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Bel's War #1
Descent of Ravens
The old covenant of the gods is broken. Will the world break, too?
When an army of vampires invades their home, Rio and Turi must fight for their future while the fate of an empire hangs in the balance.
The exiled son of an emperor, bitten and infected with the night-curse, seals himself into a tomb for eternity only to be awakened eight hundred years later by an awkward and anxious priest who needs his help saving their people. The healer Rio, a priest of Astara, is lost in grief and rage when war comes to Trosika. Yet he is drawn to the enigmatic vampire prince, pulled by a love that stretches across lifetimes. Can Philip help him save his religion from extinction?
A blind old woman gives Turi bones containing three spirit familiars. As the world around him falls apart, he must learn to accept himself and master his newfound necromancy in time to save his friends, his people, and his island.
How can Rio and Turi survive, when not even their patron goddess could stop the forces arrayed against them?
Descent of Ravens is an exciting new fantasy with LGBTQ+ characters and relationships, rich world-building, and dark adventure!
When an army of vampires invades their home, Rio and Turi must fight for their future while the fate of an empire hangs in the balance.
The exiled son of an emperor, bitten and infected with the night-curse, seals himself into a tomb for eternity only to be awakened eight hundred years later by an awkward and anxious priest who needs his help saving their people. The healer Rio, a priest of Astara, is lost in grief and rage when war comes to Trosika. Yet he is drawn to the enigmatic vampire prince, pulled by a love that stretches across lifetimes. Can Philip help him save his religion from extinction?
A blind old woman gives Turi bones containing three spirit familiars. As the world around him falls apart, he must learn to accept himself and master his newfound necromancy in time to save his friends, his people, and his island.
How can Rio and Turi survive, when not even their patron goddess could stop the forces arrayed against them?
Descent of Ravens is an exciting new fantasy with LGBTQ+ characters and relationships, rich world-building, and dark adventure!
354 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 30, 2021
62 people are currently reading
370 people want to read
About the author
A.C. Andrews
2 books32 followersAC Andrews lives in the upper-Midwest along the shores of Lake Michigan. He enjoys aquascaping, gardening, and reading M/M romances, epic fantasy, and urban fantasy. He brings an academic background in folklore and a love of the supernatural to his writing, working to transform the fantasies in his head into good (he hopes?) stories. His goal is to write engaging and inspiring fantasy with LGBTQ+ protagonists.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
October 9, 2022
I really enjoyed this book!
Sometimes with sprawling works of high fantasy, the politics and battles and magic systems can overwhelm the human aspect of the story. That's definitely not the case here. While there is a lot of action and a lot of worldbuilding in this novel, the characters are front and center, and they feel like real people. Not only do they seem like a lot of fun to hang out with--Turi and Rio have the best relationship!--it's really exciting to watch them grow. Neither Rio, Turi, nor Mercy set out to be heroes, and in fact, each of them has some very human flaws that they have to work around or overcome. Nevertheless, each becomes a pretty serious badass as the story progresses, and I felt real joy as they came into themselves.
I was impressed by the queer rep in this book. Not only is it plentiful, but it's also handled beautifully. Especially with things in the real world feeling as heavy as they do right now, the way Andrews handles the idea of Kenji and their place in society (at least in some of the world's societies) really struck me. If you know any fantasy nerds who might be struggling with their own identity, or with finding acceptance, this might be a terrific read for them--it affirms a broad spectrum of genders and sexualities without ever sugarcoating how difficult it can be to grow up different.
I read this book in audio format, and I absolutely love Isaac Grisham. His narration is clean, clear, warm, and engaging, and he does a fantastic job of breathing life into the different characters. Really well done!
I'm looking forward to continuing the series!
Sometimes with sprawling works of high fantasy, the politics and battles and magic systems can overwhelm the human aspect of the story. That's definitely not the case here. While there is a lot of action and a lot of worldbuilding in this novel, the characters are front and center, and they feel like real people. Not only do they seem like a lot of fun to hang out with--Turi and Rio have the best relationship!--it's really exciting to watch them grow. Neither Rio, Turi, nor Mercy set out to be heroes, and in fact, each of them has some very human flaws that they have to work around or overcome. Nevertheless, each becomes a pretty serious badass as the story progresses, and I felt real joy as they came into themselves.
I was impressed by the queer rep in this book. Not only is it plentiful, but it's also handled beautifully. Especially with things in the real world feeling as heavy as they do right now, the way Andrews handles the idea of Kenji and their place in society (at least in some of the world's societies) really struck me. If you know any fantasy nerds who might be struggling with their own identity, or with finding acceptance, this might be a terrific read for them--it affirms a broad spectrum of genders and sexualities without ever sugarcoating how difficult it can be to grow up different.
I read this book in audio format, and I absolutely love Isaac Grisham. His narration is clean, clear, warm, and engaging, and he does a fantastic job of breathing life into the different characters. Really well done!
I'm looking forward to continuing the series!
August 30, 2021
3 1/2 stars
This is a very good debut novel that is well written. There is a very unique and intricate plot that can hold the readers attention. The characters are very interesting with many layers to them.
I have loved this exact type of book for so long but I did find that there was so much information from the beginning that it was hard to keep up at times. This is the kind of story that I may need to re-read before the next book comes out. I feel like the world the author created is very unique but I just couldn’t always keep up with the details. This has nothing to do with the writing, this author is one to keep your eye on. It was more of a case of me having so many things in my head that I couldn’t fully immerse myself in such a complex world. If you love a story with magic, vampires and lots of background information that drives the story forward this will be a story you will love.
*ARC provided in exchange for review
*All thoughts and opinions are my own
This is a very good debut novel that is well written. There is a very unique and intricate plot that can hold the readers attention. The characters are very interesting with many layers to them.
I have loved this exact type of book for so long but I did find that there was so much information from the beginning that it was hard to keep up at times. This is the kind of story that I may need to re-read before the next book comes out. I feel like the world the author created is very unique but I just couldn’t always keep up with the details. This has nothing to do with the writing, this author is one to keep your eye on. It was more of a case of me having so many things in my head that I couldn’t fully immerse myself in such a complex world. If you love a story with magic, vampires and lots of background information that drives the story forward this will be a story you will love.
*ARC provided in exchange for review
*All thoughts and opinions are my own
May 15, 2023
It's a Cozy fantasy...I think! In it displays more of the day by day operations of a day in a fantasy world. Not that bloody! The scenes of comfort isn't much not graphic or erotica. Just comforting and sweet! Great read for a YA.
July 24, 2022
3.5
For someone who claims to have issues with gods in Fantasy stories I have to admit to read a lot of those recently or maybe you just can't get past them these days. So I might be worn down but Descent of Ravens kept my usual discontent about gods in check. In fact here they make sense and appear in person only in prolog and epilogue while all the other times they need to act through their people. So they're still mystery enough to not be confused with some powerful spirits.
Each country of the empire (why are there always empires in Fantasy?) has one of the original 6 as a patron god, so for the human population the divine involvement in the upcoming civil war after the assassination of the current emperor is constricted to their clergy taking sides.
