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The Raveling #3
The Shadow King
The conclusion to the story that began with The Crimson Queen and continued with the Silver Sorceress . . .
Scarred by what transpired on the island of the sorceress Niara, Keilan and his companions journey north, bearing a weapon forged to end the unnatural existence of the Chosen. But the sand is trickling through the hourglass, as the demon-children are laboring to bring about a second Raveling and end the age of man . . .
In the shattered city of Nes Vaneth, Cho Lin struggles to survive her imprisonment by the vicious Skein, while in Dymoria the Crimson Queen prepares to reveal her school of sorcerers by bringing them into the Frostlands to confront the Chosen and their allies . . .
Meanwhile, the immortal sorceress Alyanna schemes to restore her lost glory and destroy those who have wronged her . . .
Scarred by what transpired on the island of the sorceress Niara, Keilan and his companions journey north, bearing a weapon forged to end the unnatural existence of the Chosen. But the sand is trickling through the hourglass, as the demon-children are laboring to bring about a second Raveling and end the age of man . . .
In the shattered city of Nes Vaneth, Cho Lin struggles to survive her imprisonment by the vicious Skein, while in Dymoria the Crimson Queen prepares to reveal her school of sorcerers by bringing them into the Frostlands to confront the Chosen and their allies . . .
Meanwhile, the immortal sorceress Alyanna schemes to restore her lost glory and destroy those who have wronged her . . .
532 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 21, 2019
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685 people want to read
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February 26, 2020
4.5/5 stars
A thoroughly wonderful classic fantasy story with a modern narrative.
The Shadow King is the third book in The Raveling series by Alec Hutson. Two thumbs up to Hutson for writing an entire trilogy that’s consistently very good and extremely well-polished in every aspect of quality. Considering that this is the last book in the series, there isn’t anything I can say in this review regarding the details of the plot, except that the story in The Shadow King picks up immediately from where The Silver Sorceress left off. I’ve mentioned that The Silver Sorceress felt like a setup installment necessary for The Shadow King to shine and oh my, it did. Hutson took every foundation and development—story, characters, and lore-wise—laid in the first two books, and he progressed every major character’s story with an utterly engaging narrative towards a cataclysmic and climactic finale; the story arc that began in The Crimson Queen reached a proper closure, and The Shadow King is a satisfying book that will leave you begging for more because of it.
I also loved how much attention Hutson gave to the main characters of this series. Every major character receive an equal amount of spotlight; everyone has their own agenda, and although some cooperated to achieve a singular purpose, there were a constant looming thoughts in my mind that went “will he/she betray them?” throughout the whole book, and this heightened the sense of tension and unpredictability of the story direction. The plot and the character’s arc moves forward gradually fast, and I found the pacing to be superbly paced. The most welcome inclusion in this book, for me, was the section that showcased the origin of The Betrayer and The Raveling; this was done magnificently in one long chapter, and it imbued characterizations into the villains. We know the saying “history is written by the victor,” and upon visitation, it turns out that the terrifying truth that gives birth to all this palpable rage and vengeance ended up being more morally ambiguous and sorrowful than it is.
One of the greatest benefits from having a proper groundwork attained from the previous two books is that Hutson was able to deliver an installment that’s brimming with actions and magic; I’m pretty sure the first quarter of this novel alone contained more action sequences compared to the entirety of the previous two books combined. To make things even better, Hutson writes incredibly gripping and vivid action sequences. Whether it’s close-quarter swordfights or sorcerous battles, I was completely captivated by the magical display of power that rained fire, lightning, and death from both avenues—the sky and the ground—of devastation. I did find that the final confrontations needed more pages for it to have a higher impact; the battle against The Betrayer ended too quickly in my opinion. However, this is just a minor nitpick; immersion-wise, I was undoubtedly hooked and compelled by the strength of Hutson’s narrative.
Once again, I’m enamored by Hutson’s prose. There’s a lot of things to love in reading The Raveling, but Hutson’s writing is easily the most dominant reason why I loved reading this trilogy. Just imagine Brian Staveley’s modern narrative giving soul to classic fantasy instead of grimdark, and that’s more or less what you’re getting here with Hutson’s writing style. The writing is relatable when it tells a theme of determination; it’s wise when it explores justice, kindness, and leadership; it’s all-consuming ruin when it conveys scenes of cruelty caused by sorcery and human nature. With so many ranges of tone reached, I can vouch that Hutson has one of the finest writing styles in the genre I’ve read so far.
Every great thing I’ve said in my reviews of the previous two books is still applicable here. Honestly, I’ve been having one of the best reading months I’ve had in months, and I owe most of it to The Licanius Trilogy by James Islington and The Raveling by Alec Hutson. It’s truly a bittersweet feeling that I finished reading both of them now. The Shadow King is an outstanding conclusion to The Raveling trilogy—a classic fantasy series with a modern voice that’s terrifically written. Despite this book being a satisfying and conclusive installment, the entire trilogy also feels like a prelude series to something even larger. And guess what? I checked the author’s blog, there will be a new sequel trilogy titled The Cleansing, and it will take place five years after the end of The Shadow King! I couldn’t be happier by this decision; there’s still a lot of untapped potential in this world, and I’m very intrigued to see where Hutson’s imagination will take the story from here. Consider me one of the readers waiting eagerly for your next book, Hutson!
Series Review:
The Crimson Queen: 4.5/5 stars
The Silver Sorceress: 4/5 stars
The Shadow King: 4.5/5 stars
The Raveling: 13/15 stars
You can order the book from: Amazon UK | Amazon US
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions
Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!
My Patrons: Alfred, Devin, Hamad, Joie, Mike, Miracle, Nicholas.
A thoroughly wonderful classic fantasy story with a modern narrative.
The Shadow King is the third book in The Raveling series by Alec Hutson. Two thumbs up to Hutson for writing an entire trilogy that’s consistently very good and extremely well-polished in every aspect of quality. Considering that this is the last book in the series, there isn’t anything I can say in this review regarding the details of the plot, except that the story in The Shadow King picks up immediately from where The Silver Sorceress left off. I’ve mentioned that The Silver Sorceress felt like a setup installment necessary for The Shadow King to shine and oh my, it did. Hutson took every foundation and development—story, characters, and lore-wise—laid in the first two books, and he progressed every major character’s story with an utterly engaging narrative towards a cataclysmic and climactic finale; the story arc that began in The Crimson Queen reached a proper closure, and The Shadow King is a satisfying book that will leave you begging for more because of it.
“The book demands to be heard, but it cannot listen. It desires to communicate, yet it refuses.”
I also loved how much attention Hutson gave to the main characters of this series. Every major character receive an equal amount of spotlight; everyone has their own agenda, and although some cooperated to achieve a singular purpose, there were a constant looming thoughts in my mind that went “will he/she betray them?” throughout the whole book, and this heightened the sense of tension and unpredictability of the story direction. The plot and the character’s arc moves forward gradually fast, and I found the pacing to be superbly paced. The most welcome inclusion in this book, for me, was the section that showcased the origin of The Betrayer and The Raveling; this was done magnificently in one long chapter, and it imbued characterizations into the villains. We know the saying “history is written by the victor,” and upon visitation, it turns out that the terrifying truth that gives birth to all this palpable rage and vengeance ended up being more morally ambiguous and sorrowful than it is.
“What had happened over the last year had taught him many lessons, but two were of particular importance. The first was that sorcery was not by its nature evil. It was a tool – a dangerous tool – and while it could be used for wicked ends, far more important was the nature of the one that wielded it. A sword was much the same: it could be swung to take or to protect.”
One of the greatest benefits from having a proper groundwork attained from the previous two books is that Hutson was able to deliver an installment that’s brimming with actions and magic; I’m pretty sure the first quarter of this novel alone contained more action sequences compared to the entirety of the previous two books combined. To make things even better, Hutson writes incredibly gripping and vivid action sequences. Whether it’s close-quarter swordfights or sorcerous battles, I was completely captivated by the magical display of power that rained fire, lightning, and death from both avenues—the sky and the ground—of devastation. I did find that the final confrontations needed more pages for it to have a higher impact; the battle against The Betrayer ended too quickly in my opinion. However, this is just a minor nitpick; immersion-wise, I was undoubtedly hooked and compelled by the strength of Hutson’s narrative.
