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Eyrder Saga #1
Raven and the Wolf
Thrown out and cursed as a trickster by his own father, Raven finds himself in the hands of a woman with a power he never could have imagined. In a time where the lands have been plagued by drought, sickness, and failing crops, Mistress Chatrina gives him food, work, and a place to sleep. But it is not out of the goodness of her heart.
Now Raven is faced with the mystery concerning his new friend Myche and his master Breyre, for years held captive by Chatrina's selfishness and greed. They need to escape, and Raven is the only one who can help them return to their people, the shape shifting Eyrders.
But this return is not celebrated by all, and Raven, an Outlander, is not welcome. Breyre's need to seek revenge on Chatrina for all the hurt she has caused threatens to bring him nothing but hatred, having him exiled... or worse.
Raven has to cope with the impending war, the conflicting plans of the Eyrders themselves, the struggle with his own newfound magic, and his budding relationship with a man who has a troubled past and an uncertain future.
Raven and the Wolf is a story about coming of age, of friendship, magic, and of love.
Now Raven is faced with the mystery concerning his new friend Myche and his master Breyre, for years held captive by Chatrina's selfishness and greed. They need to escape, and Raven is the only one who can help them return to their people, the shape shifting Eyrders.
But this return is not celebrated by all, and Raven, an Outlander, is not welcome. Breyre's need to seek revenge on Chatrina for all the hurt she has caused threatens to bring him nothing but hatred, having him exiled... or worse.
Raven has to cope with the impending war, the conflicting plans of the Eyrders themselves, the struggle with his own newfound magic, and his budding relationship with a man who has a troubled past and an uncertain future.
Raven and the Wolf is a story about coming of age, of friendship, magic, and of love.
392 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 9, 2011
8 people are currently reading
810 people want to read
About the author
Mari Evers
2 books29 followersMari was born and raised in Sweden, and currently lives with her two cats. She dreams of magic, faraway-lands, great adventures, and everlasting love. When not working (or dreaming) she tends to write, read, or draw, and grabs every chance she gets to take her Harley out for a spin.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
November 7, 2012
Okay, that was awesome. But a very, very specific kind of awesome. It's basically every M/M fantasy ever written, you know: plucky virgin aids a sexy prince, uncovers hidden talents within himself, is swept up into life at court, sexual tension ensues, then sex ensues, magic, battle, bad guys, resolution, the end. Seriously, I could name about a dozen books just off the top of my head with that exact storyline, but you know what? I freaking loved it. I love those tropes, would read them endlessly, and the only deciding factor for me in whether such a book is good or bad is the quality of the writing. And Ms Evers is a very good writer. I enjoyed the characters and the setting and the sexual tension. And even though there is shapeshifting, which is something I tend to avoid, it's not typical shifter-genre nonsense. Everyone in the society we read about has the ability to shift to a specific animal form, so there're no packs and ridiculous pack politics. It's just a part of the scenery, not instrumental to the plot. My minus-one-star-niggle is that the magical theory is bit weak, and the political machinations seem a bit pointless. That said, I see that this is listed as part 1, and I would definitely read any forthcoming parts.
September 23, 2011
4.5 stars
I've held off writing this review because I honestly don't know how to write what I feel towards this book. The best I can say is if you liked Prisoner then you'll probably like this one as well. Don't misunderstand me, this book isn't like Prisoner at all but more of the feelings I had while reading Prisoner I had while reading this one. And considering Prisoner is my all time favorite book, that says a lot.
I absolutely adored it. This is exactly the kind of story I love reading about. It has lovable characters, a fascinating world, action and suspense, sexual tension like you cannot believe and an overall sweet romance when it finally develops.
My heart bled for these characters. With Raven's somewhat horrible childhood and the situation Breyre is in when Raven first sees him had my heart aching for these two. I will tell you that this story holds a few surprises. For one, while Raven is effeminate looking he is in no way a girly character. He's strong, broken at times, courageous and is all around a very sweet, polite but sometimes shy, character. He's just as much a hero as Breyre is and in a few scenes is the one to save the day. Breyre on the other hand is the opposite. He's big and solid, broken too but in a completely different way. He's blunt, brash and dismissive. He's a hard man but he handles Raven with such gentleness it's very heartwarming.
This book has a lot of suspense and action. At times I wished there had been more of it, mostly on some fights that weren't exactly ellaborated on but overall I enjoyed each and every scene because it made my heart speed up. The plot is definitely an intriguing one. I think the blurb doesn't really do the book justice but in the end, it's so much more than words can even describe.
While the world building is good, it could have been better. I was curious about everything but some of the questions I had were never answered when it came to the world and culture of Breyre. I suppose that was my only problem with the book. I was curious about Raven and his abilities but they weren't described in greater detail so he's still somewhat of a mystery when it comes to his magic.