The nice fact about Descent of Ravens is that although the conflict escalates throughout the empire its focus is on the events taking place on a small, unimportant island at the edge of said empire. We only get snippets of other events from short pieces from journals, correspondences or encyclopedic entries at the beginning of each chapter. That's enough to get an idea about the overall picture without getting overwhelmed by detailed world building and by chance (that is if divine machination is ever working by chance) nearly all the main player are on that island after the usurping party is sending an invasion fleet. Of course it's only a smaller one. Who would need much force for that insignificant island ruled by a merchant council instead of a king and with the pacifist goddess of light as their patron. So at first everything goes as planned and even after the original assumptions got shattered because the religion isn't only about healing and the island isn't really without a king, the invasion is brutally effective by spreading a vampiric plague controlled by the enemy mages.
So that's the Fantasy plot so far but what about a little romance, about friendship and family issues? There is that (the romance needs a longer time to come into play) it's oddly distant like if the author is only a visitor and showing what he is seeing but then going into the scene. Like suddenly we are told that Rio and Turi are best friends while up to that point it seemed like they were just roommates and Rio some kind of tutor for Turi or like we get the information from pre-chapter journal entries about Rio's brother who's supposed to be dead which seemed to be a traumatic family event and then they meet again under bad circumstances and immediately have to part again but Rio's only momentarily sad without any lingering effects. It's like the author shies away from trauma (but not from traumatic events), has a resentment about pathos (who would have believed that I would miss that) and leaves believing deep emotions to his readers. That's also why Rio's romance isn't working for me: I don't feel it and I only see it because A.C. Andrews is persistent that it is a romance, a romance over space and time and reincarnation. The few sex scenes (was there more than one?) didn't make it better.
Though what was lovely was to have nearly the complete LGBTQ+ spectrum included with an implicitness I rarely see in Fantasy "romances".
For someone who claims to have issues with gods in Fantasy stories I have to admit to read a lot of those recently or maybe you just can't get past them these days. So I might be worn down but Descent of Ravens kept my usual discontent about gods in check. In fact here they make sense and appear in person only in prolog and epilogue while all the other times they need to act through their people. So they're still mystery enough to not be confused with some powerful spirits.
Each country of the empire (why are there always empires in Fantasy?) has one of the original 6 as a patron god, so for the human population the divine involvement in the upcoming civil war after the assassination of the current emperor is constricted to their clergy taking sides.
The nice fact about Descent of Ravens is that although the conflict escalates throughout the empire its focus is on the events taking place on a small, unimportant island at the edge of said empire. We only get snippets of other events from short pieces from journals, correspondences or encyclopedic entries at the beginning of each chapter. That's enough to get an idea about the overall picture without getting overwhelmed by detailed world building and by chance (that is if divine machination is ever working by chance) nearly all the main player are on that island after the usurping party is sending an invasion fleet. Of course it's only a smaller one. Who would need much force for that insignificant island ruled by a merchant council instead of a king and with the pacifist goddess of light as their patron. So at first everything goes as planned and even after the original assumptions got shattered because the religion isn't only about healing and the island isn't really without a king, the invasion is brutally effective by spreading a vampiric plague controlled by the enemy mages.
So that's the Fantasy plot so far but what about a little romance, about friendship and family issues? There is that (the romance needs a longer time to come into play) it's oddly distant like if the author is only a visitor and showing what he is seeing but then going into the scene. Like suddenly we are told that Rio and Turi are best friends while up to that point it seemed like they were just roommates and Rio some kind of tutor for Turi or like we get the information from pre-chapter journal entries about Rio's brother who's supposed to be dead which seemed to be a traumatic family event and then they meet again under bad circumstances and immediately have to part again but Rio's only momentarily sad without any lingering effects. It's like the author shies away from trauma (but not from traumatic events), has a resentment about pathos (who would have believed that I would miss that) and leaves believing deep emotions to his readers. That's also why Rio's romance isn't working for me: I don't feel it and I only see it because A.C. Andrews is persistent that it is a romance, a romance over space and time and reincarnation. The few sex scenes (was there more than one?) didn't make it better.
Though what was lovely was to have nearly the complete LGBTQ+ spectrum included with an implicitness I rarely see in Fantasy "romances".
August 31, 2021
This is a debut novel, but you couldn't tell as it was very well written. But it did take me a minute to get stuff straight & I got a little confused. The world building was great with magic, vampires, gods/goddesses, war, executions, reincarnations, etc. A lot was going on. Rio & his best friend are novices of Astara & escape when their temple is attacked. Astara has plans for Rio. While on the run, they find the tomb of Philip who unbeknownst to them, was turned & buried around 800 years previously. They thought he was just killed by the vampires. There is a love story here that Philip had with Marco, who is long dead, but his soul isn't really gone. There is a lot that is going on in this one & I can't wait for the next book. The romance does take a backseat so be prepared for that. The book does end on a HFN & a slight cliffhanger.
I rec'd a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews and this is my honest opinion.
I rec'd a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews and this is my honest opinion.
August 21, 2024
I wasn't sure what to expect of this book, but I am leaving pretty impressed and going straight for the second one. This is a fantasy adventure, but undeniably a queer one. The very queer identity of the characters is woven into the magic system and world with ease. The war takes a big chunk of the plot in a very engaging way, and the romance sublots are woven in with ease with them. They are left sort of in blooming stages rather than a settled, which I like because it feels more sensible, given that this is just book 1.
I'm engaged
I'm engaged
January 27, 2025
January 2025
the second time around it was as good as the first time. I love the world building and the different characters
First Review
Oh this was so good. I loved the story, the characters, the relationships, even the God's.
Yes , some of it was a bit predictable and realistically the characters could have been a bit deeper but that did not in any way minder my enjoyment with this book.
Rio is a young priest, who has to face his fears but learns that he doesn't have to do everything alone.
Turi is another priest who finds his calling.... which was very interesting.
The supporting characters were great ... I especially loved Fran and the brothers .
Can't wait for the next book and I really hope that it will feature the same character cast
the second time around it was as good as the first time. I love the world building and the different characters
First Review
Oh this was so good. I loved the story, the characters, the relationships, even the God's.
Yes , some of it was a bit predictable and realistically the characters could have been a bit deeper but that did not in any way minder my enjoyment with this book.
Rio is a young priest, who has to face his fears but learns that he doesn't have to do everything alone.
Turi is another priest who finds his calling.... which was very interesting.
The supporting characters were great ... I especially loved Fran and the brothers .
Can't wait for the next book and I really hope that it will feature the same character cast
April 10, 2022
I'm surprised I'm rating this one at four stars.
First, the author did a very good job of building and explaining his fantasy world. There was a rich mythology and enough of a history that it made the world feel real, that it wasn't designed just to tell this one tale.
The story is well paced. It never bogs down and also doesn't feel like it is rocketing past important plot points.
The characters are okay. Rio and Turi are slightly fleshed out, but not exceptionally so. The rest of the characters are a bit shallow. Not terrible, but his characterization could use some help. The main romance in the book was unconvincing. It was useful for the story, but it showed.
My biggest downside was the lack of description. Though the world was laid out very well, descriptions of the buildings/land/characters/etc. were sorely lacking. This is a story set in an imaginary world. What do the cities/towns look like? I don't need blueprints of every building. But is the capital, Tyr, made up of stone buildings? Log cabins? Grass huts? Were the streets paved? I dunno.
You could say these details don't matter, but you would be wrong.
Remember how the Dragonlance Chronicles started in Solace, a village built up in the branches of the trees of a forest? Or Bilbo's home in the Shire, with its gentle hills and homes built into them, with round doors?
Of course you remember these places, because the authors provided you with enough details that your mind was able to picture these places. That made them memorable.