“She’d found that to be a widely shared experience among those who had achieved greatness – a life of ease and coddling did not often forge men and women capable of bending the world to their will.”
Once again, I’m enamored by Hutson’s prose. There’s a lot of things to love in reading The Raveling, but Hutson’s writing is easily the most dominant reason why I loved reading this trilogy. Just imagine Brian Staveley’s modern narrative giving soul to classic fantasy instead of grimdark, and that’s more or less what you’re getting here with Hutson’s writing style. The writing is relatable when it tells a theme of determination; it’s wise when it explores justice, kindness, and leadership; it’s all-consuming ruin when it conveys scenes of cruelty caused by sorcery and human nature. With so many ranges of tone reached, I can vouch that Hutson has one of the finest writing styles in the genre I’ve read so far.
“Not everyone has the temperament to be a soldier. Some people are too kind to imagine causing pain to others. It’s not a weakness, truly. It is a laudable thing.”
Every great thing I’ve said in my reviews of the previous two books is still applicable here. Honestly, I’ve been having one of the best reading months I’ve had in months, and I owe most of it to The Licanius Trilogy by James Islington and The Raveling by Alec Hutson. It’s truly a bittersweet feeling that I finished reading both of them now. The Shadow King is an outstanding conclusion to The Raveling trilogy—a classic fantasy series with a modern voice that’s terrifically written. Despite this book being a satisfying and conclusive installment, the entire trilogy also feels like a prelude series to something even larger. And guess what? I checked the author’s blog, there will be a new sequel trilogy titled The Cleansing, and it will take place five years after the end of The Shadow King! I couldn’t be happier by this decision; there’s still a lot of untapped potential in this world, and I’m very intrigued to see where Hutson’s imagination will take the story from here. Consider me one of the readers waiting eagerly for your next book, Hutson!
Series Review:
The Crimson Queen: 4.5/5 stars
The Silver Sorceress: 4/5 stars
The Shadow King: 4.5/5 stars
The Raveling: 13/15 stars
You can order the book from: Amazon UK | Amazon US
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions
Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!
My Patrons: Alfred, Devin, Hamad, Joie, Mike, Miracle, Nicholas.
January 7, 2020
The Raveling trilogy is a throwback, classic epic fantasy story that is smartly plotted and tightly written, with detailed world-building and a deep well of rich lore that draws on both eastern and western cultures. It is also an extremely polished work, and would fit perfectly in the bookshelves of any fantasy enthusiast. The Shadow King concludes what is a truly thrilling adventure that will have you pumping your fist while grimacing with anticipation. Although the trilogy may be over, I hope we’ll see a lot more of this world. Regardless, whatever Hutson decides to write will be a first-day purchase.
This is a fully-realized world with a lot of moving parts, and I'll admit I was a bit concerned how (and if) everything was going to tie together in just one novel, especially in the ambiguous way that The Silver Sorceress concluded. Not only do we have major characters split across the world, we're introducing terrible new threats, and we're still unclear about the motivations of some of the major players.
One of the numerous aspects of the story that impressed me was how each of these concerns were addressed so well, and how each character was given enough pages to provide a balanced and powerful conclusion. It was thrilling to see the web of storylines finally tighten, bringing all the major players together in the same part of the world, albeit for different reasons. And the threats themselves -- remember the spider warren in The Crimson Queen? The brief foray into a monster-laden dungeon? That was Disney World compared to what our cast has to contend with in the last act of the story. In the many books I've read that have evil, elder gods as antagonist threats, I've never read anything quite so awesome as what Hutson put together here.
There are other aspects to the book that elevates Hutson's writing beyond just the story. There's a cadence in the writing; a steady prose that offers a balanced blend of description, meter, and dialogue.
“The Mazespinner. The Black Lady. The Night Huntress. Caryxes, worshipped in these depths for ages undreamt.”
“If she ever wanted to pass a message to future generations she would hide it in the lyrics of a children’s song.”
In addition, the book *looks* fantastic. The whole trilogy is produced with a professional sheen that stands out, from the covers to the editing and typography. These books are self-published but are ‘camera-ready’ to stand side-by-side with any trad-published book in a Barnes and Noble or Waterstones.
The Raveling is a trilogy I can easily recommend. Like any good story, it gets better the further in you go. The finale hits hard, and while it satisfies the major arcs, it also leaves some doors open to explore in future books. As it should! This is a rich and wonderous world with characters you won’t want to leave behind. Any lover of fantasy who grew up reading Weis & Hickman, David Eddings, Robert Jordan, or Terry Brooks should pick up this trilogy as soon as they can.
9.0 / 10
This is a fully-realized world with a lot of moving parts, and I'll admit I was a bit concerned how (and if) everything was going to tie together in just one novel, especially in the ambiguous way that The Silver Sorceress concluded. Not only do we have major characters split across the world, we're introducing terrible new threats, and we're still unclear about the motivations of some of the major players.
One of the numerous aspects of the story that impressed me was how each of these concerns were addressed so well, and how each character was given enough pages to provide a balanced and powerful conclusion. It was thrilling to see the web of storylines finally tighten, bringing all the major players together in the same part of the world, albeit for different reasons. And the threats themselves -- remember the spider warren in The Crimson Queen? The brief foray into a monster-laden dungeon? That was Disney World compared to what our cast has to contend with in the last act of the story. In the many books I've read that have evil, elder gods as antagonist threats, I've never read anything quite so awesome as what Hutson put together here.
There are other aspects to the book that elevates Hutson's writing beyond just the story. There's a cadence in the writing; a steady prose that offers a balanced blend of description, meter, and dialogue.
“The Mazespinner. The Black Lady. The Night Huntress. Caryxes, worshipped in these depths for ages undreamt.”
“If she ever wanted to pass a message to future generations she would hide it in the lyrics of a children’s song.”
In addition, the book *looks* fantastic. The whole trilogy is produced with a professional sheen that stands out, from the covers to the editing and typography. These books are self-published but are ‘camera-ready’ to stand side-by-side with any trad-published book in a Barnes and Noble or Waterstones.
The Raveling is a trilogy I can easily recommend. Like any good story, it gets better the further in you go. The finale hits hard, and while it satisfies the major arcs, it also leaves some doors open to explore in future books. As it should! This is a rich and wonderous world with characters you won’t want to leave behind. Any lover of fantasy who grew up reading Weis & Hickman, David Eddings, Robert Jordan, or Terry Brooks should pick up this trilogy as soon as they can.
9.0 / 10
July 20, 2021
That was awesome.
The Shadow King is the third and final book in The Raveling trilogy, I finally got to know what the title of the series meant and I wasn’t disappointed. The backstory of the raveling is so sad, everything that happened was due to people’s selfishness and the need to cling to life and power.
“One man’s god is another man’s demon,”
The events in this book happened a few weeks after the other book, there was no time jump. This book is action packed, both magical and mundane, lots of revelations and sacrifice.
The world building is still great, a great improvement from the previous books, I also enjoyed the POVs, I wasn’t bored with any, all the characters are fun to read about.
“You think me a barbarian, but you are wrong. A barbarian does not know he is ignorant.”
Keilan still remains my favorite character, he has grown so much, not just physically. He has seen the world and most of it wasn’t good, still he still retains his goodness.
Senacus is a pious man of faith, but very noble,I love that he wasn’t blinded by faith, he thinks before he acts and he is guided not just by religion but moral ethics.
Cho Lin is a great a character as always, she has endured a lot and given little credit for it because of her gender.
Alynna is truly a monster, she is so selfish, how I loathe her, to think that she will change.
Plot
All the characters meets in the frost land to finally get rid of the raveling or else the world ends.
“life is a circle. Strength is passed from one creature to another in an endless cycle.”
The Shadow King is the third and final book in The Raveling trilogy, I finally got to know what the title of the series meant and I wasn’t disappointed. The backstory of the raveling is so sad, everything that happened was due to people’s selfishness and the need to cling to life and power.
“One man’s god is another man’s demon,”
The events in this book happened a few weeks after the other book, there was no time jump. This book is action packed, both magical and mundane, lots of revelations and sacrifice.
