The Legend of the Golden Raven

The Wicker King #1.5

by K. Ancrum

K. Ancrum's The Legend of the Golden Raven novella, part fairy tale and part gritty reality, follows a boy as he descends into madness.

August and Jack weren’t meant to be friends. One is a misfit with a pyro streak and the other a golden boy on the rugby team. But as their relationship intensifies, Jack slowly begins to lose his mind—taking readers on an intimate journey into the fantasy kingdom creeping into the edges of his world.

As the novella moves back and forth between a medieval legend and our own, contemporary world, nothing is as it seems. The boys alienate everyone around them as they struggle with their sanity and as Jack’s quest to fulfill a dark prophecy begins to consume them both . . .

Devour this companion novella to The Wicker King.

An ImprintBook

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Contemporary, LGBT, Queer, Short Stories, Novella

71 pages, ebook

First published October 31, 2017

About the author

K. Ancrum, is an author of award winning speculative contemporary YA notably THE WICKER KING, DARLING and most recently the critically acclaimed ICARUS. K. is a Chicago native passionate about diversity and representation in young adult fiction. She currently writes most of her work in the lush gardens of the Chicago Art Institute.

Reviews

[Melanie (meltotheany) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Wicker King ★★★★★

“There is a difference between being nice and being kind.”

Oh my gosh, I am living my best life thanks to this short story! This month, I also read The Wicker King and fell so in love with Jack and August and how they both were able to give the other one what they needed in a world that wasn’t willing to fill their voids. And The Legend of the Golden Raven is a brief retelling of The Wicker King but from Jack’s perspective, where we really get to dive into the fantastical world he was able to see. And friends? I loved this. My only complaint is that I wanted more because I will always want more from these characters. Also, seeing Rina in this? Truly added five years to my life. I love this story, I love these characters, and K. Ancrum is truly a blessing.

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[Chelsea (chelseadolling reads) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly I think reading this made me MORE confused. What even did I just read???????

[may ➹ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

this was averagely good. I really enjoyed The Wicker King and thought it was pretty amazing, but this was a mild disappointment. I loved reading from Jack’s perspective, and also reading the Legend of the Golden Raven, but !!! I wish it was gayer!! and had more from Jack’s perspective. and longer. and talked more about WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THE BOOK ENDED

[Drusilla]

Well, I was warned that this would leave me feeling unsatisfied. That's a real shame. I think it all should have been included in The Wicker King, then I would have been happy. I particularly feel that Jack's feelings are exactly what I found lacking in the main book. It's nice to get them in hindsight, but that's all.

[elliot · Rating 4 out of 5]

me re-reading this as if the wicker king itself didnt make me suffer enough. i am doing so fine i swear

[Karla]

3.5 stars!

”You’re the love of my life, you know” he said bravely. August just looked at him and shrugged “I know.”

Finally some POV from Jack, his battles and demons! And of course the beautiful legend of the golden raven. I hope maybe the author will give us more of August and Jack being together I’d really like to see them as a couple already . ♥️

[Teru]

I didn't want to say goodbye to August and Jack, so of course I sailed over to this immediately.

I'm not going to rate this, as it's a 30-pages short story, but it was...a lovely add-on to The Wicker King that's not actually necessary and left me lukewarm.

The legend of the Wicker King and his Champion was interesting and I'm glad I got the full picture of Jack's world. The other part was Jack's POV throughout The Wicker King, and while I originally wanted to be in his head for a bit, it left me more...hurt than satisfied (especially that scene with August and Rina, I did NOT need to revisit THAT through Jack's eyes 😭).

Still, it's a quick read, and while unnecessary, I can finally say goodbye to the boys and leave them be happy together ❤️ ...ALONE. Go away, Rina 🙂

[jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

me giving the original one star but the novella four stars because i'm silly like that 🤪



read as part of 202-Queer 🌈✨

april reading: 12/26

[Optimist ♰King's Wench♰ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jack's somewhat disorienting but powerful POV. God, I want to wrap him in bubble wrap.

I can't really say anything more for fear of spoiling The Wicker King but it gives significant context to the events of the novel.

And still has some feels:

"You're the love of my life, you know," he said bravely.

August just looked at him and shrugged. "I know."

If you enjoyed The Wicker King then this is a must read and free.