That's missing from Descent of Ravens. The overall world is neat. But I'm not certain what the island of Trosika is like. Is it a tropical island, like Gilligan's? I'm sure the author pictured all this in his head. He just needs to be able to share enough with a reader so we are on the same page.
The same goes for the characters. I have a vague idea of what the prince looks like, and the brothers. But what does the main character Rio look like? Is he tall? Short? Slim? Muscular? Hair down to his shoulders? Ass? Or does he have a crew cut? Are his eyes blue? Green? Purple? You guess is as good as mine. It's all just too sketchy.
I did enjoy seeing such a breadth of orientations and genders represented and tying them in to the mythology of their gods and goddesses.
My last grumble is that the characters seemed too modern in their speech. Not every fantasy novel needs to be written in fake 'ye olde tymey English.' And I don't mind a shout of 'fuck' here and there. But several times characters lapse into modern day slang that I think will age the book and also feels out of place by tying the use of language of this imaginary world too closely to modern day American English.
Sheesh! Over half of my review is griping. Like I said, I'm surprised I rated this one four stars. But in the end, for the problems I had with the book, it did tell an entertaining story. Three and a half stars would be more accurate, but I'm so happy to have gay characters leading the quest that I bumped up my rating. I will pick up the just published sequel.
If you are looking for a fantasy yarn that incorporates gay characters, you could do a lot worse. I do think the book is an enjoyable fantasy read even if you aren't seeking it out for it's inclusive characters. Give it a shot.
First, the author did a very good job of building and explaining his fantasy world. There was a rich mythology and enough of a history that it made the world feel real, that it wasn't designed just to tell this one tale.
The story is well paced. It never bogs down and also doesn't feel like it is rocketing past important plot points.
The characters are okay. Rio and Turi are slightly fleshed out, but not exceptionally so. The rest of the characters are a bit shallow. Not terrible, but his characterization could use some help. The main romance in the book was unconvincing. It was useful for the story, but it showed.
My biggest downside was the lack of description. Though the world was laid out very well, descriptions of the buildings/land/characters/etc. were sorely lacking. This is a story set in an imaginary world. What do the cities/towns look like? I don't need blueprints of every building. But is the capital, Tyr, made up of stone buildings? Log cabins? Grass huts? Were the streets paved? I dunno.
You could say these details don't matter, but you would be wrong.
Remember how the Dragonlance Chronicles started in Solace, a village built up in the branches of the trees of a forest? Or Bilbo's home in the Shire, with its gentle hills and homes built into them, with round doors?
Of course you remember these places, because the authors provided you with enough details that your mind was able to picture these places. That made them memorable.
That's missing from Descent of Ravens. The overall world is neat. But I'm not certain what the island of Trosika is like. Is it a tropical island, like Gilligan's? I'm sure the author pictured all this in his head. He just needs to be able to share enough with a reader so we are on the same page.
The same goes for the characters. I have a vague idea of what the prince looks like, and the brothers. But what does the main character Rio look like? Is he tall? Short? Slim? Muscular? Hair down to his shoulders? Ass? Or does he have a crew cut? Are his eyes blue? Green? Purple? You guess is as good as mine. It's all just too sketchy.
I did enjoy seeing such a breadth of orientations and genders represented and tying them in to the mythology of their gods and goddesses.
My last grumble is that the characters seemed too modern in their speech. Not every fantasy novel needs to be written in fake 'ye olde tymey English.' And I don't mind a shout of 'fuck' here and there. But several times characters lapse into modern day slang that I think will age the book and also feels out of place by tying the use of language of this imaginary world too closely to modern day American English.
Sheesh! Over half of my review is griping. Like I said, I'm surprised I rated this one four stars. But in the end, for the problems I had with the book, it did tell an entertaining story. Three and a half stars would be more accurate, but I'm so happy to have gay characters leading the quest that I bumped up my rating. I will pick up the just published sequel.
If you are looking for a fantasy yarn that incorporates gay characters, you could do a lot worse. I do think the book is an enjoyable fantasy read even if you aren't seeking it out for it's inclusive characters. Give it a shot.
September 14, 2022
Fascinating & Action-packed! Great Story & Listen🎧
Descent of Ravens
Bel's War, Book 1
By: A.C. Andrews
Narrated by: Isaac Grisham
This fast-paced, action-packed epic fantasy grabs your attention and holds it captive throughout the entire book. A.C. Andrews is a gifted author and the fascinating story he created is imaginative, with interesting storylines. The characters and world are equally imaginative and fascinating, too. I liked the author included and described the myths and lores of the gods and goddesses. Also liked that he included various kinds of non-cisgender people. The story takes place on the Island of Trosika and it is being invaded by vampires and evil Mage who are just as bloodthirsty as the vampires. I was rooting for the lead characters, Rio and Turi, right from the start and then the others who join in, including Philip, the cursed prince. There is never a dull moment in this book and a lot of info gets thrown your way, but the author is great with the descriptive details and clever plotting making it easy to follow along. A.C. Andrews, thank you for this epic and unforgettable story and the wild ride.
🎧📚🎧 And for the terrific narration, Isaac Grisham is a talented narrator and a versatile voice artist. He did a great job bringing the characters and their story to life. His portrayal of each character was spot on, giving each their own voice and personality, making it easy to follow along and tell who was who. He set the perfect tone for the story, captured all the character’s emotions and projected them into his performance. Grisham is an entertaining storyteller and a pleasure to listen to. Thank you for another great listen.
Descent of Ravens
Bel's War, Book 1
By: A.C. Andrews
Narrated by: Isaac Grisham
This fast-paced, action-packed epic fantasy grabs your attention and holds it captive throughout the entire book. A.C. Andrews is a gifted author and the fascinating story he created is imaginative, with interesting storylines. The characters and world are equally imaginative and fascinating, too. I liked the author included and described the myths and lores of the gods and goddesses. Also liked that he included various kinds of non-cisgender people. The story takes place on the Island of Trosika and it is being invaded by vampires and evil Mage who are just as bloodthirsty as the vampires. I was rooting for the lead characters, Rio and Turi, right from the start and then the others who join in, including Philip, the cursed prince. There is never a dull moment in this book and a lot of info gets thrown your way, but the author is great with the descriptive details and clever plotting making it easy to follow along. A.C. Andrews, thank you for this epic and unforgettable story and the wild ride.
🎧📚🎧 And for the terrific narration, Isaac Grisham is a talented narrator and a versatile voice artist. He did a great job bringing the characters and their story to life. His portrayal of each character was spot on, giving each their own voice and personality, making it easy to follow along and tell who was who. He set the perfect tone for the story, captured all the character’s emotions and projected them into his performance. Grisham is an entertaining storyteller and a pleasure to listen to. Thank you for another great listen.
September 27, 2021
A Joyfully Jay review.
4.5 stars
This book is not for the faint of heart. Not only is it long and detailed, but much fighting, abuse, and heartbreak is depicted on page. On top of that, this a true high fantasy novel, and to be honest, I would only truly recommend this book to those readers who are already fans of the genre or really want to give it a try. It is written in the classical fantasy narrative, the romance is only a small part of the overall tale (though it plays an important role), and it’s highly detailed. Queer people abound in this novel, which was lovely to see. Told in alternating third person POV, it’s mostly from Rio and Turi’s points of view, though we also get some chapters with Phillip and another character, Mercy, as the main view. The author does this to great effect, with each chapter from the point of view whose character is going to advance the story. Andrews also makes use of journal passages at the beginning of each chapter from other characters that give us more detail and information.