The world building is still great, a great improvement from the previous books, I also enjoyed the POVs, I wasn’t bored with any, all the characters are fun to read about.
“You think me a barbarian, but you are wrong. A barbarian does not know he is ignorant.”
Keilan still remains my favorite character, he has grown so much, not just physically. He has seen the world and most of it wasn’t good, still he still retains his goodness.
Senacus is a pious man of faith, but very noble,I love that he wasn’t blinded by faith, he thinks before he acts and he is guided not just by religion but moral ethics.
Cho Lin is a great a character as always, she has endured a lot and given little credit for it because of her gender.
Alynna is truly a monster, she is so selfish, how I loathe her, to think that she will change.
Plot
All the characters meets in the frost land to finally get rid of the raveling or else the world ends.
“life is a circle. Strength is passed from one creature to another in an endless cycle.”
June 3, 2021
That was a solid finish to Alec Hutson's The Raveling trilogy. The characters, magic, and story all seemed to grow in each book. Hutson's writing flows so well, and he details each character arc out with precision. The ending did seem a little rushed, but that really didn't take away from the fun I've had reading these books and being immersed in this world. I hope Hutson decides to return in the future, because the last chapter and epilogue really leaves this open for maybe a stand-alone or follow up series.
Actual Rating: 4 stars ****
Actual Rating: 4 stars ****
November 20, 2019
A phenomenal finale. The Raveling trilogy is epic fantasy at its finest.
December 19, 2019
Very hard to finish
I struggled to finish this book. There are very few dialogues between the characters. The book is mostly several long and unnecessary narratives that could have been reduced by half. Every time I started to get interested and felt like the story picked up the pace the next chapter would bring another POV and start again with the long descriptions and very slowly build pace again
There are also many deus ex machina moments throughout the book. Every character is saved by something pulled out of a hat at least once.
The author shows talent and I enjoyed the first book of the series. In my opinion the story needs more focus and conflict. Remove secondary characters from primary POVs, add conflict to the main arc of the story and more dialogue between characters
I struggled to finish this book. There are very few dialogues between the characters. The book is mostly several long and unnecessary narratives that could have been reduced by half. Every time I started to get interested and felt like the story picked up the pace the next chapter would bring another POV and start again with the long descriptions and very slowly build pace again
There are also many deus ex machina moments throughout the book. Every character is saved by something pulled out of a hat at least once.
The author shows talent and I enjoyed the first book of the series. In my opinion the story needs more focus and conflict. Remove secondary characters from primary POVs, add conflict to the main arc of the story and more dialogue between characters
May 13, 2020
Find this and the rest of my reviews at Feminist Quill
Synopsis: Keilan tries to recuperate from his run-in with the Silver Sorceress while on the run from the fanatic religious soldiers of Menekar, the Pure. Meanwhile, an Ancient being begins to awaken, threatening the world and everything in it.
I previously likened this series to a TV show, racing through arcs as soon as they come up. In that case, The Shadow King is sort of like thatseason series finale where important stuff seems to be happening but then, in hindsight, it wasn’t as important as you thought it was going to be. In the light of the latest book, The Crimson Queen and The Silver Sorceress largely read as hugely entertaining prequels whose main purpose appears to be world building.
The scene was set, and the chess pieces moved into position, in the first two books. And in The Shadow King, the first act of the real battle plays out. The heroes think they have emerged victorious. Alyanna acts like a dick– again. But we know it isn’t over yet– oh, wait, it is over.
So then the reader is left with a bunch of cliffhangers, slap dash happy endings and some unexplained questions. (For instance, how does Jan manage without a Soul Gem when everyone before him needed one? Was Senacus getting a girlfriend the author’s version of an apology for forgetting he exists in this book? How did the genthyaki fight back-to-back battles and sustain grievous injuries in both? Which of those battles came first? Why doesn’t this thing die? What the hell happened to Seril? How come The Pure are no longer important? What’s happening in Menekar? What was the point of expending so much time on Lady Numil’s POV? What was the point of keeping her alive after she was injured? It wasn’t like she had anything to contribute after the battle.)
And the worst part is, we didn’t really need to know a lot of that backstory just to get to this ending. This could have been way more straightforward.
We didn’t need to follow Jan through the ice lands and listen to his tortured whining about spending two thousand years as an amnesiac. We didn’t need to get invested in his search for his magic baby in the ice. The baby isn’t even important. She doesn’t even appear in the books, except as a mention in the epilogue, which only seems to exist because the author appears to have felt bad about spending so much time on this arc without even telling us how it ended.
But without all that backstory, how would the characters have been able to constantly internal-monologue about things that happened thousands of years ago? Things literally no one else in their vicinity knows anything, or cares, about? Without theprequels first two books, how would we have been able to get to know – and then promptly forget all about – entire characters like Cho Lin’s father? The man seriously existed through the course of an entire book to end up a footnote. Or Niara, for whom an entire book was named, and who also turned out to be an inconsequential side note. Or Demian, who–
Well, you get the picture.
Nel and Senacus, who have been constants throughout the first two books, are largely forgotten in the third one, and play no real role in the actual action. The much feared Crimson Queen spends all her time being a hostage. Major reveals last all of one line, and then become irrelevant. The entire third act is spent weaving together a beautiful, unreal new world and then there’s just… nothing more to it. Hutson sure can build beautiful worlds, but he needs to take some pointers from Robin Hobb on what to do with them afterwards.
The Shadow King has heart and soul and imagination, but unfortunately it feels like a beginning or a middle, not an actual end; and ultimately, the reader is left with a vexing sense of incompleteness.
Synopsis: Keilan tries to recuperate from his run-in with the Silver Sorceress while on the run from the fanatic religious soldiers of Menekar, the Pure. Meanwhile, an Ancient being begins to awaken, threatening the world and everything in it.
I previously likened this series to a TV show, racing through arcs as soon as they come up. In that case, The Shadow King is sort of like that
The scene was set, and the chess pieces moved into position, in the first two books. And in The Shadow King, the first act of the real battle plays out. The heroes think they have emerged victorious. Alyanna acts like a dick– again. But we know it isn’t over yet– oh, wait, it is over.
So then the reader is left with a bunch of cliffhangers, slap dash happy endings and some unexplained questions. (For instance, how does Jan manage without a Soul Gem when everyone before him needed one? Was Senacus getting a girlfriend the author’s version of an apology for forgetting he exists in this book? How did the genthyaki fight back-to-back battles and sustain grievous injuries in both? Which of those battles came first? Why doesn’t this thing die? What the hell happened to Seril? How come The Pure are no longer important? What’s happening in Menekar? What was the point of expending so much time on Lady Numil’s POV? What was the point of keeping her alive after she was injured? It wasn’t like she had anything to contribute after the battle.)
And the worst part is, we didn’t really need to know a lot of that backstory just to get to this ending. This could have been way more straightforward.
We didn’t need to follow Jan through the ice lands and listen to his tortured whining about spending two thousand years as an amnesiac. We didn’t need to get invested in his search for his magic baby in the ice. The baby isn’t even important. She doesn’t even appear in the books, except as a mention in the epilogue, which only seems to exist because the author appears to have felt bad about spending so much time on this arc without even telling us how it ended.
But without all that backstory, how would the characters have been able to constantly internal-monologue about things that happened thousands of years ago? Things literally no one else in their vicinity knows anything, or cares, about? Without the
Well, you get the picture.
Nel and Senacus, who have been constants throughout the first two books, are largely forgotten in the third one, and play no real role in the actual action. The much feared Crimson Queen spends all her time being a hostage. Major reveals last all of one line, and then become irrelevant. The entire third act is spent weaving together a beautiful, unreal new world and then there’s just… nothing more to it. Hutson sure can build beautiful worlds, but he needs to take some pointers from Robin Hobb on what to do with them afterwards.
The Shadow King has heart and soul and imagination, but unfortunately it feels like a beginning or a middle, not an actual end; and ultimately, the reader is left with a vexing sense of incompleteness.
