too old (27 I think?) to be having as many tantrums and panicky moments as he did. Just a little too childish for my taste. Also, the whole plot point of him being in love with Ravenna felt really unnecessary, as it didn't add anything to the plot other than making almost all of their interactions awkward and a little shallow (not to mention EVERYONE [including Ravenna and the girl who had a crush on him] knew it). But like I said, maybe we're setting up for some character development (it will be an 8 book series after all). If Xan is even still alive in the next book 🥲
Once last thing I will say about some of the people in this story: the amount of times Vestele's 'highly trained warriors' just...stood there...doing nothing during an emergency? Because of 'shock'🤨? It was obvious it was used for plot reasons, but it was honestly really annoying that it kept happening. I would NOT trust those guys with my life lol.
On to some positives, I really liked Tenille and Zeph! Tenille was a really solid character and friend, and I loved Zeph's dedication to the Light and how he treated Ravenna in prison. If either of those two characters die, I'm gonna riot, I love them sm ❤️
Also, RIP to Ashreya, who made the fetal mistake of being a mother figure to an MC in a fantasy novel 😔
As for the romance, the way I see it so far, is that there's three potential Love Interests: Childhood Best-friend (we all knew he wasn't the main Love Interest, right?👨🏼); Marriage Proposal Guy (if she doesn't take him, I will 🫣), and the Prison Guard (I'd be lying if I said I wasn't kicking my feet every time he held her hand 🤭).
[Funny Side Note: Petition for Ravenna to fall in love with Nilo to make the craziest love-square since the Ladybug show]
All in all, I did really like this book!! The high fantasy setting with the Christian allegories has been something I've been looking for for a long time!! I look forward to book 2!
December 9, 2024
Initial Thoughts
Took me a while to finish, BUT OH MY GOODNESS. That ending. I saw a couple of people DNFed and I understand why they did. The first part of the book's pacing felt a bit off. I enjoyed her writing, but I was confused as to where the plot was going. BUT DON'T GIVE UP. Once "Part Two: Oro" started, I could barely put it down. My heart ached so many times for side characters and to see was heart-wrenching.
I will say that listening to the soundtrack added to the experience of immersion but was a bit tricky at first. I had tried to print out a mini version of her PDF, but I kept accidentally skipping over the lines that cued songs. Instead, I risked potential spoilers to pre-mark every cue into the book so I could just skip the song there or follow whatever instructions the author had put in there.
I probably won't listen to music on the second read-through, but I don't regret it at all. It was nice.
Plot (4.5/5)
As I stated above, it took a bit to get to the plot, but once it did, it took me on an emotional journey. The first part wasn't bad. It had its interesting moments, but it was a slow progression to get to the heart of the 'mystery.' It took too long to find its "purpose."
Pacing (3/5)
The weakest part of the book. It also didn't help pacing when I tried to find the songs at the right time and also didn't have a time or place to sit down and listen while reading. But as I overlooked the whole book, once it hit the second part, I couldn't put it down. Like, I stayed up till 1:30 AM reading when I had work the next morning.
Characters (4/5)
Ravenna was hard to understand at first, but as the book went along, I understood where a lot of her pain came from. I will say she is another take on that strong female character, BUT-- it doesn't help her. It actually makes things worse for her.
Xan. Xan the man. He seemed sweet. I HOPE there will be a little more development on him. Those who finished reading will understand.
Tenille. THE GEM. I love her. Protect her at all costs.
ZEPHENIAH. I LOVE YOU. He is my comfort character, 100%. He had a good amount of development. He had a life and a story outside of Ravenna which I think made him more interesting.
Writing Style (5/5)
BEAUTIFUL. Every paragraph was wonderful and had very good imagery. Occasionally her dialogue got preachy or telly near the climax, but otherwise, she did a great job balancing it all.
World Building (5/5)
I love this world she created and she crafted it so beautifully, explaining it easily but not dumping too much on you.
Personal Enjoyment (5/5)
Loved it. So much. I am in love with Zeph. *cough cough* He's mine. I will throw a gauntlet to fight. I will definitely read it again. I also loved that her playlist shared a few songs with some of mine.
Themes & CW
Redemption was an undercurrent theme, setting up for book two. A lot of dark things such as witchcraft and rituals (though they were looked down upon as being evil, which I don't see too often and much prefer).
Light vs. Dark. I love this concept, especially as a Christian.
Abuse, torture, fighting, death, and whipping are all described.
Overall Thoughts (4.41/5)
What I liked about it was that she didn't shy from hard or dark subjects, but wrote them in a meaningful way. Touching on how people can make mistakes, and I really look forward to how she will approach redemption in the coming books.
Took me a while to finish, BUT OH MY GOODNESS. That ending. I saw a couple of people DNFed and I understand why they did. The first part of the book's pacing felt a bit off. I enjoyed her writing, but I was confused as to where the plot was going. BUT DON'T GIVE UP. Once "Part Two: Oro" started, I could barely put it down. My heart ached so many times for side characters and to see was heart-wrenching.
I will say that listening to the soundtrack added to the experience of immersion but was a bit tricky at first. I had tried to print out a mini version of her PDF, but I kept accidentally skipping over the lines that cued songs. Instead, I risked potential spoilers to pre-mark every cue into the book so I could just skip the song there or follow whatever instructions the author had put in there.
I probably won't listen to music on the second read-through, but I don't regret it at all. It was nice.
Plot (4.5/5)
As I stated above, it took a bit to get to the plot, but once it did, it took me on an emotional journey. The first part wasn't bad. It had its interesting moments, but it was a slow progression to get to the heart of the 'mystery.' It took too long to find its "purpose."
Pacing (3/5)
The weakest part of the book. It also didn't help pacing when I tried to find the songs at the right time and also didn't have a time or place to sit down and listen while reading. But as I overlooked the whole book, once it hit the second part, I couldn't put it down. Like, I stayed up till 1:30 AM reading when I had work the next morning.
Characters (4/5)
Ravenna was hard to understand at first, but as the book went along, I understood where a lot of her pain came from. I will say she is another take on that strong female character, BUT-- it doesn't help her. It actually makes things worse for her.
Xan. Xan the man. He seemed sweet. I HOPE there will be a little more development on him. Those who finished reading will understand.
Tenille. THE GEM. I love her. Protect her at all costs.
ZEPHENIAH. I LOVE YOU. He is my comfort character, 100%. He had a good amount of development. He had a life and a story outside of Ravenna which I think made him more interesting.
Writing Style (5/5)
BEAUTIFUL. Every paragraph was wonderful and had very good imagery. Occasionally her dialogue got preachy or telly near the climax, but otherwise, she did a great job balancing it all.
World Building (5/5)
I love this world she created and she crafted it so beautifully, explaining it easily but not dumping too much on you.
Personal Enjoyment (5/5)
Loved it. So much. I am in love with Zeph. *cough cough* He's mine. I will throw a gauntlet to fight. I will definitely read it again. I also loved that her playlist shared a few songs with some of mine.
Themes & CW
Redemption was an undercurrent theme, setting up for book two. A lot of dark things such as witchcraft and rituals (though they were looked down upon as being evil, which I don't see too often and much prefer).
Light vs. Dark. I love this concept, especially as a Christian.
Abuse, torture, fighting, death, and whipping are all described.
Overall Thoughts (4.41/5)
What I liked about it was that she didn't shy from hard or dark subjects, but wrote them in a meaningful way. Touching on how people can make mistakes, and I really look forward to how she will approach redemption in the coming books.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 123 reviews