Read Kris’ review in its entirety here.
4.5 stars
This book is not for the faint of heart. Not only is it long and detailed, but much fighting, abuse, and heartbreak is depicted on page. On top of that, this a true high fantasy novel, and to be honest, I would only truly recommend this book to those readers who are already fans of the genre or really want to give it a try. It is written in the classical fantasy narrative, the romance is only a small part of the overall tale (though it plays an important role), and it’s highly detailed. Queer people abound in this novel, which was lovely to see. Told in alternating third person POV, it’s mostly from Rio and Turi’s points of view, though we also get some chapters with Phillip and another character, Mercy, as the main view. The author does this to great effect, with each chapter from the point of view whose character is going to advance the story. Andrews also makes use of journal passages at the beginning of each chapter from other characters that give us more detail and information.
Read Kris’ review in its entirety here.
September 4, 2021
If you are looking for a new paranormal/dark urban fantasy to dig your teeth into, this is the one. The world these characters inhabit is dangerous and complex, there are gods, priests, healers, vampires, royalty all spinning plots and counterplots to either destroy the world or save it. We see both past and present in this first volume and the detail is incredible. I was swallowed up in the world and intrigued by the characters and their relationships. Very much looking forward to the second book.
May 31, 2024
This author's future is bright, dazzling.
August 12, 2022
This was a great read and a fun adventure!
+ The worldbuilding is great here. It takes a second to start to connect all of the dots, but once you do, oh man, is it satisfying.
+ I love the contrast of our main 2 MC's and how they develop. Rio is initially presented as an older brother figure to Turi. Rio is more gifted with his goddess' power and has more experience, while Turi has trouble connecting with that same goddess, but for good reason. Turi ends up developing into his own pretty quickly, while Rio has some conflict with the new responsibilities thrust upon him.
+ Non-Binary and Trans characters are presented and integrated into the mythology and culture here in a beautiful way.
+ The magic here is pretty darn cool. It's all connected to a god or goddess, and the way it is all explained and executed is satisfying.
? The ending was fine, and obviously meant to segway into the next book in the series, but there were a couple questions I would have liked answered prior to finishing. Nothing that would keep me up at night though, so no biggie.
? For the smut lovers, you won't find what you're looking for here. The sexy scenes here are not explicit, or they curtain out entirely. The story was too interesting for it to affect my reading experience anyway.
All in all, I really enjoyed my time with this book, and look forward to reading the next one!
+ The worldbuilding is great here. It takes a second to start to connect all of the dots, but once you do, oh man, is it satisfying.
+ I love the contrast of our main 2 MC's and how they develop. Rio is initially presented as an older brother figure to Turi. Rio is more gifted with his goddess' power and has more experience, while Turi has trouble connecting with that same goddess, but for good reason. Turi ends up developing into his own pretty quickly, while Rio has some conflict with the new responsibilities thrust upon him.
+ Non-Binary and Trans characters are presented and integrated into the mythology and culture here in a beautiful way.
+ The magic here is pretty darn cool. It's all connected to a god or goddess, and the way it is all explained and executed is satisfying.
? The ending was fine, and obviously meant to segway into the next book in the series, but there were a couple questions I would have liked answered prior to finishing. Nothing that would keep me up at night though, so no biggie.
? For the smut lovers, you won't find what you're looking for here. The sexy scenes here are not explicit, or they curtain out entirely. The story was too interesting for it to affect my reading experience anyway.
All in all, I really enjoyed my time with this book, and look forward to reading the next one!
September 23, 2022
🎧 Audiobook Review
Story ♥️♥️♥️💕
Narration ♥️♥️♥️♥️
Overall ♥️♥️♥️💕
A. C. Andrew's is another new author for me and as a debut this fantasy fiction is quiet awesome. I really appreciate when an author tries to build-up a story by providing little snippets or excerpts before the actual chapter. It's thought provoking and a good introduction to a new scene or character. Of course, there are some trigger warnings, some graphic content, and cruel torture scenes🫣.
Even if the build-up is good and the world building is interesting, the story has gaps, such as initially as a reader/listener I felt a bit lost with all the place names, Godly power and the character conversations. This books storyline has some similarities with Haley Turner's brilliant fiction mm-fm-ff-romance The Prince's Poisoned Vow, but unlike Turner's book which has an amalgamation of God's, mages, magic and the living dead, this book brings us Healers, mages, vampires and God's (but the Gods exist in the powers possessed by their followers not in person). And unlike Turner's book which brought all the various characters, and the backdrop of the fictional kingdom together in a very tight script with a brilliant world building, this book is haphazardly divided in it's storyline.
This is a fantasy fiction about a kingdom island called Tyr, and there are mentions of other ruling kingdoms as well. Here the people worship a goddess of healing called Astra and in return she provides her faithful disciples and priests the power of light and healing. There is a citadel which is not just a place of worship but a place for healing (like a hospital). But, the gods have weird sense of showing power, atleast the strong gods behave like looking for an excuse to subdue the less powerful ones. There are certain queer elements portrayed, and acceptance of of queer relationships😊. I really liked the description of the ones described as "Kenji", who have been portrayed as binary/trans or non-binary individuals gifted with power or are revered as individuals blessed by the Goddess.
One of our MC's Turi is a Kenji and he is a disciple in training to be a healer. but, Turi never quiet connect with his power to Goddess of light, so he considers himself a failure in healing magic. He is getting trained by another MC Rio, who is a gifted healer with tremendous potential, but lacks confidence. Rio and Turi are roommates, but Turi never talks about his tragic past where he was abondened by his family because of who he is. Rio on the other hand also lost his brother tragically and one of the reasons why he was sent to serve the church.
It was while these two characters were trying to find their purpose on their own wayward ways, that tragedy strikes when their island is attacked by dark magic forces. Turi and Rio are also introduced to the powers they never expected to possess. While discovering their new powers, they are also trying to save themselves and their loved ones from an oppressive mage rulers, vampires and mercenaries who serve the God of war Bel. Will Turi and Rio be able to control their powers and defend themselves against these heinous oppressors is how the rest of the story unfolds. Although, romance is their between Rio and the cursed prince Philip, it's somewhat non existent, the characters lack chemistry and their relationship development occurred quiet later in the story.
Issac Grisham is a new narrator for me and what an introduction it's been. I always appreciate narration where variation is provided distinctly to all characters and Mr Grisham has done that. He hasn't given deep or dark voices to vicious characters, but the voice cadence provides that distinction. I'm looking forward to his other works♥️♥️♥️.
***I received a copy of this audiobook from Gay Romance Reviews, for an honest review.***
Story ♥️♥️♥️💕
Narration ♥️♥️♥️♥️
Overall ♥️♥️♥️💕
A. C. Andrew's is another new author for me and as a debut this fantasy fiction is quiet awesome. I really appreciate when an author tries to build-up a story by providing little snippets or excerpts before the actual chapter. It's thought provoking and a good introduction to a new scene or character. Of course, there are some trigger warnings, some graphic content, and cruel torture scenes🫣.
Even if the build-up is good and the world building is interesting, the story has gaps, such as initially as a reader/listener I felt a bit lost with all the place names, Godly power and the character conversations. This books storyline has some similarities with Haley Turner's brilliant fiction mm-fm-ff-romance The Prince's Poisoned Vow, but unlike Turner's book which has an amalgamation of God's, mages, magic and the living dead, this book brings us Healers, mages, vampires and God's (but the Gods exist in the powers possessed by their followers not in person). And unlike Turner's book which brought all the various characters, and the backdrop of the fictional kingdom together in a very tight script with a brilliant world building, this book is haphazardly divided in it's storyline.