All in all, I loved this book so much! It's part of a series and I'm definitely looking forward to reading the next one. I hope we get more of Breyre and Raven in the future. Most definitely recommended.
I've held off writing this review because I honestly don't know how to write what I feel towards this book. The best I can say is if you liked Prisoner then you'll probably like this one as well. Don't misunderstand me, this book isn't like Prisoner at all but more of the feelings I had while reading Prisoner I had while reading this one. And considering Prisoner is my all time favorite book, that says a lot.
I absolutely adored it. This is exactly the kind of story I love reading about. It has lovable characters, a fascinating world, action and suspense, sexual tension like you cannot believe and an overall sweet romance when it finally develops.
My heart bled for these characters. With Raven's somewhat horrible childhood and the situation Breyre is in when Raven first sees him had my heart aching for these two. I will tell you that this story holds a few surprises. For one, while Raven is effeminate looking he is in no way a girly character. He's strong, broken at times, courageous and is all around a very sweet, polite but sometimes shy, character. He's just as much a hero as Breyre is and in a few scenes is the one to save the day. Breyre on the other hand is the opposite. He's big and solid, broken too but in a completely different way. He's blunt, brash and dismissive. He's a hard man but he handles Raven with such gentleness it's very heartwarming.
This book has a lot of suspense and action. At times I wished there had been more of it, mostly on some fights that weren't exactly ellaborated on but overall I enjoyed each and every scene because it made my heart speed up. The plot is definitely an intriguing one. I think the blurb doesn't really do the book justice but in the end, it's so much more than words can even describe.
While the world building is good, it could have been better. I was curious about everything but some of the questions I had were never answered when it came to the world and culture of Breyre. I suppose that was my only problem with the book. I was curious about Raven and his abilities but they weren't described in greater detail so he's still somewhat of a mystery when it comes to his magic.
All in all, I loved this book so much! It's part of a series and I'm definitely looking forward to reading the next one. I hope we get more of Breyre and Raven in the future. Most definitely recommended.
January 9, 2014
I am so glad that the Bingo Challenge called this category, or else I might not have come across this wonderful fantasy/MMromance novel. It is a journey of discovery for both characters.
Raven, a young man driven from his home, finds himself travelling a far greater distance than he ever could have foreseen; in miles, in knowledge (general and self) and in emotion. Breyre is a man who thought that he had lost it all; his freedom, the support and respect of others, his family and his home. Yet he too travels a long way before he discovers the truth of the matter. And together, they find in each other everything that was missing or that they needed.
This is an emotional journey; I cried (again!), I smiled and at times I wanted to throttle someone (not either of the two MCs). The two main characters are both appealing, the supporting characters are well-rounded, the dialogue flows and the plot, while relatively straight forward, had enough detail to keep me glued until I had finished it. If you like fantasy novel and emotional rides, then you really should consider reading this one. I loved it and it will definitely be one that goes on my re-read shelf.
Raven, a young man driven from his home, finds himself travelling a far greater distance than he ever could have foreseen; in miles, in knowledge (general and self) and in emotion. Breyre is a man who thought that he had lost it all; his freedom, the support and respect of others, his family and his home. Yet he too travels a long way before he discovers the truth of the matter. And together, they find in each other everything that was missing or that they needed.
This is an emotional journey; I cried (again!), I smiled and at times I wanted to throttle someone (not either of the two MCs). The two main characters are both appealing, the supporting characters are well-rounded, the dialogue flows and the plot, while relatively straight forward, had enough detail to keep me glued until I had finished it. If you like fantasy novel and emotional rides, then you really should consider reading this one. I loved it and it will definitely be one that goes on my re-read shelf.
dnf
February 16, 2017A completely toothless story. No angst, no darkness. It's obvious the author loves her characters very much and probably spent years loving them in her mind before writing the book. But I don't read to watch the author cuddle her darlings for 900 pages.
July 3, 2011
I know I probably mentioned it before, but I have loved fairy tales since I was a child and every time when I think that book in this genre can be a successful mixture of fairy tale or fairy tail-ISH fantasy and gay romance, I want to read it. Additionally, I am usually cautious about self-published books and more often than not will buy them only after a person whose tastes I trust recommends it. This was one such recommendation, and for me turned out to be a very good one.
First of all, I know it is always my concern, so I should mention that to me book felt very well edited.
Granted please take into consideration that as an ESL speaker I may miss some grammatical mistakes, especially if I am very involved with the story, but if the editing is horrible, with a lot of typos and other mistakes, I do usually notice. Here I did not, so it is a safe bet that if there are editing errors, there were not too many, or maybe none or very few.
