The Ravenglass Chronicles: Complete Omnibus of the Coming-of-Age Epic Fantasy Series

The Ravenglass Chronicles #1–21 omnibus

by Jon Cronshaw

Kat is heir to a brutal empire...

...but the last thing she wants to do is rule.

When the day she’s been dreading finally arrives, she is torn between her royal duties and a desire to follow her magical destiny.

Will Kat choose true love and risk certain war, or accept an arranged marriage with a man three-times her age?

With only a wyvern and a messenger boy as her friends, Kat is forced to embark on a magical adventure to seek out the mysterious Guardians and unlock the secret of her powers...and her family’s hidden past.

What do her mysterious dreams mean?

Who killed her father?

How deep do the secrets run and who is pulling the strings?

Inspired by the tarot and set in a rich medieval world, this omnibus collection brings together all twenty-two novellas of Jon Cronshaw’s best-selling series, The Ravenglass Chronicles.

You’ll love this coming-of-age epic fantasy adventure because everyone loves hidden magic, found families, and reluctant heroes.

Scroll back up and click Buy Now or Read For Free to join Kat on this unforgettable journey.

Genres: Fantasy, Ebooks

1743 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 25, 2022

About the author

Jon Cronshaw is a British science fiction and fantasy author based in the north of England, just south of the wall.
As a freelance features writer, he has had work published in local and national newspapers across the UK, including the Yorkshire Post and the Guardian.
He earned his PhD in history of art from the University of Leeds in 2011, focusing on the life and work of Anglo-American sculptor, Jacob Epstein (1880-1959).
He's a voracious reader, guide dog owner, ex-gamer, and wrestling fan.

Reviews

[emeraldragonlady (Maddie) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

It was not until halfway through the series that I realized why the titles of the books were what they were. If you do not have any experience with tarot cards, look it up and read their meanings and it will help you understand each book a little bit better.
This series follows a young princesses journey into becoming the next Empress.

The first few books are good at building the character of Kat and setting the stage, but my personal feelings about the coming of age ceremonies being a focal point are uncomfortable for me and I’m a mother of 6. I realized it is probably meant as part of their culture in the book, but I would not recommend reading this book if you have PTSD for abuse.
I will say that the author did well in not going into too much detail during the ceremonies but only say’s enough to paint the picture.

By about books 5&6 I would say that things start to develop more and Kat is shown a new view of what life is like outside the palace. She is enslaved twice and had to endure many trials to discover who she is and what her purpose is. When she finally returns home, it is then that she finds out who she is again, and she is upset to learn of what part she has played in everything.

[Jcad6169 · Rating 5 out of 5]

best pure high fantasy I’ve read in a long time.

I didn’t skip a page out of boredom, become irritated at an abundance of minutiae, or change to another book once. My family will tell you that is rare.

[Cat]

So far not liking the MC at all. She's really immature and selfish, with no real reasoning. Everything is just told to you. She repeatedly claims she doesn't want to be the heir, have her life determined for her, can't choose her own friends, etc...but thus far in the book the only thing being asked of her is to do the rituals. She only has one friend that she chose, and besides being told not to hang out with him anymore, she does anyway. Not really feeling the noose tightening on her. Hopefully it gets better.

Also I don't think the author understands menstruation.

[Feather Chelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastical

This was several books in one, and I was absolutely captivated from start to finish. I loved the spunky, young female protagonist and winced at her misadventures, cheering her on all the way. Her journeys of overcoming adversity and remaining true to herself, while navigating the constraints of duty within a royal family, were truly remarkable. It was one of the best fantasy books I’ve read in quite a while.

[Emily · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have never in my entire life been so extremely annoyed by a book series.

Kat has my overthinking brain which, that's fine and all but if you aren't going to learn anything or grow from it what's the point?

She never grew up, sure she aged but like again what's the point?

And you gave her amnesia which somehow made her worse AND THEN NOTHING HAPPENED! She never learned from it, she was still the same as she was in the beginning other than the fact she's queen now and made slavery illegal

You can use all the fancy gibberish of the tarots all you want but if you are not going to make your characters grow and evolve past chapter (oh excuse me episode) 1 then just don't bother writing and publishing anything, i don't even want to bother reading the free things being sent to my email

also KILLING SOMEONE IS STILL MURDER and if you kill more than one person you are a killer there's literally nothing you can say or do to justify that its not

Also how in the world is almost all 21 books less than 100 pages???

ALSO A DREAM SQUEENCE IS NOT A CHAPTER EITHER

thank god this was only 99 cents, I'd be fuming if i paid more to have this garbage on my kindle.

