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Raven Son #5
The Throne of the Gods
He thought he was the chosen one, a warrior of the gods. He had no idea that his god was a demon.
After twenty years, Voran has faced his deadly enemy. But instead of victory, Voran loses his home, his hope, and his love... With nothing left, he storms the country of the gods, demanding answers. But the only one who knows the way... is his greatest enemy, the Raven himself.
Sabíana returns to her beleaguered city, but finds nothing there but cowardice and vice. She can save her city, but is it even worth saving anymore?
Adelaida received the gift of life. But she is in the middle of a hell of war, and now all the beauty and goodness she has ever known is being destroyed. To make matters worse, warriors all around her are dying. And suspicion is falling on her...
Khaidu found her speech, but lost her purpose. Now, she will invade the land of the dead itself to find the last hope for the Three Lands.
But at the end of all time, who will command the strength of the Powers? Who will sit in the Throne of the Gods?
The Throne of the Gods is the fifth and final volume in the Raven Son series of epic fantasy books inspired by Russian fairy tales. If you love creative retellings of ancient myths, gorgeous worldbuilding, and complex characters who never do what you expect, you'll love this series, described by readers as "The Lord of the Rings meets 1984".
Embark on a journey into the magical and perilous world of The Throne of the Gods today!
After twenty years, Voran has faced his deadly enemy. But instead of victory, Voran loses his home, his hope, and his love... With nothing left, he storms the country of the gods, demanding answers. But the only one who knows the way... is his greatest enemy, the Raven himself.
Sabíana returns to her beleaguered city, but finds nothing there but cowardice and vice. She can save her city, but is it even worth saving anymore?
Adelaida received the gift of life. But she is in the middle of a hell of war, and now all the beauty and goodness she has ever known is being destroyed. To make matters worse, warriors all around her are dying. And suspicion is falling on her...
Khaidu found her speech, but lost her purpose. Now, she will invade the land of the dead itself to find the last hope for the Three Lands.
But at the end of all time, who will command the strength of the Powers? Who will sit in the Throne of the Gods?
The Throne of the Gods is the fifth and final volume in the Raven Son series of epic fantasy books inspired by Russian fairy tales. If you love creative retellings of ancient myths, gorgeous worldbuilding, and complex characters who never do what you expect, you'll love this series, described by readers as "The Lord of the Rings meets 1984".
Embark on a journey into the magical and perilous world of The Throne of the Gods today!
- GenresFantasy
354 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 7, 2020
8 people are currently reading
123 people want to read
About the author
Nicholas Kotar
40 books374 followersNicholas Kotar is a writer of epic fantasy inspired by Russian fairy tales, a freelance translator from Russian to English, the resident conductor of the men's choir at a Russian monastery in the middle of nowhere, and a semi-professional vocalist. His one great regret in life is that he was not born in the nineteenth century in St. Petersburg, but he is doing everything he can to remedy that error.
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February 1, 2022Just finished listening to the audiobook. Coming soon! :)
July 7, 2020
A fitting conclusion to a majestic series. I've been waiting for this one for months.
If you enjoy fairy-tale retellings, this series is for you. Russian fairy-tales (in my experience) don't get enough love in the fairy-tale retelling world! The book's atmosphere is rich and evocative. Although the plot is slightly rushed and a little short on the emotional development, it is, as I said above, majestic. The ending might be a little too happy for me, but eh, personal taste.
The imagery is explosively, gloriously cinematic. If you enjoy cool fantasy worlds that aren't based on Western Europe, well, here you go.
I received a free ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
If you enjoy fairy-tale retellings, this series is for you. Russian fairy-tales (in my experience) don't get enough love in the fairy-tale retelling world! The book's atmosphere is rich and evocative. Although the plot is slightly rushed and a little short on the emotional development, it is, as I said above, majestic. The ending might be a little too happy for me, but eh, personal taste.
The imagery is explosively, gloriously cinematic. If you enjoy cool fantasy worlds that aren't based on Western Europe, well, here you go.
I received a free ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
August 7, 2023
My rating and this review is for the Raven son series as a whole. There are no spoilers.