There were several times in this book where I expected it to go in one familiar direction and it went in a completely different one. At heart this is a story about a boy who has magic, who did not have a very good childhood, who has to come out of age completely on his own and who finds love along the way. In other words I was all ready to name it a “Chosen One” trope. After Harry Potter I call the books about boys with special destinies “the Chosen One.” It turns out to not be exactly the case. While Raven gets a chance to fight against evil guys with good ones, he alone does not become a hero for defeating something very huge (I cannot say more without spoilers).
When I saw that the romance coming to be between an older and a younger man (Raven is eighteen, Breyre is approximately in his forties) and Raven seems to be so delicate, I was thinking to myself, “uh oh, Chick with a Dick alert,” only it was again not the case at all. Delicate in appearance or not, Raven is the one who is doing the life saving of his lover — and more than once — and not in a sense that he is just providing the emotional support. I liked and appreciated how the author tried to more or less do an equal balance of power between the guys, no matter what their appearances are.
I also really appreciated how strong the world-building is here and how it was unusual in some ways, even though it started with some pretty regular fantasy clichés. Like for example, we meet the society of shape shifters, only it does not concentrate on one species. Pretty much Breyre’s people can become any animal their inner essence is. To be quite honest, I would have been tempted to recommend this book only because it has squirrel shifter. I have never met squirrel shifter before and this one is so much fun.
“The squirrel squeaked and suddenly leapt to the side, bounded up the table and made a crazy leap to the bookshelf. Raven stared half in amazement, half growing amusement at the crazy antics, wondering how something so small could make so much noise. The animal lunged from the shelf to the bed, then made a quick dash across the floor amid much chatter and loud chirps. The squirrel finally located the leaf and came back with it, presenting it to Raven with its deft little paws”.
Additionally I really liked how hard Raven needs to *work* — to practice to try to coax his magic to wake up and to learn the profession he wants to learn to fit in among Breyre’s people. He was very appealing, very strong character and I desperately wanted him to succeed on his journey. And of course he is a nice guy who would not let evil triumph if he can help it. That is what eventually leads to him and Breyre meeting each other. I think that Breyre’s character is more static than Raven’s, but he was also a very appealing, likeable man, and I thought their happiness was well deserved. I do not think he undergoes much character development, though, besides recovering from his trauma, realizing he can be a leader again and having a nerve to start courting Raven.
If nothing else, it is a delightful fairy tale with strong world building, good guys vs evil guys, and a charming romance. Do not expect much sex as I think it either has one or two scenes and the book is VERY long.
The book is available from Smashwords
Originaly posted at Reviews by JesseWave
First of all, I know it is always my concern, so I should mention that to me book felt very well edited.
Granted please take into consideration that as an ESL speaker I may miss some grammatical mistakes, especially if I am very involved with the story, but if the editing is horrible, with a lot of typos and other mistakes, I do usually notice. Here I did not, so it is a safe bet that if there are editing errors, there were not too many, or maybe none or very few.
There were several times in this book where I expected it to go in one familiar direction and it went in a completely different one. At heart this is a story about a boy who has magic, who did not have a very good childhood, who has to come out of age completely on his own and who finds love along the way. In other words I was all ready to name it a “Chosen One” trope. After Harry Potter I call the books about boys with special destinies “the Chosen One.” It turns out to not be exactly the case. While Raven gets a chance to fight against evil guys with good ones, he alone does not become a hero for defeating something very huge (I cannot say more without spoilers).
When I saw that the romance coming to be between an older and a younger man (Raven is eighteen, Breyre is approximately in his forties) and Raven seems to be so delicate, I was thinking to myself, “uh oh, Chick with a Dick alert,” only it was again not the case at all. Delicate in appearance or not, Raven is the one who is doing the life saving of his lover — and more than once — and not in a sense that he is just providing the emotional support. I liked and appreciated how the author tried to more or less do an equal balance of power between the guys, no matter what their appearances are.
I also really appreciated how strong the world-building is here and how it was unusual in some ways, even though it started with some pretty regular fantasy clichés. Like for example, we meet the society of shape shifters, only it does not concentrate on one species. Pretty much Breyre’s people can become any animal their inner essence is. To be quite honest, I would have been tempted to recommend this book only because it has squirrel shifter. I have never met squirrel shifter before and this one is so much fun.
“The squirrel squeaked and suddenly leapt to the side, bounded up the table and made a crazy leap to the bookshelf. Raven stared half in amazement, half growing amusement at the crazy antics, wondering how something so small could make so much noise. The animal lunged from the shelf to the bed, then made a quick dash across the floor amid much chatter and loud chirps. The squirrel finally located the leaf and came back with it, presenting it to Raven with its deft little paws”.