November 22, 2019
I was fortunate enough to read the 3rd book in Alec Hutson's Raveling series prior to release, and must say that is the best in the series, which is saying something considering how fantastic the Crimson Queen and Silver Sorceress are. The Shadow King pulls out all the stops and explores the world of the Raveling in exquisite detail, taking readers deep into its past and exploring its terrifying secrets. If you loved the world Hutson had created before, you will only love it more as the mythos he's created is one of a kind. There were multiple times I found myself saying ,"Wow," as I read and discovered the meaning behind many of the creatures and characters he has created.
Besides the world-building, we follow who remains of the characters from books one and two and get to see their arcs flourish and pay off big. Though the action still unfolds at a breakneck pace, the characters are given ample time to breathe and we learn more about their motivations and desires than ever before, following them along this journey until the final, emotional, heart-palpation-inducing climax.
As always, the author weaves the world, characters, and plot together with lurid detail and beautiful writing. Put it altogether and you have one of my favorite fantasy books of all time. Pick up this book!
Besides the world-building, we follow who remains of the characters from books one and two and get to see their arcs flourish and pay off big. Though the action still unfolds at a breakneck pace, the characters are given ample time to breathe and we learn more about their motivations and desires than ever before, following them along this journey until the final, emotional, heart-palpation-inducing climax.
As always, the author weaves the world, characters, and plot together with lurid detail and beautiful writing. Put it altogether and you have one of my favorite fantasy books of all time. Pick up this book!
November 29, 2019
Well done. I can't wait for the next one.
March 7, 2020
3.5 stars. OK, but book and ultimately entire series seemed a bit anticlimactic.
February 15, 2020
Reading the three books has annoyed me very much. A great story, well written with likable characters. So why only three an a half stars? Too many POVs all ending with a cliffhanger, too many small details of everything from landscapes to people. Way too long inner conversations, doubts and inner conversations that distract from the flow of the story. There were also many questionable decisions by the major characters that were so ignorant, that made me shudder, like going into a major war without any comprehensive intelligence, despite having the ability and time to do so. A little more understanding of how things work would’ve made this books a much better read.
I found myself skipping many paragraphs because they disrupted the flow of the story. Mr. Hutson has a lot of talent and I’ll most likely read his next book, but it is sad that a potential masterpiece lost its direction on the editing table. Fewer words and POVs may have elevated it to a memorable trilogy. I do hope that the next story will flow better than this river of molasses.
I found myself skipping many paragraphs because they disrupted the flow of the story. Mr. Hutson has a lot of talent and I’ll most likely read his next book, but it is sad that a potential masterpiece lost its direction on the editing table. Fewer words and POVs may have elevated it to a memorable trilogy. I do hope that the next story will flow better than this river of molasses.
June 17, 2020
Essentially, the first book started with an outlook of a 10 book series. Then slowly, the wellspring of ideas ran dry, so some promising loose ends were closed up quickly. Leaving us in the puddle we're in today.
Keilan never learned any magic, and his epic final move was a classic shanking.
The Shadowblades were never mentioned again.
The Paladins were never mentioned again.
The devourer, the second coming of the Warlock king got 3 minutes before they shanked him.
Alyanna got Shanked.
It seems like, either they're never mentioned again, or they get shanked, and voila, series finished.
Now the next series in this universe is scheduled to launch in 2021, and I have mixed feelings about this.
Keilan never learned any magic, and his epic final move was a classic shanking.
The Shadowblades were never mentioned again.
The Paladins were never mentioned again.
The devourer, the second coming of the Warlock king got 3 minutes before they shanked him.
Alyanna got Shanked.
It seems like, either they're never mentioned again, or they get shanked, and voila, series finished.
Now the next series in this universe is scheduled to launch in 2021, and I have mixed feelings about this.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 9, 2024
This entire series was a 3.5 star read for me, and so is this conclusion.
The writing got smoother throughout, and the pace here is much better than in the first book. Some really cool twists and turns at the very end, as well as threads that hint at continuation in this world.
Interesting mythology, building up both the past, and the present.
I’ve thought about it, and what I missed was an emotional center. I wasn’t too invested in Keilan, and while other characters were intriguing, I didn’t feel they had strong character arcs (despite going through loads of stuff). I wouldn’t say they lacked memorable moments, but I didn’t feel their journey, or how they were shaped by these events.
The writing got smoother throughout, and the pace here is much better than in the first book. Some really cool twists and turns at the very end, as well as threads that hint at continuation in this world.
Interesting mythology, building up both the past, and the present.
I’ve thought about it, and what I missed was an emotional center. I wasn’t too invested in Keilan, and while other characters were intriguing, I didn’t feel they had strong character arcs (despite going through loads of stuff). I wouldn’t say they lacked memorable moments, but I didn’t feel their journey, or how they were shaped by these events.
July 23, 2020
3/5
I feel like this first part of the series didn't really do any justice for Keilan as the stories MAIN PROTAGONIST. I mean we learn that he's a talent but his use of magic is barely explored throughout the entire series.
Keilan's also clearly gifted in the understanding of ancient texts that nobody else can even read to the point that he pulls philosophical quotes and poems out of thin air randomly that provide nothing other than "thats deep" moments. He grasps sword-fighting with such ease that he can keep up with Nel and Xin after training with them in only a brief matter of time, and Senacus as well for that matter. I was expecting him to also end up learning something from Demian at the very least considering the latter was the last swordsinger and one of the proprietors of Xin/Keilan's fighting style. (Demian was also one of the best character POVs in my opinion, wasted on Alyanna in every way).
Speaking of, the pacing of the back end of this book was so off putting with the introduction and subsequent removal of what were supposed to be major characters of interest. And the threat of awakening the slumbering giants doesn't seem all too serious considering *SPOILER ALERT* it barely lasts, until you think about the fact that JAN IS STILL AGING and won't be sustained by the "soul jewel" because it has been drained of the lives that powered it. Glaring plot point that everyone seems to overlook without questioning in the slightest. And what then mechanisms are keeping the other god beasts sleeping?
I'm kind of disappointed honestly, there's so much potential for these characters, but the pacing issues and learning that the author will be using entirely different character pov's for the sequel series feels like a a stab in the back by Chance and Fate.
I feel like this first part of the series didn't really do any justice for Keilan as the stories MAIN PROTAGONIST. I mean we learn that he's a talent but his use of magic is barely explored throughout the entire series.
Keilan's also clearly gifted in the understanding of ancient texts that nobody else can even read to the point that he pulls philosophical quotes and poems out of thin air randomly that provide nothing other than "thats deep" moments. He grasps sword-fighting with such ease that he can keep up with Nel and Xin after training with them in only a brief matter of time, and Senacus as well for that matter. I was expecting him to also end up learning something from Demian at the very least considering the latter was the last swordsinger and one of the proprietors of Xin/Keilan's fighting style. (Demian was also one of the best character POVs in my opinion, wasted on Alyanna in every way).
Speaking of, the pacing of the back end of this book was so off putting with the introduction and subsequent removal of what were supposed to be major characters of interest. And the threat of awakening the slumbering giants doesn't seem all too serious considering *SPOILER ALERT* it barely lasts, until you think about the fact that JAN IS STILL AGING and won't be sustained by the "soul jewel" because it has been drained of the lives that powered it. Glaring plot point that everyone seems to overlook without questioning in the slightest. And what then mechanisms are keeping the other god beasts sleeping?
I'm kind of disappointed honestly, there's so much potential for these characters, but the pacing issues and learning that the author will be using entirely different character pov's for the sequel series feels like a a stab in the back by Chance and Fate.
January 18, 2022
A solid finish to this trilogy. Still, I felt like all the threads didn't quite come together on this one. Lots of unfinished business, and some business addressed almost as an afterthought (can we say epilogue?) There was no slow build to a story climax, just lots of action in different places that sort of came together in unrealistic and convenient ways. This installment had a lot of action, but lacked anything resembling character depth, which is the most important part of a story to me.
Despite the negatives, the prose flows well and the story is a good one. It's definitely worth a read.
Despite the negatives, the prose flows well and the story is a good one. It's definitely worth a read.
January 23, 2020
Okay, writing a spoiler free of this book is impossible.
I just don't think this really wraps up the trilogy. I felt really incomplete at the end. Not enough falling action, some major things still not resolved.