[ivy · Rating 4 out of 5]

“You like the taste of freedom?” Jack joked.

“Second best thing I’ve ever had.” August grinned.

“What’s the first?” Jack asked, blushing.

“Don’t ask stupid questions.”

Jack watched as August walked to the car and threw open the door. He looked exactly the same. It was like those ten months had never even happened. Like they never even needed to.

“You’re the love of my life, you know,” he said bravely.

August just looked at him and shrugged. “I know.”

[Darcey · Rating 4 out of 5]

so touching and emotional, these characters are precious in so many ways.

[destiny ♡ howling libraries · Rating 4 out of 5]

#1 The Wicker King ★★★★★
#1.5 The Legend of the Golden Raven ★★★★☆

After that thought, all at once, like a horrible cacophony of sound, the voice that lived behind his teeth whispered:
This is the love of your life.

Ahhh, I've missed you too much, little Jack and August (and Rina!). ♥

This was a lovely glimpse into Jack's side of things, and I enjoyed it so much. I only wish it had been longer and had focused more directly on Jack and August, and less on the (metaphorical?) side story of the brother kings in Jack's fantasy world. Had this been a much longer novella, that side story probably would've enchanted me every bit as much as its writing deserved to, but all I could really think about during those sections (aside from being hypnotized by how gorgeous K's prose always is) was how impatient I was to see more of our odd little pyros.

[Romie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I simply loved seeing the story through Jack's eyes! and the mix of the main story line with the fairytale like story was so well done! I have so so so much love for Jack, and getting to read about his feelings made me love him even more!

[Dannii Elle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Actual rating 2.5/5 stars.

This is a short story that accompanies The Wicker King and is told from Jack's perspective. The story serves two distinct purposes. The first is to detail the events that occur in the previous full-length novel and provide the reader with Jack's intimate thoughts and feelings during this time. The second purpose is to allow the reader to fully experience Jack's creations, through more fantastical fragments set in his own altered reality. These snippets from Jack's contemporary and fantastical worlds are interwoven throughout.

I struggled a little with this, as bouncing so quickly between these two genres left me feeling a little disorientated, at the novel's close. I appreciated the added insights to Jack's character that it provided but felt I did not leave this with much new information concerning the central novel, like I had hoped to.

[Museofnyxmares · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blog Post: https://museofnyxmares.wordpress.com/...

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4.5/5 Stars

I loved The Wicker King with my whole entire being and so it was very bittersweet when it came to an end. When I saw that there was a novella from Jack’s point of view, I was so excited and just had to read it, and it’s actually free, so bonus! Some people have said that this novella was a big disappointment in comparison to The Wicker King, but I have to disagree. However, I can understand why some people had issues with it, but ultimately, this was exactly what I needed. It gave me a lot more insight into what Jack’s going through, as there are some things that he hid even from August, we got to see how Jack viewed the dynamics in their relationship, which was surprisingly a lot clearer than August and a more honest look at how he actually felt about August. I was desperate for each of those things and so this novella was my saviour, and we even got to see a little snippet of after The Wicker King, which I may have just smiled a bit too much at!

As I said, this novella is told completely from Jack’s point of view and consequently, his hallucinations heavily seep into the story. We get up close and personal with the goings on in his mind, in a way that we couldn’t in The Wicker King,“Out of the corner of his eye, Jack saw birds on every branch of every tree-crows maybe. Feathers and meat hung from their bones; they rotted where they stood, but their many eyes stayed bright as they watched August and Jack keenly”. To be honest it was terrifying at times to see just how overrun his reality was with these hallucinations. What was so heartbreaking though, is that from Jack’s point of view, we are now privy to the fact that he has been hiding things from August, from his feelings for him and more detrimentally, just how bad his hallucinations are, “Things were much worse than Jack had let on. He had been dealing with hallucinations for weeks now-walking around seeing another world stitched over the real one”. This made me so sad, because they’re both trying to keep things from one another, in the hope of protecting each other. It is also clear though, that Jack is aware that August has got a lot on his plate, besides him, and August is somewhat surprised by this, when Jack enquiries about him spending more time with his mother. But then August soon realises that this is Jack’s way of trying to get past feeling like a burden to August, “you worried about me and my mom? Right now? During all this f******? Yeah okay”.