This is a fantasy fiction about a kingdom island called Tyr, and there are mentions of other ruling kingdoms as well. Here the people worship a goddess of healing called Astra and in return she provides her faithful disciples and priests the power of light and healing. There is a citadel which is not just a place of worship but a place for healing (like a hospital). But, the gods have weird sense of showing power, atleast the strong gods behave like looking for an excuse to subdue the less powerful ones. There are certain queer elements portrayed, and acceptance of of queer relationships😊. I really liked the description of the ones described as "Kenji", who have been portrayed as binary/trans or non-binary individuals gifted with power or are revered as individuals blessed by the Goddess.
One of our MC's Turi is a Kenji and he is a disciple in training to be a healer. but, Turi never quiet connect with his power to Goddess of light, so he considers himself a failure in healing magic. He is getting trained by another MC Rio, who is a gifted healer with tremendous potential, but lacks confidence. Rio and Turi are roommates, but Turi never talks about his tragic past where he was abondened by his family because of who he is. Rio on the other hand also lost his brother tragically and one of the reasons why he was sent to serve the church.
It was while these two characters were trying to find their purpose on their own wayward ways, that tragedy strikes when their island is attacked by dark magic forces. Turi and Rio are also introduced to the powers they never expected to possess. While discovering their new powers, they are also trying to save themselves and their loved ones from an oppressive mage rulers, vampires and mercenaries who serve the God of war Bel. Will Turi and Rio be able to control their powers and defend themselves against these heinous oppressors is how the rest of the story unfolds. Although, romance is their between Rio and the cursed prince Philip, it's somewhat non existent, the characters lack chemistry and their relationship development occurred quiet later in the story.
Issac Grisham is a new narrator for me and what an introduction it's been. I always appreciate narration where variation is provided distinctly to all characters and Mr Grisham has done that. He hasn't given deep or dark voices to vicious characters, but the voice cadence provides that distinction. I'm looking forward to his other works♥️♥️♥️.
***I received a copy of this audiobook from Gay Romance Reviews, for an honest review.***
September 3, 2021
Review by Taylin
Night dreams and tales of vampires cause the medical priest, Rio, concern in his waking hours. Instead of damning one lifeform over another, Rio can see many viewpoints and offers a prayer. He didn’t expect any prayers to be answered. Nor did he dream of becoming a vessel for the goddess, Astara, Goddess of light and mercy – Holy Mother of the order he served, or the adventure she had in store for him.
I’m not honestly sure where to start except to say, wow, I loved it, and I’ll get there with the explanation – I hope.
Descent of Ravens is told in the third person present tense from multiple viewpoints. Technically, I suppose some may suggest fewer perspectives would be preferable, and they would probably be correct, but by the end, I didn’t care as I got lost in the story.
When I’m reviewing, I try to see things from several angles, and it is rare for me to find a story that contains an X-factor which gets under the skin to the point where I forget to make notes and am oblivious to anything but the story itself. Suffice as to say that this 128k novel, was read in two days. From the first chapter onward, I just couldn’t put it down and was fortunate to not be at work for a couple of days. So, I rooted myself in a comfy, quiet spot and got lost in the world created.
Some aspects, especially early on, can get confusing, e.g., the author has a penchant for things that begin with T. Turi as a person, Tyr is the city, Trosika is the island… oh, and Bel is the God of War. But this is a world built for more than one story, and Descent of Ravens is the opening gambit. Therefore, the imagery was intensely detailed, with snippets of interest appearing throughout the regular text, excerpts from journals, and historical writings.
The novel includes a world of vampires, mage’s, healers, priests, clans, and followers where war isn’t pretty. There are executions, loss of faith, combat, multiple faiths, death, ghosts… and more. It’s a veritable buffet of the paranormal, and I haven’t even started on the MCs yet. Suffice as to say that I’ve given the story five hearts – I loved them too.
While reading, I detected the occasional influence from various vampire genres and some well-known movies. Everything was pieced together in an intricate work that – given my love of simple storylines – I should have had migraines but, instead, was captivated.
I didn’t expect to like this so much – what a nice surprise.
Night dreams and tales of vampires cause the medical priest, Rio, concern in his waking hours. Instead of damning one lifeform over another, Rio can see many viewpoints and offers a prayer. He didn’t expect any prayers to be answered. Nor did he dream of becoming a vessel for the goddess, Astara, Goddess of light and mercy – Holy Mother of the order he served, or the adventure she had in store for him.
I’m not honestly sure where to start except to say, wow, I loved it, and I’ll get there with the explanation – I hope.
Descent of Ravens is told in the third person present tense from multiple viewpoints. Technically, I suppose some may suggest fewer perspectives would be preferable, and they would probably be correct, but by the end, I didn’t care as I got lost in the story.
When I’m reviewing, I try to see things from several angles, and it is rare for me to find a story that contains an X-factor which gets under the skin to the point where I forget to make notes and am oblivious to anything but the story itself. Suffice as to say that this 128k novel, was read in two days. From the first chapter onward, I just couldn’t put it down and was fortunate to not be at work for a couple of days. So, I rooted myself in a comfy, quiet spot and got lost in the world created.
Some aspects, especially early on, can get confusing, e.g., the author has a penchant for things that begin with T. Turi as a person, Tyr is the city, Trosika is the island… oh, and Bel is the God of War. But this is a world built for more than one story, and Descent of Ravens is the opening gambit. Therefore, the imagery was intensely detailed, with snippets of interest appearing throughout the regular text, excerpts from journals, and historical writings.
The novel includes a world of vampires, mage’s, healers, priests, clans, and followers where war isn’t pretty. There are executions, loss of faith, combat, multiple faiths, death, ghosts… and more. It’s a veritable buffet of the paranormal, and I haven’t even started on the MCs yet. Suffice as to say that I’ve given the story five hearts – I loved them too.
While reading, I detected the occasional influence from various vampire genres and some well-known movies. Everything was pieced together in an intricate work that – given my love of simple storylines – I should have had migraines but, instead, was captivated.
I didn’t expect to like this so much – what a nice surprise.
August 31, 2021
Read on behalf of Love Bytes.
Night dreams and tales of vampires cause the medical priest, Rio, concern in his waking hours. Instead of damning one lifeform over another, Rio can see many viewpoints and offers a prayer. He didn’t expect any prayers to be answered. Nor did he dream of becoming a vessel for the goddess, Astara, Goddess of light and mercy - Holy Mother of the order he served, or the adventure she had in store for him.
I'm not honestly sure where to start except to say, wow, I loved it, and I’ll get there with the explanation – I hope.
Descent of Ravens is told in the third person present tense from multiple viewpoints. Technically, I suppose some may suggest fewer perspectives would be preferable, and they would probably be correct, but by the end, I didn’t care as I got lost in the story.
When I’m reviewing, I try to see things from several angles, and it is rare for me to find a story that contains an X-factor which gets under the skin to the point where I forget to make notes and am oblivious to anything but the story itself. Suffice as to say that this 128k novel, was read in two days. From the first chapter onward, I just couldn’t put it down and was fortunate to not be at work for a couple of days. So, I rooted myself in a comfy, quiet spot and got lost in the world created.
