Crossroads

Corax Chronicles #1

by Scott Hungerford

The mythological god Raven, the living embodiment of the cautionary tale, is a veteran trickster with a charismatic-yet-erratic style all his own. As Raven has lived firsthand throughout the ages of mankind, he has a great deal of experience in getting into trouble, whether messing about with gods in Ancient Greece or racing across the American countryside on a stolen motorcycle. But when an enemy steals a power that Raven's been guarding for thousands of years, Raven and his daughter Dora are abruptly thrust into a journey filled with magic, ghosts, gods, and seers in order to recover the irreplaceable thing he has lost. At the same time, in the wake of three terrible hurricanes that struck the Mississippi River basin, a young shaman named Daniel begins a spirit quest for his lost medicine pouch, stolen from him on the worst night of the storms. When Daniel meets trouble on the road in the form of a woman named Vengeance, the two of them will have to work together to right the wrongs that set them on their shared path. For all four of them, as they become steadily intertwined by power and circumstance, they are each driven towards a final crossroads that will change all of their lives forevermore.

Genres: Urban Fantasy

330 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 30, 2018

About the author

As a bit about myself, I've been writing stories professionally for about the last twenty years, whether writing by day for the companies I work for as a game designer, or writing by night on the novels and stories that spring from my heart. Of Raven, I've been writing stories about him for over a decade now, and have had no end of fun researching everything from ancient gods to the nature of steam-powered riverboats from the 1860's.

As a writer, I've been publishing on Amazon off and on over the last few years, including stories like Goblin Girl, Wish, and The Fire Cage. I've pulled these down for the moment, as I want to get new covers for them and do clean-up passes with my new editor. But in time they will be back, along with other novels I've been saving for just the right occasion.

Ever since I sold my first game to Wizards of the Coast back in the early nineties, I've been working in gaming as either a game designer, producer, or storyteller. Over the course of my career I've been hired to work on more than fifty board and card games, currently have more than thirty published titles for PC, Xbox, Facebook and VR, and have touched the lives of ten million people world-wide with my creativity.

But at the end of the day, my novel writing defines me, keeps me sane, keeps me out of trouble. With the Raven trilogy locked and in the can, I already know where I'm going with a number of upcoming urban fantasy, young adult, and epic fantasy novels. I can tell you that I'm very proud of the work I've done on this, and I really hope you will take a bit of time to sit down and let me share Raven's world with you - as it is an amazing trip!

Reviews

[Carysa Locke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I admit, I am biased when it comes to this book. I love this depiction of Raven, trickster God and maybe not the world's best father, in spite of his best efforts. This book reminds me a lot of Neil Gaiman's style: a little off the beaten path, but with characters who feel real and won't let you go. The world building is steeped in Vodou mysticism, and the characters are unexpected versions of the archetypes you usually find in UF. It's refreshing, and a wonderfully entertaining read. I can't wait for the next book, and it looks like it's already up for preorder, so thankfully the wait won't be long!

[Deckofficer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did you really want to love Anasazi Boys and American Gods but didn’t quite get there? Did you love them and want more distinctly American folklore? This series is for you. Familiar Gods, that seem to be quite different than just their legends give us an all too human ride through the states in this first book.
The action is fun, the world is recognisable yet things are always happening that we do not perceive with our puny mortal eyes. Enter the world with Raven and share his struggles, heartbreak, joy, and his trickster ways. I can’t wait for more.

[Jeremy · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 star for Kindle, 4 star for general

The five stars is when compared to self-published Kindle authors. Against professional authors it is a four star - but frankly, only about a quarter of professional authors I read get a five star.

Where it shines is the beautifully complex plot. It follows several story lines which weave together. The story lines are each good, and together they are great. I don't know how accurate the references were, but it wove in native american and other mythologies which I liked. I've read so many books that I get bored quickly with typical fantasy novels - Crossroads is wonderfully different. Four stars for writing and six stars for creativity.