There’s a principle in authentic Thai cooking. In order for a dish to be what it should be, the five tastes (salty, sweet, spicy, sour, and creamy) must be in balance. It’s that principle that surfaced in my mind when I finished reading the Raven Son series, to which this book belongs.
We’ve likely all read books that were poor mashups of epic fantasy, folk lore, and fairy tales. It’s a kitchen sink, easter eggs galore approach that rewards readers with little dopamine hits every time they find themselves saying ‘Ah! I recognize!’, or ‘Oh! I remember!’, or ‘Hah! Clever me! I caught the subtle allusion!’ and sells books – eminently forgettable books, because they’re not conscientiously crafted balanced dishes, but it does sell them.
This is where Nicholas Kotar’s Raven Son series earned its five stars from me. He incorporated Russian folk lore, fairy tales, and epic fantasy in an intentional and balanced way, and it worked. Further, he incorporated themes worth thinking about, the kinds of themes from the best old fairy tales that can help form the moral imagination. He did that without becoming overbearingly preachy, keeping the story the sort of story that a reader could enjoy sitting in a chair by the stove on a cold Russian night (even if that particular reader was reading in the triple digit temperatures of a central California summer).
Five flavors: folk lore, fairy tales, epic fantasy, fuel for the moral imagination, and genuine good story – Kotar hit his balance, and it’s that balance that earned these five stars. I don’t know if anyone will be reading the Raven Son series in 200 years, but I know that I will read it more than once.
Notes on series structure: Five books, the second and fourth of which are novella length works that serve as passageways of a sort from one part of the series to the next. Passageways are, after all, important in fairy tales. Don’t think of them as skippable, though, the second book was my personal favorite of the series and introduced the character I liked (or maybe just understood) best.
Notes on the audiobooks: I went back and forth between print and audio throughout the series depending on my reading circumstances. At first it was a little jarring to me that the text was so deeply Russian and the narrator was so obviously … not. If I had not been on a long car trip when I was starting the first book, I probably would not have continued with the audio, but the narrator gradually won me over with good characterization and excellent consistency and I ended up going back and forth between the print and audio versions through all five books.
There’s a principle in authentic Thai cooking. In order for a dish to be what it should be, the five tastes (salty, sweet, spicy, sour, and creamy) must be in balance. It’s that principle that surfaced in my mind when I finished reading the Raven Son series, to which this book belongs.
We’ve likely all read books that were poor mashups of epic fantasy, folk lore, and fairy tales. It’s a kitchen sink, easter eggs galore approach that rewards readers with little dopamine hits every time they find themselves saying ‘Ah! I recognize!’, or ‘Oh! I remember!’, or ‘Hah! Clever me! I caught the subtle allusion!’ and sells books – eminently forgettable books, because they’re not conscientiously crafted balanced dishes, but it does sell them.
This is where Nicholas Kotar’s Raven Son series earned its five stars from me. He incorporated Russian folk lore, fairy tales, and epic fantasy in an intentional and balanced way, and it worked. Further, he incorporated themes worth thinking about, the kinds of themes from the best old fairy tales that can help form the moral imagination. He did that without becoming overbearingly preachy, keeping the story the sort of story that a reader could enjoy sitting in a chair by the stove on a cold Russian night (even if that particular reader was reading in the triple digit temperatures of a central California summer).
Five flavors: folk lore, fairy tales, epic fantasy, fuel for the moral imagination, and genuine good story – Kotar hit his balance, and it’s that balance that earned these five stars. I don’t know if anyone will be reading the Raven Son series in 200 years, but I know that I will read it more than once.
Notes on series structure: Five books, the second and fourth of which are novella length works that serve as passageways of a sort from one part of the series to the next. Passageways are, after all, important in fairy tales. Don’t think of them as skippable, though, the second book was my personal favorite of the series and introduced the character I liked (or maybe just understood) best.