So, I don't know. It was still good, it just felt like we didn't get the resolution I expected at the end of a trilogy. I know he's talking about writing more in the series, so we'll see where this goes.
I just don't think this really wraps up the trilogy. I felt really incomplete at the end. Not enough falling action, some major things still not resolved.
So, I don't know. It was still good, it just felt like we didn't get the resolution I expected at the end of a trilogy. I know he's talking about writing more in the series, so we'll see where this goes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 8, 2021
I’m sad to say that this book was underwhelming. Too many POVs, too many inner dialogues, nothing really happened for the first 30% and at the end we are left with some unanswered questions or rushed explanations.
I still liked some character developments and some choices the author made, but in the end it wasn’t satisfying enough.
The world is cool, some of the characters are really well thought, but the execution was lacking at times
I still liked some character developments and some choices the author made, but in the end it wasn’t satisfying enough.
The world is cool, some of the characters are really well thought, but the execution was lacking at times
April 9, 2020
"The Shadow King" brings the Raveling series to a brilliant close. The strength of Hutson's characters and sharp worldbuilding continue unabated here, and we get some twists and surprises all the way to the very end - and not just of the story variety.
I think one of the best things about this is that while the characters grow, they don't just all become super-powerful to win in the end, and even those who were incredibly strong at the start still get tripped up, they fall, and they fail. Nothing goes according to plan, and yet no one has to be rescued by deus-ex. The way things come together in the end was far from expected, but everyone gets satisfying closure - in fact, I think one of the antagonists gets probably the best ending in the entire story. If there's such a thing as losing and yet going out with style, this book delivers it for that character in the end.
One of the biggest mysteries of the series is likewise wrapped up nicely, with a semi-teasing bit in the epilogue that hints at more adventures to come. Certainly, even Keilan still has plenty of room to grow by the series' last pages, so I suspect The Shadow King is not the end of the series, just the trilogy involving the demons' (current) plot.
I highly recommend this series, and look forward to seeing more of this world in the future.
I think one of the best things about this is that while the characters grow, they don't just all become super-powerful to win in the end, and even those who were incredibly strong at the start still get tripped up, they fall, and they fail. Nothing goes according to plan, and yet no one has to be rescued by deus-ex. The way things come together in the end was far from expected, but everyone gets satisfying closure - in fact, I think one of the antagonists gets probably the best ending in the entire story. If there's such a thing as losing and yet going out with style, this book delivers it for that character in the end.
One of the biggest mysteries of the series is likewise wrapped up nicely, with a semi-teasing bit in the epilogue that hints at more adventures to come. Certainly, even Keilan still has plenty of room to grow by the series' last pages, so I suspect The Shadow King is not the end of the series, just the trilogy involving the demons' (current) plot.
I highly recommend this series, and look forward to seeing more of this world in the future.
March 13, 2021
Phenomenal ending to a fantastic series. It's just engaging, fun, and thrilling epic fantasy.
Very clearly left off with some remaining threads that can be picked up and carried for another story too, but it still wrapped up enough of the big questions that it doesn't feel like a cliffhanger. I wager if you're here, you've already read and enjoyed the first two, but if not.. I can't recommend this book (and series!) enough.
Very clearly left off with some remaining threads that can be picked up and carried for another story too, but it still wrapped up enough of the big questions that it doesn't feel like a cliffhanger. I wager if you're here, you've already read and enjoyed the first two, but if not.. I can't recommend this book (and series!) enough.
October 14, 2020
Amazing!
May 10, 2022
A very satisfying end to this well-written trilogy.
October 13, 2020
The third, and final, book of “The Raveling,” “The Shadow King” concludes the adventures of Keilan, Nel, Senacus, Alyanna, Cho Lin, Jan, and Queen d’Kara in grandiose fashion. This series was, for me, thoroughly satisfying in its conclusion, yet the execution of “The Shadow King” left me a little disgruntled in places. It’s an amazing series that I happily and fully endorse, but I feel this book is somewhat weaker for the things it did not do.
Namely, I found myself disappointed at the cliffhanger ending of “The Silver Sorceress.” The last thing that I read was Alyanna speaking to Queen d’Kara in a dream, telling her, “I believe it is time we talked.” The expectation I had was that this book would start with the world-shaking interview between the two great women: Weaver Alyanna and the Crimson Queen. Only this was not to be. This conversation is only alluded to, briefly, by each woman—and only once each. Tant pis!
Logistically, such a meeting would have been a difficult transcription for the author because of the character and nature of Alyanna and the continuing secrecy around Queen d’Kara. Nonetheless, it was a can of worms that he opened and then removed—not even closed. I find it a great fault to leave such an important meeting without witness. Major developments that have bearing on character actions and plot outcomes should not happen secretly from the reader and then later be hauled out as script points fait accompli. From such a strong writer, I find this to be a confusing and frustrating choice. That said, while it’s something I strongly take issue with and hope to never encounter again in a Hutson book, it’s not a deal-breaker. I promise you that I am going to avidly find every scrap of writing Alec Hutson produces and devour it.
Again, as with the previous two novels, the book is named for a mysterious character the reader doesn’t see. Really does not see. After some time, and obligatory tension building, we met the Crimson Queen and the Silver Sorceress. It’s been more than a month since I completed “The Shadow King,” and I’m still uncertain who or what he was. The book title is catchy, but this one, less than its predecessors, does not convey the tension and plot development that the other two do. The Shadow King really is a shadow. Of what or who, and where? It’s a mystery.
It’s the story of Keilan, and the people who converge upon his path. Some incredible character developments occur in this book. I simply love these characters, even the villains. Maybe—especially?—the villains? As with the horrifying denouement in Tad Williams’ “The War of the Flowers” and the twisted character portraits in most any C. S. Friedman novel, the villains in “The Shadow King” are startlingly inhuman. It takes a fine hand (and its driving brain) to create such realistic nuances in a character and make them terrible. And Hutson accomplishes this with multiple characters: the genthyaki, Lask the Worm shaman, Alyanna, the mysterious master of the shadowblades (in the previous two books), the fanatical devotees of The Chosen in the Empire of Swords and Flowers, Niara (“The Silver Sorceress”), the leader of the White Worm Clan… There is an incomprehensible terribleness of the alien in these characters.
Alyanna is a rather astonishing character to me. From our introduction to her, she is a rather venal creature with unmatched vanity. By now we have learned that she brought about the destruction of two empires and then unleashed the demon Chosen simply because she did not want to grow old. I don’t even believe it was a fear of death—simply a fear of age and wrinkles—that motivated her. It’s unbelievable, yet completely real. She recognizes love (from Demian) but is unable to incorporate it into her character and act upon it. Is that an oversight of Hutson’s, failing to develop this thread of the story and character development, or is she simply a complete narcissist? I’m leaning towards the latter. Yet Alyanna experiences flashes of compassion—seen mostly in her interactions with Keilan, but also in her thoughts about some of the women of the harem and of Demian—that are incongruous to that narcissism. However, she is undoubtedly the most selfish character I’ve witnessed in fiction, and I watched “Farscape”—hello Dominar Rygel XVI. I marvel at the brain that conceived of her and her actions.
Then there are bright shining paragons of goodness, such as Keilan, Senacus, and Lady Numil. And staunch defenders such as Cho Lin, Nel, Magister Vhelan, Queen d’Kara, and Telion. Keilan’s continuing growth as a person and a wizard are believable. He is a strong talent, but inexperienced, and a teen. He stumbles. His compassion is ever present, and he shows strong rationale as he struggles to reconcile Senacus’ actions and his own back on Niara’s island. I’d say more, but I don’t care to spoil the story, and Hutson says it all in the book(s), with great elegance.
Cho Lin had some of the more interesting encounters in this story—the spirit encounters. I wished that she had time to fully explore the ice city, and somehow feel that Cho Lin wished this also… I don’t feel that Cho Lin is a paragon of Goodness—her motivations are more towards the fulfilment of family vows and perfection of self—but she makes some of the finer points of reasoning as she tries to understand the Skein who both help and hinder her. She develops an ability to exercise compassion and understanding in this book that surpass all the subtle things that kept her—in my own opinion—from being a fully realized individual in “The Silver Sorceress.” Her refusal to give up is sometimes a little wooden—she can’t quit, because she has a role to fulfill, not because her very nature demands that she persevere—but I feel she comes into her own in this book.