The Legend Of The Golden Raven is split throughout, between the reality and the world that Jack’s hallucinations have given birth to. If I’m being honest, I much preferred the chapters set in the real world, because they made a lot more sense, gave me the answers that I was looking for and I just missed my boys! The world of hallucinations started off being really interesting, as I liked the fairytale writing style and getting to take a peek into Jack’s world, “Long ago, when the earth was still young, there were two kings: the King of the Wood and the Wicker King. They were brothers, and their kingdoms lay side by side, shuttered away behind a wall”. We were essentially taken on a quest to find something that is sacred in Jack’s world, that Jack was hellbent on finding in the real world too! I can’t quite pinpoint when it was, but it just got very confusing at times and I couldn’t really follow what was going on. For example, in Jack’s world The Wicker King and the King of the Wood were brothers, but I was certain that they were meant to represent Jack and August so… I would have also loved more focus on the Cloven King and what exactly he represents. I labelled The Wicker King as realistic fiction as the more fantasy elements of it were few and were an expression of Jack’s hallucinations. However, I’d probably put this novella into the fantasy category as so much of it was set in Jack’s world.

What I found the most rewarding about this novella was the opportunity to see how Jack truly felt about August and their relationship. I don’t know why, but it surprised me quite a bit that Jack saw the dynamics of their relationship so clearly and he actively knew what they were doing. Whereas August seems more in denial about the instability of their relationship and what it’s taking from each of them, “so old and so weary of each other’s tantrums and each other’s needs. Auguest looking at him with millennium eyes as Jack fulfilled every inch of every requirement expected of him. Taking the lead when August got weak, handing it back when his own knees buckled. Hitting against each other back and forth until Newton’s cradle turned into Huygen’s pendulum and they finally moved as one”. Jack knows that August likes to feel in control of things and then eventually gets exhausted by this, and then a switch flicks in Jack where he goes from being someone who August needs to take care of, to someone who August can follow and he consequently dominates the relationship, “They could win this if he just focused, gave August what he needed, and followed him until the very end”, “Eventually, like always, August faltered and followed”.

In this novella it’s a lot easier to see how Jack caters to what August needs, whereas in The Wicker King, it felt like August was the one who was constantly giving. Again, another surprise is that Jack knows that he is in love with August, “It struck fear into Jack’s heart and suddenly he realised that he had not given all that he had to give. “Please don’t take him. Pleasedonttakehimpleasedonttakehimplease. Please.” I’d give anything but that…I’d pay all the years I have left in darkness, please don’t take him from-“ This was so shocking to me because it felt like August was a lot more in love with Jack, than vice versa and even then, August never really admitted to himself that was why he was so protective and jealous over Jack. Jack may still be in denial as well, but he’s simply just trying to fight the fact that he loves him and once he accepts that, tries to pluck up the courage to tell August exactly what he was feeling, “Jack looked quickly away as shame and fear rushed up from the bottom of his feet, and crowded around his heart like a swarm of bees. He could never tell him”.

If you couldn’t tell, I’m completely whipped for these two boys and so the author could literally have given me anything more on them and I would of simply counted my blessings. But all joking aside, I feel like, despite the confusion of Jack’s world, this was the perfect accompaniment to The Wicker King, because we essentially got to hear Jack’s side of the story and I’m grateful that we got to. I would definitely recommend picking this up after The Wicker King, even just for the little snippet of after The Wicker King at the end because it will leave you with a very full heart!

[✧ k a t i e ✧ · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Being kind is different. Harder. It means doing what is best even when the cost is high."

Actual rating: 3.5/5

Ehh, this was okay. I was hoping for more of post-hospital but I'm not mad about getting more August and Jack.

I did enjoy learning more about the Wicker King and King of the Wood. I liked seeing more of what Jack saw threw Jack's eyes.

I was hoping to get a little more than what what given, but for something that was free, I'm not going to complain too much. I do hope more August and Jack content is published in the future and that we get to find out what happened after The Wicker King .



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My broke ass was sitting here thinking I would have to pay for this so I put off reading it BUT THEN I SAW THAT IT WAS FREE WHY WASN'T I MADE AWARE OF THIS EARLIER???

[h o l l i s]

I feel this novella is so so necessary because it had some desperately needed Jack POV. I so wish there had been less of the other story and more snippets, though, but that's because I'm greedy. Oh hey it's free.