Notes on the audiobooks: I went back and forth between print and audio throughout the series depending on my reading circumstances. At first it was a little jarring to me that the text was so deeply Russian and the narrator was so obviously … not. If I had not been on a long car trip when I was starting the first book, I probably would not have continued with the audio, but the narrator gradually won me over with good characterization and excellent consistency and I ended up going back and forth between the print and audio versions through all five books.
January 8, 2021
My review will cover two things: this book and then the series as a whole. The Throne of the Gods was exactly what I wanted it to be, and more. A definitive ending that blew me away. I am going to have a hard time getting over it. The beginning was wonderful. It began so perfectly and I felt immediately hooked. It continues the tone of the third book, which I was delighted with. It evolves over the course of the book and ends in the highest point in the entire series. The character arcs were ended so beautifully, and I was thrilled. I loved these characters so much. The only others characters that I like more are my favorite Star Wars characters. Voran especially had a profound effect on me, so seeing how is arc ended in this book pleased me. I have more to say on him and other characters later. Just when I thought the plot could not thicken anymore, it did, and it was done well. It did not overwhelm me either. There were nice surprises and twists that made the end so, so good. I have seen many endings, and this ranks high. All of the themes that Kotar wrote in the last novels are continued along with a new theme: loss of faith. Man! That made this novel stand out. Truly a story for our time, The Throne of the Gods will thrill and satisfy you as it brings the Raven Son series to an excellent end. I highly recommend it.
Kotar’s Raven Son series is the first book series that I have ever read. I have been through many tv series and movie series, though no book series till now. I first read The Song of the Sirin a year ago, and it really moved me. I have given each book one word to describe it. For The Song of the Sirin: Beautiful. For The Curse of the Raven: Echo. For The Heart of the World: Pain (I did not come up with this one on my own. Someone described it this way in a review on Amazon). For The Forge of the Covenant: Intriguing. For The Throne of the Gods, Kotar himself gives the best description: Eucatastrophe. This series was about love, and I’m not talking about romantic love. I’m talking about beautiful, sacrificial love. A powerful love that can change the world. Journeying with Voran as he goes through his trials to attain this, I dare say changed me. Voran is a hero for this generation. There were times I rejoiced with him, laughed with him, even shed some tears as he went through hard times. Needless to say, I love Voran. Khaidu has to be my next favorite. Who she becomes through The Heart of the World and The Throne of the Gods is an absolute delight. She is strong and courageous. She refuses to back down, even when everything is stacked against her. She is so excellent! Third has to go to Antomir. I still remember when and where I was when Antomir entered the story. Immediately I was impressed by him. He strove to do what was best, even though he messed up big time. I am sure I could go on about the story, the characters, the message, but I feel that I have said enough for now. I give the Raven Son Series 5 stars. Whether or not you are a big fan of epic fantasy, I highly recommend the series. If you don’t read the whole series, you should at least read The Song of the Sirin. Though once you do that, you’ll end up reading the rest. It’s just that good.
Kotar’s Raven Son series is the first book series that I have ever read. I have been through many tv series and movie series, though no book series till now. I first read The Song of the Sirin a year ago, and it really moved me. I have given each book one word to describe it. For The Song of the Sirin: Beautiful. For The Curse of the Raven: Echo. For The Heart of the World: Pain (I did not come up with this one on my own. Someone described it this way in a review on Amazon). For The Forge of the Covenant: Intriguing. For The Throne of the Gods, Kotar himself gives the best description: Eucatastrophe. This series was about love, and I’m not talking about romantic love. I’m talking about beautiful, sacrificial love. A powerful love that can change the world. Journeying with Voran as he goes through his trials to attain this, I dare say changed me. Voran is a hero for this generation. There were times I rejoiced with him, laughed with him, even shed some tears as he went through hard times. Needless to say, I love Voran. Khaidu has to be my next favorite. Who she becomes through The Heart of the World and The Throne of the Gods is an absolute delight. She is strong and courageous. She refuses to back down, even when everything is stacked against her. She is so excellent! Third has to go to Antomir. I still remember when and where I was when Antomir entered the story. Immediately I was impressed by him. He strove to do what was best, even though he messed up big time. I am sure I could go on about the story, the characters, the message, but I feel that I have said enough for now. I give the Raven Son Series 5 stars. Whether or not you are a big fan of epic fantasy, I highly recommend the series. If you don’t read the whole series, you should at least read The Song of the Sirin. Though once you do that, you’ll end up reading the rest. It’s just that good.