Some aspects, especially early on, can get confusing, e.g., the author has a penchant for things that begin with T. Turi as a person, Tyr is the city, Trosika is the island… oh, and Bel is the God of War. But this is a world built for more than one story, and Descent of Ravens is the opening gambit. Therefore, the imagery was intensely detailed, with snippets of interest appearing throughout the regular text, excerpts from journals and historical writings.
The novel includes a world of vampires, mage’s, healers, priests, clans, and followers where war isn’t pretty. There are executions, loss of faith, combat, multiple faiths, death, ghosts… and more. It’s a veritable buffet of the paranormal, and I haven’t even started on the MCs yet. Suffice as to say that I’ve given the story five hearts – I loved them too.
While reading, I detected the occasional influence from various vampire genres and some well-known movies. Everything was pieced together in an intricate work that - given my love of simple storylines - I should have had migraines but, instead, was captivated.
I didn’t expect to like this so much – what a nice surprise.
This book was provided free in exchange for a fair and honest review for
Love Bytes.
Night dreams and tales of vampires cause the medical priest, Rio, concern in his waking hours. Instead of damning one lifeform over another, Rio can see many viewpoints and offers a prayer. He didn’t expect any prayers to be answered. Nor did he dream of becoming a vessel for the goddess, Astara, Goddess of light and mercy - Holy Mother of the order he served, or the adventure she had in store for him.
I'm not honestly sure where to start except to say, wow, I loved it, and I’ll get there with the explanation – I hope.
Descent of Ravens is told in the third person present tense from multiple viewpoints. Technically, I suppose some may suggest fewer perspectives would be preferable, and they would probably be correct, but by the end, I didn’t care as I got lost in the story.
When I’m reviewing, I try to see things from several angles, and it is rare for me to find a story that contains an X-factor which gets under the skin to the point where I forget to make notes and am oblivious to anything but the story itself. Suffice as to say that this 128k novel, was read in two days. From the first chapter onward, I just couldn’t put it down and was fortunate to not be at work for a couple of days. So, I rooted myself in a comfy, quiet spot and got lost in the world created.
Some aspects, especially early on, can get confusing, e.g., the author has a penchant for things that begin with T. Turi as a person, Tyr is the city, Trosika is the island… oh, and Bel is the God of War. But this is a world built for more than one story, and Descent of Ravens is the opening gambit. Therefore, the imagery was intensely detailed, with snippets of interest appearing throughout the regular text, excerpts from journals and historical writings.
The novel includes a world of vampires, mage’s, healers, priests, clans, and followers where war isn’t pretty. There are executions, loss of faith, combat, multiple faiths, death, ghosts… and more. It’s a veritable buffet of the paranormal, and I haven’t even started on the MCs yet. Suffice as to say that I’ve given the story five hearts – I loved them too.
While reading, I detected the occasional influence from various vampire genres and some well-known movies. Everything was pieced together in an intricate work that - given my love of simple storylines - I should have had migraines but, instead, was captivated.
I didn’t expect to like this so much – what a nice surprise.
This book was provided free in exchange for a fair and honest review for
Love Bytes.
September 13, 2021
This is the holy grail of fantasy for the m/m /lgbtq sub genre.
This is the type of book that got me into reading in the first place.
The author does a lot of things right
1. The world building is really good. I had a deep sense of the world I was reading and the environments around me.
2. Character development was good. We follow a few people throughout the whole book and I came to love them by the end. Even the side characters.
3. The combat and magic was really cool, and quite epic. Each battle/fight scene was exhilarating.
4. The lore about the gods/goddesses and their followers was very interesting. Each chapter we learn a little more.
5. There was a little romance in the book. It wasn’t all about the romance but it was just perfect for this story. Not too much but not too little either.
6 it does all of the things above and much more without info dumping or overwhelming/confusing you. I never felt like putting the book down because I felt like I had to slog through a bunch of back story or world building/lore. It all comes together smoothly.
What are some of the things this book could have done better?
Honestly, I was incredibly happy with the story. At this moment I can’t think of anything I was unhappy with. I think I found 2 spelling errors in the entire book so the editing was really good. I think maybe some people could say that they wished the sex scenes were more explicit. But I honestly don’t think the sex scenes were crucial to this story. We got the needed intimacy through other things like conversations.
All in all, this one is in my top 5 books for the year, and I can’t recommend it more for anyone who is interested in high fantasy type books in the m/m /lgbtq genre.
This book deserves a lot of attention, and even more importantly, you deserve the pleasure of reading it, so go give it a try!
This is the type of book that got me into reading in the first place.
The author does a lot of things right
1. The world building is really good. I had a deep sense of the world I was reading and the environments around me.
2. Character development was good. We follow a few people throughout the whole book and I came to love them by the end. Even the side characters.
3. The combat and magic was really cool, and quite epic. Each battle/fight scene was exhilarating.
4. The lore about the gods/goddesses and their followers was very interesting. Each chapter we learn a little more.
5. There was a little romance in the book. It wasn’t all about the romance but it was just perfect for this story. Not too much but not too little either.
6 it does all of the things above and much more without info dumping or overwhelming/confusing you. I never felt like putting the book down because I felt like I had to slog through a bunch of back story or world building/lore. It all comes together smoothly.
What are some of the things this book could have done better?
Honestly, I was incredibly happy with the story. At this moment I can’t think of anything I was unhappy with. I think I found 2 spelling errors in the entire book so the editing was really good. I think maybe some people could say that they wished the sex scenes were more explicit. But I honestly don’t think the sex scenes were crucial to this story. We got the needed intimacy through other things like conversations.
All in all, this one is in my top 5 books for the year, and I can’t recommend it more for anyone who is interested in high fantasy type books in the m/m /lgbtq genre.
This book deserves a lot of attention, and even more importantly, you deserve the pleasure of reading it, so go give it a try!
September 3, 2021
I must confess at the outset that I am not a fantasy reader. I have not read much beyond Lord of the Rings and the first tome of Game of Thrones. So MM fantasy is not usually a go-to for me--I prefer contemporary or historical non-paranormal MM romance. There was something about this one though (the cover helped!)--the LOR parallels perhaps with the other-worldly Frodo and the down to earth Sam mirrored here in Rio and Turi and the putting together of a band of heroes. I am also not one for tons of violence (why I stopped GoT after one book)--and I do not think I have read a novel where (literally) so much blood is spilt. There is blood EVERYWHERE here--in part because half the characters are vampires I suppose (another creature where for me a little goes a very long way). And there are hundreds of vamps here and LOTS of blood-related violence.
It was interesting reading the acknowledgements and learning that the author is a man married to a woman--a rarity in the MM romance world. He gets the romance right--though oddly here, as with many women MM writers, one MC, Rio, occasionally slips into becoming the "woman" who is swept off his feet literally several times and carried (often to bed) by, Philip, the "male" MC. Rio needs to be protected by the larger stronger more masculine MC.
Still these are characters with some depth (for MM romance fantasy) and he does right by the transgender/nonbinary characters. He keeps the action moving, balances a large cast of characters, creates strong bonds of friendship and love and (for a non-fantasy reader) seems to have taken care to "build his world" in sufficient detail. Unlike with GoT, I will probably check out the next volume due next year.
It was interesting reading the acknowledgements and learning that the author is a man married to a woman--a rarity in the MM romance world. He gets the romance right--though oddly here, as with many women MM writers, one MC, Rio, occasionally slips into becoming the "woman" who is swept off his feet literally several times and carried (often to bed) by, Philip, the "male" MC. Rio needs to be protected by the larger stronger more masculine MC.