[Debbie Eyre · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing epic fantasy series that once you start you will not be able to put down it’s just so good! The author has done an incredible job with the world building, it’s beautiful and so descriptive that you feel as though you are actually there. The storyline is gripping, enthralling and very entertaining as we join Kat on one hell of a magical journey to find the mysterious Guardians and unlock the secret of her powers...and her family’s hidden past. As you go from book to book the story continues to flow and the characters grow and develop. Fast paced and full of adventure, magic, mystery, intrigue and a few surprises and twists and turns to keep you hanging onto the edge of your seat this is one journey you will not regret going on. An engrossing storyline, fantastic characters, this is an incredible fantasy boxset !

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, that was a journey! Reading Kats coming of age and growinginto her position in life was amazing. 5 books and a long read, and apart from a few times I wanted to slap Kat to wake her up to her situation, it held me all the way through. If you look up the Tarot cards and their meaning before reading it will be a guide, but even without this knowledge it is really worth reading. Kat's journey from (spoilt) princess through to enforced marriage and her escape from this, enslavement, mind bondage, the cruelty of slaving, her growing through rough and rougher trials, until she faces her position in life, was fascinating. Her world became believable, and because of this, you become immersed and dont want to leave her side. 5 stars is not really enough.
Thanks Jon. I really enjoyed Kat's story.

[Tiruvalluri Prasad · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is not a progression story or coming of age story. The MC learns nothing from her training other than physical stuff like fighting and spying. She does not grow mentally; I mean she does not mature at all. She keeps whining from page one of Book 1 till the end of book 11. I stopped there. Maybe she comes of age at the end of Book 21. I did not have the patience to continue until then.

The writing is top notch. Even though nothing is happening for long stretches, it is still readable. The descriptions, the language, and writing mechanics are top notch. Even until the end of book 11 (out of 21), we do not know what the magic is about or what it does. We have no idea what the series is about either. Extremely disappointed. I will try another series of the writer and see if that follows the same pattern. If it does, then it is goodbye to the writer.

[Alexis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bought back in august. long boxset and took me a bit to read this completed. Overall this is a 5 star book. kept me pulled into it to where i couldnt put it down at all.
broken down to each book to the stars for each part down below.

The magician: 5 stars
The high priestess: 4 stars
The empress: 5 stars
The emperor: 4 stars
The Hierophant: 5 stars
The lovers: 5 stars
The chariot: 5 stars
Strength: 4 stars
The hermit: 4 stars
Wheel of fortune: 4 stars
Justice: 5 stars
The hanged man: 5 stars
Death: 5 stars
Temperance: 5 stars
The devil: 4 stars
The tower: 4 stars
The star: 5 stars
The moon: 5 stars
The sun: 5 stars
Judgement: 4 stars
The world: 4 stars
The fool: 5 stars

[Cleocutie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kat is the heir to an empire but has never wanted to rule. The story starts when the day finally comes and she has to choose love and her destiny or going through with the arranged marriage to a man three times her age. She chooses her destiny and sets out to discover the mystery of the Guardians with only a wyvern and a messenger boy as her companions. There is plenty of action and magic and Kat learns about herself as well as her magic as the series goes on. You can see her maturing and growing as she get away from her life where she is expected to do what she is told. I love the rich setting of the story and the fact that the books are inspired by tarot cards.

[Yvonne van der Fluit · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story unfolds too slow for my taste, after 20-25% it took off (that's around 500/600pages) and then there where just moments of boredom reading it. I enjoyed these books, I like how the books matched the tarot cards. The story is long and I find the ending a little to fast, after everything you ve been through the end is how you wished the beginning was so that you could finally understand what you are reading.
Overall I liked the story, the growth that eventually sets in Kat. One you will be waiting for in the first 500/600 pages, it will happen, she will grow and what she will do with all of it, is for you to find out.

[Gill Charlton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

I really loved this book series, the plot weaves its way around each character with so much detail that i really felt that I knew them personally. The horror of Max and the children brought tears to my eyes...

Kat aka Red is the main character her journey through the books and the people and others that influence her life leave an impact for some time after finishing the books.

Please read the series, it's definitely worth it!

Thank you Jon

[Maureen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Respect to the author for the ending.

Twenty-one books, seventeen and a half hundred pages, and it was the last page that earned the author the fifth star.

This is a competent story. A bit boggy occasionally, but that’s to be expected with a tale this long in the telling. If we were listening to a bard sing the lay, we’d all be asleep in our cups by the end.

A story of a young woman forced to grow up, forced to become someone she would not have been otherwise, forced into slavery, forced into learning to fight and kill, forced into learning to find and trust her own friends. All so she could come home and give up her free-thinking. I’ll let you guess how well that goes.

Along the road between home and home again, Kathryn will learn to become Kat. A courier, a friend, a sworn enemy of a great many people - for reasons. She’ll learn the ways of the assassin and of magic. She’ll spend a lot of time confused about who she can trust. She’ll learn to draw lines in the sand.