The techniques used to show the spirt encounters were not my favourite, though. In the first chapter, there is a POV (point of view) shift that I found reminiscent of one of fantasy’s greatly known writers, Ed Greenwood. It’s a style that I find somewhat pretentious as a powerful entity imposes its opinions upon the reader in a fashion that is supposed to be mysterious, but is ultimately confusing. I reread it several times trying to metabolize the information. It’s not my favourite writing technique, but I’m sure I’ve used it myself, because it’s the more obvious way for a writer to give the reader information without giving that information to the main POV character. I think there’s a better way to do this; furthermore, I think Hutson could have pulled this off in a completely amazing way because he has that ability.
We encounter this technique again later, as Hutson inserted a short story published in 2017 in the Fantasy anthology “Lost Lore,” “The First Thread.” I love this story. It’s incredible. As a short story. As an insertion into this novel to give Cho Lin information, I found its presence egregious. It breaks the narrative style, and it’s a simple copy-paste job. I think it would have been a greater justice to the overall story to rewrite the information and present it to Cho Lin in a different way. Furthermore, Cho Lin did not feel nearly so challenged by this information which was, to her, non-canonical. This was not what she had been taught. This was not what happened to cause The Raveling! Was it? She questions it, but only briefly. I think this was something that should have caused her more distress and been presented in another way. Again, I found myself disappointed.
But, as with Keilan’s encounter with the spirit of the Barrow of Vis, Cho Lin’s encounters with one of the spirts haunting Nes Vaneth’s frozen halls, are striking in their beauty and mystery. There is so much more story in this place, and I really felt that Cho Lin would love to explore it, but her tasks require more travel of her… This goes to show the skill of Hutson’s world-building. How good is it? As a gamer, I feel there’s enough source material in “The Raveling” to run a table-top game with it. Mysterious locations and significant persons? Check. A vast world fraught with dangers both ordinary and extraordinary? Check. A rich cultural tapestry? Check. History? Check. And the precise descriptions used to convey the settings, making the settings as much characters as places, is truly masterful; because Hutson is a world-building master.
As in the previous novels in this series, “The Shadow King” is a tightly written and edited work. There are very few places for a reader to trip on typos and grammatical errors, because Hutson is skilled and his editors are good. For those of you who hesitate at independently published fiction because of spelling and grammar, you need not worry: Hutson’s work is professional and smooth. And his ability to turn a phrase is economically descriptive.
In conclusion, “The Raveling” is one of the very best epic fantasy series that I have read. It provides a vast and colourful world with depth and character, nuanced and independent characters who are believable and act with consistency unto themselves, a story for the ages rife with evil and good, and a subtly-woven plot with twists and turns and revelations to chill this reader’s core and turn her skin to gooseflesh. The few disappointments of the series are small, and do not detract from the overall product, particularly since it has one of the most satisfying conclusions of any series I’ve encountered. Hutson joins Alison Sinclair and Raymond E. Feist in my esteem as a seamless world-builder, and is easily one of the best character developers in the genre. Place his books along your shelves proudly with the likes of J. R. R. Tolkien, Tad Williams, C. S. Friedman, Jennifer Roberson, Terry Brooks, and Raymond E. Feist. I am so very glad I read this series and discovered this author.
Namely, I found myself disappointed at the cliffhanger ending of “The Silver Sorceress.” The last thing that I read was Alyanna speaking to Queen d’Kara in a dream, telling her, “I believe it is time we talked.” The expectation I had was that this book would start with the world-shaking interview between the two great women: Weaver Alyanna and the Crimson Queen. Only this was not to be. This conversation is only alluded to, briefly, by each woman—and only once each. Tant pis!
Logistically, such a meeting would have been a difficult transcription for the author because of the character and nature of Alyanna and the continuing secrecy around Queen d’Kara. Nonetheless, it was a can of worms that he opened and then removed—not even closed. I find it a great fault to leave such an important meeting without witness. Major developments that have bearing on character actions and plot outcomes should not happen secretly from the reader and then later be hauled out as script points fait accompli. From such a strong writer, I find this to be a confusing and frustrating choice. That said, while it’s something I strongly take issue with and hope to never encounter again in a Hutson book, it’s not a deal-breaker. I promise you that I am going to avidly find every scrap of writing Alec Hutson produces and devour it.
Again, as with the previous two novels, the book is named for a mysterious character the reader doesn’t see. Really does not see. After some time, and obligatory tension building, we met the Crimson Queen and the Silver Sorceress. It’s been more than a month since I completed “The Shadow King,” and I’m still uncertain who or what he was. The book title is catchy, but this one, less than its predecessors, does not convey the tension and plot development that the other two do. The Shadow King really is a shadow. Of what or who, and where? It’s a mystery.
It’s the story of Keilan, and the people who converge upon his path. Some incredible character developments occur in this book. I simply love these characters, even the villains. Maybe—especially?—the villains? As with the horrifying denouement in Tad Williams’ “The War of the Flowers” and the twisted character portraits in most any C. S. Friedman novel, the villains in “The Shadow King” are startlingly inhuman. It takes a fine hand (and its driving brain) to create such realistic nuances in a character and make them terrible. And Hutson accomplishes this with multiple characters: the genthyaki, Lask the Worm shaman, Alyanna, the mysterious master of the shadowblades (in the previous two books), the fanatical devotees of The Chosen in the Empire of Swords and Flowers, Niara (“The Silver Sorceress”), the leader of the White Worm Clan… There is an incomprehensible terribleness of the alien in these characters.
Alyanna is a rather astonishing character to me. From our introduction to her, she is a rather venal creature with unmatched vanity. By now we have learned that she brought about the destruction of two empires and then unleashed the demon Chosen simply because she did not want to grow old. I don’t even believe it was a fear of death—simply a fear of age and wrinkles—that motivated her. It’s unbelievable, yet completely real. She recognizes love (from Demian) but is unable to incorporate it into her character and act upon it. Is that an oversight of Hutson’s, failing to develop this thread of the story and character development, or is she simply a complete narcissist? I’m leaning towards the latter. Yet Alyanna experiences flashes of compassion—seen mostly in her interactions with Keilan, but also in her thoughts about some of the women of the harem and of Demian—that are incongruous to that narcissism. However, she is undoubtedly the most selfish character I’ve witnessed in fiction, and I watched “Farscape”—hello Dominar Rygel XVI. I marvel at the brain that conceived of her and her actions.
Then there are bright shining paragons of goodness, such as Keilan, Senacus, and Lady Numil. And staunch defenders such as Cho Lin, Nel, Magister Vhelan, Queen d’Kara, and Telion. Keilan’s continuing growth as a person and a wizard are believable. He is a strong talent, but inexperienced, and a teen. He stumbles. His compassion is ever present, and he shows strong rationale as he struggles to reconcile Senacus’ actions and his own back on Niara’s island. I’d say more, but I don’t care to spoil the story, and Hutson says it all in the book(s), with great elegance.
Cho Lin had some of the more interesting encounters in this story—the spirit encounters. I wished that she had time to fully explore the ice city, and somehow feel that Cho Lin wished this also… I don’t feel that Cho Lin is a paragon of Goodness—her motivations are more towards the fulfilment of family vows and perfection of self—but she makes some of the finer points of reasoning as she tries to understand the Skein who both help and hinder her. She develops an ability to exercise compassion and understanding in this book that surpass all the subtle things that kept her—in my own opinion—from being a fully realized individual in “The Silver Sorceress.” Her refusal to give up is sometimes a little wooden—she can’t quit, because she has a role to fulfill, not because her very nature demands that she persevere—but I feel she comes into her own in this book.
The techniques used to show the spirt encounters were not my favourite, though. In the first chapter, there is a POV (point of view) shift that I found reminiscent of one of fantasy’s greatly known writers, Ed Greenwood. It’s a style that I find somewhat pretentious as a powerful entity imposes its opinions upon the reader in a fashion that is supposed to be mysterious, but is ultimately confusing. I reread it several times trying to metabolize the information. It’s not my favourite writing technique, but I’m sure I’ve used it myself, because it’s the more obvious way for a writer to give the reader information without giving that information to the main POV character. I think there’s a better way to do this; furthermore, I think Hutson could have pulled this off in a completely amazing way because he has that ability.