Still these are characters with some depth (for MM romance fantasy) and he does right by the transgender/nonbinary characters. He keeps the action moving, balances a large cast of characters, creates strong bonds of friendship and love and (for a non-fantasy reader) seems to have taken care to "build his world" in sufficient detail. Unlike with GoT, I will probably check out the next volume due next year.
July 5, 2022
A great fantasy book with fantastic representation. I really enjoyed this book.
Descent of Ravens is set on a tropical island following two temple novices Rio and Turi as the empire descends into civil war between the vampire blood mages and everyone else. Rio is a promising novice to the goddess of light and healing with a strange connection to vampire prince while Turi is a rascally novice to the goddess of death. The whole setting/premise is super fun; a tropical island, vampires, a crass goddess of death, and magical innovation. Rio and Turi have a great dynamic and I thought their coming of age during a civil war was handled well. Rio’s romance was perhaps a little fast, but it acknowledges that and I still enjoyed it. I really appreciated the queer representation that went beyond a single gay character, both main characters and background characters have varied sexualities and gender expressions. The pacing was good, keeping the story moving while giving enough time for pivotal scenes. One gripe, the chapter Epigraphs jumped around alot and I think it would have been better to have complete arcs. I am super excited to read the second book as bigger stakes beyond just the island are hinted at.
Recommended if you want a fun, engaging fantasy book! The romance is enjoyable, but if you primarily read romance/romantic fantasy, be aware it is a subplot.
Descent of Ravens is set on a tropical island following two temple novices Rio and Turi as the empire descends into civil war between the vampire blood mages and everyone else. Rio is a promising novice to the goddess of light and healing with a strange connection to vampire prince while Turi is a rascally novice to the goddess of death. The whole setting/premise is super fun; a tropical island, vampires, a crass goddess of death, and magical innovation. Rio and Turi have a great dynamic and I thought their coming of age during a civil war was handled well. Rio’s romance was perhaps a little fast, but it acknowledges that and I still enjoyed it. I really appreciated the queer representation that went beyond a single gay character, both main characters and background characters have varied sexualities and gender expressions. The pacing was good, keeping the story moving while giving enough time for pivotal scenes. One gripe, the chapter Epigraphs jumped around alot and I think it would have been better to have complete arcs. I am super excited to read the second book as bigger stakes beyond just the island are hinted at.
Recommended if you want a fun, engaging fantasy book! The romance is enjoyable, but if you primarily read romance/romantic fantasy, be aware it is a subplot.
July 3, 2022
4.5 ⭐️
The Descent of Ravens" is the first book in the "Bels War" series by A.C Andrews and it follows a group of people as they try to survive an invasion from the Clan Ishima and their army of Mages and Vampires.
We mainly follow Rio, Turi and Prince Phillip and a whole cast of other great characters as they try and not only survive but save the island that they love and their way of life from being wiped out and possibly the whole kingdom.
The world building was excellent it at no point felt like an info dump, the characters had a real depth to them and you quickly end up wanting to fight for them (esp Turi) - the pacing of the book excellent it never felt at anytime that I just wanted the story to move on - if you are here for romance it is def a slow burn (which I love) but when it finally happens it is honestly the cutest ever ( my eyes genuinely watered)
A.C Andrews has provided a very solid start to this series and with the second book "Will of Dragons" already out I cannot wait to sink my teeth into that soon (no pun intended 🤣) and to top it off it is rich with LGBT+ characters 🏳️🌈
This is a very very good debut novel and I highly recommend picking up this book, not to mention it is independently published and deserves all the praise.
The Descent of Ravens" is the first book in the "Bels War" series by A.C Andrews and it follows a group of people as they try to survive an invasion from the Clan Ishima and their army of Mages and Vampires.
We mainly follow Rio, Turi and Prince Phillip and a whole cast of other great characters as they try and not only survive but save the island that they love and their way of life from being wiped out and possibly the whole kingdom.
The world building was excellent it at no point felt like an info dump, the characters had a real depth to them and you quickly end up wanting to fight for them (esp Turi) - the pacing of the book excellent it never felt at anytime that I just wanted the story to move on - if you are here for romance it is def a slow burn (which I love) but when it finally happens it is honestly the cutest ever ( my eyes genuinely watered)
A.C Andrews has provided a very solid start to this series and with the second book "Will of Dragons" already out I cannot wait to sink my teeth into that soon (no pun intended 🤣) and to top it off it is rich with LGBT+ characters 🏳️🌈
This is a very very good debut novel and I highly recommend picking up this book, not to mention it is independently published and deserves all the praise.
September 20, 2022
New to me, author and narrator.
With this in mind and receiving a copy from GRR to review, honestly, I wasn't sure what to expect.
I struggled to get into the book, but I still worked with it once I did. It is a shame; it was well written but too long for me. I think, in reality, that this should have been a two-book story.
The world-building was good, and the imagination is excellent to have written this. The characters were well developed, and the story, as I said, was well written.
So with that, all I can think is that the narration wasn't for me, although the different voices were good and clear. I struggled to finish the book but couldn't pinpoint why.
New to me narrator by Isaac Grisham. Clean and concise, although very slow, I speed this narration up to 1.25 on Audible, which is usual for me.
Descent of Ravens
Bel's War, Book 1
By: A.C. Andrews
Narrated by: Isaac Grisham
Series: Bel's War Series, Book 1
Length: 13 hrs
❤❤❤❤ Overall
🎧🎧🎧🎧 Narration
📚📚📚📚 Story
Read at 1.25 speed on Audible
I received this audiobook for free from GRR at my request. My review is my opinion and an honest review - neither the author nor GRR influenced my opinion.
With this in mind and receiving a copy from GRR to review, honestly, I wasn't sure what to expect.
I struggled to get into the book, but I still worked with it once I did. It is a shame; it was well written but too long for me. I think, in reality, that this should have been a two-book story.
The world-building was good, and the imagination is excellent to have written this. The characters were well developed, and the story, as I said, was well written.
So with that, all I can think is that the narration wasn't for me, although the different voices were good and clear. I struggled to finish the book but couldn't pinpoint why.
New to me narrator by Isaac Grisham. Clean and concise, although very slow, I speed this narration up to 1.25 on Audible, which is usual for me.
Descent of Ravens
Bel's War, Book 1
By: A.C. Andrews
Narrated by: Isaac Grisham
Series: Bel's War Series, Book 1
Length: 13 hrs
❤❤❤❤ Overall
🎧🎧🎧🎧 Narration
📚📚📚📚 Story
Read at 1.25 speed on Audible
I received this audiobook for free from GRR at my request. My review is my opinion and an honest review - neither the author nor GRR influenced my opinion.
September 2, 2021
I’m not even going to try to summarize this novel because 1) that’s what the blurb is for and 2) way too much happens to even make a start. I loved every chaotic, tension-filled moment of this novel. Be warned that our protagonists never spend a peril-free second (there are some quieter moments, but they are literally snatched between crises). There are gods, mages, magic, divine power that *isn’t* magic and some adorable animals, both living and spectral. There are complicated historical legacies and a network of overlapping cultural heritages. There’s friendship, betrayal, hope, loss, and lots and lots of fighting against impossible odds. The story is epic in every possible way, and while I did feel like the romances, both Rio and Philip’s and Mercy and Turi’s, got short shrift (I’m sorry, I get that some things are just destined, but I need more than a paragraph or two to get on board with that), I have high hopes that they’ll get to grow and breathe as the series continues. I can’t think of a single reason not to recommend this book, so I’d say definitely check it out!