July 7, 2020
The Throne of the Gods is a beautiful and epic conclusion to the Raven Son trilogy. In this book, more than any of the others, the focus shifts away from nations, locations and even sometimes specific characters and instead shifts to the broader picture that involves the gods and saving the world. There's a journey to the underworld, Baba Yaga "the Hag" (one of my personal favorites) features again, prophecies are fulfilled, the stakes are high, and it's a very enjoyable, fast-paced story. As always I love the Russian setting, and learn new things about Russian folklore and medieval Russia.
At times I struggled with this series and this book because not everything is entirely realistic and the magical things that happen aren't always explained - though throughout the series more and more things get revealed. But I think that fairy tales often have this sense of magic and purpose that lends them eternality, makes them speak to us, and allows us to see ourselves in them.
This book hit me in all the right places. There are some simply stunning moments when characters who have made not-so-great decisions are forced to confront themselves and come to powerful moments of realization. Perhaps these simply echo my own life, and that's why I find this book so compelling; but I think good stories are supposed to do just this, and Kotar does a really good job of telling stories with (a) purpose.
I found the structure of The Throne of the Gods to be very compelling; it's broken into 4 parts with an interlude before each section that are flashbacks from a character who seemed like an extra in a previous book, but turns our to be vital to the endgame. I liked the ending - although I think I found other moments more powerful - and there definitely seems to be room for more stories, which is exciting. The pacing and the writing were a little inconsistent or heavy handed for me in places, but The Throne of the Gods is definitely a book I will be coming back to.
I received a free copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
At times I struggled with this series and this book because not everything is entirely realistic and the magical things that happen aren't always explained - though throughout the series more and more things get revealed. But I think that fairy tales often have this sense of magic and purpose that lends them eternality, makes them speak to us, and allows us to see ourselves in them.
This book hit me in all the right places. There are some simply stunning moments when characters who have made not-so-great decisions are forced to confront themselves and come to powerful moments of realization. Perhaps these simply echo my own life, and that's why I find this book so compelling; but I think good stories are supposed to do just this, and Kotar does a really good job of telling stories with (a) purpose.
I found the structure of The Throne of the Gods to be very compelling; it's broken into 4 parts with an interlude before each section that are flashbacks from a character who seemed like an extra in a previous book, but turns our to be vital to the endgame. I liked the ending - although I think I found other moments more powerful - and there definitely seems to be room for more stories, which is exciting. The pacing and the writing were a little inconsistent or heavy handed for me in places, but The Throne of the Gods is definitely a book I will be coming back to.
I received a free copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
May 30, 2025
I don’t know! My stars for each book have crawled upward, but the conclusion left me feeling flat.
I believe the strongest books were the novellas, and I think that’s because Kotar, though a beautiful talented writer, can also stuff a book so full that it’s sludgy to walk through. For each of the larger books from about 40-60% through (as seen on Kindle), I had to fight to get past the drag. By 70% I found myself caring again. So mostly a pacing issue, with lots of excess detail that could’ve been chopped out in the editing processing and would not have affected much.
But I also have empathy for Kotar, because I know what it’s like to get attached to your characters. I know what it’s like to express that repetitive emphasis of the human experience… but as a reader I can only read about somebody wanting to feel faint so many times. I can only handle the description of eyeballs so many times before my mind is so cluttered with description, I can’t follow the plot anymore.