[roma · Rating 3 out of 5]

no idea what happened I'm jared 19<3

[Steph ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This was good. It was nice to get a bit more time with Jack and August. It was good to get some more background lore into The Wicker King as well. I enjoyed this.

[Lena · Rating 5 out of 5]

„You're the love of my life, you know,“ he said bravely.
August just looked at him and shrugged, „I know.“

Fuck. I've still not recovered from The Wicker King and I'm sure as hell not ready to let these precious characters go.

So how could I not read this one immediately after finishing their story?

The Legend of the Golden Raven is a short story that revisits important scenes from the book and shows us how Jack saw them. On top of that, it also gives us a wonderful fairy tale about the Wicker King and his Champion.

It's really super short, with just 30 pages or something, but there is so much happening and it's just as heartbreaking as The Wicker King.

I loved to see things from Jacks perspective. His world with all his fears and darkness in it was really terrifying. It was also heartbreaking how he saw his friendship with August, since he realized his feelings way before August did. I was hurting so much for him when he saw Rina and August in bed together.

The fairy tale was surprisingly intense, too, especially for it being so short. The ending of the little tale was so beautiful.

„Take my eyes, take my voice, take my hands, take it all. If the stars exist behind the night and there is a king who grants the wishes of kings, if hope is a tether that binds to the light, I'd pay all the years I have left in darkness, please don't take him.“

If you loved The Wicker King, you will probably love this one as well. Also, the story is currently free on Kindle, so definitely make sure to check it out!

Yeah, yeah I know that it's also included in the book, but when I first read The Wicker King I listened to the audiobook where it's not included, so I had no idea that this story even exists until I stumbled over it on Kindle.

And not gonna lie, finding out there is a short story about my favorite characters in the world (at least for now, I keep changing my favs every week) was everything. I'll definitely miss Jack and August and I already can't wait to reread their story!

[Mariah · Rating 4 out of 5]

“A champion is not a who. It is a what. It is the king’s lionheart. It must be faster than the king but always caught, smarter than the king but always humble; it must never question and only act. Build a challenge and the Champion will come. Fail … and the darkness claims us all.”



*INCOHERENT SCREAMING*

[bie · Rating 4 out of 5]

jack rossi you'll always be famous

[Cassie · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The Wicker King and his raven brother were forgotten by the people, but the land is not so frail as man. Their triumph over the darkness and the legend of their sacrifice would ring out in story and song, still: in the rocks and streams, in the wind and soil, anywhere there were trees that grew tall in the golden light. Forever, until the end of time.”

this was an interesting novella! while it was heartbreaking, it was interesting to see the world through jack’s eyes. we got a little more insight with what he actually sees with his hallucinations. i also liked how k. ancrum added the fantasy story with the wicker king. it almost read like a fairy tale, of a sort, to me.

overall, i’m glad i decided to read this novella set in august and jack’s world. 😊

[Mona · Rating 5 out of 5]

re-read it on July 2020: Yup. My thoughts are still the same. I'm so emotional, please don't touch me.

1st read on August 2018:
LISTEN I'M JUST SO FUCKING SOFT FOR EVERYTHING THE WICKER KING RELATED.

How am I supposed to give a detailed review when I don't seem to be able to form any words? I loved the Wicker King and I loved this novella just as much. I loved to hear about the Legend of the Golden Raven and also having Jack's pov melted my heart.
Now I just want to reread The Wicker King.

[Laura (laurascozyreads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

“You like the taste of freedom?” Jack joked.
“Second best thing I’ve ever had.” August grinned.
“What’s the first?” Jack asked, blushing.
“Don’t ask stupid questions.”

WELL GOODBYE, IT WAS NICE KNOWING YOU ALL

[nika · Rating 4 out of 5]

"This is the love of your life." bashing my head against a wall THEY MAKE ME SICKK

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 stars

I read The Wicker King just yesterday and really liked it, so today I obviously had to also read the novella. I think it was a nice addition to the storyline, I liked how the other world was described and the story that was told about it. I also really enjoyed seeing more scenes from Jack's point of view and having some kind of extended ending.

[Kyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great little companion novella to an already great story.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Star Rating: —> 4 Stars

RTC :-)

[Natasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

40 pages of Jack yearning for August