*I received an ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
*I received an ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
September 2, 2021
Rio and Turi are both working towards becoming priests of Astara. When their home is invaded, the two barely escape death. To help Astara’s followers, Rio finds himself in a hidden chamber where Philip lies. Philip Sakata, exiled son of an emperor, had been turned into a vampire eight hundred years ago and waited to be awakened when the time was right. Now he and Rio are fulfilling a love started all those years ago while Turi finds himself drawn to a mysterious old woman who gifts him with three bones that will give him power over life and death. Now the two must find a way to save their island and their friends as well as their religion.
This was an amazing action-packed story. The world building was incredible. At the start of each chapter is an except from a diary or a text that explains and fills in gaps for us. Each character is multi-layered and complex. There are vampires, gods, goddesses, mages, and monsters as well as reincarnation and magic. The story is not over. There is more to come. This is exciting times for a reader but we must wait patiently until the next book arrives. I highly recommend this story.
This was an amazing action-packed story. The world building was incredible. At the start of each chapter is an except from a diary or a text that explains and fills in gaps for us. Each character is multi-layered and complex. There are vampires, gods, goddesses, mages, and monsters as well as reincarnation and magic. The story is not over. There is more to come. This is exciting times for a reader but we must wait patiently until the next book arrives. I highly recommend this story.
October 15, 2022
An invasion of Clan Ishima on the island of Trosika has left a trail of blood in its wake. The invaders are ruthless and barbaric, led by an army of vampires under the control of the goddess Ereth who seems to want nothing but death and destruction. A pair of simple apprentices to the goddess of light and healing, Astara, are thrown into the mix. It’ll be up to them and a ragtag group of heroes that they’ve banded together to save the day. Can they stop Clan Ishima before it’s too late, or will the entire island be killed or turned into undead creatures of the night, mere tools of the goddess of blood and pain?
“Descent of Ravens” is a fantastic introduction to the LGBTQ+ epic fantasy series from A.C. Andrews. The world-building is a slow burn at first, but sets up everything beautifully and once it gets going, it never looks back. The action was relentless, only breaking to build on the lore or the character’s romantic entanglements. Andrew’s did a fantastic job of setting the stage but also resolving conflicts by the end of the book and I can’t wait to see where they go next.
“Descent of Ravens” is a fantastic introduction to the LGBTQ+ epic fantasy series from A.C. Andrews. The world-building is a slow burn at first, but sets up everything beautifully and once it gets going, it never looks back. The action was relentless, only breaking to build on the lore or the character’s romantic entanglements. Andrew’s did a fantastic job of setting the stage but also resolving conflicts by the end of the book and I can’t wait to see where they go next.
August 14, 2021
I love a good fantasy story. That genre will always be my first love. This book took my breath away. I love the world building and the whole system of magic, monsters, gods and goddesses. Turi and Rio are best friends and are both novices of Astara. Completely by chance (or is it?), these young men escape from invading mages and vampires when the temple is attacked. Together they have to flee their home and fight the growing evenly that is trying to take over their island. While escaping, they discover the tomb of Phillip who was the prince who originally fought back vampires. He was actually turned and buried asleep for the past 800 years. Now Astara has a plan that involves all three of these erstwhile heroes. I would never have guessed this was this author’s debut book. I loved it and will be waiting rather impatiently for the rest of this series. It does end with an HFN but their fight is far from over.
September 17, 2022
I read this book in audio format but I wanted to leave a review here because loved it so much! This book introduce me to a new author for me and a new voice actor. I usually don't hear new books in audio format, but heard the narration of books I already read and love in ebook format so I don't get frustated by the velocity of the storyline wanting to know what happens next, but the blurb of this one caught my attention so I decided to break my own rule. And WOW! What an adventure! The story is agile and entertaining, the characters are amazing and Mr Grisham work in the narration was great. I enjoyed a lot the world the author created for the story and the audio helped me to immerse in the captivating plot. An epic, magical tale beautifully narrated. I discovered book 2 in the series is out now in ebook format, so I will read it to be prepared for the audio version. Really, a series worth of reading in any format you'd prefer.
September 2, 2021
Despite being a darker high fantasy story, with some content warnings that should definitely be heeded, this was still such a fun read. Typically I prefer the books I read to have a strong romantic element or to be an actual romance, so if you're like me, I think you'll find the romantic sub plots to be interesting as well as very sweet.
My favorite aspect of this story was probably the gods that directly interfere. I don't know why but I always love when that happens in books and these goddesses certainly know how to make themselves known on the mortal plane. I was invested in the overarching story of the god's battles as well as the individual character threads.
I would recommend this to those that want a LGBTQ+ high fantasy story to dive into or those that love supporting talented debut authors.
My favorite aspect of this story was probably the gods that directly interfere. I don't know why but I always love when that happens in books and these goddesses certainly know how to make themselves known on the mortal plane. I was invested in the overarching story of the god's battles as well as the individual character threads.
I would recommend this to those that want a LGBTQ+ high fantasy story to dive into or those that love supporting talented debut authors.
September 22, 2022
Epic Fantasy (an audio review)
There’s a lot going on in this book. As often happens with fantasy stories, there are many characters and points of view. The world-building was phenomenal, but I sometimes struggled to keep it all straight in my mind. And although this is a YA book, there is plenty of violence and, as the synopsis suggests, sadistic villains who do sadistic things. I wasn’t disturbed by most of the imagery as it fit the story.
I found Rio a compelling hero. His story interested me as well as his connection to Philip. Other characters struck me, but those two were most fascinating.
I also loved the diversity of characters. That array of sexual orientations and attractions was the reason I snagged the book and I wasn’t disappointed.
Isaac Grisham is a new narrator to me and I thought he did a good job. Overall, I’m glad I grabbed this one.
There’s a lot going on in this book. As often happens with fantasy stories, there are many characters and points of view. The world-building was phenomenal, but I sometimes struggled to keep it all straight in my mind. And although this is a YA book, there is plenty of violence and, as the synopsis suggests, sadistic villains who do sadistic things. I wasn’t disturbed by most of the imagery as it fit the story.
I found Rio a compelling hero. His story interested me as well as his connection to Philip. Other characters struck me, but those two were most fascinating.
I also loved the diversity of characters. That array of sexual orientations and attractions was the reason I snagged the book and I wasn’t disappointed.
Isaac Grisham is a new narrator to me and I thought he did a good job. Overall, I’m glad I grabbed this one.
September 4, 2021
This is a good start to a fascinating new saga with magic, religion, war, action, adventure, vampires, gods/goddesses, and good friends. There is great world-building with complex and intriguing characters. The book was a little slow at the start, which often happens with a new series or a new world that requires significant background to get into. Once the groundwork was laid, the book picked up speed. I expect future books will advance the plot more quickly. I am definitely on board.
I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving this honest review.
I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving this honest review.
July 9, 2025
I have had this book in my TBR pile and decided to read it. This story pulled me right in as it lots of action and the storyline was pretty great. Rio is a healer and in training to become a priest in Astara’s temple. Turi has tried to reach out to Astara in his mind, but found out he was to be blessed by another goddess. Told in multiple points of view, I shows how Rio found Prince Phillip after he was entombed for 800 years for being turned into a vampire. I loved the story telling and the romance between Rio and Phillip. I will definitely read book 2 to see what happens next.
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