We encounter this technique again later, as Hutson inserted a short story published in 2017 in the Fantasy anthology “Lost Lore,” “The First Thread.” I love this story. It’s incredible. As a short story. As an insertion into this novel to give Cho Lin information, I found its presence egregious. It breaks the narrative style, and it’s a simple copy-paste job. I think it would have been a greater justice to the overall story to rewrite the information and present it to Cho Lin in a different way. Furthermore, Cho Lin did not feel nearly so challenged by this information which was, to her, non-canonical. This was not what she had been taught. This was not what happened to cause The Raveling! Was it? She questions it, but only briefly. I think this was something that should have caused her more distress and been presented in another way. Again, I found myself disappointed.
But, as with Keilan’s encounter with the spirit of the Barrow of Vis, Cho Lin’s encounters with one of the spirts haunting Nes Vaneth’s frozen halls, are striking in their beauty and mystery. There is so much more story in this place, and I really felt that Cho Lin would love to explore it, but her tasks require more travel of her… This goes to show the skill of Hutson’s world-building. How good is it? As a gamer, I feel there’s enough source material in “The Raveling” to run a table-top game with it. Mysterious locations and significant persons? Check. A vast world fraught with dangers both ordinary and extraordinary? Check. A rich cultural tapestry? Check. History? Check. And the precise descriptions used to convey the settings, making the settings as much characters as places, is truly masterful; because Hutson is a world-building master.
As in the previous novels in this series, “The Shadow King” is a tightly written and edited work. There are very few places for a reader to trip on typos and grammatical errors, because Hutson is skilled and his editors are good. For those of you who hesitate at independently published fiction because of spelling and grammar, you need not worry: Hutson’s work is professional and smooth. And his ability to turn a phrase is economically descriptive.
In conclusion, “The Raveling” is one of the very best epic fantasy series that I have read. It provides a vast and colourful world with depth and character, nuanced and independent characters who are believable and act with consistency unto themselves, a story for the ages rife with evil and good, and a subtly-woven plot with twists and turns and revelations to chill this reader’s core and turn her skin to gooseflesh. The few disappointments of the series are small, and do not detract from the overall product, particularly since it has one of the most satisfying conclusions of any series I’ve encountered. Hutson joins Alison Sinclair and Raymond E. Feist in my esteem as a seamless world-builder, and is easily one of the best character developers in the genre. Place his books along your shelves proudly with the likes of J. R. R. Tolkien, Tad Williams, C. S. Friedman, Jennifer Roberson, Terry Brooks, and Raymond E. Feist. I am so very glad I read this series and discovered this author.
August 5, 2020
The Shadow King brings Alec Hutson's The Raveling series to a satisfying conclusion. The pace picked up nicely in this book and towards the end I couldn't put it down. The character of Cho Lin really grew on me too.
I have a couple of small quibbles. I really would have liked to see Keilan come into his power a little more. He was the MC with this supposed wealth of magical talent, but he spends very little time developing or using it. Perhaps this was a conscious choice to avoid the "all powerful chosen one" trope, but to me he felt a little under-utilised. More a pawn and less an actual player.
I feel like Demian's story just trailed off into nothing. I really liked his character and had sympathy for him, despite him seemingly picking the wrong side. I would have liked a more satisfying conclusion to his story arc.
The end leaves quite a few loose threads too. Perhaps this is intentional so that the trilogy can turn into a longer series, but I always feel if a book is marketed as a trilogy, there should be a more definite end. Again, this is personal taste and not necessarily a fault.
All in all, I hugely enjoyed this series and I recommend it to anyone on the lookout for a cracking fantasy adventure series with loads of action, endearing characters and high stakes. Can I also say Mr Hutson has an insane imagination. The whole ending inside the worm was next level brilliant. Loved it!
I have a couple of small quibbles. I really would have liked to see Keilan come into his power a little more. He was the MC with this supposed wealth of magical talent, but he spends very little time developing or using it. Perhaps this was a conscious choice to avoid the "all powerful chosen one" trope, but to me he felt a little under-utilised. More a pawn and less an actual player.
I feel like Demian's story just trailed off into nothing. I really liked his character and had sympathy for him, despite him seemingly picking the wrong side. I would have liked a more satisfying conclusion to his story arc.
The end leaves quite a few loose threads too. Perhaps this is intentional so that the trilogy can turn into a longer series, but I always feel if a book is marketed as a trilogy, there should be a more definite end. Again, this is personal taste and not necessarily a fault.
All in all, I hugely enjoyed this series and I recommend it to anyone on the lookout for a cracking fantasy adventure series with loads of action, endearing characters and high stakes. Can I also say Mr Hutson has an insane imagination. The whole ending inside the worm was next level brilliant. Loved it!
December 30, 2019
A fitting conclusion
First major kudos to the author for including summaries of the previous books. This is something I wish every series of books did given the typical time between entries.
Like the previous entries I very much enjoyed this book. It brought the series to a fitting conclusion and I'll miss reading about Kaelian, Nel, Cho and the other great characters. The series did a great job of world building, hopefully the author will set some future stories here, so much potential.
First major kudos to the author for including summaries of the previous books. This is something I wish every series of books did given the typical time between entries.
Like the previous entries I very much enjoyed this book. It brought the series to a fitting conclusion and I'll miss reading about Kaelian, Nel, Cho and the other great characters. The series did a great job of world building, hopefully the author will set some future stories here, so much potential.
December 22, 2019
A great conclusion to this debut trilogy by one of my favorite new fantasy authors.
I really wasn't sure how Hutson was going to wind up all the various threads he'd begun weaving over books 1 and 2. And to be honest I like series - long series. I like to sink my teeth into epic fantasy worlds and live with the characters and explore the story and worldbuilding for some time. But wind up all the reads Hutson did. Well, the main ones ;)
This is a rip-roaring yarn of a novel. Alive with vibrant world building and crafted with a powerful vision and strong writing, Hutson has fill this book with action as the reader is swept along towards the final chapter. I found my self reading great chunks of the novel and often wanting to continue when I had to put the book down, leaving me very eager to pick it back up again.
I hope that Hutson continues to write in this world. I want more of Keilan's journey, and Cho Lin's - amongst others. I certainly feel there is more story to tell; and it was hinted at in the epilogue.
For the inevitable comparisons, if you enjoy Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson and Peter V. Brett, then give Alec Hutson a try. You won't regret it.
I really wasn't sure how Hutson was going to wind up all the various threads he'd begun weaving over books 1 and 2. And to be honest I like series - long series. I like to sink my teeth into epic fantasy worlds and live with the characters and explore the story and worldbuilding for some time. But wind up all the reads Hutson did. Well, the main ones ;)
This is a rip-roaring yarn of a novel. Alive with vibrant world building and crafted with a powerful vision and strong writing, Hutson has fill this book with action as the reader is swept along towards the final chapter. I found my self reading great chunks of the novel and often wanting to continue when I had to put the book down, leaving me very eager to pick it back up again.
I hope that Hutson continues to write in this world. I want more of Keilan's journey, and Cho Lin's - amongst others. I certainly feel there is more story to tell; and it was hinted at in the epilogue.
For the inevitable comparisons, if you enjoy Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson and Peter V. Brett, then give Alec Hutson a try. You won't regret it.
February 26, 2020
Still an interesting book but the ending feels rushed. It has a lot of similarities with The Wheel of Time.
Magister - Knife
Aes Sedai - Warden
Magister - Knife
Aes Sedai - Warden
April 22, 2024
I really enjoyed the first two books of this series, but this one just didn't seem to finish well. The plot came together in the end, but it felt fumbled and kind of far reaching.
Senacus: His storyline was great in the first two books with character building and seemed like an important character, but halfway through this book he just gets left behind and that's it for his story besides the few pages at the end of the book. It seemed like a big build up with little follow though.