Jon Cronshaw has gained my trust with this series and I look forward to reading more of his work. Hopefully much shorter than 21 tomes.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audiobook: This was my first experience with Jon Cronshaw's work, and I was entertained. The series of novellas related Kat's life. The worldbuilding was involved as it described the cultures of both the wealthy and those less fortunate. I liked the inclusion of wyverns and magic. I appreciated Kat's development and growth during each successive novella. I will be looking for more work by this author. Emmy Coates' narration was good, and she kept my attention with her performance. I was given a free copy of the audiobook, and I have voluntarily posted this review.

[Nicole Talbot · Rating 3 out of 5]

The beginning of this shows a whiny heir to the throne who is very immature and not trained to take over for her mother. I found it difficult to get through this part. I pushed on and the middle starts as more of the same and then a specific event happens that changes the narrative. I was very happy reading this part of the book. Then the ending begins and you start to get back to the unbelievable and poor plot points. The ending was as the beginning. This story had so much potential I just did not enjoy the finer points.

[KAYE WEIST · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great adventure

I always enjoy an author that can imagine new types of magic and new worlds. I usually skip around my downloads books that have multiple books so I do no get bored with character... But I binge read this one it is full of adventure and surprises. Not saying specifics I hate spoilers. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did. I even signed up for the newsletter for this author which is rare for me! 😀

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an interesting story of Princess Kathryn

It was intriguing to read of Kathryn and story as she became a woman forced to flee her home. Waiting for the wyvern Witz to call her home. As she became a watcher apprentice with the Guardians and somehow lost her memory. It was a page turner that kept me on the edge of my seat. A story I really enjoyed and look forward to the next chapter.

[Margaret jell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good read

I have enjoyed this read but I need to stop as my house needs a clean I've been installed my mind not my own for a good read is stopping me I've as enjoyment love cried fought and loved every second in sad it's ended would have liked to see how may\red made of the empire she was a child turned into a woman fought hard trained the way I was trained many years ago this was just the escapism that I needed twist and turns brilliantly done

[Crystal Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really couldn't put this series down. Page after page I was totally engrossed in the adventure. Full of magic, mystery, creatures and challenges.

The story is engaging and kept me excited to find out what was going to happen next. I enjoyed the images the very descriptive words brought to mi d could picture the stage as it was set.

A must read for sure

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating

I was very unsure about this book series for quite awhile. It made it very easy to understand what the main character was feeling. I couldn't put it down as things became even more confusing and exciting. The wrap-up to the end was perfect. I will carry the "yellow nothing" in my mind for a bit I believe. Wow.

[Claire Heath · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting books

I love that the start of each book has a letter to it. "Red" goes on such a short adventurous journey . But comes back strong. Goes through many up and downs. The only part I didn't like was she seemed very spoilt to start with and very repetitive. If you can get though that , Then these books are cracking. ,

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent book

It shows many books as a series, but it is all one continuous story. Sometimes, it's a little hard to follow. It is a long read, but the climax at the end was a huge disappointment. For all the details and everything throughout the book, the end just seems empty. So much more could have been played out and brought everything together better at the end.

[David Phizacklea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adult fiction fantasy extraordinaire!

Difficult to put down once begun. I liked the flow of the story and the easy way forward with each page. It's a great journey and a very clever tale of mystery and intrigue. Great to read a book that 'tells it' without the constant repeats of snips (flashbacks?) some books seem to push.
A great twisting, turning epic.
Cheers

[Shaun Carpenter · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first book was a little rough to get through...but it's totally worth it. The 20 books after are page turners. I couldn't put it down. The ending was...brief. However, the characters, elemental magic twist, and world was an entertaining shift from the usual fantasy genre. #Red

[Amber K · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing fantasy journey and well worth the read!!
Surprise twists that you don't see coming keep you on your toes throughout the whole series. I loved and found the connection between the story and with tarot very clever. Terrific audio narration.
I recommend this series for any fantasy lover!

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

The true Tarot is symbolism; it speaks no other language and offers no other signs. ...

Found Ravenglass by accident what a hidden treasure, enjoyed every book, the symbolism, the twists and turns. As above so below.

[Jecture · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enthralling

The hero of this epic fantasy is on an epic journey of self-discovery and fights through a war full of betrayal, murder and theft. Manipulation abound in the tale as the Red Assasin becomes Empress of the empire she was born to rule.

Great read.

[Karen Wesselmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good

I didn't really know what this saga would entail, but I enjoyed it very much. It was completely engaging and compelling. I enjoyed reading it over a longer period of time, but I couldn't put it down for the last 5 hours or so of the series. Excellent!

[Duane Eberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hated the main character, from start, and at end, with only a short window where she had brain damage when she thought in a way where I did not secretly want to smack her in the head like I was Moe and ahe was the 4th Stooge.

[Alissa Chandler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well worth the read

I enjoyed this story very much & look forward to reading more from this author.
The Ravenglass universe is different enough to keep you interested and relatable enough that the reader isn't lost in the world building.