Additionally I really liked how hard Raven needs to *work* — to practice to try to coax his magic to wake up and to learn the profession he wants to learn to fit in among Breyre’s people. He was very appealing, very strong character and I desperately wanted him to succeed on his journey. And of course he is a nice guy who would not let evil triumph if he can help it. That is what eventually leads to him and Breyre meeting each other. I think that Breyre’s character is more static than Raven’s, but he was also a very appealing, likeable man, and I thought their happiness was well deserved. I do not think he undergoes much character development, though, besides recovering from his trauma, realizing he can be a leader again and having a nerve to start courting Raven.
If nothing else, it is a delightful fairy tale with strong world building, good guys vs evil guys, and a charming romance. Do not expect much sex as I think it either has one or two scenes and the book is VERY long.
The book is available from Smashwords
Originaly posted at Reviews by JesseWave
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 25, 2012
4,5 stars!
At the beginning of the book I struggled some but I loved this book at the end and that's the important part.
Raven and the Wolf reminded me a bit of Kirby Crow's Scarlet and the White Wolf Scarlet and the White Wolf 1. Although Raven and the Wolf is not as detailed in it's world building.
Still Raven and Breyre are two lovely characters, I couldn't help but fall in love with, which is why I do rate it up. The characters are very engaging and it's intersting to discover all the different relationships and watch how this develope.
Good sexual tension was another pleasant surprise, which made me like this story even more. The romance is build slowly, more realistic that way. Raven has time to discover the Eyder's hold and their culture, to find his place and make friends, therefore he is not solely dependent on Breyre.
I'm not giving it full 5 stars because the different term and names for this race were a bit confusing and I would have like them explained at the end.
At the beginning of the book I struggled some but I loved this book at the end and that's the important part.
Raven and the Wolf reminded me a bit of Kirby Crow's Scarlet and the White Wolf Scarlet and the White Wolf 1. Although Raven and the Wolf is not as detailed in it's world building.
Still Raven and Breyre are two lovely characters, I couldn't help but fall in love with, which is why I do rate it up. The characters are very engaging and it's intersting to discover all the different relationships and watch how this develope.
Good sexual tension was another pleasant surprise, which made me like this story even more. The romance is build slowly, more realistic that way. Raven has time to discover the Eyder's hold and their culture, to find his place and make friends, therefore he is not solely dependent on Breyre.
I'm not giving it full 5 stars because the different term and names for this race were a bit confusing and I would have like them explained at the end.
December 4, 2011
3.5 stars (leaning towards 4 stars) Enjoyable fantasy with a gay romance. Actually the problem was that it wasn't really focused on the romance, nor on the fantasy intrigue, so in the end I found it lacking in both areas. The romance was cute, but I felt like the characters were a bit too generic (with a lot of characteristics that we were told they have, but we were never shown). Their background was a bit glossed over, too, but maybe the author plans to go into detail in the sequels (?).
The plot - the war between the two nations, shapeshifters and humans - was a bit unconvincing. We are led to believe there is a complex political situation, with various interests, but the whole story sounded like a history lesson. The main characters decided not to get involved in any of it, except for a battle they fought just to get some retribution.
The side characters were pretty interesting. I'd have liked to read more about Elekin and about the magic system in general.
The plot - the war between the two nations, shapeshifters and humans - was a bit unconvincing. We are led to believe there is a complex political situation, with various interests, but the whole story sounded like a history lesson. The main characters decided not to get involved in any of it, except for a battle they fought just to get some retribution.
The side characters were pretty interesting. I'd have liked to read more about Elekin and about the magic system in general.
August 31, 2012
Beautiful story with everything reader is searching for. Its really remarkable till the end. I love it.
September 11, 2012
I am giving this book five stars. This is not saying that the book had no flaws but that the flaws that it did have were surpassed by my absolute enjoyment in reading this story.
This novel is jam pack full of information: characters, family and kingdom history. This is at times a bit intimidating and challenging to the reader to absorb. I read this book once through, but feel that I will need to re-read it again just to make sure I picked up all the pieces of the story details.
This is a fascinating fantasy adventure story.
It is also an intense read, with suspense, romance and erotic enjoyment. The romance was slow to build, there were times I was wondering if it would ever take off, but once it did, I felt the characters love and passion flair to life.
I found the characters to be well developed and endearing. As the book progressed to explore each of the characters, reveal their frailties, and show their strengths I found myself thoroughly in love with each of them.
This story is a classic ‘hero’s journey’ a.k.a. monomyth, where over the course of the tale we explore the quest of the young hero to find himself in the larger world through an adventure where he must place his life on the line for others. Our hero grows in his understanding of what friendship is. What is ones moral obligations to others? What is family? What is love? and whether or not he can finally find a place to call home?
There are a fair amount of secondary characters, who add their stories into the novel. While this added to the richness of the book, it also added to the length of the novel.