I do love the strong female characters in these books — really reminds me of the stories of female saints. I lost interest for Voran very early on. Antomir, I’m struggling to remember why he was important and why he got a second chance at life, but Mirnian didn’t? Lebia didn’t deserve that, come on. 😂 😭
I think dark epic huge fantasy books are really delicate to get correctly. It’s so simple to get lost in the sauce of the mysticism and the beauty, that the story sort of gets choked out. Almost like adding too much glitter to a Mother’s Day card that you can’t even see the message anymore. 🙈
Kotar is poetic, creative, and overall amazingly talented for writing these five books. Although I was moderately burnt out by these books by the end so I could not relish in the ending morals and BELIEVE the characters’ shared relief, I could see that beautiful orthodox themes weaving into the whole storyline. I will always support our orthodox authors, as I feel we need more of this kind of content in Christian circles. However I am trained to be critical and I have been since like fifth grade so unfortunately this is how I am. I would love to read more of Kotar’s work, once I go ice my brain for a little bit. 🙏🏽
I believe the strongest books were the novellas, and I think that’s because Kotar, though a beautiful talented writer, can also stuff a book so full that it’s sludgy to walk through. For each of the larger books from about 40-60% through (as seen on Kindle), I had to fight to get past the drag. By 70% I found myself caring again. So mostly a pacing issue, with lots of excess detail that could’ve been chopped out in the editing processing and would not have affected much.
But I also have empathy for Kotar, because I know what it’s like to get attached to your characters. I know what it’s like to express that repetitive emphasis of the human experience… but as a reader I can only read about somebody wanting to feel faint so many times. I can only handle the description of eyeballs so many times before my mind is so cluttered with description, I can’t follow the plot anymore.
I do love the strong female characters in these books — really reminds me of the stories of female saints. I lost interest for Voran very early on. Antomir, I’m struggling to remember why he was important and why he got a second chance at life, but Mirnian didn’t? Lebia didn’t deserve that, come on. 😂 😭
I think dark epic huge fantasy books are really delicate to get correctly. It’s so simple to get lost in the sauce of the mysticism and the beauty, that the story sort of gets choked out. Almost like adding too much glitter to a Mother’s Day card that you can’t even see the message anymore. 🙈
Kotar is poetic, creative, and overall amazingly talented for writing these five books. Although I was moderately burnt out by these books by the end so I could not relish in the ending morals and BELIEVE the characters’ shared relief, I could see that beautiful orthodox themes weaving into the whole storyline. I will always support our orthodox authors, as I feel we need more of this kind of content in Christian circles. However I am trained to be critical and I have been since like fifth grade so unfortunately this is how I am. I would love to read more of Kotar’s work, once I go ice my brain for a little bit. 🙏🏽
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 20, 2020
"If we were created by an evil power, can we be anything but evil?"
"Only in a world ruled by fate."
This is the crux of the novel. Can the mother of cities cleanse itself of the lie at its foundation? Can an exiled nomadic tribeswoman become a hero? Can the least of cities become a beacon of hope for the future? Can the manifestation of deception do any good for the world?
This is the conclusion to a fantastic series of stories that breaks all of the rules. Most evident in this installment, he does not simply write fantasy inspired by fairy tales, but also told in a fairy-tale style. Because of this, the pacing sometimes feels strange (a lot of "off-screen" fighting"), the dialogue feels very theatrical, the romances feel rushed, and the characters can occasionally feel more like archetypes than fully fleshed-out people. Yet all of this feels itentional, and serves to completely engage us in beautiful stories that will stick with us for a long time.
The novel follows five different characters (Voran, Sabiana, Adelaida, Khaidu, and Antomir) wtih stories that begin independently, and converge on a climax that is certainly larger in scale than anything else seen in the series. While the stories form a complex portrait of the different realms, each story is not terribly complicated individually. Because of this the book feels shorter than both The Song of the Sirin and The Heart of the World. Yet each scene is memorable (more so than in some of the other installments), and each story concludes in its own, satisfying way.
I'm not sure if this or The Heart of the World is my favorite of the series. Khaidu certainly continues to be my favorite character. ("You stupid Vasylli. I'm staying with you." might be my favorite quote, apart from the one above) This series concludes as one of my all-time favorites, and I anxiously await Kotar's next project, praying that he can deliver another work of art.
"Only in a world ruled by fate."
This is the crux of the novel. Can the mother of cities cleanse itself of the lie at its foundation? Can an exiled nomadic tribeswoman become a hero? Can the least of cities become a beacon of hope for the future? Can the manifestation of deception do any good for the world?
