The Raging One

by Lexy Wolfe

Still reeling from an ancient war, the world has begun showing signs of unraveling. To save their world, a select group of the most gifted elite must form an alliance and find a solution before it is too late. But, can these historically incompatible members of the remaining nations cooperate despite their ancestral biases and distrust? Or will shadows consume them before they can succeed?

378 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 16, 2011

About the author

Lexy Wolfe is a fantasy and science fiction author from Lebanon, PA. Her previously published works are Doom and the Warrior and the five-book series of The Sundered Lands Saga. After many years focusing on fantasy worlds, a writing drought was relieved after delving into a futuristic, alternative Earth where Ravenhawk was spawned. She is currently working on the continuing story in the world of Ravenhawk..

Reviews

[A.D. Trosper · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished it the night before last and still find myself thinking of the characters. Lexy has a deft talent for creating great characters and placing them in a rich world. The interactions between the characters are believable and interesting. The story moved at the perfect pace. There was humor, sadness, prejudice, happiness, and sacrifice. There were characters I loved and those I hated, just as the author intended.

Truly, if you are looking for a great fantasy series, The Sundered Lands Saga is one you shouldn’t miss. Read it and enjoy being immersed into another world.

[Wanda Hartzenberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unbelievably I loved reading this book.
Creating a world I could picture even if the characters, all of them, even the good guys got on my nerves more often than not, I found myself taken in by the world building.

Not a short, fast or easy read. This is an epic fantasy with all the characteristics epic stories usually has. I cannot help but believe that this author will make a big splash one of these days.

If however you do not want your characters to be overly human I suggest you skip this book.
I however think it is exactly this facet that attracted me so much.

WaAr

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is one EPIC story in the making. It tells a tale of ancient history in a world torn apart by a Great War and Sibling Gods who keep the lands apart through mistrust of each other and their Human offspring. I was mesmerised from the beginning. The story jumps in head first and whisks you along for a few chapters at break neck speed. At first, the titles are slightly confusing but the author brilliantly slips in explanations to the narrative without it feeling forced. From the outset you are totally involved with these characters. You understand their confusion, their exasperation and their desperation perfectly. In a world where magic users are held in high regard and expected to keep all things in balance, they become unsure of the things happening.

You can't help but be on their side. You want them to succeed. You are willing them along with everything you have. I LOVED this book! I couldn't read it fast enough. So much so I drained my Kindle! I really felt for the characters. And adored them each in their own way. I loved the well thought out Hierarchy system in each of the lands and the beliefs that were well thought out and explained in a simple and non tedious way. At no point, did this book ever feel like "work". It was simply epic. I cannot wait to read the next one.

In short, If you like fantasy books, with myth, magic, epic story telling, a dash of romance and the odd dragon? Then you simply MUST read this book!

[Jen Ponce · Rating 4 out of 5]

The enjoyment of the Raging One comes from getting to know the variety of characters within its pages. From the serene, zen-like Almek to the bitter Ash and the bristly Storm, there are people here who are a pleasure to get to know.

The story focuses at first on Almek and the gathering of his students in order to address the growing concerns of unrest throughout the land. As the tale unfolds, two characters become the main focus of the story: Ash, the lowborn mage and Storm, master Swordanzen. The relationship between the two develops slowly but satisfactorily. At times, their relationship seems to be more important than the story itself.

I would have liked to see more development of the crisis moments. At times they felt like they ended too soon and, while good for my stress levels, it would have been good to be held in the agony of uncertainty for longer. (The author is nice enough not to make the reader suffer in wonder too long.)

I would recommend the Raging One to anyone who enjoys quest fantasy. Fans of Eddings and Tolkien will find enjoyment in this book. Don't forget, there are more books in this series. MORE! Go read them. (I plan to.)

[Martin Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the companion group was drawn together I was reminded of The Redemption of Althalus by David and Leigh Eddings. Disparate tribes with distinct characteristics and a celestial war drew The Belgariad, by the same authors to mind.

The multi-faceted world is well realised and this book gives the impression that only the surface has been scratched thus far.

The mystery of the story was well communicated as I had no idea why things were happening, and didn't mind at all, so drawn into the characters as I was.

A quick hint to anyone moved to read this book, there is a glossary at the end if you just can't wait to figure out what all the ranks mean. You don't really need it as you can figure it out on your own, but it is nice to know it's there if you need it.

[Melissa Drake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic. Just....wow. I'll be writing a coherent review once I have time to process, but in the meantime...go buy it.

[Eric Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even though I'm DNF'ing the book, I still think it's okay for 3 stars. Overall I can't stay focused on the story due to the writing. I wish I could, but I can't read it anymore, as it's boring, and the prose is killing me to keep track on who is who, and so on. Maybe some more work on the story to really keep the reader, but I can't finish this book and not say something about it.

[Sakuno · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book has so much potential and a good story at the beginning but it was ruined by the writing.
reading it felt like reading a script for a play or a TV series were everything was explained in dialog with no insight to the thoughts or feeling of the characters outside of their "talks".
The characters themselves were a big part of what was wrong with the book, they all had strong backgrounds and good stories to start with but ended up being so very cliched.
Finishing this book was really hard as I felt nothing for the characters and I lost interest in the story that did not progress at all.
The only reason I gave it two stars instead of one was because I did finish it so it was not the worst book I have read.

[Hannah Steenbock · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed this book. It took me to new lands and into great new adventures - and it got much more involved than I expected. This is not a straight, simple tale. Instead, it delves into hugly different cultures and very intense characters. There is much history to this world, as well.
A great book to read on a rainy day or at the beach. The Raging One (and the whole series) has helped me get through difficult times. The whole story goes into unexpected directions which makes it much more fun.
Check it out, and read the sequels, too.

[Lisa Christie · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story itself seemed sound, but I kept getting distracted by poor sentence choices and grammar. The book clearly needed more polishing than it received, and if it were tightened up considerably I think it'd be a better story overall.