My only complaint about the book was the large amount of material contained within this one book, which caused me to suffer from information overload.
There were places in this book that I had to force myself to slow down and resorted to taking notes, because the compactness of the information was a little hard to follow.
There are six parts to this novel.
A final note about the page number count of this novel. Goodreads has this listed as 183 pages. I have no idea where that number comes from, but it is not accurate. Smashwords has this e-book listed as 367 pages (115,181 word count). However when I was reading the book (with large font setting) it displayed at 618 pages. I imagine the listing of 367 pages is the real page number. Readers should be advised that you are in for a long read when you sit down for this book.
I recommend this book to readers who enjoy High fantasy, hero’s journey (a.k.a. Monomyth), adventure, action combat, royal courts, sorcery and earth magic, shape shifters, elves, romance, Gay and bisexual main characters.
This novel is jam pack full of information: characters, family and kingdom history. This is at times a bit intimidating and challenging to the reader to absorb. I read this book once through, but feel that I will need to re-read it again just to make sure I picked up all the pieces of the story details.
This is a fascinating fantasy adventure story.
It is also an intense read, with suspense, romance and erotic enjoyment. The romance was slow to build, there were times I was wondering if it would ever take off, but once it did, I felt the characters love and passion flair to life.
I found the characters to be well developed and endearing. As the book progressed to explore each of the characters, reveal their frailties, and show their strengths I found myself thoroughly in love with each of them.
This story is a classic ‘hero’s journey’ a.k.a. monomyth, where over the course of the tale we explore the quest of the young hero to find himself in the larger world through an adventure where he must place his life on the line for others. Our hero grows in his understanding of what friendship is. What is ones moral obligations to others? What is family? What is love? and whether or not he can finally find a place to call home?
There are a fair amount of secondary characters, who add their stories into the novel. While this added to the richness of the book, it also added to the length of the novel.
My only complaint about the book was the large amount of material contained within this one book, which caused me to suffer from information overload.
There were places in this book that I had to force myself to slow down and resorted to taking notes, because the compactness of the information was a little hard to follow.
There are six parts to this novel.
Prologue: short introduction
Part One: Raven and the Wolf : which is the title of the first segment, describes the meeting of Raven, Myche, Brayre, the evil sorceress Chatrina and the flight to freedom.
Part Two: Raven and the Oak: In this part our hero Raven discovers his dormant powers and his love for Brayre is fully explored.
Part Three: Raven and the Stone Pillars : is where the combat battle takes place. Classic good vs. evil, love vs. self love (power).
Part Four: Raven and the Moon; is a conclusion of the novel where many of the loose ends are explained and tied up.
Epilogue: Well it is just that the epilogue.
A final note about the page number count of this novel. Goodreads has this listed as 183 pages. I have no idea where that number comes from, but it is not accurate. Smashwords has this e-book listed as 367 pages (115,181 word count). However when I was reading the book (with large font setting) it displayed at 618 pages. I imagine the listing of 367 pages is the real page number. Readers should be advised that you are in for a long read when you sit down for this book.
I recommend this book to readers who enjoy High fantasy, hero’s journey (a.k.a. Monomyth), adventure, action combat, royal courts, sorcery and earth magic, shape shifters, elves, romance, Gay and bisexual main characters.
February 16, 2014
I just finished reading this Ebook and I have to say I absolutely loved it.
To start, I appreciated that the story felt well paced from start to finish. I never felt the need to skim, and loved that the environment and world building lead me to feel as if I was with Raven all along.
I spent my entire Saturday afternoon reading this book and was so glad that I did! I loved the time and care that the author spent on the multiple settings and the support characters, as i felt it really made a huge impact on the feel of the book. I didn't feel as if it were a journey that was being rushed towards it's conclussion, but an adventure to savour and join in on.
The relationship between Raven and Breyre developed excellently, beginning with subtle attraction and curiosity, to deep affection towards one another.All in all, this was an excellent book that I know I'll read again, if just for the simple pleasure of being lost in its pages. I sincerely hope the next instalment makes it to the kobo vox ereader as well!
To start, I appreciated that the story felt well paced from start to finish. I never felt the need to skim, and loved that the environment and world building lead me to feel as if I was with Raven all along.
I spent my entire Saturday afternoon reading this book and was so glad that I did! I loved the time and care that the author spent on the multiple settings and the support characters, as i felt it really made a huge impact on the feel of the book. I didn't feel as if it were a journey that was being rushed towards it's conclussion, but an adventure to savour and join in on.
The relationship between Raven and Breyre developed excellently, beginning with subtle attraction and curiosity, to deep affection towards one another.All in all, this was an excellent book that I know I'll read again, if just for the simple pleasure of being lost in its pages. I sincerely hope the next instalment makes it to the kobo vox ereader as well!