This is the conclusion to a fantastic series of stories that breaks all of the rules. Most evident in this installment, he does not simply write fantasy inspired by fairy tales, but also told in a fairy-tale style. Because of this, the pacing sometimes feels strange (a lot of "off-screen" fighting"), the dialogue feels very theatrical, the romances feel rushed, and the characters can occasionally feel more like archetypes than fully fleshed-out people. Yet all of this feels itentional, and serves to completely engage us in beautiful stories that will stick with us for a long time.
The novel follows five different characters (Voran, Sabiana, Adelaida, Khaidu, and Antomir) wtih stories that begin independently, and converge on a climax that is certainly larger in scale than anything else seen in the series. While the stories form a complex portrait of the different realms, each story is not terribly complicated individually. Because of this the book feels shorter than both The Song of the Sirin and The Heart of the World. Yet each scene is memorable (more so than in some of the other installments), and each story concludes in its own, satisfying way.
I'm not sure if this or The Heart of the World is my favorite of the series. Khaidu certainly continues to be my favorite character. ("You stupid Vasylli. I'm staying with you." might be my favorite quote, apart from the one above) This series concludes as one of my all-time favorites, and I anxiously await Kotar's next project, praying that he can deliver another work of art.
July 30, 2020
Thinking back to the earlier books in the series I have the suspicion that this entire story took the Kotar on an adventure that he didn't anticipate. Well, at least I didn't anticipate the adventure, but am very glad to have ridden along.
Kotar has weaved a medieval fantasy with allusions to Greek gods and Russian folk tales, at least those are the ones I caught, that attempts to answer questions of redemption, suffering, betrayal, mistaken identity and outright evil that we live out each day. The journey of dealing with this (and more) is long and painful and the author refuses to give the reader an easier road than he gives his characters. So, you are warned.
I love to read, but am not a writer, so I can really appreciate the challenge of writing a good, long story. Kotar develops (at least) a dozen characters and not all of them are human or fully human. That development seemed a little slow initially, but then the story really takes off, and you realize how important the character development was.
You're not going to get a fairy tale type ending, but an ending that feels real and just. The journey to the ending made me feel that the effort was worth it. Kotar had put me through some challenges in order to prepare me for the ending and I'm glad he did.
Kotar has weaved a medieval fantasy with allusions to Greek gods and Russian folk tales, at least those are the ones I caught, that attempts to answer questions of redemption, suffering, betrayal, mistaken identity and outright evil that we live out each day. The journey of dealing with this (and more) is long and painful and the author refuses to give the reader an easier road than he gives his characters. So, you are warned.
I love to read, but am not a writer, so I can really appreciate the challenge of writing a good, long story. Kotar develops (at least) a dozen characters and not all of them are human or fully human. That development seemed a little slow initially, but then the story really takes off, and you realize how important the character development was.
You're not going to get a fairy tale type ending, but an ending that feels real and just. The journey to the ending made me feel that the effort was worth it. Kotar had put me through some challenges in order to prepare me for the ending and I'm glad he did.
August 3, 2020
I will preface my review by stating that I have not read the previous 4 books in this series. really enjoyed this story. There were quite a few characters to keep track of so at first I was a little lost and reading the other books may have made it easier to keep track of what was going on. However this was a great read for anyone who enjoys a fantasy read.
The doorways between the worlds are opening and the evil of the underworld may seep into the over world. Can all the fates and prophecies line up and save the world from crumbling or will the Throne be possessed by the Evil Queen of the dead?
my favorite quote “The evil ones never do account for the miraculous power of love.”
Nicholas Kotar. The Throne of the Gods (Kindle Locations 4525-4526). Kindle Edition.
Thank you for the opportunity to read this book. It was a lovely story.
The doorways between the worlds are opening and the evil of the underworld may seep into the over world. Can all the fates and prophecies line up and save the world from crumbling or will the Throne be possessed by the Evil Queen of the dead?
my favorite quote “The evil ones never do account for the miraculous power of love.”