Jan: Again, the first two books were really well paced and it was exciting to learn more about him as time went on, but it the end it felt very "oh yeah, this is how it ended. K, bye!" Especially with his long lost child.. like it seemed like such a good plot then it was hardly brought up or resolved until the last few pages of the book. It seemed like the author has a bunch of great things going, but it was too far away from the main plot, so it was all an afterthought to wrap it up. It was very underwhelming.
Demian: Once again, he was a very interesting character with a dark background and was very gripping throughout the series... Until this book. I have no problem with authors killing off main characters, but it felts so unfinished for him. Especially because not all of him was dead... Who is the being that now inhabits his body? What happened to him? why is he not relevant in the story any longer?
Keilan: for the main character he is very underwhelming throughout the entire series. Yes, he's new to his powers, and very young and untrained, but you would expect some sort of build up with each story to make his mark in the book more memorable, but nope. In the end, I honestly don't understand why he was there. He's the main character with supporting character qualities-if that. He gets a cut from the black blade and it seems likes something major is going to come from that, but still nothing really does.
There was so much potential with all these little interesting side quests and story lines and it fell short. Overall though the series was good and it ended okay, so that's a plus. I just wish there had been more substance to this book.
Senacus: His storyline was great in the first two books with character building and seemed like an important character, but halfway through this book he just gets left behind and that's it for his story besides the few pages at the end of the book. It seemed like a big build up with little follow though.
Jan: Again, the first two books were really well paced and it was exciting to learn more about him as time went on, but it the end it felt very "oh yeah, this is how it ended. K, bye!" Especially with his long lost child.. like it seemed like such a good plot then it was hardly brought up or resolved until the last few pages of the book. It seemed like the author has a bunch of great things going, but it was too far away from the main plot, so it was all an afterthought to wrap it up. It was very underwhelming.
Demian: Once again, he was a very interesting character with a dark background and was very gripping throughout the series... Until this book. I have no problem with authors killing off main characters, but it felts so unfinished for him. Especially because not all of him was dead... Who is the being that now inhabits his body? What happened to him? why is he not relevant in the story any longer?
Keilan: for the main character he is very underwhelming throughout the entire series. Yes, he's new to his powers, and very young and untrained, but you would expect some sort of build up with each story to make his mark in the book more memorable, but nope. In the end, I honestly don't understand why he was there. He's the main character with supporting character qualities-if that. He gets a cut from the black blade and it seems likes something major is going to come from that, but still nothing really does.
There was so much potential with all these little interesting side quests and story lines and it fell short. Overall though the series was good and it ended okay, so that's a plus. I just wish there had been more substance to this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 4, 2020
Aconteceu o que eu esperava com essa trilogia. O autor usou o primeiro para apresentar o mundo, o segundo para mostrar o verdadeiro conflito e inimigo e o terceiro para realmente avançar com a trama e construir conflitos mais profundos (tarde demais). E no final disso tudo eu acho que não deu certo.
Eu gostei da escrita do autor, ele sabe montar diálogos e interação entre os personagens, e a maneira dele apresentar o mundo também é bem interessante. O mundo é simples mas bem explicado apesar de ser mais do mesmo, tendo a presença de Deuses e seres diferentes é bem legal de se ver. Mas apesar dos pontos positivos eu me incomodei com varias coisas que permaneceram desde o primeiro livro. O primeiro ponto é bem pessoal, que é o ''quase'' plagio de Wheel of Time, onde o autor pegou diversas ideias diretamente da saga do Jordan de maneira bem clara e as utilizou da mesma forma. Se fosse somente um ponto ou outro eu provavelmente nem perceberia mas são muitas situações e ideias parecidas para não enxergar e se incomodar. O segundo ponto são os personagens ''planos'', ou seja, personagens com uma certa personalidade que se mantém a mesma até o fim se tornando previsíveis e simplesmente chatos, sem profundidade alguma, sendo o protagonista o pior de todos e se o autor colocasse outro personagem como figura central eu provavelmente apreciaria mais a trilogia.
Por fim eu acredito que o autor tem um ótimo potencial como autor só que pra mim essa trilogia não funcionou muito bem, mas mesmo assim lerei os próximos livros que se passar nesse universo, já que apesar de tudo, ele criou algo interessante, e ele tem tudo para melhorar.
Eu gostei da escrita do autor, ele sabe montar diálogos e interação entre os personagens, e a maneira dele apresentar o mundo também é bem interessante. O mundo é simples mas bem explicado apesar de ser mais do mesmo, tendo a presença de Deuses e seres diferentes é bem legal de se ver. Mas apesar dos pontos positivos eu me incomodei com varias coisas que permaneceram desde o primeiro livro. O primeiro ponto é bem pessoal, que é o ''quase'' plagio de Wheel of Time, onde o autor pegou diversas ideias diretamente da saga do Jordan de maneira bem clara e as utilizou da mesma forma. Se fosse somente um ponto ou outro eu provavelmente nem perceberia mas são muitas situações e ideias parecidas para não enxergar e se incomodar. O segundo ponto são os personagens ''planos'', ou seja, personagens com uma certa personalidade que se mantém a mesma até o fim se tornando previsíveis e simplesmente chatos, sem profundidade alguma, sendo o protagonista o pior de todos e se o autor colocasse outro personagem como figura central eu provavelmente apreciaria mais a trilogia.
Por fim eu acredito que o autor tem um ótimo potencial como autor só que pra mim essa trilogia não funcionou muito bem, mas mesmo assim lerei os próximos livros que se passar nesse universo, já que apesar de tudo, ele criou algo interessante, e ele tem tudo para melhorar.
December 18, 2020
The scope and depth of these three books of The Raveling is just wonderful. It's not often you get a series where all of the books are equally strong but this trilogy is consistent in it's quality and that quality is definitely of the five start variety.
The overall arc of the story is perfectly crafted, gathering in the main characters, giving them perfectly formed back stories, strengths and flaws, none are 2 dimensional, even the minor characters could have been drawn out and had a story of their own.
Can I say from the start I really admire his female characters. All of them are so strong, sassy but he doesn't lose their femininity, well, not sure Nel had that much to start off with, but I just love Cho Lin. His male characters are also so beautifully rounded, both immortals and young you are drawn to them and care for them.
I don't want to spoil the story but just want to say that it was a hell of a ride. The battles are epic, but ultimately it came down to the MC and right until the end you don't know if they will win, who will betray, who will stand their ground, prevail, and if so at what cost.
I thoroughly enjoyed this trilogy and really recommend it.
The overall arc of the story is perfectly crafted, gathering in the main characters, giving them perfectly formed back stories, strengths and flaws, none are 2 dimensional, even the minor characters could have been drawn out and had a story of their own.
Can I say from the start I really admire his female characters. All of them are so strong, sassy but he doesn't lose their femininity, well, not sure Nel had that much to start off with, but I just love Cho Lin. His male characters are also so beautifully rounded, both immortals and young you are drawn to them and care for them.
I don't want to spoil the story but just want to say that it was a hell of a ride. The battles are epic, but ultimately it came down to the MC and right until the end you don't know if they will win, who will betray, who will stand their ground, prevail, and if so at what cost.
I thoroughly enjoyed this trilogy and really recommend it.
October 19, 2021
Wow what a conclusion to this absolutely brilliant series. The Raveling trilogy is a classic epic fantasy story that is excellently written, with beautifully detailed worldbuilding, plot and setting. Alec Hutson gives us well of flavours of lore from both eastern and western cultures. For anyone who loves an epic story, this would fit perfectly on your bookshelves of all you fantasy lovers out there. The Shadow King concludes what is a truly thrilling adventure that will have you not wanting this series to end. Alec Hutson really dives into the mythos of the world he has created, showing readers the events of the past for his characters that has brought the world to where it currently stands in The Shadow King. This was definitely the best book in the series. The character development in the series is wonderful and as a reader the connection you have and feel for these characters, Keilan, Cho Lin, Nel, Senecus and even Alyanna, you become invested in their adventure as they try to stop the chosen from waking a God and destroying the world. This is definitely a book that you cannot put down until you’ve read the last page. The Narration by Guy Williams was absolutely class through out the whole series, I categorically very highly recommended this series. 😁🖤⚡🔥
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