August 24, 2011
Great world building! Loved the MCs and all the supporting characters. I read that the author is writing a sequel. I can't wait! Love stories that read like fairy tales and am fascinated by the details of the shapeshifting race and the avatars.
September 25, 2011
Wow! This was awesome. I salute the author's imagination and story-telling skills. The characters drew me in... their stories, their past, who they are, what they think, how they feel and love, who they love... The romance was beautiful.
September 1, 2012
This is an enjoyable, well written fantasy. I liked Raven, he is innocent, young and pulling character. His romance with Breyre was a bit one sided, but developed into much more. Anyway, good work by Mari Evers. Recommended!
August 13, 2011
Recommended!
April 22, 2015
Not bad for an m/m fantasy romance but I found the last 30% very anti-climactic. I kept waiting for something to happen.
December 30, 2011
I heard so much about this book and the writing at the beginning was nice and prose like that it made me think that this was going to be a beautiful book and to a certain extent it was. I just think that this book didn't reach it's full potential and I finished this book feeling decidedly unhappy with it. maybe because it's supposed to be a saga? I don't really think that's why though.
December 31, 2013
I don't know that this would have made it to the top of my TBR if it hadn't been part of the LGBT Fantasy December BOM Challenge, but will say I thoroughly enjoyed this story.
It was the typical trope of a naive young man, outcast from his family, and becoming a wanderer, looking for a place for himself, and learning about himself along the way. Then, lo and behold, a 'prince' of sorts comes along and rescues him, but only after the young wanderer rescues the prince first. A very sweet story, and a lovely adventure.
The author does a very nice job of describing the landscape, the different avatars ( the term for shifter in this story) and traditions and issues of the land and people of the holds or keep. I actually visualized the forests as they trekked through them, all the colors and textures of fabric in the tents, the liveliness of the various households, and the camaraderie between soldiers in a way that was a pleasant getaway for me.
I would highly recommend this as a sweet fantasy that left me smiling when I finished the story.
It was the typical trope of a naive young man, outcast from his family, and becoming a wanderer, looking for a place for himself, and learning about himself along the way. Then, lo and behold, a 'prince' of sorts comes along and rescues him, but only after the young wanderer rescues the prince first. A very sweet story, and a lovely adventure.
The author does a very nice job of describing the landscape, the different avatars ( the term for shifter in this story) and traditions and issues of the land and people of the holds or keep. I actually visualized the forests as they trekked through them, all the colors and textures of fabric in the tents, the liveliness of the various households, and the camaraderie between soldiers in a way that was a pleasant getaway for me.
I would highly recommend this as a sweet fantasy that left me smiling when I finished the story.
June 1, 2013
maybe 2.5 stars for this book, because I just wasn’t happy with the book as a whole. To be honest I was left wanting more and never getting it. This book was an enjoyable fantasy with romance and I thinkl that was the problem the author could decided wether to focus on the fantasy element or the romance and so failed on both fronts. This book had great potential and I kept expecting something more to happen but their was hardly any action and not much really happened. The Romance was sweet but again it never went anywhere one second they are sort of friends and the next their passionate lovers. It’s a shame because I was really looking forward to this book and at the beginning it started well but went down hill as I think the characters were to generic and had no real connection to the reader or depth.
January 28, 2016
The book is divided is 4 part
-raven and the wolf
-raven and the oak
-raven and the stone pillars
-raven and the moon
I've to say that i read the book in one day and it was really good.I cant give 5 stars because is a short book and the story and the relationships could be wrote a lot better.But i think is a book worth to be read.
Breyre and Raven are in love at first sight,the 1st is too strubbon to see it,and the 2nd too inexperienced to understand it.When Breyre's cousin(Eckien) tries to "steal" Raven, the wolf finally gives up and cofesses his feelings.In the last part of the book (4th)you start to grin like a maniac because they're finally together forever,and you understand their love is strong and true.To be sincere i think this book can be ended like this,doesnt need a sequel,actually the 4 parts seem like 4 different books linked by their love story.
-raven and the wolf
-raven and the oak
-raven and the stone pillars
-raven and the moon
I've to say that i read the book in one day and it was really good.I cant give 5 stars because is a short book and the story and the relationships could be wrote a lot better.But i think is a book worth to be read.
Breyre and Raven are in love at first sight,the 1st is too strubbon to see it,and the 2nd too inexperienced to understand it.When Breyre's cousin(Eckien) tries to "steal" Raven, the wolf finally gives up and cofesses his feelings.In the last part of the book (4th)you start to grin like a maniac because they're finally together forever,and you understand their love is strong and true.To be sincere i think this book can be ended like this,doesnt need a sequel,actually the 4 parts seem like 4 different books linked by their love story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 27, 2015
While I'm all for a shape-shifter romance, I felt that this book was a bit all over the place. The actual romance started too late for my tastes, with no real build-up until the pair were all over each other, and honestly, it felt a bit dodgy, with the difference in social standing never really being addressed. Raven felt too much like a servant, so for a romance to suddenly spring up between himself and his 'master' felt like something out of another genre that was never properly addressed.