Nicholas Kotar. The Throne of the Gods (Kindle Locations 4525-4526). Kindle Edition.
Thank you for the opportunity to read this book. It was a lovely story.
May 8, 2021
Though in the previous novels, I loved discovering the distinctive characteristics of the cities and peoples involved in the story, each with their own specific Russian flavour, this time I was impressed by the switch from the mere political affairs, to the epic spiritual battle, with profound imagery of the spiritual forces being intertwined with the material ones. The author doesn't shy away from depicting his most favourite characters fail in miserable ways, but also be redeemed in a way that doesn't feel forced. A perfect ending for a series that has risen in me the hope that meaningful fantasy stories can still be written.
July 12, 2020
A wonderful conclusion to a wonderful series.
The series is a masterful rendering of Russian stories and folklore for English readers. This book is the culmination.
The characters caught me up in the way Tolkein's did. This is a classic tale of good vs evil and people having to take personal responsibility for their own faults.
As with The Brothers Karamazof and War and Peace, you have to read carefully and thoughtfully, but in the end the journey is well worth the time invested.
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
The series is a masterful rendering of Russian stories and folklore for English readers. This book is the culmination.
The characters caught me up in the way Tolkein's did. This is a classic tale of good vs evil and people having to take personal responsibility for their own faults.
As with The Brothers Karamazof and War and Peace, you have to read carefully and thoughtfully, but in the end the journey is well worth the time invested.
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
August 14, 2020
A fitting conclusion to the series.
I think overall this series is like C.S. Lewis' The Last Battle, but for grown-ups.
I found Rogned's story a little hard to grasp and because of that, Voran's journey was a little confusing. I'm totally willing to blame it on my insomnia reading, though.
It hit a little too close to home when people were stuck inside their homes because of a plague and yet there was violence on the street. (That was just a tiny, tiny part of the story)
I want to know what happened to Llun.
I think overall this series is like C.S. Lewis' The Last Battle, but for grown-ups.
I found Rogned's story a little hard to grasp and because of that, Voran's journey was a little confusing. I'm totally willing to blame it on my insomnia reading, though.
It hit a little too close to home when people were stuck inside their homes because of a plague and yet there was violence on the street. (That was just a tiny, tiny part of the story)
I want to know what happened to Llun.
October 17, 2024
This was a fitting conclusion to the series. Character arcs completed, conflicts resolved and set right, and relationships restored. Loved the opening and ending to this book. The only minor complaint I have for this book and the series as a whole is, with the fairly large amount of characters, I would have preferred a slower pace. Just my personal taste. That being said, the absence of unnecessary fluff is also appreciated. I suppose it's a fine line to walk for a writer. Well done Kotar.
July 10, 2020
What a conclusion!
This series has been a wonderful reading adventure. There is great depth, symbolism and meaning in this last book of the series. It has been a pleasure reading this well written book.
I received as an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
This series has been a wonderful reading adventure. There is great depth, symbolism and meaning in this last book of the series. It has been a pleasure reading this well written book.
I received as an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
August 23, 2020
Captivating! I am thoroughly impressed by the purposeful use of symbolism throughout the book. There is a sense of depth and richness that needs more than one reading to take in properly. I look forward to reading again after I go back and reread the earlier books in the series!
January 2, 2021
A great conclusion to a great series. Last year I lamented that I may not be interested in fantasy, but it seems that the remedy is fantasy based *not* on Europe.
I know this review doesn't say much about the book, but if you've come this far in the series then you will be very pleased.
I know this review doesn't say much about the book, but if you've come this far in the series then you will be very pleased.
July 20, 2020
Review to come
February 21, 2021
A stunningly epic and inside-and-out surprising climax to the series.
March 23, 2022
This book tied up the rest of the series quite nicely, and was enjoyable to read.
July 22, 2022
Beautiful story. It is definitely one that I could read again.
October 8, 2023
Absolutely fantastic book. Wonderful conclusion to the series.
January 1, 2024
This was an amazing ending to the Raven Son books! Nicholas Kotar, if you ever read this, you have officially made it to my list of favourite authors!!
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