The climax also seemed a little too cleanly executed, over and done with in a flash, which I thought was somewhat disappointing, as I'd been enjoying the bits of world-building.
All in all, I enjoyed the book for what it was and will probably reread again at some other point in time.
The climax also seemed a little too cleanly executed, over and done with in a flash, which I thought was somewhat disappointing, as I'd been enjoying the bits of world-building.
All in all, I enjoyed the book for what it was and will probably reread again at some other point in time.
October 29, 2015
3.5 stars
This book had some great bones. The world building was quite good as was the writing, character development, and storyline. Sad to realize Ms. Evers hasn't written anything else since this book was released. The primary drawback for me was how little evidence was ever brought to light about the world's magic, which was talked about a lot. When it was demonstrated, I was never wowed, nor did I revel in its discovery and power. And I wanted to! With the exception of , I waited and it just never happened. To me, that was the major weakness of this otherwise intriguing story.
This book had some great bones. The world building was quite good as was the writing, character development, and storyline. Sad to realize Ms. Evers hasn't written anything else since this book was released. The primary drawback for me was how little evidence was ever brought to light about the world's magic, which was talked about a lot. When it was demonstrated, I was never wowed, nor did I revel in its discovery and power. And I wanted to! With the exception of , I waited and it just never happened. To me, that was the major weakness of this otherwise intriguing story.
November 27, 2012
Beautiful. Eloquent, sweet, whimsical, mystical- just everything. It feels so familiar, yet it feels like something you've never encountered. It's just... like a soup. Though you've tasted all of the flavors before, they just touch your senses a little differently from the last time. The characters are perfect, unlike most books that highlight the background characters, these characters are the hymn to a prayer, accents to the most important story presented. This novel has been embalmed in my mind to be a classic.
January 20, 2012
Some times plot was too slow. I wasn't really inwolved with problems of Eyrders. Their war somehow was distant for me. Too many names starting from E were confusing. Love story was nice but not intence.
December 4, 2011
See the review by Seregil, especially about the ''tell, don't show'' aspect ;-)
January 28, 2019
I see why some readers had issues with the book. While it’s hard to pinpoint for me exactly I’d say most of all I didn’t learn to care one bit for the characters. They were such generic strangers: a tortured but arrogant prince and a twink with a big heart and low self-esteem. Zzz. Or maybe I just didn’t see them falling in love. One second they were tentative allies (real strangers tbh) and then bam, perfect lovers. Eh? Perhaps it’s a lack of MC’s personal growth... like none. :/ I’m not even going to touch plot holes.
September 23, 2018
I actually read this around 2 years ago. For some reason it wasn’t in my GR read shelf so I decide to fix that.
From what I remember, this was a lovely read in a creative fantasy world with an exciting plot and sweet romance.
From what I remember, this was a lovely read in a creative fantasy world with an exciting plot and sweet romance.
Read
September 22, 2019good but dnf @ 60%
dnf
July 19, 2020Dnf at 26%
August 20, 2016
Pour moi ça a été un énorme coup de coeur !!!
Entrer dans l'univers de Mari Evers a été une expérience merveilleuse.
Partie 1 :
C'est un récit d'aventure, dans un univers imaginaire.
Raven, car c'est lui le héros de l'histoire, nous raconte sa vie. Sa naissance, il est rejeté par son père qui voulait une fille. Son enfance esseulée, son bannissement à 16 ans, et son errance...
Jusqu'à ce que deux ans plus tard, arrivé dans une nouvelle ville, il s'endorme dans un jardin privé. Il est découvert par Myche, un serviteur, qui deviendra son ami. Et est pris au service de Chatrina la Dame de maison. Mais Raven découvrira que les apparences ne sont pas toujours ce que l'on croit. Il va devenir le sauveur de Myche et de son Maître Breyre. Tous les deux retenus prisonniers par la femme depuis 15 ans. Enfin libres, ils entreprennent tous ensembles le voyage de retour vers les terres des Eyrders.
Cette première partie est la description de ce monde que Raven découvre, et dont il ne connaissait pas l'existence. Un univers bien décrit, bien posé. L'évasion m'a fait palpiter le cœur. J'aime Raven, son courage et son innocence.
Partie 2 :
Dans cette partie Raven est à la recherche de sa magie. Il suit un entraînement et est instruit par un Merender. Mais il n'y arrive pas, son esprit est occupé. Et qu'est-ce qui le perturbe ??? L'amour... Ses premiers émois amoureux. Le pauvre est tellement innocent qu'il ne comprend pas ce qui lui arrive. Il va être courtisé, et céder lentement, en douceur. Leurs première fois est une des plus douce et des plus jolie que j'ai lu.
Nous sommes toujours dans l'univers fascinant de l'auteur, avec ses détails et ses personnages métamorphes. Et une bataille se prépare. Car Breyre le Esker est persuadé que Chatrina ne les laissera jamais en paix lui et son peuple. Et il décide d'y retourner avec son armée, pour se venger.
Partie 3 :
Dans cette partie nous assistons à la préparation et à la bataille contre Chatrina et sa Reine. C'est très bien écrit, haletant, détaillé, palpitant. Et l'amour qui uni Raven et son homme se renforce. Il entre enfin en communion avec sa magie.
Partie 4 :
La guerre est terminée et je vous laisse découvrir la fin, comme des grands.
Si je n'est pas cité le nom de l'amoureux de Raven, c'est parce-que l'auteur à très brillamment réussi à nous le cacher dans les deux premières partie. Je voulais respecter son travail.
Voilà, l'histoire se termine, du moins le Tome 1. Je ne vous cache pas que j'ai adoré. C'est un pavé de presque 500 pages, mais à aucun moment je ne me suis ennuyée. Je félicite l'auteure pour son imagination débordante, et la traductrice qui n'a pas dût s'ennuyer. Nous avons même un bonus à la fin. C'est bizarre, j'écris ma chronique et Raven me manque déjà. L'écriture est très belle, détaillée, Mari Evers nous décrit très bien son univers, sans lourdeurs, ni longueurs.
Entrer dans l'univers de Mari Evers a été une expérience merveilleuse.
Partie 1 :
C'est un récit d'aventure, dans un univers imaginaire.
Raven, car c'est lui le héros de l'histoire, nous raconte sa vie. Sa naissance, il est rejeté par son père qui voulait une fille. Son enfance esseulée, son bannissement à 16 ans, et son errance...
Jusqu'à ce que deux ans plus tard, arrivé dans une nouvelle ville, il s'endorme dans un jardin privé. Il est découvert par Myche, un serviteur, qui deviendra son ami. Et est pris au service de Chatrina la Dame de maison. Mais Raven découvrira que les apparences ne sont pas toujours ce que l'on croit. Il va devenir le sauveur de Myche et de son Maître Breyre. Tous les deux retenus prisonniers par la femme depuis 15 ans. Enfin libres, ils entreprennent tous ensembles le voyage de retour vers les terres des Eyrders.
Cette première partie est la description de ce monde que Raven découvre, et dont il ne connaissait pas l'existence. Un univers bien décrit, bien posé. L'évasion m'a fait palpiter le cœur. J'aime Raven, son courage et son innocence.
Partie 2 :
Dans cette partie Raven est à la recherche de sa magie. Il suit un entraînement et est instruit par un Merender. Mais il n'y arrive pas, son esprit est occupé. Et qu'est-ce qui le perturbe ??? L'amour... Ses premiers émois amoureux. Le pauvre est tellement innocent qu'il ne comprend pas ce qui lui arrive. Il va être courtisé, et céder lentement, en douceur. Leurs première fois est une des plus douce et des plus jolie que j'ai lu.
Nous sommes toujours dans l'univers fascinant de l'auteur, avec ses détails et ses personnages métamorphes. Et une bataille se prépare. Car Breyre le Esker est persuadé que Chatrina ne les laissera jamais en paix lui et son peuple. Et il décide d'y retourner avec son armée, pour se venger.
Partie 3 :
Dans cette partie nous assistons à la préparation et à la bataille contre Chatrina et sa Reine. C'est très bien écrit, haletant, détaillé, palpitant. Et l'amour qui uni Raven et son homme se renforce. Il entre enfin en communion avec sa magie.
Partie 4 :
La guerre est terminée et je vous laisse découvrir la fin, comme des grands.
Si je n'est pas cité le nom de l'amoureux de Raven, c'est parce-que l'auteur à très brillamment réussi à nous le cacher dans les deux premières partie. Je voulais respecter son travail.
Voilà, l'histoire se termine, du moins le Tome 1. Je ne vous cache pas que j'ai adoré. C'est un pavé de presque 500 pages, mais à aucun moment je ne me suis ennuyée. Je félicite l'auteure pour son imagination débordante, et la traductrice qui n'a pas dût s'ennuyer. Nous avons même un bonus à la fin. C'est bizarre, j'écris ma chronique et Raven me manque déjà. L'écriture est très belle, détaillée, Mari Evers nous décrit très bien son univers, sans lourdeurs, ni longueurs.
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